FolkWorld #73 11/2020

German Letters

Letters to the Editors


  No future activity regarding The Whisky Priests

The Whisky Priests

Gary Miller @ FROG
Whisky Priests @ FROG

www.garymillersongs.com

It’s been a full two years now since The Whisky Priests ‘Bloody Well Back!’ Reunion Tour. Since then, a lot of people have been asking me if there will be any further Whisky Priests gigs, tours and/or new recordings. At the time of the tour, there was talk of the possibility of more to come but a lot has happened since then and after a period of reflection, I feel the time is now right to officially announce with absolute finality that there will be no future activity regarding The Whisky Priests.

I founded the band with my twin brother Glenn in 1985, when we were 18 years old, and it has been a huge part of my life ever since. Even during the years that the band was inactive, it was still there with me as a strong presence. But 35 years feels long enough and it’s time to move on and focus more fully on all my other projects. I am immensely proud of all that The Whisky Priests achieved through good times and bad and I have many wonderful memories to carry with me. Meanwhile, the songs I wrote for the band will still be there as part of my ongoing body of work.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who has been involved or played a part in contributing to the band’s development and success, in whatever capacity, over the years. I would also like to thank everyone who supported us by coming to gigs, buying merchandise and generally “spreading the word” on our behalf, without which we couldn’t have done all the things we did.

The Whisky Priests Official Band & Group Facebook Pages will remain active as a memorial and as a portal for any updates, news, memories, etc., relating to the band and any other relevant projects. The Whisky Priests Bandcamp Page will also remain for the purchase of digital downloads and any remaining stocks of merchandise. I’ve recorded a special video announcement about The Whisky Priests coming to a definite and final end. If anyone’s interested in seeing it, you can watch it on You Tube.

I’ve been busy developing a variety of new projects and I’m really excited to tell you about some of them now…

I am excited to announce a few initial details of my new band, ‘Gary Miller’s Big Picture’. The band will be recording and releasing its debut album next year. The songs are currently being demoed, whilst recording dates are being planned and scheduled. In addition to a new band album, I am also planning a new solo album for release in 2021. One of my songs written during Lockdown has been selected to appear on a various artists compilation album called 'Releasing from Lockdown', a fantastic project that is being put together by the wonderful people at The Forum Music Centre, Darlington.

My great friend and acclaimed singer-songwriter Johnny Campbell (“one of Folk’s brightest rising stars” - Bright Young Folk) and I are currently scheduling dates for a European Tour together in October 2021. As well as playing standard venues, we are also keen to play a few private house concerts. This is a prospect that greatly interests and excites me. Anyone who might be interested in something like this, please feel free to contact me.

During Lockdown, I have been compiling copious notes, transcribing memories and have started writing my Autobiography. This has been an important form of therapy for me and is a very personal project. The book will cover all major aspects of my life, including my experiences growing up as a twin, my battles with long-term mental health issues, and, of course, the whole of my musical career to date, along with other interesting paths my life has taken in between. I’ve found it a fascinating and rewarding experience and I hope it will prove just as fascinating and rewarding to anyone who reads it. I have tentative plans to release it next year, alongside my new album projects, depending on how things develop as I go.

In the meantime, thanks for your continued support. Hope to see you somewhere soon! Best wishes, Gary Miller


  Griogair Labhruidh: Dail-Riata

I found a small error on an (incredibly old) page of yours, and figured you should be informed of it.

Griogair Labhruidh: Dail-Riada

"Dail-riata"


"Nebraska"

stormymondays.com


"Speak"

kateggleston.com

On this page under the section for Griogair Labhruidh’s Dail-Riata album, you provided a link both on his name and in literal text at the bottom of the entry. I followed the link and emailed the person whose website that was, having a question for Mr. Labhruidh, when in actuality that website belongs to a Mr. Griogair Stewart.

I do not know if Mr. Labhruidh has a website or an online presence currently, however if you wish to list something I’ve been informed that his email is griogair.l@gmail.com.

Thank you, Will Collings

Thanks for letting us know. Griogair Labhruidh has a facebook page now: facebook.com/griogairmusic/. T:-)M


  Stormy Mondays: Nebraska

Hi. I’m doing ok but the pandemic stopped all our plans and made chaos on my email inbox. Many thanks for the review, I translated it into English with Google. We’ll be releasing the album in vinyl as well, it’s been sitting in our office since March!

Best regards, Jorge Otero - Stormy Mondays


  Kat Eggleston: Speak

Hi there, I want to thank you for the wonderful review!! How strange that I just saw your notification TODAY of all things, it showed up on a random search I made of my past emails. I'm very glad that it did.

Thank you for the review, it was thoughtful and honest, and now it's saved in my records. All the best, from the west coast of the U.S. Kat Eggleston


  Tribute to Steve Goodman

DAI-SSECTING THE SONG:
City Of New Orleans


Artist Video Tribute to
Steve Goodman

I write this on what would have been the great Steve Goodman’s 72nd birthday. Amazing to think that he has been dead almost as long as the total number of years he lived...in two months from now he will have been dead 36 years and two months... which was his exact age when this magical man succumbed to the leukaemia which had plagued him all his adult life.

Two years ago, to mark his 70th birthday, a handful of talented musicians put on a tribute concert. It features my good friend Clay Eals*, who is the author of the definitive Goodman biography.

And now that tribute concert has just been released on video. I will let Clay take up the tale...

‘Many of you recall that on July 25, 2018, Steve's would-have-been 70th birthday, I joined a stalwart group of 10 musicians to put on a tribute concert just north of Los Angeles in Altadena at the Coffee Gallery Backstage. It was a night full of music, stories and history, and I'm pleased to announce today's debut of the video of the show. The musicians were locals Russ and Bob Locke, Robert Morgan Fisher, Paul Zollo, Tom Hubbard, Ed Tree, Ray Sabo, Dennis Van Dyck and Tracy McMahon, along with Perry Barber of New York, and we performed 17 songs, including, as the finale, an extendo version of "City of New Orleans."’

David "Dai" Woosnam


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