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AW ALAN WEST |
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From “The David Allan Page”, Country Music People June 2009 |
Alan’s
Blog Thurs June 25th
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This
weekend sees the band getting together again for the Beer Festival in
Axminster on Sunday, and then we have three days rehearsal followed by
a little gig on Wednesday evening. It is made all the more exciting
because Simon Brady will be joining us on Mandolin for this one, he is
indeed a rare talent.
Loving
the sunshine, as is my veggie patch, in fact we had the first feed of
broad beans just yesterday, long may it continue, Kindest
Regards, |
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Alan’s
Blog Wed 3rd June Well,
that was the best musical week of my life, thus far!! I
have just spent the week with Blacky, Sarah, Dean, Hannah & Pete
working towards our first performances as a unit on Fri & Sat of
last week at our little weekender in Beer. It was simply awesome. The
commitment, passion, pride, togetherness and emotion that I witnessed
over that time was, for me, unprecedented. They are ALL exceptional
musicians and human beings. Thanks Guys.
Things
are really moving along nicely now, although the focus has changed
slightly, and I am off to the studio on Saturday to continue with the
new album. The first of fifteen sessions is on Sunday when none other
than Albert Lee will be adding his magic to the project! Watch
this space................................ Kindest
Regards,
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Alan’s Blog
Sat 2nd May Well
how time flies when you’re having fun! Tons on this week, and the
good news is that it’s all going to plan, which makes life even more
exciting!! That
week will culminate in two performances at The Dolphin in Beer at our
first weekender. The rooms have long gone but we do have a few
“Evening tickets” for Fri & Sat. Mail me if you would like
one. Finally
for now, I was talking to a promoter today regarding a Songwriter
called Richard Dobson and he was asking if I new anywhere in this area
that he might be able to perform. To be honest, I knew the name, but
not much else, so I did a bit of research at www.richard-j-dobson.ch
. I liked what I learned and hopefully he will be coming here soon.
But here’s the thing, at the end of his biog I found this piece that
I wanted to share with you because it is exactly the way it is for me
....... “Occasionally
people ask me if I've been able to make a living at this business, and
I've always answered that while you couldn't call it a living, I
wouldn't trade the life. Music has enriched my existence immeasurably
and brought so much joy, I would be a fool to complain about the hard
times. A privileged and ancient profession, music can open doors and
take you to places where the rewards are not counted in money. It is a
window on the world like no other. Looking back I can truthfully say I
have few regrets. only sometimes I wish I had kept up with those piano
lessons.” - Richard
Dobson Take
Care,
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Alan’s
Blog Fri 24th April Well
so far this month, 19 gigs, visits from Sarah Jory, Tim Weckler, Dean
Barnes and four days in the studio working on the next album!!
The
new album is flying off the shelves, as I said the next one is started
and I have the full support of a brand new Independent Record Company,
Rido Records. I am attempting to talk some very talented individuals
to guest on it..................time will tell!! The
other little nugget I have for you is that the record company is
planning a very exciting new venture not far from here, a state of the
art studio, theatre, cafe, rehearsal rooms, tuition rooms, retail CD
outlet kinda place. The people involved are of the finest calibre and
everything is pointing towards it opening late this year. I have to
keep pinching myself, just to make sure I’m not
dreaming...............................watch THIS space. Kindest
Regards,
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Alan’s Blog
Mon 30th March Hey, hey, the album is done!! Here are a couple of snippets for your perusal, one is me and one is Blacky. Click on the album picture above for details on how to purchase. Take Care |
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Alan’s Blog
Sun 22nd March 2009 Wow!! Sorry
I haven’t updated for a while but right now life resembles a
whirlwind. So very briefly, the album with Blacky is being mixed Mon,
Tues at John Taylors, actually I’m leaving for there in a short
while. My new solo project is sounding very exciting, things just keep
slotting into place beautifully at the mo, long may it continue! Hopefully next week I should be able to upload some sound bytes of the new recording but it will be available at Easter. Lots of visitors coming up, Tims visit is imminent and Sarah J is with us for a week in early April.
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Alan’s Blog
Mon 16th Feb 2009 Busy, busy, busy, that pretty much
sums it up! Six songs done, six to go and so far so good. The album is
coming along just fine and this Friday we will back up to the studio
for a week to “Get her done” as Bill Vorndick so beautifully put
it! With a bit of luck we will be taking the evening off on Tuesday
and taking a trip to The Riverside Stadium, Middlesborough to see
their FA Cup Replay with West Ham, can’t wait!! Gig wise, it never ceases to amaze the constant stream of folk showing up in what is supposed to be a recession, particularly at The Ax Inn (Every week!) and The Dolphin at Beer so a huge thank you to all of you. Did the first of hopefully many gigs with Dean Barnes on Friday evening in Gloucester, most enjoyable. Dean with be doing a few gigs with us in March and will be an integral member of the band that we are busy rehearsing for our weekenders this year. Talking of weekenders, we still have
a few rooms available for the May event at The Dolphin, but the
response has been fantastic and I can’t wait for it to come around!
I have also confirmed arrangements with my friend Hugh
Moffatt, and he will be our very special guest at The
Dolphin in November. I can also confirm that Tim Weckler
will be paying us a visit in April, and will be working with Blacky
& I for a week. Tim is from New York, and is a fine human being as
well as an accomplished fiddle and mandolin player, and singer! We
always have lots of fun when he is over and I’m sure this time will
be no exception. Off to Blackys now to write the next
column for Maverick Magazine, it comes around so
quickly................. Take good care,
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Alan’s Blog
Sun 1st Feb 2009 Just back from Teesside today having popped up for a couple of days with Blacky to make a start on the new recording project. I love everything about recording across the pond, but since working with John Taylor putting the finishing touches to the last album and subsequently working with John on the Hal Ketchum Tour, I am quietly confident that between the three of us we can produce something to be proud of that will be “Made in England” and more importantly, right now, will be affordable! The plan is that this album will be finished by the end of Feb....... watch this space! Our latest “Way of the World”
offering from Maverick
Magazine can be viewed from the link at the bottom of this
page. I find myself spending more and more time with Blacky at the
moment, we seem to have so much to do, but I particularly enjoy our
sessions writing this column. As a writer I still consider myself a
neophyte, and to have someone like Steve Black as a teacher is
invaluable. And finally for today, the tough bit.
At “The Seaton Party” in 1998 I booked Joe Brown to headline the
Friday night show, and that he did. The show that he put on was
spectacular and each member of his band played a pivotal role in that
performance. One in particular blew me away, his name was Neil
Gauntlett. His voice, playing, passion for music and clear
understanding of what it meant to be a part of a team together with
the fact that he was clearly a wonderful human being made him very
unique. The jam session after the show was awesome and Neil came down
to Devon shortly afterwards and we spent a day with Mark Tucker at
Presshouse Studios recording a Julian Dawson song that I had just
heard........................ I have always treasured that track
and the memories of my short yet incredibly enjoyable relationship
with him and was stunned when I heard that Neil sadly passed away on
16th December 2008. So if you click here, Take good care,
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Alan’s
Blog Sat 24 Jan 2009 It
has been a couple of years since the last “Seaton
Party” and how things have changed! I popped into Lyme Bay
Holiday Village on 2nd Jan to catch up with Jimmy Cricket
who was working there that evening and it
hadn’t changed a bit. Then I realised that by 4th Jan it
would be closed forever, and now it is! I did 16 weekends there and
will cherish the multitude of wonderful memories forever. But
life goes on, and as much as it has for me, I am sure it has for you. I find myself in 2009 having more fun than I care to admit
musically and have been working for a good while now with Steve Black,
both writing songs and making music. 99% of our gigs are very local to
us and that is just the way we like it!! One of our regular gigs is at
The Dolphin Hotel in the beautiful fishing village of Beer. Amongst
its many attributes are its location, its very comfortable rooms, a
fantastic reputation for food and a wonderfully intimate function
room. A very interesting venue for a weekender. Since
the last Seaton Party, I have constantly been asked “Are you going
to do something else?” Well
now the answer is categorically “Yes” and the first event will be
at
The Dolphin Hotel, Beer, Devon on Fri, Sat, Sun 29th -31st May 2009. I
guess it will be “Mini Seaton Party” and the plan is that it will
be the first of many. The format will be much the same except that for
the most part it will be “in concert”, predominantly because of
the intimacy of the room which holds 80 people max. The
line up for the first one kind of took care of itself. Nicky James,
Kenny Johnson, Myself & Steve Black with our Band, The Bogtrotters
and a very rare appearance of Keith “The mad yank” Nelson. The
cost will be £149 and will include two nights dinner, bed &
breakfast and Sunday Carvery and Shows Fri eve, Sat aft & eve and
Sunday Morning. The
Hotel only has 22 Rooms and they will be sold on a first come first
served basis as Double OR Twin rooms. We can accommodate any single
room requirements and/or additional Doubles/Twins up to a Maximum
of 80 people in a number of quality Guest Houses all of which are
within a five minute walk of the venue. And
that as they say is pretty much that! Except
to also let you know that another weekender is planned for Nov 13,14
,15 and I am incredibly proud to be able to announce that my friend Hugh Moffatt will be coming to the UK for the first time in 10 years
(at least) to be our special guest. If
you have any questions feel free to call me and I will do my best to
answer them. 01297 23517 or
07773 768110. If
you would like to book, you can do so by calling The
Dolphin Hotel on 01297
20068 and securing your place with a deposit of £50 per person. Hoping
this finds you well, Alan
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Alans
Blog Tues 6 Jan 2009 Wow,
what a journey that was! 2008 I mean, life-changing is an
understatement. Firstly,
sorry for the delay in updating this page, but since our visit from
Sarah Jory at the beginning of December, life has been hectic! We did
six nights with Sarah (and Nick & Phil) and every one was a blast.
It was a real pleasure to see someone who genuinely hadn’t changed a
bit despite her undoubted rise up the musical ladder and I can’t
wait for her next visit which hopefully won’t be too long. Then
it was of course the Christmas season. Actually we did the final
“Christmas 2008” show at The Dolphin in Beer on Sunday last. It
did seem this year that despite the doom & gloom that apparently
surrounds us, the Festive season brought out the best in people and I
can’t remember a gig that wasn’t thoroughly enjoyable. In fact, I
can’t remember ANY gigs recently that weren’t thoroughly
enjoyable................................ At
this point my writing was interrupted by the telephone and I had to
nip to Blackys to make our “plan” for the year. Now
it is Wednesday 7th at about 10am. Lots happened yesterday and it’s
all getting very exciting from where I’m sitting. “Songs from a
Neophyte” is still scheduled to get a release on CMRNashville
Records in early summer and our new weekly radio show SHOULD be on air
mid Feb. We are working on an intimate weekender that will feature my
long time friend Hugh Moffatt in the Autumn and some interesting
recording projects with Me, Blacky and John Taylor are on the horizon!
Thanks
to David Allan for making “Songs from a neophyte” his “Album of
the Year” in this months “Country Music People”. So
here we are in 2009, I CAN’T WAIT!!! Feel
free to mail me at alan@alanwest.co.uk anytime, Look
forward to hearing from you, Take
Care
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| Site created and maintained by Phil
Evans: www.philevansconstruction.co.uk
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