Dave Sharp from The Alarm (68 Guns, Where Were You Hiding) is on the road, performing his own acoustic solo gigs around the UK.
He says the events rail against the commercial and engineered music that he feels is thrust upon the public.
“More people are saying they are fed up with it,” he said.
“It’s understandable that music doesn’t seem to be reaching out to people how it should be.
“There seems to be a growing appetite for a kind of music that has a human spirit to it, something that speaks on a human level to people.
“And it’s good that venues like the Jolly Brewer stick their neck out to promote music that will reach out to people.”
After The Alarm’s huge success in the 1980s, Dave spent a big part of the 90s in America, touring and making records.
In 1996, he recorded the album Downtown America, before returning to the UK in 2002 to record his third solo album, The Power of Soul, which re-introduced him to British audiences and earned him solo recognition across the UK with the critics.
Dave’s solo albums have received positive critical recognition on both sides of the Atlantic and over the past decade and a half he feels he has been fortunate to work alongside many of the artists he has long respected.
He’s worked with Willie Nelson, Bob Dylan and others in a period he says helped him “mature as an artist”.
His solo music has been described as everything from folk and blues to rock, country and punk.
And now, during breaks from the current tour, work in Manchester on his new album is progressing, with backing tracks complete.
His series of tour dates are designed to "challenge his electric guitar playing skills in a live format".
“I’m taking a break from recording at the moment and previewing new material,” he added.
“It’s really encouraging that up and down the country a lot of venues are starting to move away from the engineered media products.”
Dave recorded his first solo album, Hard Travellin' with record producer, Bob Johnston in 1991.
He is playing Lincoln and some other dates before embarking on another trip to Scotland - including his first appearance at brand new Glasgow alternative venue Pivo Pivo.
Wednesday, April 27
Jon Gomm - catch him on YouTube, he doesn't mind!
Acoustic singer-songwriter Jon Gomm has been hailed as one of the world's “most gifted and inspirational” guitar players.
He actually laid hands on a guitar aged two, wrote his first song at six and went on to accompany his father to watch gigs in his home town of Blackpool.
Touring musicians would often stay at their family home, which meant he regularly enjoyed expert tuition from some of the greats.
Nowadays he has a cult following of his own.
If you can get along to his gigs you’ll see how he combines a deeply personal performances with his natural wit – and a characteristic two-handed guitar style!
Using just the one instrument, his technique brings drum beats, bass lines and sparkling melodies to the audience, all at the same time.
A master of the art, some of his musical creations are something never heard anywhere else.
He says: “I’ve got a cult following and I’m really well known among guitar players in particular – and there are a lot of people playing the guitar these days!
“It’s mostly down to the Internet now. There are lots and lots of videos of my work on YouTube that people have watched.
“I’ve got loads of friends and followers online and that’s how people find out about me now.”
Early on he turned down a place at Oxford University studying English to attend The Guitar Institute in London. He paid his way through college playing jazz in café-bars, recording as a session guitarist, and playing country music for line dancers.
Nowadays he spends much of the year on the road, touring Europe and playing at festivals from Rome to Athens.
And he loves the Jolly Brewer – where the atmosphere is “amazing”. He’s looking forward to their first outdoor gig of the season.
He says: “I play a few covers in my set and they are the ones people will remember and request.
“Once the album had been out a while all the requests I get at gigs are songs from that record. It’s quite humbling when people are shouting out for songs you’ve written yourself!”
Jon’s independent approach to the music industry means his albums are home recorded and released on the label he owns.
His presence on myspace and YouTube are key to his appeal, with his debut album Hypertension selling over 10,000 copies with no industry backing.
He’s not keen on putting songs online that aren’t produced and published for people to buy for themselves.
“Every gig I play gets filmed – and some of the quality is amazing,” says Jon.
“I really don’t mind. The reason people want to do it is because they want to help me. They are aware that the way people find out about me is by people telling each other. They realise they can tell thousands like this and their spreading the word
is really flattering.”
The brand new album, Don't Panic, sold out on Amazon within five days.
He actually laid hands on a guitar aged two, wrote his first song at six and went on to accompany his father to watch gigs in his home town of Blackpool.
Touring musicians would often stay at their family home, which meant he regularly enjoyed expert tuition from some of the greats.
Nowadays he has a cult following of his own.
If you can get along to his gigs you’ll see how he combines a deeply personal performances with his natural wit – and a characteristic two-handed guitar style!
Using just the one instrument, his technique brings drum beats, bass lines and sparkling melodies to the audience, all at the same time.
A master of the art, some of his musical creations are something never heard anywhere else.
He says: “I’ve got a cult following and I’m really well known among guitar players in particular – and there are a lot of people playing the guitar these days!
“It’s mostly down to the Internet now. There are lots and lots of videos of my work on YouTube that people have watched.
“I’ve got loads of friends and followers online and that’s how people find out about me now.”
Early on he turned down a place at Oxford University studying English to attend The Guitar Institute in London. He paid his way through college playing jazz in café-bars, recording as a session guitarist, and playing country music for line dancers.
Nowadays he spends much of the year on the road, touring Europe and playing at festivals from Rome to Athens.
And he loves the Jolly Brewer – where the atmosphere is “amazing”. He’s looking forward to their first outdoor gig of the season.
He says: “I play a few covers in my set and they are the ones people will remember and request.
“Once the album had been out a while all the requests I get at gigs are songs from that record. It’s quite humbling when people are shouting out for songs you’ve written yourself!”
Jon’s independent approach to the music industry means his albums are home recorded and released on the label he owns.
His presence on myspace and YouTube are key to his appeal, with his debut album Hypertension selling over 10,000 copies with no industry backing.
He’s not keen on putting songs online that aren’t produced and published for people to buy for themselves.
“Every gig I play gets filmed – and some of the quality is amazing,” says Jon.
“I really don’t mind. The reason people want to do it is because they want to help me. They are aware that the way people find out about me is by people telling each other. They realise they can tell thousands like this and their spreading the word
is really flattering.”
The brand new album, Don't Panic, sold out on Amazon within five days.
Tuesday, April 26
A right royal knees up for you?
by Patrick Astill
What will you be doing on the big day then?
Maybe a nice breakfast in bed, followed by an easy morning pottering around the house and then settling down for the greatest show on earth?
It’s plain that the great British public seems distinctly under-whelmed by the prospect of a royal wedding.
Even David Cameron did his bit this week with a rallying call for anyone who wants to have a street party.
“Go ahead, flout the regulations – get out there and enjoy!” he said. Or words to that effect.
I don’t know of any street parties around our way. One school is opening up on the Saturday for a big party for all the local children and it’s going to be very well attended.
And why not? There’s little else to celebrate as a nation at the moment.
We’re hardly likely to see a Nobby dancing around the edge of the Wembley pitch with a football World Cup any time soon. Gone are the days when I‘d welcome a general election result with champagne (it has been known, you know). And I can’t see Forest being promoted to the Premiership either.
So given a choice between being fashionably cool about the whole wedding thing, which is what I believe many people are striving for, or having a bit of a knees-up, even if it’s only in the back garden with the neighbours, I know which I‘d rather do.
I can still remember a clutch of royal weddings, a few royal babies and can even recall the fuss from when Diana was still working at the nursery and the rumours had started about her and Charles. It was the wedding of the decade and was watched by many more millions around the world than anyone could be bothered to count. I’ll stick my neck out and guess that interest is still out there.
OK, so I won’t be getting paid for my extra day off – but that’s all the more reason to enjoy it in my book, to take the “pain” away!
I can’t think of anyone, even among the ones who say they don’t care, who won’t want to sneak a look at Kate’s dress, or the Queen’s hat, even if it takes them a couple of days to peek in the Sunday papers.
If you’re one of those who say they can’t bear the royalist celebrations, I‘d bet that you’re in the minority.
First published in the Lincolnshire Echo.
What will you be doing on the big day then?
Maybe a nice breakfast in bed, followed by an easy morning pottering around the house and then settling down for the greatest show on earth?
It’s plain that the great British public seems distinctly under-whelmed by the prospect of a royal wedding.
Even David Cameron did his bit this week with a rallying call for anyone who wants to have a street party.
“Go ahead, flout the regulations – get out there and enjoy!” he said. Or words to that effect.
I don’t know of any street parties around our way. One school is opening up on the Saturday for a big party for all the local children and it’s going to be very well attended.
And why not? There’s little else to celebrate as a nation at the moment.
We’re hardly likely to see a Nobby dancing around the edge of the Wembley pitch with a football World Cup any time soon. Gone are the days when I‘d welcome a general election result with champagne (it has been known, you know). And I can’t see Forest being promoted to the Premiership either.
So given a choice between being fashionably cool about the whole wedding thing, which is what I believe many people are striving for, or having a bit of a knees-up, even if it’s only in the back garden with the neighbours, I know which I‘d rather do.
I can still remember a clutch of royal weddings, a few royal babies and can even recall the fuss from when Diana was still working at the nursery and the rumours had started about her and Charles. It was the wedding of the decade and was watched by many more millions around the world than anyone could be bothered to count. I’ll stick my neck out and guess that interest is still out there.
OK, so I won’t be getting paid for my extra day off – but that’s all the more reason to enjoy it in my book, to take the “pain” away!
I can’t think of anyone, even among the ones who say they don’t care, who won’t want to sneak a look at Kate’s dress, or the Queen’s hat, even if it takes them a couple of days to peek in the Sunday papers.
If you’re one of those who say they can’t bear the royalist celebrations, I‘d bet that you’re in the minority.
First published in the Lincolnshire Echo.
Tony Christie on tour at 67!
by Patrick Astill
He's probably best known now for that hit charity video with Peter Kay miming to his music, but that’s only part of the story for Tony Christie.
Its seven weeks at number one serves as a reminder of Tony’s longevity.
Celebrating 50 years in the business, he’s done the lot.
He’s also woven his career in and out of the public eye, and only last year achieved a long-standing ambition to appear in a West End musical.
Lincoln audiences will get a chance to appreciate his full range when he steps on stage at the Theatre Royal.
His current wave of popularity started as far back as 12 years ago, when Jarvis Cocker sent him a new song with the same title as an old Christie album track, Walk Like A Panther.
Tony told What’s On: “Walk Like A Panther reached the top ten.
“I did all that and went back to Spain where I was living and the radio started to play it and it became a hit so I had to come back to do Top of the Pops.
“Then Peter Kay came completely out of the blue and that got me to move back to the UK.”
Tony saw Max and Paddy singing (Is This The Way To) Amarillo to some bemused Asian elders.
He said: “I nearly fell of my chair laughing. Then the phone started ringing…”
Three years after the Comic Relief hit, the critically-acclaimed Made In Sheffield was released, putting Tony well and truly in the public eye.
He said: I’d collaborated with Richard Hawley. I wanted to do Coles Corner, the song. I never realised that six years before he had written a song specially for me to record.
“He’d put it on his album. I heard it again while I was driving home one night and thought I’d quite fancy doing that song. He pointed out he’d already done that six years before.
“I contacted him to ask if he’d like to produce that track on the album but he said he wanted to record an album with myself doing purely music from Sheffield. Sheffield songs, Sheffield artists, Sheffield writers.
“It was obviously a fantastic idea because the result was a hit and also critically acclaimed.”
And Tony hasn’t looked back!
“I did a musical last year, and I’m trying to find time to write my autobiography this year.
“One of the boxes I hadn’t ticked was the West End musical. I did a run in Dreamboats and Petticoats and really enjoyed it.
“The year it was set was 1961, the year I started out in showbusiness!”
A new album of all new songs, Northern Soul, Philadelphia blues, is in the making, “quite an eclectic mix and a brilliant album” he says.
“It’s my 50th year in the business and that’s why I’m doing this tour.”
It’s a 50-date tour. So how does he keep young-looking and young-feeling?
Tony reveals: “By just constantly working. People say if you retire, you die. I always embark on a strict fitness regime. I stopped drinking alcohol – I did that two months ago and it’s not easy to start with, particularly as I go to so many functions. I do a lot of walking and I’m ready for ten weeks of hard work. I’m a workaholic because that kind of living keeps you young.
“I perhaps see myself differently in a mirror. I’m only 67, going on 68, although I feel 20 years younger than my body!”
He's probably best known now for that hit charity video with Peter Kay miming to his music, but that’s only part of the story for Tony Christie.
Its seven weeks at number one serves as a reminder of Tony’s longevity.
Celebrating 50 years in the business, he’s done the lot.
He’s also woven his career in and out of the public eye, and only last year achieved a long-standing ambition to appear in a West End musical.
Lincoln audiences will get a chance to appreciate his full range when he steps on stage at the Theatre Royal.
His current wave of popularity started as far back as 12 years ago, when Jarvis Cocker sent him a new song with the same title as an old Christie album track, Walk Like A Panther.
Tony told What’s On: “Walk Like A Panther reached the top ten.
“I did all that and went back to Spain where I was living and the radio started to play it and it became a hit so I had to come back to do Top of the Pops.
“Then Peter Kay came completely out of the blue and that got me to move back to the UK.”
Tony saw Max and Paddy singing (Is This The Way To) Amarillo to some bemused Asian elders.
He said: “I nearly fell of my chair laughing. Then the phone started ringing…”
Three years after the Comic Relief hit, the critically-acclaimed Made In Sheffield was released, putting Tony well and truly in the public eye.
He said: I’d collaborated with Richard Hawley. I wanted to do Coles Corner, the song. I never realised that six years before he had written a song specially for me to record.
“He’d put it on his album. I heard it again while I was driving home one night and thought I’d quite fancy doing that song. He pointed out he’d already done that six years before.
“I contacted him to ask if he’d like to produce that track on the album but he said he wanted to record an album with myself doing purely music from Sheffield. Sheffield songs, Sheffield artists, Sheffield writers.
“It was obviously a fantastic idea because the result was a hit and also critically acclaimed.”
And Tony hasn’t looked back!
“I did a musical last year, and I’m trying to find time to write my autobiography this year.
“One of the boxes I hadn’t ticked was the West End musical. I did a run in Dreamboats and Petticoats and really enjoyed it.
“The year it was set was 1961, the year I started out in showbusiness!”
A new album of all new songs, Northern Soul, Philadelphia blues, is in the making, “quite an eclectic mix and a brilliant album” he says.
“It’s my 50th year in the business and that’s why I’m doing this tour.”
It’s a 50-date tour. So how does he keep young-looking and young-feeling?
Tony reveals: “By just constantly working. People say if you retire, you die. I always embark on a strict fitness regime. I stopped drinking alcohol – I did that two months ago and it’s not easy to start with, particularly as I go to so many functions. I do a lot of walking and I’m ready for ten weeks of hard work. I’m a workaholic because that kind of living keeps you young.
“I perhaps see myself differently in a mirror. I’m only 67, going on 68, although I feel 20 years younger than my body!”
Friday, March 25
Jenny Eclair on growing old gracefully
Jenny Eclair has been an accomplished stand-up for more years than she’d care to remember.
She started out with a first gig at Manchester Poly, moved to London to seek her fortune and ended up being the first woman to win the coveted Perrier Award, scooping the accolade in her 13th appearance at the Edinburgh Festival.
Among her early TV work was Packet Of Three, which she wrote and acted in alongside Frank Skinner.
She’s come a long way and is back on the road with her tour Old Dog, New Tricks, which comes to Lincoln Performing Arts Centre on April Fool’s Day, appropriately enough.
Having seen Jenny’s show, I know there’s a lot of pacing up and down, so is there a lot of nervous energy inside?
“I prowl,” she says. “I’m basically working to burn off some calories. You play lots of different styles of theatres and you want to give everyone a go at seeing you.
“They will find a lot out about me, and they will find out a bit about themselves because they will recognise chunks of their lives. It’s about looking in the mirror
“There’s a real streak of teenage rebellion there for people that are still growing up. Everyone’s 17 at the core, they show off, fall over – all that kind of thing.
“But you have to acknowledge the passing of time. If I was still on stage standing there just being filthy it would be unbearable. And a little bleak.
“Your audience grows old with you. A lot of them are the same age as me. There’s definitely no one under 16, because its too traumatic for them.”
And yet tales of middle-age, true life and the facts of life prove a popular draw for the audiences, with many venues selling out.
“It’s a combination of experience, writing, and getting the right audience.
“Put me in front of the wrong audience and I’ll die on my arse on stage.
“Most people know what they are coming to see. I’m usually quite welcome on stage.
“But it’s a low-pressure tour, I’m going to some nice medium-sized theatres. There’s a huge amount of competition and everyone’s so skint.”
You’re as likely to see Jenny on Grumpy Old Women, This Morning or Loose Women as on the comedy circuit these days.
And away from touring and being on the box, she’s carved out a niche as a successful writer, both as a columnist and with a couple of novels. A third is on the way. Her theatre roles have included the Vagina Monologues and she was also in I’m A Celebrity, trapped in the jungle – a performance she admits “opened some doors”.
Finally, playing within the university campus, and with a daughter at uni, I checked if she’s a cool mum.
“She’s a bit too old to be impressed,” said Jenny. “I rarely get young and trendy people in. If there were, they’d be there with their mum for their mum’s birthday treat.”
She started out with a first gig at Manchester Poly, moved to London to seek her fortune and ended up being the first woman to win the coveted Perrier Award, scooping the accolade in her 13th appearance at the Edinburgh Festival.
Among her early TV work was Packet Of Three, which she wrote and acted in alongside Frank Skinner.
She’s come a long way and is back on the road with her tour Old Dog, New Tricks, which comes to Lincoln Performing Arts Centre on April Fool’s Day, appropriately enough.
Having seen Jenny’s show, I know there’s a lot of pacing up and down, so is there a lot of nervous energy inside?
“I prowl,” she says. “I’m basically working to burn off some calories. You play lots of different styles of theatres and you want to give everyone a go at seeing you.
“They will find a lot out about me, and they will find out a bit about themselves because they will recognise chunks of their lives. It’s about looking in the mirror
“There’s a real streak of teenage rebellion there for people that are still growing up. Everyone’s 17 at the core, they show off, fall over – all that kind of thing.
“But you have to acknowledge the passing of time. If I was still on stage standing there just being filthy it would be unbearable. And a little bleak.
“Your audience grows old with you. A lot of them are the same age as me. There’s definitely no one under 16, because its too traumatic for them.”
And yet tales of middle-age, true life and the facts of life prove a popular draw for the audiences, with many venues selling out.
“It’s a combination of experience, writing, and getting the right audience.
“Put me in front of the wrong audience and I’ll die on my arse on stage.
“Most people know what they are coming to see. I’m usually quite welcome on stage.
“But it’s a low-pressure tour, I’m going to some nice medium-sized theatres. There’s a huge amount of competition and everyone’s so skint.”
You’re as likely to see Jenny on Grumpy Old Women, This Morning or Loose Women as on the comedy circuit these days.
And away from touring and being on the box, she’s carved out a niche as a successful writer, both as a columnist and with a couple of novels. A third is on the way. Her theatre roles have included the Vagina Monologues and she was also in I’m A Celebrity, trapped in the jungle – a performance she admits “opened some doors”.
Finally, playing within the university campus, and with a daughter at uni, I checked if she’s a cool mum.
“She’s a bit too old to be impressed,” said Jenny. “I rarely get young and trendy people in. If there were, they’d be there with their mum for their mum’s birthday treat.”
Tuesday, March 22
The experience of a lifetime - priceless
Tickets for the London 2012 Olympic Games went on sale this week.
But will you be splashing out on the spectacular?
For one thing, you’ll need a Visa card to pay – as they won’t accept anything else online.
Secondly, the money will go out of your bank account before you know what you’ve been allocated, so if you’re trying to second-guess what might be popular and over-book as an insurance policy, it may and up being rather costly.
And if you get too many tickets, you can’t get a refund. You can sell them on in a specially-licensed website.
Getting there may be tricky – and if you want to stay over, the hotels are already getting booked up.
But it will be the experience of a lifetime and with so many tickets on sale for a choice of dates over more than two weeks – some events free and others from £20 – you’d be kicking yourself if you didn’t take a trip down the A1 for the experience.
Six million tickets went on sale with 500 days to go.
I feel as though I’d be doing my children a disservice if I didn’t at least try to get some.
They’d love to see Becky Adlington swim to gold, because their swimming teacher coached her when she was starting out. Or perhaps Lincolnshire Olympian Kate Haywood in the pool going for a gong in the breaststroke.
That would be between £50 and £450 per seat, depending on where you sit and the session runs from 7.30pm to 9.30pm.
The opening ceremony would be the memory of a lifetime, even if it really will be the austerity games, done on a budget.
We might be able to get some of the 2.5 million tickets which are on sale for the minimum £20.
But they’re probably for early morning shooting or fencing, or something that wouldn’t mean that much to the under-eights.
If we wanted to stay for the day that might involve three sessions though, with the later ones coming in at £70 or more. So we could be looking at about £500 for a day out, excluding travel, food and an overnight stay.
It is true that many of us are worried for our jobs nowadays but this WILL be the memory of a lifetime.
As the credit card that isn’t Visa would say: “Priceless”.
But will you be splashing out on the spectacular?
For one thing, you’ll need a Visa card to pay – as they won’t accept anything else online.
Secondly, the money will go out of your bank account before you know what you’ve been allocated, so if you’re trying to second-guess what might be popular and over-book as an insurance policy, it may and up being rather costly.
And if you get too many tickets, you can’t get a refund. You can sell them on in a specially-licensed website.
Getting there may be tricky – and if you want to stay over, the hotels are already getting booked up.
But it will be the experience of a lifetime and with so many tickets on sale for a choice of dates over more than two weeks – some events free and others from £20 – you’d be kicking yourself if you didn’t take a trip down the A1 for the experience.
Six million tickets went on sale with 500 days to go.
I feel as though I’d be doing my children a disservice if I didn’t at least try to get some.
They’d love to see Becky Adlington swim to gold, because their swimming teacher coached her when she was starting out. Or perhaps Lincolnshire Olympian Kate Haywood in the pool going for a gong in the breaststroke.
That would be between £50 and £450 per seat, depending on where you sit and the session runs from 7.30pm to 9.30pm.
The opening ceremony would be the memory of a lifetime, even if it really will be the austerity games, done on a budget.
We might be able to get some of the 2.5 million tickets which are on sale for the minimum £20.
But they’re probably for early morning shooting or fencing, or something that wouldn’t mean that much to the under-eights.
If we wanted to stay for the day that might involve three sessions though, with the later ones coming in at £70 or more. So we could be looking at about £500 for a day out, excluding travel, food and an overnight stay.
It is true that many of us are worried for our jobs nowadays but this WILL be the memory of a lifetime.
As the credit card that isn’t Visa would say: “Priceless”.
Five minutes with Graham Gouldman, 10cc
Art rock band 10cc visit The Embassy Centre in Skegness on Friday, March 25. Founder member Graham Gouldman spoke to Patrick Astill ...
Were you propelled to stardom with 10cc?
10cc just kind of evolved. We were like the house band at the studio, working on different projects.
When the studio wasn’t working we wrote and performed together. We recorded a B side, Donna, and that was that!
I have Deceptive Bends and Bloody Tourists at home – do you have a favourite project?
The most pleasurable album for me was Sheet Music. I’m particularly proud of Deceptive Bends, though.
It was the first that Eric [Stewart] and I did after Kevin [Godley] and Lol [Creme] left the band. We kept the name on and there was expectancy. Half the team had left.
So did you fear for the future after the departure of Godley and Creme?
There was no fear for the future. It was more whether we had the right to keep the name. We had something to prove.
People know you best from the 1970s. Do you feel as though you are trapped in time?
There’s no point in looking back. We want to create something different.
At the beginning you have your influences, then you hear things and you want to bring those styles into your work. I don’t think anyone cares about persona with 10cc. People care about the music.
That’s held us in good stead.
How easy is it to work with the band you’ve got touring? A couple of them have been with you for many years now.
People should have the best, if it’s possible. Paul Burgess has been with us since 1973 and Rick Fenn since 1976, so it has not been thrown together just for the tour.
Mike Stevens, who’s on keyboards, is the musical director for Take That and as soon as our British tour is finished, he’s going to get into that.
Mick Wilson is a fantastic singer and multi-tasks. People always say we’re a fantastic unit.
You started off your career as a writer in the 1960s, penning hits for the Yardbirds, the Hollies, Herman’s Hermits and Jeff Beck. What work have you got on after the tour?
There’s still writing. I’m working on a solo album as various other projects, some of which will reach fruition and some won’t. There’s pleasure in the attempt, and that’s always good.
Were you propelled to stardom with 10cc?
10cc just kind of evolved. We were like the house band at the studio, working on different projects.
When the studio wasn’t working we wrote and performed together. We recorded a B side, Donna, and that was that!
I have Deceptive Bends and Bloody Tourists at home – do you have a favourite project?
The most pleasurable album for me was Sheet Music. I’m particularly proud of Deceptive Bends, though.
It was the first that Eric [Stewart] and I did after Kevin [Godley] and Lol [Creme] left the band. We kept the name on and there was expectancy. Half the team had left.
So did you fear for the future after the departure of Godley and Creme?
There was no fear for the future. It was more whether we had the right to keep the name. We had something to prove.
People know you best from the 1970s. Do you feel as though you are trapped in time?
There’s no point in looking back. We want to create something different.
At the beginning you have your influences, then you hear things and you want to bring those styles into your work. I don’t think anyone cares about persona with 10cc. People care about the music.
That’s held us in good stead.
How easy is it to work with the band you’ve got touring? A couple of them have been with you for many years now.
People should have the best, if it’s possible. Paul Burgess has been with us since 1973 and Rick Fenn since 1976, so it has not been thrown together just for the tour.
Mike Stevens, who’s on keyboards, is the musical director for Take That and as soon as our British tour is finished, he’s going to get into that.
Mick Wilson is a fantastic singer and multi-tasks. People always say we’re a fantastic unit.
You started off your career as a writer in the 1960s, penning hits for the Yardbirds, the Hollies, Herman’s Hermits and Jeff Beck. What work have you got on after the tour?
There’s still writing. I’m working on a solo album as various other projects, some of which will reach fruition and some won’t. There’s pleasure in the attempt, and that’s always good.
Wednesday, March 2
Angelos Epithemiou. Nuff said.
Ex-burger van owner Angelos Epithemiou is part-way through a national tour, on the back of his role as scorekeeper on TV’s Shooting Stars.
Patrick Astill caught up with him on the road …
Q: You were driving when I rang. Have you parked up the van?
A:I’ve parked up the van. No, the van’s gone! That’s all gone, that’s out of the window; that part of my life is no more. My van was blown up by mysterious forces.
Q: Is that what forced you into doing the tour? Or are you doing that of your own volition?
A:I’m not doing the tour of my own volition. I’ve been told to do it by the big-wigs, the money men, and very possibly the Government is involved somewhere down the line. I don’t want to be in it. I’d rather be at home watching my collection of Crimewatch videos with a Magnum.
Q: The show’s title suggests you’re on tour with your friends.
A:That’s correct. But although I talk about Ian, Kenny, Mrs Swallow and Tinned Tomatoes, there aren’t actually any friends on stage with me.
Q: What’s the best and worst thing about being on tour?
A:The worst thing about it is that I have to do it. The best thing is that I can go home every night afterwards.
I’ve done half of it but now I’m having a break. Which is very good.
I get to go all over the country in a nice motor.
We’re going up to Preston and Sheffield in the next few weeks. As high as that.
Q: You’ll need a break after all that. Where do you go on holiday?
A:This year I’m going to lovely Neasden. Have you heard of Neasden?
The shopping is very good there and they have loads of pound shops. I just want to spend some quality “me-time”
Q: Have you kept in touch with any celebrities after being on Shooting Stars?
A:I have spent a lot of time with the Hairy Bikers recently, talking about hair and bikes. I cook stuff for them. I say: “Just try this.” Then I get out a box of Findus burgers. They take one bite and say something. But I don’t know what it means, I’m finding their accents hard.
Q: And what about Ulrika? Do you manage to see anything of her?
A: I see a lot of her! ’Cause I stand outside her bedroom window. I see her all the time. I’m getting closer – last week I stood outside her kitchen window. It’s only a matter of time before she asks me to go in.
Q: What are your immediate plans for the future?
A:After this I’m going to go down Londis and have a look for food that’s just going off. You can get it cheap.
Then I’ll bung on Crimewatch.
Q: Some of my friends see you as a problem-solver. They asked if you had any advice for life.
A:If you find yourself in France, don’t panic – just lie down on the floor and curl up in a ball and assistance WILL arrive.
Q: Angelos, what’s in the bag?
A: A lump of meat in case I get hungry, one of those miniature skinhead men (an Action Man) and a gun. It’s a toy gun.
Patrick Astill caught up with him on the road …
Q: You were driving when I rang. Have you parked up the van?
A:I’ve parked up the van. No, the van’s gone! That’s all gone, that’s out of the window; that part of my life is no more. My van was blown up by mysterious forces.
Q: Is that what forced you into doing the tour? Or are you doing that of your own volition?
A:I’m not doing the tour of my own volition. I’ve been told to do it by the big-wigs, the money men, and very possibly the Government is involved somewhere down the line. I don’t want to be in it. I’d rather be at home watching my collection of Crimewatch videos with a Magnum.
Q: The show’s title suggests you’re on tour with your friends.
A:That’s correct. But although I talk about Ian, Kenny, Mrs Swallow and Tinned Tomatoes, there aren’t actually any friends on stage with me.
Q: What’s the best and worst thing about being on tour?
A:The worst thing about it is that I have to do it. The best thing is that I can go home every night afterwards.
I’ve done half of it but now I’m having a break. Which is very good.
I get to go all over the country in a nice motor.
We’re going up to Preston and Sheffield in the next few weeks. As high as that.
Q: You’ll need a break after all that. Where do you go on holiday?
A:This year I’m going to lovely Neasden. Have you heard of Neasden?
The shopping is very good there and they have loads of pound shops. I just want to spend some quality “me-time”
Q: Have you kept in touch with any celebrities after being on Shooting Stars?
A:I have spent a lot of time with the Hairy Bikers recently, talking about hair and bikes. I cook stuff for them. I say: “Just try this.” Then I get out a box of Findus burgers. They take one bite and say something. But I don’t know what it means, I’m finding their accents hard.
Q: And what about Ulrika? Do you manage to see anything of her?
A: I see a lot of her! ’Cause I stand outside her bedroom window. I see her all the time. I’m getting closer – last week I stood outside her kitchen window. It’s only a matter of time before she asks me to go in.
Q: What are your immediate plans for the future?
A:After this I’m going to go down Londis and have a look for food that’s just going off. You can get it cheap.
Then I’ll bung on Crimewatch.
Q: Some of my friends see you as a problem-solver. They asked if you had any advice for life.
A:If you find yourself in France, don’t panic – just lie down on the floor and curl up in a ball and assistance WILL arrive.
Q: Angelos, what’s in the bag?
A: A lump of meat in case I get hungry, one of those miniature skinhead men (an Action Man) and a gun. It’s a toy gun.
Monday, February 28
The Mark Steel Solution
Lover of sport, keen observer of politics - and someone who has an insatiable interest in people and places: that’s Mark Steel.
When I spoke to him in advance of his Lincoln gig, he’d just been “prostituting” himself listening to England losing in the 20/20 cricket, and I interrupted his enjoyment of the post-match analysis.
As he stirred his morning cuppa, he explained how the idea of his new show is that as more and more places are made to look identical, each town becomes the same, with identical retail parks and call centres.
And yet he believes that every town has something – and even if the place is “a dump” he is moved by the fact the people there have things they feel proud of.
“It’s our little thing, almost a rebellion against the corporate world,” he said, ”and that’s what the show is about.
“As a stand-up, you look for something in a place that can only happen there. I was in Penzance when I heard they thought this town up the coast called St Ives was a bit posh. So I asked the audience at the show and a woman called out ‘yes they are – they have their own dentist!’”
Mark is obviously a man passionate to communicate his own ideas and experiences, and covers a lot of ground on the tour.
“I do remember coming to Lincoln before.” he recalls. “People are surprised by its prettiness aren’t they?
“I remember going into the library or museum there. I went in ten minutes before it was shutting because it was next to the theatre. The man came over to me and said ‘get out, what time do you think it is, coming in here?’
“I’m an expert on Boston. I spent some time there once and became quite fond of it.
“It’s so incredibly flat there. It’s marvellously flat. I remember doing a joke about Boston applying to become the Winter Olympic venue, with the toboggan team coming home in three-and-a- half weeks. They must all go to Lincoln to look at that hill. You’re almost sideways on there aren’t you?”
He confided that he would be sending off for information and would be reading all about Lincoln, just in case things have changed since he was last in town.
I was duty-bound to inquire about his views on the coalition and the economy, given his outspoken opinions on the last government.
“Don’t ask me about that. It makes it sound like I‘m going to stand up and do an analysis on oil prospects. I can’t stand them and I wish they’d all go away.
“It’s not a by-election that will force them to go away, but when more people realise there’s injustice with social services and libraries closing when others are giving themselves £8 million, and that’s just in bonuses ...
“I’m just writing the tour at the moment, which is much harder than touring – when I’ve just got to turn up and do it. I’m writing a bit of stuff about each town. And there are about 45 in all. I’ll do about five in a row – you wouldn’t want to do any more than that or you’d go a little mad.”
He is also planning another series of Mark Steel’s In Town, with a whole lot of new places.
But returning to the subject of sport – and the 20/20 cricket in particular, he confessed he was really a fan of the full-blown game, usually played over five days rather than a couple of hours. But yet he still watches.
He said: “I feel a little thrill, but I feel it’s like going to a prostitute. I got a little tingle now and again, when one of them hit a six or something.
“I suggested that ITV should commission a series in which there’s a cricketing detective and every week he’s just fielding and goes off to the boundary and finds a dead body and spends the rest of the day solving the crime.
“It would be ‘the vicar said he would be fielding at cover last week, but that can’t be the case’.”
When I spoke to him in advance of his Lincoln gig, he’d just been “prostituting” himself listening to England losing in the 20/20 cricket, and I interrupted his enjoyment of the post-match analysis.
As he stirred his morning cuppa, he explained how the idea of his new show is that as more and more places are made to look identical, each town becomes the same, with identical retail parks and call centres.
And yet he believes that every town has something – and even if the place is “a dump” he is moved by the fact the people there have things they feel proud of.
“It’s our little thing, almost a rebellion against the corporate world,” he said, ”and that’s what the show is about.
“As a stand-up, you look for something in a place that can only happen there. I was in Penzance when I heard they thought this town up the coast called St Ives was a bit posh. So I asked the audience at the show and a woman called out ‘yes they are – they have their own dentist!’”
Mark is obviously a man passionate to communicate his own ideas and experiences, and covers a lot of ground on the tour.
“I do remember coming to Lincoln before.” he recalls. “People are surprised by its prettiness aren’t they?
“I remember going into the library or museum there. I went in ten minutes before it was shutting because it was next to the theatre. The man came over to me and said ‘get out, what time do you think it is, coming in here?’
“I’m an expert on Boston. I spent some time there once and became quite fond of it.
“It’s so incredibly flat there. It’s marvellously flat. I remember doing a joke about Boston applying to become the Winter Olympic venue, with the toboggan team coming home in three-and-a- half weeks. They must all go to Lincoln to look at that hill. You’re almost sideways on there aren’t you?”
He confided that he would be sending off for information and would be reading all about Lincoln, just in case things have changed since he was last in town.
I was duty-bound to inquire about his views on the coalition and the economy, given his outspoken opinions on the last government.
“Don’t ask me about that. It makes it sound like I‘m going to stand up and do an analysis on oil prospects. I can’t stand them and I wish they’d all go away.
“It’s not a by-election that will force them to go away, but when more people realise there’s injustice with social services and libraries closing when others are giving themselves £8 million, and that’s just in bonuses ...
“I’m just writing the tour at the moment, which is much harder than touring – when I’ve just got to turn up and do it. I’m writing a bit of stuff about each town. And there are about 45 in all. I’ll do about five in a row – you wouldn’t want to do any more than that or you’d go a little mad.”
He is also planning another series of Mark Steel’s In Town, with a whole lot of new places.
But returning to the subject of sport – and the 20/20 cricket in particular, he confessed he was really a fan of the full-blown game, usually played over five days rather than a couple of hours. But yet he still watches.
He said: “I feel a little thrill, but I feel it’s like going to a prostitute. I got a little tingle now and again, when one of them hit a six or something.
“I suggested that ITV should commission a series in which there’s a cricketing detective and every week he’s just fielding and goes off to the boundary and finds a dead body and spends the rest of the day solving the crime.
“It would be ‘the vicar said he would be fielding at cover last week, but that can’t be the case’.”
Live: John Shuttleworth
It might have been the right time for Sheffield’s finest synthesiser entertainer John Shuttleworth to instruct the nation in moral matters.
But instead, thanks to his agent Ken Worthington’s mistyping, his tour is now A Man with No More Rolls.
But as the man responsible for bringing his character to the stage, Graham Fellows, reveals, Shuttleworth is more than happy to wax lyrical on the new title.
“John is very happy to go along with that as he sees the roll as being threatened by Italian flatbreads, crusty cobs and new paninis and ciabbattas,” says Graham, ahead of his Drill Hall gig.
“It’s not about the plot, it’s about the details of his life. He’s concerned about the things that really matter to him, such as whether crab paste is being affected by our love for pesto and being hidden behind it on the supermarket shelves.
“It’s a piece of theatre, an illusion. We’re laughing at John but with him too. The audience can see themselves and people they know in John. We’re all a little like that really – emptying the bin is important.
“John talks about the cafetiere because he thought the plunger was to keep the coffee warm. You only make that mistake once so he threw is out and went back to Mellow Birds.”
John is also a composer and musician, as listeners of his radio shows will know only too well.
Smells Like White Spirit (with a nod to Nirvana), advises on how best to clean your paint brushes, while the ballad How’s Your Nan? is in praise of naan bread while also touching on caring for elderly members of the community.
Graham, who lives in Lincolnshire, admitted he was a little surprised at Shuttleworth’s longevity, although his success had allowed his creator to live in “wonderful Louth”, only returning to the south for work appointments before retreating back into a Lincolnshire life.
And he loved the fact his creation is a character, which enabled him to live a normal life away from work, going virtually unnoticed.
“I enjoy that,” he says. “I had a few months being recognised when I was Jilted John.
“I don’t like being noticed: much of my creative work is with observing people and it stops you doing that.”
He is famous for hitting the charts in the late 70s as Jilted John, with the No4 hit single Jilted John.
Listening to his records, it is clear that Graham is a fan of telling it how it is - both through the lyrics of Shuttleworth and those of his one-hit wonder.
“Here’s a throughline there in that I always like to capture the way that people sound, “ he says.
“Going Steady [the B side to Jilted John] is very basic and told in the vernacular. It still irks me that lyrics are still so unrealistic. Even punk didn’t really break new ground with realistic lyrics.”
But instead, thanks to his agent Ken Worthington’s mistyping, his tour is now A Man with No More Rolls.
But as the man responsible for bringing his character to the stage, Graham Fellows, reveals, Shuttleworth is more than happy to wax lyrical on the new title.
“John is very happy to go along with that as he sees the roll as being threatened by Italian flatbreads, crusty cobs and new paninis and ciabbattas,” says Graham, ahead of his Drill Hall gig.
“It’s not about the plot, it’s about the details of his life. He’s concerned about the things that really matter to him, such as whether crab paste is being affected by our love for pesto and being hidden behind it on the supermarket shelves.
“It’s a piece of theatre, an illusion. We’re laughing at John but with him too. The audience can see themselves and people they know in John. We’re all a little like that really – emptying the bin is important.
“John talks about the cafetiere because he thought the plunger was to keep the coffee warm. You only make that mistake once so he threw is out and went back to Mellow Birds.”
John is also a composer and musician, as listeners of his radio shows will know only too well.
Smells Like White Spirit (with a nod to Nirvana), advises on how best to clean your paint brushes, while the ballad How’s Your Nan? is in praise of naan bread while also touching on caring for elderly members of the community.
Graham, who lives in Lincolnshire, admitted he was a little surprised at Shuttleworth’s longevity, although his success had allowed his creator to live in “wonderful Louth”, only returning to the south for work appointments before retreating back into a Lincolnshire life.
And he loved the fact his creation is a character, which enabled him to live a normal life away from work, going virtually unnoticed.
“I enjoy that,” he says. “I had a few months being recognised when I was Jilted John.
“I don’t like being noticed: much of my creative work is with observing people and it stops you doing that.”
He is famous for hitting the charts in the late 70s as Jilted John, with the No4 hit single Jilted John.
Listening to his records, it is clear that Graham is a fan of telling it how it is - both through the lyrics of Shuttleworth and those of his one-hit wonder.
“Here’s a throughline there in that I always like to capture the way that people sound, “ he says.
“Going Steady [the B side to Jilted John] is very basic and told in the vernacular. It still irks me that lyrics are still so unrealistic. Even punk didn’t really break new ground with realistic lyrics.”
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