Hello All,

What can I say about the Falklands, it is by far one of my favourite places on the planet. I find a real sense of freedom there. It is so very like the west coast of Scotland, where I grew up, but even more isolated and with even less trees and very different plants and wild-life.

My fine Falklands Hosts

The people are some of the warmest and friendliest I have met, (a special thanks to Pete, Rosie and Roxie for being such wonderful hosts, also the pigs and Lifestyle for inviting me)

I look bit like a penguin

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Introductions?

I've got a mix of photos to add here, I hope they can help paint the picture..:-)

Bluff Cove, was a really special place, set up by Hattie and Kevin with a little help from Toby as a wild card!

Toby Dancing...:-)

Lots of penguins at the Bluff Cove Lagoon...!

I was lucky enough to go for a couple of days, once when all was quiet, so I got to skulk about a bit.

2 porter cabins, one set up as a museum with bits of history and info about the Cove, Islands, shipwrecks, spinning/felt making...etc ( another one of my loves).I played in the museum, next to a lady spinning ( Sylvia I think?)

The other  porter cabin was The Sea Cabbage cafe filled with cakes, cakes and more wonderful cakes.....Hattie being a FAB baker.

Museum at Bluff Cove Lagoon

It was very windy on the day, but I saw a few king penguins, had a paddle and hung out with some gentoo's, funny little chaps..!

Jimmy on boat

Jimmy and Jay took me out on the boat on a pretty windy day, we headed round to Kidney Island, which is just round from Port Stanley. The Island is covered with the most amazing 'Tussock' Grass, it is massive and covers the whole Island. Met a very disgruntled sea lion while I was there. Very windy trip back to base, but I love boats and realised how much I missed the sea,,,,:-) Thanks guys for the outing....x

picture by Grizelda Cockwell 2010

Drawn by Grizelda Cockwell

Well, its taken me a little while to start putting together thoughts and ideas from my 2 weeks in Canada. I met my brother in Toronto and he kindly drove and carried my bags around Ontario. So a BIG thank you to him. He also supplied a valuable ear for the long drive up and down the country.

I met some fantastic people and played some really great gigs on tour this year. This was my 3rd trip accross and another great adventure to add to my memories. I'm really gaining a LOVE of Ontario and I hope to make another trip in a couple of years...?

Canada is also home to the 'House Concert' - A concert in someones home, very intimate and full of people who really want to be there. Houses often are bigger than in the UK. I'm hoping with the demise of more and more venues in the UK we might start putting on House Concerts more often ourselves?

So where to begin?

The first gig I played was with some good friends of mine in Toronto, Dave and Sarah. The last three trips over I have played at Dave and Sarah's house, and as they keep moving I have visited 3 of their houses. For some reason Dave and Sarah dodged Gavins camera, but I hope to add a few photos from the night from elsewhere soon.:-) Lots of familiar faces appeared. Good to see you all...:-)

Stonecroft- House Concert-

The next gig was with Allyson and Kevin who had seen me play at thge Cuckoos Nest in London, Ontario the year before supporting Jez Lowe.

They have an organized House Concert in the most fantastic hand built house you've EVER seen! I've downloaded a few photos, but they don't do the size and space justice.

Becker and Ash (Allysons sister and Niece) baked cakes all day and host of cats, dogs, goats and a dwarf-dwarf pony aided and abetted with the whole magic to the event for me.

What a lovely gig, laughing, fun, friendly and enthusiastic audience.

To the left is me with Kevin, Becker and Ash on the porch before heading off to the great blue yonder.

On the right Gav took this picture from up on the balcony.

Another shot from the Balcony. Just accross from here is the Hall of Fame. where there are some fab shots of all the past and present performers to have played at Stonecroft.

Hall of Fame ( very happy to be joining them

We then set sail for Kitchener, getting very lost in the process, I'm amazed Gav and didn't fall out

Karen and her sons put on the house concert, a really musical family and GREAT people!

A lovely night where we met lots of lovely people. What GREAT hair...........:-)

Andi

x

Just some more info for those of you, who will be coming to see The Andi Neate Band in Ullapool.

The concerts, running concurrently on October 2nd and 3rd, will take place in the Macphail Theatre and Ullapool Village Hall.  Both will be presented by former UHS students.  Although there will be music in various styles in both concerts, one will be themed around singer-songwriters and popular/rock musicians, and one around traditional and Gaelic music.  In addition to solo performances by a Mod gold medal-winner and prize-winning pipers, a major highlight of the traditional concert will be collaboration between former and current UHS students to perform several songs and pieces of instrumental music.

A cornerstone of this concert will be the project's title song.  Tillidh Mi Dhachaidh was written by Calum MacDonald in the early days of his band RunRig.   The song sums up the feelings of a young person growing up in the Highlands and moving out into the wider world, yet always aware of the richness of home and tradition.  A group of UHS musicians recorded the song in 1998, and Calum has kindly agreed to let us use this as the theme for our project.

The singer/songwriter concert will feature former students who have gone on to record their own albums as well as students who have left school more recently and are involved in rock bands and DJ work.

Andi Neate

Related gig

• Date: Friday, October 2nd 2009
  – Saturday, October 3rd 2009
  
• Time: 7:30pm
• City: Andi Neatein Ullapool Ross-shire
• Venue: Tilidh Mi Dhachaidh The Village Hall
• Country: UK
• Box office: 01854612078
• Notes: Ullapool Homecoming

Felt very looked after wit a warm audience. I played in the afternoon which is always a funny one but had lots of fun. Feel like I'm beginning to know a few folk that neck of the woods..;-)

x

Annie and Keef run the club for ALL the right reasons.

The night is filled with music and lovely folk. I always arrive after a 7 hour drive, fall out the car onto the pavement and the night shines through my tired-ness.

Some FAB music on in particular tonight. I ran into a band called bruise who just won the day for me......:-)

On with the next I say!!

xx

It rained with a apital R, while Scotland was bathed in sunshine which I felt a little cheated by, but Prague is so beautiful and filled with history and character that I was still wisked away.

I was playing from Tues 26th May- Sat 30th everynight, had lovely audiences and fantastic response. Want to thank all of them for giving me such a warm response. Lots of people have been coming back to see me year after year, so a lot of happy people walking away with their copy of Crows, Rooks and Ravens.

Please read on for Prague TV review and Prague post review...:-)

If you haven’t seen Neate sing, you should. But go early, as anyone who has seen her perform at past Fringe Festivals will be standing at the door waiting to get in. Neate, a Scottish singer-songwriter, is a one-woman Voice and Verse, and seeing her directly after the talented Irish lot is the perfect Celtic night cap. Neate’s mellifluous voice, which ranges from the quietly wistful to pub forte, covers a songbook that extends from folk and country to rock and jazz, all prefaced with a bit of storytelling about the songs origins. She’s a generous performer, one that an audience quickly surrenders themselves to. I’ve written about Neate before, and feel I’ve exhausted my supply of superlatives. So, just go. And as she’s playing three more night in Prague, go again. U Malého Glena

The gig seemed to be over all too soon. Not sure where the time went..:-) Aways a good sign!

There were a fab group of musicians suporting me, from far flung areas of the globe. Particularily liked a singer called Jenna, will have to look at her my space...

Paul Burke who books for the folkclub is a lovely man and has kept the night running for a while so all power to his elbow.

There seem to be only a pocket of  good  acoustic nights around the UK and his is DEF one of them...

Ok...so off to Brighton later today..:-)

Andi

x 

Quirkus where supporting with the help from a few friends...;-) They played beautifullly in their special quirky way..!

This gig for me was a great start to my journy-ing south...I love Dumfries and Nicola and Blackie are always so welcoming..

So Off heading further south for the next port of call- Bournemouth..:-)

Hugs

Andi

x