well this is a departure..........

Firstly it seems that once my mum has had an ultra sound scan of her heart then they are confident that all will be well once the correct treatment is prescibed........hurray & thank goodness the last week has been hideous but I have had fantastic suppport from friends and family( and I would just like to say right now how much I love my big brother), for which I am very thankful.

Onto happier things, until last night I had not heard of a group called Thirty Seconds to Mars, but I am now going to see them in December 1 2010 with friends at Birmingham NIA.......its Jared Leto's band which I'll admit helps alot! but they are really good in a rock/almost prog rock/americana kind of way. Apparently they are HUGE so this will be my biggest gig in a long long time and its good because you just never know who's out there until someone points you in the right direction.

This is them

http://thirtysecondstomars.thisisthehive.net/blog/

Before that though I have two Seth Lakeman gigs in Garforth and Frome with some lovely friends.but , time for a personal rant, how frustrating it is to be a Seth fan when we hear that the album launch date for Hearts and Minds has been put back yet again to 19 July 2010. You do learn to expect this but sometimes record companies really do take the proverbial! It will surely be worth the wait I just hope it doesn't affect sales too much.

In which I learn what really matters

Oh dear so much of this was meant to be a happy blog about fun times but unfortunately life seems to have decided to through me a curve ball.
The long and short of it is I spent most of last Friday with my mum in hospital whilst she had various tests to establish why she has fluid on the lungs and why subsequently she feels so ill. Its off to the doctors tonight to find out the results and how we deal with whatever is thrown our way.

What it has done is made me realise how ridiculous it is to get caught up in petty situations that really don't matter, what matters is life and death and in this instance its my Mums life. Its focused my mind and brought me up sharp.

I hope that once we know what the probem is and how it can be treated this may well be a cathartic excercise, writing it all out has helped. Do if you read and understand thank you and if not , well at the moment I don't blame you!!

In which lessons are learnt...........

I have decided to write Wychwood off as a disaster on a personal level, but not in any way as a reflection of the wonderful music and atmosphere that prevailed there. I would love to return next year and hope that a misunderstanding and migraine do not prevent me from enjoying the whole three days.



So, as to lessons learnt; Well I learnt that my tendancy to impulsive behaviour may possibly have spoilt a friendship but I've held my hands up and apologised from the heart and can do no more. All that remains is to see what happens.

I have also learnt that in spite of that, I am lucky to have some fab friends who see beyond this rashness into what I hope is a good heart and for that I thank them. Its taken me a long time to accept that I am a good person and that people like me, so I have learnt to at long last like myself.....result!

So what next?.... well the next jaunt in Folkland will be down to Bristol to meet up with the lovely Jenny & Kath and others for the signing session/album launchette for Seth Lakeman's new album Hearts & Minds and then onto Frome on 14th July to see Seth at The Cheese and Grain. This promises to be a fu time with some fab people and I can't wait.



To those who have been there and not judged thank you so much.

Wychwood The First Time

The first impressions you have of Wychwood is what an amazing setting it is, nestling in the rolling Cotswolds with amazing vistas as far as the eye can see So after much anticipation it finally arrived.

First stop was to sign in and get my wrisband with 'press' on it, making me feel absurdly self important and then on into the main event.

There is no doubt this is a festival with a truly lovely vibe, well organised, lots of really good quality food stalls, and bars and stand selling everything you could possibly want. I met up with my friend who is working as a steward and another friend with her husband and two little girls. We spent a lovely hour listening to a mightily impressive set from Justin Currie, ex of Del Amitri, I intend to buy the album, his strong vocals and beautiful tunes perfectly suited the setting. The sound sytem here is truly impressive, loud and clear.

The main event of the evening was the amazing Levellers and they did not disappoint, a barnstorming set that got every one up and dancing including me as I unleashed my inner child and ran & twirled and with my friends girls. They encored with 'its a Beautiful day of course , and the last song of the night was an awesome rendition of 'The Devil Went Down to Georgia'. Listening to that in the warm fading light surrounded by happy smiling dancing people is one of my top musical highlights of this year.

Day Two I am meeting up with fellow bloggers, as well more friends and will take time out to explore The Healing Gardens and Workshops and try to locate the press tent as well. I will be back with Day Two...

Whoo hoo for Wychwood

So suntan lotion is bought, sunglasses ready & waiting, batteries in the camera, anticipation sky high and a day off tomorrow now in place.....it looks like all systems are go for Wychwood.
It's thanks to the lovely Wychwood organisers I am being given a chance to report back here and via Twitter on the weekends events .

I will try and blog each day & during the day on the events and music. I will also be trying to capture some of the magic on camera as well and hope to have some interesting people stories to tell.

For those who are going see you there!

So close you can smell it!

Ok here's the deal, I have been perusing the excellent Wychwood Festival site trying to see if I can't put together a list of 'must sees' for every day, this is not easy let me tell you! However I a few pencilled in as the all important MS's for each day, but I suspect it will change!.

So far it looks like this for Friday

• Arcadian Kicks


• Justin Currie


• The Mighty Levellers!

Saturday is like this

• Toumake Diabate


• Rob Cowen and the Dissidents


• One String Loose


• The Outcast Band ( one of my faves)


• Lightening Seeds


• Happy Mondays

Sunday ( looks like the standout day to me)

• Rook and the Ravens


• 6 Day Riot


• Ade Edmondson and The Bad Shepherds


• King Creasote


• J.O.E.L ( described on their website as a crossover of Green day & The Offspring!!!


• Martha Tilston

And last and definitely not least my favourite band Seth Lakeman...if you have never seen Team Lakeman before you are in for such a treat

Post Bank Holiday Blues........?

No!! not for me. I heard last night from the organisers at Wychwood that they have very kindly given me a pass to attend this year and I will aim to do it justice by reporting back on here and via Twitter as events unfold.



I have decided that having looked at the line I am going to have to plan how to divide my time as well as the amazing music line up I think I'll treat myself to one of the varied holistic treatments on offer and let you know how I get on.I've put a link in to these and maybe someone can volunteer me for one!

OK so here is the link, what do you think I should try?

http://www.wychwoodfestival.com/line-up/healing-gardens

I probably won't have time to write more today, but look forward to any comments or ideas and suggestions of which bands appeal most to people and why. One thing I have decided though is I will attempt to use my rather dodgy photography skills to have a pictorial blog as the weekend unfolds....what fun!

Just had a look at the weather forecast...whoo hoo Its going to be hot and sunny could this get any better

http://news.bbc.co.uk/weather/forecast/2320?area=GL3%202ET

Decided to just put some links on today of bands I have mentioned so kicking off with

http://www.6dayriot.co.uk/simple.htm

http://www.sethlakeman.co.uk/

http://www.outcastband.com/

http://www.myspace.com/rookandtheravens

http://www.dreadzone.com/

http://www.thebadshepherds.com/

Enjoy......I cannot wait to catch all of the above at Wychwood and will report back on my experences

Its a new day , its a new dawn........

For me and I'm feeling good! , which I am, very. When I started this I wasn't sure which direction it would take but I had so many positive responses to yesterdays post I am feeling pretty inspired so thank you.

It seems that music really does have the power to change and influence peoples lives, me I could not imagine life without it I am so looking forward to Wychwood to meet up with good friends and I have a mission, which is to see and experience as many people whose music I have either never heard or seen live before and to collect as many music inspired stories as I can.

Top of my list is Rook and the Ravens and The Outcast Band closely followed by Dreadzone and Ade Edmonson and The Bad Shepherds and the amazing Levellers. I wonder if I'll be disapppointed by The Happy Mondays and Shaun Ryder, shining lights of a past indie scene.....who knows can't wait to find out though!

Obviously my highlight is going to be The Seth Lakeman Band and its always a pleasure to catch up with them and they are so utterley brilliant live but I would also urge anyone who hasn't seen Six Day Riot to give them a go, they supported Seth on his Autumn/Winter tour and although not a band I'd sit & listen too they are a fabulous live act

Its a bit cheeky!

Ok so here's the deal, this is something I have been meaning to do for a long long time but I eventually got kicked into gear because thanks to the organisers of Wychwood Festival 2010 who are offering a bloggers pass to the festival to cover events there, so here it is my brand new blog!

The idea I have is to write about my how discovering folk music changed everything, writing this down seems pretty weird but its true.

Until three years ago my idea of folk music was the stereotypical finger in the ear, sad blokes in hand knitted jumpers one, my only forays were my Aunt (a folk singer) sitting me down when I was very young and playing Bert Jansch to me.....it didn't work. In between a serious goth phase I forayed briefly into Simon & Garfunkel Territory and swiftly left.

So what changed, I discovered Seth Lakeman and realised that folk can be exciting, challenging, innovative and downright sexy! Over the last three years I have been to more gigs than I can remember, crossed continents, made amazin new friends and had more fun than a person has a right to.

So if its ok I'd like to share some of that now, hopefully starting with the Wychwood Festival in Cheltenham, absolutely no pressure on the organisers then!