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www.myspace.com/leswilsonandthemightyhouserockers UPDATE 15th February 2009 3 months since an update ? Hard to believe . Things are much the same . But the gig situation is not so good . Every 5 years or so I reach a ' burn-out ' point . When I just can't bear the stress of picking up the phone and trying to get gigs . It gets tougher every year . This year is the worst I remember . It seems the better I get - the less work I have . I don't understand it . So - there ain't much in the book for the Houserockers for 2009 - but there are a few nice ones to look forward to - such as Blackpool , Rotherham Blues cafe , and Tubbys Blues Club Cheltenham . The Houserockers video and the new CD are both real good - but unfortunately I don't have the money to produce any copies for sale at the moment ( the weak pound is killing us over here in Ireland , having to buy euros ) . Maybe I will upload some of the new album to the MySpace page . Famous Monday Blues Club - Oxford - Mon 9th Feb - had a fabulous evening - thankyou Philip - and for the photos . You know - I think thats as good as I have played for quite a while ! Here are some pics ........
NOV 2008 - Apologies first of all for not updating this site more often - but its all I can do to find the time to keep the MySpace up to date - and that seems to be the one most of you are looking at . So - latest gigs news is on there , before it reaches here probably ! Also - I'm having various personal crises in my life - and its all I can do to remember to keep breathing in and out at the moment . And a lot of the time , I don't really want to keep breathing in and out . However ............... the video shoot went well - and the video is undergoing final edit at the moment - its looking good . Should be ready soon . and - the Houserockers album is finished - with just a little mixing to do . there will be several numbers you might know from the current live set - but all are songs I've never recorded before . Lotsa rock and roll & slide. and - my acoustic/roots album is well underway - with 31 songs recorded so far at Eddy Morton's at Katie Fitzgeralds , Stourbridge , West Midlands . I'm loving doing this stuff - its much more fulfilling than doing blues . I've written a lot of my own songs for this project . Power of love I guess . Holland/Belgium - November 2008 ................................... I must just say we had a fantastic time at Cafe wendela in Tiel , Holland - thanks Ruud & Wendy - you were so kind to us . Also a good night at the Blues Cafe /Apeldoorn . But as ever - hard to beat - the last gig at De Klokke, Balegem in Belgium - wow - what a wonderful audience - thank you - and thank you Dirk . Hope we can do it one more time in the future . October 2008 ......................... A bit late - but thank you to all at Alrewas for making the video a great result - and especially Tony Jones for all his hard work to bring the event to a successful conclusion . and not least - to Dave and all at The Lamp - Brewhouse Blues at Dudley - it was wonderful to be HOME again ! I loved it - see you next year ? I'll try to keep it together - but no promises .................................. UPDATE 12 SEPTEMBER The good news is that I am recording a new Houserockers album . The bad news is that because of this , I have to cancel a few gigs - 23-27 October , to fit in some extra recording dates . Apologies to all those people wanting to attend those shows . But - it should result in a new album early next year . LIVE VIDEO NEWS - GIG ON SAT 11th OCTOBER THE GIG AT ALREWAS VILLAGE HALL WILL BE A LIVE VIDEO SHOOT - RESULTING IN DVDs FOR SALE AND PROMOTION . WE NEED ALL OF YOU THERE TO HELP MAKE IT A GREAT NIGHT - SO PLEASE COME . THE ADDRESS IS ALREWAS VILLAGE HALL , WELLFIELD ROAD , ALREWAS , STAFFS DE13 7HB . ITS JUST OFF THE A38 SOUTH OF BURTON-ON- TRENT . GET THERE FOR 8PM . SAT 11th OCTOBER . ITS A GEEAT PLACE WITH A VERY FRIENDLY ATMOSPHERE , AND AS LOTS OF YOU KNOW , WAS WHERE THE LAST LIVE ALBUM WAS RECORDED - WITH GREAT SUCCESS . UPDATE 4 AUGUST 2008 - SEE BELOW DON'T FORGET TO CHECK OUT THE NEW LIVE VIDEOS - LINKS ON HOMEPAGE OR MY MYSPACE PAGE ........................................ 11JUNE UPDATE - WOW ! At last I have got around to putting venue website links onto the gig guide page . Have a look . Looking forward to playing what looks like a real nice venue - Rudi's Blues cafe - Rotherham - www.rudiblues.com sat July 12 PICS FROM XXL WAGENINGEN ..............
18 APRIL UPDATE CHECK OUT THE NEW LIVE VIDEOs ON MY MYSPACE PAGE , OR CLICK VIDEO The video/s was recorded at Bikes n Blues club , Amstelveen, near Amsterdam - 12 April . Thanks to Berry and Rian for a great time there . This was one of my best ever trips over there . The first gig at DJS Jazz Podium , Dordrecht was a fantastic all-dancing , crazy start to the weekend . You can see for your self what happened on the saturday at Bikes n Blues . Then a truly memorable afternoon show at Wageningen XXL blues club on the Sunday - you were all brilliant - what an audience . I wish I could play in Holland and Belgium all the time . we were treated and looked after so well . Review of Wageningen show on www.bluesrockpagina.nl at the present time . While I'm here tho' - musn't forget a wonderful night at Tubbys Blues Club , Bishops Cleeve , UK on 4 April - thanks Otis & all - had a great time ! 26 MARCH - SADLY HAD TO CANCEL A FESTIVAL IN CANADA AT GREAT WOODS PARK IN AUGUST . JUST COULDN'T GET ENOUGH OTHER WORK TO PAY THE AIR FARES AND EXPENSES . BUT IT DOES MEAN WE SHALL BE ABLE TO PLAY THE ZELZATE FESTIVAL IN BELGIUM INSTEAD ON 9 AUGUST . 15 JANUARY 2008 - HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL ! - I've just put a few more gigs on the gig guide , so take a look to see if we are coming near you . Let me know if you have a venue not listed - and I'll give them a call . 20 December - well , the deed is done - I have now joined the twelve year olds on Myspace . www.myspace.com/leswilsonandthemightyhouserockers - what was wrong with this website anyway ? Somehow - I don't think its going to change my life . Signing off till 2008 - have a good Christmas all of you . Thanks to everyone who came to the live shows - thats where it is really at ! 17 DECEMBER - A nice finish to the year - a new gig for me at the Devonshire Arms, Ripley , Derby's - Mel's blues club . Good venue , very friendly - and a knowledgeable promoter - thanks Mel . Then - the last one - back in my hometown area - Stourbridge , West Midlands - a cracking evening at Katie Fitzgeralds . 15 November - trip to Belgium/Holland - what can I say ? We had a rough time Friday/Saturday , and would probably have easily headed home . But - the final gig on Sunday was at De Klokke at Balegem , my 4th time there . And it was one of the best gigs I have ever done . Absolutely fantastic audience . Lovely people . We had a ball . I can't praise it high enough . It gave us all such a lift - THANK YOU EVERYBODY AT BALEGEM . And thank you Dirk - great gig , great hospitality , great food ! Thanks also to singer/songwriter Kat'lee Jones for hospitality at her house after the show . We were four very happy guys . NOVEMBER 1 - gigs are coming in now for 2008 - so , check out the GIG GUIDE page , lots have been added including - 3 trips to Holland/Belgium this time , and a festival in October at Koekelare , Belgium . Also a return to the Blues Cafe Apeldoorn in May . A new one for the UK is Tubbys Blues Club at Cheltenham in April . 20 SEPT - looking forward to the trip to Holland and Belgium next month to see old friends again . Was another crazy night at the Cider Shed Norwich - you can have a great gig and play at 90db you see ! But - where was everybody at Appleby ? We played to an empty hall for their Beer & Blues festival on Saturday last - disappointing . Autumn sees the beginning rounds of phoning for gigs for next year - and I say this every year - but - it just keeps on getting harder - I wonder if I can do this anymore ? And the so-called blues festivals in the Uk have mostly been taken over by 'rock' acts - and I can't even get the time of day anymore , let alone the headline spots I used to command . Come back Gary Hood ! 15 August - hey ! did you see John Fogerty's set at Glastonbury ? Its the best thing I have seen for a very long time . He was truly fantastic - a magnificent set . And , I have to say it , he showed the young bands ( who were 99% crap ) how to do it . If you haven't seen it , try and find someone who has a copy ( me ! ) . What do you think ? Anyway - nothing much to report - but I did get a third gig for the trip to Belgium/Holland . We now have Oostende - Bada-Bing on the Friday 9th November . Short drive up to Vlissingen for the Groen Licht on the saturday , and then back down to Balegem for one of my favourite gigs - de Klokke on the Sunday . See you there !? Also - a few gigs coming in for 2008 already , including Tubby's Blues club at Cheltenham for 4th April . 2 August 2007 - the year moves on quickly . I'm on a bit of a summer break at the moment , so not much to report . The next gig is Fri 14 sept at the Cider Shed /Norwich - always a good one . Here's another pic from the fab. night at Darlington Carmel rhythm club - hope to return there maybe next year . By the way - I won't be playing Darlington arts Centre again , as I've been told I don't play blues . Funny - but nobody said that at the Carmel club , or the Banbury blues festival , or the Famous Monday blues at Oxford - or , indeed any other gig in memory !
4 July - its never a good idea to start with ' bad news ' - but I'm afraid that two venues have cancelled . One is Barrow-in-Furness /Kings Arms , to be re-arranged possibly , and the other is Maryport - who have decided to call it a day due to lack of support . So - PLEASE - come out and support the gigs . Check gig guide always for latest . Good news - I have managed to replace the Barrow gig with a date at The Devonshire Arms - Ripley , Derby - a bikers pub . Always nice to play somewhere new. See you there ! ? You may have seen Chris & Micky out recently with Big George Brock -( USA 75 year old original ) listen out for the Paul Jones session coming soon . 16 June 2007
This is 'us' - Chris - Fred - Les - Mick post gig
Sorry for the long delay in this update . Things had got so slow with the old dial-up internet service , I couldn't get anything done. So - here we are with a broadband/hi-speed connection at last ! Look out now for regular updates . The latest LIVE CD ' Rock Away Those Blues' is selling well at gigs and by mail order - get your copy by visiting the CD's page . You can listen to some tracks on the ' LISTEN ' page . 27 May - people kept asking about the 'old' Houserockers albums , and I've had to say they were deleted . So I've recently done them all on CD-R format , and I'm selling them at gigs now for only £5 . This means you can now complete your set of albums with the first one ( was vinyl ) ' Fine Looking Woman ' , then ' Fuelled Up ' , the all original ' On The Loose ' , and the live ' On The Road ' . GIGS - lovely night at the Roadhouse club Birmingham - has to be one of the friendliest places to play . thanks Sue & all . The Banbury blues festival in March was a real highlight - made a lot of friends there I'm sure . Its a mistake to try & follow the Houserockers onstage ! Aylesbury /Limelight, Billericay Blues on the Farm , and Northampton Malt Shovel were all brilliant nights ! But the best recently was the Carmel Rhythm club at Darlington - fantastic - lets do it again . Looking forward to the next ones . January -Another year is here - and most dates are now booked and posted on the gig guide page . There seem to be thousands of blues bands these days - and less and less venues - so you do the maths . But I'm hangin in there - and I hope I see you soon - somewhere - sometime . First one of the year is ' back home ' in Birmingham - at the wonderful Roadhouse club . 7th December - gigs are now coming in for 2007 , and I will post them as soon as I get another moment . There are a few new ones - Carmel Club/Darlington , Limelight/Aylesbury , old favourites Barrow, Northampton/Malt Shovel , Birmingham/Roadhouse, Swansea Tawe Delta and so on . And it was great to see Barry Middleton pop up again with another venue after the Running Horse closed to bands in Nottingham . But it certainly doesn't get any easier to get bookings . If you have a local venue for live music - then please support it - or possibly lose it . A brilliant blues night has been lost at Hookers in Wrexham . The guys may start up again sometime next year , but they need SUPPORT ! October - congratulations and thanks are due to Joyce and Bill at Barrow-in-Furness . The regular venue , the Duke of Edingburgh has been sold . Against all odds , they found another one at short notice for the gig on Friday 27th October - its the Kings Arms , in nearby Dalton road . Well done ! Hope to see all the people from the Duke down there . Compliments are also due to Hookers in wrexham - who have kept their venue going for many years now . It has finally got going again after a break - and we had a brilliant night there in September .( note - since , sadly closed ) . |September - Well - summer is definitely over - and its suddenly time to pick up the phone again to get dates for next year . I can't believe I've been doing this since 1981 ! There are one or two interesting ones already scheduled - the Banbury blues festival on Sat 10th march . A ' hometown ' visit to the Roadhouse in Birmingham on Fri 23 February , and an exciting new blues club in Darlington - the Carmel rhythm club on sat 19 May . An unusual event was me buying a guitar last month . I've only bought seven guitars in 35 years - and I still have six of 'em ! Anyway - the red Gibson 345 ( 1973 ) is getting a bit of a liability to take around - especially to Europe . So I got a Yamaha semi-acoustic Gibson copy . Black like BB's . It sounds great - I recommend it . Gigs news - please note that the gig Fri 15th September at Scallys Bar - Weston-super-Mare is definitely cancelled -AND I WON'T EVER WANT TO PLAY THERE AGAIN ! Sorry to all my fans there - thanks for the kind letters and emails the last couple of years . June/July - brilliant night at the Tawe Delta blues club in Swansea - thanks to all involved . Likewise at the Malt Shovel , Northampton where I sell more CD's than many bigger venues - thank you all . A great audience for a weds night . We didn't know what to expect for our Sun afternoon gig at the Blues at the Farm club , Billericay - as it was the day of the England world cup quarter final ! But a respectable number of people turned out against all odds . Good club - hope to be back , but maybe without the football and without the 100 degree heat ! July - B- Barrow - a vintage night at the Duke of Edinburgh - one of my favourite gigs - yet another 3-piece show . I'm getting back into it after having a keyboard player for the last two years - though Fred is still doing some gigs . It was another 100 degree sun and sweat weekend - as we went on to Barnard castle - Black Horse Hotel - fantastic hospitality there - thank you . Finished up sun afternoon at Maryport . Good weekend of blues gigs . July - C - Belgium - played these with Dave Sutherland on bass , and Carl Hemingsley on drums . Motor Cycle Loft hotel - Oudenburg - thank you Ivan ! This has to be one of the best set-ups in Belgium . Peace & quiet by the canal , great food , accommodation and hospitality . Just a brilliant place to be . But note if you are staying - its definitely motor bikes only ! t'Eiland festival - Oudenaarde - as if the heat wasn't enough , this was in a marquee - and lots of lights ! Just about made it to the end of the set - and we absolutely killed 'em ! A fantastic audience - lots of old friends there . As good as it gets . Sold loads of CD's . Hadn't used the Squire Strat for the Hendrix ' thing ' for many years - think I pulled it off !?. Thanks to Denis & family . Bada Bing bar - Oostende - the ' no-where to park ' gig ! Ostend was packed in the sunshine . Owner Philip Chebbour took us for an excellent meal beforehand - and the evening finished with another hot gig . Good to see Glenn and Linda . A bit of a race to the ferry - but all ok . Hope to be back in Belgium/Holland later in the year . |
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Carmel Rhythm club - Darlington Sat 19 May 2007. One of the best gigs of recent years . Thanks to Simon Hannaford and his team for a wonderful evening . I was beginning to wonder if gigs like this happened anymore !
some of the 'gang' Simon on left - Gary with glasses on right .
Darlington again - looks like Madison Blues to me !
Darlington - trying to remember the next verse .
