It's warm for an October night. We're walking up the gangway after a gig on the Lightship when Frank reminds me, You've played here ten times. Ten? Yes, he says. However, after a decade-plus run of ‘concerts-on-the-boat’ he has decided to let this year's series be the last. I'm sad to hear this news, of course, but if this is to be my last, what a way to go! The always-full audience raised the roof tonight. Even more than usual. The tides and weather were calm, but we literally rocked. On my recent USA Tour I played some venues I haven't played for ages. What a blessing to re-visit one's roots. There were lots of familiar faces in the audiences - including my first guitar teacher who taught a 10-year old me how to fingerpick (she's the ‘Margaret’ I name-check in the song Mockingbird on WORKING IN WOOD) to audience members who attended my earliest gigs. At the Rose Garden Coffee House one person even brought some of my old cassettes. Remember those? In my archive I'm pretty sure I have one CD copy of every recording I've ever made. But definitely no cassettes. Speaking of cassettes, this trivia is for you trendy completist collectors out there. On the first ‘pressing’ of the cassettes for BACK TO MERCY (1992), on Green Linnet Records, my name is mis-spelled. Do you have that one? If so, send me a photo of it. But I digress. Isn't it great that the CD is making a comeback? We've known for a few years that hipster listeners have rediscovered vinyl, but now the CD is on people's radar again as well. They never left mine. I prefer listening to them, even if I also listen to downloads. On our flight back to the UK from the USA the other night, as usual, Jo and I tried to get a little sleep. We're never very successful. An hour or so tops, if we're lucky. So I calmed my jet-lagged brain by listening to two of my favourite Milk Carton Kids albums. Of course, they were mp3 downloads on my phone, which is not ideal, especially through dinky earbuds. But I was grateful to have them. As my new recording is almost done I'm hoping my Board of Directors (me) agree to release it on both CD and vinyl. Downloads, of course, are always available on my site, they'll remind me. That almost goes without saying. I can guarantee, however, the board will not spring for cassettes.
SOLO TOUR UK 2026
November
6th Brackenfield Village Hall, Alfreton, Derbyshire
12th Loughton Folk Club, Loughton, Essex
13th Burton Green Live!, Warwickshire
14th The Liberal Club, Orpington, Bromley, Greater London
15th Talbot Hotel, Oundel, Northamptonshire (Low Ticket Alert!)
18th The Lamb Folk Club, Old Town, Eastbourne, East Sussex
20th Soundbox Live, St Mary's Creative Space, Chester, Cheshire
21st Marlborough Folk-Roots, Marlborough, Wilshire
December
4th Roots Music Club, Doncaster
(Photo Oren Helbok at The Exchange)
DECEMBER DEAL!
From now through 31st December 2026, order any CD from my website and receive a free CD of either LITTLE LION (my guitar instrumental album), or SHREVEPORT SESSIONS (my solo live album). Order any two CDs from my website and receive both LITTLE LION and SHREVEPORT SESSIONS CDs free of charge. That's a TWO-FOR-ONE and a FOUR-FOR-TWO bargain. While supplies last, of course. Just order a CD in the usual way and add a note to your order as to which free CD you would like. Our staff will be working in the warehouse 24-7 through the end of December and some members of staff will regularly camp-out at the post office overnight with flasks of hot coffee and cheese sandwiches to ensure they are first in the queue to post your order.
VISIT MY STORE
2027 DIARY PREVIEW
Get your MOJO working for the new year!
FEBRUARY 2027 Brooks solo tour UK
MARCH 2027 Brooks and Aaron tour UK
APRIL 2027 Brooks solo tour USA
MAY 2027 Brooks and Sally Barker on tour UK
OCTOBER 2027 Brooks and Aaron tour UK
NOVEMBER 2027 Brooks solo tour USA and UK
DECEMBER 2027 Brooks and Boo Hewerdine tour UK
…more dates being added…
ALL DETAILS HERE
(Photo Stephen Ide at Rose Garden Coffee House)