My computer avoidance skills have been in great form since the last update almost a year ago, but this morning I had a good shower, change of clothes, bit of Mum Rollette, some egg on toast and I thought it was about time….A lot has happened.
Sheep and Lambs have just arrived in the field outside my window, the sun is in the sky and I’ve just listened to a preview of Milky Tea, from the new CD – here’s a quick sample….  what do you think?
https://soundcloud.com/tom-doughty/01-milky-tea-new-year-opto/s-OjFJd

Since I last wrote, the tour bus has been christened including trips to Anglesey, The Cotswolds, Chichester (for the Goodwood Revival meeting) and the secret U.K. location area for the 1970s Cult Film ‘Deliverance’, (Bert Reynolds, Jon Voight) – only advantage being that  no one could play the banjo. If you know Knott End, you know what I mean….However, Herr Fritz the Mercedes is about to be used musically and professionally for The  “Campervan Tour”, with my mate Graham Bellinger. – Here we are – soon to be in a town near you….  (I’m the one playing the lap guitar)

The concerts for our compact, six gig tour,: ( https://www.tomdoughty.com/gigs/  ) are all within travelling distance of home, except for Barmouth in Wales where we will be staying overnight. Being megastars, we each have our own Campervan!

Music and Gigs
Its been a while since I my last update and gigs have been and gone. Fun and variety with friendly audiences. My recording is progressing as and when it can, but moving forwards.
Highlights have been playing at The Southbank Centre in London with Adrian Lee, the Black Box at Belfast and a workshop at The Musgrave Spinal Injuries Unit, The Craig Ogden Guitar weekend at Manchester’s Bridgewater Hall, Nantwich, Colne as always, the Wirral International Guitar Festival and especially in my front room where I played a tune for Ben Wimbush and all three of us got lost somewhere in the music. One of those moments you don’t forget in a hurry.  Playing in front of an audience is where it feels at its best for me – and where, I believe my  music lives.
On 16th January, I was asked to play at Tommy Emmanuel’s gig at the Bridgewater Hall, Manchester. I was offered a one hour solo concert before the main event. I was dead chuffed to see the room packed with an audience of 400 or so who had arrived early to include me in their night’s music with the acoustic guitar god Emmanuel.  Thank you all – and to one of my students, Chipps for this photo:

Its a busy period coming up and feels like a good place to be – to come out of the dark and cold of the winter months and embrace the new.  I’m looking forward to the new CD being finished and my next round of gigs.  There are two new (to me) festivals where the Campervan will be out chugging along, – Festival on the Moor, http://www.festivalonthemoor.co.uk/folkweekend/ over the May bank holiday and Fylde FolknRoots http://www.fyldefolknroots.org in September.

Social Media
If things develop as I hope, I’ll soon have some help with getting more work through the services of an agency. To assist with my vast publicity machine, I have been encouraged to make better use of Social Media. Bearing in mind my reticence to being ‘known’, I have a cunning plan:- A inspired Christmas present arrived from Victoria, (my sister in law) – in the shape of a 99p do-it-yourself Gnome and he is being commissioned to open a twitter account. He will appear at gigs and events with me as an unpaid member of staff. His role is to be the central hub in my publicity machine. I have been carefully preparing him for this task, and intend painting his pants and dotting his eyes this weekend.

Here he is on the mantlepiece, a king amongst the two bizarre traditional Moroccan gents that we brought back from Marrakesh last year, awaiting his final touches before being launched to the world as my Official PR and Merchandise facilitator.

I would have done more in my life but I’ve always been easily distracted……….

Cooking
Private note to Rick Stein…’Sign of a rounded personality, one that can improvise in the kitchen’. However, it can be an advantage to put the top on the liquidiser when you make  spicy carrot and parsnip.

New gigs are being added to my web site all the time, so keep an eye out and think on! See you soon.