Giff's News

Giff's News January 2015

A Happy New Year to you all.

If you are a regular reader of my news you will have noted that it is a year since I did my last one. As it is obvious that I find difficulty in keeping up with it more than once a year I've decided that either I'll give it up after this one or perhaps just make it an annual review. Let me know what you think dear reader.

Until the final decision is made however, here is the news:

2014 was a quiet year for me as far as gigs were concerned possibly because I spent part of April in Barcelona, most of June in Canada and part of October in Turkey and had several trips to France in between to stock up the cellar! Definitely a travel year for me but with a number of folk highlights as follows:

Although not a gig (but I did a couple of spots anyway) I had a brilliant time in Birmingham in May helping to celebrate the 50th birthday of The Black Diamond Folk Club. I was a resident at one of the early incarnations of the club which was at The Drovers Arms in the late 60's so I have a lot of (very!) old friends from there. It was great to meet up with many of them.

Also in May I enjoyed my first appearance at the Folk on the Moor festival at Botton in the North York Moors. It's a beautiful setting and a lovely little festival. I even had chance to lead a bird watching walk for the festival. Many thanks to Richard and Jeanette Grainger for booking me.

As always, I had a great time in August at Broadstairs Folk Week, where the first performance of my new show 'Environmental Folk Songs' was very well received, and an absolutely smashing 'mini-tour' of Devon and Cornwall (Penzance and Bideford Clubs were both wonderful) in September.

My last gig of the year was somewhat unexpected when Annie Morris contacted me to see if I could stand in at the Potteries Folk Club for Martin Carthy who was poorly. Luckily I was free and had a lovely night there. I hope Martin is fully recovered too.

This year is looking very busy with my first commitment being at the annual 'Winter Sing' at Thirsk later this month. It is always a good 'do' and great to meet up with friends after the festive season and get the old voice into trim.

As always I'll be guitar tutoring in February for Folkus at Waddow Hall, Clitheroe where I look forward to seeing some of my regular pupils again for another cracking weekend of music making. See the new and improved (that sounds like a washing powder ad!) Folkus web site at www.Folkus.co.uk for details of all Folkus activities.

My old mate Chris Harvey has now virtually retired from the recording business although all the Cock Robin label CDs will still be available. Therefore, in March, I'm going to be recording a new CD with Doug Bailey at the Wild Goose studios in Hampshire. It will be a whole new experience as far as making recordings go so I'm looking forward to it.

As last year, my first festival appearance will be in April at the Shanty UK Festival at Ellesmere Port. I'm only available for the Friday this year but I hope to meet up with lots of you 'shanty goers' during my day.

Talking of shanties, I'm on tour in the south in April with my old mates Keith Kendrick and Geoff Higginbottom as Three Sheets to the Wind - well most of the time! It'll be the first tour we've done for some time so if you live in Hampshire, Sussex, Essex or Kent (yes, it's a wide ranging tour) then have a look at my gig list to find out where we are for a rare but real treat.

In May I'll be doing a lot of birding including leading the annual Dawn Chorus and some Wildlife Walks at Fir Tree Farm here in Lancashire. Contact details are in my gigs list and on my Birding section of the web site.

Don't forget that I do guided birding in the UK so if you're a bird watching folky and would like a day out do get in touch.

In June I'm looking forward to my first appearance at Alcester Folk Festival in my home county of Warwickshire.

In August I'm booked again at the wonderful Broadstairs Folk Week which will be celebrating its 50th Year - I must try to find a gold lamé jacket to wear! I'll be presenting a special show on the opening Friday night with my good friend Mike Nicholson which we've called 'Fifty Years of English Folk Song'.

I'm now sorting out my gigs for the Autumn and later this year. I'm also making plans for a tour in New Zealand in 2016.

In the mean time I hope to see some of you on my travels.

Cheers for now,

Giff'

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