First five gigs accomplished

Artisan tour going well so far. Lots of friends and fans (and friends who are fans and fans who are friends) turning up to gigs. Much hugging (when not singing).

Thursday: Cockermouth flood fund gig at the Kirkgate - a freebie. A nice starter gig for the tour with Bob (who has booked us loads of times for that venue) and Peter who sets everything up. Hilary is still reeling from being charged £4.20 for a pint of diet coke at The Bitter End (brew pub near the venue) when we went for dinner. nice food, but they know how to charge.

Friday: Cleckheaton Folk Festival - a 'meet Artisan' session in a pub across the road followed by a gig in the Town Hall finishing off the main concert. Nice to see sound-crew Graham Bradshaw and Lawrence again. Graham was engineer at our first ever festival mainstage gig (Wath Festival 1986).

Saturday: Concert in the 13th century church in Ross on Wye put on by our friend Sarah Jones who is not only the vicar, but is a great songwriter, guitarist and singer herself (from before her vicaring days - and she still takes a 'hoiday' to do one tour per year), Lovely to find an audience from the town who didn't know us at all, but came on Sarah's say-so. Srah and Ginny did excellent PA for us. Sold our CDs from an old bier rather than a table. It's not the first time we've been 'on the beer' but certainly the first time we've been 'on the bier'. Sarah kind of works on a Sunday, so we stayed with her at the (gorgeous) Rectory and then on Sunday moring went to have breakfast with our mutual friend, Ginny.

Sunday: The George Hotel, South Molton, North Devon. A gig for Tom and Barbara Brown - one of their occasional Shammick Abroad nights. Lovely to see some old friends - some expected and some a surprise appearance. Lot's of audience participation. Lovely gig.

Monday: Nettlebed - a gig in The Village Club for Mike Sanderson. It's a folk club, but a big one and one time recipient of the BBC Folk Awards 'Folk Club of the Year' gong. Lovely to see green_knight  there. Everyone joined in choruses and  we had superb feedback, including from Mike who says he rarely sits in the club for every single song because he often has to pop out to do folk club organiser stuff part way through. Tonight he not only stayed for every single song but cut one chap dead who tried to talk to him about organiser stuff during our set. Thanks, Mike. Lovely to see out long time fans (now become friends), known for the longest tome to us as 'The Pattersons of Basingstoke' (Tony & Gill). So many familiar faces. I can't put names to all of them but I remember conversations and we seem to take up where we left off - despite the five year gap!

First five gigs accomplished

Artisan tour going well so far. Lots of friends and fans (and friends who are fans and fans who are friends) turning up to gigs. Much hugging (when not singing).

Thursday: Cockermouth flood fund gig at the Kirkgate - a freebie. A nice starter gig for the tour with Bob (who has booked us loads of times for that venue) and Peter who sets everything up. Hilary is still reeling from being charged £4.20 for a pint of diet coke at The Bitter End (brew pub near the venue) when we went for dinner. nice food, but they know how to charge.

Friday: Cleckheaton Folk Festival - a 'meet Artisan' session in a pub across the road followed by a gig in the Town Hall finishing off the main concert. Nice to see sound-crew Graham Bradshaw and Lawrence again. Graham was engineer at our first ever festival mainstage gig (Wath Festival 1986).

Saturday: Concert in the 13th century church in Ross on Wye put on by our friend Sarah Jones who is not only the vicar, but is a great songwriter, guitarist and singer herself (from before her vicaring days - and she still takes a 'hoiday' to do one tour per year), Lovely to find an audience from the town who didn't know us at all, but came on Sarah's say-so. Srah and Ginny did excellent PA for us. Sold our CDs from an old bier rather than a table. It's not the first time we've been 'on the beer' but certainly the first time we've been 'on the bier'. Sarah kind of works on a Sunday, so we stayed with her at the (gorgeous) Rectory and then on Sunday moring went to have breakfast with our mutual friend, Ginny.

Sunday: The George Hotel, South Molton, North Devon. A gig for Tom and Barbara Brown - one of their occasional Shammick Abroad nights. Lovely to see some old friends - some expected and some a surprise appearance. Lot's of audience participation. Lovely gig.

Monday: Nettlebed - a gig in The Village Club for Mike Sanderson. It's a folk club, but a big one and one time recipient of the BBC Folk Awards 'Folk Club of the Year' gong. Lovely to see green_knight  there. Everyone joined in choruses and  we had superb feedback, including from Mike who says he rarely sits in the club for every single song because he often has to pop out to do folk club organiser stuff part way through. Tonight he not only stayed for every single song but cut one chap dead who tried to talk to him about organiser stuff during our set. Thanks, Mike. Lovely to see out long time fans (now become friends), known for the longest tome to us as 'The Pattersons of Basingstoke' (Tony & Gill). So many familiar faces. I can't put names to all of them but I remember conversations and we seem to take up where we left off - despite the five year gap!