Jez Lowe

New tour dates Australia

jez — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 03:08:08 +0000

Exciting news just in that we have two more dates confirmed for Jez solo at the end of his long trip- 25th March Melbourne and 26th March Brisbane… see gig … Continue reading →

Down Under

jez — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 20:32:27 +0000

THe New Zealand tour is well underway, seven gigs into a nine day run on the North Island before heading down to Christchurch for the first show in the South Island. No reports yet, and not much from the performers themselves on Twitter and Facebook… Lots coming through about the recent Irish Music Cruise though, including some photos of a big band finale with Jez backed by Andy May, Hanneke Cassal, Martin O’Duggen and Connor Makem. Also Jez backing up Kieron Sheehan on a medley of Beatles songs! More from down-under soon.

Jez in USA for start of long trip…

jez — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 02:48:05 +0000

Jez and Andy May are currently in Fort Lauderdale at the start of a two and a half month journey around the globe which takes in New Zealand and Australia, but starts with the Irish Music Cruise of the Caribbean – for which they’ll be joined by Archie Fisher, Canadian duo Evans and Docherty and many more. Keep up with Jez’s exploits here and on Twitter over the next few weeks!

Busy busy busy…

jez — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 18:22:23 +0000

Jez heads off to foreign parts next Wednesday – a week on the Irish Music Cruise of the Caribbean (a dirty job but someone’s got to do it), and then straight to New zealand and on to Australia. Meanwhile he has two solo gigs this weekend, at Oxford Folk Club on Friday and Farnsfield Acoustic on Saturday. As well as that there are recording sessions being slotted in on free days for the BBC Radio Ballads. Recording is taking place in Penistone near Barnsley in Yorkshire with engineer Andy Seward. The fruits of all this labour is due for broadcast in July.

News round up.

jez — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 11:07:35 +0000

Jez is recording his first contributions to the BBC Olympic Radio Ballads this week, five songs to start with, three of which he’s likely to provide vocals for, with the others allotted to other singers. Titles include THE BALLAD OF JOHNNY AND DORANDO, MAKE AND MEND, JESSE OWENS SHOES and BERLIN SONG… Final preparation for the upcoming New Zealand and Australia tour is also going on. All details of these gigs are now on the Live Dates page of this site… On the forthcoming Irish Music Cruise later this month, Jez will be performing as a duo with Andy May for the first time… Jez’s final UK dates before he leaves for Australia will be at Oxford on January 21st and Farnsfield on January 22nd.

New Year Greetings!

jez — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 16:38:50 +0000

And so 2012 rolls in – Jez starts solo at The Biddulph Arms in Staffordshire on Wednesday January 4th, followed by Westoe Club in South Shields on Sunday 8th… The year ended in triumph with Humbug Bonny Lad and a full house at Gateshead’s Sage. Songs included in the two hour show ranged from old favourites like FANCY GOODS, THE SEA AND THE DEEP BLUE DEVIL, and CALICO, to current numbers like WATTER’S COMING ANNIE, THE LOST PIPER and the elusive REVENGE SONG!! There were also some new songs, including the title piece and CHRISTMAS IN YORKSHIRE – not to mention the BLUE STAR WARS section of the show, with the accent firmly on mirth and merriment throughout. And sadly, we’re told, no official recordings from the show exist, so if anyone out there has an unofficial tape, please get in touch…

First project of 2012

jez — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 15:22:15 +0000

As well as a bunch of solo gigs coming up (starting in Biddulph, Staffordshire on January 4th), Jez’s main focus for the next few weeks will be on recording the new songs he’s written for the BBC Radio Ballads series – around half a dozen so far, we hear – before he heads off to the US for the Irish Music Cruise, then on to New Zealand and Australia. Judging by the last Radio Ballads series, Jez himself is unlikely to be performing all the songs he’s written – indeed the last time, the bulk of the twenty-odd songs were sung by other people, and coincidentally, Jez was also heading off to Australia when recording for the series was in full swing. However, Jez WILL be performing many of the songs as part of his Muse MacColl show at several UK festivals this summer, as well as at solo and band gigs before then. Several have already popped up at gigs in recent weeks, as has been noted. A fully-fledged album of all this material would be welcome at some point…

Looking forward to 2012…

jez — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 17:57:43 +0000

As the year ends, we are looking ahead to things coming up in 2012, some of which are definitely happening, some of which we certainly hope will happen… Jez returns to the Caribbean as part of the Irish Music Cruise… Extensive tours of New Zealand and Australia… More outings for the Muse MacColl concerts, and the All Along The Wall project… The BBC Radio Ballads on the Olympics, brimful of new Jez Lowe songs… Jez’s return to La Grande Gennerie in France for another songwriting workshop week… The return of The BIG Bad Pennies at UK festivals… UK festivals (some solo, some band) booked so far include Towersey, Leigh on Sea, Bromsgrove, Tegeingl, Wirral, Sedgefield, Ely and Whitby… Concerts across America and Canada in October… No firm news on CD projects, but another “Art Edition” re-release is still being mooted, and then there’s all those new Radio Ballads songs… And that’s just what we know about so far… Another busy year then folks!!

Radio slot… Christmas show…

jez — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 10:16:32 +0000

Jez is listed as “special guest” on The Crooked Road folk radio show on Radio Swindon on Thursday December 15th. It’s also available via www.themusicwellhome.co.uk and www.the crookedroad.com for the week following the broadcast… Meanwhile, the “Humbug Bonny Lad” show has been wowing audiences this past week, and the next show is at The Concordia Centre, Cramlington, Northumberland next Saturday. Tickets are still available. It features new songs, comedy, and old favourites from Jez’s repertoire, including a show-stopping version of CALICO from the “Doolally” album. The final show is on Decemeber 27th at Gateshead’s Sage.

Christmas is coming

jez — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 21:16:22 +0000

“Humbug, Bonny Lad” is the title of this year’s Bad Pennies Christmas show, with special guest Benny Graham, which starts at Carlisle Folk and Blues Club tomorrow night. There are only a handful of shows this year, and several, including Gateshead’s Sage, are already sold out, so please check with availability before heading out – full details are on the Live Dates page of this website. It’s an all-new show this year, and expect some surprises, as usual. Going by previous years, it gives Jez and the band to revisit some older and rarely performed material, along with some brand new pieces. And a lot of laughs!

News updates

jez — Sun, 04 Dec 2011 15:30:24 +0000

David and Andy are recovering from a car crash on the way to The Bad Pennies gig at Pacific Road Arts Centre in Birkenhead yesterday. We’re glad to say they’re both fine but still shaken up. The gig went ahead as a duo show, with the kind agreement of promoter and management. Next show for the band is the first Christmas gig at Carlisle on Friday, which is going ahead as planned at this point.

Next Saturday’s Merseyside Radio Ballads Show

jez — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 15:09:26 +0000

On Saturday December 3rd, Jez and The Bad Pennies bring their MUSE MACCOLL Radio Ballads show to The Pacific Road Arts Centre in Birkenhead. It will be the last chance to see the show for the forseeable future (further performances have been mooted for 2012), which features a wealth of rarely performed songs that Jez wrote for the BBC radio series, and including some brand new songs from next year’s Radio 2 series, previewed here exclusively. Tickets are still available at this great venue for a very different kind of show – see the review of the Manchester Lowry concert below for a further flavour of what to expect. Once again, Jez and the band are pushing the boundaries!!

Set List from Norden Farm concert

jez — Sun, 27 Nov 2011 10:51:05 +0000

The set-list from Jez’s solo concert (“Songs of a Northern Winter”) at Norden Farm Theatre, Maidenhead last week, sent in by Michael Alexander. Set One A CALL FOR THE NORTH COUNTRY / SCHOLARS IN WINTER / THE LOST PIPER / THE LIMPING DRINKER’S POLKA / EX-PITMEN’S POT-HOLING PUBQUIZ TEAM / GULL’S EYE / THE ALL CLEAR / VIKINGS. Set Two – THE TERROR TIME (Ewan MacColl) / BLACK DIAMONDS / THE BERGEN / SABOTEUR’S SONG / JESSE OWEN SONG / GALLOWAYS / GRAMOPHONE DANCING / REVENGE SONG / JACK COMMON’S ANTHEM / Encore – A CHAMPION LIFE. All in all, a very different set of songs, including several from The Radio Ballads, a rare cover-version, and a brand new song to boot! Jez is at The Beacon, Tunbridge Wells on Monday.

Jez welcomes in Winter… Really!

jez — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 19:14:15 +0000

As a precursor to this year’s Christmas show “Humbug Bonny Lad”, Jez is presenting a special concert tomorrow night (Thursday) at Norden Farm Arts Centre in Maidenhead, Berkshire UK, entitled “Songs from a Northern Winter”. A varied and unusual set of songs is on the cards for this one-off show, and a very few tickets are still available. Details on the Live Dates page of this site, where you’ll also find details of the Christmas Show concerts, which start at Carlisle Folk and Blues club on December 9th, and will feature The Bad Pennies plus regular special guest Benny Graham. The Christmas show run continues at Kirkby Malzeard (10th), Green Hammerton (11th), Cramlington (17th) and Gateshead Sage (27th – restricted view seats only remaining).

News Round-up

jez — Sun, 20 Nov 2011 13:13:36 +0000

Jez and The Bad Pennies have been touring as a trio this week, with Andy May being overseas with his Baltic Crossing band. Reports of more new songs in the set… A limited number of copies of the 1990 album BRIEFLY ON THE STREET are currently available, both on CD and vinyl LP! Contact us through this website if you’re interested… Video of the recent Pitmen Poets shows may be appearing on You Tube soon… Tickets for this year’s Christmas show, “Humbug Bonny Lad” are already selling fast, with Gateshead’s Sage all but sold out now. Details on the LIVE DATES page of this site… Jez has solo gigs next weekend, at Maidenhead, Bognor Regis and Tunbridge Wells…

CD Release

jez — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 10:12:05 +0000

The recording of the Norma Waterson benefit concert at The Sage in Gateshead last June has finally made it on to CD. “One Night For Norma”, featuring Jez alongside Vin Garbutt, Bella Hardy, Alistair Anderson, Emily Portman, Andy May, Sandra Kerr, The Wotchorns and Linda Thompson, is now available via Amazon and other outlets. Jez contributes versions of LONDON DANNY and JACK COMMON’S ANTHEM, the latter with the whole cast joining in… Following a bunch of solo gigs over the last week, Jez and the band are at Wessex Acoustic Club and Faldingworth Live this coming weekend, a chance to catch up on some of those new songs we’re hearing about, perhaps?