My Top 5 Gigs.

I've enjoyed every one of my 120 gigs so far but these are my top 5 in no particular order.

Ryan Spendlove Music page, Edwina Hayes Duchess, York 30/04/2011
I was planning on attending this gig so it was quite a shock when Ryan emailed me out of the blue to come and support him on his debut album launch. Played to around 200 attentive people, and Ryan put on one of the best performances I've ever seen from a solo artist.

Ben Marwood, Oxygen Thief The Garratt, Manchester 01/10/2011
This one was courtesy of Moon & Back Music. I couldn't believe it at the time because a few of my friends were big fans of Ben, It was my first gig of the Northwest and so I had the chance to meet a lot of people that I have been talking to on Facebook. I got stung for £24 on parking though, but it didn't matter as I was on such a natural high.

Chris Helme, Mark Morriss Stereo, York 10/11/2011
Gigs come from the most unusual sources, I got asked to play this one after a gig for Screaming Tarts at the Adelphi. It was one of those pinch myself moments as in the 90s I was a huge fan of The Seahorses and The Bluetones. This was a sellout on the night.

Joe McCorriston, Dylan Brierley Musician Central Station, Dewsbury 18/02/2012
I've been online friends with Joe from before I released my debut album and I've become a great admirer of his music. It only took me 115 gigs for us to play a gig together and although the crowd was small, the atmosphere was buzzing, singalongs a plenty.

Rachel Morrison, Brother's of Craig. Vale Bar, Glasgow. 15/05/2011
Quite early on in my gigging career I took a gamble to play a mini tour outside of my country, 2 of the 3 gigs got cancelled, but this remaining one paid off. I took the long journey up there to find people had bought tickets and turned up to a show so far away from my humble beginnings of Bridlington.

2012 Update

Update 2012:

I'm a very independent person when it comes to my music career and I guess life in general. I'm the type of person that likes to get things done myself or learn how to do it, rather than waiting for things to come to me. I guess I don't like my destiny being in the hands of other people, which is why rather than waiting on the chance of record labels to fund me I just got on with it and put my first 2 releases out myself learning from mistakes on the way.

My debut album 'Humble Beginnings' in 2010 which I recorded entirely by myself is the achievement in life that I'm most proud of, and to know that it's sold in it's hundreds is pretty amazing. I've learnt from early on that a little niceness goes a long way with other artists and I wouldn't be able to do the things I do without the support, help and encouragement from others. I'm over the moon about the progress I've made so far, and during the past few months it's all seem to come together for me as far as my expectations. Maybe my progress will have diminishing returns soon or there could be a lot more in store, I have no idea but whatever happens I'm going to enjoy the journey!

Ben


http://benparcell.bandcamp.com

My top 5 albums of 2011

5. Frank Turner - England Keep My Bones

Frank is one of the hardest working artists out there right now and without stopping his constant touring he's back with an album that has taken him to the edge of the mainstream, does it match the anthemic songwriting of his prior efforts? Maybe not, but there are plenty of memorable moments that make it worthy of my Top 5. 

Stand out track: 'Redemption'


4. Marit Larsen - Spark

Marit is my future wife, she's just playing hard to get right now, but in the mean time I'm enjoying the third album by the Norwegian songstress. If you like folk music right at the poppier end you're gonna love this album. 

Stand out track: 'What if'

3. Ben Marwood - Outside There's A Curse

I'll admit the first time I heard Ben I wasn't won over immediately, I was 'hounded' into listening to him by a couple of my friends, and then out of the blue I was asked to support him. Come his live set I got what all the fuss was about, and suddenly I realised where the magic was live. After that the album has been on repeat and I've been to see him play again in York.

Stand out track: 'I Will Breathe You In'

2. Edwina Hayes - Good Things Happen Over Coffee

I met Edwina at an acoustic guitar party just under a couple of years ago, we got chatting about music and my then unreleased album, she gave me a lot of advice about how to get the CD pressed and released, and then more recently she contributed some amazing backing vocals to my latest E.P. Anyway to the album, this is one of the most honest, heartfelt albums I've heard in a long time, the recording is done in a way that you feel like she's in the room with you. 

Stand out track: 'Nobody's Coming Around'


1. Ryan Spendlove - Fable

For me Ryan is hands down the most talented singer songwriter in the U.K right now. He recorded this album within a week, mostly in one take via Candyrat records in the USA. 'Fable' is hard to pin down as a genre as he touches Blues, Folk, Pop and Gospel all delivered with a voice to die for drenched in vibrato. He's very proud to show his Yorkshire accent in the songs and it works. 

Stand out track: 'Silicone Puppies'

Honourable Mentions: Blink 182 'Neighborhoods', Joe McCorriston 'One Day', The Swellers 'Good For Me''