City of London Symphonic Winds

I've updated the gigs page too, with my first performance with City of London Symphonic Winds for a few years. They're one of the bands I had to give up when I moved from London to Cambridge, but for this concert I'm depping on alto sax, and really looking forward to hearing the swell of a Wind Orch from right in the middle of it. There's very little that can compare.

The programme includes one of my favourite pieces - 'Gallimaufry' by Guy Woolfenden. I was told that the first time you play it, you never forget it. Well, Mike Fowles, you were dead right. It's stuck with me ever since and I'm getting all giddy at the thought of playing it again at the end of the month.

The slighter downer of this gig is that I'm depping for a colleague whose suffering with similar wrist problems that I had mid-tour last year. They make playing so painful and suck the joy out of music making. I'm really hoping the physio goes well and you're back playing soon xx

Footprints on the ceiling...

...now thats the sign of a great gig!

PoC played at The Wildman in Norwich last night, and wild it was. A great crowd, all ages, all up for the punk. When driving into town I was a bit worried what reception we'd get, seeing people with dresses up to here and down to there. This crowd were in all in their punk/rudeboy finery, and bounced like a mad thing. Going into the bridge of 'Brave' the whole crowd were up and down in unison, it was very Reading.

This is the sort of atmosphere you can achieve with free entry gigs, and I wish more people did them. We can't wait to play there again!