Scott Bramley's Blog

Happy New Year 2012

2012-01-19T20:47:00.006Z

I know I'm a little late with this first post of 2012 with us now being near the end of January but Happy New Year to you all the same. I spent a wonderful couple of weeks over Christmas with my family in Doncaster. As well as the usual Christmas dinner and the like we threw another very successful 'Bramley Family Annual Christmas Hootenanny', our traditional festive party with a vast spread of food (put together by myself), our yearly quiz, and the customary sing along around the piano (which as you might have guessed also involved me). All good fun. New Years eve saw my three piece band, The Scott Bramley Trio, travelling up to Darlington where were performed at the Bannatyne Hotel, our third consecutive New Years Eve engagement there and the fifth time I've played at the hotel myself. A couple of days later, having packed my car to bursting with my music gear and Christmas presents, I made my way back down to London.

January is normally a quiet time for us musicians. On the one hand this can be a worry particularly where finances are concerned but on the other hand, providing you've put enough money aside for a rainy day (which hopefully I have), frees up your time to entertain other projects. The first and most pressing of my tasks however was to lock myself away for eight days to prepare and file my taxes, a job which I'm happy to say is now complete. And I caught a lucky break - having overpaid last year by a considerable amount I don't owe HMRC anything until July. Result!

With my taxes filed and my spirits high I was able to press on with other more constructive pursuits. For some months now I've wanted a separate website for my function band, ENTOURAGE, but was reluctant to pay for a second site and didn't have the time to do it myself. With some free time I made a start on it using a free website builder site called Moonfruit.com managed and within a couple of days my new site was ready to launch. Please take a look and let me know what you think - www.entourageband.co.uk. In fact you can leave a message in the guestbook as I don't have anything in there yet. That done I spent the next few days looking into and tweaking both sites in terms of content and search engine optimisation (SEO). I'm not the greatest techy so I don't quite understand it all but I read as much as I could find (Google has it's own very good introduction to it) and I'm hoping that the increase in enquiries I've experienced in the past few days has something to do with what I've been up to.

More recently I've been looking into other revenue streams available to me as a musician. I've been putting together my application materials for Rockschool, a music exam board based on rock music, to become an examiner. And only this morning I emailed 50 schools within a two mile radius offering my musical services, already receiving a promising reply from one of them.

Finally and most exciting of all for me is that I've been able to turn my attentions to my original material. I've begun to record rough scratch recordings of my own songs so that I can send them out to friends or my brain trust (they don't know who they are yet!) who I'm hoping will give me some constructive feedback. After that, providing enough songs make it through the mill, I'm intending to properly record at least three of my tracks, perhaps even five or six if I can so that I can put together an EP. Of course I'll also need to get myself out on the original music scene around London and since late last year I've been jamming with a newly found friend, Chris 'Baggers' Bagley, a guitar player, singer and songwriter himself. Once we've got some material together we're happy with then the next step is to try it out on a live audience. This a whole new chapter for me and one that I'm very much looking forward to.

So I guess I should get back to it. Bye for now.

Showtime

2011-11-01T14:32:00.005Z

Life in our nation's capital has really been picking up in the last few weeks. I can still be found playing at Brasserie Toulouse Lautrec in Kennington every couple of weeks (in fact I'm there again this Thursday 3rd of November from 8pm). After an audition with Piano Soho in mid-September I've been picking up a number of gigs with them, playing a couple of times at their sister venue Piano Kensington and half a dozen at Piano Soho itself. The latter have mainly been support slots on Fridays and Saturday nights but I played my first headline gig there on Friday 21st October which seemed to go down really well, from my side of the piano at least. Hopefully there will be more to follow. I was also recently called up by Gary Parkes to cover at The Hyatt Regency Churchill Hotel for a couple of nights on the 12th and 13th of October. I'm still keeping my eyes open for other similar venues but am happy thus far with my progress.

The great thing about being in London is the opportunity to take in a show whenever you fancy. My friend Claire was visiting last week and we went along to see Legally Blonde:The Musical. Being male I was definitely in the minority but I had a fantastic evening nonetheless. A very funny show with great songs, favourites of which included 'Ireland' sung by Paulette (played by Natalie Casey, or Donna from Two Pints of Lager And A Packet Of Crisps) and 'There! Right There!', and stellar performances by all involved. Highly recommended.

And speaking of shows, my brother has a show playing at the moment. The Fumidor, written, directed and starring Peter Bramley is on at the Warehouse Theatre, Croydon, until the 20th of November with some cracking reviews:

"The quality of story-telling here is exemplary." THE STAGE

"enjoyable for the energy & directness of the playing,
exuberantly imaginative!" BRITISH THEATRE GUIDE

Writer and director Peter Bramley has concocted an enthralling story to keep his audience genuinely gripped. The young cast put in some sterling performances...Fumidor is a unique work which is guaranteed to provoke debate.
CROYDON GUARDIAN

I'll be going along either Friday or Saturday if anyone cares to join me.

Of course my private engagements have continued unabated. I have to mention a wedding we played for on the 17th of September in Bamford, Derbyshire. My drummer, Rob Clark, thought he recognised one of the wedding guests as Neil Hannon from The Divine Comedy. The rest of us were sceptical to be honest. Why would we be playing if they knew him? Anyway, the guy in question was up on the dance floor really going for it and it wasn't until the end of the night when he walked close by us that we had to agree. It was only at that point that I put two and two together because I'd known all along that the bride's surname was Hannon but didn't link that in my head. Neil Hannon was her cousin. Anyway, I hope he, the rest of the guests, and of course the bride and groom enjoyed themselves.

Saturday 8th of October saw my band playing for a wedding in Gwent, South Wales which luckily for me was a little bit nearer than they had to travel. Congratulations to Liz and Rich and thanks to Carron who joined the band in singing a couple of numbers. Despite a hefty cold she battled through like a true professional with renditions of Hoagy Carmichael's 'The Nearness Of You', 'At Last' as performed by Etta James, and Imelda May's 'Inside Out'. I must also add that the singing and dancing from the rest of the wedding guests was top notch. I've never had an audience sing back Suspicious Minds in two part harmony before or nail the Night Fever dance quite in the way they did. We were in Wales after all I suppose!

On Tuesday 11th October I was playing solo at the Doncaster Museum and Art Gallery as part of the ground breaking ceremony for the new entertainment venue being built there. I was also joined by the Doncaster Youth Jazz Association's Stage Band who played both on site and at the reception afterwards. The Stage Band had given me my first taste of jazz when I was a young trumpet player among its ranks so I was happy to be on the bill with them.

My band have also recently performed for a meeting of the Amateur Swimmers Association at the Crowne Plaza in Nottingham and last weekend at The Regent Hotel in Doncaster as part of a charity event to raise money for Bluebell Wood Children's Hopsice. I haven't yet been told the final figures but I'm sure with the people there and the raffle tickets sold on the night that a lot of money has been raised. And a great time was had with the dance floor full from the start of our playing to the close of the night.

I'm off to Switzerland on Monday to play at the Kingsize Pub, a duelling piano bar located in Lausanne on Lake Geneva. It's a 10 night engagement from the 8th to the 19th of November with a couple of days off in between. I've seen plenty of duelling piano bars on my travels but never actually played in one so this will be challenging but hopefully fun. I'll let you know how it goes.

Until then.

Scott Bramley
www.scottbramley.co.uk

London Calling

2011-08-31T00:43:00.004+01:00

I guess the big news is that I've moved to London. It's something I've been talking about for a year or two now and I've finally put my best foot forward, packed up my belongings into a small handkerchief attached to a stick and headed to 'The Big Smoke' to seek my fortune. I hope you appreciate that Dick Whittington-inspired interpretation of a move to London, complete with golden paved streets (which I'm still on the lookout for!). I've been here for two weeks now and have been hard at work looking for London-based gigs, having secured my first at Brasserie Toulouse Lautrec in Kennington where I'll be playing Thursdays 1st, 8th and 22nd of September. I also had a very promising meeting with London based agent Gary Parkes who supplies singer piano players like myself to a number of top London hotels so fingers crossed something will come of that. I'm now busy researching other London venues with a number of other auditions and/or open mic nights in the pipeline.

Carnival
In an attempt to make the most of our new location, I spent this Monday bank holiday at the Notting Hill Carnival. I'd never been before but it was a fantastic atmosphere. I've never seen so many people try to cram on to the tube. The Central Line was absolutely packed. Have you ever seen the pictures of Japanese commuters being pushed onto trains? Well it was like that. But fuller! It was worth it though, with some great bands - drums, and steel drums. Made me want to join in. Instead I drank my Red Stripe and danced along!

Hit The Road, Jack
I'm still playing a number of gigs in the north which has necessitated my travelling up and down the M1 quite frequently over the last weeks with a few more to come in the forthcoming month. At the beginning of this month (on the 6th of August) my six piece band ENTOURAGE played for the wedding of my friend Ben Chadwick and his lovely bride Caroline, the reception of which took place at the Maritime Dining Rooms located in the Merseyside Maritime Museum on the Royal Albert Dock. I was really happy to be part of their special day, with some interesting song choices from Ben such as 'So What' from Miles Davis and 'Birdland' from the jazz-fusion group Weather Report. Incidentally Ben used to play trumpet, along with his twin brother Mark, in my first band at school - Freudian Slip (or 'Slip' as our friend Michelle has started to refer to it!). In fact out of all the wedding guests there we almost had the full original eight-piece band among the wedding guests (only minus the bass player). It was good to catch up. Ben and Cal are also being kind enough to put me up for the night this coming weekend as I'm playing for a wedding on the Wirral on Saturday.
On the 20th of August the band were playing in York at the Merchant Adventurer's Hall for the wedding of Louise and Andrew, the new Mr and Mrs Garvey. A fantastically historic venue built for medieval merchants to gather, trade and socialise, construction began in 1357. It's now a museum as well as wedding venue. Last week I found myself making the 280 mile journey to a beautifully located wedding venue called Nant Gwrtheyrn, located in a former quarrying village on the northern coast of the Llŷn Peninsula in North Wales, a centre specialising in Welsh for Adults (as a second language). Even the heavy rain didn't detract from the stunning setting, nestled at the bottom of a steep cliff face (with a rather a steep, scary road leading down to the Centre) and a view across the bay. Wishing all the best to Ellen and Paul. And on Saturday the band was out again, at The Deanwater Hotel in Stockport, our last gig of the summer season. Congratulations to the new Mr and Mrs Powers.

Coming Up
Coming up as I mentioned I'm playing for a wedding on the Wirral this Saturday (3rd September). I'll be back in my home town of Doncaster the week after that on the 10th for a private party and then on the 17th I'm travelling northbound again to play in Bamford in the Hope valley of Derbyshire. And hopefully by then I'll have some more local London gigs to tell you about!

Scott Bramley
www.scottbramley.co.uk

Love Is In The Air

2011-07-05T21:52:00.003+01:00

I’ve just spent the last couple of hours listening to and jotting down the music for ‘Love Is In The Air’ by John Paul Young for a wedding I’m playing for at the end of the month and thought that as I’d finished early (and as I haven’t posted anything here in far too long) I’d make an appearance and use that song as a starting point.

Wedding season is in full swing at the moment, having been out the last three weekends in a row. I was playing solo at The Ponderosa Centre in Heckmondwike near Wakefield on the 18th of June for a drinks reception and during the wedding breakfast which took place in two different parts of the Lakeside Restaurant and Bar. I had a rather heated dash from one part of the venue to the other but I made it with seconds to spare. And with some time to kill after setting up in the afternoon I was even able to take a pleasant stroll in the countryside surrounding the centre. Congratulations to Emily and Darren.

The following week the 25th of June found me at The Inn At Whitewell near Clitheroe in Lancashire with my six piece band. The weather was less than desirable but the setting was spectacular. Nestled in a small valley perched high on the banks of the River Hodder, we were playing in a marquee with the raging river as our backdrop with views down the valley into the heart of the Forest of Bowland. Quite stunning. It was fantastic to be able to take the full band out as we don’t get as much opportunity as we’d like what with budgets being tight and the lack of venues big enough to take us. What my band appreciated most of all however were the huge martini glasses sat as centre pieces on each table filled with sweets. Talk about kids in a sweet shop! Congratulations to Niamh and Loic.

Last weekend my four piece band were playing for a wedding in a tipi at a private residence in Cheshire. Another stunning setting, and a beautiful sunny day for it. We entertained during the afternoon for the drinks reception then returned after dinner (which was very tasty I might add, catered for by a local restaurant) for three more sets with the dance floor full from the first dance to the very end of the night, just how we like it. Congratulations to Nikki and Matt.

As well as weddings I’ve had a couple of Christenings to play for too, including that of my friends Brett and Anne Marie who christened their daughter Xanthia on Sunday. Afterwards we retired to their garden for drinks and food and I was happy to provide some light entertainment as my christening gift to them.

Coming up in the next few weeks we’re in London on Thursday to play for the St. James Independent School leavers’ party and on Saturday we’re in Catterick, North Yorkshire, playing for a military event. With upcoming weddings on a boat in York, at Warmsworth Hall near Doncaster and at the Maritime Dining Rooms in Liverpool (another outing for the six piece) plus an appearance at Choice Bar and Restaurant in Manchester in the next four weeks I’ve got quite a schedule lined up. It would appear that love is indeed in the air.

The Hot Mikado

2011-02-02T20:16:00.005Z

Good evening one and all. In exactly one month’s time The Hot Mikado, a reworking of the classic Gilbert and Sullivan operetta, will be opening at Doncaster Civic Theatre. My association with the show began back in July of last year when I was tasked as musical director. After auditions however we were still missing one vital role so I stepped up into the part of Nanki Poo, the hopelessly love struck wandering minstrel vying for the affections of his true love, Yum Yum. The plot doesn’t stray far from the Gilbert and Sullivan original, with a similar satiric tone. Set in Japan in the 1940s, the show combines Japanese design with American 1940s themes so expect east meets west with kimonos and zoot suits. And then there’s the music. The score uses much of Sullivan's original music but is re-orchestrated using 1940s popular musical harmonies and arrangements in a wide range of styles, including jazz, hot gospel, blues, rock, swing, and the odd torch song ballad. Our 'Three Little Maids' even sing in an Andrews Sisters' style. So if you’re in the vicinity of Doncaster Civic Theatre between Wednesday the 2nd and Saturday the 5th of March do yourself a favour and come to see the show!

The Hot Mikado
Doncaster Civic Theatre
Wednesday 2nd – Saturday 5th March 2011 @ 7:15pm
Tickets: £12

Bye for now!

Scott Bramley
www.scottbramley.co.uk

Happy New Year one and all

2011-01-05T16:48:00.005Z

I trust you’ve had a splendid Christmas and are already making the best of 2011. I’ve been absent from the blogging scene lately. No excuses really. One of my new year’s resolutions is to blog more regularly so fingers crossed you’ll be hearing more from me in the coming months.

Christmas Cabaret
After a busy summer of weddings and parties (I’m still waiting on that elusive bah mitzvah by the way) I thought it would be a good idea to put on a show with my band, ENTOURAGE, a little closer to home for friends and family to come along and join us. And what better excuse than playing a Christmas Cabaret, complete with pie and pea supper, which we performed at Pasture’s Lodge in Mexborough near Doncaster, just a hop, skip and a jump from my family home in Barnburgh. Despite frequent snowstorms, freezing fog and ice patches leading up to the event we were blessed with a snow-free day, albeit bitterly cold, allowing the majority of our guests to attend without any trouble. We performed a programme of Christmas favourites interspersed with some of our more regular material and we were received warmly by the audience – of course I was related to about 10% of them so I expected nothing less. We’re hoping to put something similar on sometime during the summer/autumn months.

There’s No Business Like Show Business
Back in November, after a number of years absence, I took to the stage at the Rotherham Civic in the Rotherham Teacher’s production of Chess. I was apprehensive at first – the last time I trod the boards was in University – but it all came flooding back and I had a whale of a time. I played the Mayor of Merano for the opening and then part of the Russian delegation for the remainder of the show, with the odd cameo appearance here and there. The only downside of the whole experience was at the after show party when I and one of my Russian comrades decided to partake in a bottle of Russian Standard vodka which left us both terribly ill and in need of being put to bed. But that aside, it was a great show. I’m following that up in March with The Hot Mikado at Doncaster Civic Theatre with the Doncaster Amateur Operatic Society. I was musical director for their production of Beauty and the Beast last year and am doing the same for this production but with a slight change at show week where I’ll be on stage rather than in the pit playing Nanki Poo!

And now for something completely different...
And so now I’m back into the swing of things with my teaching schedule and I have a bit of a break from gigging in January (as is usually the case) so I’m trying to concentrate on writing some more of my own material. One big resolution this year is to do something original. I find this time, early in the New Year, my most productive for writing for some reason, maybe because I’m not busying myself with weddings and the like. So I’m going to make the most of it and really get to work in finishing off the songs I already have and coming up with ideas for new ones with the intention of recording some soon. (I’ve almost finished writing a new one today as it happens, inspired by The Vampire Diaries, the box set of which I’d bought my sister for Christmas and watched the whole thing myself!).

That’s all from me for now. Again, wishing you a happy, healthy and prosperous new year.

Scott Bramley
www.scottbramley.co.uk

Mine's a Guinness

2010-08-23T09:29:00.003+01:00

With a constant stream of gigs lately I’ve found it difficult to make time for a spot of blogging. I always feel like I’m confessing to a priest at this stage – it’s been 3 months since my last confession. It doesn’t help that I’ve also set about the task of decorating my office so I have nowhere to work (I’m currently writing this from the comfort of my bed!). The band and I have been kept busy these past few weeks with gigs up and down the country and have a full diary of events stretching right up until November at which point I’ll be taking a small break to perform in a production of Chess. This weekend saw my three piece band in Manchester on Friday night playing for a wedding at Choice Bar and Restaurant, one of my regular haunts. It was a very enjoyable night. Congratulations to Charlotte and Nik, and thanks to Valerie who assured me it was her that got us the booking! On Saturday the four-piece were in Rugby for Tim and Leanna’s wedding. Congratulations to you both. Next week we'll be in Darlington.

Last week I took a long awaited trip to the emerald isle. Along with my housemate, Cayton, we sailed from Liverpool after spending a very pleasant evening with friends Ben and Caroline who were nice enough to feed us and put us up for the evening ensuring we were close to the ferry when we had to board at 8am. With a few days in Dublin we explored the city, taking in Trinity College, Dublin Castle, the Chester Beatty Library and the Guinness storehouse plus of course sampling some of the local night spots around the streets of Temple Bar. Our favourite pub turned out to be the one we visited first, called Grogan’s Castle Lounge. It was slightly rough around the edges with little in the way of airs and graces but it was very comfortable with such a wide variety of clientele. It also did a cracking toasted sandwich with mustard on the side. Speaking of food we also found our way round some of the eateries of Dublin including the rather swanky Eden restaurant in Temple Bar, French Cuisine in L’Guelot and the most amazing breakfast sandwiches from a little place called Honest To Goodness. In fact we called here again before leaving Dublin for our drive south.

We Drove through Eniskerry and on to Glendalough, one of Ireland’s many monastic sites. That night we stopped in Kilkenny and proceeded to crawl around a number of the pubs there, sampling the local Smithwicks ale (the w is silent). In the morning to clear my head from the night before I took a walk around the town which straddles the River Nore and is dominated by the Kilkenny Castle.

En route to Cork we called in on the Rock of Cashel, another of Irelands great heritage sites. In Cork we were greeted at our accommodation (Garnish House) by the proprietor who brought us the most enormous selection of cakes, scones and pastries for afternoon tea. Apparently they do this for everyone on arrival. Cork itself is a vibrant port city – you almost hit the water as you drive in. We found our bearings taking a walk into town and settled into a pub for the night keeping it local with Beamish stout. Later in the evening we were treated to live Irish music.

Not to be outdone by the afternoon tea we’d received on arrival, for breakfast we were treated to the same plus porridge and a choice of 30 breakfast items. I went for the full Irish which pretty much filled me for the day. Cayton wanted to kiss the Blarney stone so Blarney Castle was our first port of call. I didn’t bother myself. Leave the North American tourists to it (one Canadian man was complaining that instead of having to climb the steep spiral staircase they could fill the castle with concrete and take an elevator up to the top!). We then headed for Baltimore on the coast. It was a pretty little seaside town but the place was absolutely swamped it being a Saturday and glorious weather. We continued on taking a detour around part of Mizzen Head and then cutting inland across perhaps the greatest road I’ve ever driven on – the Priest’s Leap pass. It was no more than a track and at times we wondered if we’d ever make it across. After an immeasurable number of twists and turns we made it to the other side and on to one of Ireland’s more famous drives, The Ring Of Kerry. The first town we passed through was total gridlock but luckily we were travelling in the opposite direction to the usual flow of traffic so things got easier after that. We spent the night in Dingle, a place that still has a number of pubs that also double as shops. I sampled some of the local seafood caught that very day in Dingle and took in a number of live music venues.

The next day could not have been more different weather-wise. Low cloud, rain and thick fog as we drove across Connor’s Pass winding its way north up and across the hills which was scary at times when it shrunk to one lane and with practically zero visibility. We eventually made it to Galway. I took a walk around town but to be honest didn’t see too much what with keeping my head down out of the driving rain so retreated to the safety of Kirwan’s Lane Restaurant for dinner and later met Cayton in Tig Coili for a few drinks and some more live music – this time 8 musicians playing various traditional instruments.

Our final day saw us driving back to Dublin but not before calling off at perhaps one of Ireland’s foremost monastic sites, Clonmacnoise, founded by St Ciaran (Kevin) in AD 548. Reputedly the burial place of ancient kings, this place withstood onslaught from the Vikings and the Irish before (as seems to be so often the case here) it was almost reduced to a ruin by the English in 1552. Back in Dublin with our journey drawing to a close we spent our final evening in Grogan’s Castle Lounge playing cards and sampling their cheese and ham toasties.

Well that’s all from me. I’m off to apply another coat of paint to the walls of my office and then I’m off to Prague in the morning for my drummer, Rob Clark’s stage do. I’ll make sure to report back.

A Musician's Work Is Never Done

2010-05-08T09:41:00.003+01:00

Another Saturday and another performance to prepare for in the middle of a string of nineteen consecutive weekend engagements that started at the beginning of March and continues on until the end of June. Many of these have been or will be private functions such as weddings and parties taking place in places including Crewe, Derbyshire, Leeds, Macclesfield, Nottingham, Sheffield, North Yorkshire and Northumberland, which are all fairly close considering we're heading down to Tunbridge Wells in July. I even quoted recently for an event in Cornwall which is a 350 mile 6 hour drive away. I guess my car battery will be well charged by the end of that, though I may not be. My performances at Choice Bar and Restaurant in Manchester, one of my regular venues, continue with my next appearance on Saturday 22nd May. Closer to home I've also performed at Cafe Bar Concerto at the Earl of Doncaster Hotel covering their regular piano player Luke Cannon. I'll be appearing there again on Saturday 19th June.

New bands coming soon
With the success of my trio and its many recent bookings I thought it was prime time to expand. Therefore in the coming weeks and months I'll be launching both a four piece and six piece cover band with a jazz band to follow soon after. We have been playing as a four piece fairly regularly anyway but we wanted to make the four piece an entity in itself aimed specifically at the party/function band market, keeping the trio for the swing and standard repertoire. The six piece will also be more party-based but will include trumpet and sax to give us more scope and an even bigger sound. One of the most difficult things was to choose a name for each group but I think we've come to a decision. The six piece will go by the name of Entourage, and the four piece will be called Chameleon Tonic (my own choice and I had to battle Rob Clark, our drummer, to get it). With the name chosen (and the hard part over!) I'm now in talks with James (Jimmy) Mulkeen, a local photographer, graphic designer and friend of mine about getting some promotional material together. We're currently discussing venues for a photo shoot. I told him I didn't want what seems to have become the regular cover band photograph of four blokes in a row so he's going to work his magic for me and come up with a concept. At the same time I invested in a condenser microphone this week so that I can begin to record some demos for the new bands. Once that is done we can get to work, although Entourage already have their first gig fixed at the beginning of October. I'll need logos drawn up and have started to look at quotes for this on a site I found called Freelancer.com where you can post a job description and freelancers from all over the world can bid on your project. I have a few good offers in but I think I may just turn to Jimmy for this too. He did design my current logo and website. Still, if you don't have a Jimmy of your own then Freelancer.com is a valuable service. The final step will be to put together a website for each group, though of course you'll be able to access them through my own website.

With all these efforts it's sometimes difficult to work in time for my own original ventures but slowly and surely I've been adding to my bank of original compositions and as soon as recordings are complete for the cover bands I intend to begin work on my own material. I'll keep you posted.

With that I'd better get myself together, limber my fingers and warm my voice.

Bye for now.

Scott Bramley
www.scottbramley.co.uk

That's All Folks

2010-03-08T19:21:00.003Z

Tale As Old As Time
The curtain has now fallen on Beauty and the Beast which played all last week at Doncaster Civic Theatre and I have to say that it was a triumph. My congratulations go out to all the cast and crew involved in Doncaster Amateur Operatic Society's production, and of course to my musicians who, despite being locked in a darkened room round the back, performed phenomenally. The response we’ve had from audiences has been terrific, and I wouldn’t expect anything less from such a fantastic cast. I only wish it could go on for longer. By Saturday I felt the show could have been ready to go on tour professionally!

Coming Up
So now it’s back to reality with a bump which fortunately for me means more of the same, all be it not in a theatre environment, but back to the piano. Coming up this month I’ll be performing at the Sands Venue in Gainsborough as part of their Mother’s Day celebrations on Sunday 14th March. Saturday 20th March sees my band and I playing for a wedding in Derbyshire and the following week on Saturday 27th March I’ll be returning to Choice Bar And Restaurant in Manchester. I also have a number of projects in the pipeline including a commission to arrange the music for a new musical and the continuation of a project I started last month giving a modern funky twist to some age old nursery rhymes as part of a pre-school tap dancing programme called Tap Tots. I also happen to be the voice of Ted Astaire, the character who will lead the children in their dancing! All good fun.

So there I shall leave you for the time being. Take care and I’ll be back to catch you up soon.

Scott Bramley
www.scottbramley.co.uk

Tale As Old As Time

2010-02-17T15:09:00.006Z

I’ve been finding it difficult these past weeks to make time to jump on here long enough to write anything significantly longer than perhaps a brief twitter or facebook post. We're now in the final countdown to showtime with less than two weeks to go until Doncaster Amateur Operatic Society’s production of Disney’s Beauty and the Beast kicks off Doncaster’s HotHouse Festival. Final preparations are now under way and, though not wishing to jinx things, it’s all going rather well. The magic begins Tuesday 2nd March and runs until Saturday 6th March at Doncaster Civic Theatre, with both a matinee and an evening performance on the Saturday. Tickets are priced at £12 and £10 for concessions (no concessions available for Saturday evening). I myself will be out of site (hopefully not out of mind) playing with and conducting the orchestra to the side of the stage, but with a video feed of me so that I can direct the singing on stage (I've suggested I have my own lighting scheme, along with various props and costume changes but my ideas never result in more than a wry grimace from the director, Ian Coley). With a fantastic cast and a terrific nine-piece orchestra it looks set to be a great run. And once all of this madness is over I might actually get time to blog here more often. Having said that, the gigs are lining up for both me and my band with this year looking set to be the busiest yet. No rest for the wicked.

Anyway, that's about all from me for now. I hope plenty of you can make it to the theate in March. It's going to be a blast.

Scott Bramley
www.scottbramley.co.uk

You take the high road and I'll take the low road...

2010-01-12T20:41:00.005Z

Happy New Year one and all. Christmas seems to have come and gone so quickly, perhaps because for the most part I was busy in the kitchen preparing for various feasts. Three days of preparations led up to our Annual Bramley Family Christmas Hootenanny, followed by a dinner party the day after (preparing a three course meal for seven with the most shocking hangover that has ever been bestowed upon a human being is not something I’d want to repeat anytime soon), then Christmas dinner, another smaller family party and then days of trying to come up with ideas of how to use up all the leftover food.

Happy New Year
New Years Eve saw me in Darlington with my band entertaining the revellers at the Bannatyne Hotel. We’d played a wedding there earlier in the year - John, the manager’s wedding in fact, and he'd been kind enough to ask us back. Despite the snow and Rob the drummer’s car being unwilling to start to ferry him home, we had a great evening. Paul our bass player was on hand to drive Rob back if you were worried that we’d left him up there to fend for himself.

Get Me To The Church On Time
On New Years Day, after a 6-8 inches of snow had fallen the night before, I set off from Newcastle where I’d spent the night at my friend’s house, to battle my way up a partially blocked A1. My friend Henry was getting married on the 2nd of January and a bunch of former housemates from university had booked a cottage a few miles outside of St Andrews to see in the New Year. When I arrived they all looked a little worse for wear. The ceremony took place the next day in what was possibly the coldest place I’ve ever had to sit still for 40 minutes. St Andrews Episcopal Church is a lovely building but there appeared to be no means of heating the place, or at least somebody had forgotten to put any money in the meter. In an attempt to keep warm I endeavoured to put all that I could into the singing of hymns. The icy church was more than made up for as we reconvened to Rufflets Hotel where the champagne was flowing freely. After a splendid meal we were supposed to be entertained by Ceilidh band but unfortunately due to the weather conditions they were unable to make it across the Forth Road Bridge and were stranded on the Edinburgh side. It was a disappointment – I was really looking forward to it and had promised a number of people that I’d dance the Gay Gordons. No matter, the bar was free so none of us really minded that much!

Meet the Ancestors
Before leaving Scotland I had one last thing to do. My grandfather hails from a small fishing village which I was delighted to find out was 2½ miles up the coast from where we were staying in Elie. St Monans is a delightful little community overlooking the Firth of Forth. Its once busy harbour was now quiet and we took a walk to the west side of town to see the historic Kirk dating from the 14th century. I’d hoped to see evidence of my ancestors, and we did find a few clues here and there, but the snow had covered almost every gravestone and it would have been a mammoth task to uncover them all. So instead we wandered the grounds for a time before retiring to a local pub.

And here we are – 2010. I’m back at my various schools now after something of a false start last week. I was travelling back from Scotland on Monday so I went in on Tuesday but that was the day the snow hit hard and after starting with around 30 kids I ended up with 9 by the end of my class. Wednesday the schools were closed and I was back in Thursday. So this is my first full week back. As is generally the case at this time of year I have a few weeks off from gigging but my band will be playing at a wedding Saturday 23rd in Solihull.

Until then, that’s all from me.

Scott Bramley
www.scottbramley.co.uk

Christmas is coming, the goose is getting fat...

2009-12-04T11:19:00.003Z

And if we're talking metaphorically and the plump goose in question represents my burgeoning schedule then that is indeed the case. I've been meaning to get on here for a while now but something always seems to crop up. Even now I'm preparing to leave for a weekend of gigs. I'm playing at the Grosvenor Casino in Huddersfield tonight, the fifth of seven appearances there during this festive season. Tomorrow afternoon I'm playing piano at a wedding in Clitheroe and later that evening I will be joined by the rest of my band to party the night away. Sunday finds me closer to home playing for a private party in Hensall. It sounds like a lot but it's not even my busiest week. In two weeks time, the week before Christmas, I'll be performing five gigs in three days. I think that's a personal record.

There is a reason I wanted to squeeze in a short blog post in between all of this Christmas madness. Yesterday I received my newly edited promotional video. It was taken a year ago at The Sands Venue in Gainsborough, but what with having to edit the audio then the video it has taken this long to finish. Well it's here now. Please let me know what you think.

I must dash. If I don't get the chance to get on here again in the next couple of weeks may I take this opportunity to wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a happy and prosperous New Year.

Take Care,

Scott Bramley
www.scottbramley.co.uk

Remember, Remember...

2009-11-02T19:49:00.004Z

It’s already November. Halloween has come and gone, Bonfire Night is just around the corner, and then it’s the inevitable march towards Christmas. I’ve already begun rehearsing my Christmas repertoire. That’s the trouble with only playing songs four weeks out of the year – you tend to forget by the time it comes to perform them again. But I'm well on the way to remembering them again.

Live At Pastures Lodge
On the 9th of October I appeared in concert with the Barnburgh Male Voice Choir at Pastures Lodge, Doncaster. I’ve uploaded a video here of one of the songs I sang that night and will try to get some others up soon. We had a full house and were warmly received. Hopefully most of the people were turning out to hear us perform and not just there for the pie and pea supper included in the ticket price (I didn’t partake myself but it smelled good!). In any case we had plenty of good comments and the evening went splendidly. I was asked by one of the audience members that night if I had another CD available for sale because they’ve already worn out my first album and I had to confess that I did not. It got me to thinking. I’m going to try to put a live album together in the next few weeks, before Christmas if possible. It's already recorded so it's just a case of sorting out the artwork and duplicating the discs. I'll try my best!

Le Grand Bande
On Monday night I bumped into a few people I know from the Doncaster Youth Jazz Association in the pub, both of us having just finished a rehearsal. They were taking part in their annual exchange with a French band from Limonest. One of the guys there, Jean-Noel Mathy, had his guitar and I was asked to sing which I gladly conceded to. Before I left I was told about a jam session that was taking place later in the week. And so on Wednesday evening I found myself in Relish in Doncaster. The place was busy and there was a fabulous young band playing, Blues Armada, who led proceedings. Later various people were invited to take the stage, including legendary local trombone hero Dennis Rollins, and myself! It was enjoyable and made a change to be singing without having to think about playing piano at the same time as is most usually the case. I also managed to down quite a few pints of Guiness which left me feeling rather the worse for wear the next day.

Tale As Old As Time
On Tuesday last week around 50 people from the Doncaster Amateur Operatic Society travelled to Sheffield to see Beauty and the Beast at the Lyceum Theatre. We’ll be putting the show on ourselves next year and are already in rehearsals. My role as Musical Director means that I take all of the singing rehearsals and will be both conducting and playing piano for the final performances taking place in the first week of March 2010. We very much enjoyed the show. There were some great performances, particular the characters of Belle played by Ashley Oliver, the Beast played by Shaun Dalton and Phil Barley in the role of Lumiére (who I was glad to note spends much of his time singing with big bands and the like). But for me, despite the fact that there was an eight piece band, I was disappointed that four of the players were on synthesizer. I think it’s a real shame. That is not to take away from the musicians who were playing but the show has such a great score I was looking forward to hearing it properly. Our band will be nine pieces with one of those being synthesizer, but the rest will be real instruments – 2 brass, 3 woodwind, bass, drums and me on the piano. I’m currently in the process of putting that band together. I will of course be calling upon my regular drummer and band mate in crime, Rob Clark, who is currently touring with a professional production of Cabaret so he’s a good man to have onboard.

And there I think I’ll leave you. Have a happy and safe Bonfire Night and I’ll be back soon.

Scott Bramley
www.scottbramley.co.uk

When Autumn Leaves Start To Fall

2009-10-03T12:02:00.003+01:00

I was about to sit down with Channel 4 OD and catch up on a missed TV show but it turns out that the show wasn’t aired so I didn’t miss it after all. What better to do with my spare hour than talk to you good people?

"The autumn leaves drift by the window, the autumn leaves of red and gold..."
(Johnny Mercer)

Autumn seems to have crept up on me like a fox in the night. I live in town and sure, I’ve noticed the air becoming crisper as I venture out each morning but it wasn’t until I visited my parents the other day that I finally realised summer’s gone and winter is marching ever closer. Their house sits on the village green and is surrounded by trees but the green is now brown with fallen leaves. For some reason the wind always blows the leaves down the drive and they accumulate by the back door. My dad will spend the next few months trying to sweep them up only to find as many there the next time a strong wind blows. There is a certain melancholy that comes with autumn – the cold grey days, the dwindling light. But there is also the promise of cosy nights tucked inside the house and plenty of opportunity for festivity with Halloween, Bonfire Night, and Christmas just around the corner. Yes it’s cold, yes it’s grey, yes it’s wet and yes it’s windy and perhaps there will be times when I long for tropical temperatures and rum punch served to me on some Caribbean beach. But it’s home and I’ll enjoy every last frigid minute of it!

One Night Only
My band is performing tonight for a wedding taking place somewhere in Lancashire (I’m hoping that my sat-nav will show me exactly where). I’ve just got back from picking up a van to take us there. We’re playing as a four piece with Paul “Big Lad” Grady joining us on guitar. I like adding a different dimension to the sound and each individual player adds their own take to each piece. It should be fun.

Coming Up
Following on from tonight’s gig I have a busy week coming up, starting with a corporate dinner I’m playing for on Tuesday in Sutton Coldfield. I used to be involved with a sales company through which I was introduced to many people. I once shared a car ride with a couple of people down to Brighton for a seminar and one of them contacted me via Facebook a few weeks ago to ask if I was available to play for them. You never know where the next gig is coming from. On Friday I’m joining forces (and voices) with the Barnburgh Male Voice Choir at Pastures Lodge. We’re sharing the programme and if it goes nearly as well as the last one we staged about eighteen months ago I’ll be very happy. Tickets are £7.50 including pie and pea supper. So even if you don’t like the music at least you get a decent feed! On Saturday I’m appearing at Choice Bar and Restaurant in Manchester, one of my more regular gigs. And on Sunday, all being well, I should be playing at The Sands Venue in Gainsborough, although having said that a number of the Sunday sessions have been cancelled over the past few months for one reason or another. Four gigs in one week! Plus teaching and rehearsals on top of that. I’ll see you at the other side.

Scott Bramley
www.scottbramley.co.uk

Last concert for the summer

2009-09-19T15:24:00.004+01:00

I’ve been back at school this week and having been exposed to more than 200 children in the course of my teaching work I fear that one of the little darlings has given me a cold! Still, it’s been a good start to the academic year and I have high hopes that I’m going to enjoy the rest. Carrying on from last year I’m part of an initiative aimed at developing whole class musical tuition with ongoing workshops taking place in primary schools around the Doncaster area. Most of this revolves around samba drumming which the kids seem to get a real kick out of (and some of their teachers for that matter). I have six different schools this year, some that I’ve taught at before and some new ones, along with three new colleagues (I’m technically now the experienced one, this being my third year on the project). No doubt I’ll be filling you in on the highs and lows as we progress.

It’s not only the teacher side of me that has been busy of late. My band was out twice last weekend. On Saturday we played at Trentham Estate near Stoke-on-Trent to close their summer season of concerts. It was a beautiful setting, with a covered stage nestled by the lake. We were blessed with wonderfully sunny weather. As the sun descended it did turn cold but the concert goers were well prepared with blankets and the like. By the end of the evening my breath was condensing as I sang and fogging my glasses! Not that it really mattered because apart from the stage everything was pitch black. I could certainly hear the crowd – they were very enthusiastic and from time to time I could see glow sticks dancing in the blackness. For our slower songs people were holding up their glowing mobile phones and swaying to the music – the modern day lighter! We enjoyed ourselves and were well received. And, as a bonus, were home before midnight.

On Sunday we were playing for a wedding at Wentbridge House Hotel near Pontefract. We started out with a little swing music which had the wedding guests dancing from the outset. The bride’s family were from Egypt so while we took a breather the wedding party were entertained by a belly dancer. The band then finished the night with some party favourites. A good time had by all.

Tonight I’m flying solo at Choice Bar and Restaurant in Manchester and next week, as well as a private function that I’m playing in Barnsley on Saturday night, I’ll be back at The Sands Venue in Gainsborough for Sunday lunch.

Bye for now.

Scott Bramley
www.scottbramley.co.uk

Get me to the church on time

2009-09-02T14:34:00.003+01:00

It wasn’t me getting married but one of my best friends, Chris, who married Kat on Saturday. And it wasn’t a church for that matter, rather the glorious setting of Cannon Hall, situated just north of Barnsley on the edge of the Pennine hills. For over two hundred years it was home to the Spencer (later Spencer-Stanhope) family, who made their fortune in the local iron industry.

Chris and I had spent the morning busy with preparations: dropping Chris’ car at the hotel so that he might drive home the next day; making the most precarious drive of my life with Chris in the passenger seat balancing a four tier wedding cake on his knee; and setting up a sound system and lights for the evening’s entertainment. At 4pm we found ourselves... I’d like to say whisked away but we were in a huge gas-guzzling old American car and it was more lumbering than greased lightning.

The ceremony took place in the beautiful oak paneled ballroom at Cannon Hall, built especially for a wedding in 1891, with lilting classical music being played on the grand piano (this time, not by me!). Kat was a vision entering with her father preceded by Katy her flower girl who spread rose petals at her feet and bridesmaids - her sister, Heather, who was carrying Chris and Kat's daughter, Lyra. It was an emotional service – Chris had to stifle tears on a couple of occasions but made it through. He’s a softy! After photographs in the grounds we ran up against a slight snag in that the wedding car had broken down. It reminds me of the quote from Oprah Winfrey:

"The roses, the lovely notes, the dining and dancing are all welcome and splendid. But when the Godiva is gone, the gift of real love is having someone who'll go the distance with you. Someone who, when the wedding day limo breaks down, is willing to share a seat on the bus."
-- Oprah Winfrey, O Magazine, February 2004

Very apt! We didn’t have to go to such extremes but instead hitched lifts with the other guests to transfer us between the ceremony and the reception venue which was taking place down the road in Pot House Hamlet near Silkstone, at The Potting Shed Cafe. When we arrived the chairs and tables had been decorated beautifully and the cake stood atop a large martini glass.

It was soon time for speeches which were introduced by Kat’s father, Don, who set the bar for the rest of us speakers. Chris’ was an emotional speech during which he played a song by Johnny Cash expressing his feelings towards Kat. It ended on a lighter note with him telling everybody that I was a compulsive liar and not to believe a word that I told them. As it turned out I was quite kind to him in my speech which I think went well. They laughed at the parts they were supposed to and even at some that they weren’t! With speeches over we were able to relax and enjoy the rest of the evening. The meal started with a sort of quiche or tart, with a main course of chicken and wild mushrooms, and key lime pie for dessert. After that the party continued into the wee hours, and despite break downs, both mechanical and emotional, we had a wonderful day. We did however forget to cut the cake! I wonder how it tasted. It looked great! And my friend Andy, having consumed much of the bar's supply of whisky, tried to consume a piece of Styrofoam and lost his tooth in the process! So apart from Andy, a great time had by all.

Scott Bramley
www.scottbramley.co.uk

Forgive me bloggers, for I have sinned...

2009-08-25T23:38:00.009+01:00

OK, yes, it has been a while since my last blog post (I feel like I’m confessing to a priest!). All I can do is apologise and tell you that I’ve been busy with one thing and another. The gigs have been coming thick and fast with it being wedding season and all so I’ve been preparing and playing for those these past few weeks. I’ve also managed to fit in a camping trip, a stag party and a trip to France, and I’m currently uploading all of those photos plus preparing my best man’s speech for the wedding of said stag which is taking place this weekend.

Carry On Camping
I survived my camping trip relatively unscathed, save for a few bites. My dad and I along with Brian, a friend of ours, travelled to Wales for a couple of days, to a place called Betws-y-coed, a picturesque village situated in Snowdonia National Park. On our first day, after putting up the tents, we scoped out the local pubs returning to our campsite later that evening where I cooked up a chilli con carne. I’d prepped all the ingredients beforehand so it was just a case of throwing it all together and cooking it up. It was well received. The next day didn’t start so well – it was miserable in fact, with rain pouring down. The night before I’d agreed to cook breakfast and we’d bought bacon, eggs, beans and black pudding. Not the easiest thing to cook on one small gas stove while you’re sheltering from the rain but by some feat of luck (or genius) I managed it. It turned our rather well in fact, although I wouldn’t do it again! The weather did pick up in the afternoon. We’d had our minds set on Snowdonia but we didn’t want to trek all that way in the pouring rain and by the time the weather turned there wasn’t enough time (and we’d lost the will), so we took in the hills surrounding Betws-y-coed and later I followed the river on the opposite bank. That night, our final night, we returned to our favourite of the pubs in the village, the Stables attached to the Royal Oak Hotel where there was a live trad jazz band playing. Now I didn’t expect that in Wales!

#Robin Hood, Robin Hood, Riding Through The Glen#
One of my best friends is getting married this coming Saturday at which I’m the best man and so earlier this month we gave him a sending off with a day spent in Castleton, 'The Gem of the Peak District'. We started the day off with a spot of archery, the groom’s team versus the best man’s. I have to boast that my team won! It was good fun. We spent the rest of the day sampling real ale in the pubs. Chris would have made it unscathed were it not for the shots that he’d been bought. I did my best to help him out with some of them but by that time it was too late and he spent the last half hour on the bench outside. Now there’s just the wedding to go. The speech is written. It just needs refining a little and practicing a lot!

Lost In France
Last week my sister Becky and I took a trip to France to visit with my brother Peter and his partner Simon who have a place in the Aveyron region of southern France. We arrived mid-afternoon and my sister was immediately impressed by the balmy weather. My brother picked us up from the airport and drove us to his place, situated just outside of a town called Ville Franche de Rouergue. We spent the rest of the day by the pool until the light began to dwindle, by which time the barbecue had been fired up for dinner. I ate too much, I’ll admit, so much so on this trip that my suit trousers were feeling a little snug on my return this weekend!

The next morning, given the choice between going into town or staying by the pool we opted for the latter. It was another hot one and it was definitely the best option. We did venture further afield later that afternoon, to a place called Saint-Cirq Lapopie, a beautiful village perched high on a cliff overlooking a gorgeous valley below. It should have taken us around 45 minutes to an hour to reach but what with the TomTom giving us some random directions and my brother’s driving it took about two hours. Still, the forest road we ended up on did allow me to see a wild deer darting into the tress which was pretty cool. The journey back was a little less eventful and dinner, which had already been prepared for us by Simon, was already on the hob being tended by Carolyn when we arrived. My brother’s friend, Carolyn, was visiting from LA. They had met while studying at the Jacques Lecoq Intern ational Theatre School in Paris and had been on tour together with a show in Canada and the states. She’s now an author, and her book ‘The Lost Children’ has recently been published. We ate outside under the stars. And you can see so many there. There’s virtually no light pollution so you can see every speck of light in the sky, including satellites that whizz overhead. You could mistake them for stars except they’re moving steadily across the sky.

Our third day there we ventured to the River Aveyron for a spot of Kayaking. By this time the temperature had reached well into the 40s and the breeze offered little relief – it was like being blown by a hair dryer. Becky had some trouble at first but once my brother had given her the basics she got the hang of it and had become confident by the end of it. She did need a little persuasion on the first weir and ignoring my suggestion to “shuffle!” to get free of the shallow water I had to get out and push. But once that was done she was fine, and I was a little cooler for having been in the water. We were on the river for the best part of 4 hours with a stop for lunch and another for drinks and ice cream. That night we visited a restaurant in the local town for dinner.

The following day was market day in Ville Franche and the streets were jammed with people and stalls, flowing out from the main square, filling the adjoining streets. We walked around for a while and when we’d had enough stopped for a drink overlooking the main square. It was Carolyn’s birthday that day so we celebrated with a birthday lunch in a beautifully air conditioned restaurant! We flew home later that evening after spending our remaining time by the pool. Hopefully it won’t be too long before we can visit again.

And so to this weekend, as I’ve said it’s my friend’s wedding and I need to get back to my speech. I’ll try not to leave it so long until next time and will let you know how it goes.

Scott Bramley
www.scottbramley.co.uk

Insomnia

2009-07-21T07:43:00.005+01:00

It’s 7.15am and I’ve been unable to sleep for at least the last hour so instead of feigning slumber to trick myself back to sleep I thought I’d use this extra time I’ve gained to good effect. I’ve just watched a particularly sad episode of One Tree Hill on 4oD so excuse me if I get emotional. Added to that, I went to see the new Harry Potter film last night, and I’ll not give the game away if you’re going to see it (of course the majority of people have already read the book and if you haven’t you should) but let’s just say you’ll need your tissues! I enjoyed the film very much. Some have commented that it drags in places but I disagree. There wasn’t a time while I was watching that I wasn’t thoroughly into the movie. And I thought the general look of the film was fantastic, some of the shots of London, the Hogwarts Express and the castle itself all very well done.

Gig Diary
From the fantasy to reality (but still relatively fantastic), I had a good weekend myself. On Friday I played for a wedding in Congleton, Cheshire, at a place called Sandhole Oak Barn. As the name suggests this was a barn, but we’re not talking pitchforks and hay, this was a beautiful venue with polished wooden floors, large wooden beams and a grand piano that was a pleasure to play. Congratulations to Steve and Imogen Adams and also to Mr and Mrs Price at whose wedding my band played on Saturday evening. A few months ago I’d played for another wedding at the Bannatyne Hotel in Darlington and the manager there, John Price, was impressed enough to book my band for his own wedding which was a great compliment. We all had a great evening, the dance floor was full, and the party was jumping. The Proclaimers’ ‘I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles)’ went down particularly well! Thanks to my band, Rob Clark (drums/vocals), Gordon Davidson (bass), and Anthony Lawton (saxophone & some rather enthusiastic tambourine playing!). Cheers guys. We’ll be back there for the New Years Eve celebrations this year as a three piece.

Coming Up
Coming up this week I’m playing a private party on Saturday 25th July near Manchester before attending a party myself. It’s my singing teacher’s birthday. On Sunday, suitably refreshed I’m sure, I’ll be appearing at The Sands Venue, Gainsborough, playing to accompany Sunday lunch. Come dine with me!

Carry On Camping
Sooner than that though, I’ve agreed to go camping with my dad this week, so tomorrow we’re heading to Wales. I’ve never been camping before... and I may never again! But I’m sure it will be an experience. Try anything once, right?! Should we survive two days in a tent together I’m sure I’ll be back to recount the tale very soon.

Bye for now.

Scott Bramley
www.scottbramley.co.uk

Hangover in Barcelona... with Buttons!

2009-07-06T19:36:00.003+01:00

I think it’s safe to say that the heat wave is over. I’m looking out of my window at the rain pummelling the street below, watching the lightning and listening to rumbles of thunder in the near distance. British weather, you can’t beat it! Last week I mentioned that I was playing a recital at Doncaster Museum and Art Gallery. We had what I like to call a quality audience – it was a scorching hot day which is perhaps not the best of scenarios to be holding an afternoon concert – but those in attendance seemed to enjoy the music. I was playing a programme of songs from the ‘Great American Songbook’, from writers including George and Ira Gershwin, Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart, and Cole Porter. It was enjoyable to be able to put something on for myself which is perhaps slightly different to what I would usually do.

I had the weekend off this week which allowed me the chance for a little rest and recuperation. Saturday turned into something of a film marathon, with a trip to the cinema in the afternoon to see ‘The Hangover’ (very funny) and then an evening in with ‘The Curious Case of Benjamin Button’ starring Brad Pitt, and ‘Vicky Cristina Barcelona’ an odd little film, written and directed by Woody Allen, with a quirky soundtrack throughout, in particular a song called Barcelona by Giulia y los Tellarini. It’s one of those songs that I can’t work out whether I love it or despise it! Take a listen and let me know what you think.

Coming up this weekend I’m appearing at Choice Bar and Restaurant in Manchester on Saturday 11th July from 8.30pm and possibly also playing at The Sands Venue, Gainsborough, on Sunday 12th July (we’re currently still looking at the dates for this).

More work to be done this evening for my forthcoming gigs so I shall leave it there for now.

Scott Bramley
www.scottbramley.co.uk

2009-06-29T19:44:00.003+01:00

Gigs are like buses. They all come at once. I’ve had to turn down both a pantomime and a cruise today because my diary is already quite full. I guess I can’t be everywhere and do everything at once, no matter how hard I try! But enough of what I can't do and more of what I've been up to and what is upcoming.

I took my band out on Saturday evening to play for the centenary celebrations of Welton Sports and Social Club, just outside of Lincoln. It was a fantastic event, taking place in a huge marquee on Welton playing fields, with tuxedos and ball gowns in abundance. When we got there to set up during the afternoon the sun was shining and the marquee was roasting. I now have some idea what a roast chicken feels like! Absolutely sweltering! Luckily for us it did cool down as the evening progressed. With a programme of swing and jazz standards, the dance floor was full by the end of our second set which is what we like to see. Glastonbury may have had Bruce Springsteen, but Welton had us! The following afternoon I played at The Sands Venue in Gainsborough, where I was lucky enough to have a most receptive audience, so thanks to you if you were there (you know who you are!). I’m currently liaising with the Sands for my next set of dates, so watch this space for them.

On Wednesday I’m performing an afternoon recital at Doncaster Museum and Art Gallery, for an hour-long concert of standards from the Great American Songbook. If you’re in the vicinity why not take a break from work/shopping to join me!

This weekend I’m taking a well earned rest (hopefully this pleasant spell of weather will continue) but will be appearing at Choice Bar and Restaurant in Manchester the following Saturday 11th July from 8.30pm.

I’m going to leave it there. I have set lists to plan for the next few weeks.

Bye for now!

Midsummer Night's Dream??

2009-06-22T20:49:00.003+01:00

Is it terrible of me that for the past 40 minutes I’ve been comparing buildings and contents insurance premiums only to get bored with the whole process, close all my browser windows and go with our current provider?! I have more important things to do! I've had a busy few weeks with gigs, concerts, and a new venture that I’ve taken on.

Gig Diary
My band has played for two wedding receptions these past two weeks. In fact both couples had already been married abroad and were holding celebrations here in the UK for their friends and families that couldn’t make it. On Saturday the 13th of June we travelled down to RAF Marham, just outside of King’s Lynn, to play for Michael and Dee Dixon, or more correctly Wing Commander and Flight Lieutenant Dixon No. 6 RAF Police Squadron! The following week on 20th June we found ourselves in Market Harborough to celebrate with Paul and Helen Rowe. Congratulations to both couples. We wish you all the best in your married lives together.

Next Saturday 27th June my band is playing for the centenary celebrations of the Welton Sports & Social Club near Lincoln, with an evening of swing and jazz standards. That’s followed by a solo appearance at The Sands Venue on Sunday 28th June. And on Wednesday 1st July I'm performing an hour-long solo recital at the Doncaster Museum And Art Gallery exploring music of the Great American Songbook.

Strike Up The Band
Earlier this month, Doncaster Music Service, with whom I teach, held a massed band event at The Doncaster Dome with more than 40 primary school bands in attendance over a two day period. Five of the classes that I teach were there. Each band performed a number of pieces by themselves with the event culminating in a massed piece with around 150 children playing together simultaneously. It was quite a feat but they pulled it off spectacularly. All the teachers were very proud, and the parents too who had come to support them. Well done!

Tale As Old As Time
If that weren’t enough I’ve taken a position as musical director for the Doncaster Amateur Operatic Society who have been holding auditions for their upcoming production of Beauty And The Beast. I’m very happy to say that after a gruelling day of auditions yesterday we have put together a superb cast (they don’t actually know who they are yet as they’ll be receiving a phone call tomorrow!). Rehearsals begin in September and the show will be performed the first week of March 2010 at the Doncaster Civic Theatre.

Songs I’ve Heard
Whenever I hear something I really like I do feel the need to pass it on and there have been a couple of artists I’ve stumbled across recently. A month or two ago I mentioned an Australian artists called Missy Higgins. Well, it seems that the Aussie’s are out in force because I heard another great performance at the weekend as I was driving to my gig. I was listening to the Dermot O’Leary show on Radio 2 which featured a live session by Lenka, a singer songstress from Sydney who found fame in her native land as a serial actress, in such shows as Home And Away. Now based in LA, Lenka is currently touring the world with her band and had called in to Radio 2 to perform her song, “The Show” along with a quirky cover of ‘Friday I’m In Love’ by The Cure. She’s very easy to listen to with a very summery sound.

A little closer to home, I was in Sheffield a couple of weeks ago at Peace in the Park, a massive gathering of Sheffield’s unwashed (there were a lot of piercings and tattoos around!) with a good line up of live acts. The one that caught my attention though was a two piece band, drums and guitar/vocals. The artist in question was called Little Lost David. He had a superb voice and great songs. Much of the subject matter was devil related but nevertheless definitely someone to be looking out for.

Well that’s about it for me. I leave you now as the rain lashes down outside. So much for mid-summer. As my mother always reminds me at this time of year – the night’s are drawing in now!!

Scott Bramley
www.scottbramley.co.uk

June Is Busting Out All Over

2009-06-01T19:50:00.006+01:00

“Another bride, another June, another sunny honeymoon; another season, another reason for Makin’ Whoopee”. – Gus Kahn, "Makin’ Whoopee"

That’s right, summer is finally upon us, and what a fantastic day we’ve had to begin the month. I’m staring out now at a beautiful blue sky with not a cloud in sight and the rays of the evening sun casting long shadows along the ground. As the quote above mentions, wedding season is in full swing. In my last post I mentioned that I was Canada-bound to play at my friend’s wedding in London, Ontario. It all went swimmingly. I played for the ceremony, accompanying two other singers, and then played with a Canadian band for the evening reception. I was only there for the weekend and in that time I had to rehearse with a band I’d never met before so it was a little hectic but very enjoyable and fantastic to be a part of Adam and Andrea’s special day. I received the very warmest of Canadian welcomes from Pat and Ivo Dlouhy.Thanks also to those people that were kind enough to put me up (the Stovers), show me around (Mike Dlouhy), and join me for drinks in Crabby Joe's (Mike, Mike, and Ron... although Ron doesn't remember being there!).

Last weekend, back in the UK, my band played at The Sands Venue in Gainsborough as part of their 5th Birthday celebrations, sharing the bill with a German Oom-Pah band (from Ipswich!) and the Grumbleweeds. The following day I played for a wedding in Darlington, at one of Duncan Bannatyne’s hotels, for Joanne and Andy. I played during the ceremony and then quickly reconvened to an enormous tipi-style marquee, complete with faux animal skins and a fire pit, to play during the wedding breakfast. A spectacular setting and a lovely bunch of people.

This weekend proved to be another busy one, with a wedding near Wakefield at Wentbridge House, playing as part of the Matt Ball Trio. An interesting one, beginning with some jazz, then a couple of classical tunes, before dashing outside to entertain as the wedding guests took drinks on the lawn. And finally, yesterday I was at the Fairlawns Hotel And Spa in Birmingham with my own trio, playing again for my friends Adam and Andrea who were having a British celebration of their marriage in Canada. Not only that but both the bride and groom joined in with the entertainment, with Adam giving us a rendition of 'Georgia On My Mind' and 'Stardus't on his trumpet, and Andrea’s impromptu performance of 'Fly Me To The Moon'. Congratulations to you both, enjoy your honeymoon in Ville Franche and hopefully we’ll be able to catch up soon.

As if it wasn’t exhausting enough the first time, recounting all of that to you now has left me drained. I’m off to rest my weary head.

Until next time,

Scott Bramley
www.scottbramley.co.uk

Blame Canada

2009-05-11T18:51:00.003+01:00

As my dad would say, “It’s all go” right now. I have lots of music to write between now and Wednesday for various gigs that are coming up over the next few weeks. On Thursday I’m heading out to Canada for a few days to play for the wedding of one of my dearest friends, Andrea, who is getting married to Adam this coming Saturday in London, Ontario. I’ll be playing for the ceremony, performing alongside two other friends (Andrea is a production singer herself and so was able to find plenty of willing and able volunteers) as well as for the evening reception for which she has found a band for me to play with. As soon as I arrive we’re straight into rehearsals followed by the wedding rehearsal itself. So there’s a lot to do but it should be fun. I will of course fill you in on my return and post some photographs up here too.

On Saturday I was playing at Choice Bar and Restaurant in Manchester where I was joined by a huge party of people who were out together to celebrate a number of birthdays – lots of friends of friends – which made for a very enjoyable evening. Thanks to those of you who joined me at the piano. Much fun.

As I missed posting last week (I’ll blame the bank holiday!) I also want to mention another engagement that I performed the weekend previous, for the wedding of Ruth and Michael which took place over on the Wirral. Wishing you both all the best in your married lives together.

Well, needs must and all, I’d better get back to all of that music. Take care, until next time.

Scott Bramley
www.scottbramley.co.uk

A Little Light Music

2009-04-27T19:48:00.004+01:00

Hi there. I’m a little bit pushed for time this evening as I have a tonne of arranging work to do. Wedding season is upon us and I want to keep on top of all the special requests and what have you. But I didn’t want to let a week go by without checking in.

A Little Light Music
Part 1
We had a great night at the Earl of Doncaster Hotel on Friday. My trio were performing alongside the Doncaster Wheatsheaf Singers in ‘A Little Light Music’. They kicked off proceedings, bookending both halves of the show. For our first set we explored the Great American Songbook starting out with ‘The Best Is Yet To Come’. This was the last song ever performed in public by Frank Sinatra and also the words that are carved on his gravestone. We followed that up with the Jerome Kern standard ‘The Way You Look Tonight’ performed in a bossa nova style. This was followed by ‘Speak Low’, a song by the great lyricist Kurt Weill with music by Ogden Nash. We made this a bass feature with most of the singing accompanied by solo bass. We picked things up with Jim Croce’s ‘Bad, Bad Leroy Brown’ and then got all sentimental with ‘The Shadow Of Your Smile’, the theme from The Sandpiper made popular by Tony Bennett. We rounded off the first set with a trio of songs from the Rat Pack, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jnr., and Frank Sinatra – Sway, Mr Bojangles and (Love Is) The Tender Trap.

Part 2
The second half of our show was geared towards the great piano vocalists, starting off with a medley from perhaps my favourite artist of all time, Nat King Cole. That was followed by one of the rock ‘n’ roll era’s biggest selling artists, Fats Domino, and ‘Blueberry Hill’. Another favourite of mine followed, ‘New York State Of Mind’ by Billy Joel and then one of Ray Charles compositions, ‘Halleluiah, I Love Her So’. Elton John’s ‘Bennie And The Jets’ followed, with a couple of newer songs after that – ‘Bad Day’ by the Canadian singer-songwriter Daniel Powter and ‘The Scientist’ from Coldplay. Our finale was the Nina Simone song that we’ve become familiar with as the music in the Muller adverts, ‘Ain’t Got No (I Got Life)’.

Coming Up
On Saturday this week I’m playing for the wedding of Michael James and Ruth Hall over on the Wirral, and on Sunday I’ll be making my regular appearance at The Sands Venue in Gainsborough. Until then, take care.

Songs I've Heard
Before I go I did just want to mention a couple of things that I heard this week that I thought were worth sharing. The first is a song by Ben Folds, from his 2001 album Rockin’ The Suburbs, called ‘The Luckiest’. I’m a fan of Ben Folds but I’d never heard this one before. It’s beautiful and definitely on my to-learn list. On Friday evening when I returned home from my gig I turned on the TV to find Later With Jools Holland. There was an artist featured called William Elliot Whitmore. He sang with a very distinctive voice, accompanying himself on guitar singing some great old time American folk music. But with that voice I could imagine him in front of a rock band, or even swinging with a big band. Let me know what you think.

Anyway, back to the arranging. Until next time.

Scott Bramley
www.scottbramley.co.uk

I like to be in America...

2009-04-20T21:12:00.009+01:00

I hope you all had a lovely Easter Break. Back to reality now and I must admit that I have something of the post-holiday blues. I spent a fantastic ten days with friends over Easter travelling in the United States from San Francisco to the Grand Canyon and back. Before I tell you about that though let me remind you about a gig that my trio are playing along with the Doncaster Wheatsheaf Singers at The Earl Of Doncaster Hotel this Friday 24th April. Tickets are available on the door priced at £7.50 (£6.00 concessions) and the show starts at 7.30pm. We hope to see you there.

I Left My Heart In San Francisco
We started out in San Francisco, arguably one of the most beautiful cities in the world. I’ve been lucky enough to visit a few times, for a week while I was backpacking and twice when my ship docked there. The weather wasn’t particularly clement for our first day and I was worried that my travelling companions weren’t going to appreciate the place quite as much as I. After visiting a rain-soaked Fisherman’s Wharf, we retreated to one of the shopping malls on Market Street where I tried in vain to find some trainers that I liked. With the rain finally abating in the afternoon we walked up through China Town to the Citylights Bookstore and the nearby Vesuvio Saloon, famous hangout of Jack Kerouac and the Beat poets. Cosy little place with lots of wood. That evening we ventured into North Beach, the primarily Italian district where we ate at a lovely little restaurant called Trattoria Contadina.

The next day my friends decided to visit Alcatraz but I’d already been a few years before so I took the time to explore some of the neighbourhoods I hadn’t visited. I walked from our hotel (The Phoenix) situated in the “gritty” Tenderloin district (for “gritty” read scary!) over to the Haight-Ashbury area, famous for its role as the centre of the hippy movement. Lots of small independently-owned stores, bars and restaurants with brightly coloured hand painted store fronts. It was early – I was still halfway between GMT and PST – so most of them were still closed. I walked as far as Golden Gate Park before turning back and making my way downtown via Japantown. During the afternoon I exercised my credit card in Macy’s. There was a sale on so not too much of a drag on my bank balance. We were back in Japantown that evening for dinner at Yoshis – a Japanese restaurant come jazz venue. Wonderful food. Our original plan was to go see the band afterwards but there was a $20 cover and we were still suffering a little from jetlag so instead we retired to a nearby piano bar called the Sheba Lounge where we listened to a blues band while relaxing by the fire.

Route 1
On Thursday we began our journey down the coast calling off at Carmel, famous for having Clint Eastwood as its mayor between 1986 and 1988. After a brief perusal of the shops we had lunch there before continuing along Route 1 which hugs this dramatic coast, often with only a few feet between the car and a huge drop to the Pacific Ocean. We spent that night in San Luis Obispo and we had timed it to perfection for the weekly Farmers Market was in full swing. Downtown Higuera Street was closed to traffic and filled with stalls selling and promoting all sorts of things. My friend Marija and I took our place in line at what seemed to be the busiest food stall, selling the most amazing barbecue. We sat on the kerb to eat. The rest of our night was spent in a nearby bar and where we danced the night away.

Viva Las Vegas
Friday we drove all the way to Las Vegas arriving just in time to hit the Easter Holiday traffic. That first night, after a couple of appletinis in one of the piano bars of the Bellagio where we were staying, we ventured out to take in the sights. There’s a lot of building work going on at the moment and massive swathes of the strip were out of bounds, covered in scaffolding. We visited the Mote Carlo and the New York, New York, finishing up in the duelling piano bar there. Saturday morning we hit The Buffet in the Bellagio for brunch. If I’m honest I pigged out a little bit. In total I had four plates of food, including two helpings of steak! We also had something of competition to see who could get the most bizarre assortment of food on one plate! With our bellies full to bursting Mateja and I went to explore some more of the Strip. First up we visited Caesar’s Palace. We weren’t up for gambling so we spent our time in one of the bars. Then we tried to find our way out and 30 minutes later we succeeded. I’d hate to have to get out of one of those places in an emergency – there are no signs! We then wandered over to the Venetian where even Mateja, who had been initially underwhelmed by the Las Vegas experience, was impressed by the indoor Grand Canal and St Marks’ Square. The rest of the afternoon we spent by the Bellagio pool, later to be joined by the rest of our friends. We had decided to indulge ourselves that evening at the Bellagio’s two Michelin starred Picasso restaurant where we spent a delightful evening. The food was fabulous and the service was impeccable. We were brought a different wine with every course by the sommelier who explained to us each time how it would complement the flavours of the food. He certainly knew his stuff. A terrific evening.

The Grand Canyon
The start of my Easter Sunday was spent dashing around Las Vegas trying to find somewhere to get a camera repaired. The night before Marija had left her camera in my care and I’d accidentally dropped it, damaging the focussing mechanism. A few a hours and $50 in cab fare later and I wasn’t anywhere close to getting it fixed. It was Easter Sunday after all. I had to come clean, and just before we were to set off to see the Grand Canyon. She was fine about it. We both have the same make of camera so I gave her mine, she popped in her memory card and all was fine. It was early evening by the time we arrived at the Grand Canyon, with heavy traffic over Hoover Dam slowing our progress. This turned out to be a blessing however, because we were able to watch the sunset which gave the place a whole different perspective to the last time I had visited. We drove on to Flagstaff where we were to spend the night and found our way to the Beaver Street Brewery for dinner and drinks.

On The Road
The next morning we were back on Beaver Street across the street from the Brewery at Macy’s European Coffee House and Bakery, a cosy place where we had breakfast and read the morning papers. Our drive that day took us west across Arizona with an unlikely detour to visit the original London Bridge. Robert McCulloch bought the bridge in 1968 and had it shipped brick by brick to its present location in Lake Havasu City where it now stands as Arizona’s second biggest tourist attraction after the Grand Canyon (probably quite a long way behind!). We were shocked at how hot the weather had become. We had set off from Vegas the day before dressed for the desert heat only to find ourselves shivering when we reached the Grand Canyon where the last remnants of snow could still be seen. When we set off from Flagstaff therefore we dressed relatively warmly only to arrive at Lake Havasu City to find the temperature was 80˚F. We continued on into the approaching dusk finally stopping for the night in Bakersfield. The area we were staying was basically a street full of fast food restaurants and gas stations so we got take out and played cards.

The last leg of our journey took us back to San Francisco. We arrived mid afternoon which gave us time to drive down Lombard Street, the most crooked street in the world, and visit the Castro District of the city, the heart of Gay San Francisco which featured recently in the movie ‘Milk’. We ate dinner on the edge of China Town at the House Of Nanking. The food is great but they throw it at you. In fact we weren’t allowed to order ourselves – the chef came to our table and ordered for us! There was loads of food. Definitely an experience! Afterwards we returned to the Vesuvio Saloon in North Beach to while away the last few hours of our holiday.

Happy Easter!

2009-03-30T20:47:00.007+01:00

This time next week I’ll be in the air somewhere over the eastern half of the United States, winging my way westward to San Francisco. I’m spending the Easter holidays with five of my school friends on a road trip to Las Vegas. But before I leave, I’m appearing at The Sands Venue in Gainsborough on Sunday for the lunchtime set. On my return two weeks later I’m playing Choice Bar & Restaurant on Saturday 18th April and the Sands again on Sunday 19th April. Also a little reminder that my trio and I will be appearing in concert with the Doncaster Wheatsheaf Singers at the Earl Of Doncaster Hotel the week after on Friday 24th April. Tickets are now available from either myself, the Wheatsheaf singers, or the Earl Of Doncaster priced at £7.50 (£6.00 concessions). Your support is much appreciated.

I spent this weekend with some of my former housemates from University, meeting up with them in Derbyshire. Friday night was spent catching up in the local pub and then carrying on back at the house. My friend Jenny’s family run a B&B there and luckily for us there were some spare rooms.

On Saturday morning some were feeling a little worse for wear. As for me, I’d been a lightweight the night before and gone to bed early – two hours earlier than everybody else – and was therefore fresh as a daisy. Still, I was happy to indulge in the hangover breakfast that Jenny prepared for us. We spent the day in Buxton. I had never visited the town before and was really taken with it. As has become tradition, Kevin and I had tea and cakes in a little coffee shop. I’ve been joking recently that I live like an Edwardian lady. It was my mother and I that decided this. I play the piano, I write poetry, I like to take a stroll, perhaps a nap, tea and cakes in the afternoon. You get the picture! That evening we prepared a meal ourselves but having spent quite a while in the pub beforehand it wasn’t dished up until 11pm! Still, very enjoyable and certainly appreciated by that time. We made fajitas and homemade salsa – the real stuff: chopped tomatoes, onions, garlic, chillies, olive oil, balsamic and coriander (I love coriander!). All very tasty. And then we were up until 5am (which became 6am because the clocks went forward) chewing the fat.

I was woken up on Sunday morning by my friend Jac who was in a rather annoyingly chipper mood having taken the early-to-bed option. I felt a little less clever (as rough as a badger’s arse I think is the phrase!). We remedied the situation by calling off at a pub for lunch and walking back to the house across some of the most beautiful countryside. It was glorious.

And so with that, I shall sign off. Happy Easter everyone!!

Scott Bramley
www.scottbramley.co.uk

Run

2009-03-16T20:37:00.004Z

I’m currently watching The Simpsons so forgive me if I take a tangent here – I’m not so great at doing two things at once, apart from the whole singing/playing piano thing! That I can do!! It’s been a glorious day today. Very spring-like. I ditched my coat for the first time this year. I’m not putting it away for the summer just yet, however. I don’t want to jinx it. How has it been in your neck of the woods?

Gig Diary
On Saturday night I was performing at Choice Bar & Restaurant in Manchester. It was a most enjoyable evening and I got to meet some cool people who were kind enough to compliment me on my performance, including two representatives of the PRS who were in that night to take note of the songs I was playing. That doesn’t seem like such a bad job – sitting in bars all evening listening to live music! I’ll be at Choice again next month on April 18th (after I get back from holiday – hopefully the jet lag will have abated).

Run
Recently I was in the car with my sister driving to Meadowhall to pick up a few things for my mother’s birthday (they’re both in Istanbul at the moment as it happens as part of the birthday present). ‘Run’ by Snow Patrol came on the radio. I was more familiar with Leona Lewis’ version. I hate to admit that but it’s true. Anyway, we started talking about which version we liked the best so I thought I’d share my thoughts with you. Something of a rekindling of my school music class while we compare and contrast the two pieces. I like Leona Lewis. She has a great voice and her version does have a good piano part – I’m kind of biased that way. It starts quietly, with Leona singing very low, gradually building, with the addition of strings, then the drums kick in, before finally Leona is joined by a full chorus of singers (and I’m pretty sure I heard an organ in there somewhere). The Snow Patrol track has much more of a raw sound. From the beginning it sounds much darker, both the instrumentation and the vocal from Gary Lightbody. Don’t get me wrong, there is plenty of emotion in Leona’s voice but his seems to contain real anguish. There’s no waiting for the gradual build in this original version. At the first chorus the guitars kick in and they get right to it. I like the sound of the drums as well. They have much more of a heavy acoustic sound. In similarity, we hear the strings enter towards the end of the song. For me I think it has to be Snow Patrol’s original version. What are your thoughts? Leona Lewis or Snow Patrol?

Snow Patrol are currently playing the O2 Arena – as I type in fact they’ll be doing the last of three shows there this weekend. As for me, I have the weekend off so I guess I’ll just keep on practicing, keep on writing and try to come up with something as good as ‘Run’!
Bye for now.

Scott Bramley
www.scottbramley.co.uk

Eat, Drink and Be Merry

2009-03-09T20:22:00.014Z

Good evening one and all. I’ve just been uploading and looking through some photographs I'd taken this weekend when I went to visit with friends just outside of Newcastle. I went to university with Kevin and we lived together for two years in Liverpool. He now lives with his girlfriend Mandy. I got a ride up there with two other former housemates, Jenny and Jaclyn, who picked me up Friday afternoon for the trip north. On the way we were listening to Chris Evans on drive time and it was all request Friday so we thought we might as well try to get a request played. I called up and after a couple of attempts got through to the studio. It wasn’t long before I got a call back and was asked if I wanted to speak to Chris live on air!! We were all so excited at this point!! I was so hyper that when I went on air I almost forgot what song I had asked for!! It was You Can Call Me Al by the way, by Paul Simon. Jenny and Jaclyn were doing a sterling job of screaming at appropriate times in the background. It made me sound like quite the man! In fact Chris said that he’d like to be out with us for the weekend! Take a listen and spin on to around 37 minutes through the show to hear my dulcet tones. And so we began our weekend on a major high. We arrived at Kevin’s and hastened down to the local pub before heading back to the house to eat a fabulous meal of lamb that he’d left slow cooking. The night disintegrates into something of a blur after that!

Saturday we awoke to a huge breakfast – they really know how to look after their guests – which aided in our recovery as we waited for another of our friends to arrive. In the meantime we took a walk to blow away the cobwebs. When Oliver arrived we made our way back to the local for a few drinks as a precursor to the main event. We spent much of the evening in the Ouseburn area of the city, starting out in the Cumberland Arms. Real ales, great ciders and a roaring fire made this place very special, with a diverse clientele ranging from students to the folk crowd who came in later and began singing acapella folk songs. They served good food too. I had a plate of nachos and a quesadilla. We spent quite a while in there, meeting with yet another of our former housemates (there were originally eight of us crammed into one house), Max, who I hadn’t seen since leaving university seven years ago. He was still very much the same as he’d always been!

From there we moved to The Cluny where Jaclyn and Jenny decided to crash a wedding party until they were rumbled! Before heading back, Mandy and Kevin wanted to show us the Quayside. By this time I had a belly full of booze and the nachos were making fun of my insides – damn jalapenos! Added to that it had started to rain quite heavily. I was all up for flagging down the next taxi. Yet we pressed on. I’m very glad we did because as we got down to the river we were met by the multicoloured lights of the Millennium Bridge. It was a fantastic sight. We ducked out of the rain into the Pitcher and Piano which offered terrific and drier views of the quayside. It was Saturday night and people were out in their finery. We looked more like an advert for knitwear but that didn’t deter us from hitting the dance floor for the remainder of the evening.

Sunday rolled around and we were presented with yet another feast of a breakfast. Afterwards, Kevin and Mandy drove us out to see some of Hadrian’s Wall, at a place appropriately called Heddon-on-the-wall, dodging the occasional hailstorm. We then retired to a local pub called The Boat House in nearby Wylam, birthplace of engineer George Stephenson. The Boathouse sits next to the railway station just over the bridge from the village and has been voted Pub of the Year for the last six years by the Tyneside and Northumberland branch of the Campaign For Real Ale (CAMRA). It therefore would have been rude not to have sampled at least one of the beers on offer!

So, back to reality and I’ll be appearing this coming weekend at Choice Bar and Restaurant in Manchester. Had a great night there two weeks ago so looking forward to playing there again.

Bye for now.

Scott Bramley
www.scottbramley.co.uk

Being and Having Genius

2009-03-02T19:42:00.004Z

I’ve had a very musical weekend. On Friday night I was singing with the Barnburgh Male Voice Choir for a private birthday party at Thurston Hall near Doncaster. It was a surprise party so the birthday girl had no idea we were going to be there and was filled with emotion as she entered the room and we burst into song. She loved it so much that at the end of our set she went round the entire choir – each and every member – with thanks and kisses! On Saturday the choir were out again, this time at a wedding in Hooton Pagnell near Doncaster. I was actually asked by one of my pupils today if I’d been at that wedding because she had been a bridesmaid there. Small world. Later that evening I performed at Choice Bar and Restaurant in Manchester. I had a really good night, with people sat with me around the piano and plenty of requests flooding in. I’ll be appearing there again in two weeks time on Saturday 14th March. Coming up this weekend I’m taking a little break from gigs and travelling up to Newcastle to meet up with my old housemates from university. I’ll let you know how that goes next week!

Being and Having Genius
I came across a video recently on the internet regarding creative genius, taken from a series of talks hosted by TED (Technology, Entertainment, Design), a group which brings together some of the greatest thinkers and doers of our time. It popped up again today in my feed reader via the Lateral Action blog so I thought I'd share a few of the ideas discussed. This particular talk was hosted by the writer Elizabeth Gilbert. She describes how ‘genius’ was originally thought of by the Ancient Greeks and Romans as some form of divine entity, a spirit – call it what you will – which was channelled by the artist. So instead of being a genius, an artist would have a genius to guide him. During the renaissance period the idea of ‘genius’ changed. An artist was now described as being a genius rather than having a genius. Gilbert suggests that this turning point was a huge error, placing far too much responsibility on the artist and with a tendency to cause those with any measure of success to become hugely egotistical. By believing in having a genius, a guiding force, the pressure is taken off the artist. After all, if the work is bad it’s not entirely your fault. Similarly there’s less chance of becoming big headed because it’s not all your own work! Her take home message is to strike a deal with the genius that you will show up and fulfil your half of the bargain by putting the work in. Hopefully the genius will honour its part. If you’re at all involved in the creative arts I urge you to check out the video. There are plenty of other inspirational talks to be found on the TED website.

That’s all from me this evening. I think I might go and find myself a genius!

Scott Bramley
www.scottbramley.co.uk

Jai Ho!

2009-02-23T20:02:00.006Z

Hello world! Ordinarily I would be writing this from the comfort of my bed. That’s where I feel more relaxed, more contemplative. However, I fear that if I do that tonight I may fall asleep. And so I find myself sat in my office – the coldest room in the world - with a blanket wrapped around myself to keep me warm. It’s not so bad actually now that the weather has warmed, and the chill should keep me awake!

Gig Diary
On Saturday night my trio were playing for a party at Hickleton Golf Club, on the outskirts of Doncaster. It was for the father of one of my friends who was celebrating his 70th birthday. We played two sets of standard American songbook stuff (my favourite!), easing our way into the evening, slowly picking it up before launching into a final set of 60s and 70s music, drawing people onto the dance floor. So, happy birthday Frank – I expect the 80th birthday party booking! On the subject of birthdays, it’s my drummer’s 30th today so happy birthday to you, Rob! Coming up this week I’m performing at Choice Bar and Restaurant on Saturday night (that’s the 28th of February) so if you’re anywhere near Manchester I hope you can swing by. In other news, as I’ve mentioned before my trio are playing at The Sands Venue on Saturday 23rd May. I got a call from them this week and it so happens that the date coincides with the 5th birthday of The Sands Venue and therefore as an added treat we’ll also joined by the Grumbleweeds!

A Night At The Oscars
It was a fantastic night at the Oscars for the British contingent. If you read my post last week you may remember my mentioning the music from the film Slumdog Millionaire. Unless you’ve been living in a cave you’ve probably already heard that the film swept the boards, winning 8 Oscars including best musical score and best song for Jai Ho. If you haven’t heard the song then do take a listen and let me know what you think. I have no idea what the song is about, sung as it is in Hindi, but it has such wonderful energy. I still haven’t seen the film yet but may have to do something about that very soon. I’m also very glad that Kate Winslet finally bagged herself an Oscar for Best Actress – I do have a soft spot for her!

Finally, thanks to Milo for recommending some great tunes (see the comments section from last weeks post). Some things I hadn’t heard for a while.

That’s all from me this evening. I’ll catch you again next week.

Scott Bramley
www.scottbramley.co.uk

Be Nice!

2009-02-16T20:40:00.005Z

For all of the teachers and students out there I hope you’re enjoying your half term holidays. Being a teacher of sorts myself I’m not in school this week but I’m still finding plenty of things to do, with practicing, writing, arranging and everything else that goes along with being a musician. This week I’ve stumbled across a few musical items that I’d like to share, but first of all I’ll fill you in on my recent and upcoming gigs.

Gig Diary
On Friday (the 13th!) I was performing at Reeds Restaurant, attached to the Best Western Pastures Lodge Hotel near Doncaster. As I mentioned last week it was fully booked, creating a wonderful atmosphere comprising mainly of couples getting in early for Valentine’s Day. By the way, on Saturday I did wait for some time for my breakfast in bed, but the leggy brunette I had envisaged bringing it to me never showed! Anyway, I digress. From the comments I heard the food was delicious (and the music wasn’t bad!). Hopefully there’ll be more opportunity to play at Reeds in the not too distant future.

Coming up this Saturday the band and I are playing for a birthday party. One of my friend’s fathers is turning 70 this week. I met him for coffee this morning to finalise arrangements. He’s a big fan of the American standards which is fine with me as it’s one of my favourite styles of music. In fact, he’s loaned me one of his Ella Fitzgerald LPs which means I’m going to have to dig out my turntable. On Sunday I’ll be appearing again at The Sands Venue in Gainsborough for the Sunday lunch set. And then I guess it will be back to school! There’s no rest for the wicked.

Be Nice!
There is an artist (who shall remain nameless because I really don't like criticising fellow performers) whose songs I used to really like. That is until I heard him in an interview and he sounded like the most arrogant and obnoxious ass. I’ve now heard him twice and I like him even less. The thing is, now every time I hear one of his songs I can’t enjoy it. The reason I mention this is that the effect can also work in reverse. When Lilly Allen first came onto the scene I wasn’t particularly taken by her. For some time, however, I’ve been following her blog. Hers was highlighted by Andrew Dubber as a good example of what an artist’s blog should be like. I’m now also following her on Twitter. It could be to do with the fact that her new album, It’s Not Me, It’s You, is much better than the first. Certainly I heard Steve Lamacq saying something along these lines when he began his Radio 2 show with one of her songs. But I think there might be something said for how genuine she comes across in her blog and even more so now via Twitter. She comes off as a genuinely lovely person. So now every time I hear her songs I like them so much more because of that. I’m sure there’s a lesson to be learned – be nice!

Songs I've Heard
And so to the cool things that I mentioned. Earlier in the year I made some New Year’s resolutions which I’ve not been doing too badly with. One of them though I noticed was slipping a little and that was to listen out for new music. To remedy that I’ve had my ear to ground this week and have come across a few gems. Now this is something of a mixed bag so hopefully there’ll be something in here for everyone. The first is something I heard on the radio one morning as I was driving to schoo. It was a song taken from the soundtrack of Slumdog Millionaire. I haven’t seen the film yet but if the music is anything to go by it’s going to be worth seeing. Has anyone seen it? I’m told it’s awesome. I’m also told you need ot stay to the bitter end. I don’t know why but that’s what I heard. Another artist I came across in a blog this week was an Australian singer songstress called Missy Higgins. I don’t know much about her other than what I’ve gleaned from her website but there is plenty to go at on there. The few tracks that I listened to I really enjoyed. She’s been compared to Sarah McLachlan and Alanis Morissette and I love to hear her Melbourne accent shine through. She’s apparently making waves in America now after experiencing success in her home country. I’m sure we’ll be hearing much more from her. On Saturday I was driving and listening to the Dermott O’Leary show on BBC Radio 2. He had a segment entitled: “Radio 2’s Guide to Non-Threatening, Ethnically Diverse Music”. Usually the gangster rap scene wouldn’t be my kind of thing but as I was listening I started thinking to myself that if I was out in a club I could see myself dancing to this sort of stuff. He played a track from “the world’s most dangerous band”, N.W.A., who were formed in the 80s by a group of then unknown rappers including Dr Dre and Ice Cube as well as Eazy-E and MC Ren. The track, called ‘Express Yourself’, featured some novel rhyme schemes, my favourite rhyming couplet being: “You ain't swift, movin' like a tortoise/Full of rigor mortis”. Finally, a name that has been making waves round these parts lately is Seasick Steve (excuse the pun). I caught a documentary about him last night on BBC4. His story is a real rags to riches tale. Spending much of his life as a hobo travelling around America with his guitar, his songs carry the weight of his experience. If you like the blues, take a listen.

Well that’s about it for me. If anybody else has any musical recommendations I'd love to hear them.

Scott Bramley
www.scottbramley.co.uk

Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow!

2009-02-09T19:24:00.003Z

On Sunday I played at The Sands Venue in Gainsborough to a small but appreciative audience. I’ll be there again in two weeks time on Sunday 22nd February. This coming Friday (the 13th!) I’m playing at a relatively new restaurant that opened in August of last year. Attached to the already established Pastures Lodge and part of the Best Western hotel, Reeds is the height of fine dining. If you were hoping to come along I’m afraid you’re out of luck. I’ve just checked on the website to find that it’s sold out. It is the day before Valentines after all.

Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow!
It’s been a week of wild weather and judging by the weather forecast there’s more on the way for some parts of the country. It seems that here in Yorkshire we might miss the worst which appears to be hitting the south. The snow hasn't affected me too badly, with only one day of cancelled lessons last week. If you ask me they shouldn’t have been cancelled at all because Tuesday was one of the better days. Then on Friday we were in another school where class sizes were roughly half what they should have been. A good excuse to miss school I guess. The best thing I heard from one of the kids, though, was that he had forgotten his cornet because of the snow! Yes, I’ve heard that snow causes memory impairment!! In between the snow there have been some glorious days this week, including today (before the mists rolled in), with brilliant blue skies illuminating the snows that have remained, particularly if you’re in the countryside where the fields are still white out.

Finally, I want to mention some fantastic news I received from one of my oldest friends from school, Chris (I mean I’ve known him the longest, not that he’s older than everybody else!). On Tuesday his fiancée, Kat, gave birth to baby girl, Lyra May. Mother and baby are both doing well by all accounts. So congratulations you guys. I hope to see you very soon.

Scott Bramley
www.scottbramley.co.uk

February brings the snow (wait, that's not how it goes!)

2009-02-02T19:30:00.006Z

I’m tucked up inside, hiding away from the snow that is falling outside my window. If you missed me last week then I do have a valid excuse. I was feeling somewhat under the weather. The doctor said it was a common feinting sickness. Not common for me. I conduct most of my affairs in a semi coherent upright position rather than sprawled on the bathroom floor. I therefore spent most of last week recuperating. And I think that the rest has paid off because I’m feeling much better now.

So what’s new? Well, I have the new dates for both The Sands Venue and Choice Bar and Restaurant. I’ll be appearing at Choice for the first time at the end of the month on Saturday 28th February and then at some point each month until July. For exact dates check out my gigs page. At The Sands Venue I’ll be performing for Sunday lunches every other Sunday which started last week so I’ll be there again this coming Sunday 8th February. I was there yesterday in fact – somewhat of a last minute engagement. I got a call late Saturday evening from Dan who runs sound at The Sands asking if I was available. The group that was due to play had called in sick. I had nothing else in the diary so I was glad to play. It was a very enjoyable afternoon with a good crowd, including a 40th birthday party (happy birthday Ian!). On the subject of birthdays, Herman Hupfeld would have been celebrating his birthday on Sunday (had he not died in 1951!). Who is Herman Hupfeld you may wonder. He was a songwriter, notable for only one song really which came to prominence when it was featured in the film, ‘Casablanca’.

"You played it for her and you can play it for me...play it!"

The song of course is ‘As Time Goes By’ which I included in my set on Sunday. Also in the birthdays today I notice there would have been Stan Getz, Les Dawson and Eva Cassidy. There also Shakira - don’t you just love Wikipedia!

Now I just need to decide if I’m going to brave the snow and ice and make my way to the gym, which had been my original intention this evening, or if I’m going to stay home. It looks ok out there to me. Perhaps I’ll risk it!

Bye for now.

Scott Bramley
www.scottbramley.co.uk

Wednesdays With Andy

2009-01-19T19:33:00.005Z

I’ve just been listening to ‘The Highwayman’ by The Highwaymen (aka Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson and Kris Kristofferson) courtesy of YouTube. What a fantastic track. It was written, I’ve just found out, by Jimmy Webb, who was the writer of another of my favourite songs, 'MacArthur Park'. We’ve been brainstorming again, my housemate and I, for music to play on our road trip we’ll be taking later in the year, from San Francisco to Las Vegas and back, and I’d forgotten about that one. It’s definitely on the list.

Gig Updates...Coming Soon!
Some good news on the gig front is that I’ll soon have the next batch of dates for Choice Bar & Restaurant in Manchester, one of my regular haunts, and I’m expecting to hear from The Sands Venue within the next couple of weeks when they reopen at the end of the month. I’m still on the lookout of course for more places to play, one of which will be the recently opened Reeds restaurant attached to the Best Western Pastures Lodge Hotel here in Doncaster, where I’ll be performing for diners the day before Valentine’s Day, Friday 13th February – it’s a good job I’m not superstitious!

Wednesdays With Andy
I had a brief respite from my day to day routine on Wednesday last week when I met up with Andy, one of my friends from school. We’ve been talking for some time about spending Wednesday in the pub because he has the day off from university, where he’s studying to become a lawyer, and I’m finished teaching by 11am. This week we finally got around to it, though not quite the all day session that had originally been envisaged because I really wanted to make it to the gym in the evening. We met at one of the Weatherspoons in town. With beer at £1 you can’t really grumble and because he is a student and I’m a musician it seemed the most sensible option. They’ve recently opened another Weatherspoons in what used to be Yates’ Wine Bar (we wondered how much wine they ever sold in there!). This used to be a regular haunt for us during our underage drinking days. We would congregate upstairs in the far corner in what became known as ‘the Hall Cross corner’. A lot of my friends were attending Hall Cross sixth form at the time so I used to meet them there, after band practice if I recall. It’s changed a little bit now. There used to be two booth seats which have disappeared. But if I listened very carefully and squinted somewhat I could vaguely make out the ghosts of our youth. It’s ten years since we left sixth form. Class of ’99. My, how time flies. We finished our day in Waterstones at the coffee shop discussing religion. I don’t know how we quite got on to that as neither of us is religious but it’s amazing where a caffeine high will take you.

Anyway, enough of my reminiscing. I’ve got some time left before I head to the gym so I might look at finishing off a song or two that I’ve started. Bye for now!

Scott Bramley
www.scottbramley.co.uk

Yes Man

2009-01-12T20:17:00.004Z

Good evening one and all. This one will have to be short because I’ve been trying to write a biography for myself and the band and it’s taking longer than anticipated. I should have done it this afternoon but unfortunately I fell asleep! I wasn’t even really that tired. I’d sat down on the bed for 20 minutes to relax after practising, to clear my head. That was about 3pm. Before I know it it’s past 5pm! I’m back at school now so I blame it on the early mornings. Musicians aren’t meant to do early mornings!

On Tuesday night my housemate asked me if I wanted to go see a movie. I’d planned on doing some music arranging but I don’t have much that needs doing at the moment so I agreed. I’m glad I did, given the film we went to see. It was ‘Yes Man’ starring Jim Carey. It also has one of the guys from Flight of the Conchords. I’d read the book before, a true story by Danny Wallace (who also had a small cameo part in the film, stood at the bar). The film was quite a bit different in detail but the whole philosophy was the same. How much better would your life be if you stopped making excuses and just said yes to everything?! And that’s exactly what the character does, to the extreme of course. In real life you might not want to say yes to absolutely everything but think about it. Are you simply making excuses or do you really have a reason to decline the offer.

And so with that in mind, I received a phone call on Friday afternoon which resulted in an impromptu trip down to Derbyshire on Friday night to meet up with a couple of my old housemates from University, Jenny and Jac. Jenny lives in a small village just outside of Bakewell. We took ourselves to the nearest hostelry for some food and wine and whiled away the wee hours discussing everything and nothing. I was left feeling a little dilapidated for the entirety of Saturday. I missed my trip to the gym and despite my best intentions to go on Sunday morning I just couldn’t do it. So, I didn’t fit in my four gym sessions last week. I realise now that some of my new year’s resolutions go against each other. While I ticked a couple of boxes by keeping in touch with friends and getting out and about, I went against going to the gym and eating well (having said that, I did have a lovely meal Friday night and Jenny was good enough to cook breakfast for me on Saturday.... full English, but still!). That doesn’t mean to say that I’m giving up. I’m heading back to the gym tonight.

Before I go though, I heard a couple of great songs this week. The first was an acapella song called ‘Tar Barrel In Dale’ performed by Rachel Unthink and the Winterset, a beautiful folk tune with luscious harmonies. Just listen to the changing harmony on the word ‘snow’. Awesome! The song is sung with a north east accent shining through. I particularly love the way they sing ‘year’! The other is different in that it’s a band from Seattle but again there are some fantastic harmonies in ‘Mykanos’ by the Fleet Foxes, a band from Seattle. I was compiling a list of great driving tunes earlier in the week for a trip we’re taking at Easter and I put that on there.

Still no news on the gig front this month. There are some in the pipeline for February but I’ll let you know about those nearer the time. Until then, January lays before me like a desert! I’ll see you on the other side!

Scott Bramley
www.scottbramley.co.uk

Happy New Year!

2009-01-05T19:56:00.009Z

A very happy New Year to you! I hope you enjoyed a very merry Christmas. It’s technically the last day of Christmas today by my reckoning; in fact we’ve just taken our tree down and packed the decorations away for another year. After rather a hectic lead up to Christmas, the Christmas period itself has been fairly serene. Most of it I’ve spent with family and friends. Our Bramley Family Annual Christmas Hootenanny went very well with plenty of food and drink and singing around the piano. Christmas eve I made it to our local pub, the Cumberland, which has become a traditional meeting place for those with whom I went to sixth form. There were less people than in previous years, with a number of them getting married and having children and the like, but there were still plenty of familiar faces. Christmas day was a family affair, the four of us (mum, dad, my sister and I) enjoying a vast meal together. I’d originally conceived 8 courses but we were flagging after the sixth. I had more chances to meet up with friends on Boxing Day and at a party the day after hosted at a friend’s house (thanks Leanne, I know you read this blog!). New Years Eve I was playing for dining and merriment at Little Italy in Dronfield, near Sheffield. It was a fun night.

I made a point not to do anything until today (Monday 5th January) except for some quiet contemplation during which I came up with a few New Years resolutions which I thought I’d share. I’ve split them into two categories; the first relates to tweaks and changes in habit and the second are more specific goals.

Habitual Resolutions

Save money – always a worthy cause.
Reading – I read quite a lot already so this is more a continuation but to read great and influential books (I’m currently reading The Art Of Happiness by the Dalai Lama & Howard C. Cutter).
Get fit – I’ve been feasting for the entire 12 days of Christmas so I need to get back in shape. It’s back to the gym for me (I started today)!
Read quotes – I love quotes, in fact I have motivational quotes delivered into my inbox everyday so I’ll be looking out for more, and taking a look through my Quotations dictionary.
Write a journal – for the last year I’ve been writing a journal once a week. I’m trying this year to increase that, even if it’s just a short entry every day or two.
Moisturize – none of us are getting any younger so a good idea to look after yourself I feel!
Be friendly – I’m not saying that I’m a miserable grouch but this one can’t hurt.
Less TV – again, I’m not a huge TV watcher (apart from during Christmas – I became hooked on One tree Hill, which my sister was bought as a gift for Christmas, and we’ve watched three seasons of the show already!) but just a reminder to myself not to fall into any bad habits like switching on the TV and finding the least worst thing to watch!
Listen out for new music and buy more CDs – this could go against my saving money but will be worth it.
Live music – go to more concerts and gigs.
Keep in touch – I’m not bad but I guess I could be better.
Get out and about – this could also hinder my saving money but not everything costs money. Any suggestions?

Goal resolutions

Pay off my credit cards – hindered slightly today when I went shopping and forgot my debit card so had to put it on a credit card that I’d just paid off!!
Write my own original material and record a demo – this is probably my biggest goal this year.
Improved performance – always a good idea to strive for better!
Record some videos for YouTube.
Finish writing the book that I’ve started – a travel book about my journey across America.
Learn Spanish – that is if I get all of the rest done!

And there you have it. Perhaps you have some resolutions you’d like to share. So tomorrow it's back to school and teaching. As is usual with this time of year gigs are on the sparse side but I'll let you know as soon as I know when I'm back in the game.

Bye for now!

Scott Bramley
www.scottbramley.co.uk

Busy, busy!

2008-12-15T20:01:00.002Z

I’ve taken an executive decision to forgo the 3rd series of Prison Break. My housemate brought it back yet again this week – it’s just too much commitment!! Instead, here I am sharing with you what’s been happening with me this week and what’s coming up next week.

We’re well into the Christmas run up now and I’ve had a number of opportunities to air some of my Christmas material. On Friday I was playing at a corporate event hosted by the Royal Bank of Scotland which took place at the Doncaster Dome. The organiser, an old school chum of mine, excelled himself with an indoor snow covered forest and falling snow as the guests entered the venue. Just out of range of the falling flakes I was close by the forest with my piano playing a whole host of Christmas songs to get people into the festive spirit, all the way from Silent Night to Merry Xmas Everybody. Also on the bill were a dance group called Flava who had been featured on Britain’s Got Talent, as well as a number of amusing spoof videos from the company themselves including a hilarious rendition of East 17s Stay Another Day.

On Saturday I was performing at Choice Bar and Restaurant in Manchester. For the first two hours the place was heaving, both the bar and the restaurant full to capacity. This gave me a chance to pull out some of the upbeat stuff to entertain my entourage that had gathered around the piano. As the night wore on many reconvened to the restaurant to take their seats and others headed on into town bringing the evening to a more peaceful conclusion. Silent Night and all that!

Coming up this week I’m playing for a community event on Thursday afternoon and another on Saturday afternoon. On Saturday evening I return to Choice Bar & Restaurant and on Sunday I’m playing the lunchtime set at The Sands Venue in Gainsborough. Add to that our family Christmas Hootenanny and two concerts with the Barnburgh Male Voice Choir on Wednesday and Friday and I seem set for a busy week! Still, only one more day of teaching left for me before Christmas.

Scott Bramley
www.scottbramley.co.uk

Capital of Culture

2008-12-08T19:51:00.006Z

The dreaded winter lurgy has bestowed itself upon me so I’m trying to give myself some rest and recuperation in order to get back to full health. I think I’m at about the half way stage so fingers crossed all will be well again in time for my gigs this weekend.

LiverpoolONE
I spent a fantastic couple of days in Liverpool over the weekend to meet up with some of my housemates that I lived with while I was at university there. We spent our first few hours on Friday night catching up in one of our old drinking haunts, Kelly’s Dispensary. I used to frequent this place every night with my friend Kevin, always arriving for last orders. It hasn’t changed much over the years. After a few pints of the local Cains bitter we ate dinner at Jalons, a favourite restaurant of ours where the majority of our birthdays were celebrated. There was a duo playing keyboards and drums (with some track which I’ll forgive them for!). I’ve actually played at the new Jalons Bridewell restaurant myself. They played a couple of our requests, including Fairytale of New York to get us into the festive spirit while we enjoyed a fine, albit expensive, meal. The next day we visited the LiverpoolONE shopping and leisure complex, a new 1 billion pound redevelopment of the city centre. We were all blown away. It’s has the feel of a shopping centre but the majority of it is open air. I think the best desription I've heard is it's kind of like a futuristic town centre. It's not just shops and restaurants though. In the past Liverpool was split into distinct sections separated by non-descript neighbourhoods. Now LiverpoolONE connects the city, leading from the main shopping district all the way to the docks, in a truly spectacular way. We reached the Albert Dock as the sun set and the night began to take hold. The sky was clear, with a half moon hanging in an inky blue sky and the new skyline of the European capital of culture before us. It was magical.

Breaking Boundaries
Later that evening we went to LIPA. Jenny, another of my old housemates, has a sister studying there and she was performing in a show called Breaking Boundaries. We’d been joking the night before about what we might be in store for – weird modern interpretative stuff - and weren’t disappointed by the first piece which was very avant-garde. There was no denying however the talent and hard work of the performers on stage and as the show continued there were some truly great moments. Some were tender and emotional, others full of anger and fear. I think one section related to the Russian revolution, though this is only conjecture and I’m no expert – that’s what it said to me. Another was titled Caravan, and was accompanied by a solo drummer. The timing kept changing from 2 to 3 then 4, 5, 6 & 7 and back and forth throughout while the dancers performed a complicated tap routine. We were all very impressed. I had to leave after the show because I was performing the next day. As I drove home I felt a longing to be back there. I’m sure we’ll be meeting up again soon enough.

Like Mamma Used To Make
Last night I had the pleasure to be served a fine Italian meal cooked up by my fine Italian bass player, Emilio Montuori. Rob Clark (my drummer) and I were treated to 5 delicious courses including crostini, Parma ham and melon, lasagne (the portion sizes Emmy measures against the size of a brick), ribs, and a very rustic meat and potatoe dish. The Italians certainly know how to eat, and I believe I have an aptitude for it also. It’s my turn next, so any ideas about what I might cook up to meet the same high standards would be much appreciated.

Coming up this weekend I’m performing for a private function at The Dome in Doncaster and Saturday I’ll be appearing at Choice Bar & Restaurant in Manchester. There’s also an extra date been added at The Sands in two weeks time.

Christmas is coming!!

2008-12-01T20:32:00.005Z

I would have been here an hour ago had I not become engrossed in season 2 of Prison Break which my housemate brought back with him last night. I became hooked on the first season and this one looks to be just as rivetting. But I’m here now and you have my full attention.

It’s the first day of advent which means only 24 days to Christmas. I have most of my Christmas shopping done, with the final few bits and pieces to do online after this. I still have my cards to write and in some cases make – I’ve made it something of a tradition to make a small amount of Christmas cards incorporating a rather festive photograph of myself (I’ll post it here when I think the time is right!) to send to some of my closest friends. It also means that I’ll be munching my way through another 23 Lindt chocolates from my advent calendar – I bit Rudolph’s head off just this morning! And finally after a month of revising I can break out the Christmas songs. I love Christmas and looking forward to it all.

On Friday night the choir that I sing with – Barnburgh Male Voice Choir – had it’s Christmas party, a very pleasant evening held at a local golf club. A three course meal was followed by singing and dancing. I sang a few numbers and even took to the floor with my sister, Becky, for a foxtrot. It’s been about 7 years since I’ve danced properly – I used to compete in ballroom and latin dance – but some of it came back to me, and Becky pushed me round for the rest!

Saturday I was playing at Choice Bar & Restaurant in Manchester where I had the pleasure to be joined by three lovely people. They sat at the piano with me for the entire evening requesting songs and joining in with nearly everything I played. The young man refrained from singing himself, telling me later that he couldn’t sing a note, but the other two seemed to know the words to everything that I played. One was a lady from Dorset (I think) who was in Manchester to visit her family friend, a girl all the way from Sydney Australia but currently living here. At the end of the evening the girl was kind enough to say that out of all the pianists/vocalists she’d seen at Choice that I was the most enjoyable which left me with a very warm appreciated feeling inside – handy because it’s really cold outside!

This weekend I’m taking a trip to Liverpool to meet up with a few of my university housemates in the city where we all met 9 years ago. I’m really looking forward to it as I haven’t been back for a number of years now. I’ll be back on Sunday in time for my lunchtime set at The Sands Venue performing from around midday.

How an Orchestra Saved Venezuela's Children

2008-11-24T20:13:00.008Z

It’s the kind of evening when you should be curled up in front of a log fire listening to the rain rattling on the window. I’m half way there. I can hear the rain, but alas I don’t have a fire. So I’ve taken the next best step and I’m coming to you live from my bed! I watched a TV programme last week that I’d like to share with you. First of all it was a very good documentary and well worth watching, but as well as that there are some parallels with what I’m doing myself. Before I get on to that though, a quick gig review.

On Saturday I attended a friend’s wedding in Doncaster, the first of our group of friends to tie the knot. We all met at school and as the years have passed we don’t always see as much of each other as we’d like so it was good to catch up. I played for a little while during the reception which was well received by all, including my friends, some of whom had never heard me perform before, despite the fact that I've been professional now for nearly six years. The good thing about playing at a friend’s wedding I find is that there are people there to help you load up the car afterwards! I'd like to offer my congratulations to Dom and Mel. On Sunday I was at The Sands Venue in Gainsborough playing my regular lunchtime set. I’ll be back again in two weeks time which is the last date I have there in the diary at present but there may be one more during the run up to Christmas before The Sands takes a few weeks off in January. This Saturday finds be back at Choice Bar and Restaurant in Manchester performing from 8.30pm-11pm. If you’re anywhere nearby it would be great to see you there.

On Tuesday night I was at my parents’ house after having visited the gym and happened upon the BBC’s ‘Imagine’ programme, a show dedicated to culture and the arts. In their own words: “We cover culture from ballet to fashion, sculpture to hip hop, literature to Britart”. This week’s show, ‘How an Orchestra Saved Venezuela's Children’, was about a project that’s been running in Venezuela for a number of years which goes by the catchy title of Fundación del Estado para el Sistema de Orquestas Juveniles e Infantiles de Venezuela – Sistema for short. The aim of the Sistema has been to steer poor children away from drink, drug and gang related problems by providing them with musical instruments and giving them free tuition which takes place in a classical orchestral environment from the very beginning. This is very different to the way many learn to play, by studying on their own for a number of years before joining an orchestra. There are currently 275,000 children in the Sistema taking part in 125 youth orchestras. The most senior and well renowned of these is Simón Bolívar Youth Orchestra of Venezuela which has appeared at the Proms. The snippets I saw of them perform were excellent, not just for the musicality of the orchestra but the way each young player seems to throw so much of themselves into the music. This was all particularly interesting for me because I’m currently teaching as part of a Wider Opportunities Programme in primary schools (I was recruited last year by Rob Clark, the drummer in my band) where children learn to play instruments as a class in a band environment from the start. I’m involved with both brass (cornets, trumpets, baritones, French horns and trombones) and samba drum tuition. The only difference I can see is that ours is school based and the Sistema is all done outside of school, but is still government funded. It was very inspiring to see how far this system can be taken and I was happy to see that a similar scheme was being set up in the UK, starting in Scotland with The Big Noise. You can still watch the documentary on the BBC iPlayer but be quick because it won’t be there forever.

That’s all from me this evening. Wrap up warm now!

Scott Bramley
www.scottbramley.co.uk

And now here's a little music...

2008-11-17T19:47:00.003Z

For one reason or another I’m feeling weary this evening and I’m currently fighting the urge to hibernate for the rest of the winter – those bears have got it right. This is mainly due to the fact that I was out late last night at a gig and had to be up this morning to teach. I was playing at Wortley Hall for the wedding of Paul and Paula Evitts, performing two sets of solo piano vocal and a few extra songs to finish off after a generous bribe! It was a fun evening. I also sang as part of Barnburgh Male Voice Choir on Friday evening at St Leonard’s & St Jude's Church in Scawsby for a concert in aid of Retinitis Pigmentosa, a genetic disorder which diminishes eyesight in its sufferers. The evening went well and the money raised will be going to aid that cause.

And here's the little music to which the title of this post refers. Back in August my band and I recorded a live gig at The Sands Venue in Gainsborough and I've now got my hands on some of the recordings. There are still some tweaks to be made here and there but please let me know what you think. As I mentioned last week the hope is to be able to put these together into some sort of a live album next year. You can take a listen to the individual tracks in the ‘My Music’ section of this blog but here is a sample montage I’ve strung together:

Click here to listen!

Coming up this week I’m playing for a private function at The Sands Venue in Gainsborough on Wednesday. I’m not quite sure what it’s for but I think it has something to do with the Mayor. I know I should know! On Saturday my friend Dom Pay gets married and I’m playing at the reception taking place here in Doncaster. Then on Sunday I’ll be back at The Sands playing during lunch. So there’s plenty to be getting on with.

Until next time,

Scott Bramley
www.scottbramley.co.uk

New tracks - coming very soon!

2008-11-10T20:05:00.004Z

I’ve barricaded myself into my bedroom as it’s the only room in the house I seem to be able to get comfortably warm. It’s certainly warmer than my office which is currently colder than a snowman’s cold bits. Winter appears to be stealing upon us fast. But putting the wintry weather aside, I have good news: excerpts from the show that I played at The Sands Venue back in August are finally ready. I’ve still got to choose which ones to use but I’ll have some of those up here in the next couple of days. I’ve taken a listen and they’re sounding really good (even if I do say so myself!). My hope is to put some of them together into a live album. I’m currently in talks with my designer friend, James Mulkeen (who designed my website), to come up with some album art. We’re probably looking at the New Year for that but until then you’ll be able to listen to the tracks via my site.

This weekend has been a busy one. On Saturday my band and I performed for a Ladies’ evening at the Stockport Masonic Guildhall where we were received with great enthusiasm. We were told by one of the gentlemen there that it was the first time in 9 years he’d seen the dance floor filled for the entire evening. We started out with some ballroom and latin – waltzes, foxtrots, quicksteps, tangos, cha cha chas, rumbas and jives. If you’ve been keeping up with strictly come dancing you’ll be familiar with these dances. We certainly saw some fleet footedness on the dance floor. Then, towards the end of the evening, we launched into some 60s and 70s classics which went down equally well. It was past midnight by the time we finished our second encore and it was just before 3am when I finally arrived home. The next morning however I was up and out to play at The Sands Venue for the lunchtime set, then that afternoon, as part of Barnburgh Male Voice Choir, sang for the remembrance service at Barnburgh’s St Peter’s church.

It’s a little quiter this weekend with just one private function on Sunday, playing for a wedding at Wortley Hall near Sheffield. And with Christmas just around the corner I’m already brushing up on my Christmas repertoire!

Take care and wrap up warm!

Scott Bramley
www.scottbramley.co.uk

Wedding Bells

2008-11-03T19:58:00.005Z

It was half term last week for the schools that I teach in so I thought I’d take a little holiday from blogging and start afresh this week. I am going to keep it brief however because I have a recording to finish for my housemate. He’s a primary school teacher and needs it to use with the children in his class and I don’t want to let the kiddlies down!

So, what’s been happening? Well, I’ve had a couple of weddings, the most recent taking place at the Crown Hotel in Bawtry, just outside of Doncaster. An old school friend of mine was getting married and as well as attending the wedding itself I was asked to play during the evening reception. We had a fantastic day, beginning with a civil ceremony and then a lovely wedding breakfast before the evening event. My friend, Brett, prefers modern music, while his wife, Anne-Marie, is also a fan of swing and Rat Pack, so I tried to mix the two and it seemed to work really well. I played two sets including the newest song in my repertoire, Human, from The Killers. If you haven’t heard it take a listen because it really is a great tune. My version was less of a dance version and more laid back because it was just myself and the piano. After the buffet I played for their first dance. Both Brett and Anne-Marie are teachers and the song they chose as their first dance played on this – Wonderful World recorded by Sam Cooke:

“Don’t know much about history,
Don’t know much biology,
Don’t know much about science books,
Don’t know much about the French I took”

I had one more small role in this wedding. Earlier in the week I went to see the happy couple to help out with a few dance moves and I have to say that they did me proud on the night. Congratulations to you both.

Coming up this weekend, my band and I are playing in Stockport on Saturday at the Masonic Guildhall for a private function. Then on Sunday I’ll be performing solo piano vocals at The Sands Venue in Gainsborough for the lunchtime set.

Until next time, that’s all from me.

Scott Bramley
www.scottbramley.co.uk

Showtime!

2008-10-20T20:43:00.004+01:00

Hi Folks,

On With The Show
Thanks to all of those that turned out on Friday night to support me and my band at the Pastures Lodge, Doncaster. It was a really good turnout. We kicked of the first half with standards from the Great American Songbook, from songwriters including Cole Porter, Jerome Kern, Irving Berlin, and George Gershwin, and from artists such as Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jnr., and Bobby Darin. After the interval we mixed things up a little with some fantastic piano based rock, pop and swing, going as far back as Nina Simone and Nat King Cole all the way through Stevie Wonder, Elton John and Ray Charles to modern day material including Daniel Powter. I really love to perform these sort of gigs because they’re different to many of the private functions that we play. A little scarier in fact as everybody is watching and listening so intently! There’ll be some more gigs like this coming up in the new year.

The Aftershow Party
A few of my old housemates from university came over to watch the gig on Friday then stayed with me for the weekend - an after show party that effectively continued for two days! After the show we all hastened back to my parents place (which was nearer and much more capable of accommodating an extra five people) where we partied until the wee hours. I woke fairly early on Saturday to prepare breakfast. I’d only had a few drinks the night before because I was on stage for most of the night and had to drive back with my equipment. Three hours later, feeling a little worse for wear, they began to surface. For some breakfast seemed to bring them around. For others something else was required. So we took a walk along the river back to the venue I’d been playing the previous evening to pick up the cars we’d left. That seemed to do the trick. It was a beautiful day. The air was crisp but the sun was hot on our faces as we sat outside with a shandy (we had to drive back of course). One of our number had to head off that afternoon but for the rest of us we returned to my house where we spent a leisurely evening. We cooked a lovely meal of Spaghetti Bolognese and washed that down with yet more beer and wine. As I mentioned my house is not best set up for an extra four people which saw me sleeping on our lounge floor - it wasn’t the most comfortable night’s sleep I’ve had. Still, it’s worth a night of discomfort to be able to get together with friends I think. I might not have felt the same if I had to sleep there again however! It was Benjamin Franklin back in 1736 that said: “Fish and visitors smell in three days”. Two days was just fine and I can report no bad smells!

Coming up this weekend I’m travelling all the way to North Wales on Saturday to play for a wedding taking place at Ruthin Castle. Sounds like a cool venue! Then on Sunday I’m playing my resident gig at The Sands Venue, Gainsborough, during lunch.

Scott Bramely
www.scottbramley.co.uk

Musician: A Day In The Life

2008-10-13T20:37:00.004+01:00

I’ve just broken away from wading through my tax receipts. It seems to be taking forever but I’ve promised myself that I’ll get them sorted by the end of the week. It seems that more gruelling sessions lie ahead!

I had a full weekend of gigs this week. Congratulations to Louise and David whose wedding I played at on Friday afternoon along with my band. The gig itself went well but there were a few irksome moments surrounding the event. First of all I’d been given the wrong venue so I turned up at a hotel in Headingly, one of the northern districts of Leeds, to find that I needed to be in Morley, just south of Leeds. Luckily I’d given myself plenty of time. Before driving back through the city I’d alerted my band to the problem. They were slightly behind me which turned out to be something of a blessing for them as they were only 5 minutes from the new venue. They arrived and started to set up as directed by the hotel staff. They were all ready to go by the time I arrived and helped me to unload and set up my own equipment. So far so good despite my little detour and we still had a good hour and a half. That was until the same member of staff that had told the guys to set up there came to inform us that we weren’t playing there at all but were actually playing in another room. And so, now with little over an hour to go we started to frantically transport all of our stuff to the new room. We asked for them to clear a space for us to which we were greeted with a rather sarcastic remark from another of the staff (this one appeared to be in charge): “You’re not the Kaiser Chiefs yet, lads”. OK, so you’ve asked us to move and you’re being rude. No matter, we’ll just get on with it. But as well as this he now questioned whether we needed all of our equipment because this room was smaller. How many times do I have to say – it’s not about how loud you can be, it’s about the quality of the sound. We eventually got set up and sound checked in fairly good time and retreated to our band room to change. I’d been to the bar in the meantime and asked them to fill my plastic bottle of water. Instead the barman gave me a bottle of water so I took it with me to the band room. It wasn’t long before we were again to run in to our friend who accused me of leaving the bar without paying. First of all I had asked for my bottle to be filled with tap water before being offered their bottled water. It wasn’t as if it was even my idea. But secondly, as part of our contract, we were supposed to be supplied with refreshments and food anyway. I handed his bottle back and left him to it with my drummer, who by this point was become slightly irritated with the incompetence we were facing. The gig itself went well and the bridal party themselves were fantastic, especially the bride, Louise, who was perhaps one of the friendliest people I’ve met. She even invited the three of us to join her at the top table during the wedding breakfast. I politely declined the offer deciding instead to take some food from the buffet to eat elsewhere. Enter our friend once more to give us a ticking off schoolboy style for daring to join the buffet queue. It really was one of those days!!

On Saturday I performed at Choice Bar & Restaurant in Manchester and had a great night. I had a lovely group of people around the piano for most of the evening and received some nice compliments from people, including one guy who hadn’t realised that the music was live from where he was sat in the restaurant (I play in the bar area). I also had a girl run after me as I was about to leave to buy a CD. And on Sunday I was to be found at The Sands Venue in Gainsborough playing for the lunchtime set.

Don’t forget, those of you that live in the vicinity of Doncaster, that my band and I are performing a show at the Pastures Lodge on Friday night (17th October) – an evening of piano based rock, pop and swing with a little something for everyone I hope. Doors open at 7.30pm and the show starts at 8pm. Tickets are £7.50 and are available from Pastures Lodge during this week or on the door on Friday. I look forward to seeing you there!

And that’s about it for me this week.

Scott Bramley
www.scottbramley.co.uk

Oh I Do Like To Be Beside The Seaside!

2008-10-06T20:29:00.004+01:00

It’s Monday night and I’ve just finished watching ‘The Wonder Years’. Is that a great show or what?! I don’t know if any of you were lucky enough to experience the great British weather this weekend. It was pretty miserable – cold and windy with a spot of rain thrown in. I had to dig out my scarf and gloves. And so to make the most of things I drove to the sea side to take it all in. OK, so I did have a reason for going. I was singing with the Barnburgh Male Voice Choir who were performing a concert in Bridlington at the Spotlight Theatre. I arrived early in the hope of finding myself a cheap and cheerful fish supper. The sea was a churning mass of grey tearing at the sea walls and rain was beginning to fall from a darkening grey sky. I wrapped myself up from the buffeting winds and took a walk. I walked for half an hour through the town and over to the deserted funfair. Apart from a few carvery-style restaurants there was only one fish shop open but it was take out only and I didn’t really fancy standing out in the rain. So I had to make do with McDonalds. At least I could take refuge from the elements. Say what you like about McDonalds (there’s plenty to say!) but it’s handy in a pinch. The concert itself went well and afterwards I joined the rest of the choir who were staying for the weekend in a hotel nearby. They set up their piano and asked if I’d kick the night off with a few songs which I gladly did before hitting the road. I made up for my food disappointments the next day by cooking a full Sunday roast before anybody worries too much about my dietary habits!

And so to forthcoming gigs, my band and I are playing at a wedding on Friday afternoon taking place in Leeds, then Saturday I’ll be performing at Choice Bar and Restaurant in Manchester before another visit to The Sands Venue in Gainsborough for the lunchtime set on Sunday. And just another quick reminder about my concert at the Pastures Lodge on Friday 17th October. Tickets are now on sale and available from the Pastures Lodge on 01709 579 599 priced at £7.50. Children twelve and under go free when accompanied by a full paying adult. You can also buy tickets on the door but please let me know (via email /text /facebook /smoke signals /etc.) so that I can put some aside for you.

Until then, take care.

Scott Bramley
www.scottbramley.co.uk

Don't let the cold bugs bite!

2008-09-30T18:58:00.003+01:00

If you were wondering where I’ve been these past couple of weeks I’ve been suffering from the dreaded cold, probably caught from one of the children that I teach (they seem to have a knack of passing on these things). At about this time last week I was in the full thralls of it and instead of writing another post I took the decision to become more acquainted with my bed. Luckily I managed to be at my most ill during the week so that my singing voice was back for my performances at Choice Bar and Restaurant on Saturday night and The Sands Venue on Sunday afternoon. We had quite a busy lunchtime there. And what a lovely weekend it was. On Saturday afternoon I took some time to stroll around my neighbourhood. I figured I might as well make the most of the splendid weather (I’ve noticed that’s it’s already taking a turn for the worse). I’m currently waiting for confirmation on the next set of dates for The Sands but there should be at least another 4 slots following on as they have been every other week: Sundays 12th and 26th of October and the 9th and 23rd of November. I’ve also gained a few more dates at Choice Bar and Restaurant on Saturday 29th November and the Saturdays 13th and 20th of December. And it’s not long now until my band and I will be performing for the general public at Pastures Lodge just outside of Doncaster on Friday 17th October. Tickets are now on sale and you can get hold of yours by telephoning Pastures Lodge on 01709 579 599 or let me know so that I can have some waiting for you on the door! We’ll be performing a mixed set of piano based rock, pop and swing, with the first set given over to the best of the American Songbook with songs from the likes of Frank Sinatra and Ella Fitzgerald, and the remainder of the evening covering some of the great pianist/vocalists of all time including Elton John and Billy Joel. It should be a good night. We’d love to see you there!

And so there’s not much more to tell you this week just that I’m back on the road to recovery. I wouldn’t want to push myself however so I might take this time to catch up on some BBC iPlayer. Have you been following the BBC’s adaptation of ‘Tess of the D’Urbervilles’? It’s very good. I highly recommend it.

Look after yourselves – don’t let those cold bugs bite!

Scott Bramley
www.scottbramley.co.uk

Isn't It A Wonder

2008-09-16T19:42:00.008+01:00

There really is only one thing to talk about this week and that was my trip to see Stevie Wonder performing live at Manchester’s MEN Arena on Tuesday. What a show!! Our seats were up in the gods, so much so that Rob who I’d gone with was feeling ever so slightly nauseous at the prospect, but we had a great view of the stage. He was accompanied by a 14 piece band which consisted of drums, two percussionists who were absolutely surrounded with instruments, two keyboard players (as well as Stevie of course), two guitarists, Stevie’s long serving bass player, trumpet, sax and 4 backing vocalist, among which was Stevie’s daughter, Aisha, of Isn’t She Lovely fame. They played none stop for more than two and a half hours, hit after hit. Stevie never even took a drink! My housemate had voiced concerns that perhaps he was past his best but let me tell you he was better than I've ever heard him – absolutely awesome – singing hit after hit and getting the crowd involved by giving us lines to sing (not that we weren't singing everything anyway!). I saw him on the Jonathan Ross show on Friday evening giving an interview. Did anybody see that? The guy is a living legend. They’ve now announced some more dates for the UK in October. I’m very tempted. Rob too, and he’s already been to both the Manchester show and the Birmingham show. If you haven’t seen him... go see him!!

Horse Play
When I said there’s only one thing I can talk about this week I wasn’t being quite truthful. This week has been race week here at Doncaster Racecourse. The Grand St Leger is the oldest of the 5 British Classic Races and has been held here annually since 1776. On Thursday I accompanied my sister to the Ladies Day. I’ve lived in this town all of my life (give or take the odd occasion where I’ve been working or travelling overseas) and I’ve never visited the races. To be honest as the day approached I wasn’t really in the mood for it. The weather had been appalling for days and I didn’t want to spend a day sheltering from the elements. But as the day rolled around, things seemed to pick up somewhat and we ended up having a good day for it. The atmosphere was terrific with many people turning out in their finest dresses, suits and hats. I think it’s great for a town to be able to come together like this, to dress up and show off. I’ll definitely try to go again next year. And you never know – I might even have a punt myself. Incidentally, this year’s St Leger race was won by Frankie Dettori (who I did see on Thursday) riding Conduit.

That's all folks!

Scott Bramley
www.scottbramley.co.uk

September In The Rain

2008-09-08T20:20:00.004+01:00

September hasn’t turned out to be quite the ‘Indian Summer’ that we’ve all been promised, with rain and winds lashing this fair isle and more to come. Still, mustn’t grumble. With September of course comes the start of the academic year which means back to school for many, myself included. For the last year I’ve been attached to the Doncaster Music Service teaching as part of a Wider Opportunities programme in primary schools in which full classes of children learn to play music together, from brass and woodwind to samba drumming. Up to now I’ve only been doing a couple of sessions a week but this year I’ve taken on an additional six, so eight in total which means I’ll be a little busier (and my sleeping late in a morning is a thing of the past!). It was my first day back today and it wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be when I set my alarm last night. If you were reading last weeks’ post you’ll be glad to know that my clarinet playing is coming along and I’m having my first proper lesson this week before being part of a brass and woodwind class next week. It’s not easy. This puts an end to the theory (purported by one of my friends and colleagues) that woodwind is far easier to play than brass because all you have to do is breath down it. My chops are really feeling the pressure!

Something Old, Something New
I’m excited about tomorrow for a number of reasons. First of all I’m going to check on the progress of my new live tracks which were recorded with my trio last month during our gig at The Sands Venue. They’re currently being tweaked, mixed, polished and poked! Hopefully it won’t be long now until I’ll have some shiny new songs to upload onto my site, so keep an ear out for those. Secondly, after all of that excitement, I’m heading over to Manchester with Rob, my drummer, to see Stevie Wonder perform in concert at the MEN Arena (in fact Rob is such a fan that tonight he’s watching Stevie perform in Birmingham!). I was hoping perhaps to bring back some great photos, as I did when I went to see Elton John, but my ticket says “NO CAMERAS” so I’d better not. Perhaps I can furnish you with an artist’s impression!

Coming Soon
This coming weekend I’m playing at a private party in Manchester (and at the moment that’s about all the information I have – I don’t even know the venue yet... must one of those need to know situations!) and I’ll be back at The Sands Venue on Sunday for the lunchtime spot. Also, a quick early mention of a concert that my band and I will be performing on Friday 17^th October at the Pastures Lodge just outside of Doncaster. This will be similar to the gig we played at The Sands Venue last month with a selection of the very best in piano based rock, pop and swing music from artists including Frank Sinatra, Nat King Cole, Billy Joel, and Elton John. Tickets are £7.50 and available from the venue on 01709 577 707 and I hope to get a link put up on the site very soon for those wishing to purchase by credit or debit card. It would be great to see as many people there as possible.

Bye for now!

Scott Bramley
www.scottbramley.co.uk

Nice day for a white wedding

2008-09-01T20:44:00.006+01:00

On Friday I played at the wedding of one of my sixth form friends, Helen Cusworth, as part of a five piece band which comprised of John Watterson on drums, Steve Brickley on bass, Pete Watters on guitar, Alan Ladds on saxophone and myself on piano/vocals with additional lead and backing vocals provided by Hilary Black, or ‘Bob’ as she is known (for why I’m unsure). This is not my regular band but was put together by John (the drummer) especially for the purposes of this event. We started out with some cool swing tunes from the likes of Frank Sinatra and Nat King Cole before launching into more hardcore hits, many from the Motown label plus other party favourites. From the very outset there were people crowding the dance floor which continued into the wee hours. The band had a great time and the wedding guests seemed to be enjoying themselves too. It was also nice to bump into a few familiar faces including my head of sixth form at Danum School, Val Cusworth (mother of the bride), and our old deputy head Mr Mendum of whom my lasting memory is standing on London Bridge one evening during an arts course trip singing ‘London By Night’ together. After rather a late night I had an early morning Saturday driving down to Leicestershire for another wedding. This time I was playing during the afternoon for both the civil ceremony and later providing background music during the wedding breakfast. Funnily enough both of these weddings had a large Irish contingent which I always find a welcome ingredient to any sort of festivity! Finally this weekend I played the Sunday lunch set at The Sands Venue in Gainsborough. I’ll be there again in two weeks time.

What Juno?

On Saturday night after getting home from my gig I felt the need to relax after my long day and so settled down with a DVD, a pizza, a big bag of nachos and some spicy salsa. The film was Juno and I highly recommend it to anyone. My housemate, who is a huge film buff, tells me it’s his new favourite film. It’s very funny in a not so obvious sort of way and also quite touching with great acting from the lead, Ellen Page, whose teenage character has to confront an unplanned pregnancy. The reason I mention it is because it has a great soundtrack throughout with one song in particular that I have heard on occasion before but never related with this film. The song, ‘Anyone Else But You’, appears at the very end of the film sung by Ellen Page as Juno and her love interest, Paulie Bleeker, played by Michael Cera. Originally a song by The Moldy Peaches, I really like this refrained version. It’s kind of odd because it doesn’t really seem to have a chorus, more a string of overlapping verses. Take a listen for yourself and let me know what you think. Also worth mentioning is the tune that opens the film, ‘All I Want Is You’ by Barry Louis Polisar.

Crash Course Clarinet

It’s my last week of freedom before I’m back into teaching as part of a Wider Opportunities Program that my local Music Centre runs. I was involved with a couple of sessions last year teaching both brass and samba groups. This year I’m adding in a wind group consisting of both cornets and clarinets and so today, after a planning session with my colleague Rob Clark who is also the drummer in my band, we borrowed ourselves two clarinets and set about learning how to play them! I’ve just been in touch with my old music teacher for a few pointers and he’s very kindly agreed to lead us in a crash course next week. Two weeks to learn the clarinet. Can it be done? Stay tuned to find out how it goes and if you have any pointers I'd be happy to hear from you!

That’s all folks,

Scott Bramley
www.scottbramley.co.uk

Here comes the bride... and another... and another!

2008-08-27T13:38:00.005+01:00

It seems to be that time of year when everybody is tying the knot. They're certainly coming thick and fast. On Friday I travelled down to London to play at the wedding of a dear friend of mine. I’m a musician (which you’ve probably gathered by now!) so having to get up at a time with a 6 in it is never easy unless I’ve just taken an afternoon nap. But Friday morning I was up with the dawn and on the road by 08:30. It was the beginning of a bank holiday weekend and I was a little apprehensive about the traffic but had a clear run all the way down, arriving at around 12:30. We were playing at a place near Camden beneath a church in a venue appropriately called The Crypt. Apparently Henry VIII held one of his wedding feasts there (although on their website it says in 1531 and he didn’t have a marriage in 1531 – the nearest was his marriage to Ann Boleyn in 1533). The first order of business was to set up my equipment. I was the advance party and the rest of the band were following later in the day. Once I was set up I had to dash across North London to the beautiful St. Augustine’s Church in Kilburn where the ceremony itself was being held. It was a little further than I had expected and I found myself running from the tube station. I wasn’t the last one to arrive however, and true to form Marija was 20 minutes late for her own wedding. It was a lovely ceremony after which I had to dash back to The Crypt to meet with my band members and do the necessary sound checks before the rest of the wedding guests arrived. We played a short swing set during the drinks reception. After a delightful meal we had the speeches. Mateja, the best man and also twin brother of the bride, delivered what he had come to refer to as his magnum opus – an eloquent shower of words and wit delivered in rhyming couplets! It was then the turn of myself and the band to get the party started with some favourite dance tunes, filling the dance floor with revellers for the next 90 minutes. And by then it was about time to wrap things up.

I stayed the night with another friend in Kilburn (thanks Rob!) and left early the next morning, arriving back home just after noon. That gave me just about enough time to recuperate for the drive to Manchester to play at Choice Bar and Restaurant on Saturday evening.

No Rest For The Wicked!

This week looks set to be even more demanding. Tonight I’m rehearsing for a wedding on taking place on Friday at the Mount Pleasant Hotel just outside of Doncaster. It’s actually for another friend of mine getting married. I’m playing as part of a six piece band put together specially for the occasion by a drummer friend of mine, John Watterson. Tomorrow evening I’m recording with the Barnburgh Male Voice Choir, of which I’m a member, for a new CD we’re putting out soon. Friday is the wedding followed by another wedding on Saturday, this time in Leicester. Finally on Sunday, I’ll be at The Sands Venue for the lunchtime set.

Now I think I’ll have to lay down. Seeing all of this written down is making me faint!

Take care

Scott Bramley
www.scottbramley.co.uk

On With The Show

2008-08-18T19:26:00.010+01:00

Hello all!

I'd like to start this week by thanking those of you that came along to support me at The Sands Venue in Gainsborough on Thursday night. I had a wonderful time and received some fantastic comments from audience members after the show. Also big thanks to those of you that tuned in to view the gig online and for your comments left variously on my website and Facebook. We had people from as far afield as New Jersey! And happy birthday to Lesley who was celebrating her 59th birthday that evening. Good to have you with us and glad you enjoyed the show. If you didn't manage to catch the show then fear not because in a few days time you'll be able to play it again from The Sands Venue website. I might take a look myself - it's not an ego thing, it's purely research! While I'm doing the thank yous, I'd also like to mention Luisa at The Sands Venue who made it possible to broadcast the event live, and Dan who was controlling sound on the night.

The performance was split into two halves with the first half dedicated to the music of the Great American Songbook and included works from writers such as Cole Porter, Duke Ellington, George and Ira Gershwin, and Hoagy Carmichael - as many as I could fit into one 45 minute spot! For the second set I chose songs from some of the great piano vocalists that have inspired me over the years, including Nat King Cole (my all time favourite!), Nina Simone, Ray Charles, Stevie Wonder, Elton John, and Billy Joel, picking things up as the night progressed until we were rocking and rolling with some Jerry Lee Lewis. The event was recorded for posterity so if you did tune in wherever you were when you were watching, that's where you'll be on the recording! We'll be releasing some of the best tracks in the not too distant future and also some footage of the event. Stay tuned for that.

On Sunday I returned to The Sands Venue to play the lunchtime spot and will be there again in two weeks time on the 31st of August. Coming up this week I'm taking the band down to London to play at a friend's weddings on Friday night then on Saturday (23rd August) I'm hot footing it back to Manchester to perform at Choice Bar and Restaurant.

Take care and bye for now,

Scott Bramley
www.scottbramley.co.uk

North of the Border

2008-08-11T18:58:00.008+01:00

Hello again. I left you on a cliffhanger last week (well, perhaps not as dramatic as that, but certainly dangling over the edge of a lofty pavement curb!) but before I fill you in I’d just like to mention and congratulate Amanda and Neil, now Mr. and Mrs. MacGregor, at whose wedding I played this weekend. I wish you all the best for your future lives together. A reminder to you all that this week on Thursday 14th August my trio is playing at The Sands Venue in Gainsborough. Now it would be great to see as many people there as possible but if you’re unable to make it then we’re broadcasting the gig live via the internet at www.the-sands.co.uk/streaming so tune in from 9pm if you can and check it out! I’ll also be there again on Sunday playing for Sunday lunch.

Edinburgh
I left you last week with me boarding a plane back to the UK in order to catch a train. I was travelling to Edinburgh for my friend's Stag weekend. We arrived as things were gearing up for the Edinburgh Fringe Festival and the place was a throng with people. We checked into our hostel and spent Friday afternoon and evening getting acquainted with the place - the bars mainly - and preparing ourselves for Saturday which was going to be the big day. In fact, the night ended too prematurely for my liking so I made a call at about 2am to catch up with an old friend of mine at a house party not too far away. It was 4am by the time I returned to a room of slumbering bodies.

The Stag
By Saturday everyone had arrived and we congregated by the Scott Monument just off Princes Street wearing our drinking hats to kick off proceedings. The best man welcomed everybody and set out the day for us, starting with the groom changing into a lovely little sailor's outfit. One of the funniest and most unexpected things happened at this moment. Bret, the groom, was challenged to down a drink within 5 seconds after which we were all instructed to run at him and tackle him to the floor. All of a sudden out of the crowd darted a young boy who, with great zeal, threw himself at Brett who had trouble trying to shake him from his leg, with a little help from the boy’s father. And so we hit the bars to play some pub bingo. We each had a bingo card which told us which drinks we were to buy in each place we visited. Along the way there were also various tasks to be completed, invariably Scottish related. They included such things as finding a girl called Heather and getting a photograph taken with her with proof of ID. Only one team managed this, and it must have been sheer fluke, because they walked into the nearest shop, walked up to the counter and asked: "Is Heather working today?". To their surprise the girl behind the counter answered: "Yes, she's upstairs, I'll just get her". Despite a few others trying this tactic none succeeded. Other things included finding the largest inflatable which was won with the help of a huge inflatable turtle called Terry who became a subsequent hindrance for the rest of the day. We all had a great time.

Up S#!t Creek (without a paddle.. or a boat)

On Sunday we set out early, in various states of hangover, en route for Perthshire and a date with some white water rafting on the River Tay. We pulled up in the car park, where we were to be met by the white water rafting company, and we waited. And waited. We waited there for more than an hour all the while frantic phone calls were being made to find out what on earth was going on, but to no avail. Terry the Turtle would have proven a mighty asset now! There'd been some huge cock up it turned out but we didn't let this dampen out spirits. As we'd been waiting someone had spotted a poster for a nearby fête. We jumped back onto the bus and made our way there. We were a little late for most of the festivities, having already missed the haggis throwing competition, and the Handsome hound event for which we'd been looking forward and so made do with a burger and an ice cream stood out in the drizzling rain while back in Edinburgh the festivities for the beginning of the festival were in full swing.

The Late, Late Show
Later that night we tried to make the most of what little time we had left and headed down to the Underbelly to take in a show. The festival was only just beginning and many shows were in previews which meant 2 tickets for the price of one. We decided to see John Pinette Spiegeltent The Late Show which featured Stephen Grant as a fantastically quick witted MC, Rob Deering who astounded us all with his guitar playing and use of looped pedals, and a very cool Reginald D. Hunter. to meet with some friends before deciding to take in in his show "I Say Nay Nay" in which he discussed hilariously the little things in life that cause him to lose his rag and focuses on issues like dieting and his aversion to exercise (he was quite a big bloke!). It was a very funny show. Afterwards a few of us headed over to the The show continued until almost 3am!!

After a short night’s sleep and a full Scottish breakfast that was about it for our time in Edinburgh.

Well that’s all from me. Like I said, it would be great to see as many people at our gig on Thursday as possible and if you can’t make it, please tune in!

Bye for now.

Scott Bramely
www.scottbramley.co.uk

Lost in France

2008-08-05T23:52:00.009+01:00

Honey, I’m home (!) and getting back into the swing of things, starting with a spot of blogging! Over the past week or so I’ve found myself both in rural France and in the hustle and bustle of the Edinburgh Fringe festival and have had a fantastic time in both cases. Let’s start in France...

I went to visit my brother, Peter, last week at his place in the south of France, a farm house near to a town called Villefranche-de-Rouergue. I arrived early Sunday evening, met by Peter and his partner Simon, at a tiny airport outside Rodez and was driven back to their house where we were met by two of their friends who were also visiting. Annie and David had been kind enough to prepare dinner. We ate outside under a sky so clear that you could see the satellites passing overhead. The only sounds were the cicadas and the very distant howl of a dog in some adjacent village. Speaking of dogs, my brother had his dog, Fergal, with him and although I’m not the biggest doggy person in the world I’ve taken to him quite fondly.

The next day, after a lazy morning spent sunning myself we all piled into the car and headed out to the nearby River Aveyron for a spot of kayaking. It was a beautifully hot and sunny day and I was glad for every little splash that I received as I paddled along. There were the occasional rapids but nothing too strenuous. We stopped for ice cream half way down the 10km run of the river next to a huge rock in which the more daring were jumping into the water below. I was quite happy with my Magnum! As the afternoon wore on the clouds began to gather overhead, growing darker and more menacing. Then there was lightning. It’s always fun to be in the water when thousands and thousands of volts of electricity are coursing through the air! With the end in sight, the heavens finally unleashed themselves upon us, which wasn’t so bad because the very last set of rapids had soaked us all through anyway.

That evening, as the storm continued to grumble overhead, we had dinner in a lovely little town called Najac, perched high in the hills, its main street running up to a lonesome partly ruined 13^th Century Château de Najac. As Fergal slept under the table we tucked into some fantastic food and wine. I had the lamb and it was so pink and succulent that my mouth is watering now just at the thought of it!

I spent the next day at the house. It’s an old farmhouse covered with green leaves. Dotted about are other buildings that are currently being converted from cow sheds and the like into bedrooms and living areas. I stayed in one of these that my brother likes to call the ‘wendy house’. That afternoon Peter and I took Fergal for a long walk through the countryside. It was so quiet, we only passed one car in about two hours. The storm that had lingered all night had cleared the air but as the sun grew hotter and broke through the cloud the air became thicker with moisture and heat. It seemed therefore a good idea to spend the rest of the day by the pool. Evening brought a new visitor, Dermott, and we all took to the gin before settling down for a fantastic meal of Boeuf En Daube or French beef stew prepared by Simon and accompanied by fresh bread and cheeses. Divine. And all washed down with wine and more wine.

It was more of a struggle to wake the next morning. Wine has never been my friend. I was taken to see the local town of Villefranche where I wandered up a cobbled street leading to a fortress-like church perched on top of the hill. This was my last day and after yet more fine food for lunch (including something called rillet which is kind of like a pate but more meaty and rich – I had to stop myself from eating the whole thing!) I said my goodbyes to Peter and Simon and set out with Dermott and David who were kind enough to offer to take me to the airport. On the way though there was still time to visit one last place. Conques is a village clinging to the side of a hill littered with little houses. At first glance I could swear I’d walked into a fairytale. Conques (along with Najac incidentally) is one of the 140 or so Plus Beaux Villages de France (The most beautiful villages of France. You’re not allowed to drive in Conques (unless you live there) so we parked up and made our way on foot up a cobbled street which led to the Sainte Foy Abbey Church sat at the very heart of the town. The temperature had climbed to 35˚C so I was glad of the shade that the church offered. There was an art display of various biblical scenes which I’ll confess I thought was hideous. Every character depicted looked like something from Edvard Munch’s ‘The Scream’! The stained glass windows were also an oddity. Designed by Pierre Soulages, at first sight we thought they were some temporary plastic covering or something, as they are white with black lines (which I thought was masking tape!). But be that as it may these windows are revered by many to be a masterpiece. The church itself is a popular stop off point for pilgrims on their way to Santiago de Compostella. We left the cool confines of the church to venture back into the heat of day and walk some more of the narrow medieval streets before taking a drink in one of the local pubs.

And that was pretty much it. My French trip was over - short and sweet. I had to jet back to the UK. I had a train to catch…

Scott Bramley
www.scottbramley.co.uk

Gone With The Wind

2008-07-21T19:22:00.007+01:00

It's been a beautiful day today, in stark contrast to this rather un-seasonal weather we've been having of late. I was playing at a private birthday barbecue on Saturday over on the Wirral and when I arrived they were setting up a marquee under which I was to play. The wind was blowing with such ferocity, however, that it wouldn't stay in place. Rather nervously I had to set up my equipment out in the open, all the while making mental plans for what to do should it start to rain (I'd neatly tucked all of my cables into the flight case which houses my mixing desk which meant just uncoupling a few things, picking it up and legging it inside; throwing my coat over my monitor and the piano bag over the piano as I went, then dashing back to grab the speakers). For two tense hours I watched the grey skies as the clouds rushed overhead. Then, just as I was about to start to play, the clouds disappeared and the sun burst forth. The wind was still blowing however and I spent most of the rest of the evening watching my speakers on top of their poles swaying in the breeze. That coupled with the sun in my eyes and the barbecue smoke blowing in my face left me with tears streaming. In the end, though, it was a great gig. It was just me and the piano, but even so I had people dancing by the end of the night, and I like to think that it wasn't just for the fact that they were trying to keep warm (it was actually so cold I could hardly feel my fingers)! British summer – you can’t beat it!

On Sunday I was back at The Sands Venue plying the Sunday lunch spot. I'll not be there for my regular slot in two weeks time as I'll be up in Edinburgh for a friend's stag do, so the next time that I'll be appearing there will be with my band on 14th August. This gig is going to be streaming live via the internet. Just go to www.the-sands.co.uk/streaming where you can check whether your computer is set up to watch the show and where you'll need to go to view it. It starts at 9pm. Or come along in person to support us. Tickets are available from The Sands Venue on 01427 811 118. This coming Saturday I’m at Choice Bar & Restaurant in Manchester, playing from 8.30pm.

If you're used to receiving these regular updates and notice that I'm missing next week then don't fret. I'm taking a little trip to the South of France to stay with my brother for a few days. A little bit of rest and recuperation before heading up to Edinburgh for untold debauchery. I will of course be back the following week to fill you in on the gory details. If you can't wait that long you can always follow me on twitter. Until then, or whenever, take care.

Scott Bramley
www.scottbramley.co.uk

Saturday Night's Alright For Fighting

2008-07-14T19:57:00.002+01:00

There really is only one thing for me to talk about this week (can you guess from the title of this post?) but before I do I'll just mention one of my own gigs. On Friday night I played at Choice Bar and Restaurant in Manchester for Brown Shipley & Co, a private banking firm. And what a night we had. There were times when I couldn't even here myself sing due to the sheer volume of singing from the rest of the room. It was a fantastic atmosphere, helped, only in some small part I'm sure, by the free bar! After 3 hours I was beat, but they persuaded me (in the only way that bankers can!) to play for another half an hour. Whooo! What a night! Thanks to Doug McCance who organized the event.

"Ladies and Gentlemen... Mr Elton John"

And so, to the main event. On Saturday evening, along with most of the rest of Doncaster, my house mate and I made our way to the Keepmoat Stadium to see Sir Elton John perform Live in concert as part of his Rocket Man tour. It was an absolutely phenomenal night, with hit after hit bursting forth from Elton and his fantastic band: Rocket Man, Tiny Dancer, Bennie And The Jets, Candle In The Wind, Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, Philadelphia Freedom, Saturday Night's Alright For Fighting, Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Me, and many, many more, culminating in an encore of Pinball Wizard and ending with Your Song. He played for nearly two and a half hours!! His band was so tight you could tell that most of these guys had been playing together since the 70s. And Elton himself was on fire both vocally and pianistically. I'm now very tempted to head on over to Manchester in December to see him in his Red Piano tour. A terrific evening of entertainment rounded off nicely with beers and pizza at my friend Leanne’s house!

And so back to this coming week and I'm playing for a private birthday BBQ on Saturday night over on the Wirral and Sunday afternoon sees me back at The Sands Venue for the Sunday lunch set. Just to keep you up to date, my gig at The Sands on Thursday 14th August is broadcasting LIVE via the internet. You can watch at www.the-sands.co.uk/streaming from 9pm. There is a small £2 fee for this. Let me know if you are tuning in so that I might give you a mention.

Take care and bye for now!

Scott Bramley
http://www.scottbramley.co.uk/

All that jazz

2008-07-07T19:20:00.004+01:00

So much for those lazy summer days that I was talking about last week. It’s the middle of July and yesterday I found myself at a charity cricket event, sheltering under a marquee away from the thunder storm that was raging overhead! I guess it has been Wimbledon these last few weeks so what else should I expect?! Now that it's over perhaps the good weather will return. Despite that though I've been having a great time gigging this week, performing at Choice Bar and Restaurant in Manchester on Saturday evening and The Sands Venue in Gainsborough for the Sunday lunchtime set. Don't forget that I'll be appearing at The Sands Venue for an evening show accompanied by my trio on Thursday 14th August. For those of you that can't make it we're streaming it live via the internet. I've still to confirm the website address you'll need for that but as soon as I know, you'll know.

On Friday night I decided to support our local Doncaster Youth Jazz Association in a concert that took place at Doncaster Minster Church of St George. It was a joint event celebrating 150 years since the Church was consecrated and the 35th year of the Doncaster Youth Jazz Association. The musicians of the Doncaster Jazz Orchestra were joined by special guest artists including Andy Vinter, who among other things plays piano with the BBC Big Band, and Dennis Rollins, award winning trombonist who has appeared with a whole host of artists and bands including Courtney Pine and Jamiroquai. Both players grew up in Doncaster and cut their teeth as members of the Doncaster Youth Jazz Association (as did I as it happens!). It was a fantastic evening of entertainment. Dennis gave us a beautiful rendition of ‘Someone To Watch Over Me’ from the brothers Gershwin. In contrast to some of the hot and raucous solos he played in many of the other pieces throughout the night with this he showed a much gentler side, proving that the trombone can be just as romantic as any other instrument. Andy Vinter performed his own composition 'One For Oscar' dedicated, of course, to the late Oscar Peterson and certainly has some of Peterson's touch, delivering rapid passages with such delicacy that he makes it sound easy (and believe me, it's not!). As well as solos we were treated to some outstanding big band ensemble playing. I particularly liked a piece called ‘Blues Für Elise’, very loosely based on the Beethoven's Für Elise (very loosely!) which filled the Minster to the rafters with such a huge and wonderful sound.

From one gig to another I'm getting so excited about seeing Sir Elton on Saturday. I just hope that the rain holds off because it's outdoors! I'll dig out my rain coat.

Bye for now.

Scott Bramley
www.scottbramley.co.uk

Let there be light

2008-06-30T19:31:00.004+01:00

It's a lazy summer's evening and I have Count Basie playing in the background. I'm feeling rather restful, which is just as well because I'm beat! The band and I were out late last night playing at a wedding just outside York. The gig itself was a blast and the dance floor full once a few had overcome their shyness. Getting people onto the dance floor is like enticing small, shy creatures out into the open, but as soon as one takes the bait the others begin to follow. Congratulations to Helen and Richard who have jetted off today on honeymoon to a secret location, undisclosed even to the bride! Before the gig however things were less than peachy. After a short stop at one of the service stations on the A1 North (just 2 or 3 minutes for a pack of chewing gum) we found that the boot of one of the cars had been forced open. In one sense we were lucky. None of the musical equipment had gone (otherwise it would have been gig over) but a laptop had been taken and one of our stage lights. Ironically we had only bought new lights the day before so it hadn't even been used!! If someone comes up to you in a pub and tries to sell you a laptop and barrel stage light let me know. The remaining lights that we did manage to try out looked fantastic!

On Saturday I was playing at Choice Bar and Restaurant in Manchester. The restaurant was full this week and we had more of a laid back atmosphere in the bar, as opposed to some of the frivolities of the previous weeks, which gave me the chance to play some of the ballads that I don't often get to perform. I'm there again this coming Saturday (5th July) and again the following Friday (11th July) when there will be a barbecue taking place.

I think that about drains my energies for today but before I go just a couple of things I heard this week that caught my attention. The first was featured on the Bob Harris Saturday show on Radio 2 which I was listening to as I drove home from Manchester. It was a song performed by Romi Mayes called ‘Angeline’ from her album ‘Sweet Somethin' Steady’. A beautiful song - I'm a sucker for the those finger picked country tunes. The other was on a film I was watching (Definitely, Maybe), later that same night, from the writers George and Ira Gershwin called ‘I've Got A Crush On You’. It's a fantastic tune that I've come across from time to time but never really paid much attention to. For one reason or another though this time it seemed to register with me. Perhaps I'll put it on my ever increasing to-do list!

I'm done. Bye for now.

Scott Bramley
www.scottbramley.co.uk

Just The Ticket

2008-06-23T19:14:00.004+01:00

Despite the less than clement weather we've been having of late it's been a good week in terms of gigs. On Saturday my band and I performed for a wedding which took place at Aston Hall near Sheffield. We started gently to ease the transition from the wedding breakfast into the reception then cranked it up to get the party started. It was fantastic to see so many people dancing and enjoying themselves. On Sunday I played the lunchtime set at The Sands Venue to a small but highly appreciative audience - it's quality not quantity! For the moment that's the last Sunday lunch that I have scheduled but I should be getting a new set of dates very soon, so watch this space.

This week I'm appearing at Choice Bar and Restaurant in Manchester on Saturday evening (28th June) from 8.30pm until 11pm. It's a fantastic venue and I always seem to have a good night when I perform there. That's followed by a private function in York on Sunday evening.

Just The Ticket

I opened my mail this morning to find my tickets to see Elton John when he performs here at the Doncaster’s Keepmoat Stadium next month. Really excited about that!! A few years ago I was backpacking in America and as I headed west I hit upon that oasis in the dessert, Las Vegas. Elton John was performing there at Caesar's Palace as part of his 'Red Piano' show. At the time I was travelling on a budget and I had to weigh up my options. I could either go to see Elton John or I could eat and sleep for a week. I opted for survival and chose the latter but I have always regretted not seeing him there, so when I heard he was bringing a tour to the UK and not only that but appearing in my home town I jumped at the chance. I'm really looking forward to it. Last week I also managed to get my hands on two tickets to Stevie Wonder's Manchester gig in September! The tickets went on sale at 9am and were already selling out by 9:30 (at least the ones that I could reasonably afford). Luckily I got in there quickly. Another show I'm really looking forward to.

Well that's all from me. I'm leaving it short and sweet today. I have a mass of arrangements to do and I want to get them finished by the end of the week. No rest for the wicked (do you like how I linked into last week's post)!

Bye for now.

Scott Bramley
www.scottbramley.co.uk

News Just In...

2008-06-16T19:43:00.005+01:00

This is news hot off the presses. I've just had a phone call from The Sands Venue where I'll be performing with my band on Thursday 14th August. I'm hoping to see as many people there as possible but for those who aren't able to attend (the only excuses I will accept are bereavement, natural disaster or if you have to cross more than three time zones) we'll be streaming the gig live across the internet. As I said this has only transpired in the last few minutes but as soon as I have more information (the URL and exactly how this is going to work) I'll let you know.

On Saturday I was playing at Choice Bar and Restaurant on Manchester's Castle Quay. It wasn't quite as wild as the last two times I've appeared there but that came as a pleasant change and I was able to perform some different material that I don't get chance to do when requests for ‘Piano Man’ and ‘Sweet Caroline’ are pouring in. If you were there on Saturday, thanks for listening!

Defying Gravity

In a previous post I already confessed to liking the occasional girly film so I guess I should also come clean about my love of musical theatre. And so on Sunday afternoon, as I prepared a father's day lunch (which by the way turned out beautifully!), I found myself listening to Elaine Paige's Radio 2 show. She was joined by special guest and Tony Award-winning actress Idina Menzel who won that award for her performance as Elphaba, the Wicked Witch of the West, in the Stephen Schwartz musical ‘Wicked’. If you don't know the show it's a prequel to ‘The Wizard of Oz’ set mainly before Dorothy's arrival in Oz, examining the relationship between Elphaba and Glinda, the Good Witch of the North. I'd seen Idina's performance myself as part of the original London cast at the Appollo Victoria Theatre where she absolutely brought the house down. On Sunday we were treated to two numbers from the show including the show-stopping finale to Act 1, 'Defying Gravity' and 'I'm Not That Girl' which is a sad and poignant song about unrequited love. Idina then went on to name her three 'essential musicals' which included 'RENT', her first professional theatre job and Broadway debut, and we heard 'Seasons Of Love' ("525, 600 Minutes"), as well as ‘Hair’ (another show she has starred in) and ‘Dreamgirls’, which she admitted was a show she always dreamed of performing in, were it not for the fact that she’s white! But then again, she was green in Wicked! I was happy to learn that Idina had started out as a wedding singing in her mid teens. So now I have a role model!! You can listen again to the interview at the BBC Radio 2 Website.

Anyway, that's about it for me. Next week I'm playing for a wedding on Saturday and then on Sunday I'll be back at The Sands Venue in Gainsborough. I hope to see some of you there.

Scott Bramley
http://www.scottbramley.co.uk/

It's ALIVE!

2008-06-09T21:33:00.003+01:00

If you’re in the UK, and particularly in the Yorkshire area, you’ll have to agree with me that it’s been a glorious day today. After a day of teaching I rewarded myself with a couple of pints in the beer garden of my local pub. In fact I’ve had a great weekend. On Saturday afternoon I performed at the Regent Hotel in Doncaster for the wedding of Clare and Andy Clairey. I’d like to wish you both all the best in your lives together. Following that I had to hot-foot it to Manchester’s Choice Bar and Restaurant in Manchester where I was playing that evening. I was privileged to meet some really great people, starting out with a lovely couple who were sat at the piano as I arrived. As they moved on to dine in the restaurant I was joined by two ladies from Glossop, one of whom was celebrating her birthday. And following the birthday theme, for the rest of the night I was surrounded by a posse out for a 40th birthday (Happy Birthday Julie!) who came to sit with me at the piano where we sang and danced the night away. It was a lot of fun! I’ll be performing again at Choice Bar and Restaurant this coming Saturday 14th June.

On Sunday afternoon I played for lunch at The Sands Venue in Gainsborough. There was a good turnout, helped in part by the Riverside Festival that was taking place in Gainsborough this weekend. Again, glorious sunshine and flocks of people on the streets of the town. I’m performing again at The Sands V enue in two weeks on the 22nd of June for Sunday lunch.

Following on from my chick flick soundtrack posting last week, I caught another film on Thursday evening whose soundtrack I have to mention because it rocks! It was the 2005 film ‘Elizabethtown’, starring Orlando Bloom who plays a shoe designer visiting his father's hometown in Kentucky in the days following his father's death, and Kirsten Dunst who plays a flight attendant whom he meets and (eventually) falls for along the way. The entire film is littered with fantastic bluesy, rocky, anthemic songs and is available to buy in two volumes. Perfect driving music (and if you haven’t seen the movie, check it out and you’ll see why).

That’s about it, except to say that as of Thursday last my new website is LIVE! We’ll be tweaking things here and there over the next few weeks, but please take a few moments to check it out and let me know what you think. You can leave a message in the guestbook and if you haven’t already make sure you sign up to this blog, or to the mailing list.

Until next time, take care.

Scott Bramley
http://www.scottbramley.co.uk/

I have a confession...

2008-06-02T23:56:00.004+01:00

Only three more days to go before the new website is launched and behind the scenes there is frantic scrabbling to get everything together in time. Fingers crossed, everything should be up and running by Thursday (which incidentally is my birthday!). Looking ahead to the weekend I’m playing a wedding here in Doncaster on Saturday afternoon then hot footing it over to Manchester to perform at Choice Bar and Restaurant that same evening. That is followed on Sunday with a lunch time set at The Sands Venue in Gainsborough. Which reminds me, with just over a month to go before I’m performing there with my band (Thursday 14th August) make sure to book tickets from The Sands on 01427 811118 or through their website at http://www.the-sands.co.uk/. To keep up to date with what’s going on be sure to subscribe to this blog to receive news, updates and my musings delivered directly to your feed reader.

This Weeks Music

A few things have caught my attention this week in the world of music and I’d like to share some of them with you. Last Wednesday I was out and about dropping off flyers at various establishments around Doncaster, listening to Steve Wright on Radio 2 and he played a song by Nick Cave performed with Kylie Minogue called ‘Where the Wild Roses Grow’. Steve commented that they should have chosen a song that was in their range, and granted, it was kind of low, but I really liked it. It was certainly different from what you’d expect from Kylie. Take a listen. It’s very dark. But then I like dark! Another song that I keep hearing is ‘Take A Bow’ from Rihanna (it must be on the playlist). Her earlier song ‘Umbrella’ always grated on me to be fair but this one I really like. Her singing really conveys the bitterness in the song.

On Saturday evening I caught part of ‘An Audience With Neil Diamond’ on ITV. I don’t tend to like these ‘Audience With...’ shows - they’re always appear to me to be very sterile and set up, and this was no exception, but Neil Diamond himself was awesome. He performed material from his new album, Home Before Midnight, including ‘Pretty Amazing Grace’ as well as some of his well know hits such as ‘I am...I Said’, a story about a frog who wants to be a king! I ended up turning that off to watch a fantastic documentary about the Apollo moon landings called ‘In The Shadow Of The Moon’ directed by Ron Howard. The only speaking roles in the movie are those of the former astronauts, with occasional supplementary information presented on screen with text. But it’s the previously unreleased archive footage that really blows you away.

Chick Flicks

And so to my confession. When blogging it’s always best to be honest, so I’ll be honest with you. Every now and again, when nobody is around, and I’m in the house on my own of an evening I like to watch a good chick flick as much as the next girl! I know, it’s not very manly (should I not mention the fact that for my birthday I’m going to watch Sex And The City with my mother and sister!). During the course of the weekend I caught a couple of films of this ilk. One of them was The Girl Next Door staring Elisha Cuthbert of 24 fame. I’ve seen the movie a few times and I enjoyed watching it again, and not just because she was in it! Anyway, the reason I bring it up is because it reminded me of a song I hadn’t heard or played in a while. It’s at a point in the film when the two lead characters kiss for the first time and David Gray’s ‘This Years Love’ starts to play (it’s a moment almost but not quite as good as Wicker Park when Coldplay’s ‘The Scientist’ kicks in as the two romantic leads collapse into each others arms at the end of the film). The other film I caught on Sunday was Sleepless In Seattle and I’d forgotten what a wonderful soundtrack that film had with songs including ‘A Wink and A Smile’ from Harry Connick, Jr., and Jimmy Durante singing ‘Make Someone Happy’.

And finally, I suggest you check out Elbow whose single ‘One Day Like This’ is doing the rounds at the moment.

That’s all from me. Don’t forget to check out the new website from Thursday at http://www.scottbramley.co.uk/.

Scott Bramley

The best-laid plans of mice and men...

2008-05-27T23:50:00.003+01:00

I’ve had a couple of great gigs this week, starting Tuesday with a private birthday party in Cheshire for the Hicksons. It was a lovely place set away from it all - I had to follow a little track and battle past a couple of tractors before reaching the converted farm building. I met some splendid people, some of which, by the end of the evening, I had coaxed into singing along with me. On Saturday night I played at Choice Bar and Restaurant in Manchester which, from the outset, was a lively evening. I was joined by a group of 23 year old lads out for a birthday celebration. As the night wore on and the drinks flowed, the requests started to pour in. It was a really good party atmosphere. Thanks guys!

Which brings me to the plan I mentioned in the title. The plan for today was to take myself and the band into the studio to record some new tracks to feature on my new website, soon to be launched. Until Sunday all was set. The band and I had had our final rehearsal for some last minute tweaks and decided upon what we were going to lay down. The sound engineers were excited about which microphones they were going to use, explaining to me how this particular one was going to make my voice sound amazing and the like (you know how excited they get!). We were psyched. On Sunday, however, I happened to mention the fact that I was recording to another of the staff there with a high spirited excitement. She looked at me strangely.

“This Tuesday?” she asked.
“Yes, this Tuesday” I replied, detecting an air of trouble brewing.
“But we’ve got the builders in from Tuesday to Thursday”.

My face dropped. After a few frantic phone calls it turned out that she was correct. Nobody had thought to tell the sound guys about it! I was so annoyed! I was really looking forward to getting some new material recorded. We only had this week with it being a school holiday because my drummer is a peripatetic instrumental teacher in schools. So now it remains to be seen when I’ll be able to reschedule. Hopefully it won’t be too long. As for the website itself, it is still under construction, getting ever nearer going live. I’ve suggested to my web guys that they aim to have it done for June 5th as that will be my birthday. After all, I should get what I want on my own birthday!

So, as the light fades on what has been a rather cold, grey and dismal spring day, I shall bid you adieu.

Scott Bramley
www.scottbramley.co.uk

New Website Coming Soon!

2008-05-19T19:07:00.004+01:00

Hi there!

Looking ahead over the coming week I'm playing for a private party on Tuesday 19th May in Cheshire then I'll be appearing at Choice Bar and Restaurant in Manchester on Saturday night (24th May) and at The Sands Venue, Gainsborough, to play for Sunday Lunch on the 25th. I hope to see you there! Also be on the look out for my new website which has been slowly taking shape behind the scenes these past few weeks. I'd like to thank those involved for all of their hard work, including James Mulkeen, Ben Chadwick and Rob Yorke (who has been finding time between work and a newborn baby to build the site for me). It's nearly there and I'm excited to see it coming together. In addition to that I'll be recording some new tracks with my trio in the next few weeks which you'll be able to hear exclusively on the new website. It's been nearly three years since my last recording so I figure it's about time for something new!

Creatively it's been a productive week, after a spell where, for one reason or another, I haven't written much. Early last week I added to or finished off some threads of ideas I'd started already including a poem about the legendary Antarctic explorer Captain Oates. The idea to do so had popped into my head a while ago and I'd jotted down a few ideas based around his immortal words: "I am just going outside and may be some time". This week, however, I finally got around to putting it together. On Friday I took myself to our local Waterstones bookshop in which there is located a Costa coffee place. I find that walking is the best way for me to mull things over and come up with ideas and given some time to muse with a coffee allows me to cement those ideas and jot a few things down. I had some thoughts about friendship, the different people I've met over the years and how friends and the bonds that are created can become scattered in the course of things. Just thoughts as yet but I'll see what comes of it.

That's all from me for now. Hopefully the new site will be up and running by the next time you hear from me. Until then, take care.

Scott Bramley
www.scottbramley.co.uk

Summer Sun and Wyclef Jean

2008-05-12T21:27:00.006+01:00

Hi there,

It's been a wonderfully gorgeous week which has brought with it a few unforeseen consequences. On Saturday I was playing at Choice Bar And Restaurant in Manchester and the joint was heaving. It really felt like the first day of summer, with swarms of people sat outside on the canal side. In fact there were so many people that the bar ran out of draught beer (I'm assured that they'll be plenty of beer on tap in the future!). As a contrast however, with such a scorching day on Sunday and people taking to their gardens for barbecues and the like, Sunday lunch at The Sands Venue in Gainsborough was a little thin on the ground. It's amazing what a change in weather can do! I've just had the next batch of dates by the way from Choice Bar And Restaurant so check out my calendar to see when I'm performing. The next gig I'm playing there will be the 24th of May and again I’ll be at The Sands Venue the following Sunday lunch time.

I thought I'd let you all in on a couple of things I've been listening to these past weeks. On Tuesday I caught the tail end of Later with Jools Holland. Among others it featured Glaswegian rockers the Frattellis, along with country legend Emmy Lou Harris, but I particularly enjoyed the performance from Robert Plant and Alison Krauss who were playing songs from the album they released last year together, 'Raising Sand'. To say that one is from rock stock and the other a bluegrass background the pair make a delightful sound. It's country, bluesy, slightly rocky. I guess I shouldn't try to put it in a box.

On the drive over to Manchester on Saturday I listened to a programme on Radio 2 that at first I thought wouldn't interest me in the slightest. It was a feature on the singer, rapper, musician, composer, award winning producer and former member of the Fugees, Wyclef Jean, and was hosted by conductor and presenter Charles Hazlewood. I found myself totally wrapped up in everything they had to say. The pair met in New York in Wyclef's studio, Platinum Sounds for what sounded like an informal chat. Brought up in Haiti and absorbing the local sounds and beats, some of his earliest musical experiences were in church where the kids would take popular music and adapt them to a religious context. The two talked about some of Wyclef's songs, examining their instrumentation, chords, and production. There's a great version of the traditional Cuban tune, 'Guanatanamera', which takes on quite a dark feeling set in a minor key. Another of his songs, 'Gone 'Till November', follows the story of a drug runner that has to leave his girlfriend behind to make another run. The chords for the verse consisting of just E minor/E major really build up the tension, holding it back until finally the chorus comes with an A major and .... ah, relief. There was an interesting version of 'The Gambler' featuring Kenny Rogers and probably my favourite was 'Fast Car', a collaboration with Paul Simon. If you haven't heard any of Wyclef Jean, or, perhaps like me, you think it might not be for you, I'd urge you to take another listen... and really listen.

That's all from me. Let's hope for another great week and I'll see you around.

Scott Bramley
http://www.scottbramley.co.uk/

Barcelona - such a beautiful horizon

2008-05-05T20:18:00.004+01:00

Parc Güell - Barcelona
Originally uploaded by Mor (bcnbits)

..so the song goes.

I hope you've all been enjoying this glorious day. It would appear that summer is almost here. First of all I'd like to congratulate both couples whose weddings I played for this weekend: Martin and Diane; Anthony and Julie. I wish you all the best in your future lives together. Looking ahead to the weekend I'll be appearing at Choice Bar and Restaurant in Manchester on Saturday evening then on Sunday afternoon I'll be at The Sands Venue in Gainsborough. I hope to see you there.

My apologies that I wasn't able to write last week. It was my dad's 65th birthday and the family decided to take a little trip to Barcelona to celebrate. It was my second visit to Barcelona but the first time around I'd only seen the airport so this time around I was determined to make the most of it.

After almost missing our plane at Stansted (and not because we were late arriving – we were actually early, but totally lost track of the time) we arrived Tuesday afternoon into Girona airport and took the bus into Barcelona. On our arrival I asked the driver in my best broken Catalan (which I'd been swatting up on during the journey) for directions to the nearest Metro station. I had no clue what he was saying to me but he was gesturing in a certain direction so I followed that which turned out to be the right way. Once we'd found out hotel and checked in we hit the streets, wandering over towards La Rambla, the iconic hub of Barcelona. It was quite a way on foot but gave us the opportunity to gain our bearings.

That night we found a restaurant called Sempreviva in the Barceloneta district down by the waterfront, where I asked the waiter what he recommended. He suggested a seafood combo. I was in the mood for seafood so I took his advice. When it arrived it was the biggest plate of food I've seen - half the ocean was piled onto a huge silver serving plate: clams, mussels, razor shells, cuttlefish, crayfish, prawns, as well as various other fish. It was a feast and one which I was only too happy to wade through.

Wednesday was my dad's birthday so I'd planned a few things to see, starting with a trip to the beach for some morning refreshments. We walked all the way along the beach then back inland to find Santa Maria Del Mar stopping at the nearby Catalina II tapas bar for lunch. From there we visited Gaudi's Sagrada Familia, a massive cathedral that has been under construction since 1882 and is due to be completed in 2026. Commenting on the length of the project, Gaudí is said to have remarked, "My client is not in a hurry." Our afternoon was spent hiking up to another of Gaudi's creations, Parc Güell, which sits high above the city on the hill of el carmel looking out over the sprawl.

For dinner we decided to head back to the area around Santa Maria Del Mar. It was absolutely heaving because, as we later found out, the following day was the May Day bank holiday so everybody was out making the most of it. Many of the restaurants were packed full with people waiting outside for tables. So we found a suitably packed establishment, La Taverna Del Born, and waited for 30 minutes by which time my dad was becoming increasingly agitated, never the patient type when it comes to food. But it was certainly worth waiting for. Fantastic tapas! In fact we visited there again the next afternoon, and again it was full, both inside and out this time.

So apart from a small incident involving my dad being pick pocketed…twice (luckily all they got was a metro ticket!) and having to pay £24 for four drinks (never, ever sit down at a restaurant on La Rambla!) all in all we had a terrific time in Barcelona! I hope that has filled you in as to my whereabouts this past week. I'll be back here soon with more musings!

Scott Bramley
www.scottbramley.co.uk

Hello Young Lovers

2008-04-22T22:13:00.002+01:00

Just Love
Originally uploaded by Jeff Bauche._.·´¯)

Good evening world.

First of all I'd like to congratulate my friend and webmaster, Rob Yorke, on the birth of his first child, Lewis Samuel Yorke, who was born yesterday. Mother and baby are doing well. We're in the middle of rebuilding my website which I was hoping would be going up very soon but with this news I’m guessing it might take a little bit longer! Still, watch this space!

First Steps

On Saturday evening I was playing at Choice Bar and Restaurant in Manchester. The evening started quietly and I was all but playing to myself but about half way through my first set the place started to fill up and it turned into a very lively and enjoyable night. For most of the evening I had a young couple sitting with me at the piano bar. The girl every now and again would join in with some of the songs that she liked (Stardust was a favourite). She had a good voice. At the end of the night I was sat chatting with them, asking them how their meal was, finding out a little bit more about them, and I asked how they had got together. It turned out that they were on their very first date! At which point I excused myself politely to leave them to it. Driving home the thought crossed my mind that if all went well and these two started seeing each other, perhaps down the line they might get married, have children. Who knows?! But if they did, wouldn’t it be great to know that I played a small part in the beginning of their story together. That thought kept me smiling the whole way home. Of course if they don’t I take no responsibility!

Born To Run

On the way to the gig Saturday night I was listening to the first of a series of Radio 2 programmes called ‘Icons Revisited’ hosted by Johnnie Walker which began with a look at the life and career of Bruce Springsteen. With the vast amount of music out there I find that sometimes there are things that I miss. That’s the case with me and Bruce Springsteen. I knew the name, I had friends that raved about him, and during my time in America the amount of times I got asked to play his stuff. Yet still I never got into it. Sometimes I guess you just need time to digest these things and Saturday night I had a full hour to do so. Now I’m a believer!! To Quote Springsteen’s future manager/producer Jon Landau: “I’ve seen rock and roll future and it’s name is Bruce Springsteen”. It was a great programme and you can still catch it on the play again feature. In the weeks to come we’ll be hearing from more American greats including Joni Mitchell, Elvis Presley and Buddy Holly. The series ends with a selection of five British icons, including Cliff Richard, Elton John and Dusty Springfield.

That’s about all I had to say this evening. Both my gigs this weekend are private affairs so unfortunately I can’t invite you along I’m afraid, and it will be the same the week after but I will keep you up to date with the things as and when.

Bye for now!

Scott Bramley
www.scottbramley.co.uk

Buddhist Fundamentalist

2008-04-14T22:20:00.004+01:00

I've just broken away from a song writing session with my housemate, and now songwriting collaborator, Matthew Cayton. You may be wondering what the picture is about. Well, a couple of weeks ago I was reading a book which outlined the basics of the Dhammapada - the Buddha's teachings. I'm really into all of this spiritual self improvement stuff. In summing up the book talked about how Buddhism is currently quite fashionable "...[coming] with the least baggage of the world religions and an inbuilt resistance to zealotry". Then there was a line that jumped out at me: "you don't often hear of Buddhist fundamentalists". And that started me thinking. What if there was a Buddhist fundamentalist. What would he do? What would his aims be? I mentioned this to my housemate, Matthew, and we've both been thinking of ideas. Finally tonight we've sat down and churned them into something of a song. Just to give you an idea:

"Gonna get your mind in an enlightened state,

Gonna hold you all hostage, gonna meditate"

You get the picture!!

So, what else is happening at the moment. I played Sunday at The Sands Venue in Gainsborough for Sunday lunch. It's always a pleasant gig, and not only because I get my Sunday lunch thrown in - quite literally singing for my super. In a previous post I mentioned the Neil Cowley Trio who I'd seen perform on Jools Holland's 'Later'. They'd been on at The Sands the night before, playing that very same piano! I'm honoured! And this afternoon Matthew came home and said: "I've got some really cool jazz for you to listen to". He put on the Neil Cowley Trio! I caught a little bit of Later on Tuesday evening and heard the beautiful Oscar winning song from The Frames front man Glen Hansard and Czech vocalist pianist Marketa Irglova 'Falling Slowly' from the hit movie 'Once'. He also had the band Goldfrapp on the show. They're interesting aren't they?! I like the music. I didn't realise I knew any of their stuff but I recognised some - they describe it as "folk-tronic" and their outfits are something else.

Something From Nothing

One last thought I had during the week. It was like a light switching on in my brain. It suddenly dawned on me how amazing it is to be a musician. Whether you're playing your own stuff, or somebody else's. Something you've written or perhaps something that was penned 400 years ago. You sit or stand (however you want) in a room and from still and silent air you can produce music - wonderful, melodious music. You can play on your own or with others to create a huge cacophony of sound. To be able to make something from nothing is truly awesome and that fact has only really just dawned on me. It's taken nearly 18 years of playing but I've never been the fastest to cotton on! Ooh, that was deep. I must have soaked up some of those Buddhist teachings!

Just a reminder, I'll be playing this coming Saturday at Choice Bar And Restaurant in Manchester so hope to see you there if you're in the neighbourhood!

Scott Bramley

http://www.scottbramley.co.uk/

Tea, cakes, and rock and roll

2008-04-07T21:22:00.007+01:00

Evening all!

I'm two hours into an arrangement of All Night Long by Lionel Richie and I thought it best to break away (if you know the song it was getting to the middle section in Spanish and my mind can't cope with other languages at this late hour!). If you've read my last couple of posts I was doing my best to share some of the information that I'd gleaned from the seminars that I'd attended recently. Now that I've got that out of the way it's back to me and my musings!

I don't think I've mentioned it but I'll be playing at The Sands Venue now every other Sunday during lunch time starting this Sunday 13th April (except 27th April because I'm already booked). Still no news of any support slots but I'll keep you posted. Looking slightly further ahead I'll be taking my trio to The Sands Venue on 14th August this year for an evening of music from the Great American Songbook and rounding off with my tribute to the great piano vocalists. I hope to see some of you there. You've got plenty of warning!

Soundtracks Of My Life

There are certain songs that can transport you in an instant back to places and moments in time? They form the soundtrack to your life. One such song I first heard on the film Wicker Park which I was watching again late last Tuesday night. If you don't know the film I don't want to spoil it for you so I won't go into specifics but in the final scene the piano kicks in and my eyes well up. The song is 'The Scientist' from Coldplay, and for me, apart from reminding me of that film (which is well worth watching) it always reminds me of the time I was sat at the piano with a very dear friend of mine attempting to sing through floods of tears. It's definitely part of the soundtrack of my life. What songs make up the soundtrack to your life?

Whenever I get the chance I like to catch Jools Holland's show 'Later' on the BBC. James Taylor was one of the big draws for me this week. With stripped down arrangements, accompanied by piano and accompanying himself on guitar, he sang Copper Line and Sweet Baby James. I absolutely love that acoustic sound. It's very American. Sometimes I think I might be living in the wrong place, what with my penchant for country music! Brits Award winner Adele was also featured, her second appearance on the show. I'll be honest, I had rather a negative impression of her before this. I think it stems from an early interview I'd heard in which she hadn’t come across very well. In fact when Jools was interviewing her she seemed ill at ease. As I listened to her performance however I was forced to change my mind. Great songs and a powerful voice. At the top of the charts and headlining this week was Estelle. She had a fantastic band and I have to mention the backing singers who made it for me. It was their dancing - they had something of the Temptations or Four Tops about them. I was mesmerized! Finally, something really interesting from the Neil Cowley Trio. Somewhere between jazz, classical and funk it was a powerful performance with surprising turns and time changes and three guys that looked to be thoroughly enjoying themselves.

I spent the weekend near Newcastle visiting Kevin, a friend of mine who I'd lived with in university. On the way I was listening to Jonathan Ross who had a live session from Scouting For Girls. I'd only heard bits and pieces from this band but I'll definitely be listening out for them from now on. Fantastic stripped down versions of some of their hits.

Very Rock and Roll!

I feel that I must share with you something from this weekend to demonstrate the kind of rock and roll lifestyle that I lead. Kevin and I spent Saturday afternoon in the local pub. The Grand National was on so there was a good atmosphere and the drinks were flowing. Yes, really flowing! The plan as far as there was any plan was to have a few drinks there then continue on into Newcastle for the evening. It got to around 7pm (6 or 7 pints later) and we decided to head back for something to eat before regrouping. I also have to add that it doesn't matter how drunk Kevin gets he still manages to rustle up something special, although I can't really remember what it was! With dinner taken care of we thought we'd relax a little bit before heading out, settling down in front of the TV watching Team America. That was at about 8pm. When we woke up it was 12:30!! Our big night out had turned into the earliest night I've had since I was about eight years old! I lead such a rock 'n' roll lifestyle!

Northern Angel

As I was journeying between here and Newcastle I passed the Angel Of The North which reminded me that I'd started writing a song about it. I'd been listening to the David Jacobs collection on Radio 2 one Sunday evening a few weeks ago and he'd played a version of ‘Corcovado’ (or 'Quiet Nights Of Quiet Stars') from Antonio Carlos Jobim. The song is written about the mountain overlooking Rio De Janeiro where stands the giant statue of "Christ the Redeemer". David Jacobs compared this to Angel Of The North and asked if there were any songs written about it. I didn't know of any so I thought I'd try to cook up something myself. These are the first draft of lyrics for some verses I came up with:

Angel under Northern skies
With each sunrise
You stand and stare;
Through wind and rain you stand alone,
Your thoughts unknown,
You go nowhere.

With outstretched wings you welcome all
They look so small
As they drive by
And stare at you with wide-eyed awe
Standing tall
Where eagles fly.

Deep below, two hundred years,
Blood, sweat and tears
Down in the mine
Above it all from dark to light
The Angel’s flight
Stands as a shrine.

I'll try to record it for next week to see what you think.

That's all from me. As always, it's supper time and I have a couple of slices of cheese on toast with my name on them! And it's nearly midnight. That's about four hours past my bedtime!!

Scott Bramley
http://www.scottbramley.co.uk/

DIY Music

2008-03-31T21:14:00.007+01:00

Good evening and welcome to another installment of me!

First of all, a quick word about this weekend. On Friday night I played in Rufford, just outside of Southport at a lovely place called the Rufford Arms. It was my first time there but hopefully I'll be back at some point in the future. Thanks to those of you that stuck around and paid me such nice compliments. And on Saturday I was playing closer to home for a wedding taking place at Owston Hall here in Doncaster. I started the day playing some easy listening music during the meal and was joined later by my trio for some swing tunes and then into the party stuff. Great venue, fine people, good music (or so I'm told!). All in all a fantastic day. My best wishes go out to the bride and groom.

I've got a week or two off at the moment. Unplanned but not unwelcome. I haven't had a weekend off since I don't know when. I'm heading up to Newcastle for some fun and frolics with at least one of my old housemates from university this weekend (and some more if I can twist their arms into it!). It will also give me some more time to write which I'm still working on. It now looks as though I'll be playing every other Sunday at The Sands Venue in Gainsborough so hopefully see some of you there. These dates will be put up as soon as that is confirmed.

I hadn't forgotten that I was going to share some more of the information I'd gleaned from the Doncaster Music Week seminars. I just didn't have the time this week preparing for the weekend and on top of that I took a little trip to London for a couple of days. There are now podcasts available from the Higher Rhythm website if you want to take a listen for yourself. Or you can share my notes here. There was a lot of information covered so I’ve jotted down the main topics and some websites that might prove useful.

DIY Music

There are some big advantages in doing things yourself and that was the subject covered by the DIY panel, hosted by Pat Fulgoni (Chocolate Fireguard Records), Pete Jenkinson (Music Is Ours - record label consultant), Roo Pigott (Jenral - publishing and management) plus Ditch GBH and DawnyVic from the band Scarlet BLONDE.

Digital Aggregators

If you're still selling CDs you can of course sell them from your website, your MySpace page, a label site if you have one, plus other places such as Amazon or CD Baby. But if you're looking to put them into shops there are other costs involved. For a start the shops are going to mark them up and you'll be charged for holding stock and sending any remaining stock back. By the end of it all you're looking at £2.50 to £3.00 profit per CD. With digital downloads however there's none of that. Instead you’re aiming at getting your tunes into the hands of a digital aggregator which will distribute your music to various digital shop fronts (e.g. iTunes, Napster, etc.) The Orchard (see my previous post) was the first to do this and is one of the largest but there are others such as INgrooves, IndieStore, and EmuBands. You could always look on iTunes and find out which artists are using which aggregators.

What will you need?

Meta Data - title, artist, length, rights, etc
Image (pack shot) - 800x800 pixels square
Audio - mastered wav. file

THEN

Get in touch with an aggregator. Typical charges for such services are £30 for a single to place it in 7-8 digital stores, and £75 for an album.

PR is Important

Once you've got your music out there it's still important to promote it and there are a number of ways to do this. You can use the P2P networks to your advantage as a marketing tool. MusicGlue will distribute your music for free but as it does so it will collect data such as email addresses and locations. You can put out press releases on various sites, blogs, etc. Green Dragon Media will build you an e-press kit then send it out to more than 1500 other music resources and with a 10% strike rate that's a lot of people and more cost effective than paying an Indie plugger £2000 a month. You can also try radio DJs. Steve Lamacq plays everything!

Compilation CDs

Another avenue is to get yourself on a compilation CD. Some charge hideous amounts of money so be careful. Adam Lewis of the Planetary Group in Boston will put your track onto a compilation for $200 then send that out to 1500 'tastemakers'. On top of that they have more than 30,000 people signed up to their site. That’s lots of ears!

Publishing

A vitally important area of revenue, publishing is your income and pension. I was told to look for Ann Harrison's book "Music Business And The Law" but I couldn't find it anywhere. Perhaps if you have better luck you can let me know! First of all join the PRS as a writer. There is a £100 fee for this but once you've signed up you'll be paid every time you perform your own songs as long as you keep track of where and when you play them and provide a set list. Under the pub and club scheme you can claim after 10 gigs. When it comes to publishing companies, don't be too eager to sign away your copyright to the first publisher that comes along. It might be tempting if you're offered a huge cheque but once it's gone it's gone. On the other hand a publishing company should work to sell your music. There are admin deals out there where you get to hang on to your ownership, keeping 100% of the rights and the publishing company only takes 15% of whatever it makes for you which seems more sensible to me.

Starting a record label

Are you looking to be signed by a record label? Why not start your own?! Sometimes it's easier to promote yourself and put things out there if you're a record label (even if it is your band you're promoting). When you set up a label you can join the PPL - all you need is a label name, a bank account and some music to promote (yours!). Some of the panel suggested that they are taken more seriously as a record label than if they were just a band member. As far as overseas distribution goes, it was suggested that you find passionate people in other countries and select one label in each territory to work it.

Funding

A few ideas for funding were put forward. Inspiral is a creative and digital agency aiming money at various causes. If you are set up as a label you can access the PRS Foundation which can give you cash for gigs, concerts and festivals as well as offering specific packages for taking your band abroad for example. The DCMS money map shows where money is coming into the music industry and offers specific grants. Of course there's always the day job!

Mastering

Mastering is the final polish of your demo. AudioMaster charges £130 per album. It's always best to sit in but they will charge more. Take a look at your favourite CDs to find out who has mastered them. A cheaper alternative is to ask students studying music technology to have a go or use an American mastering place because of the great exchange rate we've got currently. With everything you do, set a deadline or you could end up tweaking it to death.

Sync

Sync or Synchronization rights come into play when your music is used on TV, ads, films, etc. The general consensus is not to pay upfront fees. You'll need both the physical rights for the master and the publishing rights to do this which is why it's handy to hang on to both so you're not having to go between companies to sort it out (traditionally the label and the publisher). If you're going the DIY route this is a lot easier. The Association for Independent Music publishes an e-guide to Sync for £40. Rates can vary from a few quid for a computer game to £20,000/30,000/40,000 per side.

Well there's another long post but I hope somebody out there in the vast nether regions of the internet has learned something from it. I know I have. That’s all for now. Catch you later!

Scott Bramley

The Album Is Dead!

2008-03-24T21:12:00.004Z

So says Scott Cohen, founder and Vice President of The Orchard, the world's first and leading digital music distributor, in a presentation given as part of Doncaster Music Week. This series of seminars and events, hosted by Higher Rhythm recording studio in association with Success Doncaster, has been taking place at various venues around the town over the last week, with hints and tips about how to get ahead in today's changing music industry.

I'm currently soaking up as much information as possible so I was there at every opportunity frantically scribbling notes which I thought I'd pass on to anybody out there that might be interested, and also to any of those that did attend but perhaps didn't manage to get everything, or indeed anything down! I was astonished to see that there were was only one other person taking notes and some of this stuff was pure gold! There were a number of presentations covering management, sponsorship, DIY music, with far too much information to tackle in one sitting so I intend to write a couple of extra blogs over the next week or two to get that information out there.

The Future Of Music Sales

Scott Cohen led Friday's session on selling music and maximizing your profile in today's changing industry. First of all there are some things that haven't changed:

Radio
TV
Live
Press

These are all building blocks at the disposal of artists and musicians. Even those just starting out (like me!) can tap into local radio stations, create music videos or get themselves on local TV and in local press listings. On top of all this there is digital.

Cohen describes a number of paradigm shifts that have taken place in the digital realm:

Space shifting - we want our information/music wherever we are.
Time shifting - to be able to get hold of a certain movie, piece of music whenever we want. Why in the UK should we have to wait for months to get our hands on a new DVD box set when it's on release in the US?
Shape Shifting - a desire to change. Consumers are changing the shape of media, even creating it themselves with vehicles such as YouTube (Scott gave a great example of a trailer for The Shining recut as a romantic comedy!).
Speed shifting - content creation to content consumption. It's been two years since ColdPlay's last album release. Do fans really want to wait that long? There's this thinking that you need to hold back material to create an album, but is that really the best approach?
Price shifting - cost of digital = ZERO. If you buy a Guardian newspaper, say, it's going to cost what? 25p? The Guardian (and nearly every other news publication) has an online newspaper which is better than the physical newspaper with more content and up to the minute news, but they can't sell it. Nobody will buy it because they can get their news somewhere else for free.
Power shifting - the customer has the power.

At the moment of course, we're in sort of a cross over period, where you can still get away with charging for digital downloads but as Cohen points out, if you know where you're going to be in the future why not start there! At this point there was a question raised about whether giving your music away devalues it to which he had a very philosophical reply. The industry has put a value on each track of 99cents or 70p (there and there abouts) but is that really what your music, your passion, your life is worth? You can pay to go the Louvre to look at the Mona Lisa but you don't own it, you can't buy it. It's priceless. Music is priceless so why put such a nominal value on it?

From this rather theoretical stand point, he then went in to some definite steps that you can take right away.

Build a community

There are a whole host of social networking sites out there, including MySpace, Bebo, Facebook, etc. There are two components to this:

1. Behind the scenes
X Factor and Pop Idol are good examples of community. Members of the community see their idol as a star where perhaps non-members have a different attitude: "it's this sort of thing that's ruining the music industry" they might say. But the members have an emotional connection; they've followed these people from their first audition, through each round with all the trials and tribulations that go with it. They've seen them laugh and cry and in the end they've grown attached to the person before a song is even recorded, never mind released. Of course when it is released everybody who has been following the show rushes out to buy it.

2. Ability to influence/impact outcome
Of course the audience hasn't just been following the show they've voted for the winner - they have affected the outcome. Now imagine if this show wasn't a series but rather a one off special - half an hour where Simon Cowell announces to the world that over the last few weeks and months he's been auditioning people, whittling them down and has finally found the next big star. They perform their song and then you're expected to go out and buy it. You wouldn't be in so much of a hurry would you? But isn't that how the music industry has worked up until now? They miss out the first part and voila! a brand new band with a new CD. Go buy it!
Cohen put forward his MySpace top ten list (which applies to any other community site):

Cohen put forward his MySpace top ten list (which applies to any other community site):

1. Not a website - last century
It's not just for photos, bios and tour dates. It's about building community and interacting.

2. MTV - "I'm not an actor"
When the music video arrived this was the attitude of some artists. They just wouldn't be a part of it. Others embraced the new media and they're the ones that we all know.

3. Real voice – blog
We can all spot bullshit online. Write something real and honest. It doesn't have to be personal (although some blogs, for example Lilly Allen's, are) but it does have to be real.

4. Statement - stand for something
People have to know what you are about. Be clear about who you are before you go out there. Again, it doesn't have to be deep. Just stand for something and mean it.

5. Update continuously - dynamic
A blog is a great way to keep people up to date, to tell people what's happening with you. Put up photos and video and not just promo shots or perfectly polished music videos - show people the real you!

6. Engage with the audience - responsive
Answer emails and respond to comments.

7. Remove non-members spam
This is not a race for more friends. The number of friends only matters if they're really part of the community. More names won't help your career.

8. Shopping - not buying
Information is tainted if you put a 'Buy' button next to it. With pure information you'll make a better connection. If somebody likes your music they'll find out how to buy it.

9. Feed the audience - free

10. Build to an event - ongoing "promotion"
You could be building to a gig, to realease some new material - keep feeding the excitement.

End The Album Cycle

Which brings us to the title of this blog - The Album Is Dead!

The album came about originally due more to economics than anything. It's an artificial construct. Record labels could produce an album for near the same amount as a single. There would be slightly more studio time involved but only one lot of pressing, printing, shipping, promoting, etc. and at the end of that you can charge 10 times the amount for an album. Traditionally there would be no sense releasing a single a week. BUT online you can do that. At no extra cost. You could even write, record and release a record in the same week! Cohen suggests getting away from the notion of saving your material until it's finished. Instead put it out piece by piece from its original conception ("today I had an idea for a song...") right through to recording it and then releasing it.

Conclusion

We live in a connected world
The old world still exists
Give the fan what they want
DIY is only half the story. There's still a need for some of the infrastructure that is already in place in the music industry - record labels, live booking agents, managers.
Artistic freedom - an artist can now record in their bedroom

So how do we make money if we're giving everything away. You've probably been reading about plans to bundle the price of the music in with computers, internet service providers, listening devices etc. and pay on a pro rata basis similar to the way radio and TV works. In conclusion, Cohen suggests thinking less about making money and more about building an audience and the money will come.

Wow, that was longer than I anticipated but there was so much great information that I wanted to share. I'll try to get on here again over the next week or two to fill you in on some of the other presentations including management, sponsorship, and DIY music. That's all from me for now - I've got information overload and supper beckons!!

Scott Bramley
http://www.scottbramley.co.uk/

Reviews of Doncaster's HotHouse Festival

2008-03-17T21:32:00.007Z

Hello all!

This week a roundup of my gigs plus reviews of some local musical events including Ridgewood School's museum concert, Tango:Neuvo and Bellowhead, two of the offerings from the Doncaster HotHouse Festival.

Great Gig!
Thanks to all of those that came to the Pastures Lodge on Thursday to hear me and the Barnburgh Male Voice Choir perform. It was a terrific evening and I hope you enjoyed the show as much as I enjoyed performing. Hopefully we'll be able to do it again some time. It's such a joy to perform to an audience that is really listening - you could hear a pin drop! Some might be unnerved at the prospect of being the centre of attention and call me narcissistic but I absolutely love it! I'm planning similar shows soon, probably with my trio so look out for those! I was back at the Sands Venue in Gainsborough on Sunday to play for Lunch there. It was a little bit short notice (I got the call Friday evening) so apologies for not being able to put it in the diary sooner. This Saturday I'll be back at Choice Bar And Restaurant in Manchester so looking forward to seeing some of you there.

Rising stars
It's been quite a week for music round and about. On Wednesday I went along to the Museum here in Doncaster to watch Ridgewood School, my old comprehensive school, present their concert. Contrary to my rant last week about the turn out of the Danum school concert these kids were immaculately presented and boasted some impressive players, and bear in mind that there wasn't a kid among them over the age of 16. The programme was varied with some pieces of note including a wind quintet playing 'Polka' by D. Agay, which I believe is from his 'Five Easy Dances' (though it didn't appear to be that easy!), and some impressive piano solos: ‘Clear Skies’ by S. Corbett performed by George Watling; ‘Sonata in C’ by local composer Geoff Cummings-Knight played by Matthew Sics; and Hannah Brayford playing 'Variations on a Russian Folk Theme' by Alexander Dubuk. The two boys were two of the youngest performers that day and the latter pianists played everything from memory. Mrs Moore, head of music at the school (and my old music teacher) should be very proud of her achievements with the students. They’re an asset to the school.

You've Been Tango'd
My sister and I ventured out Friday night to the Doncaster Civic Theatre to watch Tango Siempre present Tango:Nuevo, part of the Doncaster HotHouse Festival 2008. I was expecting it to be a dance show with live music but it turned out to be more the other way around. The line up featured Ros Stephen (violin), Pete Rosser (accordion), Jonathan Taylor (piano), Richard Pryce (double bass) and Milo Fell (drums/electronics) and the music, as described by the Sunday Times, was “…an effortless fusion of Latin Passion and jazz virtuosity”. It was hot blooded, fiery, dark - I've never had the pleasure of visiting Argentina but it wasn't long before my mind was conjuring images of a seedy boudoir in the backstreets of Buenos Aires. On stage with Tango Siempre were four Latin American-born tango dancers; Myriam Ojeda Patino, Guillermo Torrens, Kicca Tommasi and Julio Mendez who have previously appeared on BBC Strictly Come Dancing and danced tango with Take That in their 2006 'Ultimate Tour'. Great show.

That's All Folk
Saturday night my housemate and I went back to the Civic to see Bellowhead, an eleven-piece folk big band. If you think that description is confusing let me try to explain. Their music is deeply rooted in folk song and dance but is infused with funk - basically folk with balls! The line up kept changing as these talented multi instrumentalist swapped between instruments throughout but comprised of vocals, fiddles, cello, melodeon or concertina, various guitar-like instruments including the mandolin, banjo and bouzouki, drums, percussion and other various toys (including a frying pan at one stage), trumpet, trombone, sax, and sousaphone supplying the bass, with oboe and bagpipes thrown in for good measure! If the previous night was dark and serious this was lively and fun with people dancing in the aisles. I bought their album 'Burlesque' and have been playing it all day today. A riot of sound! Fantastic!

Well that about rounds off what I had to say today. Take care, and keep listening!

Scott Bramley
http://www.scottbramley.co.uk/

You'll Never Be A Scout With Your Shirt Hanging Out!

2008-03-11T18:58:00.008Z

Good evening!

Let me just say before I begin that I tried to take a nap earlier this evening and after 12 minutes was woken up by a door to door Sky salesperson, so if my discourse begins to take a tangent please forgive me. I’m sleepy! And I still don't have Sky!

We're currently in the middle of the HotHouse08 here in Doncaster - two weeks of theatre, dance, comedy and music. I haven't managed to get along to any performances as of yet but I have a couple penciled in for the weekend (Tango: Neuvo and Bellowhead on Friday and Saturday nights respectively). Also coming up at the end of the week is the start of Doncaster Music Week, with a number of "seminars and events presented by global music industry professionals to give you a unique insight into how to get ahead in today’s changing music industry". I mentioned this to a colleague of mine, Rob Clark (drummer on my Ain't Misbehavin' album and with whom I am currently teaching a couple of instrumental sessions a week), and he hadn't heard about it. I'd only seen it on one poster in the whole of Doncaster. I would have expected that all of the local music related organizations would have been informed but that doesn't appear to have been the case (the music centre, for example, that bears the heady task of teaching nearly all instrumental lessons to school children in the borough). Having said that, I've noticed now that a lot of the sessions are full (obviously word has got out one way or another!) so if you are in the area and want to get along to one of these I'd suggest getting on it asap (http://www.doncastermusicweek.co.uk/). I've only been writing songs myself since the beginning of this year but I've made the (rather brave!) decision to record a couple of them and take them along to the Demo Panel to see what they have to say. Wish me luck!

Last Wednesday I decided to head over to the museum for one of their afternoon concerts which was taken by Danum School where I attended Sixth Form. There were some promising young players, I enjoyed the choir pieces (particularly the Stephen Schwartz song 'Children of Eden') and despite not being a particular fan of the recorder (I don't really see why so many kids are taught the recorder) Anna Butterfield delivered a jolly rendition of 'Tea For Two'. However, there was one thing that let them down - they were the scruffiest bunch of kids! Some were wearing jumpers, little cardigans, little strappy tops over their shirts. There were shirts hanging out. One girl had an outdoor jacket on! When I was at that school and we had a concert we all wore the same, we had our shirts tucked in and I'm sure that we actually tied our ties and didn't have the knot hanging just below our nipples! These kids were just a mess! Am I getting old?! For me part of the performance is your appearance. Sure, if you're performing heavy metal for some grungy teenage crowd crowd then you don't want to be wearing a tuxedo. I read an article recently that advised to: "Dress like a leader of your audience". So if your audience is watching a concert in a museum on a Wednesday afternoon you'll probably want to tuck that shirt in and tie that tie!!

On Saturday I was performing again at Choice Bar And Restaurant in Manchester (wearing jeans and a jacket!). Thanks for those of you that were there on Saturday particularly the ones who contributed requests to the evening (and drinks and tips to me!). I really enjoyed playing. On the way, as I mentioned in an earlier blog, I have about an hour and a half drive of uninterrupted radio listening to Paul Ganbaccini's show on Radio 2. A couple of things caught my attention this week. The first were two tracks he played from the Doors. I've never really listened to any Doors, despite owning an album of theirs. He played the full extended versions of 'Light My Fire', their first US Top 40 hit which reached number one in 1967 and 'Riders On The Storm' their last US Top 40 hit (part of his The First, The Last, My Everything slot). Both of these tracks struck me as being heavily jazz influenced, perhaps because they were the extended versions with long solo sections. I'll definitely be digging that album out for a listen. Two more songs caught my attention on that journey. The first was the Dixie Chicks 'Not Ready To Make Nice'. Described by Steve Kroft for CBS news: "The song is powerful and unrepentant. The anger isn’t directed at the war or the president — or at their many fans who deserted them. It’s about the hatred, and narrow-minded intolerance they encountered for expressing an opinion." The other is a beautiful song I've heard a time or two by another country artist called Taylor Swift, 'Teardrops On My Guitar' which is in its eighth week as country number one. On the way back it was the Bob Harris show with a live session from folk singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Ruth Notman performing tracks from her album 'Threads' including 'Billy Don't You Weep For Me', 'Fause Fause', and 'Limbo'. She accompanied herself on guitar and piano and was also joined by a cello. Really good stuff. In fact my ideal band would include a cello, along with a rhythm section. It's such a heart-felt sound.

That's about all from me for now. Before I go a reminder of a local gig here this week at the Pasture's Lodge where I'll be performing a concert with Barnburgh Male Voice Choir. I hope to see some of you there. Should be fun….and there's pie and peas!!

Scott Bramley
http://www.scottbramley.co.uk/

Did the earth move for you?

2008-03-03T21:16:00.006Z

I've been working on the Frank Sinatra song 'You Make Me Feel So Young' for an upcoming wedding engagement but it's just not happening this evening for some reason (in fact it's really been one of those days) so I thought I'd come on here instead and try to do something fruitful with my time. Sometimes it's best to come back to things fresh in the morning!

I guess the big news of the week was the earthquake that struck the UK in the early hours of Wednesday morning. I was sat at my computer looking over some music reviews (I think it was k.d. lang's new album) when the whole house just started to shake. I wouldn't say that I was scared -more slightly unnerved. It reminded me of a ship in rough seas. The only thing that sprang to mind was to take refuge under the door frame (I’m sure I’d seen that in a film somewhere, or some educational program) where I was met by my house mate who'd been shaken from his sleep. I know it's nowhere near the sort of scale you'd get in other parts of the world (it was a 5.2 on the Richter Scale) but it was certainly big enough for me!

I was driving home a few evenings ago and a thought came into my head of something fantastic to talk about here today. However by the time I'd arrived home (about 5 minutes later) I'd forgotten what it was! So I think the moral to that story and the lesson to take from it is to write down whatever comes into your head. What if that was the million dollar idea that I'd missed out on? An award winning song lyric perhaps, or the hook to a chart topping single?! Luckily it was nowhere near that important but I think from now on I'll make sure to have a notebook and pen with me at all times and if I do get that idea, even if I'm driving I'm gonna have to pull over to get it down.

The gigs have been fairly thin on the found this week which on the plus side has given me more time to check out other music. I caught Jools Holland's Later again on Friday night. Britpop legends Supergrass opened the show and played throughout. As I was listening it occurred to me how simple their music was - just drums, bass, guitar and keys but all extremely tight and with lots of energy. It might not be particularly my type of thing but as my mother said: "It's alright this, you can tap your foot to it". Something that was more up my street was the Chris Barber Band, playing tunes from the likes of Duke Ellington ('Jubilee Stomp') in a traditional style but still with a fresh edge. They were joined by the guitar and vocals of Andy Fairweather Low along with Jools on piano for the down and dirty 'Gin House Blues'. Chris Barber, Andy Fairweather Low and Jools Holland then accompanied Grammy Award winning soul-jazz singer Diane Reeves for a song she'd written called 'Today Will Be A Good Day' which she dedicated to her mother - a fusion of traditional jazz with Barber on Trombone, and rock and roll blues. There followed some fantastic finger picking guitar playing from Devan Sproul, a Virginian country/folk singer. It's good to see somebody getting so into their music. Finally, a new band that is causing waves at the moment and set to be the big thing for 2008 are Vampire Weekend. It certainly is different. There are definitely some early rock and roll influences in there along with more current rock. For me though there seemed to be something missing. Vampire Weekend have had some bad luck over the past week, however. The keyboard player, Rostam Batmanglij, was taken ill causing the band to cancel a couple of gigs. Then the very same week the band's drummer Chris Tomson was involved in a hit and run accident which put him in hospital meaning more cancellations. I don't know if they were playing with a stand in that evening. I therefore don't think it's fair for me to judge. The jury's out!

Saturday night I was stuck for nothing to do (ordinarily I would be gigging) so I decided to take in a show. I'd noticed earlier in the week that the Doncaster Amateur Operatic Society were putting on the Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein musical Carousel at the Civic Theatre. I'd done a show with them a number of years ago while I was still at Sixth Form (it was Kiss Me Kate and it was my first outing in tights!) so I thought I'd check it out. Of course I knew the show already - my Dad and sister are big into the old school musicals. I love the music from Carousel but I must admit I think the show is rather odd! The performance was very good, despite a few questionable accents among some of the smaller parts. I was very impressed with the four lead characters. Playing Billy Bigalow, Mike Atkinson did a terrific job of acting the part playing alongside Nicola Long as Julie Jordan. Ian Fryer, who played Mr Snow, had a fantastic tenor voice and alongside him a shining performance from Becky McKay playing Carrie Pipperidge. It was an enjoyable evening and kind of made me wish I was still performing shows (the last one I did was back in University in 2001 I think it was - a production of Anything goes where I played a sailor in the male chorus while at the same time being joint musical director for the production).

Finally, yesterday, on Mother's Day, I was playing at The Sands Venue in Gainsborough, supporting singer/bass player Nicola Farnon. There was a lovely atmosphere and I managed to catch the first half of Nicola and her band who were just terrific. A fantastic set of easy jazz standards (don't be fooled by that description because they might sound easy and laid back but there was some terrific playing!).

Well that's about it for me for this evening. I've just acquired some recording software so I'm off to have a play. The plan is soon to have some tracks of my own original songs up on the website. Stay tuned!

Scott Bramley
www.scottbramley.co.uk

Discard The Mental Clutter

2008-02-25T21:24:00.005Z

Good evening,

I've just broken away from an arrangement that I'm working on of 'MacArthur Park' for a cabaret show that I'm putting together, otherwise I'll be at it all night. I read recently that if the work you do seems effortless and of the sort where time simply flies by then you're following the correct path in life - I think I'm heading in the right direction! It is an awesome tune though. I'm aiming for a fusion between a track I have of Vic Damone singing the song and an instrumental jazz version by the stratospheric trumpet playing of Maynard Ferguson (in fact it's still playing - just gone into the piano solo - only about eight more minutes to go!).

Last week I was talking about how things seem to come along when you need them. Just to prove this, if only to myself, I was thinking of a song all week but I didn't know the title or the artist that recorded it. Friday night I caught 'Later With Jools Holland' and low and behold the artist in question was performing that very song. Has that ever happened to you? Helping hands! The artist in question was Grammy Award winning Steve Earl with his song ‘Satellite Radio’ which I'd heard first on the Bob Harris show when I was driving home one Saturday night. It sticks in my mind (apart from being a catchy tune) because Bob dedicated it to all of us that were driving home having played a gig. There was a terrific line up Friday night, with Asa[Asha], who I mentioned last week, singing her new single 'Fire On The Mountain'. That song reminds me of a lazy Caribbean afternoon, though the words dig deeper. Californian band We Are Scientists delivered their own brand of Indie Rock, and stepping in at last minute in place of Alicia Keys was Welsh songstress Duffy. I wouldn't ever have guessed such a big sound could emanate from such a small woman. What a voice! She performed tracks from her latest album, including the title track 'Rock Ferry' in which she really let rip, along with her current number 1 'Mercy'. I've heard that song three times today! The Welsh seem to be doing well at the moment what with Duffy at number 1 and their recent triumph in the Rugby. My singing teacher will be pleased!

I was out gigging on Saturday night at one of my usual haunts - Choice Bar and Restaurant in Manchester. It takes me about an hour and twenty minutes to drive there which I'm actually glad for because it's one of the few opportunities I have to listen to music without interruption. I'm a Radio 2 man so on the way it was Paul Gambaccini with America's Greatest Hits. Of particular note was Sheryl Crow with 'God Bless This Mess', a politically charged song from her new album ‘Detours’. On the way back it was a total pleasure to listen to Bob Harris who had a fantastic live session from The Storys. I didn't realise it but they actually supply one of Bob's jingles for his radio show, with different words of course - 'Be By Your Side' which they performed live. I think my favourite track of theirs though was 'Long Hard Road'. Just fantastic - the music, the writing, the harmonies. No wonder Elton John has asked them to open for him at a number of his shows. How fantastic would that be (and totally nerve wracking)! Elton John is coming to my neck of the woods in July so I'll be getting my ass along to that gig! That is if there are any tickets left, and if I can afford one!

Just a couple more things before I get to what I actually wanted to talk about today. It's 10 years ago since the tragic death of Dermot Morgan who played Father Ted in the Channel 4 series. I overheard someting (that was a typo but I'll leave it in because it makes me sound Irish!) on the radio about commemorations that are taking place in Ireland this week to mark his passing and afterwards they played the real version of the theme tune from Father Ted, a beautiful song from the Divine Comedy called 'Songs Of Love'. And finally, speaking of beautiful, this week on Elaine Paige's Sunday show I heard a song that was truly divine (again, not an intentional pun - they just seem to keep coming this evening!) and which was rightly awarded the Oscar for Best Music (Song) at this year’s Academy Awards. Taken from the film ‘Once’ the song is called 'Falling Slowly' and is written and performed by Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova. Absolutely gorgeous!

I seem to have got a little carried away with the music I've been listening to but there is so much good stuff out there at the moment. Back to task, and in the last few weeks I've really got moving with my song writing. It's something that has been at the back of my mind for a long time - years in fact - but I've always put it off, sometimes for good reason (because I've had a heap of songs to learn for example) but mainly through fear of being no good. Well you don't know until you try! So my plan over the next few months is to put out my songs as and when they are written on my website as part of an album in progress, first of all just with me and the piano, then once I'm happy with some of them I can pick the best (which is what I'm hoping you lovely people out there in cyberspace might be able to help me with - some constructive criticism) and start putting them together and recording them with my band. At that stage they'll be available for download.

Something that has really helped me along the way is a book called 'The Artist's Way', written by Julia Cameron, 'a course in discovering and recovering your creative self'. There are lots and lots of tasks and exercises throughout the book but two of the most important are the 'Morning Pages' and the 'Artist's Date'. The idea behind the morning pages is that every morning as soon as you wake up, you write down whatever comes into your head - 3 pages of it (or half an hour - some pages are bigger than others!). It doesn't matter what it is (a lot of mine seem to begin with: "Why am I not still in bed?"! But this has the effect of clearing your mind of the unimportant stuff - the worries and anxieties - allowing your creative juices to flow. It really opens your mind. For me, if my mind is cluttered then I don’t function as well. If I write down what I'm thinking and feeling it helps. The same goes with the physical world too - if my desk is a mess I can't work properly. When I tidy up everything it puts me at ease and things start to fit into place. Perhaps it's just the fact that I'm engaged in something else. Do you ever find that you can toil over a piece of work and nothing will come, but take a break, do something else and miraculously that winning idea will pop into your head. That's me with tidying (personally it also seems to be the case with washing up and showering!). For some it might be driving in the car. I seem to get great ideas too when I'm walking. And that's really the idea of the 'Artist’s Date' - an excursion, a play date with yourself, to take you away from it all, to refresh your mind and charge your emotional batteries. Cameron describes it as your emotional well which you need to keep topped up ("filling the well, stocking the pond"), otherwise it will run dry. Give it a try, whatever type of artist (or budding artist) you are! Better yet, buy the book!

That's all from me for now; I'm off for a supper of spicy meatballs that I neglected to finish earlier. You can keep up to date with my musical journey by subscribing to this blog or signing up to my mailing list (see below). The cogs are still being set into motion at present but I'll soon be putting my plan into place so watch this space!

Scott Bramley
http://www.scottbramley.co.uk/

Helping Hands

2008-02-18T22:06:00.007Z

Good evening!

I promised last week that I would make much more of an effort with my blogging, aiming for at least one post per week, maybe more if I have something interesting to say. Having committed myself I began to wonder what on earth I could write about. Unfortunately the gig dates are still up in the air so I have nothing to report on that front so instead I thought I would give you a window to my thoughts this week. Before I do though, just a reminder that I'll be playing again at Choice Bar And Restauarant in Manchester this Saturday 23rd February.

Early on last week I was trawling through my email inbox, as I do every morning, deleting all the junk mail that I seem to acquire these days (what is the point in SPAM filters I ask you?!). I had selected an email to discard but before condemning it to oblivion I paused. It was from a website that I had signed up with years ago now called TAXI which is dedicated to up and coming artists, bands and songwriters. The man who runs TAXI, Michael Laskow, often has some interesting stuff to say but you know what it's like, you're in a rush, you don't have time to read everything, you've got things to do. But something stopped me from deleting the email and instead I read it through. From this article I found a link to an artist called Jimi Heath, a singer songwriter now based out in Nashville who is documenting her career as it progresses - the ups and downs and anything really that she feels might be useful to others following in her footsteps. I found some fantastic stuff on her website (http://www.jimiheath.com/) as well as being able to listen to some great tunes on her MySpace page (www.MySpace.com/jimiheath). Being an aspiring song writer myself (though only just getting started and perhaps not of the Nashville ilk) this was a great find - and all because I decided to read that one email. Something made me read that email. It seems that sometimes when you're focusing all of your energies into attaining or achieving something, the resources, the people, the things you need seem to be brought to you. What this force is I wouldn't like to venture - call it God, fate, serendipity, the universe, karma (speaking of karma, have you ever seen 'My Name Is Earl' - watch it if you want off the wall comedy with a feel good factor!). But I believe it's there. Something is out there helping us along our way. And it's our job to seize the opportunities when they present themselves. With our fast paced information culture it could be easy to miss those golden nuggets so we have to learn to be receptive to them.

Before I go (it's getting late and I need my beauty sleep!) I just thought I'd tell you about some of the music I've been listening to this week. Perhaps you'd like to check it out. Or if you have any recommendations for me I'm all ears! A few nights ago I was listening to Radio 2's Jammin' which featured Tony Hadley from
Spandau Ballet. People often have a pop at eighties music but damn, can that guy sing! I've heard recently that the band might be reforming for a 30th anniversary tour (although I haven't been able to find any information confirming that and the Spandau Ballet website isn't particularly helpful) so listen out for Gold! in the coming months! Someone else I heard, again on Radio 2 (I am a Radio 2 man!) was a new artist called Asa (pronounced Asha), a Nigerian songstress who combines both African and Western music. You might have heard her single already and not realised - 'Fire In The Mountain'. It's got a bit of a reggae feel to it. Great stuff. I also caught part of a BBC 4 session on Friday night with kd lang. I don't know much about her, only that Tony Bennett loves her. In fact the first time I ever heard her was on his live MTV recording. Backed by the BBC concert orchestra, she played some fantastic stuff - jazz, country, acoustic rock, bluegrass. She never has much to say between songs, but it's no matter. It's the music that really speaks to you. Finally, it seems that every time I turn the radio on this week I keep hearing the same song. It was the theme tune for 'Jam And Jerusalem' - The Village Green Preservation Society performed by folk singer Kate Rusby. I didn't realise until this evening that it was originally written and recorded by the Kinks. Good tune.

Quote of the week:
When you reach for the stars you may not quite get one, but you won't come up with a handful of mud either (Leo Burnett)

Anyway, the midnight hour beckons and if you've reached the end of this blog I can only guess that you have too much time on your hands!

Bye for now!

Scott Bramley
www.scottbramley.co.uk