Latest Views and Chills - Week Commencing 30th January 2011

Dear all;


After the lateness of last week - I thought I would type up this week coming's
news and views before I go to bed and no doubt then totally forget about it
until about Thursday again.

First of all - my band did a couple of songs at the beginning of my guitarist
Jeffarama's new band 'Acoustic night at Butterflies' Friday just gone. If I
am honest - it was a very difficult couple of songs to do, but when you
are in a new band (or newish here), everything is a experience and a noisy,
drunken crowd is just one of those things you have to put up with sometimes
and I came away with drafts of three new poems (or was it four) that looked
quite promising which I need to sit down and have another look at.

Week-end otherwise I ended up seeing Cathy and suffered watching the
Manchester City today which wasn't that clever but it's one of the perks
I have following Manchester City. This week however, I have the now
regular rehearsal night for 'A Means to an End'. We rehearsed out a
new number last week 'Memories of Moss Side' which I am looking
forward to exploring further with.

If this goes well - am hoping to have a crack at performing this at
my guitarist's Jeff night at Butterflies 'Guitars and Verse' which I think
is starting to go great guns now. According to the Half Evil Promotions
blog (which me and Jeff are part off - http://halfevilpromotions.blogspot.com/2011/01/guitar-n-verse-with-injun-joe.html), a gent called Injun Joe who I don't know personally
but have been told is a excellent young singer songwriter is headlining
so am hopeful it'll be another excellent night.

Rest of the week - I will be waiting patiently in the post when
not in work hoping for the arrival of my valentine's present I ordered
online last week. If it comes out like I think it will, I'll have a announcement
to make over the next few weeks.

And ontop of that, I am looking forward to exploring these new poems again.

Have fun

Andy N

Latest News as of 27th January 2011

Dear all;

This week has gone somewhat quicker than I expected,

as I planned to type this originally on a Sunday night

and next thing I know it’s Thursday afternoon.  

Anyway, first of all – Half Evil Promotions have

a gig on this Friday coming featuring the beautiful

and talented singer songwriter from Isle of Man,

Clara Barker headlining with able support from

Danny Lipbody and Kate Hannah.

It’s on this Friday 28^th January 2011 at Butterflies

bar in Bolton, starting I think at 7.30pm and

admission is a £1 (Get there early enough and

You may well see my new band ‘A Means to

an End’ play a few numbers too).

I know also there is a Guitars and Verse gig

coming up the following week with a headline

act whose name I currently forget on Thursday

which I’ll mention when I next write.

Monday Night was quiet, but Tuesday night

was the latest rehearsal for my band also. Can’t

say too much too yet, but we had the beginnings

of an excellent, excellent piece on the way too

called ‘Memories of Moss Side (1981)’ which

is about the riots in 1981.

Have also now confirmed an additional Half

Evil related event for April 16^th 2011 also

in Droylsden.. More details to follow shortly.

And I am also finding time for work on

a new piece about ‘Peterloo’ (which if you don’t

know what this is, research it as it’s interesting

history).

So all go as normal.

A Means to an End - Live Paradox January 2011 Pictures

New Poem 'Before the Curtains Open'

My latest poem 'Before the Curtains Open'
can now be read on Write Out Loud on:

http://www.writeoutloud.net/public/blogentry.php?blogentryid=18744

Latest News and Jigs - Week Commecncing 17th Jan 2011

Quite a bit on this week either catching up with stuff from last

Week or this week, so let’s go..

Firstly, the promotions company in Bolton I help out with

‘Half Evil Promotions’ now has it’s own blogspot

http://www.halfevilpromotions.blogspot.com/

and this will contain lots of pictures and news about

forthcoming gigs etc, so make sure you bookmark this

for future reference.

Last Monday, I went to the monthly meet up at W.O.L.

Stockport. The group again was very very small (10 I think)

but this was down to the art gallery who locked the front door

and DID NOT put any signs directing people to the back door.

A terrible, terrible mistake which resulted in the night starting

really, really late and possibly cost them a few new members.

When the night got going, I read out two brand new poems

‘Longford Theatre’, which is about a local, shut theatre in

Stretford near me and ‘Brighton to Kemptown’ is the third

in my series of Brighton based poems. Although ‘Brighton

to Kemptown’ is a work in progress I think still, I was

particularly delighted with ‘Longford Theatre’. It was just

a pity there wasn’t a few more people there to listen to

and enjoy it also.

Last week, Jeffarama one of the founding members of Half
Evil Promotions after a recent take-over hosted his first

Write Out Loud Event in Bolton and moved it over to Butterflies

Bar, where in a first night he got in around 30 or so people which

is an amazing turn-out considering previously they had been

getting something like 12 or so people. Hopefully Jeff will

be able to keep this going. Pictures are available to view

on the blogspot (Some select videos are currently been uploaded).

During that night my new band ‘A Means to an End’ played a newish

number called ‘Moonlight’ which seemed to go down really, really well

and I also read ‘Longford Theatre’ again which went down very

very well again.

I had a meeting last night too (Monday) over a new possible night

called ‘Poetry Pairs’ (More details to follow) and also received a

email from Nicola Lawton from Chorlton Arts Festival over a

possible appearance for their 2011 festival (More details to follow).

Tonight, I am in a meeting over a possible charity night in Droylsden

and will squeeze in band rehearsals as it also involves my guitarist Jeff

Lastly on Thursday, I’m over at a poetry open mike night called ‘Freed Up

Poets’, at the Green Room in Manchester. I have been a little critical of

this night recently, but I hope this time with Gerry Potter guest co-hosting

with Dominic Berry.

The guest co-host thing of Freed Up is a dangerous ground of course when

you have a constantly guest co-host happening as they can mess up on the

acts coming on if they don’t know them. Hopefully with Gerry Potter this time,

they shouldn’t have this problem and I hope it should be a top night.

New Website

My new band 'A Means to an End' now has it's own official website

http://ameanstoanend.yolasite.com/

latest news and views - Week Commencing 10th January 2011



(Written in Manchester's newish City Library)

Last week as it turned out towards the second half of the week turned out

to be a busy old week.

Last Thursday, I ended help run my monthly event ‘Guitars and Verse’ over

in Bolton which I felt ran really smoothly and was the best one so far (I believe

we had a crowd in of somewhere at least 30 people) and then my band

‘A Means to an End’ played their first full length set at a night

called Paradox.

Both were very enjoyable nights, and for once on both – I enjoyed them

even more by staying off the beer.

Paradox I had never been to previously, but I had been to several nights back

in 2008 I believe ran by John G Hall called the Poetry Party which seemed

to have on a endless stream of guests, and a bit of open mike at the end

which I like to think helped build up my confidence somewhat at the time.

That night I think finished at some point at the beginning of 2009, and

was then replaced later on by Paradox by Lauren Bolger and John G Hall

which seemed to have a theme of a certain writer (or musician). For whatever

reason, that stopped and the night instead became a mixture of poetry

and music.

The set list we did was 5 poems / songs which lasted around 20 minutes or so

and with our banter we had a really good time with, and made both of us

look forward to the next one.

The only thing I am up to creative wise, this week is attending Write Out Loud

at Stockport Art Gallery tonight which as always I am looking forward to attending,

where I will be showcasing two new poems ‘Longford Theatre’ (which is

about a dis-used theatre near where I live) and ‘Brighton to Kemptown’

which is another of my Brighton poems.

The rest of the week I have loads to sort out of website building and updating

as I am currently working on a new website for my band ‘A Means to an End’

and a blog for ‘Half Evil promotions’ (who I am involved with for

‘Guitars and Verse’).

Plans are also coming together slowly for the charity dos me and Half Evil

are talking about later in the year. As it stands, I am hopeful the one with

my other half, Cathy will be on 16^th April 2011 at a venue T.B.A shortly

(I hope).

Other ones may follow too at Salford and Bolton. There is a chance at Salford’s

Crescent Pub, there will be a night called ‘Hulme Aid’ we will be running too

as well as a joint book launch for me and Jeff maybe towards the end of the year

(as well as the launch for my own second book ‘Detective Novel’ maybe

next year).

Half Evil has also announced a special night featuring the excellent Isle of Man

singer ‘Clara Barker’ for Friday 28^th January 2011 and is under discussion

about making this the first in a series of special events at Bolton’s

excellent ‘Butterflies Bar'.

And of course, I’ll be plodding away with my normal stuff (minus hopefully soon

this cold).



Week Commencing 03/01/2011

    Happy New Year folks.

    I am dying with a bad cold at the moment so this sadly will not

    be a epic this week by any stretch of thought.

    After a quiet spell over Christmas, this will be a little more busier

    as I am up to the following:

    1) With my buddies at Half Evil Promotions in Bolton, I am

        co-running our monthly event at Butterflies Bar in Bolton

        on Thursday 5th January 2011. It was due to have a

        headline act of John herring, but he's pulled out

        because of a bad cold, so it'll be filled in by a few

        acts Paul Sudlow and Wayne Lostsoul from Kings of

        the Delmar.

        I shall be there doing some work with my buddy Jeffarama

        (who is the announcer) and also as our duo 'A Means to a an end'

        There is space left for open mike slots (Comedy, Poetry, Music).

        Contact Jeff for more details on:  07984197175

    2)  Paradox @ Fuel Bar, Withington. Saturday 8th January 2011.

        As a Means to an end, We are down for performing a 15 minute set

        which will be slightly nerve wrecking but we'll be fine - lol.

Further things along the line:

    3) Half Evil (including myself) are in the process of announcing a special

        gig at the end of the month featuring Clara Barker, Kate Hannah and a

        few others I forget at the end of the month - probably 27th January 2010

        but more details to come.

     4) I am down for performing at Write Out Loud, Stockport in Stockport Art

         Gallery on Monday 10th January 2011 where if my voice improves I

         will be reading two brand new pieces 'Longford Cinema' and 'Brighton

         to Kemptown'.

     5) Over the summertime, with Half Evil Promotions we will be arranging a

         special night to celebrate the changes in Hulme - possibly called 'Hulme

         Aid' (More details to follow).

    6)  March / April time 2011 - I am in the process of co-sorting out a special

         charity night up East Manchester way for I believe the blind society

         and Mind. The event is really my other's Cathy's event really as these

         are charities that mean a lot to her, but I will assisting as best I can.

    7)  Book launch. More details to follow, but hoping this'll happen towards

         the end of Summer / beginning of Autumn. T.B.A

Enjoy your January otherwise folks!