Summer’s Here…

July 15, 2010

Well, the summer’s here… I know that because as I write this there is a monsoon ripping through my garden.  The rain has such power that it hits the trees in my garden, turning the unripe apples into supersonic projectiles.  So far, the Mrs has a black eye, the dogs’ got a limp and we’ve killed two passing horses.

Talking of injuries, I have broken a bone in my right hand – I think.  I was clowning around with my three sons (sounds like a TV programme) and decided to enlighten them with some Jujitsu as taught by Master Mick Gould (check his website www.mickgould.com).  Anyway, instead of a killer blow to the jugular vein, I very cleverly and expertly missed daughters boyfriend head by a fraction and with dramatic effect thumped the floor of the garden shed!  I since found out that hardened pine wood is much stronger than skin and bone.  Unlike those spindly little Kung fu Shaolin monks, who can punch through titanium without any pain – I now have the knuckle of my little finger up by my elbow.  It looks like my arm has grown a nipple – must take more water with it in future!

Been really busy.  Sam and I produced Stevie Lamprell’s birthday party at the Grosvenor where along with Jethro, Bobby Davro, Kev Orkian and the brilliant French painter Jean Pierre Blanchard I had the pleasure of directing and producing Katherine Jenkins and Lionel Richie all with a 60 piece National Symphony Orchestra conducted by the brilliant Steve Sidwell and the effervescent genius Allan Rogers.  Funnily enough, as I was booking Lionel Richie and dealing with his offices’ demands, i.e. airfares, hotels, dressing rooms etc., I was finishing my first novel, Joined at the Hip, and it amazed me how similar the two events had become.  The novel Joined at the Hip, which will be available at Christmas, is a story about booking Lionel Richie and the Commodores to appear in concert in Barbados in 1978.  What was happening in fiction was happening to me for real – where do you find organic nasal spray?

The party was a great success thanks to my production team of Rick Price, Nigel Catmur and Robert Garofalo.  At one stage we had 100 crew working on the production and to let you know the scale of it, the crew ate 368 hot meals during the 24 hour period – greedy buggers!

Last month I also put on a show starring Mike Osman, Jethro, Bobby Davro and Kev Orkian at the Southampton Mayflower for the benefit of the James Shears and Alan Bannon Memorial Fund.  It was a cracking show.  Bobby Davro reminded us all of how brilliant he is – I’m glad I wasn’t following him!  Jethro couldn’t give a toss – on he went and paralyzed them.  Kev Orkian was sensational, as was Southampton comedian Mike Osman.  I went on last and was the best – so there!  Mike and I presented the Red Watch Firefighters at St Mary’s in Southampton of a cheque of GBP 35,000 – a job well done.

The coalition government seems to be working well.  Unfortunately we all have to tighten our belts to get the country out the poo.  So, next year the ticket prices will go up because VAT will increase to 20%.  I must just clear up some misunderstanding; on my last tour I tried to keep the tickets at GBP 20.00 however certain theatres added a booking fee of GBP 3.50, they also then added a pound restoration fee.  You have to pay for this and I get none of it.  There’s nothing I can do about this and you must take it up with the theatres if you have the hump.  It’s nothing to do with me, honest. 

Next month we’ll be launching our new onsite supermarket, where you can buy every piece of old shit I’ve ever recorded.   You can also place your order for the new novel Joined at the Hip and the cookery book Davidson’s Council House Cook Book.  I’m looking forward to that.

The Australian tour has been put back to October and I’ll be playing the same venues as last year – details will be announced in a week or two.  I’m looking forward to seeing all my Aussie fans and having a beer or two after the show.

Well that’s it for now but stay tuned as we will have a major announcement for you within the next two weeks – it’s really exciting!

Keep the comments coming – I love ‘em.