I am very excited to start playing keyboards in East Anglia’s most exciting and dynamic party and function band, the Joe Ringer Band. Playing an entertaining mix of classic party tunes and modern pop hits, with everything from swing and soul to rock and pop thrown in, these are going to be some very fun gigs indeed!
My gigs with the Joe Ringer Band start from the middle of October, and I’m looking forward to getting the ball rolling with them.
Crystal Bats are one of the acts selected to play at the John Peel New Music Festival – part of the annual Norwich Sound & Vision Convention – this year. I shall be playing keyboards with Crystal Bats at OPEN (in Norwich) on 13th October.
I have been a proud endorser of Pellwood Professional Drumsticks for six years, now – and now, for the first time, I am travelling to Čestice, in the Czech Republic, to visit the company, and see their operation in action.
I am really looking forward to meeting Ivan and his team at Pellwood, and talking shop with them, and seeing where the drumsticks which I use on a daily basis actually come from!
On 20th July, I am going to be playing piano in the gallery at Pellafort Press – a silkscreen and printing studio run by artist Scarlett Massel – to celebrate the official opening of the Press’ gallery and workshop.
I shall be providing an entertaining mix of light jazz and lounge piano music to complement the evening.
I am delighted to be playing keyboards and synth with local pop duo Crystal Bats. I’ve had a great time in rehearsals with them so far, and very much enjoyed the material – now I’m looking forward to playing live as well.
My first Crystal Bats gig will be at The Waterfront, Norwich, on 22nd July – hope to see you there!
Following on from the gig Witchers did at the Classic Rock Society, supporting British Prog acts Credo and Comedy Of Errors, we have also been interviewed by the Classic Rock Society’s own magazine. In this interview – appearing in the May/June issue of the magazine – we talk about going from a four-piece to a five-piece line-up, and the changes that has had within the band, and we discuss our plans for the new album (coming later this year) and what lies beyond.
You can order your copy on the Classic Rock Society’s website, by choosing the May/June issue of the magazine on this page, and paying with PayPal.
In Harmony is a project working to bring musical education to primary school children in some of the most deprived parts of the country. Inspired by, and partly modelled on, the famous Venezuelan “El Sistema”, In Harmony Sistema currently works in three areas in England – Lambeth, Liverpool, and Norwich.
I am very excited to be working with the Norwich branch of In Harmony Sistema, which is run by the Norwich and Norfolk Community Arts organisation, as a percussion teacher, and I am looking forward to being able to bring music to chidren who, otherwise, might not have the opportunities to learn.
Having seen the work that In Harmony Sistema do in local primary schools, I feel sure that this initiative is having a huge positive impact on the lives of many local children, and I am delighted to be involved, and to be a part of that process.
If you want to know more about In Harmony Sistema, click here to go to their website, and learn about the work they do, and their achievements to date. For more on this story, check out the list of related links at the right-hand-side of this page.
I shall be playing drums with Axel Loughrey for his appearance at Leeds Fringe Festival later this month, on 21st August, at the Milo venue.
My television appearance on ITV’s news programme, “Anglia Tonight”, playing drums for singer Magnet Man, will be broadcast on 15th June 2011, at 6pm on ITV 1. You can also watch on ITV Anglia’s website.
Axel Loughrey confirmed to play at Britain’s newest summer music festival, PlayFest, on 28th and 29th May 2011.
