Comparisons have been made in the past between ‘a Band named Brian’ and The Proclaimers (they of 500 Miles). I don’t mind that…
Power, Passion & Energy
Whilst some may see them as something of a novelty act, those of us that actually listened to the Proclaimers’ albums and saw them live in their heyday will know this was a duo of rare power, passion and energy.
Aside from any musical or temperamental similarities, we also have in common the lengths we’ll go to for a good cause. In fact, I can say that this summer we’ll be going that little bit further. Whereas the Reid brothers promised to walk 500 miles, Rob and I will be cycling a little over 550 miles to come to a venue near you (if you happen to be in the vicinity one of our tour venues).
Come and Join Us
I’ve just finished mapping the route and it clocks in at 554 miles. Inevitably, we’ll end up doing a little more than that, what with missed turnings, GPS failure, map-reading errors and necessary detours to refuelling points. So, if you are near one of our gigging stops, we trust you’ll reward our efforts by turning out to see us.
And, whilst I’m not going to ram this down your throats, there is a serious point to our efforts. We want to demonstrate what is possible without burning unnecessary fossil fuel. Plus, we want you to know how much fun can be had in so doing. In fact, if you do happen to reside somewhere along our route, why not come and join us for some of the ride?
A full list of venues can be found here and I can send the relevant part of our tour map (and GPX files if you use them/know what they are!), should you wish to join on the ride.
Had a Blast
By the time you read this, all being well, we’ll already have been to Shindig and back: so that’s 108 miles notched off already! Just another 446 to go. Plus 10 more shows. It will no doubt be a challenge but certainly also rewarding.
We had a blast last year and have put together a little video featuring some footage and stills from that. You can see that– accompanied by the new tour/EP title track ‘Just Songs’ –here. The EP will be available at gigs and to anyone who books advance tickets, which you can do via the venues (or below – for the special Bath Fringe show).
Lo-Tech
One of the things I espouse – both in my shows and in life in general – is appropriate use of technology. I hear some of you tittering at the back but hear me out on this. Whereas, I do not own a smartphone, I do run web sites for specific purposes and use social media to let you know what I’m up to. I also – like most contemporary musicians – compose, record and produce music on a PC.
However, when I’m away, I like to be away. I want to immerse myself in what is happening, rather than break the moment in order to broadcast this to the wider world. So, you may find there’s little communication form me whilst I’m on the tour.
Read All About It
But, I will be keeping a diary and noting highlights and the end of each day. Which I also did last year. If you’re interested, you can read last year’s journal in episodes beginning here.
Curtailed… But We’re Back!
Sadly, last year’s tour had to be curtailed, due to a bereavement. This meant we had to drop a number of gigs. Among them were the award-winning Cwrw in Carmarthen and the fabulous boozer The Whitehouse in Llandovery.
I’m very happy to say, we will be visiting both on this year’s tour and hoping for a really good turnout in each. So, again, if you happen to be in the vicinity, do come along. And bring a friend. Or several. And a bike!
Joy & Freedom
You may not want to cycle all 554 miles with us. But do feel free to get in touch if you would like to come and say hi and perhaps put in a few miles yourself. If it’s something you already do regularly, you’ll know the joy and freedom of setting off on two wheels. And if you don’t, you might just find this is for you.
In any case, do come to one of the shows, we guarantee it’ll be a fun ride!
Bath Fringe Tickets
