GW RR Soul Band - London Marathon 2024

Gordon Webber's Road Runners Soul Band are back at the London Marathon on Sunday 21st April. Music starts about 11.30/12.00am. (later start as runners now have much more spread out start times.

Note we've also changed our performance spot to Deptford Creek; we are now on the raised pavement on Creek Road, on the junction of Creekside and Gonson Street -  opposite The Duke pub (and just after the Creek Road bridge if you're running.. don't forget to wave!). 

Nearest rail stations are Cutty Sark for Maritime Greenwich on the DLR line, Deptford Rail Station and Greenwich Rail and DLR station. 

Check the TFL website for London Marathon day 2024 public transport details.

See you there!

Upcoming live music events April - May 2024

What's up!  Been enjoying some lovely gigs with the Green Chain Quartet recently, including our regular charity fundraiser at the Daylight Inn in Petts Wood, Bromley. More coming up over the coming weeks including:

- 27th April @  Brockley Taproom, Harcourt Rd Brockley SE4

- 2nd May @ The Daylight Inn, Petts Wood, Bromley

Also the fantabulous Road Runners Soul Band are back at the London Marathon on Sunday 21st April. Music starts about 9.30am. 

Note we've changed our performance spot to Deptford Creek; we are now on the raised pavement on Creek Road, on the junction of Creekside and Gonson Street -  opposite The Duke pub (and just after the Creek Road bridge if you're running.. don't forget to wave!). 

Nearest rail stations are Cutty Sark for Maritime Greenwich on the DLR line, Deptford Rail Station and Greenwich Rail and DLR station. 

Check the TFL website for London Marathon day 2024 public transport details.

  

Fab Feb First @ The Daylight

Great to be back the Brockley Brewery for their Jazz January, looking forward to the next one there. Meanwhile.. I'm back at the Daylight with the Green Chain Quartet on 1st February. Doors 8pm. It'll be fab! 

https://www.greenchainquartet.com/2024/01/fab-feb-first-friends.html?spref=tw

Merry Christmas and a Peaceful New Year

  

Thanks to all my students who I've had the pleasure of teaching this year - online and in-person.  

Thanks also to the venues and musicians that I worked with from spring to winter, inside, outside and all points in between! 

Wishing you all the best for Christmas and New Year and, as last year, and the year before, and the year before that... hoping it's better and more peaceful one for all of us than 2023

Dave

New guitar for Christmas? Grab a free lesson from me!

This offer has been popular for the last few years, so I'm offering it again this year!

Improving what you play already? This would be a great starting point. Many guitarists have used my lessons to widen their musical horizons by adding new styles into their playing: Blues, Soul, Jazz, Funk, Classical, Hard Rock. It could also cover improvising (all styles), sight reading, fretboard knowledge - in short, being able to play anywhere on the fretboard - and of course understanding music theory.

Complete beginner? I meet a lot people who say "Ah, the guitar: I bought one but couldn't get started on it..." Well the short answer is they probably would have, if they'd had a few pointers on how to get started; i.e. what to practice in those early stages so they could make good progress, how to get over those new beginners' 'humps' and how to start sounding musical as soon as possible.

So, if you're getting new guitar (or bass, or ukulele, or banjo!) for Christmas... Get started with a free lesson from me! 

To take up this offer simply email me (dave@davebold.com) giving the name of the person receiving the guitar, I'll send you a personalised electronic copy of the flyer below. After that just contact me to arrange a time for your lesson. Job done. 

This could also be a major help if you're making a New Year's resolution to play a few songs on your new guitar by Easter; what a great start this would be! 

If you're gifting a guitar to someone it also makes the best of your Christmas present and helps sort out your wannabe a guitarist's New Years Resolution.  And.... if your own resolution was to get them started on a musical instrument, that's two NY resolutions sorted in one hit!  Simple!

Know someone else who may be interested? Use the buttons ⇙ below to share. Thanks.

Been busy!

After a run of recent gigs, mainly centring around the King's Coronation events and the London Marathon, I can take a break to concentrate on teaching. Then finish the month of May at Billy's in Manor Park, Lewisham (Sunday 28th pm) and Bank Holiday Monday at Pistachios in Manor Park Gardens, Hither Green, and then start June with another Daylight Inn event in Petts Wood on the 1st June.

Sunny Day with GCQ at Pistachio's!

Another sunny day (with GCQ and Jimmy Beckley) at Petts Wood Street Party!

Spring/Summer Gigs 2023

Spring / Summer public gigs. Catch me somewhere!

April

6th - 8-11pm: Daylight Inn, Petts Wood, Bromley. (Green Chain Qt)

23rd - 9am-12noon: London Marathon, Greenwich (Meantime Road Runners)

 

May

4th - 8-11pm: Daylight Inn, Petts Wood, Bromley. (Green Chain Qt)

6th - pm: Street Party, Beckenham (Green Chain Qt + guests)

7th - pm: Street Party, Bickley (Green Chain Qt + guests)

8th - 2.30-7.30pm: Golder's Hill Park Bandstand, Hampstead Heath (GCQ) 

28th - 2pm Jazz In The Park - Billy's, Manor Park, Hither Green SE13 5QZ 

29th - 2pm Pistachios In The Park, Hither Green (GCQ)

June

1st - 8-11pm: Daylight Inn, Petts Wood, Bromley. (Green Chain Qt)

14th - 3pm: Fellowship Arms event, Bellingham, Catford (Duo with Jimmy Beckley)

24th - pm: TBC  Manor Park Festival (Green Chain Qt)

July

6th - 8-11pm: Daylight Inn, Petts Wood, Bromley. (Green Chain Qt + guests) 

August

3rd - 8-11pm: Daylight Inn, Petts Wood, Bromley. (Green Chain Qt)

13th - 3-5pm: Parliament Hill Fields Bandstand, Hampstead Heath (GCQ)

September

7th - 8-11pm: Daylight Inn, Petts Wood, Bromley. (Green Chain Qt)

Has RGT morphed into LCM?

Well er..  not quite! The Registry Of Guitar Tutors (RGT) instruction and exam system has been part of the London Music College Exams group for a few years now. But things evolve and it is now fully part of the London College Of Music (LCM) and is now rebranded as ‘RGT@LCM’.

Since its creation in 1992, RGT has collaborated with the London College of Music (LCM), which is part of the University of West London (UWL), to provide internationally-recognised accredited exams across the spectrum of popular guitar music in electric, rock, acoustic, jazz, bass guitar and ukulele – from beginner to Diploma level.

Whatever the fretted instrument: RGT has it covered

RGT@LCM will be managed by LCM Examinations, assisted by RGT’s current Chief Examiner Merv Young. LCM is working closely with RGT to ensure a smooth transition. 

Anyone currently taking an examination or thinking of taking an examination in the future will not be affected by the merger, as RGT exams will continue to be administered and examined in the same way by the same skilled personnel. 

There are currently no plans to change any of the existing RGT syllabuses or exam handbooks. The considerable benefits of RGT membership to guitar teachers will remain in place.

As ever more information is available at the RGT website: http://www.rgt.org/exams/index.php  And on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/RegistryOfGuitarTutors/

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year

 

Thanks to all my students who I've had the pleasure of teaching this year - online and in-person.  

Thanks also to the venues and musicians that I worked with from spring to winter, inside, outside and all points in between! 

Wishing you all the best for Christmas and New Year and, as last year, and the year before, hoping it's better one for all of us than 2022!

Dave

Early Autumn Gigs 2022

Gigs continue with the Green Chain Quartet. Our monthly residency at The Daylight Inn in Petts Wood, Bromley is going well and has raised over £1,000 for charities since we started earlier this year.

The GCQ captured in glorious technicolor by Neil Stradwick

You can catch us live on the first Thursday of every month 8pm for some soul-jazz boogaloo! 

8pm Thursday 6th October @ The Daylight Inn, Petts Wood, Bromley. Guest vocalist Amanda Forbes. And special intermission guests: Felix's School Of Rock Choir.

8pm Thursday 3rd November @ The Daylight Inn, Petts Wood, Bromley. Special guest TBC. 

For more information see the official Green Chain Quartet website 

The GCQ are also playing the annual Hither Green Christmas FUSS Fair on Saturday afternoon of December 3rd. And I understand another Christmas outdoor special at Pistachio's In The Park, Manor Park Gardens, Lee, Lewisham date TBC.

My other dates this month include an early afternoon duo performance at The Fellowship Arms, Bellingham, with sax legend Jimmy Beckley: 12 til 2pm on 21st September.

Jimmy Beckley

Green Chain gigs - August 2022

At the moment my regular gig is with the Green Chain Quartet, featuring old friends and London music legends John Gittos on Hammond, Mel Wright on drums and Dave Morris on saxophones. 

Musically it's a sort of soul-jazz/jazz-blues of the kind of melting pot that produced Jimmy Smith, Richard 'Groove' Holmes, Wes Montgomery, George Benson, Billy Hart and Grady Tate.  

But, because we've all played lots of different styles of music together, and we've been working with lots of guests across a wide spectrum of musical styles (most months at the Daylight Inn we feature a guest singer or instrumentalist) it's growing organically and, though originally we try to be as true as possible to the original soul-jazz boogaloo sound, I quite like the way we adjust to fit the styles required!

Hear us live at the following public events:

8pm Thursday 4th August @ The Daylight Inn, Petts Wood, Bromley. Guest vocalist Amanda Forbes.

3pm Sunday 7th August @ Hampstead Heath: Parliament Hill Bandstand, Parliament Hill Fields (near Tennis Courts) Highgate Road, London, NW5 1QR 

8pm Thursday 1st September @ The Daylight Inn, Petts Wood, Bromley. Special guest TBC.

For more information see the official Green Chain Quartet website 

Pistachios In The Park

Thanks to everyone who came along to hear the Jazz and Blues at Pistachio's In The Park at Manor House Gardens in Hither Green on Sunday. And special thanks to vocalist Chess Payne standing in at short notice for The Prof who was off with Covid.

I'm told there are more of these events to come at this lovely park setting so watch this space!

Full list of upcoming gigs with the GCQ at the GCQ website!

The Green Chain Quartet

Live at The Daylight!

Lovely gig at the Daylight Inn in Petts Wood, Bromley last week with the fabulous Green Chain Quartet, It's a new monthly residency with guests.

Each month the event raises money for a charitable cause. This one was Bromley Food Band and a decent amount of money was raised for them.

Next one up at The Daylight is on Thursday 7th April. Doors open 8pm, music from 8.30pm. The charitable support for this one will be the people in Ukraine.

At 'The Daylight' (with extra lighting 🙄 )

Upcoming gigs

Well the gigs are starting to come back...  Here's a selection of my events for 2022 with the fabulous Green Chain Quartet, including a new monthly residency with guests at The Daylight Inn, Petts Wood, Bromley. Looking forward to them!

2022

3rd March - The Daylight Inn, Petts Wood

7th April - The Daylight Inn, Petts wood

22nd April - Private Function Blackheath

5th May - The Daylight Inn, Petts Wood

4th June - Beckenham Street Party 

25th June - Clandon Wood Jazz Evening, Surrey

7th August - The Bandstand, Hampstead Heath

In the pink with the Green Chain Quartet

New guitar for Christmas? Get a free lesson from me!

This offer has been popular for the last few years, so I'm offering it again this year, although slightly different due to the Covid-19 Omicron restrictions in that my lessons are currently only online, through Skype, Zoom, Webex or Facetime. Although if anything like 2021 this will revert to face to face lessons as the pandemic risk reduces.

Improving what you play already? This would be a great starting point. Many guitarists have used my lessons to widen their musical horizons by adding new styles into their playing: Blues, Soul, Jazz, Funk, Classical, Hard Rock. It could also cover improvising (all styles), sight reading, fretboard knowledge - in short, being able to play anywhere on the fretboard - and music theory.

Complete beginner? I meet a lot people who say "Ah, the guitar: I bought one but couldn't get started on it..." Well the short answer is they probably would have, if they'd had a few pointers on how to get started; i.e. what to practice in those early stages so they could make good progress, how to get over those new beginners' 'humps' and how to start sounding musical as soon as possible.

So, if you're getting new guitar (or bass, or ukulele, or banjo!) for Christmas... Get started with a free lesson from me! 

To take up this offer simply email me (dave@davebold.com) giving the name of the person receiving the guitar, I'll send you a personalised electronic copy of the flyer below. After that just contact me to arrange a time for your lesson. Job done. 

This could also be a major help if you're making a New Year's resolution to play a few songs on your new guitar by Easter; what a great start this would be! 

If you're gifting a guitar to someone it also makes the best of your Christmas present and helps sort out your wannabe a guitarist's New Years Resolution.  And, if your own resolution was to get them started on a musical instrument, that's two NY resolutions sorted in one hit!  Simple!

Know someone else who may be interested? Use the buttons ⇙ below to share. Thanks.

Christmas Bash at Pistachio's In The Park - Sunday 19th from 11.30

Thanks to everyone who came along to the Hither Green Christmas FUSS Fair! 

The fab Green Chain Quartet are ending the musical year with a seasonal Christmas bash at Pistachio's In The Park in Manor House Gardens on Sunday lunchtime (12.00-1.00pm) 19th December and.. you're invited!

We've got all your favourite Xmas tunes, socially distanced (we're playing outside) to accompany your favourite seasonal coffee and pastries. There'll be festive singing too, we hope you're in good voice !

All the performers at Hither Green Christmas FUSS Fair (Thanks to Jilly Pepper for this photo)

GCQ - Live at the Hither Green Taproom - Friday 19th November

So what's happening? Well, the Green Chain Quartet and various guests continue to perform monthly at Brockley Brewery's - Hither Green Tap Room on Fridays for jazzy blues nights.  Next date: Friday 19th November 8-10pm.

It's a nice hipster vibe: Great beers, cool jazz and blues, deck chairs, lanterns, nice tacos, fire pits to keep you warm and a superb ambience.

Check the taco menu: https://www.tacocollective.co.uk/

Check the beer menu: https://www.brockleybrewery.co.uk/hither-green-taproom 

Check the band: Green Chain Quartet website for full details.

In the pink.. The Green Chain Quartet on function duty

Upcoming gigs 2021

Well, things may be turning a corner at long last. I've been doing a number of open air gigs to help fill up the diary.. things are  definitely looking brighter!

I'm out with the fabulous Green Chain Quartet and various guests at Brockley Brewery - Hither Green Tap Room for a monthly series of Saturday jazzy blues nights.  

The Green Chain Quartet

The next two are:  

        - Saturday June12th 

        - Saturday July 10th 

Get along there for a socially distanced brew, or a few, with live music and tacos with Taco Collective too! 

Book a table at:

https://www.brockleybrewery.co.uk/hither-green-taproom

Check the taco menu: 

https://www.tacocollective.co.uk/

See the Green Chain Quartet website for full details.

Looking ahead:

- Sunday 18th July afternoon 3-5pm I'm with 'The Great Cross Country Band' at the Greenwich Park Bandstand. We're playing both types of music.. Country, and Western..

- Sunday 30th August 3-5pm (Greenwich Park bandstand) I'll be with jazz and soulsters 'Meantime'.

- Sunday 3rd October: the legendary Maritime Road Runners soul band will be at 'Water Station 6' in Greenwich (Bottom of Maze Hill) for the return of the London Marathon! Early start, mind you... 9.30am - 12.00noon!




Improving your online teaching experience

Like many musicians who teach I moved my students to online lessons when the Pandemic lockdown began 12 months ago, back in March 2020... While this way of teaching instruments has become the norm, trying to teach music in real time with all the glitches, sound and latency issues on Zoom/Skype/Facetime/Webex etc., etc.. is never going to replace face to face lessons!

All that aside, things are improving on the digital platform front and there are a lot of measures you can take to make sure that what you use functions to the best of its ability. 

If you use Zoom check this out this guide to audio settings:

https://midnightmusic.com.au/2020/09/complete-guide-to-zoom-audio-settings-for-music-teachers/

Or this for Skype:

https://www.musicindustryhowto.com/how-to-teach-music-lessons-via-skype/

Sometimes though, whatever you try, it's just down the internet speed in your street, the sheer number of current users or next door using their microwave oven... 😰

Here's to hoping we can all return to something more like normal life soon!

Dave

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year

Thanks to all my students who I've had the pleasure of teaching this year - mostly online.  

Thanks to the venues and musicians that I worked with before lock down early in the year. Hope to see you all up and running again before too long.

Wishing you all the best for Christmas and New Year and, for all our sakes, hoping its a much better one than 2020!

From my bubble to yours… 

wishing you a very Merry Christmas 

Dave