Blog on the run prt III ... the last installment ...

The final five and ... a few bits in between

I always feel somewhat in awe of time when the end of a tour is looming… where did all that excitement and expectation go? Why has it all stopped? When can I do it all again? So much thought and energy goes into the preparation and performance then once the final bow has been taken … it’s as if it never happened … and yet … there are flip charts that say otherwise! Come with me and I’ll prove that it wasn’t just a figment of my imagination.

The Processed Pea was the last gig I Blogged about and it was, if you remember, a strange and wonderful affair. There then followed 2 delightful days of rest in the old market town of Hitchin Herts, with our lovely friend Paul Leitch. I spent a fair amount of that time Blogging myself into a Filp-ing frenzy – the results of which took a further 2 weeks to post. Not enough internet-connection is my excuse … oh yeh and the little matter of five further gigs!

Bob and Rob actually got out to Wembley to see Oasis! But after a morning of Oxford Street schlepping I was in no fit state and waved them off as I trundled back to Hitchin and an early night. Though they had a high old time, they also had several VERY frustrating security guard experiences, which I did not envy. Ah bless.

So Friday July 10th quickly arrived and after a spot of lunch in Hitchin’s bustling town centre we left for Crouch End – not a difficult journey. Poor Bob though, had a painful back problem compounded by his Wembley Arena run around and so I sent him back to rest … he got as far as the car park but his pronounced limp (that’s: L.I.M.P – limp!) brought out the mother hen in me and I shooed him back to our room. Bless.

The Kalamazoo Club is another old favourite of mine. The sound engineer, Peter has been there many years and is always helpful and mercifully quick in setting up and getting a great sound – thanks Peter - which left Rob and I plenty of time to eat! Not always a good thing before a gig. This was another culinary experience – not as good as some but better than we expected and funny too.

I was delighted to see Peter Emery from the Travelling Gentlemen in the crowd and to hear, once again, the unforgettable laughter of our lovely friend Chris Howarth … this was his 3rd gig of the tour. Yeh! It was also great to meet a fellow Manxie at the end of the night: Rob Heeney… a successful comedian no less… this is his local gig – lucky man. He and Rob got on brilliantly and addresses were exchanged. It was a lively show with a fair amount of audience interaction and a fabulously generous response. Thank you Kalamzoo – we love you too!

A spot of luncheon in Hitchin. from Christine Collister on Vimeo.

Now normally when touring there are certain things one tries to avoid – one of them is working in London one night and Carlisle the next. But that’s what we did and I have no one but myself to blame. The thing is, when someone like Jil Bark says that’s the only night she could put on a gig, it’s plain stupid to say no.

Bob was feeling a bit better on Saturday and was happy to sit in the back of the car for 5 hours. The time went relatively quickly and for some reason I did the whole drive … you get so far and somehow want to finish what you started … well that’s how it felt at the time.

I’ve known Jil Bark a long time now and 3 years ago she and her partner Ishka moved into a large terraced house in Wigton, just outside Carlisle. I remember them both telling me about a shared dream they had at the time, to run a little Bistro with concerts at the weekends. I had no idea just how close those dreams were to coming true. It’s taken a ridiculous amount of hard work and much planning and negotiation but soon … they’ll be developing the basement of their gorgeous home, into a 45 seater Bistro-style restaurant and holding concerts in the same space on a regular basis. Hurrah.

For the last 18 months they’ve been running monthly house concerts in their lovely, large, front room as a steppingstone toward their final goal and have amassed an enviable mailing list of very satisfied customers – from far and wide. At half time … they serve delicious food. It’s brilliant!

This gig in particular was VERY HOT. Talk about free sauna. Rob and I were the last official house concert – an honour. In the next few months the builders will be in to renovate the basement area and in the New Year … fingers crossed … they’ll be ready to open their fabulous new place – The Monkey Tree . We wish them huge success. We had an absolute ball in their wonderful home and fabulous company. We’re hoping for a return gig at the new grown-up venue.

London to Wigton ... a gig too far? Never! from Christine Collister on Vimeo.

Because I’d managed to book a gig all the way back in Hitchin on Sunday – yes really - London/Carlise/Hitchin – we had little time to socialise, though we’d love to have done, we had to get back on the road relatively early the following day and drive ourselves right back to Hitchin. Yeh … we love being on the road. Rob did the lion’s share of the drive this time … phew.

Hitchin Folk club won the prestigious Radio 2 Folk music award for best Folk club in 2005. It’s been running for over 40 years.In fact last time I played here was to celebrate that achievement. For much of that time it’s been held in the ballroom of the Sun Inn – where Paul Lietch has been the manager for the last 3 years. Maureen and Keiron Jones are the club’s wonderful organizers and they do a brilliant job - I also know that they truly appreciate Paul’s huge passion for music. It’s a great combination.

It was quite late in the day when we arrived to set up our
Carlsbro PA and we were all more than a bit hungry but I wanted the gear up and running so I knew everything was OK before rushing off to eat … with Rob’s amazing patience, it was all sorted out and we sat down together with Maureen and Keiron exhausted but fairly happy. Rob did a short but perfectly formed set of his own songs before I joined him on stage. It was great to see friends we hadn’t seen in some time who managed to make it to the show … Steve Lima and Ted Kelly, and some more we’d only seen recently and were equally happy to see again … Pam and Martin Drury and of course … Chris Howarth, notching up a fab 4th gig this evening. Oh how sweet it is to be loved.

Back unto Hitchin once more dear frineds ... from Christine Collister on Vimeo.

On Monday July 13th we packed up our stuff and set off for the last time from The Sun Inn … we had a fabulous time settled within it’s hospitable walls … many, many thanks to Paul – you’re a star. We were in convoy for these last few gigs and set off for Birmingham where we were invited to stay with one of Rob’s long time friends, Aaron - a fellow Manxie! Aaron works for the ICC and is a brilliant sound engineer which came in handy for our last show. We spent a delightful night in his new gorgeous flat and ate royally at a local Indian restaurant called “Deolali”.

Our penultimate gig was at Biddulph Town Hall, organized by Eric Cox who’s been putting on acoustic shows in the area for more years than either of us would care to admit. I’ve always played at the club before and was pleasantly surprised at how well the larger hall suited acoustic music.

The Loud Mouthed Women are a large choir made up of local … as the name states … women. There were maybe 25/30 of them all told? They made a wonderful sound and had the audience eagerly joining in … I love hearing that many voices raised in song – it’s brilliant.

We were very tired this night but managed to muster ourselves and put in a pretty decent performance I think. The crowd certainly went wild at the end of the night. And afterwards it was fantastic to see some friends I’d not seen for far too long. Unfortunately Howard Lees was ill but Jean and Alison and her lovely beau Andy came along without him – bless. And Potter, he who first introduced me to Patty Griffin and “Mary” was delightfully positive about our new musical shenanigans. Hurrah. Rob and Aaron headed back to Birmingham and Bob and I made our way across to the incredibly accommodating Ansell’s once more – yeh!

Loud Mouthed Women ... and a few blokes too! from Christine Collister on Vimeo.

There were 3 full days off before our final musical fling and we made the very most of them for sure. Two nights with Diane and Bryan enjoying wonderful food and company – it’s been fantastic to spend time with them again and I’m totally indebted to Maria’s wonderful willingness to share her hard earned knowledge about hatching chicks. Enjoy.

Maria Ansell ... Superchick! from Christine Collister on Vimeo.

Our next friendly port of call was to see Rob and Jo Selbourne at Prebendal farm in Wiltshire. We love staying with them in their beautiful home which is also a B&B. In fact the last time we were able to sample their hospitable delights, was last June while on tour with Dave Kelly and the Gentlemen. Lucky for us we were the only people allowed to stay for 2 delicious nights.

Prebendal Madness! from Christine Collister on Vimeo.

After a night of raucous daftness, the heavens well and truly opened the following day. I’ve rarely seen it pelt so hard. Knowing Rob had harvest a couple of weeks later made it all the more dramatic.

A Perfect preamble at Prebendal. from Christine Collister on Vimeo.

Thankfully later in the afternoon it eased off enough for Jo and I to take their little black and tan Jack Russell Matty and the nieghbour’s Border Collie Socks, for a walk in Ashdown Woods. It was an absolutely fantastic experience – Jo is a brilliant person to walk with, as she knows so much about the countryside … it was an honour.

Take a walk on the wild side with Lady Robert selbourne prt I from Christine Collister on Vimeo.

(a photo I took of the beautiful 18th Century House at Ashdown Woods)

A walk on the wild side prt II from Christine Collister on Vimeo.

Mutual friends from the village came to play with us all on our second night. Nick and Sarah are great fun – we all egg one another on! The Flip was left well and truly alone. Before we bid our fond farewells Rob decided to take his 1932 Morgan out for a spin and took Bob with him – eek! It’s a beautiful machine and has taken years to get to its’ present pristine state … Rob it would appear is a dab hand with motors. I hope it’s not too long before we have the Prebendal Experience again. XX

Gutta Morgan! from Christine Collister on Vimeo.

And so it came to pass … the final show. As a way to ease ourselves into the right frame of mind we arranged to meet up with Rob and Aaron at the Orchard Tea Rooms in Granchester – this would be the 4th time Rob and I had been here during this tour! Yeh … d’ya think maybe we like it? We set off to the Acoustic Routes in Cambridge right after scones, clotted cream, jam and pots of tea! Yum.

I remember meeting Bernard Hoskin for the first time at a strange but bizarre outdoor Festival in Suffolk maybe 4 years ago? Anyway the story goes like this: It was a huge site with … no people attending! Well OK there were, maybe 10 trusty onlookers and – yes that’s right – a dog! There were 2 stages side by side and one enormous covered sound desk a good 200 yards away in the centre of the field. The idea being that one stage could be set up while the other stage is being performed on. Great idea. However … the techy guys were straight out of school and I mean school not college and they didn’t really care let alone know what that were supposed to be doing and … I went on a solo performer and three lines into my second song … the PA blew up! Man I must have been belting it out!

So I, being an old trouper, promptly jumped down off the stage onto the grass and walked to the huddled crowd of … 15 (I really brought them in!). After finishing the song I’d started on stage, we then proceeded to the blue and white stripy beer tent 500 yards away up hill at the edge of the field and “did the show right there!” Bernard was one of those few people … so you see I remembered him well.

Bernard runs a monthly acoustic show in a tiny cellar room beneath a very nice café/restaurant in the middle of Cambridge and he does a wonderful job. Dedicated, enthusiastic and an all round good egg; I love playing here. It was a fitting end to a fabulous tour. Aaron, bless him, on his day off ended up basically doing the sound for us – for which thanks! Chris Howarth bless him also, bought tickets for his fifth show of the tour … this time with a very lovely lady at his side … a Collister virgin no less. Hurrah.

The beginning of the end ... from Christine Collister on Vimeo.

Rob for the last time … ah … played his final opening set and I joined him once more for a wonderfully joyous and emotional end of tour show which was thoroughly and ecstatically received by the full house crowd! Yeh … this is the way to end a perfectly, beautiful run of dates. Thank you EVERYONE! But especially ROB CROSS who was a joy to be around and a fabulous musical cohort. I hope he’s willing to do it again … sometime … next year? Maybe?

Cambridge Acoustic Routes ... the end of the road ... ah. from Christine Collister on Vimeo.

To everyone who made it to a gig and those who wanted to and couldn’t … I thank you … your support is not only appreciated it’s essential!

Bob and I are off on our travels once more next week; we fly out to Washington August 13th to see Back Door Slam on their continuing adventures before jet setting it to Los Angeles on the 18th! Yeh … I love my life! I will, of course, be carrying on with the writing process and Flipping a few moments in the sun for you all to – hopefully – enjoy.

Thanks for taking the time to read my Blog and watch the daft Flip videos I’ve learnt to edit along the way. For someone who’s not at all techy I’ve really enjoyed that new experience – I hope you have too.

Take care … remember I’m on Twitter, The 61 and Facebook too … all cool ways to find out what’s going on, on a more regular basis.

See you out there ...

Much love

Christine XX ;-)

Blog on the run: instalment II … 7 dates and 6 mighty gigs on the trot … will our trusty musos survive?

We last left you at Maltby heading for a few days rest at the delightful Ansell household. Rob went to Whitby to stay with friends and returned Monday afternoon just in time to give Bob a lift to Newark train station to start his long journey back to the Island – ah. We missed him! Well I certainly did!

I took the opportunity to go into Nottingham with Diane and Maria Ansell to do a spot of mid-tour shopping! I can share with you that it was a very successful trip … 2 jackets and a pair of funky shoes later (all in sales!) and before we knew it we were sat at a pizza place ready to eat a well deserved luncheon – phew! Maria did especially well, managing not only to purchase several birthday presents for her mum but having 4 new – mostly purple - outfits bought for her by her mum … all in all a dizzy and exciting experience!

Shopping for purple things! from Christine Collister on Vimeo.

Rob and I did an impromptu performance for the Ansell’s after yet another delicious tea … due to Maria having her tonsils removed the following day, Diane and Bryan were unable to make it to our next port of call so we thought it only right and proper we sang for our supper. All much appreciated on everyone’s part.

We left the Ansell’s on Tuesday morning and headed for Leigh-on-Sea Essex to the Hoy At Anchor Folk club,which takes place on Tuesday evenings at the Ship Inn, opposite the train station in Old Leigh. I’ve played here several times now and always relish the experience. We arrived, after a particularly sweaty drive – too much information? And continued the physical heat by lugging our Carlsbro PA up the narrow stairwell that leads to the performance space.

Now when I’ve been here before the stage has always been set up in the window near the station but this time there was a bigger stage already up and functioning at the opposite side of the room so we rigged the PA to go there … seemed the right thing to us but … apparently we were supposed to wait till the lovely organisers turned up and use the window as usual… oops! Sorry! But there was no going back once it was all up and running! And they were very philosophical about our obvious conclusion.

Several people I know and love were coming to the show this night and I was very excited to see them all: Gary and Fiona, Ky and Emma, Phil and especially our hosts for the next few days: Helen Watson and her delightful partner Clea. Yeh!

I was still feeling a little off kilter at this point and not as confident as I like to be in general banter terms but no one else seemed to notice – phew! Rob’s extra harmonies were starting to come together and all the loop station and stomp-box songs went by without a hitch- hurrah. Another great gig under our belts – thanks Leigh! You were marvellous!

Untitled from Christine Collister on Vimeo.

Rob had met many people on the tour so far who waxed lyrical every time the delightful Ms Watson was mentioned. So his expectations were very high and possibly, he was a bit fearful that she couldn’t live up to the abundant praise we all lavish on her when given the opportunity to express our utter confidence and love for her presence. Well … she did not disappoint! They hit it off straight away – of course! Which is a very good thing given we were to spend the next few days in her and Clea’s tiny but perfectly formed blissful home in Burnham-on-Crouch.

Helley-welleny-Botson-Swotson-Watson from Christine Collister on Vimeo.

A day at the sea side - Burnham on Crouch - a guided tour! from Christine Collister on Vimeo.

I don’t know what it is about Helen and I that makes us so childish when we get together but whatever it is I am very grateful for it … we are like a pair of very naughty little girls who egg each other on to more and more ridiculous heights!

Foxy Watson sings the ballad of The Slimy Slew-ably assisited ... from Christine Collister on Vimeo.

We laughed the entire time we were there. It’s always a joy to be in her company. Clea and Rob coped with us very well too – ah bless. It was hard to leave … we love you gorgeous girls! We’ll be back!

Next on our gig sheet was a run of 6 dates back to back – gulp! First on the list was The Musician in Leicester and the opportunity to stay with David and Jean Suff – Mr Fledg’ling Records himself. It’s been far too long since I saw them; in fact the last time we met was at the Musician last year when I played there with Dave Kelly and the Travelling gentlemen! We called in on the way to the gig and dropped off our speakers and sundry leads etc not wanting to leave them in the car during the show … time for a hug and cool drink – essential things both!

The Musician is a strange and wonderful venue … brilliantly equipped and presented and I always feel positive before the show. It sounds great and looks fab but somehow I always feel deflated by the end of the night. It’s difficult to get much response from the generally quiet audience … yet at the end of the show they go berserk! Weird … I suppose they just save it all up for the end? My lovely friends Ann and Brian James tried their best to whoop and cheer but even they couldn’t get their fellow audience members to give out … until the last song.

The Musician Leicester - legendary gig! from Christine Collister on Vimeo.

David and Jean made us feel very welcome back at their lovely home in Uppingham and a sound sleep went a long way to restoring my dented demeanour. Onward and upward … well actually downward as our next port of call was Brighton!

On the road again ... from Christine Collister on Vimeo.

When we left Uppingham it was grey and damp and more rain accompanied us on our drive down. By the time we entered the M25 the sun had returned and the traffic had built up … and I was not happy about the 2 hours it took to get from the A1 junction to the M23! Argh …

The Open House is home to Brighton Folk and Blues club and a very funky place it is. We both loved it on first sight. Vanessa and Alan are the delightful organisers of this very lively club, which has only been running about a year. It’s a fantastic venue and once we got the sound check done the room filled up really quickly. Whatever fugue had plagued me surrounding my general stage persona, it disappeared at Brighton!

Perhaps it was the fresh sea air or conversely the stupid drive down but I felt my old confidence return and enjoyed a very light-hearted and witty performance -as did the substantial audience. Hurrah! Rob did a splendid few songs before the second half and James Asher turned up … co-writer of All About Love … another lovely friend I haven’t seen for far too long. It was the first time he had heard our version of the song he and I started many years ago but which Rob and I finished … and is one of the high lights of this tour. I can report that he gave it and us his full approval - phew! Rob had never been to Brighton before and his first impressions were very favourable. He was heard to say as we left the gig … “I haven’t seen a single ugly person yet!” … He may move there!

We stayed with Ness and her lovely partner Chris at their gorgeous home in Hove just 10 minutes from the gig and discovered – over a lovely glass of red wine - that Ness and I had met years ago (I’m talking 22 years!) when she lived in Hong Kong and I was there performing with Clive Gregson at the Hong Kong Folk Festival! Bloody hell! I thought she looked familiar when we met! We reminisced.

Before moving onto Aldershot we enjoyed a coffee and a walk round Hove … but didn’t make it to the sea front due to inclement weather … not what we ordered! Goodbye Brighton … we’ll be back.

Brighton! from Christine Collister on Vimeo.

We somehow found ourselves in Horsham in West Sussex looking for food … lunch to be precise but what we found there left us very confused and for sometime … very hungry … but it was a very interesting place!

Horsham ... myth or legend? from Christine Collister on Vimeo.

We were invited to stay with my lovely friends Pam and Martin Dury in Sandhurst for the next 2 nights, covering Aldershot and Bournemouth nicely – thank you! I have to say that Rob has been brilliant, accepting every situation I’ve thrown his way – he’s delightfully sociable and quite house-trained and has made a positive and lasting impression on everyone he’s met – not least Pam and Martin!

We arrived late afternoon and made ourselves at home while Pam and Martin, together with our mutual and equally delightful friends, Phil and Pat Chappell, left for theWest End Arts Centre in Aldershot, where the festival we were booked to perform at was taking place.

We were due on stage at 10.30 for a 40-minute slot at the end of the night. I don’t think either of us has ever been to, let alone played at, an Indoor/Out-door Festival before … it’s one hell of an experience! Barney Jeavons is the very likeable organiser of this event and it’s due to his innovation and creative input that the centre’s floor surfaces are completely covered in turf! That’s right … grass … the real stuff too … it’s amazing and quite smelly! Last year apparently they had live sheep and goats! There’s also a small wooden bridge and stream running under it … all in doors. I dubbed the space by the river “Glastonbury” as by the time we arrived it was a proper muddy mess and I lost my shoe more than once to the suction it created. The other remarkable thing to mention was the amount of young people in the audience … brilliant!

Aldershot indoor/out door festival - say what? from Christine Collister on Vimeo.

There were a number of excited people who’d been to see me before who shouted out song titles with a fair amount of passion … I was quite taken aback … in a very humble way. These same people decided to come to East Grinstead too! Bless them – and thanks!

Rob and I got back to the Dury’s lovely home about 12.30am where Pam was in full entertaining mode and assembling a mountain of food for us to enjoy. It was a full-on party including champagne and red wine. Phil and Pat were also there and before we knew it, it was 4.30! Ouch. For some reason I still can’t fathom … Rob mentioned Amaretto and so it was produced from Pam’s magical never ending supply of lovely things to enjoy… which later … Rob regretted.

Aldershot aftermath! from Christine Collister on Vimeo.

Ah bless. We had a very long lie-in the following morning – what was left of it! I was surprisingly fine but poor Rob was not at his best. We drove to Bournemouth mid afternoon leaving enough time to meet up with Martin, Pam, Phil and Pat to enjoy a bite to eat before sound check. While waiting for food that never arrived ... we were a bit bored and Phil made good use of the time; thanks also to Pam for the group pic ... still no food!BTW ... Kipper Collister and the Amaretto Kid are still on the loose!


The sun shone bright in Bournemouth and a new venue to experience awaited.The Centre Stage, home to the Bournemouth Folk Club , is a rather wonderful venue imbued with a great sense of atmosphere that lends itself generously to anyone who treads its lovely stage. Paul Burke organises 2 nights of music each week, made us feel vey welcome. His obvious love of music is so warm and giving that we felt immediately at our ease. Nick is the in house soundman and was equally accommodating and very good at his job!

I haven’t played Bournemouth for quite some time and had no idea what sort of attendance to expect … I was very pleasantly surprised. We had our first – and only – funky dancer when we played “The Ones That Love You” … a delightful 5/6 year old girl who commented that I had tiny curls at the end of my hair … that’s what a very hot and sticky night will do for a girl! We loved the entire experience. Bournemouth ROCKS!

Beautiful Bournemouth! from Christine Collister on Vimeo.

Rob was still feeling a little iffy – bless – so I drove back to Pam and Martin’s, while he snored! Pam, Martin, Phil and Pat all absolutely loved the show and were very impressed with some of our “tricks”! I’m not giving the game away here of course! Pam laid on another spread … how do we survive without these lovely social gatherings? Rob went to bed before the Amaretto could make a move!

We left Sandhurst feeling very loved and appreciated – we can’t thank the Dury’s nearly enough… though we try! We love you too.

Monday July 6th had us heading for the Chequer Mead Theatre in East Grinstead. I’ve played here several times before and loved it each time … Monday was no exception. Martin Snodin has promoted gigs in the area for a number of years now and always does a first rate job … he somehow managed to get me on the front cover of the theatre’s brochure even though the deadline had gone! Hurrah.

We were supported by a very young – 19 year old? – but very talented singer-songwriter:Alex Hall who was delightful … I’m sure he’ll have a very long and successful career – we wish him luck! Bob travelled from the Island that morning to be with us for the show – he was up at 5.30m! It was a joy to see him.

East Grin-stead! from Christine Collister on Vimeo.

It was another great gig full of daft moments and one big memory lapse that even I couldn’t bluff my way through but no one seemed to mind me starting again. Phew. Leaving East Grinstead proved harder than expected especially as I kept ignoring our Lady-of-the-Sat-Nav! Oops. We drove up to Hitchin to stay at the Sun Hotel. In fact we’re here until Monday now … a home away from home. Thanks to Paul Leitch … our friend and the hotel’s manager!

And so we come to gig 6 out of 6 … The Processed Peain Etton East Yorkshire. I’ve played here a number of times over the years and was amazed to find that they celebrate their 40th year this September … and in the same venue too! Brilliant. No mean feat.

The drive up from Hitchin was spectacular … amazing cloud formations and several torrential downpours in equal measure … both of which I loved! We also took the opportunity to stop off at Lincoln for a spot of cream-tea – mmm delicious.

the long and cloudy road ... to etton from Christine Collister on Vimeo.

Martin Peirson is the Processed Pea’s gallant organiser and took in his stride my change of mind about not using our own PA – only the day before – when we realised how long a drive back it would be. Martin’s PA is more than adequate and would save us a fair amount of time at the end of the night in not having to pack down and fill the car before leaving into the long dark night. Thanks Martin! You’re a sweetheart!

The gig itself was a very strange affair. For one thing the stage erected at the front of the room was relatively high off the ground … or perhaps it was just that that the ceiling was quite low to start with and meant the lovely (6 feet 2 inches tall!) Rob was unable to stand on it without fear of concussion! So we had to improvise and devise an arrangement that allowed us both to be on stage at the same time and after several tries with various pieces of furniture, eventually used a tall stool placed on the floor behind the stage (are you still with me?!) so Rob ended up wedged in a corner of the stage surrounded by his gadgets! It’s probably the only time I’ve been taller than him … and I had to keep flat shoes on so I didn’t bang my head!

For some reason this all added to our growing sense of hysteria and other-worldliness and made for a rather surreal experience. I have no idea what the audience thought about all this but their toes tapped through-out the night and their lovely smiley faces beamed up to our dizzying heights – though only a little laughter was drawn from them despite my silliness and general comic efforts – I was assured when their Flip moment came by their enthusiasm at the end of the night! Bless.

Anyone for a Processed Pea? from Christine Collister on Vimeo.

After big hugs and goodbyes, Rob took the first leg of the journey back while I surreptitiously flipped the full moon and Bob’s curious penchant for bursting into song! You gotta love him – OK maybe that’s just me then? And I do – very much!

It's a long way back to ... Hitchin. from Christine Collister on Vimeo.

We have a hefty 3 day run starting tomorrow – Crouch End, Carlisle! Then Hitchin! I have only myself to blame.

Thanks, as ever, for stopping by and do come back to find out what happens next!

Much love

CC ;-) XX

On the road again ... Blog on the run ..

On the road again … blogging on the run …

Thought I’d try and write as things are actually happening rather than as an after event recall. Intentions are great … following through with the action to make it happen is where it really matters … let’s see what kind of follow up I’m made of shall we? Mmm

So we now have 5 gigs officially under our musical belts … plus … on the last foray into Cardiff to rehearse with Rob, we also did a strange but necessary run-through gig in the heart of Cardiff city centre at a regular gig of Rob’s in O’Neills! This kind of venue is NOT, repeat NOT what I enjoy and when we turned up to set the PA in place, the pub was heaving with hundreds of very drunk 18 year old students who had just finished their exams and were in a fully fledged frenzy of celebration! I was VERY nervous! Their excited collective noise was so loud that even with a PA in full throttle we couldn’t hear ourselves … amazing. Rob assured me that by the time we were due on they’d have all gone on to wreak havoc at alcoholic pastures new … I closed my eyes … and an hour later all was mercifully student-free






There was, in their stead, a delightfully small and perfectly formed crowd of Rob’s friends and musical associates who cheered us on and helped make the process from rehearsal to performance space relatively pain-free. In fact they were fabulously generous with their praise and a good time was actually had much to my surprise. Thanks Cardiff!

A big, big thanks are also due to Andrew Bishop and Mick Wittemoore of Carlsbro PA http://www.carlsbro.com/ who very generously gave us the use of a wonderful Carlsbro set up for those smaller gigs where the PA can sometimes be a lottery. When Loop stations are emplyed to enhance one's musical exploits, a decent and reliable PA makes a huge difference to the performing confidence! We greatly appreciate the help! Thanks guys. XX

I made it home in time for mum’s birthday and a wonderful orchestral concert at the Villa Marina. Mum, dad, Diane (big sis!), Colin (lil bro), Rachel (lil bro’s gorgeous wife!) and Aaron … fabulous nephew who adores this music … all attended. We LOVED the entire experience and tears of joy were a collective bonus! Anna Goldsmith – local musical heroine – had the honour of singing with a full orchestral arrangement of a(yet more local musical heroes!) Bee Gees song – arranged by our very own Dave Armstrong! Anna and Dave’s arrangement were superb.
It was a thrill to spend a little time in the company of Andy Brown,London Metropolitan Orchestra's enthusiastic conductor, after the show.A group of us enjoyed a delightful meal with him a couple of nights later at niarbylcafe . I think he took a shine to the Island! And who could blame him … the sunsets lately have been breath-taking!






















There was also time for a little TT outing with the Armstrong clan one day ... culminating in a rare ice-cream treat in Peel ...








And so our first gig was upon us! Sunday June 14th at Erin Arts Centre . We had great intentions of getting there early and having loads of time to sort out any technical hitches but … time sped up and we were scrambling around in a panic trying to sort everything out with little time to spare! We were very ambitious wanting to not only film the show but properly record it as well … some how … we managed it!


Rob and I were a little nervous and many songs found a speedier tempo than we rehearsed. The most memorable moment was our second Loop Station arrangement … where something went horribly wrong … and everyone … after a split-second silence, burst into absolute hysterics! This “feature” my dad assures me should be kept in the show … I think not! Thankfully, enough of our hard work paid off and the majority of songs came through with flying colours – phew! It was a great night and a brilliant way to start the tour. A few very important factors came to light too: there were 2 songs too many overall and a couple of songs didn’t sit as well together as we’d hoped but with a little jiggery-pokery I think it all works fine now.



The next few days were a fraught whirlwind of rehearsals – editing and producing and by the time we left the Island we had in our possession – thanks to the hard work and focus of Dave Armstrong and Christy DeHaven -a fair few copies of our tour cd: “Under Construction”! - available at a show near you!!! ;-)

We left the Island on Thursday June 18th and headed for my delightful friend Lynda Turner’s home, in Chadderton. She made us very welcome and cooked up a storm producing an amazingly delicious risotto, washed down with a generous glass-full of fruity red wine. She began what has become the trend of this tour with her fine food and wine and great company. This is Rob’s first tour and it’s a brilliant starting point … he’s very impressed.

On Friday morning we were due to pick Bob-the-Boyfriend up from Manchester airport. He’d been in New York to be with Davy Knowles and Back Door Slam at the launch of their second album “Coming Up For Air”. All had gone brilliantly well and the signs are more than favourable for a very successful album and tour. Hurrah!

Though his flight was delayed by a few hours he emerged from his travels as perky and positive as ever. It was great to see him and brilliant he made it for the start of the tour. He brought back for me a new video gizmo – an HD Flip camera! A very whizzy bit of kit. So far I’ve filmed a handful of clips at sound check and in the car as we drive through this beautiful country. As I get more familiar with it’s workings I’ll find more reasons to use it and “share” with you.

First Flippin moments! from Christine Collister on Vimeo.

So … we drove up to Knaresborough- our first port of call. The Frazer Theatre is a gorgeous performing space normally used exclusively for the local Knaresborough Players Dramatics Society but for the last year, with the able help of John Haxby (thanks to him for the fab live pic from the night!) they’ve given over a night or 2 a month to music and it’s a wonderful space to perform in. Originally according to Mike (who I kept calling Mark!), one of the Board of Directors, the Theatre was a Dance Hall with a live band perched on a precarious platform way above the dance floor. There are still some original features here and there alluding to it’s colourful past.

Sound check was quick and painless and all technical devices were in good working order! I was very pleased to see our great friend Chris Howarth just before the show … enjoying local fish and chips, as we had ourselves had a little time before.

Sound Check Knaresborough from Christine Collister on Vimeo.

A healthy crowd filed into the auditorium and Rob, taking a deep breath, went on first to do a 15 minutes set – greatly appreciated by the people of Knaresborough. I joined him and off we went on our musical odyssey. Everything went well though I still fell off the guitar several times … having someone else there making up for my chordal faux pas is great! Mr Ben did a roaring trade at half time and the second half went by really quickly. We’ve made a few more changes since then but all was as well as could be. Knaresborough showed their appreciation in no uncertain terms and left smiling.

We met up with friends Andrew and Alison Bishop along with John and Mike from the theatre at a local Wine Bar. I was lovely to relax and wind down with friends. A perfect end to a pretty much perfect day.

I decided that lunch at the Queens Head in Troutbeck, just outside Lake Windermere was the right thing to do on a Saturday in June, so we drove from Knaresborough to the Lake District the following day. Brooding clouds above luscious green rolling hills - wonderful. And the food! Mmm ;-)!

Brooding clouds ... luious green hills from Christine Collister on Vimeo.

I’ve played at the Acoustic Tea Rooms in Kirby Stephen once before and thoroughly enjoyed myself. Penny and Paul who put their considerable energy into running these wonderful events, had since sold off the Tea Rooms where it all began and now set everything up in the local Masonic hall.

Untitled from Christine Collister on Vimeo.

The night starts off with an exceptionally delicious 2 course meal (bring your own wine – everyone does!) and we get to sample dinner before anyone else arrives … once PA has been assembled and sound check achieved of course. We do work you know! Bob and I had the vegetarian lasagne – spinach, pine-nuts and blue cheese – scrumptious. Rob chose the one pot chicken tagine with minted cous-cous. My mouth’s watering again just thinking about it. We held off pudding till after the show.

Untitled from Christine Collister on Vimeo.

While the audience arrives and settles down to eat, we relax back at the ranch a few minutes walk away and make our preparations. Rob’s the only one who uses an iron! Penny often says that her food is the opening act and it’s an easy act to follow as everyone feels so good!
So this is our third show and things are still getting moved about a bit . It was a very warm evening and guitars notoriously hate being that hot but we managed to stay in tune, just about. After a request at half time there was a spontaneous song change in the second half which left me wondering about my lyrical recall! Apart from that … we had the most ecstatic response so far. It was a very special night. Topped off with fabulous cake and wine after the show.






Continuing the culinary extravagance we were treated to one of Penny’s beautiful breakfasts and deep rich coffee sipped, sitting in the front of her shop Sunday morning. Astonishingly the shop next door had been broken into in the middle of the night and the whole village was a-chatter with speculation! We came to the conclusion the thief was not very bright … having broken into an Estate agents Paul was heard to say … they could have waited till Monday to get the particulars!


After a long goodbye we headed off to stay with Jo and Mike (Bob’s daughter and son-in-law) to celebrate Father’s Day. Mike’s family were also there and we all enjoyed yet more amazing food, wine and company! Rob’s definitely up for more touring.

Untitled from Christine Collister on Vimeo.

On Monday Rob and I took advantage of the afternoon by rehearsing some more trying to tighten-up some of our arrangements and getting Rob to add a few more harmonies here and there. We’re getting there.

We called in to see Diane and Bryan Ansell in East Stoke en route to Hempstead and the Bluebell Inn. Introducing Rob to their wonderful family and home. We would be staying with them for a few days in the gap between Hempstead and Maltby.

Return to Stoke Hall! from Christine Collister on Vimeo.

I’ve played the Bluebell Inn several times before and delight in landlord Rod Stokes telling of the story of Dick Turpin’s downfall. How after years of terrorizing the countryside with his evil antics Mr Turpin managed to escape to York – a veritable distance in those days – and lived undetected for years under a different identity. Only to be take to prison for shooting a chicken (presumably someone elses?!). While in prison in York he wrote a letter to his brother, still living in hempstead, to ask for help but the postmaster, who had taught him to write in the first place, recognised his handwriting and so shopped him to the magistrates in York, where he was put on trial for his Highwayman past and found guilty. You just never know the day!

This was the first night we tried out Rob’s brand new stomp box … very high tech! Plus another new gadget in the form of a reverb pedal - just to add a little atmosphere from time to time. It may have added a bit more than we expected as we’re pretty much convinced that Dick Turpin’s ghost was present at the show … several technical shenanigans occurred seemingly for no good reason? Despite that it was a great night with plenty of interaction and joking about and for the first time I turned the Flip on the audience instead of taking the usual snapshot at the end of the night … now we have actual moving, cheering pictures … the circle of friends on the front row were there to represent the other unseen but felt presences!

We were treated to yet another great English breakfast experience courtesy of Rod the following morning and I remembered to take a few minutes of Flipness for your delectation:

Stand and Deliver ... a night with Dick Turpin! from Christine Collister on Vimeo.

We dropped Bob off at Cambridge train station around mid-day, he had several lots of meetings to take in London while Rob and I carried on further north. He met back up with us late Thursday night – bless. I thought Rob might appreciate the loveliness that is The Orchard Tea Rooms at Grantchester. I wasn’t wrong! After our large breakfast with Rod there was only enough room for coffee and a small piece of cake … food maketh the tour.

We arrived at Diane and Bryan’s late afternoon and unloaded the gear from the car and set everything up in the conservatory to rehearse a little more the next day. Always trying to improve! But one thing was missing … the bloody stomp box!!! After scratching our heads over where on earth it could possibly be I decided to call the tea rooms just in case … and lo- and behold someone had found it in the car park that afternoon and thankfully handed it in. Rob had really enjoyed the experience there and wanted to go back … not sure he meant only 24 hours later but that’s what we did!

Grantchester Stomp-box madness! from Christine Collister on Vimeo.

Bob’s train was stupidly late on Thursday night due to another train breaking down just north of Grantham; so while I patiently waited outside Newark station he was, equally patiently waiting outside Grantham. In the end I drove to Grantham and picked him up there. Ah it must be love.
Last night, Friday June 26th, was our fifth show and the best technically so far. All that rehearsing is paying off – who knew?! The Rock folk club has been running many, many years now and I’ve played there on numerous occasions over several decades - gulp! And always loved it. Not least because of Rob Shaw’s presence and energy – he’s been organising shows – formerly at the Rockingham Arms in Wentworth -for as long as the club has been running and now in it’s, relatively new home, at the Wesley Centre in Maltby, that experience continues.

Back stage shenanigans The Rck Maltby ! from Christine Collister on Vimeo.

It’s certainly a beautiful venue and apparently – I only have Rob’s word for it – the beer’s even better! It was a stupidly hot evening … I should be several pounds lighter than I am after the experience – Rob Cross, started the evening a towering 6 foot 2inches … shrank from perspiration! You don’t have to believe me of course. He also broke ahis G string (yes really!) in the 3rd song! So I sang an impromptu Gear jin Ayr ... all in a days work you know.

Dylan Felix and his partner Roger were able to come to the show – Dylan looks after the Myspace site for me and does a great job. It’s always a pleasure to see them. Jo and Mike were there too – Mike was a Collister virgin till last night! They were both very effusive and full of praise – thanks guys!

Bob and I are staying here at their delightful home just outside Worksop and Rob has gone off to visit old friends in Whitby for the weekend. It’s not all slog.

So … 5 down 12 to go! I hope to see some of you out there very soon. Thanks for stopping by. If you haven’t already done so check out the new-look website: www.christinecollister.com – thanks as ever to Christy DeHaven.

Much love

CC XX ;-)

Great expectations ...

I thought the time was ripe to write a blog about the up coming tour and the preparations that go on behind the scenes plus of course " ... any other business". Mainly I've spent time wrestling with what songs to include in the set. It's difficult to get the balance of old, new and borrowed just right. I started off with about 30 songs which I whittled down to say... 22. Then, after several rehearsals with Rob Cross (he who shall make me sound musically exciting and bless him, had to learn everything from scratch ) I realised I had too many certain types of songs and not enough of others ... plus there were too many songs altogether! Argh! So ... I've deleted 3 or 4 songs and added 2 and now have a "subs bench" of about 5. Are you still with me? Thought not! It's a strange and sometimes satisfying conundrum. I've thought about having an online post show debate ... where I post the set list for each night and you ... my dear, dear listener ... get to comment on it, whether you're at the show or not. It's just an idea ... and generally speaking once I've found the list that works I stay with it but this being a new way of working for me, perhaps I'll veer off the normal way of things and be even more adventurous?! Only time will tell. Apropos of nothing really I just want to say how beautiful the Island is ... look!

On Sunday May 17th my good friends at Stereoscout records started a weekly music event at the award winning and beautifully renovated court house on Atholl Street in Douglas (iom). Christy DeHaven (guitar,vocals and loop station!) with Dave Armstrong on bass, (Mr and Mrs Stereoscout ) were hosts and first up ... I'm so proud of Christy's confidence now on stage ... hard won and well deserved, she was fab.


Truman Falls were next and filled the place with their gorgeous harmonies and brilliant songs - the tiny isle has a wealth of musical talent. Anna Goldsmith should have been here too but was fighting a nasty virus - she has since fully recovered - hurrah. So I was up last to finish the night. It's a while since I stood on stage on my own and I have to say I was quite scared ... but loved every minute of it once I get going. I played a few tried and tested songs from the past and one of my new songs for the first time ... "We Spoke Today" ... glad to say we both came out of the ordeal shining bright. It was a great opening night and each week will have a different Stereoscout host with 2 or 3 guest artists doing 2o minutes a piece ... as I say the Island is chock full of very talented people and these events are a brilliant way to get aquainted with a whole host of different artists and their wonderful music. If you live on the Island or just visiting and here on a Sunday ... GO! Thanks to Martin Critchley for the photos!

I was invited to Manx radio last week (May 26th) for an interview and a song or 2 on Bob Harrison's afternoon show, ostensibly to plug the very first gig on the tour (eek!) at Port Erin's Art Centre. Christy DeHaven came along and very kindly videoed the proceedings. I'm not sure we made much sense to anyone listening but we sure had a lot of fun ... Bob is a great supporter of live music and is always generous and sincere ... oh yeh and very cheeky! I was blown away by the emails that came pouring in while I was there ... from fans as far afield as Essex, Ramsey, Suffolk, Buckinghamshire, Belgium and California! Fair tickled the cockles of me 'eart! Thanks!

We Spoke Today from Christine Collister on Vimeo.

I took advantage all week of the full fat gloriously bright sunshine and practiced in the garden each day ... much more satisfying than stuck in a room in the gloom on your own. I have so far been through at least 4 lots of false nails ... can't keep the glue going long enough ... must try to have a professional job done for the tour ... just one hand though, I wonder how often that happens in a nail salon?;-) Talking of salons ...another essential part of the preparations for touring is a new hair cut! I tried a salon in Douglas that has a great reputation and has won awards over the years, called "Utopia" and is ... as I found out ... difficult to get an appointment at. But I persevered et voila! I dared to go darker and richer in colour ( sloughing off my recent middle aged grey) and love the bright red glints. The salon may not get another award for my new look but I like it .... just need a fab new outfit now ...

Stereoscout and DAM productions are involved with several great projects on the Island at the moment, one involving the Manx TT ... which is already upon us! ... and the worlds first zero carbon, clean emissions Grand Prix Race, scheduled for June 12th: www.ttxgp.com . As part of the promotion of the event Dave Armstrong at DAM has been inspired to make a music video capturing the spirit of the venture. He came up with the brilliant idea of using John Mayer's "Waiting For The World To Change" and has filmed and recorded a multitude of local musicians at various outside locations, all live each time adding their performance to the growing track. I added my part a few days ago on a perfect evening at the Sound, on the southern tip of the Island, driving back via Port Erin which looked stunning ... it was a fabulous experience and I think the final results are wonderful; here's a clip to give you the idea:

Waiting On The World, by 'Treisht' from Christine Collister on Vimeo.

There's also a music event affiliated with the clean emissions race an orcestral concert with the LMO entitled "The Promise of a Generation", we've bought tickets already and are bringing mum, dad and my sister Diane ... it's being held on mum's birthday so all round we're very excited. It promises to be a wonderful evening.

Another project that myself and other Stereoscout artists are included on is a cd "One In Three" for a local Cancer charity now available on Amazon.co.uk: One in Three. A great collection of songs/artists showing off Manx musical diversity at the same time supporting a very worthwhile cause.

One last thing before I blog-off ... I forgot to mention last time about the re-release of HBHB II Money The Final Frontier now available at: Stereoscout
... and also available at gigs! Hurrah.

By the time I next Blog I should be on the road! Yeh ... and I'll have details of the cd that will be available on tour ... some live recordings of Rob and I doing our new thing ... plus a few new demos ... a sign of things yet to come ...

Thanks for taking the time to stop by and read my meanderings. If you make it to a show please come and say hello ... I'd love that!

Take care. See you out there soon ...

Christine ;-) XX