I’ve been in conversation with an amazing visual artist, photographer and musician called Stefano Padoan about some future collaborations. He came down to my boat last week for a cuppa and he so loved the setting he got his camera out and a spontaneous photo-shoot ensued. Continue reading “Boat photoshoot with Stefano Padoan”
The more observant of you will have noticed a slow down in my creative output since things took off with Three Acres And A Cow.
I’m looking forward to redressing the balance this year and here is the first fruits of that; a recording of ‘Woodman, Spare That Tree’ which will be on my forthcoming album ‘From The Ground Up’.
Peter Marshall from ‘My London Diary‘ took this photo at Rachel Rose Reid‘s Willesden Green Wassail 2017. Turns out that megaphones are super heavy to hold up! I got quite the wrist ache leading this sing-a-long of ‘The Ballad Of Hawkwood’.
I’ll be performing as part of the Willesden Green Wassail next Sunday.
The event is Rachel Rose Reid‘s wonderful modern urban spin on our ancient mid-winter tradition of blessing where our fruit comes.
Starting from the tube station at 2.30pm, we will walk around Willesden Green blessing the shop keepers with a hearty group sing and stop for guests including myself to do performances along the way… More info via https://www.facebook.com/events/182383505576711/
Sixteen years ago today Kirsty MacColl died whilst saving her kids lives. One of my new year’s resolutions is to appreciate her greatness better by spending time with her music.
The first cassette I owned, (which came free after collecting tokens on a cereal packet) had her singing on one side and Michael Jackson on the other.
Here is a wonderful article about her – http://www.getintothis.co.uk/2016/12/kirsty-maccoll-top-10/
Here is me doing a cover of that song from my first cassette – http://music.robingrey.com/track/theres-a-guy-works-down-the-chip-shop-swears-hes-elvis
…and here is the original… https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QccPUSTMriM
Naomi, Rachel and I had the privilege of sharing a stage with Peggy Seeger last month in Oxford during our Three Acres And A Cow show at House of the Commons.
She sang Carry Greenham home and Hey Ho Cooke and Rowe, sharing her personal memories of the Greenham Common Women’s Peace Camp as well as joining us for our rendition of Ewan Maccoll’s The Manchester Rambler about the Kinder Scout mass trespass of 1932.
Since reading Peter Cox’s amazing book Set Into Song, Peggy has been one of my idols, so to meet and perform with her was a delight.
