Hi Folks,

               I played a solo gig at Koo Japanese restaurant in Ludlow, Shropshire last Wednesday. I realise that this opening sentence alone is enough to suggest that I’m going insane, but in fact the whole thing worked out really well. It had a kind of Greenwich Village café feel to it. It reminded me of the great time I had in ‘the village’ during my US trip in the summer of 2008, and made me wonder whether it would be possible to re-establish a kind of beatnik coffee house scene over here?

I put that to Lord Byron Pryce and his girlfriend Mari who run the place. Lord Byron, was actually the forerunner to the now world famous ‘Mick the Dog’ who many of you will have met at gigs over the years. Lord Byron used to come on tour with me back in the Parker’s Alibi days, but he hung up his tour manager’s pint glass and turned in his badge, in favour of a quiet life in the Shropshire hills - an extraordinary fellow.  

The audience dined first (great food there actually) and I played when the eating was all done, so it felt like a really intimate and attentive gig. My set lasted about an hour and fifteen minutes, and I tried out some more new songs. I’m really enjoying the freedom that solo gigs afford in terms of trying out new material and experimenting with new ideas and approaches. 

The first month of my marathon training was completed yesterday with a thirty minute run along the local canal. This month is going to be a lot harder with more lengthy sessions on the cards.  The after-run roast with the six-strong team, (including Morg Morgan incidentally) was fantastic as ever, but I think the wine drinking may have to be curtailed a bit if the training is going to actually benefit any of us. I woke up slightly hung over today, lacking the clarity that might have prevented me writing some of the banal stuff above about Lord Byron – he is an extraordinary fellow though. 

Anyway, I’m off to set up my home studio again, lots of new songs to work on. Hope to get them out to you as soon a possible.

Take care,

Ian