Phil Beer

Just to let you all know that new 2013 gig dates are now posted under 'Live Dates' - cheers!

Very interesting reading the diversity of what musicians feel about being broadcast without their consent or knowledge. For many years now I've been of the opinion that youtube IS the actual marketplace for what I/We do.

Over the last six years I've been doing an increasing number of solo shows but most people know me from playing in a band context and not as a solo performer. You can send all the CD's and glossy promo gear on the planet to a promoter/venue etc but none of it will ultimately persuade anyone who doesn't know anything about you in this context to put you on.

Over the last 20 years or so, a huge amount of youtube material has accrued. In the last two years, I've generated some of it but its mostly done by random contributors. It can be very good quality or dreadful but the point is, I think, that it doesn't actually matter. The onus is on me do do the best gig I can on a nightly basis no matter what the circumstances are. I also now enjoy making the little films I contribute. In a world where the gig is the most important factor. (I firmly believe that. You can make all the albums you want but they are only an adjunct to the live performance).

I was just at the Shepley festival last weekend where two people (both known to me) were filming with fairly good equipment. One of these guys always asks politely. The idea of trying to control content and to therefore perhaps generate an inaccurate view of oneself starts to seem silly to me. Anyone who is considering booking me for a gig but is not absolutely sure only has to google the name, pick a couple of films and get a truthful, accurate picture.

I only bring this up because I've just read a blog from a veteran muso whose tirade against posting of content seems to have become a crusade and I feel this person is just missing the point. It would be interesting to know if anyone thinks the same as me or is for controlling content. I repeat once more, as far as I'm concerned, this is the marketplace for what we do.
The only proviso I would put on this is that I tend to agree that lots of folks filming away at a concert with bright screens can be annoying and intrusive to other people and that a degree of thought should go into it. I don't think its as bad however as people indiscriminately using flash for still work. That is annoying both to me and the audience.

Never say we don't give you anything! We often get asked for Phil to play more gigs 'up North'.... well this weekend Phil is all yours!

Starting on Thursday 24th May, Phil will be at the Victoria Hall, Settle - see www.settlevictoriahall.co.uk to book tickets. Friday 25th sees Phil at Otley Courthouse - see www.otleycourthouse.org.uk and on Saturday Phil will be at the Browfoot Room, Cumbria - see www.musicinulpha.org.uk

Finally, Phil will be appearing at the Shepley Festival www.shepleyspringfestival.com on Sunday 27th May..... hope to see you at one of these great venues!

 

 

We've added some new dates for 2012:

4th Nov  St Thomas a Beckett, Winchelsea, see www.winchelsea.net or buy tickets from Gramaphone Records, Rye High St

16th Dec  Green Note, London, see www.greennote.co.uk for further information and tickets

Phil will also be appearing at the Pigs Ear Folk Ale, at the Kentish Horse Pub, Markbridge, nr Edenbridge - see www.folkale.co.uk for more information

Thats all for now!

 

Due to unforseen circumstances, we have had to cancel the show at Rook Lane Arts Centre in Frome on 29th April. We apologise sincerely for this and the inconvenience caused and we will schedule another one in the area at the earliest opportunity.

Thankyou for your patience and understanding.

Aha. Should have incorporated the previous two gigs in my post. The other thing I like about what I get to do is the diversity of it. The previous two shows were in the lovely Whitstable Playhouse the Saturday before and the 'Man of Kent' in Rochester on the Sunday. These little Victorian theatres are very atmospheric but you have to sometimes patiently do battle with their custodians to get your hands on them. Usually worth the effort though. This one is on the upper end of what I like to do, size wise. My solo show is fairly informal and intimate and the antithesis of what we do with SOH. My average comfort zone is around 100 seats. The Playhouse holds about 180. Loved the night though. Jointly promoted by Vicky from Firebrand Music who happens to be based there anyway and Debs Earl from ' Folk in the Barn' who put on lots of gigs in that part of Kent.

Its about atmosphere and intimacy for me. That's partly why I do very few solo festival gigs. The thing I do isn't really suitable for those types of gig.

The sunday was for friends Heather and Rob who put on a lot of music in their pub. A very different and lively place. All 'serious' musos should play a pub gig or two once in a while. They are the great levellers should anyone be harbouring any illusions of grandeur. Good gang of folks apart from the idiot photographer who seemed to think that the gig was solely for his purposes. Had to stop mid set and get rid of him. Didn't mar the enjoyment though. Only drag was having to head for home that night due to studio session the next day....

Just a heads up. I have access to the good ship Pegasus for a period in mid august this year. I propose to put together a 4 or 5 day sailing and music trip out of Plymouth during this time. This ticks several boxes - interested people get to experience sailing a fantastic traditional sailing vessel with complete access to me in the evenings for informal workshops, singarounds and sessions. I get to sail my favourite ship for a few days and the boat sustains another slice of income which helps to keep it on the go. The price will be somewhere between £600/700 per head. Everyone stays on board and all meals are included.
Anyone interested should mail me through the office, just email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Charlie Watts once said something along the lines of., "Been with the band for 35 years. That's 5 years of work and 30 years of travelling/hanging around".

As old age beckons and I still find myself with the enthusiasm to stagger up, I check in the mirror for missing parts and hit the road for a long weekend of small solo shows, I look forward to, once again, seeing old mates and meeting new folks and playing in some new territories. I don't relish the driving and am in fact unable to both do a coherent gig and a journey without a sidekick. In this instance, Kev the roadie has already had a better offer from a certain Mr Knightley so my agent/manager Vicky Whitlock is designated general helper for this week. I firmly believe that agents should ALL periodically come out on the road for a few days to just meet people and to encounter what I encounter. It can only assist in them doing a better job for both me and the gigs concerned.

We leave from Exeter at midday and drive all the way to Martletwy in distant Pembrokeshire. There were many folk clubs out here in the 70's which I played regularly in the Downes and Beer era. Its a beautiful, wild part of the world and I like it. The gig is a new one and a stunning revelation. A bunch of good folks have banded together in this community to refurbish an old Methodist chapel both as a place of worship but also as a concert venue. We arrive in the mist and rain around 5:30 to discover this lovely old building on a remote windy, mist covered hill. There's only one other farmhouse anywhere in sight but some kind soul has actually put two traffic cones outside the venue to prevent the ravening hordes from stealing our parking space. Keith the organiser is there to let us in. We walk through the door and step back 150 years in time. It's just the venue to die for. (Or in) I sing three or four notes and decide to leave the P A in the van. These places were made for singing after all. Not for me the excesses of folk and roll. We are treated to flasks of tea and home made welsh cakes. The audience turns up by 7:30 and I'm delighted to discover almost an entire new capacity audience who are from the community and supporting the venue and don't have much idea about me or what I do. Don't get me wrong, I'm delighted to have a modest following and certainly some old mates turn up here as well but all of us need to play to new people to keep the ball rolling. There's no bar and we start on time to allow the show to finish by 10 to facilitate everyone heading to the nearest pub for jar. I enjoy myself so much that I lose track of time and nearly deprive everyone of that pleasure. A quick pint and a chat with the entire audience in the bar before decamping back to Cardiff and the obligatory Travel Lodge. Late up and off down to Cardiff bay for a stroll.

Tonights' show is there at the lovely Norwegian Church. Its and 'own promotion' We've hired the venue, internet box officed it, and its nearly sold out. I hear too many artists whinging about not having enough gigs. Everyone has the power to change this. If you're a young band, set up a regular residency in a pub or something similar. You get to rehearse and play a gig at the same time and it builds a core following for what you do. If you want to play somewhere where you think you might pull a few people and no-one wants to take a punt on you, do the same thing. Set your own gig up. Its not rocket science! (Actually, it IS rocket science. W Von Braun) No-one has expressed any interest in putting me on as a solo artist in Cardiff at any time. I know there is a core audience here so that's why we've done this. We are 10 short of a sell out and very happy with the result. Another lovely place where I have played a lot but not recently. I decide to record tonight and drag out the mics and a laptop with pro tools on it. Well well. I still like my job. A great night with a nice bunch of folks and possibly a good live recording. Record the audience singing  'Happy Birthday' to my old friend and musical partner Colin Wilson who's 60th I'm missing tonight. Allow myself a glass of wine. (I know how to live)
One of the 9 days of sunshine in Cardiff the following day so meet up with mates for outdoor breakfast by the harbour. They include Thys who has come over from Utrecht for the weekend. Bemoan the fact that we simply no longer have time to visit Holland anymore. (Shame)

On to Shropshire. Oh joy. M50 closed but this forces us to go the pretty way up through Ledbury/Leominster/Ludlow. Sun shining and I'm almost enjoying the journey. We get to Broseley about 5. This is a funny old community centre/am-dram theatre venue where Mike Kaiser has been putting on folk and roots music concerts for many years. Its just been refurbished and Mike is getting into full swing with a series of shows. We are sold out (130) and people are traveling some distance to come. Mike is delighted because our personal promotional work has brought in new people who are now aware of a comfortable and friendly place to enjoy music. When musicians say they can't afford to run a mail list there is only one possible reply. You can't afford not to!. And I do mean snail mail as well as email. You'd be amazed how many fans are our music are not internet savvy. More old mates and, best of all, local boy Bill Caddick is the compere and his witty banter and introduction is always a source of great hilarity and entertainment. SOH used to do a song of his called 'Won't you stay on the line' We must revive it. Couldn't have had more fun unless I'd been sailing Pegasus in the Baltic! Pack up and say goodbyes and very amused that a mates husband has chosen Rammstein at the NEC tonight rather than coming here. If it had been me, I'd have gone to the Rammstein show! Those boys know how to entertain.

A 60 mile drive to deepest cheshire to a friends house where I will play in their front room to 50 people. These gigs are just wonderful and there are more of them appearing as time goes on. They are often run by people who used to run folk clubs and just want to keep the ball rolling occasionally. Its a common feature in America now and slowly catching on here.

Thats it really. Cup of tea. Bowl of porridge. Sun over the dales. Changing some strings and learning a new song for tonight.

Far too much wingeing, carping and curmudgeonliness on some of these internet boards sometimes. Not enough about the positive and life affirming side of music which is,for me, the entire point of it.

Tell you what. I love my job!

Hi Folks

Just to let everyone know what is happening with regard to Phil Beer albums.

After moving from Riverside up to the Cullompton studio complex run by Oysterhouse publishing two and a half years ago, I stockpiled a large amount of recorded work which will gradually see the light of day over the next year or so. I have enough material to complete box set 2 and possibly material for a 3rd one. I am now prioritizing the material recorded for a double album 'Boys called William, Girls called Nancy'. This, as you may have guessed is predominantly traditional in flavour and consists of an acoustic disc and an electric disc. The acoustic material is very sparse and the electric disc explores further the idea of my old mate and compatriot Ashley Hutchings of British trad music as actually being our own form of country music.

There are a large amount of acoustic tracks recorded which, upon consideration, don't necessarily fit the theme outlined here and may well appear on a different album together with several instrumental pieces. It is very likely now that this album will be the first to appear as I seem to have ended up already editing and mixing at least six of the tracks already. The working title for this album is-

Phil Beer

Plays guitar and fiddle- sings a bit.

There will be previews shortly when the new 'Chudleigh Roots' website emerges.
There will also be some free downloads.

Watch and wait!

Phil will be appearing at the Burnetts Hill Chapel in Martletwy and the Norwegian Church in Cardiff next weekend - tickets for both are still available so do book now!

Burnetts Hill: Call 01646 685144 or email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Norwegian Church: Call 07779 096997 or email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

See you there!