Well March turned out to be full of changes and that’s not just the weather either. I had appearances of various sorts either cancelled, postponed or moved and others added.
Anyway, here are some of the highlights of the month, as far as I was concerned that is!!!
The Chelsea Lodge Ladies Night on the 7th was one of the best evenings of entertainment I’ve ever been involved with for a small private function of around 300 people. The evening was sold out within two days of being announced and I had the task of delivering the main speech to the Master of the Lodge and as I think I managed to insult as many people as possible in my speech, it’s highly unlikely I’ll ever get asked again !
I then decided this was the month to try and get fit.
So I went and had an hour’s racquetball followed by a round of golf.
Amazingly, the following morning I felt great when I woke up and climbed out of bed. Indeed, I hardly hurt myself at all when I fell down the stairs.
I have decided to play more racquetball and golf this month and by the end of the month I should have perfected falling down the stairs.
On Sunday 14th I played Buxton Opera House and had a wonderful evening. Wonderful all round in fact. Wonderful theatre, wonderful staff there, wonderful audience and wonderful Bosendorfer piano.
On Wednesday 17th I met up with the great actor Sir John Standing at his house in London. Sir John has recently performed his tribute show to Noel Coward in New York to unbelievable reviews and is looking to take it a stage further and has asked me to be involved which is a tremendous project to be involved with. More news as it happens on this one.
On Tuesday 23rd, I stood up in front of 800 women at the Norfolk Federation of the WI. Terrifying.
The last time I stood up in front of that many women was at Jim Davidson’s ex-wives reunion.
They were wonderful though and they looked after me royally, although perhaps my choice of subjects to speak shouldn’t have included my ex-wives!!
On the 26th, I went back to the Granary in Beccles to record with Erik Jordan on my favourite piano. Another 17 minutes of recording was achieved and the only slight blot on the day was when I came to drive home. I had driven the 25 miles in my 1970 MGB GT which was having it’s first outing of the year. It behaved very well but the right hand indicator packed up just as I arrived and so I devised a rather complicated route to go home which only required one right hand turn, which added just over ten miles to the journey !….(All fixed now I hasten to add) ! It’s great fun driving old cars. It still ahs the original cassette player in it which creates wonderful “wow and flutter”.
April looks like being another interesting month.
The acoustic tour with Jon Anderson is taking shape nicely and dates should be announced shortly. (They will appear on the website as soon as we have them).
On the 1std I have a very strange photo session with Prog Rock magazine and on the 3rd I am playing as part of the celebrations at Max Clifford’s wedding. You never know, I may get spotted by Simon Cowell!!!!
On the 9th, Erik Jordan and I will be preparing some more music to send to Jon for lyrics in readiness for the October tour and hopeful pre-tour recording. More news on that as it develops too.
On the 11th I fly to Rome for another mad Italian television programme with Mario Fasciano. I expect the press and television will last no more than an hour or so in-between cries in Italian of “We eat now”.
On the 15th I am in the studio with Hoffy recording the final batch of Rick’s Mighty Organ for Tuneadversity Challenge on Planet Rock.
On Sunday 18th, there is a tribute lunch with The Heritage Foundation for David Croft and Jimmy Perry., the wonderful creators of such television magic as dad’s Army. I believe tickets can be bought for this lunch through the Heritage Foundation website. It should be a wonderful lunch and is being held at the Marriot Hotel in London.
On Friday 23rd I will be doing my Very Intimate Evening show at Theatre Cymru in Llandudno, where I will also be meeting up with the wonderful artist Rodney Mathews who ahs provided me with some classic album covers over the years including The New Gospels and 2000AD Into The Future.
On the 25th, I will be doing a short spot along with many others at a concert in aid of Woking Hospice and being organised by Bobby Davro. More details in the concerts section of the rwcc website as indeed there is as regards all upcoming concerts and appearances.
On Monday 26th I will be performing with Mario Fasciano, Rob Townshend and Lee Pomeroy at the Theatre Sistino in Rome.
On the 28th I will be taking part in a lecture with my great friend Jon Lord for the students at the London College of Music which is part of the TVU. I am really looking forward to this. Jon and I have yet to work out what’s going to happen, but something will!
The month for me finishes on the 29th when I play another one man piano concert in Edinburgh.
All in all there’s a lot happening. Planet Rock Friday night “rather naughty” shows seem to be going down well and so long may they continue. The Naughty Lyric Theatre seems to be very popular.
Well that’s it for this month ……see you in May !!!
Cheers,
Rick