Stan's Silver River Rambles #2
Hi and a warm welcome to this issue of the Silver River Rambles. A little glimpse into the world of Stan Smith Musician.
Upcoming Gigs
22/05/22 Harrogate: Blues Bar
03/06/22 Stoke on Trent: YewStock
18/08/22 Leeds: The Grove Inn
Hello
So hello there. If you've known me for a number of years now you'll be familiar with who I am in terms of music and possibly a little bit more of my life outside the glittering world of showbiz. Either way I thought I'd give a bit of a resumé of how I've ended up where I am now.
Mulholland to Stan Smith
I recently put together a 'press release' to send out with links to the new album. As it says, I belatedly started a band (in 2012), initially playing covers dominated by my love of all things Americana, in particular Bob Dylan. That 5 piece version of Mulholland became a duo in 2014 supplemented by additional musicians as and when. We gigged a lot (100+ shows a year) and made two albums (Ghosts & Shadows and North Country) before bringing it to an end in 2017.
Ann (other half of the duo & co-songwriter) had developed a terminal lung condition and passed away early the next year. As well as a partner in music, Ann was also my wife and following her death I wasn't sure I wanted to carry on singing in public. It wasn't just the loss and being alone, it was that I was so used to hearing a harmony vocal and fiddle when I sang. I gave it a try anyway and progressively felt that it was possible to carry things forward. I fell back on my catalogue of covers and Mulholland originals, not planning/expecting to create any new material. I'd only written one or two songs on my own, virtually all of the duo songs were co-written with Ann providing most of the lyrics.
Life never ceases to come up with surprises however. I had started to look for female companionship with a clear plan not to seek a long term relationship. The plan lasted well, up until I met Bron. It was the proverbial 'love at first sight' and continues to be. We married in late 2019 and spent a considerable amount of time traveling before and after. Right up until the world came to a halt in 2020. During our time globetrotting I was inspired to write songs, the words as well as the music. Not that many but enough. Enough with strong melodies and lyrics that stood up. So at last I could call myself a singer/songwriter. The end result was of course the new album which I'm very pleased about.
Gigs - Gone Down
Harrogate: The Disappearing Chin. As mentioned in the previous newsletter, I had a residency in 2021 at a local bar here in Harrogate. That came to an end at Xmas but I was very happy to make a return visit to the Disappearing Chin for a charity gig there at the end of January. It was an all day event with ten hours of music in aid of a local charity. Great day. There's a one day music festival in August coinciding with the annual Knaresborough Bed Race. Again proceeds going to the local charity (Henshaws). With a bit of luck I'll be singing some songs on the day accompanied by some friends i.e. The Silver River Band.
Harrogate: Blues Bar. A couple of days after the Disappearing Chin night I was back in Harrogate for the Acoustic Sessions at Blues Bar. I've played there a fair few times over the years as Mulholland and as Stan Smith, solo and accompanied by a friendly musician or two. Again a good night and I'm due to be back for a longer session in May, a Sunday 'teatime' gig. Hopefully see you there :-)
London: Green Note. It's been a while since I've had a gig in the 'Big Smoke" and was pleased to sort a date there, especially one at the excellent venue, Green Note in Camden Town. We had a great night meeting up with some new/old friends from our time on the Greek island of Skyros (Bron worked there for the summer last year and I joined her for the last few weeks). We kicked off at the Edinboro Castle where we gathered the gang together before walking around the corner to Green Note. The gig was in the basement, a small, perfectly formed space which provided a great atmosphere for a very lovely evening. Bron and I topped off the night with a drink next door at the Dublin Castle.
Note to self - remember to polish the guitar once in a while :-)
Ilkley: The Playhouse. The last gig before our travels was with the Rob Dylan Band at the Ilkley Playhouse. This was the fourth gig for me with the band and again it was a really enjoyable night. It's great to play as part of a six piece band, especially one with such a high caliber of musicianship. I'm not sure when/if I'll be playing with the band again. No dates in the diary as it stands and I'm not sure where I'll be this and coming years. They'll no doubt be playing at some point though in the not too distant future and I recommend you go and see them.
Au revoir
As I write this in late February, we're in the late stages of getting organised for an extended trip to Thailand. We'll be traveling around the country a fair bit and I'll be taking a guitar to keep myself amused (and possibly others if there's anywhere to play). We're not sure how the rest of the year will pan out, like everyone else we're keeping an eye out on how things unravel, in particular Covid restrictions here and elsewhere. As you'll see from the above, I've a few gigs in the diary and we'll see how things go.
So that's it for this time.......