STRAWBSWEBNEWS - ARCHIVE
STRAWBSWEBNEWS APRIL 2009
Sent by Dick Greener: 23 Apr 2009
Hi folks
News of the new album, shortly to be available for pre-release sales, lots of updates on live shows coming up in the near future and a few things for longer range planning.
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NEW YORK
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I'm planning to be in New York in May, and hope to organise the usual get together for Strawbs fans who are able to make it into the city. Thursday 21 May - the usual venue unless otherwise advised - The White Horse Pub, 567 Hudson St., New York, NY 10014 (at 11th St) 212-243-9260 - from about 6.00pm onwards.
Always great to see old friends again and to meet new faces. Let me know if you're able to make it
Cheers
DICK
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Contents
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* Acoustic Strawbs - Hampton Court Palace 1-2 May
* 40th Anniversary album - pre-order package
* Strawbs UK tour/festivals Upcoming
* Sweeps Festival - Rochester - 3rd May
* Folk On The Pier - Cromer - 8th May
* UK Electric tour - Starts 15th May
* Dave Cousins/Ian Cutler gig - 24 May
* Cathryn Craig & Brian Willoughby May dates
* US dates
* Advance warning of some upcoming gigs
* Doncaster Rocks Festival 25 July 2009
* Memories of Woodstock 7-9 August 2009
* Oliver Wakeman - travelogue and new album
* Strawbs 40th Anniversary weekend update
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ACOUSTIC STRAWBS - HAMPTON COURT PALACE 1-2 MAY
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Rick Wakeman is playing two open air evening concerts at Hampton Court Palace on 1st and 2nd May and the Acoustic Strawbs will be supporting on both nights. These two concerts will be the only performances of The Six Wives of Henry VIII anywhere in their entirety. More details are available at The Hampton Court site: http://tinyurl.com/6s7wyl.
The Wakeman show will be filmed for release as a DVD, as will the Acoustic Strawbs set. The Acoustic Strawbs DVD will be released later in the year, but will be per-sold as a package along with the new Strawbs album, Dancing To The Devil's Beat.
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40th ANNIVERSARY ALBUM/DVD - PRE-ORDER PACKAGE
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Work on the new Strawbs album, Dancing To The Devil's Beat, is going well. I spoke to Dave this morning and he gave me chapter and verse on the all-new songs which will be featured - working titles are:
Dancing To The Devil's Beat
Beneath The Angry Sky
Copenhagen (harks back to days with Sandy Denny when they were there)
Pro Patria
Revenge (Can Be So Sweet)
The Ballad of J and Rosemary
The Man Who Wouldn't Leave Grimsby (a Lambert song which he played at the Xmas Party last December)
Where Silent Shadows Fall
As before, we will be offering a special deal for those who are prepared to buy the album upfront and help us defray the cost of creating the album. The offer is only available when you purchase online from Witchwood Records online shop at www.witchwoodrecords.co.uk and comprises:
* Dancing To The Devil's Beat - the official 40th anniversary album
* exclusive signed photo of Dave Cousins writing the lyrics to the album
* Purchasers before Fri 6 June will get their names included in the album packaging as on previous occasions
* Acoustic Strawbs - live at Hampton Court DVD
PLEASE NOTE - THE PACKAGE IS NOT YET AVAILABLE ON WITCHWOOD ERCORDS - WE WILL E-MAIL TO LET YOU NKOW AS SOON AS IT IS.
Price of the package is to be £23. Purchases will be sent out when the album/DVD are released, which is expected to be round September, to coincide with the 40th anniversary celebrations.
NB The package may remain available after the closing date for names to be included, and in due course the CD and the DVD will be available separately.
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STRAWBS UK TOUR/FESTIVALS UPCOMING
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Ahead of the main part of the UK tour, the electric Strawbs with Oliver Wakeman will be paying at two festivals:
SWEEPS FESTIVAL - ROCHESTER - 3RD MAY
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Don't miss the opportunity to see the first UK outing of the new electric band line-up, with Oliver Wakeman on keyboards, at the Sweeps Festival in Rochester, Kent on Sunday 3rd May. Chatham-based Lupen Crook will be supporting and the Strawbs gig starts at 7.30pm in the concert marquee in Rochester Castle Gardens.
There are loads of other events during the day, so if the weather is nice you might want you might want to come down early and make a day of it Other events include Kate Rusby earlier that afternoon, Colin Reese (lead singer of Bully Wee) doing a set at the Enigma Wine Bar from 4-6pm and longtime Strawbs fan Keith Rule playing with his band Pig's Ear at the City Hall Wine Bar stage..
Full details at the Sweeps Festival page - http://www.medway.gov.uk/sweepsfestival
FOLK ON THE PIER - CROMER - 8TH MAY
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The electric band are also headlining at the Folk On The Pier Festival at Cromer, Norfolk on Friday 8th May. It's an all day event, starting at 2pm, with Strawbs on at 9.30pm.
The website warns that very few tickets are left unsold, so hurry if you want to book up for this one. Also on just before Strawbs is veteran folkie Harvey Andrews. Fairport Acoustic Convention headline the Sunday night with Vin Garbutt on earlier in the day.
Full details of the festival at:
http://www.deckchairproductions.co.uk/fotp-programme.html
UK ELECTRIC TOUR - STARTS 15TH MAY
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Please note that the venue at Worthing on 17 May has moved from the Half Brick to the Empress Suite (above Connaught Leisure, opposite the Pier)
Friday 15 May 2009 - The BoomBoom Club, Sutton
Saturday 16 May 2009 - Huntingdon Hall, Worcester
Sunday 17 May 2009 - Empress Suite, Worthing (above Connaught Leisure, opposite the Pier)
Tuesday 19 May 2009 - Letchworth Arts Centre, Letchworth
Wednesday 20 May 2009 - Robin 2, Bilston
Thursday 21 May 2009 - The Ferry, Glasgow
Friday 22 May 2009 - The Flower Pot, Derby
Saturday 23 May 2009 - Cheese And Grain, Frome
Tuesday 26 May 2009 - The Stables, Wavendon, Milton Keynes
Wednesday 27 May 2009 - The Playhouse, Alnwick
Thursday 28 May 2009 - The Cluny, Newcastle-upon-Tyne
Friday 29 May 2009 - The Civic Hall, Bedworth
Saturday 30 May 2009 - The Globe, Cardiff
Sunday 31 May 2009 - The Mick Jagger Centre, Dartford
Full details, maps etc at
http://www.strawbsweb.co.uk/@f/f_0905mp.htm
DAVE COUSINS/IAN CUTLER GIG - 24 MAY
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A rare opportunity to see the duo performance which went down so well in March 2008 in the US.
Sunday 24 May 2009 - Dave Cousins and Ian Cutler - Hitchin Folk Club, Hitchin
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US DATES
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Unfortunately, plans for a string of dates across the US for the electric line-up in a package with other well-known acts has fallen through, largely owing to the economic climate.
Instead discussions are underway to put together a limited number of Acoustic Strawbs shows towards the end of June running over into early July, on a double bill with prog rock band Van Der Graaf Generator. Some dates have appeared on the web, but I'm advised that the tour is still being firmed up, so be aware that there may be some changes.
Dates so far:
June 21 - New York
June 24 - Falls Church
June 25 - Cleveland
June 26 - Chicago
June 27 - Milwaukee
June 29 - Buffalo
June 30 - Pittsburgh
July 1 - Annapolis
More news as and when available.
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CATHRYN CRAIG & BRIAN WILLOUGHBY - MAY DATES
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Sun 3 May - Wath Festival, Montgomery Hall, Wath-Upon-Dearne S63 7RD, 07982 658467
Fri 8 May - Thames Ditton, The Old Cranleighan Club, Portsmouth Road, KT7 0HB, 0208 686 9421
Mon 11 May - Stourbridge, Katie Fitzgeralds, Enville St, DY8 3TB, 01384 374410
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ADVANCE WARNING OF SOME UPCOMING GIGS
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DONCASTER ROCKS FESTIVAL 25 JULY 2009
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An indoor music festival running from 3pm to 11pm, including Acoustic Strawbs, Steeleye Span and Jethro Tull..
Details at: http://www.solidentertainments.com/doncaster/index.html
MEMORIES OF WOODSTOCK 7-9 AUGUST 2009
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Strawbs feature in a festival to be held at the East Midlands showground in Shrewsbury.
Sponsored by Classic Rock magazine, artists include Strawbs, John Lees' Barclay James Harvest, Steve Howe, Jefferson Starship, Carl Palmer Band, Focus, Asia, Mostly Autumn, Martin Turner's Wishbone Ash
Strawbs play on Sunday 9th August, with John Lees' Barclay James Harvest headlining also on the bill that day are Jethro Tull and Melanie.
Ticket price for Sunday 9th August £36.00 plus £3.95 plus p&p
Show starts at 12noon with expected finish at 11:30pm.
Price for the whole weekend £100.00 plus £3.95 p&p
All details at: http://www.new-dawn-events.co.uk/
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OLIVER WAKEMAN - TRAVELOGUE AND NEW ALBUM
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Oliver has posted an account of his March 09 Canadian tour with the Strawbs on his website at:
http://www.oliverwakeman.co.uk/html/stories_strawbs.html
Great reading, thanks Oliver.
Oliver also has a CD out (released Feb 2009). It's a live album called Coming To Town recorded by his band in Poland. Check out the home page of his site; there's a link there to one of the tracks on Youtube.
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STRAWBS 40TH ANNIVERSARY WEEKEND UPDATE
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Ticket sales now expected to open up in May.
I've had confirmation from Dave that Fire and Andy Richards (from the Heartbreak Hill line-up) will now be playing. More info to follow.
[ends]
DICK GREENER
STRAWBSWEB- www.strawbsweb.co.uk
"You'll scarcely believe all the pleasures inside..."