Messages

Scarborough Warning!!!

2008-10-01T20:30:01Z

Hello all. I’ve just had a message from Mark Horsley who’s putting on the blues gigs at The Cask in Scarborough, he says that an article about Aynsley’s gig has just appeared in the Scarborough Evening News and he expects tickets to go quickly now. Tix are priced at £8 in advance (£10 on the door if any are left!) and you can reach Mark through the ‘Contact Us’ button on the website at: http://www.scarboroughbluesclub.co.uk

Scarborough Gig

2008-10-09T16:01:25Z

How many went to the gig? If you did,nt you missed a belter, I know Britbabe went. Not a big place but good and some great bands coming in the future, check out the site http://www.scarboroughbluesclub.co.uk the guy who runs it needs your support.. KEEP MUSIC ALIVE!!

Ipswich gig

2008-10-06T23:08:22Z

It was a rainy Saturday night in Ipswich, but that was no excuse for such a disappointing audience turnout. I had travelled up the A12, daughter in tow, from Mid-Essex for only our second Aynsley gig (having seen the Riga ‘Solo’ show a few weeks ago).
I was really looking forward to seeing Aynsley & Band, and contemplating a ‘massive’ queue outside……… In reality, we walked into a near empty hall. If it hadn’t have been for the equipment on stage, I would have been thinking we’d got the wrong night.
By the time the support band, The Dave Jackson Band, climbed on stage, there were only about 40 people there. The atmosphere was a bit ‘lacking’, but Dave on Guitar, his wife Janet on Bass and ‘Spoons’ sitting in on Drums, ripped into a great set of Blues Rock numbers. Suddenly, you forgot the surroundings and just took in the music.
By the time Aynsley and the Band came on, I’m sure everyone, like me, just wanted to see the maestro perform. And we were not disappointed. It was one superb performance.
Highlight of the night for me, was the ‘cover’ of Prince’s ‘Purple Rain’ (as a relative ‘newbie’, is this a regular for Aynsley?), which totally eclipsed the original.
There are very few performers, today, who impress me enough to ‘put pen to paper’ and enthuse over (I call it the ‘WOW’ factor). Aynsley (only outshone, in my eyes, by the brilliant Joe Bonamassa) certainly fits into that category.
I just hope that the lack of punters at Ipswich (it must have been a ‘downer’ for the band too, as well as a bit of a ‘commercial’ disaster), doesn’t put Aynsley off of coming ‘down this way’ again sometime soon.
Lets hope that Tuesday’s Scarborough gig ‘Sells out’, as suggested.
I look forward to seeing the band play Down South, to a ‘Full House’ in the future.

SCARBOROUGH GIG

2008-08-15T14:11:16Z

Please tell me it,s true!!!! Aynsley is doing my home town of Scarborough? THE CASK..Not a big venue but central.. real ale on but expensive… If you are going to come to Scarborough try.. THE NORTH RIDING HOTEL...THE VALLEY...SCHOLARS… For real ale of quality..ALL IN THE GOOD BEER GUIDE...ESPECIALLY THE NORTH RIDING FOR BEER AND GOOD FOOD SERVED 6-8PM. Anyone wants any info drop me a line. Glad to help!

France!

2008-09-30T20:57:46Z

Someone asked me to pass this around, so here you go - read and enjoy!!

http://docspoons.hartserver.co.uk/view_article.php?id=8

Nottingham, solo

2008-09-29T18:17:46Z

The gig was great. The support was a duo of young guys playing blues guitar and singing. They started out with the electric guitar taking the lead and the acoustic providing rhythm, and then switched to the other way around, and the singer along with it. They were both decent players, had good voices and a relaxed and confident delivery, they didn’t do anything to scare the horses and adopted a spare, considered kind of style and didn’t get above themselves or over-embellish, they weren’t half bad and a good warm-up act for Aynsley.

He played a blinder that night, laid-back, assured, in very fine voice, utilising every technique one could imagine and very fleet of finger; maybe he’s fed-up of hearing how fast Joe B is! The stomp-box that he uses wasn’t switched on at first, so there was a couple of minutes gap while he called the soundguy from the bar in the back, and much jollity ensued. That’s the kind of gig it was, warm and happy with lots of banter and a real friendly atmosphere. The content was more of the blues than I’ve been used to the past few years, and less off the ‘crooner’ stuff, for want of a better phrase. I was disappointed that he didn’t do ‘Moondance’ which I love, but we’d heard him sing a bit of ‘Fly Me To The Moon’ in the soundcheck and some of his mates were calling for it but he refused, on the grounds he only knows half of it – he did promise to do it next time tho! ‘Mad Man Blues’ made an appearance with appropriate aggression, but not to the extent that he was lifting himself clear of his seat by sheer force of the stamping of his feet, as I’ve seen happen before.

The highlights of the night for me tho were the unexpected and very welcome return of ‘Lawnmower Blues’ which evoked a host of happy and treasured memories, an utterly spellbinding ‘Rain’ and a fabulously sultry ‘Ain’t No Sunshine’.

Roll on the next band gig, can’t wait to see Midus strut her stuff (won’t be next time tho I’m told, hmmm now who might be standing in??? lol)

Venue suggestions for Aynsley

2008-08-29T23:01:46Z

Aynsley, here are some suggestions for two new places in Edinburgh you could play.

The Picture House is a brand new venue which has a capacity of 1500. It would be great to see you there (possibly on a co-headline date). Walter Trout is one of the first artists due to play there.

http://www.mamagroup.co.uk/picturehouse

A far smaller venue is The Three Monkeys which puts on blues acts every Saturday, some are fee paying other not. Might be best suited to an acoustic gig, but Paul Lamb & The Kingsnakes managed to fit on stage (just).

http://www.thethreemonkeys.co.uk/index.html

It has a sister pub called The Barrels Alehouse in Berwick Upon Tweed, where Oli Brown is to play next month:

http://www.thebarrels.co.uk

Hopefully you could make one of these venues following a date at Blaydon or The Cluny in the near future!

Other forum users, please feel free to add other venue suggestions below this one - maybe we can devise a tour of places Aynsley has never played before!

Dorchester Saturday

2008-09-20T22:09:24Z

Thanks for a great night, yet again. Looking forward to the Feb release of the new album.

Can anyone recommend

2008-07-22T12:37:05Z

I thought I would give J Bonamassa a try and looked at Amazon, there was to many cd’s to choose from. Can anyone recommend a couple to start me off.

Glad to see a few of you are enjoying my mates photo’s of ALB from the Half Moon gig, good aren’t they.
With a bit of luck he wll do some more at the Westcliff (Riga Bar) gig in Sept which we’re looking forward to.

Robster

Dubai Gig - Request

2008-08-12T23:23:41Z

Any chance of a gig in Dubai or Abu Dhabi or anywhere in the UAE?

Its not that hot really between Nov and March.

I can recommend a number of places PLUS the band get a winter break too - the sun always shines, and there are many expats who would welcome some decent musicians.

I used to travel all over Leciestershire to see AL, and this is about 12 years ago. Its been a long time, and I would even host a gig in my villa if I possibly could ....

Cheers!