"Blue Onyx and Kindred Spirit", May 10th

The concert at Central Studio was almost a sell out with around 120 people coming and both bands were very well received.

"Hi Elaine, Just got back from Central Studios on a big high. What a great night, that's some band you have got. Put you in a proper music venue and you can hold your own with anybody on that performance. I thought you were superb, even better than the last outing at the same venue in '05 and I remember writing to you then that it was a brilliant gig and time just flew. Its the first time I have seen Gavin, what a find he is, I thought you might miss Sim till I saw him play, loved every moment, I thought you all seemed so at ease and having a ball, I could not help smiling at some of the interplay between Annie and Gavin. I bet you have trouble keeping Annie in check sometimes, I think she would give Ian Anderson a run for his money no problem." Martin Harold

We think there could be a newspaper review coming as a reporter asked if he could come along and review the evening.

Some good camcorder footage has been taken and there will probably be some "You Tube" footage from this gig coming soon.

This is a regular monthly singer / song-writer competition and show, running until August this year, which I have set up and will be hosting. I'm hoping this will benefit singer / song-writers and pubs and may encourage others to start similar events.

At each show there will be a competition in the first half, involving five singer / song-writers playing two songs each.

In the second half there will be a featured guest performing a 30min spot. The launch show featured the fabulous James Keen and the May show is featuring the wonderful
Sue Verran.

After the guest feature spot, the winner of the competition will be announced and get to play a 30min feature spot.

After the shows there will be an informal, acoustic jam for anyone who wants to take part and I'm hoping this will help people to get to know each other and make contacts and friends - as well as have some fun too!

Have a look at the My Space web site I have created for all the details at:- www.myspace.com/songshow

Riverside Arts Centre, Sunbury, March 2008
The acoustic band gig at the Sunbury Arts Centre on 29th March was a great success and was well received by a very attentive audience. Video clips of all the numbers performed at the Sunbury, Riverside Arts Centre concert are currently being re-mixed using the audio from our more central camcorder (which gives a much better stereo balance) and will be available on You Tube soon. We will put all the links to the numbers in this space as soon as we have them.

The Ibex, December 2007
In December 2007 the band performed a much quieter gig at the Ibex, in Chaddleworth, since it is quite a small pub and we were performing in a conservatory with plenty of glass (this can exacerbate feedback). This has allowed us to get some good video footage of the band, which you can now see some of on both band sounds pages (festival and pubs) as well as on "You Tube".

As an editor / publisher by day (with experience in the hospitality and catering side of publishing) and electrifying violin player plus food appreciator in between, Gavin has earned the revered nickname of "Gannet” amongst his colleagues and friends.
An aspiring food critic (with a gradually expanding waistline), Gavin has steadily been tasting his way around gigs and has discovered some outstanding food / music venues. At these particular venues, Gavin has described the meals on offer as being “so wonderful” that we thought he should be able to mark them as "Gannet Approved Venues" (or GAVs), with the "Gannet" logo.

A new feature of the Kindred Spirit “Pub Guide” then, will be the much sought after “Gannet” mark (see right). Those venues achieving this high accolade will have the mark placed beside the picture of their establishment on the “Pub Guide” as an indication, to anyone looking for a superb meal (as well as some excellent live music), that here is the place to visit.

Any venues thinking that they truly deserve a “Gannet” mark should encourage Gavin to sample some of their culinary delights, a prospect which we are sure he won’t be too unhappy about.

Look at the Guide so far

Our "Pub Guide" page is evolving all the time to make it even more useful. Have a look. 

You can also access this page from:-

"Gigs" page navigation bar
"Links" page
"Pub Guide" gig links

We have started issuing a special stamp of approval to pubs serving outstanding gourmet food. Have a look at "Gavin's Gourmet Gannet Guide"