Not quite sure where to start with this so I’ll just dive in.
The two #LithiumJoe gigs this weekend were absolute dynamite.
We loved playing together and kicking up a racket for you, and we can’t wait to get back on the road with our new single in the Spring. We finish that on January 30th and we’re working on the finer details over the Christmas break. Just have to say a MASSIVE thank you to everyone who filled both venues to support the band. I know there were plenty of you from back in the day, but plenty of you used to seeing me with a maraca in my shoe travelled from all over the country and that means more than I can possibly say.
Between the lot of us we moved absolute mountains.
Saturday at The Station Hotel, Ashton Under Lyne raised £1000 in cash, plus loads of bags of food and warm clothing. The cash housed four people, including a homeless family of three now facing their first Christmas together in a place to call home. So no matter how small your donation into the WSO bucket, YOU did that. Just brilliant.
Sunday at The New Adelphi Club in Hull raised £850 for Hull Help For Refugees and the money is being used to get decent quality waterproof footwear into the refugee camps around Calais and Dunkirk where cases of trenchfoot are a daily occurance. The donations of warm clothing I will get to Scarborough Friends of Refugees for their SNUG parcels heading in the same direction. The venue also waived their fee on hire for the room and donated that to the cause, so a massive #WSO2019 thank you to Jacko, Jim, Mat and all the Adelphi for that awesome gesture of solidarity.
So that’s £1850 plus food and clothing. In two gigs.
Absolutely amazing. Can’t thank you all enough.
Thank you’s are going to be complicated so here goes….
For Sunday, The Hurriers for a superb set opening for us; Chris Von Trapp for DJ skills; Michael Lee Toas for hauling down to film us; Ian Jones for hauling up to snap us; David Craik and Marie for handing merch; and everyone who sold the place out weeks ago making sure we walked out to a full house on our return home. You will never know how good that felt. Amazing.
For Saturday, all the musicians who gave their time and talents to the cause. I was in and out a bit, but it was great to see Darren Poyzer, Tony Auton, Bard Company, the utterly incredible Rebekah Findlay and bringing solidarity in stanzas from darn sarf, Karl and Red Rosa of Poetry on the Picket Line. So good to see The Hatfield Brigade drink their way through virtually every optic on the shelf and keep the pub running as an actual pub for once! And fab to see the Wigan Diggers and BFAWU contingents out in force. Great to see the place to full and so buzzing with positive energy. Fantastic.
And respect is due to all who went to both gigs, especially Paul and Lindsay Rutland and Simon Welsh Notton whose enthusiasm for it all could not help but put a smile on your face.
One last thing. I booked Saturday as a birthday party, not for the attention, but because I thought it was a good excuse to have a big all-dayer at The Station before the worst of the winter set in. I know you got that. I know you understood that. But your presents and cards made my day anyway. Love you all to bits. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for your warm words, hugs and handshakes and all the rest. Incredible support xx
So to old friends and new THANK YOU for making the Lithium Joe comeback such a blast. We LOVED it.
Someone once said we were the best band they saw that never made it.
Yeah, well we haven’t finished yet.
See you soon x
Joe Solo 