2023: SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER

It has been a year of battling behind the scenes writing, rehearsing, and recording, and in many ways, I’ve achieved nothing, yet in many others, it has been vital work long overdue, and 2025 will be all the better for it.

September saw the release of the second Lithium Joe single ‘See You When I Get There’, a song remembering those we’ve lost, but focusing on a celebration of both their lives, and the subsequent impact on our own. More personal than ‘Answer Machine’, it seemed to resonate more with you all, and I loved the messages you sent as you found your own stories within the lyrics.

Darren Poyzer produced a sublime video featuring photographs of friends and loved ones you’d lost, and it’s a poignant watch. You can pick that up here:

Without a shadow of a doubt, September was dominated by my trip north to play Barrowlands for LoveGlasgowHateRacism, alongside Musicians In Exile, She Drew The Gun and The Wakes.

It was such an incredible day, and all the better for sharing with friends….

Just to stand on that stage, a place where Bowie, The Stones, The Clash, The Pogues, Stiff Little Fingers, The Specials, and Rancid had all stood before me was an incredible and unforgettable feeling.

….and for the night to raise such a staggering sum for Scottish Refugee Council was fantastic….

Much of the rest of September and October was spent in T’Shed, recording and mixing tracks for next year’s ‘Sledgehammer Songs’ album. There are multiple collaborations on there, and coordinating that took up much of my free time, but it will 100% be worth it when you hear it.

Also going on in the background was compiling a special CD marking my 20th year as a solo performer. Choosing just twenty songs from my two decades 2004-2024 was a tough ask, but I think you’ll like it, and if you’re relatively new to me, it’s a good place to start a journey of discovery.

The awesome sleeve design by my comrade-in-crayons Kevin Pearson, and featuring Antonio Gramsci, is worth the asking price alone; but twenty of my best, all for a tenner, and with all profits going to WSO, you can’t go wrong.

The pre-order goes live in December, with ‘Sledgehammer Songs’ following in March.

October saw me back on the road, taking in the Battle Of Stockton commemoration, and a cracking night at The Cluny in Newcastle opening for the sublime Modena City Ramblers …

I returned to Musicport Festival in Whitby on Friday 21st, for a really enjoyable hour in a packed room which I absolutely loved; but perhaps the most important night, was The Station over in Ashton-under-Lyne on the 22nd, to mark Attila The Stockbroker’s Non-Retirement gig alongside Matt Hill, and the man himself, who joined me on fiddle to finish my part of the evening in ramshackle style. A four-figure sum raised for the front line there, and a mad night of music and poetry was enjoyed by all.