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August 2008
Apologies for this site being 'down' during the last few days of July. It was due to our bandwidth being exceeded. This came about as so many folks accessed the musical material, which is actually a pleasing thing! We'll see how often this happens and CONSIDER upgrading to an account that will give the site more bandwidth. The number of songs being listened is incredible, but what is most interesting are the places many tracks are being accessed from - last month Japan (is that you Toru?!?) and in May, Columbia...Columbia???
Two films are in the offing: one a music video thing of the band (no progress as yet, just a conversation and some vague plans) and another a film of a book using bits of the band's music. Details as soon as things are firmed up a bit more.
Some new rough recordings made. One or two of these will be placed on here in the next few days. Also more 'covers' which have the advantage of silencing Jon's voice!
Some other - exciting - things also, but these under wraps. Will let you know when allowed. One new thing sort of relates to David Jandrell's dry wit. Keep looking at The Thoughts of Chairman Dai as the blog is updated regularly with new sections
July 2008
Congrats to Jaime and Jon Greening on the birth of Emmy Seren!
Again, in terms of hits, visits and downloads, the site hit a record high!
Catch the latest edition of the Thoughts of Chairman Dai
June 2008 (3)
' “Don’t miss Jon Airdrie’s new album. It’s marvellous. Lots of great songs, great flute, singing, harp and packed full of trioxydiphenolpolysynthacetyldistratalamine!”
And monosodium glutamate.
It’s organic ‘an all.' David Jandrell, 2008
Just to announce the new, periodical column, The Thoughts of Chairman Dai
June 2008 (2)
We need to thank all those kind heated groovers (!) who came along to our gig last Friday. Thanks especially to a number of you who left with the new CDs. What d'you think? Good to see you Chris. Don't leave it close to a further decade to get in touch again.
Really grateful to the wondeful Shelleys - Gerry, Jon (who came all the way from Lowestoft) and Nic - who did the gig.
The multifarious David Jandrell, who appears on the CD, has allowed us an insight into his musical background, plus provided some anecdotes on his experience of bands. The writing can be accessed via the Look and Listen page or by clicking here.
June 2008
We are honoured that the Islwyn Acoustic Guitar Club has placed a track from the new album on its Myspace page. You can listen to 'Southern Wind' by clicking on this link: http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendID=143850152
This site has now achieved the highest monthly visits EVER! Thanks folks (whoever you may be)! As well as songs from the new album (buy one TODAY!!) and excerpts from 'Unsuitable', Phil Davis's version of 'Sliding' has received attention. We hope to have another Tinpots version of a new song on here shortly (as soon as Phil and Becky can find the time to finish it - email them via www.tinpots.com to nag/complain!!)
We look forward to playing with Brett at the Cross Keys Hotel on Friday (though Jon urges that no comparison be made with his guitar 'technique' and Brett's.
See link from the South Wales Argus:
http://www.southwalesargus.co.uk/leisure/venue/music/display.var.2308346.0.green_gets_the_blues.phpHope also to have a special piece by author/musician/academic, David Jandrell. David's playing on 'Living in a Dream' has ignited a lot of interest (and many listens) on this site, but we hope to reflect more his ability as a humorist and man of letters. As they say, watch this space.
May 2008 (2)
Thanks to all those who came to see the guitar, bass, drums line-up the Waunfawr Park!
Next gig - with a really interesting line-up - at the Cross Keys Hotel, playing a set for the Islwyn Guitar Club, on Friday, 6th June, sharing the bill with Brett Green. We have been advised that the night starts at 7.30 with an open mic slot, so bring your instruments and your ideas! See http://www.sirhowy.com/nextevent.html
At last...the album is complete. It looks something like this:
Details HERE
This site is having, also, its most hits/visits EVER. Who are you people? What do you think? What do you like? Where do you live? etc Drop us a line.
May 2008
Look out for the band at the Waunfawr Park Visual Arts Festival on May 11th. They play at 4.30 p.m. Poster for the festival here. The Shelleys have been asked to close the festival. Hmmm.......
The new collection of songs should be duplicated and packaging completed within the next fortnight. Details will be posted when the day finally arrives.
April 2008
Placed on the Look and Listen page is the track Cold Heart/River of Gold - the apotheosis as far as the performances leading up to this new album of recordings is concerned. Exhausting!
Just to say that there are - quite literally (10 at most) - only a few copies of the last album remaining. Contact jon@jonairdrie.com if you REALLY want a copy (and give a reason why!) and we'll send you one.
March 2008 (2)
On the Look and Listen page, you'll find some new, now close-to-completion recordings. These will be both switched around and updated until the final album of songs is ready.
We'll stick with the live recording of 'Woolacombe Bay' for the present - quite a few folks have looked at it and, due to its relatively small size, the draw on bandwidth seems to be manageable.
March 2008
Thanks to all the generous folk at castle Court for your reception on March 1st. Special thanks to the kind gentleman who repaired Jon's guitar. It's the first gig the band have played where there's been a request for the national anthem to conclude the show! We look forward to seeing you again on 1.3.09.
Just for a couple of weeks, there's a video clip of a live performance of Jon's 'Woolacombe Bay' , recorded last month. Click here.
The band have been asked to play at the Festival in the Park at Waunfawr Park on May 11th. They will indeed appear in some shape or form. Details and links will be given when more is known.
Both David Jandrell's guitar playing and Phil Davis's singing (here) have both proved very popular in terms of number of listens. David has agreed to create some writings specifically for this site. We look forward to that. Phil is currently working on another 'Airdrie composition' which we'll include on here as soon as we are able.
January /February 2008
One of the new (rough) demo tracks on the Look and Listen page, Living in a Dream, features the guitar-playing talents of David Jandrell. David is best known as an author, having a number of publications revealing south Wales valley's humour (for instance, here or this, or this) but also both writes lengthy, surrealistic black comedy sketches and plays electric guitar. David's guitar style is - allegedly - derived from a prog rock background, though he brings his inimitable (mazey, hypnotic, free-flowing) approach to that 'school'.
A couple of gigs confirmed, although we'll be keeping them sparse this year. Recording still in progress, including some with special guests! Hopefully, we can get some of these tracks on this site in the next week or so. Thanks to those who have made kind comments about the early demos , recorded in the autumn and early winter, for the album. Have had no feedback whatsoever about the 'newsletter' thing, so will knock that idea on the head.
You may have noticed that this website has been down for a week or so. While this may be troubling for those of you desperate for reading about/listening to/watching the Shelleys (!!), it's actually based on the fact that for the first time for many many months, we've exceeded our bandwidth. This has been caused by loads of people listening to the free tracks and watching the videos. So, THANK YOU! The caveat (as people who like to demonstrate their verbal dexterity, but end up displaying their ability for hubris and cliché like to say) is that we'll have to take off some of the bigger files at some stage. A move towards sticking them on Youtube is being considered.
Due to a chance encounter, Jon came across the creative, enthused work of Stephen Light. Stephen, with his masterful Black Sand Band, are to cover an Airdrie composition, 'Bright Ship Tomorrow'. While not wishing to engage in a mutual appreciation society, it must be said that Stephen's work - to be heard on his debut album, 'Sweet Transmission' (available at Amazon)- is fresh, rootsy, lyrically rich and beautifully arranged. Stephen's website can be found here and his Myspace page here. Permanent links will be placed on the Links page.
December 2007
Just a big thanks to all those who have been involved with allowing my musical enthusiasms to (relatively, of course!) prosper during 2007: especially the fabulous Shelleys (during the year, this has included Nic Canale, Gerry the Flute, Nigel Hodge, Sean the Keys, Paul Lewis, Jon Matthews, Jem Ponsford and Noel Watson) and, essentially, you folks out there who have downloaded tracks, bought CDs, come along to gigs, voiced encouragement or shown a simple, general interest. (It was this quiet, sincere general interest shown late in 2006 that, so to speak, kept the show on the road).
As many of you will know, I had to cancel a load of gigs in the autumn. Again, my apologies for this. There are some events and projects forthcoming for the first half of 2008. These will be described on these pages nearer their expected occurrence.
I’m not – suicidally, I’m warned! - a MySpace/Facebook sort of person, but a sort of ‘newsletter’ thing with info, song snippits etc – has been mooted as possibly ‘a good thing to do’ in 2008. If you would be interested in joining some sort of mailing list to receive this, please email info@jonairdrie.com . I promise that any newsletter will contain no self-aggrandising hyperbole; instead, I was thinking of little articles, references to items of interest and that sort of thing.
Anyway, to you all: wishing you a creative, fulfilling and direction-full 2008!
November 2007
A retrospective collection of demo material not used (at all, or significantly) by The Shelleys is available either via CD or download of mp3s. See Recordings page.
The recent hiatus, while halting new additions to current recordings, has allowed 'near-as-damn-it' versions of what has already gone down on tape (well, stored on hard drive, actually) to be assembled. See the Look and Listen page. For those select few who have been saddled with a full demo, the track listig can be found here.
August 2007
Essentially Jon and the Shelleys are taking a break! However, a little recording is going on (and some early versions will be added to the Look and Listen page, as has some low grade video of the band from the Two Rivers Festival). Also, a very limited edition CD will soon be available that collects together a number of songs recorded between 200 and 2005. Hear examples on the Look and Listen page. Finally, trying to get a little feature together of people other than Jon and the Shelleys playing Airdrie songs. Again, see Look and Listen!
July 2007 (2)
Thanks to the lovely crowd at the Bridgend Folk Club at Crumlin for your magnanimity and generosity. We hope to see some of you at the forthcoming gigs at Cwmaman Institute Acoustic Night (Aug 2nd) and at the Green Park Festival (Aug 4th)
July 2007
Just returned from the Two Rivers event in Chepstow and the Beehive at Swindon...exhausted! It was, however, uplifting and invigorating to receive so many positive comments (and sell some CDs!!). The band is genuinely appreciative given that what it (i.e. the band) does is not a simple fare and takes folks through a whole range of emotions, some of them dour and dark. There are, of course, tales to tell, pictures to upload and videos to assemble from this little tour. Keep an eye on this page!
June 2007 (3)
June 2007 (2)
June 2007
May 2007 (2)
May 2007
Locations and time for the Two Rivers Festival confirmed. See Performances. This is a fab festival and the band are delighted to be in the programme with the likes of Eliza Carthy and Dick Gaughan.
www.tworiversfolkfestival.com www.myspace.com/tworiversfolk
The recordings page has finally been sorted between stuff you can buy and stuff you can't (Look and Listen) Three near complete tracks placed on the latter pages.
April 2007 (3)
Firstly, words of thanks for those who have lent words of encouragement, showed courtesy and/or made generous offers during the last month:
Nick at Dogs Den Music, part of...
The Taybank Songwriters Festival, September, 2007
Tim at Hat Records
Those at Cwlwm Celtaidd
John at Little Pot Stove Records
Nigel at caerleon.net
The Bude Folk Festival - Whitsun bank holiday. The band will be there next year, but make a visit this year. A wonderful ethos, with organisers who are both dedicated and innovative.
Blackwood Miners Institute - we'll be playing there in the autumn, details to follow
Secondly, thought you may be interested in a clip of the band Foolish Thoughts with Jon's nephews - Nathan (drums) and Joel (bass) - with their equally prodigious friends Josh on vocals and Todd on guitar - playing a Barnsley venue. All four boys are in their early teens! Thanks to Tim and Helen for the opportunity to see the lads in action. Click here for a wmv file and check out their My Space site: www.myspace.com/thefoolishthoughts
Thirdly, the somewhat more aged talents of Jem (drums) and Jon (double bass) have started to be added to a new set of recordings. Click here for an early version of 'So Young'. Lots needed to be changed, but the general feel is very pleasing.
Lastly, I'm very aware that I need to update the website to differentiate the 'last album' recordings with other studio, live and soundtrack stuff. Thanks to those who have pointed out how disconnected this part of the site is and how time consuming to trawl from page to page - and up and down pages - to find tracks etc!! I will do this as soon as I have ample time.
April 2007 (2)
A number of enquiries made regarding slots at festivals this summer/autumn. Any certainties will be logged on the performances page. Watch that space!
Jon has also been talking with a (minor) European recording company regarding a sort of (2000-2006) 'best of' thing. Not certain that the demands accompanying this will be manageable, but firstly, it's wonderfully astounding to have these requests made with regard to a more mature artist (!) and, secondly, to put some tracks together in this compiled way may be really interesting. This time, watch this space.
April 2007
Some of the old Beyond the Bars tracks are now on the caerleon.net website (see below). We'll also them here, but one at a time.
March 2007
Jon:
February 2007 (2)
For starters, pictures of the Llanover Hall gig can be found at:
http://web.mac.com/paul.cocteau/iWeb/Splendid%20Designs%20For%20the%20Future/llanover.html
While visiting Paul's site, check out (as they say) his other fine work in
film
For a (compressed) video clip (wmv at present), click here. Due to bandwidth constrictions, this will only be available for a week or so.
February 2007
A heartfelt thank you very much/diolch yn fawr to the many people who came along to Llanover Hall Arts Centre on Saturday. The whole band (who were, by the way, tremendous) enjoyed the gig immensely. The Hittites were outstanding - more various, more beguiling every time we see them.
A lot of film, pics, mob stuff was taken. Exhausted at present, but will put a selection of these on the site shortly. If you have any nice visual images of any sort (though preferably of the gig), please email them to jonairdrie@tiscali.co.uk
January 2007 (4)
A great night at Newbridge Memo! Thanks, once more, for attentive listening. Thanks to those who came from far and wide. Thanks to Nic's dad for the magic!!
January 2007 (3)
Thanks to all at Cardiff Students Union! Hope to see some you at the Memo on Saturday or at Llanover Hall on Feb 10th. It was wonderful to play to so many quiet listeners!
January 2007 (2)
1. The new album is out!
2. The line-up for the Newbridge Memo (see poster) gig will be Nic, Sean, Nigel, Paul, Noel. See Performances for other forthcoming events. Including the much-anticipated Llanover Hall gig {line-up: Gerry the Flute (blown things), Jon Matthews (electric guitar), Nic (vocals), Sean (keys) , Noel (drums), Paul (bass and ebow)} with the outstanding Hittites.
3. The recording snippits page is being updated
4. Thanks to the many people who downloaded either (or both) the audio or video files from the recent Fox and Hounds gig. So many people accessed it, however, that the site was just about to exceed its bandwidth. Thus, it had to be withdrawn. Sean (the Shelleys' talented keyboard/guitar/whistle player - and technician!) will put another (but smaller) audio segment together in the next week or so.
January 2007
Shot in the Dark, Cardiff, December 31st, 2006: Thanks to all for the reception at what was a great gathering. Happy new year!
December 2006 (2)
Thanks to all at the Fox and Hounds, Cwmcych! A fantastic pub in an amazing location, with generous, music-loving owners and guests. Thanks for Jen for the oil! Thanks to all the lovely women. We hope the chap who fell is fully recovered! Huge thanks to Trish for the pics and digital video (and we'd love to play at the Gallery), and to Paul C for the analogue footage.
December 2006
For December, January and February gigs, see Performances page. The Shelleys, for these gigs will be comprised of the wonderful: Nic, Sean, Paul, Noel, Gerry, Jon Matthews and Nige. Awe in store indeed!
November 2006 (2)
Gig nr. Newcastle Emlyn on December 16th. See Performances. Gwent gig soon to be confirmed for December 11th. Further gigs for January and February 2007 imminent. These are the first gigs with the eclectic and exciting new Shelleys line-up.
Regarding the site: pictures of the various folks who make up The Shelleys have been added. The 'snippets' of songs page has also been extended.
November 2006
We're jut waiting for the artwork for the album to be put together. See Recordings. Gigs are in the pipeline for south and west Wales. Look out for a series of performances at a prestigious capital city venue in 2007. The radio broadcast (Radio Ceredigion) took place on 30th October. A new group of 'supporting musicians' with immense talent is being assembled. Its all go!
October 2006
The album is now DONE. Jon just waiting for a few critical appraisals concerning track listings. An early thanks to Nicki for the two violin parts.
October 2006 (2)
Recorded interview for the fantastic John Sambrook ('Fishfry') on Radio Ceredigion for transmission on Monday 30th October, between 7 and 8 p.m.. A track or two from the forthcoming album to be included. Most of the album now mixed.
To listen live, follow:
http://radioc.codingtheweb.net/indexe.html
September 2006
Thanks to all at Goginan, especially Colin (for the invitation and organisation) and John (for letting us rehearse in the Druid), for a truly fantastic gig in an awesome setting. Startlingly inspiring setting from which a song or so will emerge. Thanks also to the wonderful Shelleys, and Sean on keys, whistle, bass and harmonica for a unbelievably well executed, mesmerising piece of playing.
Thanks to John Sambrook from Radio Ceredigion for his morale-boosting enthusiasm. The band look forward to a performance on the station.
August (3)
Jon playing with the band in Goginan as part of Namaste CD launch extravaganza - see Performances
August 2006
A number of developments:
Tinpots - BBC Radio 1 appearance
Tracks from the band's Slugs album, which Jon co-produced last winter, will be featured on a podcast available from September 5th on the Radio 1 website (see link below). Tracks will also be included on the station itself (Rob Da Bank Show) on September 7th after 23:00 hrs.
Also, a version of the band's Hold of My Soul video, which includes some innovative photography and includes Jon on bass...and cigar...can be viewed on producer Paul Lewis's website. Click here.
New album
Work for the Abbey Mill Folk Festival dominated time in the summer. The festival now over, Jon has swiftly recommenced work on the new album. Sessions have been booked and things are coming together at least reasonably well. The album should be complete by the start of 2007.
July 2006 (5)
Jon co-produced/mixed a new recording by Pamela Wyn Shannon - a version (very different from the original) of Neil Young's 'War of Man' for the Wickermania Festival Pamela is due to play at on her return to the States. The track will feature on a compilation of Young songs which will be sold be at the festival. Shannon Ketch, festival organiser, described the track as "quite awesome."
July 2006 (4)
Jon played, with the Shelleys, at Abbey Mill. The band received welcome acclaim (if that is not too strong a description!) for its performance: welcome particularly since the 'old' line-up playing at the festival had not got together since November 2005. Crowds at the event were larger than expected, especially on the Sunday. Jon was also compere, occasional sound person and generally, as one of the organisers, ran round in a panic.
Thanks to all who attended Abbey Mill, to those who helped out in myriad ways (Jon, Jaime, Gerry, Paul, Val, Steve, Mike esp.) and to those artists who performed. Special thanks again to Sean, who came as a festival goer and ended up helping with the tents, playing keyboard with the Albino Frogs and agreeing to add to some tracks for Jon's album (due for a winter release)!
July 2006 (3)
Great anticipation towards the forthcoming Abbey Mill Folk Festival at Tintern, Gwent, 29th and 30th July.
July 2006 (2)
Jon played at the Riverfront Arts Centre in Newport as part of an event for the Glastonbury film, directed by Julian Temple. Temple appeared at a question and answer session before the film's viewing, aiming a snipe an Philip French's review. Jon believes that Julian should pay some attention to French's review, as Julian's film-taken from hours of home footage as well as BBC coverage - seemed something that the average person, with time on their hands and Windows Movie Maker on their PC, might have 'put together'.
July 2006
Jon put together a video of the Tinpots gig - and the events surrounding it - at Blackheath Concert Halls in May. See www.tinpots.com for details
June 2006 (3)
Jon plays a set at the Riverfront Arts Centre in Newport as part of their 'Glasto' day. See Performances
June 2006 (2)
The Abbey Mill Folk Festival, for which Jon is a co-organiser, is taking shape, with a number of great artists lined up to play, including American, Pamela Wyn Shannon, the fantastic Toru, from Japan, plus some extraordinary artists from Wales and England.
June 2006 - the tour
Just finished the tour. Click here
May 2006 (4)
Just had this lovely mobile film of the band in action some time last year. Thanks, Stephen!
Been in London helping Phil and Becky, from Tinpots, to mix their new album. Hope to include links to it is released. This should be in the Spring. See www.tinpots.com for info on Tinpots