So 2023, that’s a wrap! 20 gigs in 38 weeks has been exhausting but it’s been fun. Over 6,500 miles driven. I am fully aware that it hardly counts as a punishing schedule, but it does when you’re 48, overweight and have a full time job!
There have been some absolute highlights – last week’s Levitation festival was perhaps the best show I’ve ever done, and every time I play in London is becomes bigger, better and more special.
The obvious downside is that two of the venues I’ve played in have closed or are about to close. Sheaf Street in Leeds was such a shock, closing 10 days after I played there. It was a great venue, but surrounded by building sites.
The imminent closure of Iklectik in Lambeth is an absolute crying shame. It was obviously too good to exist in such a central location in London – just across the Thames from the Houses of Parliament. But it was such an incredible, special space – part small holding farm, part artists collective, part incredible gig venue with a unique sound system.
Thank you to everyone who bought a record, came to a gig, told their friends about me, played me on radio show, wrote a review, or simply shared a photo on social media and made this all possible. Thank you to everyone who I gigged with, every promoter, every venue, every sound engineer, every member of the bar staff who had to sweep up at the end of the night.
We have a super limited edition Christmas special coming very soon (release date is as soon as we get them from the vinyl pressing plant!) More information on this very soon.