08.07.19
New project
I have been fiddling around with some melodic ideas for 'The Free man Thinks Least Of All Of Death' for a few weeks now, ideas which I brought along to our rehearsal over the weekend. We mixed in some of Josie's instrumental compositions and some stuff we had been playing around with for a little while, and jammed some really promising material around some of the words. We are very pleased with the direction it is going in and plan on using it as our 'learn how to use Logic properly' project.
22.04.19
Upcoming gigs
Next batch of gigs for the Hex Collective and the Holy Fools
The Hex Collective
27th April - Half Moon, part of the Oxford Folk Fringe
12th May - Wheatley Windmill, 2-5pm
21st June - Make Music, Abingdon
22nd June - Love Music Hate Racism Festival, Isis Farmhouse
20th October - Savernake Street Social Hall, Swindon 3-5pm
The Holy Fools
26th April - Woodstock Acoustic Club, Woodstock
4th May - Day of the Deadbeats, Isis Tavern, Oxford
*2pm STAGE TIME*
18th May - Artyard Cafe, Enstone 8pm
24th May - Port Mahon, Oxford (supporting Autumn Saints)
21st June - Make Music, Abingdon
27th July - Halfway to Seventy Five Festival, Oxford
I'm also playing with Harry from the Fools at the Witney Food Festival at 11am (yikes) on 18th May. And me and Josie will be at the pub in Finstock on Monday 29th April, joining in their monthly singaround session.
Upcoming gigs
A few gigs in the diary for 2019, with The Hex Collective and the Holy Fools.
The Hex Collective
22nd March - house concert, North Hinksey (contact me for tickets)
29th March - The Eclectic Cabaret, Wootton
13th April - Alfred Williams celebration, The Beehive, Swindon
The Holy Fools
2nd March - Port Mahon, St Clements, 8pm (part of Sparky's Spontaneous Spotlight)
26th April - Woodstock Acoustic Club, Woodstock
4th May - Isis Tavern, Oxford (part of the Deadbeat Festival)
27th July - Halfway to Seventy Five Festival, Oxford
Kingdom Come, 9th draft
Having finished the major reorganisation of the novel in the 9th draft in March, I am now sending extracts out to agents and publishers. There are a few changes I want to make in a prospective 10th draft, but these are mainly in order to tie up a few loose ends that I have inadvertently left hanging. No more major reorganisation is on the horizon (thank god).
Holy Fools at Halfway to 75
The Holy Fools are playing at the Halfway to Seventy Five americana festival at the Isis Farmhouse in Oxford on 28th July. The Isis Farmhouse is a fantastic music pub and Halfway to Seventy Five has an excellent line-up of country and American folk acts and we are looking forward to playing very much.
Hex Collective at Wheatley Windmill
The Hex Collective is playing at Wheatley Windmill on Sunday 8th July between 3pm and 5pm. The windmill has been restored over nearly forty years and is now pretty close to being in working order. It is in a lovely spot and the weather should be good. You can look around the windmill and then grab a cup of tea and a slice of cake and listen to us play. What's not to like?
Holy Fools and Hex Collective gigs
Some early gigs arranged for 2018 for both the Holy Fools and the Hex Collective.
The Holy Fools will be doing an extended set at the Catweazle Club at East Oxford Community Centre on Thursday 11th January, and playing a half hour set at Tony Batey's blues night at the White House on the Abingdon Road on Wednesday 24th January.
The Hex Collective have been offered a slot at a wonderful celebration of the work of poet and folk song collector Alfred Williams (whose archive forms the lyrical basis of the project) in his home town of Swindon in April. Further details to follow as soon as we have them.
Looking forward to 2018 after busy 2017
2017 proved to be a very busy year, with lots of change - a move back to Oxford, new impetus for the Hex Project, a new band (the Holy Fools) playing Chris Floyd's songs, and big developments to the Oliver Creed project. Early in 2017 I had to face the fact that what I had envisaged as parts 1 and 2 of the same novel were actually separate books and began to work on them as such. As of 3rd January 2018, I am working on the ninth draft of part 1 (now named Kingdom Come); part 2 (now named Daily Bread) is at draft 3, but I have not revised it for a little while, concentrating on getting Kingdom Come to something approaching a finished state first. A two-week writing retreat at Sparky's seaside chalet at the end of November 2017 led to a major reorganisation of the structure of Kingdom Come which has given me a clear schedule of work to complete the current draft, which I hope to do over the next two months (perhaps including another retreat at Sparky's in February).
Gunville Flats at Port Eliot Festival
02.07.2016
Very excited to be playing at the lovely Port Eliot Festival. The festival runs from 28th - 31st July. We are playing on Friday and Sunday in the country music tent (naturally). Come and say hello if you are there, we would love to see you.
The Great Fire of Blandford
02.07.2016
Working with Pat Harrison and John Cody on an outdoor production of Pat's play, The Great Fire of Blandford, to be performed at the Railway Arches in Blandford on 10th and 11th September. I am on the technical side, lighting, sound, and projections.
Third drafts of Oliver Creed parts 1 and 2 progressing
02.07.2016
Am deep into the redrafting process of the first two parts of Oliver Creed. Second draft of part 2 (Daily Bread) completed. Third draft of part 1 (Kingdom Come) about a third of the way through. Very pleased with the way it is coming together. See here for extracts.
Second draft of part 1 of Oliver Creed completed
13.01.2016
Have finished the second draft of the first part of Oliver Creed, my novel set in the Oxford of the near future. Just sitting down to start work on the second part.
The Hex Project gets its own website
The Hex Project, my songwriting project from the end of 2014, is getting its own website, to be published in the next week or so, ready for the second phase of the project, the recording of the songs in the first half of 2016.
VJ gig
My first solo VJ-ing gig went off on Sunday 4th October at the Alhampton Inn, Alhampton, Somerset. I had a blast and met a bunch of lovely people. Thank you everyone for your kind words on the projections.
Lydia Shears radio edit ready
I've just finished a version of my play, Lydia Shears, for radio.
I am now working on a version of the play for stage, intended for a touring production for 2016.