Richard Hawley

A rainy night in Newcastle-under-Lyme and it was a local trip to the Artisan Tap to see Nixon Tate, Bob Moston and Greenhouse.
Nixon Tate

Bob Moston

Greenhouse


Next up I'm photographing Jason Isbell at the Manchester Apollo for Americana UK & Rocking Magpie, followed by a return to the Artisan Tap for Reverse.

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Jason Isbell and His Lordship at the Manchester Apollo - grateful to Alan Harrison of Rocking Magpie for chasing the photo pass. Mr Isbell has come a long way since his name was on the Kilkenny Roots poster next to that of my band...being used to small attendance Americana gigs (especially in Manchester, which isn't a big Americana/Roots city) 3.5k people singing along to every word of most songs was a bit surreal - but pleasing for Mr Isbell, who's a nice bloke too. Support was from the entertaining His Lordship, James Walbourne's latest project.

His Lordship

Jason Isbell & the 400 Unit

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We had our good friends My Darling Clementine on at Biddulph Town Hall for their Christmas show. We go way back with Michael Weston King in Biddulph. Myself and late mate Craig Pickering once saw MWK in Stafford where we were the only ones there...much better crowd in the Town Hall.




Before the end of the year I have Billy Strings in Manchester (photographing for Americana UK all being well, but I have a ticket anyway), the Everly Pregnant Brothers for the Leadmill Matinee and then RH x2 on Monday and Tuesday at the Leadmill. Into 2023 I'm promoting Martyn Joseph in Biddulph and then Sierra Hull in January.

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Going slightly out of order as my Billy Strings pics are embargoed until Americana UK publish their review. Went to see my mate Lil Jim play at the Artisan Tap in Hartshill. Jim is the only goth-cajun-zydeco one-man band in the world, pretty much.

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Everly Pregnant Brothers - The Leadmill - went with my niece Ellie, who's at Hallam - it was a gig spanning the generations - I've been going to gigs at the Leadmill since it opened, pretty much and Ellie's become a convert since living in Sheffield.One of her mates works the bar there and both my nieces have tickets for the Maisie Peters gig next April - hope that it'll still be going then...
The EPB's were great fun, as expected - and there was a rousing singalong of "F*ck the Tories" to end the gig.
Big Shaun

Mr McKee


RH Leadmill Monday
Good to see Lauren Housley and husband Tom, who I know through having booked them in Biddulph - lovely to see them in front of an appreciative local audience too.


Monday night had its moments - people being poorly in the audience and a pedal power supply glitch - but it all added to making it a memorable night.


Tuesday night was glitch free and the chantalong-a-Hawley was a cracking moment.



Full album of both nights HERE

Hope that's not my last visit to the Leadmill...likely to be my last gig of 2022 though. Next two are ones I've promoted in Biddulph - Martyn Joseph and Sierra Hull -in January - then I'm the MC at the Gloucester Cajun & Zydeco festival at the end of the month.

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Martyn Joseph in Biddulph - first gig since his dad died, first date of the tour, first time in Biddulph since my mate and former promoter Craig died and first performance of the song "Albert's Place".

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Out of sequence, but here's Billy Strings at the O2 Ritz in Manchester before Christmas. I shot this one for Americana UK. Unreal guitarists and musicians, best experienced live. There was the usual three song no flash rule, but the first song lasted 25 minutes....

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More bluegrass virtuosos - this time a three times rearranged gig by Justin Moses and Sierra Hull that I promoted (as Biddulph up in Arms) at St Lawrence's Church in Biddulph. Support was from the equally excellent Rachel Baiman.Post-gig, I ended up giving all three, plus the tour manager Kerry, a guided tour around the church graveyard, telling them about the spooky local myths and legends. One for the memoirs...
Rachel Baiman

Justin Moses & Sierra Hull

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This weekend I was the main stage MC at the Gloucester Cajun & Zydeco festival. Highlights were the ridiculously youthful but incredibly talented Barcelo Brothers from Galway and the Cajun Roosters featuring Horace Panter from the Specials on bass (and spoons!).

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American Aquarium supported by the poetic troubador Kirby Brown at the Night & Day Cafe in Manchester.

Kirby Brown


American Aquarium

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Just posting as my last & next gigs tend to be my own small scale promotions - in the wake of Craig [Sheffield] and Nick [Biddulph] - anyone else promoting live bands because of the path set by others on this message board?

Folks within a reasonable drive of Northwich CW9 8NF feel free to join at https://www.facebook.com/groups/552993285209805 would be nice to get membership over 100

I photographed Courtney Marie Andrews in Manchester (Band on the wall) and Glasgow (St Luke's) for the Americana UK website and the Rocking Magpie review site. This latest iteration of her band is very empathetic towards her songs and her voice is just beautifully fragile. Support Robert Ellis is a real bonus too.
Robert Ellis

Courtney Marie Andrews

Next - I'm promoting Lady Nade & Holly Carter in Biddulph, then I'm playing on Sunday before flying to Berlin to see Courtney Marie Andrews in Berlin at the Privatclub in Kreuzberg.

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Lady Nade and Holly Carter at St Lawrence's in Biddulph last night. Top gig for International Women's Day.
Lady Nade

Holly Carter (AMA UK Instrumentalist of the year)

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Went to Berlin to see Courtney Marie Andrews in the Privatclub in Kreuzberg - went there last year to see Daniel Romano's Outfit - the lighting in the venue was bad then and it hadn't changed. Still, a good, intimate gig - probably the smallest one on Courtney's European tour. Got chatting to some German folks and found out that Jarrod Dickenson was playing the next night at the Badehaus venue, about ten minutes via S-Bahn and a short walk from my hotel, so I did that too.
Courtney Marie Andrews


Jarrod Dickenson

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A local one - Tom Hingley (former Inspiral Carpets' singer) played the Artisan Tap in Newcastle under Lyme, supported by Greg Poole (a former student of mine) and Lissy Taylor.




The following night I photographed His Lordship (Featuring James Walbourne of The Pretenders/The Rails) at Gulliver's in Manchester - for Americana UK

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