Category Archives: live

2018 roundup

43 shows with Villagers (synths and brass), 32 with Willy Mason (bass and brass), 30 with James Holden (cornet), 21 with This Is The Kit (cornet and/or guitar), 26 with Emma Gatrill (guitar and/or synths), 9 with Rachael Dadd (guitar, synths, brass), 3 with Bear’s Den + orchestra, 2 solo shows (supporting the brilliant Laurence Pike and Portico Quartet) and many others with the likes of Christof van der Ven, Alabaster de Plume, Peggy Sue, Nina Violet, Broken Social Scene, Barr Brothers, dozens of collaborations at PEOPLE festival gives me a grand total of 231 shows in 2018! Plus recording with The Staves, Lucy Rose, Bear’s Den, Rozi Plain and more.

I doubt I’ll beat that record in 2019 but already have lots of exciting stuff coming up with Christof van der Ven, Villagers and Emma Gatrill. Thanks to everyone I got to play with this year.

PEOPLE Festival in Berlin

I’m very happy to announce I’ll be performing at this year’s PEOPLE festival in Berlin. We all go and stay in the Michelberger hotel for a week, write and record together in the Funkhaus studios, make new work then perform at the end. Here’s a full list of all the incredible musicians involved:

Japan tour with Rachael Dadd, Emma Gatrill, ICHI and Rob Pemberton

I’ve had a great couple of weeks doing lots of recording and playing some great festivals with James Holden (including Rewire and BRDCST). Last night we launched Christof van der Ven‘s album into the world at a show in London.

Now I’m very excited to head to Japan this Saturday for eight shows playing guitar, electronics and brass with both Rachael Dadd and Emma Gatrill. ICHI is also doing a set and Rob Pemberton will be playing the drums:

April 17: Osaka · Osaka Club
April 20: Tokyo · VACANT
April 21: Kanazawa · Kanazawa 21st Century Museum of Art Theater
April 22: Nagoya · Three Paradise
April 24: Hiroshima · Hiroshima Ushida Church
April 25: Aihime · Cosmo Theatre
April 27: Kumamoto · Hayakawa Warehouse
April 28: Fukuoka · Sumiyoshi Shrine Noh

This Is The Kit and Emma Gatrill touring UK and Ireland

I’m having a fantastic January so far – two shows in Mexico playing cornet with James Holden & The Animal Spirits then three weeks around the UK and Ireland playing guitar with Emma Gatrill and cornet with This Is The Kit:

10 Jan – The Joiners, Southampton tickets
11 Jan – Marine Theatre, Lyme Regis tickets
12 Jan – St Petroc’s Church, Bodmin tickets
13 Jan – Brunel Goods Shed, Stroud tickets
14 Jan – Leaf, Liverpool tickets
16 Jan – Cyprus Avenue, Cork tickets (No EG set)
17 Jan – Whelan’s, Dublin tickets
18 Jan – Brudenell Social Club, Leeds tickets
19 Jan – O2 ABC Glasgow, Glasgow tickets (No EG set)
20 Jan – Pleasance Theatre, Edinburgh tickets
21 Jan – Lancaster Library, Lancaster tickets
23 Jan – The Sage Gateshead, Hall 2, Gateshead tickets
24 Jan – The Glee Club – Birmingham, Birmingham tickets
25 Jan – O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire, London tickets (No EG set)
26 Jan – J1, Cambridge Junction, Cambridge tickets
27 Jan – The Con Club, Lewes SOLD OUT
28 Jan – 02 Oxford Academy, Oxford tickets

Olympia UK tour

Really looking forward to playing bass guitar with the fantastic Australian band Olympia:

  • May 17: Omeara, London
  • May 18: The Great Escape, Komedia, Brighton 
  • May 20: The Great Escape, Patterns and Brighthelm Centre, Brighton
  • May 21: Hoxton Square Bar, London
  • May 23: The Lock Tavern, London
  • May 27: Sound City, Liverpool

Sarah Blasko tour

I have a couple of weeks off from playing synthesizers and brass with Bear’s Den. The timing worked out well so I’ve been able to do a tour playing electric bass and double bass with the incredible Sarah Blasko. The first show was in London last night and it was a real honour to share the stage with such fantastic musicians – Sarah Belkner (keys), Ben Fletcher (guitar/keys), Seb Sternberg (drums) and of course Sarah herself. Very much looking forward to the rest of the tour, full dates as follows:

London, UK – Union Chapel – Tue 10 May
Tickets here

Manchester, UK – Ruby Lounge – Thu 12 May
Tickets here

Brighton, UK – Hope & Ruin – Mon 16 May
Tickets here

Bristol, UK – Thekla – Tue 17 May
Tickets here

Paris, France – Les Etoiles – Thu 19 May
Tickets here

Brussels, Belgium – Les Nuits @ Botanique – Sat 21 May
Tickets here

Amsterdam, The Netherlands – Bitterzoet – Sun 22 May
Tickets here

Berlin, Germany – Grüner Salon – Tue 24 May
Tickets here

Supporting LNZNDRF on tour

LNZNDRF is a new band composed of the The National‘s Scott and Bryan Devendorf, as well as Beirut member and The National/Sufjan collaborator Ben Lanz. They’ve announced their self-titled debut record, which is out February 19 via 4AD.

I’m very happy to be doing a short European tour supporting them. Big thanks to Craig Montoro for recommending me to them. Dates are as follows:

02-19 London, England – Oslo
02-21 Brussels, Belgium – Botanique–Rotonde
02-23 Berlin, Germany – Grüner Salon
02-25 Berlin, Germany – Kantine am Berghain
02-26 Berlin, Germany – Cassiopeia

This is my favourite of the tracks they’ve shared so far:

Recent undertakings

This is just a quick update about a few things I’ve been working on recently, partly to remind myself:

  • recorded some double bass for Fear of Men. Look out for their debut album proper in 2014. Also stood in on bass for them at Simple Things festival in Bristol. They write amazingly catchy perfect pop songs.
  • I was honoured to get to contribute to the upcoming record from one of my all time favourite bands, Hamilton Yarns. I played a bit of guitar, vibraphone and synth.
  • I’ve been working on the music for two plays by the brilliant playwright Annie Siddons. It’s been a fantastic new challenge for me and an absolute privilege to work with so many talented actors and the director Justin Audibert.
  • Not sure what’s going to happen with them, but I’ve really enjoyed working on remixes for the likes of Landshapes, Nick Mulvey and Emiliana Torrini. Some time soon I’m going to put all my remixes online in one place.
  • Have nearly finished the new Sons of Noel and Adrian record, I’m exceptionally proud of it. We recently enjoyed an inspiring little tour of Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia which has spurred us on. Ben Hampson is mixing it as we speak.
  • I’ve just about finished my first solo album, thanks to a last minute recording session with the exceptional drummer Tom Heather.
  • Played a couple of shows with the Moulettes, the God of Hell Fire himself Arthur Brown joined us on stage. Also played on their new record with an absolute all star cast.
  • Did a tour with The Mariner’s Children supporting Bear’s Den, they were incredibly fun guys to tour with and I hope to do so again. They’re set for world domination in 2014, look out.
  • Nearly finished the Emma Gatrill album too and I’m really proud of how it is sounding.
  • Had a great time playing gigs with Rozi Plain and Rachael Dadd too, always a pleasure
  • I got to play a bit of trumpet with Animal Magic Tricks at a Brighton show, she’s an incredible songwriter and I’m hopefully working with her on making her next album which I’m very excited about