Harvest Festival

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Saw the very wonderful Seth Lakeman perform last night at Harvest at Jimmy's, a new cosy and intimate festival of food and music at our customer Jimmy's Farm just down the road near Ipswich, Suffolk. Seth is a consumate professional and a seriously gifted musician - launching into his 'defining' solo fiddle and stompbox piece, Kitty Jay, as shown above. This piece illustrates that special place where musician and instrument become as one, a truly uplifting experience which I first witnessed when he headlined at the Greenbelt Festival in 2008. The band is excellent, too, with unfussy, solid drumming, great musical support on guitar from brother Sean, a new guy on guitar/mandolin/etc. and a very tall double bass player.

The event was excellent, too, bearing in mind this was the first time Jimmy's Farm had staged something of this magnitude. Another one of the irrepressible Jimmy Doherty's great ideas!

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That's me in the corner...

After The Fire at Music on the Green - not quite a T in the Park - but a very well run event and with the local C of E church (behind cameraman Richard Shipton) flung wide open offering an interactive Art Show and yummy refreshments, I was impressed! As for ATF... we did ok-ish, much room for improvement tho': 4/10.

Drivetime Details

As part of the build up to the Music On The Green festival day this Saturday 11th the interview with Steve Foster at BBC Radio Suffolk went out last night with some After The Fire songs and my three song selection:

1) The most amazing Imogen Heap with 'Speeding Cars'
2) The Artist formerly known as Prince with the very religious 'I Would Die 4 U'
3) And finally the incredible Arcade Fire with 'Intervention'

For a few days the interview is on iPlayer hope to see some of you Saturday!

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ATF on the Beeb

Last Thursday 2nd July I went up to record an interview with Steve Foster of BBC Radio Suffolk in Ipswich. As always Steve and I had a great conversation and covered ground about the band's history and the current plans. This Saturday 11th we are looking forward to playing the Music on The Green festival on Martelsham Heath for the first time, on stage around 6pm.

In addition to playing some After The Fire songs of the recently released Radio Sessions CD he had asked me to bring with me three of my fave songs Desert Island Disks style. They all had to be mainstream artists that would be reasonably well known, last twixt 3 and 4 minutes and suitable for the radio station. Although I had a week or so to think of them what a task it proved to be!

I will reveal all when it is broadcast this Wednesday just after 6pm and on the blog here, meanwhile any other bloggers' suggestions of your three song selection would be most interesting?!