Welcome to yet another year!!........Whoda thought it.....The Bottleneck is in its 11th year (right now I feel as though I'm in my 111th!) & 2006 was our best year yet for attendances...........Thank you all.

I'm sorry there's been no gig info of late but I've just got back from Morocco (what a dump! It was 1967/8 when I was last there, boy we pay a high price for the packaging industry) & contracted a very pleasant virus that gave me a free night in hospital, total deafness, loss of voice (cut out the cheering) & numerous other nasty symptoms.....I'm able to sit up now so thought I ought to bash this out.

As you may be aware we have no venue in Maidstone for two or three months as Ciaran is refurbishing the premises. I won't pre-empt (is that right?) anything but C. is taking out the stage & putting pew seating into the premises to make it a full-blown dance /disco venue which may not be suitable for the club. I'm going to have a meeting to view the plans & hope that we can still continue to use Mu Mu.....we've been there 10 yrs & Sarah & Ciaran have looked after us well in that time but the music has always been the most important part of the formula so it must be accommodated properly. I certainly don't blame Ciaran as I am the only live music promoter left there now (the Country/Folk/Salsa boys have gone the way of all flesh ~ a sad reflection on the live music scene) & he can't make it pay on just one ~ or two ~ Bottleneck gigs a month. Nothing ever stays the same so I'll keep you informed. I am aware that we have a loyal & sizeable Maidstone fan-base & I'll do everything I can to continue. Rochester is unaffected.

We have a great programme of artists lined up for 2007.........some you know........some you don't........kicking off with The Harry Skinner Blues Band at The Roffen, Rochester on Tues 30th Jan. Followed by The Eugene "Hideaway" Bridges Band in Rochester on Tues 27th Feb & from New York The Groanbox Boys (other act TBC) on Tues 27th March (same venue).

I have a lot of forward bookings for all these gigs so don't delay.........my NY resolution is to NOT loose booking details this year....my forfeit will be to listen to Posh Spice's latest album (How Can a Poor Girl Survive on $1m a Week Without Mascara) all the way through!!

Some news :---- Geoff Achison's career in The States is about to take off in 2007......watch this space! The classic "Souldiggers" line-up (Sam Kelly, Dave Clarke & Paul Jobson) is straining at the leash for his late June/early July UK tour. He may be doing some very special "OZ" gigs in the UK with Derrin Nauendorf & Jeff Lang at the end of the "Souldiggers" tour (which may included The Souldiggers) but nothing is yet confirmed.

Toby Walker's profile continues to grow with nominations for numerous awards & his elevation up the "billing" ladder. He's playing some very big festivals & venues now & I can't wait to see him again (with Mike Dowling) in May here.

Watermelon Slim has been nominated for "Best Album" & "Best Artist" in The States both of which he richly deserves. I still get a kick out of his W.S & The Workers album & am trying to put a band together when he comes over in Sept. to replicate numbers off this album.........well, I have actually put the band together.....more info on this later in the year.

Arthur Chisnell's funeral was last Friday in Mortlake. A sad passing of someone you've probably never heard of. Without Arthur there probably would never have been a Bottleneck Blues Club. He was one of my main influences, in fact he spurred me on (unbeknown to him at the time) in the 80s when I nearly got a club up & running with the late, great Alexis Korner (he popped it too so don't go into business with me!)......who he? Arthur founded Eel Pie Island ~ he helped, found, encouraged, dozens of London based blues bands in the 60s & gave Tony "Duster" Bennett, my old mate Peter Davis (bass) & myself (on terrible lead guitar) our first paid gig supporting The Stones in (I think) about '64. Eel Pie Island was truly a magical place....the list of artists that played there is far to long to do justice to here (well here's a few ~ The Stones, Paul Jones, Ginger Baker, John Baldry, Cyril Davies, Rod Stewart, Buddy Guy, Memphis Slim, Dick Heckstall-Smith etc. etc.).