Hi Folks! How the devil are you? Just got time for a quick catch up because the weather's too bad to go cycling this morning :o( Yeah I'm trying to get fit again - it's that time of year. My 15.4 mile circuit is currently taking 1 hour 10 mins which is pretty poor. I'll be happy when I get it down to about 56 mins although it's been a couple of years since I cycled regularly so it could take a few weeks.

I've also been busy working on new songs for my One-Man-Rock-Show. "About bloody time!" I hear you cry. So far I've managed "We Rock" by Dio; "Run tho the Hills" by Iron Maiden; "Madhouse" by Anthrax; "Poison" by Alice Cooper; "Why Can't This Be Love" by Van Halen; "Don't Stop Believing" by Journey and a couple of others. I am planning to do more over the course of 2009 so keep coming to the gigs! Some of the new songs, especially We Rock and Madhouse are songs I've always loved but never dared to play live. My attitude these days is I'm happy playing the traditional crowd pleasers as long as the audience can allow me a little self indulgence. The nature of these new songs is that they're quite a challenge vocally and I think my voice is getting stronger as a result. The other upside of these new tunes is that when I'm playing songs I like, I'll put a bit more passion into the performance.

Anubis first gig! That's right skip! This fabled band of which I have oft spoken is finally ready to put on a show. It's taken a bloody long time but we've finally got things sorted out and we've been asked to play at this year's Budgie convention at The Intake Club in Mansfield. We will be playing a 1 hour set made up of songs from our debut album Sibuna as well as our EP Avatar. We've been rehearsing hard for the last couple of months and it's coming together nicely.
Anubis was interviewed recently by DJ Beerman of Top Rock Radio and you can watch the full 25 mins by clicking HERE and scrolling down until you see the You Tube like window. It's pretty damn cool! That's all for now - see you soon.......

I spoke to one of the AllOutGuitarFest organisers this morning and I have to say I'm getting quite excited about the whole thing! I've put some links on the advert below to make it easier to visit the website for each artist/band and also where you can get hold of tickets. It should be an excellent day out!

Mega New UK Guitar FestIval: Allout Guitarfest!

I am playing at a brand new UK guitar festival being promoted by the team at www.alloutguitar.com This features an amazingly srong line up of UK guitar talent - literally world class players and I urge you to come down to Northampton on September 16th for an amazing day and check out some the very best guitarists around.

Date: Sunday September 16th 2 p.m. - Midnight (My slot is around 7.15pm)

Venue: Northampton - New Roadmender. A great central location being in Northampton, close to the M1, and easy walking distance to Northampton Train Station.

Line up: All main acts are with full band line ups, but we also have some extra solo performances (with backing tracks) from Simon Lees (Guitarist of The Year 1998) and Chris Francis (Guitarist of The Year 2000) Jam Finale - Guthrie Govan, Phil Hillborne, Andy James and some of the other guys listed below in a G3 style - but more organised!!!! - mega session. Probably some classic rock songs with vocals and extended solos.

Guthrie and Erotic Cakes - Probably the most highly rated UK guitarist - described by many as the next stage in Rock virtuso Guitar playing (by people such as Joe Satriani etc ) (Instrumentals)

Phil Hilborne Band - the UK Guitar scene's undisputed Guvnor! (Vocal and Instrumentals)

Andy James new act Kaos 7 - the UK's new monster guitarist - (Instumentals)

Vendetta (Ed Box's band) - Classic rock and metal originals and covers with the best George Lynch/Shenker around. (with Vocals)

Curfew (Nick Andrews fusion monsters) - the closest to Fellowship of Funk on the line up! (Instrumental)

Red Soxx - 70's and 80's rock and funk with lead guitarist Owen Edwards brand of kinetic rock guitar (with vocals)

Kelly Lee Band - Country tinged female fronted rock with outstanding chicken picker Mark Wright and formed from the remnants of the great Medicine Hat http://www.hobarts.co.uk/medhat/

Heavy Load - Cambridge fantastic blues band with young stunning blues axeman John Wright (Vocals) http://www.myspace.com/heavyloadrock

Date: Sunday September 16th 2 p.m. - Midnight.

Tickets: £17.50 Available from Allout Guitarfest!

So from classic rock and metal through to shred and fusion, country and blues this has it all - with the single unifying theme throughout that all the axemen are monster guitarists! Cheers all!

NEW BUDGIE ALBUM ON SALE!! Yes folks, I am proud to announce that I am now holding in my left hand (!) the finished (and mine is also signed!!) copy of "You're All Living in Cuckooland" - the new (and by now) mythical Budgie album. I am glad to say it sounds fantastic. It has been recorded and produced by Burke Shelley and Nigel Thomas in Burke's studio in Cardiff.

Listening to the album from start to finish is most enjoyable - you don't get bored. A few times you may wonder "what the hell is that?" There are some seriously weird guitar sounds in there. There are some very synth - like sounds but no keyboards got anywhere near the recording. Most of the guitar solos were improvised and as a result are right "on-the-edge". A bit like driving around a corner on two wheels!

The title track features the finest guitar solo in the world EVER! I'm not joking! It's a bit different to what you might expect from me but honestly - it's AWESOME! I remember sitting in Burke's studio with Burke pressing the record button and Steve sitting patiently behind the drums. I just went for the take - not particularly thinking about it, knowing I could do as many takes as I liked. The first one was the one you'll hear.

There are some really catchy tunes that stay in your head all day long! I mentioned a while ago that there is some very experimental stuff on this album - stuff I haven't heard before, at least not the way we've done it. The last track "I'm Compressing the Comb on a Cockerel's Head" is the ultimate non-arrangement! The first time I heard the final mix I burst out laughing but the chorus is as catchy as hell. It's also got the weirdest and longest solo on the album. If you've worn out your Pink Floyd albums and want music to get absolutely s*** - faced to; this one's for you. Just stick it on repeat!

There is a trio of acoustic tracks (including the title track) which will soothe your soul. "(Don't Want to) Find That Girl" will have you dancing 'till dawn. "Justice", "Dead Men Don't Talk" and "Falling" have each been played live and are seriously riffy head bangers. "I Don't Want to Throw You" is a "brick s*** - house" of a song with a strong Indian influence. This one's a personal favourite. It features a sitar, and a good dose of musical humour. "Tell Me Tell Me" is one of the first songs we wrote for the album and again this one's a real powerhouse of a song. We're hoping to get this one into the set by the end of the tour.

You can buy the album direct from the Budgie web site by clicking HERE.

OK folks, I can reveal the special gigs I've been keeping under wraps. Ozzmosis, the UK's No.1 Ozzy Osbourne tribute band have asked me to help out on a few gigs while their new guitarist gets up to speed. This is the band I was in before I joined Budgie. The gigs are in Dudley, Tamworth and Birmingham and details can be found Here Here and Here respectively. The set-list is mostly from Ozzy's solo career and although there are a number of classic Sabbath tunes they are done in the style of Ozzy's live album "Talk of the Devil". Here's the set:-

I Don't Know
Over the Mountain
Believer
Symptom of the Universe
Mr Crowley
Black Sabbath
Gets Me Through
Suicide Solution (Jake E Lee Solo)
Miracle Man
War Pigs
Shot in the Dark
I Don't Want to Change the World
Mama I'm Coming Home
Paranoid
Sabbath Bloody Sabbath
Bark at the Moon
Crazy Train

I've always wanted to play "Over the Mountain" and "Symptom of the Universe" live so I'm really looking forward to it.

New gigs are still coming in so check out my gigs page.

New Web Guitar Magazine - All Out Guitar
I've been asked to get involved with a new web based guitar magazine called "All Out Guitar". It's due for release in the summer and will have features which will be useful and entertaining for anyone with an interest in guitars and guitar players. I'll be at the London Music Show in May to help promote the magazine along with many of the counry's top players. There may even be some special guest guitar players from around the world so I'll keep you posted with developments.

Blimey - 2 updates in a week? What's going on? Well, I just want to thank all my students for coming back to me after the long break - I don't take it for granted I promise! "Hi" to all my new ones and don't get buying guitars from Argos! You might get lucky and buy a great guitar but you'll more likely end up with something unplayable which will cost loads to put right. ALWAYS try before you buy and ignore any salesperson who tells you "it's just the newness!". Always buy your instrument from a well established reputable shop . These places usually give the best after sales service which, with guitars is essential. Ask about the after sales before you part with your money.

DVDs & CDs. My two solo albums and DVD are available to buy within the UK and at the moment you can order them by sending me a cheque, payable to Simon Lees to the following address: 7 Mill Green, Fordhouses, Wolverhampton WV10 6LX. The CDs are £12 each and the tuition DVD is £22 and this includes postage and packing. Don't forget to include your address and say whether you'd like them signed. I soon hope to organise a secure server so that you can buy them online.

Myspace The Myspace.com phenomena is catching on big-time so of couse I had to get one before one of the other Simon Lees' beat me to it. Type www.myspace.com/simonlees to view my very basic myspace profile and meet or even become my friends!

Gigs You're probably wondering where next year's gigs are. So am I! I'm gonna do my rounds over the Christmas period and try to drum up some bookings. A couple of venues have cancelled on me which will disappoint many. If you know any good pub venues which would be interested (wherever you are) e-mail me their details and I'll do my best to sort it.

Have a superb Christmas - I'm looking forward to it as usual and I'll catch up with you soon.

Well folks, that's another tour done and dusted! Here's the overview of the last 7 gigs.

Sweden Trip
Arrived at Luton airport (ooh eeh ooh) and attempted to push 2 wonky trolleys full of gear and merch uphill over cobbles to the Departures area while Paul parked. Bought some Swedish money and met Steve Burke and Glyn. The plane ride was most pleasant and we met John the driver at Vasteras airport. Last time John drove a beaten up old Chevvy MPV but this time we had an old but very nice Towncar (as oppose to the beaten up ex-ganster Towncar we had in Pensylvannia). Checked into the Ibis (gotta be the worst hotel chain) and John took us for a Max burger. Way better than Mc Donalds!
The following day we went out for a wander around Vasteras - really nice town. Found a guitar shop, ate a proper hot dog (I love the Swedish mustard, man !) and headed off to the gig. It has to be said it was not as cold as I thought it would be. I thought the shock of being in Brazil one week and Sweden the next would kill me but it wasn't too bad!

Rockland Re-strung my Charvel - I only took one guitar this time. The backline/PA company provided a spare guitar in the shape of a Washburn Les Paul type. Our old friend Mikke took photos - some of which I'll try to stick up on the Raw Footage page soon. We had no support band this time - apparently the gig was sold out anyway so that made things a bit easier. One thing which was tricky - me and Burke kept getting shocks from the microphones. I don't know how Burke got through the gig but every time I went up to the mic. it was like sticking your tongue on 3 9 volt batteries. Despite that it was a great gig and we both suirvived so no harm done. After the show I had an interesting chat with a Columbian guy (John?) at the bar while eating my Pizza! I couldn't understand much of what he said but we had a good sing song of "Reaper and the Glory" which was ace!

Silja Festival Had a leisurely day, John bought his young son to meet us at the hotel before driving us to the ship. Waited in the VIP lounge and watched "Only When I Laugh" with Swedish subtitles! (the one where they try to quit smoking). Ken Hensley from Uriah Heep was also playing on the boat and he turned up with his Norweigan band. Didn't really have time for a shower before the gig. Just about managed to eat some gorgeous food from the buffet and have a quick chat with Ken's lead guitarist before it was time to hit the stage. Playing earlier than we did in 2003 made the whole trip more enjoyable. The crowd were excellent and there were no shocks this time! Went back to the main cabin and after we'd cooled down me and Burke went to watch Ken's band. Only watched a couple of tracks but they sounded good. God knows how they all fitted on the tiny stage! Went back to the Budgie HQ and watched part of a sloppy Robin Williams film until I couldn't stay awake any more. Somehow managed to stay in my cabin until 4pm the following day (as a call went out saying the cabins were about to be cleaned) when I ventured out to Budgie's main cabin - next door to the promoter's office at the front of the ship. Amazingly there was still some food and drink left! Kind of wished I'd have got up earlier when Glyn showed me the photos he'd taken of the scenery at midday. The promoter drove us back to the airport and we flew home in blue and yellow baby seats (I tell ya, Bryan Air doesn't get any better....).
Corny tune reared it's ugly head again and this time it was "Popeye the Sailor Man"

Ilfracombe Either way you look at it, it's a bloody long drive to Ilfracombe. We stopped off at THE pub in Roadwater where I had some Natch cider. Mighty fine. Quite an awkward load in. Difficult to park outside and all the gear has to be humped upstairs. The gig itself was quite uneventful. The sound engineer had his moaning head on (everything too much trouble) although afterwards he said he'd really enjoyed the gig which was nice. One thing which made me laugh - the door to the "dressing room" had to be kept shut to stop the sound escaping outside. When Paul disappeared in there the gaffer ran onstage and forced it shut so he couldn't get out to do his percussion. After the gig we had drinks and cheese sanwiches back at the hotel - a bit like last year. Very pleasant.

Honiton I'd been looking forward to this one for a while. My old mate Rich Smith from my first band "Osprey" lives nearby and he came to watch us. It was great catching up and it gave me something to focus on during the gig. Another upstairs hump, (this time a fire escape) the venue reminded me of my old school hall which is where Osprey did our first gig so that was kind of poignant. Mind you, the stage at our school hall was a damn site bigger than the stage at the Honiton Motel. Because space was extremely tight I kept the Les Paul in it's case and used a lead instead of my wireless. I still enjoyed the gig and I also enjoyed a drink with Steve and the 2 Blokes after the crowd had gone home! My cold which had started on Monday was getting really bad at this point. Corny tune = "Crossroads Theme" for the second time this tour.

Falmouth Quite a long drive to Falmouth. Had a hearty breakfast before hand at the Motel and some chips at a well hidden Chippy on the approach to Truro. The Princess Pavillion is a lovely venue. Great HK PA system and great sound engineer - the whole place reminded me of the Memorial Hall at Battle. The hotel left a lot to be desired - awful creaky beds and "public" bathrooms with panoramic views of whoever's inside. The weather was terrible too. Rained heavily all night. Ordered a Chinese from Panda House in Falmouth. Very nice meal - highly recommended. Interesting support band featuring a Danish guitarist. They played mostly instrumental stuff and the bass player did some cool things with a delay pedal. Very good gig although by now my cold was making things difficult. The following day I began to lose my voice and during my gig at West Bromwich that night I lost my head voice completely. My Neil Diamond version of Whole Lotta Rosie went down well though so it could have been worse.

Nuneaton Stairs again! Nice venue though. Perfect size for us - easily filled and nice high stage. Great HK PA and sound engineer and the lights were used to great effect during our show. We played well and it was, overall one of the best gigs of the tour. Only downside was the Chinese which was probably the worst I've ever had! Great to meet up with Neil from Cloven Hoof & Ozzmosis and John Woodberry - my original guitar student! One unusual thing was the condensation which was everywhere. My guitars were soaked before the show and I was frantically trying to wipe the water off before we started. Next time I might be tempted to leave my cases on the side of the stage rather than bring them out from the cold dressing room. Memorable moment - Burke dedicating Napoleon to our support band and asking me what they were called. I coudn't remember! Nice gesture though(!). My cold was still there and it was a real hassle trying to avoid getting cold whilst trying not to sweat too much humping the gear back downstairs.

Frome Drove myself and Lisa's brother Lee down to Frome. I took my car so I could bring my Marshalls home for Christmas. Lovely drive down, found the gig and realised I'd beaten Paul and Steve! Burke and Glyn had already got there and unloaded the van - they'd actually drove the van up to the edge of the stage - like the NEC - so all I had to do was connect my amps, pedals and wireless. Nice big venue. Earlier that day it had been used for a cattle market! Me and Lee went into the vibrant buzzing metropolis that is Frome to find hot food and despite waiting 15 mins for a small pizza we made it back in plenty of time to soundcheck. Watched Kortez our support band (I really liked one of their tunes) and then went on to play a great gig. I enjoyed this one immensley - nice big stage, good sound, good crowd. I enjoyed it so much that I nearly destroyed my left knee. Didn't even notice until sometime after the gig when I could hardly walk. During the early part of the show I saw blood pouring from my left index finger! I'm falling apart! Spent a bit of time signing stuff after the show which was really cool. Long drive back home in the fog - much of it behind some 4x4 doing 20mph. Great gig to finish the tour and now we're all totally buggered and looking forward to Christmas! Corny tune = "There's No Place Like Frome". Inspired or what? OK I know it's pronounced Frooooom but I'm from Wolverhampton.

But what of the Two Blokes?......... I'll tell ya......... 27 out of 27 UK gigs in 2005. What band on the planet has more dedicated fans? Thanks guys!

A long overdue newsletter is in order! Since the last Budgie gig in Swindon I've been on my "Summer" holiday and things are only just starting to get back to normal. Below are my already fading memories of the 2nd half of the main tour!

Crewe - Great gig as usual. First gig with my new "industrial strength" fan. I automatically set this to Max and the photos clearly show my hair almost blowing clean orrff. There is a set of photos from this gig taken by the extremely talented Jessica Patel. These can be viewed on her website Jessica Patel Serious Photography. Martin Kessel also has a page with photos from the same gig. Click HERE to view them. It was good to get the Les Paul back in action. The Piezo bridge is still knackered but there's a pretty convincing Acoustic simulator on the GT-8. Burke broke a string and although he had a spare bass he decided to change the string instead. To try and keep things going I played a crappy 12 bar type solo!

Stratford - Slowburner supported us again. Great band, very professional. Some drunk girl got thrown out for abusing the singer whilst he was singing! She'd tried to get in earlier for £2 insisting "the band" said it was OK! The crowd was a lot bigger than last time - always a good thing. My wireless battery died during "I Turned to Stone". Great sound engineer (same as last time). Not a bad gig. I've started playing corny tunes from backstage just as we go into the encore. Tonight's was the Crossroads Theme.

Derby - Good gig - once again we pulled a lot more people than last time. We always have a tough time trying to find the Flowerpot. Definately need Sat Nav for this one! Burke was really struggling with his cold and we were all really proud of him that he got through the gig. One of my gripes on this tour has been the fact that the sound engineers tend to pack their leads away before I get the chance to get mine off stage. This always leads to major spaghetti tangles and in the worst case damage to my leads and the things they're plugged into. Sid the sound guy made a real mess of my leads - such was his desire to get home early. Tonight's corny tune was "Robin Hood, Robin Hood, riding through the glen". The crowd actually sang along which was quite scary!

Wrexham - Weather was crap. Visited Pete Williamson on the way for tea as usual! Stood outside Yale's for about 30 mins while they opened up for us. No support band this time. Signed a couple of my solo albums before we went on stage which was most pleasant! Can't remember much about this gig but I'm sure it was a good one.

Bristol - You've probably noticed I haven't mentioned food yet. Well, I had my usual Chicken Teriaki foot long sub at Subway! (Hooray). Met John Allen and his friends in the foyer and had a nice chat with them. See y'all in Frome! Like last year, not a great turn out although those that were there made a great noise for us! Nice big stage and wonderful sound engineer make this an enjoyable gig. Tonight's corny tune was the theme to Casualty which, of course, is set in Bristol.

Cardiff - Stayed at Burke's overnight. Nice short journey to the Point. New PA system - sounded great. Once again we had a great sound engineer. I couldn't stack my Marshalls as the stage wasn't quite level so I put them side by side. It's amazing the drop in volume you get with both cabs on the floor. The support band was pretty cool. "Smoky Bacon" will live with me forever! Nice to hear a cover of Quo's "Rain". Stuart Cable, ex-Stereophonics drummer paid a visit to our dressing room. Cool guy with the wickedest Welsh accent I've ever heard! We actually sold out! The Point was full to capacity! Burke was amazed and really thrilled that we'd done that on his home turf. I played my socks off that night, it was a great occasion. Bloody hot though! Corny tune of the night? "We'll keep a welcome in the hillside... etc" Very poignant.

Deal - Stayed at Burke's again. Nice sunny day. Long drive to Deal, stopping off for coffee at Sainsbury's in Bracknell. We've found a little cut through which avoids part of the M25 and it's roadworks. Checked in at the hotel in Dover before continuing to Deal. Got to the venue in plenty of time. And I mean plenty of time. It took so long for the PA to get set up that we couldn't sound check before 8pm. Utterly bloody ridiculous. One of the sound engineer's asked Steve where he wanted the drum mics! I heard the sound engineer telling another assistant to "turn the Treble down". Suffice to say we felt slightly concerned about the sound. In the end I think they managed to pull it off and the sound was pretty good but it was a real nail biter. Special thanks to Phil Neumann for his services. Another really hot gig. After last night's excitement I was knackered. We ate after the show and somehow our food order was messed up. And they ran out of cider. Stayed up and sank a couple of bottles of wine with Steve back at the hotel. We needed it! By the way, tonight's corny tune was "White Cliffs of Dover".

Portsmouth - Picked Steve up (via KDG at Merthyr) and drove to Portsmouth. Had difficulty finding the hotel. Eventually got to the venue and started setting up. Not a great turn out this time. It's weird doing a Budgie gig with no stage but at least this gives you plenty of room to move without worrying about falling off! Juicy Lucy supported us. Good band and I must say my fan made their guitarist's hair look fantastic! Can't remember a huge amount about this gig but I think it was probably a good one. Corny tune? What shall we do with a Drunken Sailor.

Poole - I could gush forth pages about this superb gig. Mr Kypps is a great venue in every respect. Easily the best venue on the tour. We virtually sold it out as well. Like Cardiff I had to position my cabs side by side as the stage wasn't quite level but even this didn't marr my enjoyment. The sound engineer (Rich?) knew a couple of bands from my neck of the woods and it was nice talking about them. Bloody good engineer too, meticulous, even pedantic, but he knows his knobs! I was enjoying myself so much I made possibly the greatest blunder on the tour by hitting the wrong pedal during Napoleon. It was like World War 3 for a couple of seconds while I figured out what the hell was going on! Definately one of those moments when time slows down. Made a lot of people laugh (including the sound guy who was bent double). After the gig and with perfect timing, Glyn bought in the sumptious Chinese which we ate in the sumptious dressing room. Chatted with a cool guy from New Zealand who kept saying "Haard Act". Had a relaxing drink before heading back to the hotel. Corny tune? Theme from Captain Pugwash. A definate nautical feel to these two gigs.

Battle - Wasn't sure what to expect here. Great venue as it turned out. Apparently there had been complaints about noise so that got us worried. Wasn't too bad as it turned out although the sound engineer reckoned my guitar got louder after the 3rd song. Does a valve amp get louder when it's hot? I certainly didn't make any adjustments. Having heard a recording of the gig it definately got QUIETER after the 3rd song. This kind of thing annoys me. Decibel meters usually respond to mid-frequencies (i.e. guitar/vocal) yet the ones that cause the most complaints from neighbours etc tend to be the low frequencies (i.e. bass/drums). Half way through "Melt the Ice Away" Burke broke a string, replaced it with an old string and then half way through "Hot as a Docker's Armpit" broke it again. The first time it hapenned I made up a better solo than the one I played at Crewe. The challenge was to create ideas that aren't in my main solo so it didn't become tedious. I'd just about run out of ideas when Burke returned to the stage which couldn't have been timed better. The second time I wondered if Steve wanted to do a solo but he got up and left the kit so I followed him. It would have just been too cheesy for me to play another solo. When we came back on stage it looked as though some of the crowd had disappeared which was quite understandable.
We got back into it and at the end I think it had still been a great gig. Corny tune was "Bedshaped" by Keane who are from Battle. After the show we ate another fine Chinese and the female security guard made us all a cup of tea. You don't get THAT at the Renfrew Ferry!

Swindon - The final gig on the main leg of the tour was probably the most stressful. It was a nicer looking venue than the Queen's Tap but boy oh boy was it chaotic? We'd had a pleasant drive from Battle via Ripley for a pint at the Anchor (or was it the Crown? Maybe Crown & Anchor?). Anyway, very pleasant pub which doubled as a Thai restaurant where we were kept entertained by the barmaid who did some of the most obscure (and uncannily accurate) impressions. Anyone remember the female lead in the '80's cartoon "Captain Caveman"?
After this disturbing experience we continued to the venue which we eventually found. Nice easy load in (also easy for thieves). The dressing room was tiny and miles from the stage. There were 2 support bands (where there really wasn't room for all the gear). The sound engineer (Nick?) was very cool and I have to thank him for his patience. When the gig was over I bit anyone's head off within 50 yards who tried talkng to me (apologies for that!). Everyone was trying to get everything off at the same time. Some beer went all over my leads and the back of my pedalboard. It was all I could do to protect my guitars and gear. It was a f***ing nightmare. The actual gig was pretty good and the crowd were great but if we play here again, things will have to change. No corny tune tonight.

So not a great ending to the main leg of the tour. I have to say that my opinions and experiences don't necessarily reflect those of the rest of Budgie. What I've written is purely my perspective on the way things have gone and I've written it for my own benefit as much as anyone elses. Playing in Budgie has been (and continues to be) a great experience and I want to remember as much as I can.

And what of the Two Blokes? Well ladies and gents, they haven't missed a single Budgie show. That's 22 out of 22 folks! Will they make it to Sweden? I'll let you know.

We're off to Sweden tomorrow where we kind of know what to expect as it's a repeat of a trip we made 2 years ago. Next week we're in Devon and Cornwall and the following week we're in the Midlands and Somerset. Don't forget I've got a few one-man-shows dotted around in-between the Budgie gigs. Check my gig-list for details. It's great that a couple of Budgie fans who saw us in Stratford made the journey to Coseley last week for my one-man gig at the Horse and Jockey (despite one of them having a broken arm!)

New Gig! - I have a one-man-gig in Warrington on Sat 17th December at a pub called the Seven Woods. I don't often take my one-man-show outside the Midlands but if anyone would like to bring me to their neck of the woods I don't mind travelling. I also do parties!

We're halfway through the main bulk of tour dates and I've finally got a few minutes to write a newsletter. Don't forget, I have copies of my CDs and DVDs on me at each gig. If you can find me, you can buy one. Signed if necessary!

Gig Diary - the first half....
Sheffield was a good solid gig to start the tour despite being a bugger to find (not knowing Sheffield). After soundcheck I briefly bumped into Terry from Rotherham - a self- confessed "Budgie Nut" who I've met a few times at Budgie gigs. Great turnout for the first night and the sound was pretty good. The gaffer has changed his MO giving us stew instead of Chilli Con Carne. Nice to be fed though - doesn't always happen! The entourage backstage kept us entertained. "Hi" to the South African dude. Who the hell was that guy who kept shouting "30 years"?. Hilarious. The hotel had only booked one breakfast between two of us. That was awkward but got sorted eventually.

Newcastle - as always was where we got the warmest welcome. I wish we could take you guys and transport you all to each gig! I apologise if I was a bit short with anyone on the night - the facilities at Trillians are such that it's extremely difficult to come off stage, chill out and pack up at the end of the night. The gaffer does his best with what he's got but what's he got? (Not a lot... erm..). I was physically and emotionally exhausted by the time we came to leave. Quick food update - Aberdeen Angus burger and chips. The best burger on the planet - period. I'll say "Hi" at this point to Brian & Joy who bought me a pint and came to see us later on in the tour. I also have to mention a guy from Poland who barged into the kitchen saying "I like the old Budgie, I don't like the new Budgie". I might normally have been offended but he sounded like Borat so I just laughed at him. Hi to the Russian couple who came too.

Glasgow - Pleasant trip through the Northumberland National Park. Stopped at Jedburgh for lunch at a pensioner filled cafe. Beautiful Abbey - must explore at some point. Got to Glasgow, drove past Innes from Raar and checked into hotel. Drove to the Ferry and debated whether the gig was going to be a problem. The Ferry has provided me with some of my best Budgie memories but things have changed. There are new sound level restrictions and the whole interior looks like a bloody wine bar. Many people stayed away as a result and although it was still a good night it was a mere shadow of it's former self. To be fair the stage is now wider and they provided us with food (which is a first) but I think we need an alternative Glasgow venue. It was great to see Raar again. Innes has taken over "croaky voice" duties from Tweezer who left earlier this year and I must say does it extremely well. New drummer "Hand-Grenade" did a great job and is a bloody nice bloke to boot. The event of the night (apart from my pin striped shirt) was Raar getting told to stop by the gaffer because they were too loud. Incredible. I need to say a HUGE THANK YOU to Mr and Mrs John Ritchie for bringing us a whole bunch of sandwiches and tins of cake. Honest to God it was an AWESOME spread and kept us going all through the Edinburgh trip. John also gave me a special slide which can be turned around to allow normal play. I wore the thing all night and used it quite successfully on Hot as a Docker's Armpit but when it came to Napoleon (the main reason for using it) I was so sweaty the thing was turning round by itself so it wasn't quite so cool. Looked good though!

Edinburgh - There was no room at the inn (Travel Inn) so we stayed at Lizzie and Betty's. There is a B&B on the East side of town called "The Gates" Tel. 0131 669 2889. Run by two lovely ladies it was like staying at yer mum's. It was Steve's birthday so me and Glyn (our new roadie) took the bus into town to buy a card and some wine along with a bit of sightseeing. The gig itself was something else. I've already commented on the difficulties at Trillians. Multiply by 10 and you have Bannerman's. The gig was so hot you couldn't breathe and depite wearing my Goldie Lookin' Chain sweatband, my sweat caused the piezo pickup on my Les Paul to short out. Burke was having to miss lines out as he was on the verge of collapse and Steve was totally knackered. I later found out they switched the Air Con off as it messes with the PA. At the end of the show we made our way through the crowd to the "dressing room" (beer cellar) only to find it was locked and there were people behind us trying to get to the toilets. A Spinal Tap situation if there ever was one. All in all an exhausting gig and one never to be repeated despite a pretty good crowd.

Northampton - Pleasant venue - like a minature NEC! Big sound system and good sound engineers. I decided to try and maximise my new stereo sounds by putting one of my Marshall cabs either side of the stage. No idea whether it worked but the onstage sound was like trying to drive through fog. While Raar soundchecked I Tabbed out "Hot Fudge" by Robbie Williams for one of my students who will probably prefer to remain nameless! Raar got a very quiet reception which was a shame 'cause despite string breakages they played really well. And those trousers! Go well with my shirt I reckon! The crowd warmed up for us so it wasn't a bad gig. Until my Les Paul started playing up during Breadfan. The Piezo pickup wasn't working after Edinburgh so I re-programmed my GT-8 to get an acoustic sound using the Guitar Simulator. It turns out the piezo pickup was affecting magnetic pickups and I had to whoop the guitar's ass to get it through the last song.

Oxford - Realised I'd left my hair brush at home so quickly found Boots and bought a Salon Performance vent brush. Man that thing goes through your hair like a blowtorch. Had breakfast at Cromwells in Northampton where we waited approx 6 hours to eat.
Anyways, a short hop to Oxford and we chilled in the hotel for a wee while. I like the Zodiac - good crowd - great sound engineers, good Chinese a few doors down. Tidy mun. Met Tony and gave him the Robbie Tab. ....oops. Apparently the venue hadn't advertised the gig so up until about 5 minutes before we went on stage there were about 15 people in. It got better but we still only got about half what we normally get. I tried the Les Paul during soundcheck but it was totally buggered. I used the Charvel for the gig (still a fantastic guitar) but had to be extra careful as I no longer had a spare. After a record breaking pack-up we stopped off at "Simon's Fish and Chips" on the Cowley Road for more sustenance. Missed the turning to Aylesbury and carried on towards London. Bugger. Talon (Eagles tribute) were staying at the hotel. Following morning me and Steve ate a hearty Subway baguette while the other guys enjoyed a thoroughly crap breakfast in the market.

London - The Underworld is a great gig for us - always rammed to capacity and tonight was no exception. After Steve did some spectacular Sweet Fast Talking the traffic wardens granted us 5 whole minutes to empty the van and load in. Soundcheck came and went and I met up with my mate Dave, his cousin Will and Aloo Raeel outside the Tube station. A chap named Dave Leach bought me a bottle of Magners Irish cider. Bit like Old English but bigger and cleverer. Watched most of Raar's set. They got a great reception this time - those trousers working better possibly! Rory very kindly lent me his Strat as a backup in case I broke a string on my Charvel and Innes gave me a new T-shirt! It was a very hot gig (not like Edinburgh) and we had to pack - up very soon after playing. I got my shorts on and my top off and just about managed to get my leads out of harm's way before they were mangled by the venue crew. We met the drummer from Breed 77 (Pete Chichon) outside after and signed his Budgie albums! Totally cool! Apparently Matthew Wright (of Wright Stuff fame) was at the gig too. No food until the following morning when me and Steve had a McDonalds by the hotel in Yeading.

Brighton - Very pleasant drive to Crawley and had a pint in the Goff Arms? At the gig we realised the Labour Party conference was on which was funny as Burke gets very wound up by Tony Blair (he really needs to stop reading the Daily Mail). Brighton will always have special memories for me because for the first time on this tour the crowd actually sang along to my guitar solo. I've included a sing along bit this year and the vast majority of people just go "yeah" rather than "NA-NA NA NA". Bloody great. Excellent gig although I think I killed myself in London so I didn't have much energy left. Got a great response from the crowd so mission accomplished. Sadly this gig was the last time we'll see Raar for a while and once again Rory let me borrow his Strat for a backup which, thankfully I didn't have to use. Cheers mate.

Liverpool - Got to the venue late due to traffic and not knowing Liverpool. No problem though, thanks to extremely professional sound engineers who got us perfectly soundchecked in the time it took to run through "I Turned to Stone". Great facilities - Huge dressing room etc. Even sandwiches and beer! (although no cider). Overall I'd recommend this venue but there are a couple of low doorways where I banged my head and gave myself concussion (seriously!). The gig was pretty good and once again the crowd sang to my sing-along-bits. Also this was the first time I'd heard my stereo sounds properly. I've been tweaking my sounds as the tour's progressed and they are damn near perfect. When I get the chance I will write a feature about how I got my new sounds on the Free Tutorials page. Hotel was pretty close so we had a couple of Magners in the hotel bar afterwards.

Bradford - My head was still spinning after last night's abuse so I slept most of the way to Bradford. Found the hotel first and chilled out and freshened up before going to Rio's. I don't know why but I enjoyed the Rio gig more than any other so far this tour. I just felt relaxed and happy (probably the concussion). It was a good gig with a very funny guy (made me laugh) in the audience from Poland. He had travelled with some friends and wanted to know when we would be gigging in Poland again. They kept asking for "Baby Please Don't Go". Once again, mad panic after the show to pack the gear away (and take it upstairs so it could be locked in the dressing room). I've been carrying two Pot Noodles with me since the start of the tour and tonight was the closest I'd come to eating them. But I resisted knowing that at least we'd get a proper breakfast in the morning.

Ashton-Under-Lyne - As we had a whole day to travel 37miles we decided to do what I'd been wanting to do since Sheffield. We visited the Countess Tea Rooms at Wortley. Three old dears work together to bring you the most fantastic tea and cakes in the World. Ever. You could get altitude sickness just looking at the mountainous peaks of the lemon merringue. The phone number is 0114 288 3502 and it's a must do if you're travelling in Southern Yorkshire. The gig? Great! We had Authority supporting us and they were one hell of a band. Real virtuoso stuff. The lead guitarist is Sam Lees. Coincidence? You decide.... Despite lack of stage I really enjoyed this gig too. Thanks to Brian & Joy again for supplying me with Strongbow. Hope you enjoyed the CDs guys. I had a surprise visit from Dave and Manda who are regulars at my One-Man-Show which topped the night off for me.

I've mentioned many people who've made the first leg of the tour memorable but a special mention, nay, dedication, needs to go out to the Two Blokes who have acheived an all time high score of 11 gigs out of a possible 11. They come to our shows, buy me Strongbow at every opportunity, they never hassle us - they are simply magnificent. Thanks guys!

Well, today's the day then! The Budgie 2005 tour kicks off in Sheffield. It's a great venue to start the tour - we always get fed well at the Boardwalk! We have some new tracks to play along with the old favourites and I hope to catch up with as many people as poss! My guitar sound is radically different this year and Burke's bass is really singing thanks to a new neck (you won't spot it!) and a re-wired pickup.
I'll be carrying copies of my 2 solo albums along with my new Guitar Tuition DVD in case anyone wants a copy and it goes without saying I'll sign them if you wish. Albums are £10 each and my DVD will be £20 which is a whopping £2 off the retail price!

NEW DVD
Yes, you heard right! My new Guitar Tuition DVD is now available and on sale. At the moment you can buy it direct from me at the gigs or from MPEG UK on their secure server. I've put a few details on my Guitar Tuition page including the cover pic. It's taken 7 years of development and over 6 months to produce but I think the results are fantastic. A big thank you to Mike de Jager for all his help and hard work in producing the product.

Just a quickie before I drive to Cardiff to continue work on the new Budgie album. I've added some new dates to my Giglist and one or two have been changed so please check before you set off to the wrong venue!
I've added a video MPEG to my Downloads page. This is my Stars in Their Eyes appearance and will be available for a limited time. I also have a video clip of my gig at Oakengates Theatre from 1998 which is pretty cool. I must thank Shep from Wellington for converting these clips to Mpegs for me. Cheers mate! The files are roughly 30 Meg each so they will take a while to save to your hard drive.

The dates for the Budgie tour have been officially announced and I will put them on my gigs page when I get the chance.

Recording Session
Yesterday I was in Mad Hat studios again with Al Atkins, this time recording one of my own compositions entitled "Demon Deceiver". When I first began working with Al back in January '03 he asked if I'd consider writing an instrumental that he could use on his next solo album. The tune is recognisibly "Simon Lees" with loads of widdly guitar work but there are some very dark sounding hooks and even a bit of classical fingerpicking (a first for me!). I'm really chuffed with the production courtesy of Mark Stuart and his excellent assistant Sheena. Al's off on tour in the USA next month and in my place will be the superb Mike de Jager from the Vaseline Rats. Mike brought his camcorder to the session yesterday and hopefully he'll be able to put some of the highlights on the web site. I'll keep ya posted.

Guitar Masterclass
I was recently invited to put on a guitar seminar/clinic (call it what you will!) in Swindon, Wiltshire on Sunday 28th March. Since then I've been frantically working on an update of my book (Signpost to the Fretboard) and trying to figure out what I'm gonna talk about. I've decided to split it between performing some of my tunes and explaining how I put them together. I'll also be talking about my approach to creating a great Rock Guitar sound using various F/X. There is a web page with details of the show and how to get there on: www.guitarclinic.co.uk
I mentioned that I've been busy updating my book "Signpost to the Fretboard". My plan is to make it available as a PDF file which can be purchased via my web site shop. This will involve me sending the file direct to the customer as an e-mail attatchment once the order has been recieved. Because the costs of materials have been all but eliminated, the price of the book will be much lower.

I'll be off to Texas with Budgie in March! We're at the Sunken Garden in San Antonio on the 20th which is where the "Life in San Antonio" album was recorded. I've never played in the States before so this will be a dream come true. If you keep up to date with my Gig List you'll notice that I did have gigs booked on the 19th and 20th. These gigs (Quarterhouse and Frying Pan) have been postponed until April.

Hi folks! Only one day to go and then I can prove once again that I can out eat any mechanical waste disposal machine!
Well, the Budgie tour of 2003 has come to a close and I think I can speak for everyone when I say it was thoroughly enjoyable. Another new experience for me in a year jammed full of them! I'd like to say a big thank you to Joel Richardson and the guys at Marshall for the loan of Marshall gear for the tour. I used to have my own Marshall stack (100Watt JCM 800 Master Volume) but sold it when I began my solo career. The amps I got from Marshall were the original style Super Leads which I have to say sounded better than anything I've ever played through. (In conjunction with my Boss ME-10 of course!). Click HERE to go to the Marshall web site.
Another cool web site if you're a fan of classic rock bands is www.angelwitch.immortals.co.uk . Among other things there is another great review of Budgie's recent gig at The Limelight in Crewe.
Well, that's all I've got to say for now except have a fantastic Christmas and a fun 2004! Take care.