It's Sunday afternoon...I've been down the gym, have an excellent evening to look forward to (thanks Mike & Helen) but there's bugger all on the telly so thought I'd do the jolly old newsletter thingy......so here goes.

Friday's gig in Maidstone was spiffing (sorry been watching too much Jeeves & Wooster).....great opener from Lesley Atchisson, not really blues but rather nice anyway, ably abetted by her band fronted by Carl Burgess on keys & bass & several other fine musicians....not often you get a five piece of this quality as a support! Well it was a bit of a surprise for me too as I was only expecting a duo at most & when Carl said he'd brought along a few mates I wondered where I was going to put them all....after all I also had to accommodate Jeremiah Marques & The Blue Aces........got there in the end. Jerry did the business!!!......What a fantastic evening, not only have these guys really nailed the early electric blues sound they plop some Jamaican Reggae & some classic Toots & the Maytalls into their show....I think everybody was grinning from ear to ear & so good to see people dancing too.

Last Tuesday in the month means ~ The Bottleneck Blues Club _at_ The Roffen, Rochester.....do you know we're in our 11th year in Rochester? Amazing isn't it....& I don't feel a day over 70 at the end of an evening after I've carted the PA down those infernal stairs (serious thanks to Terry & anybody else who helps get the gear into my car!) but I love it & I'm really looking forward to the 25th....featuring Caroline Aiken (from Atlanta, Georgia) & The Spikedrivers (2/3 of whom are from the USA) plus a special guest....the very excellent Dave Sutherland.

Do visit the links I've given you at the bottom of this missive.....Caroline is a star in her homeland & performs with some superb musicians, I think she's done some stuff with our very own Geoff Achison when he tours The States & of course with Dave Sutherland. The Spikedrivers continue to gather plaudits around the Brit festival circuit & I know many of you are looking forward to their return to the club....heavy-wood at its best! Dave Sutherland has, quite rightly, been regularly featured on the Dave Cash Programme on BBC Radio Kent.....DC loves him & so do I (not in the biblical sense!).

Doors 8:00pm ~ finish about 11:30pm....non-smoking, you can dine if you wish but you don't have to, tables kept until 9:00pm unless otherwise informed, please respect the artists & don't belch loudly during a performance, clothes are not mandatory.