Still on a high

Last Thursday saw The Dirt. Plot..  plan.. curate and collaborate on a night of DIY at Night and Day manchester. Such an iconic venue to be invited to play.

And we got a cracking crowd.. loved it.. The energy was high.. the crowd was mega.. we are still buzzin from it… And planning a return next year!!…

So big thank you to the venue… the bands and all those who joined us. It takes alot of emotional energy to get these gigs to where they go.. so ive slept alot since!!.. Haha..

We played Hull New Adelphi  on Sunday too.. which was a great crowd too..  chats of going back there too so something is going right.

Focus now on 8 more gigs to close the year. Which concludes with a support slot for pals Deja Vega in Manchester which is dold out..

And we have the new album to record !..

We head into the studio in December to lay down 8 new tracks.. some have had an airing recently too.

As gor Leon.. solo i am taking a back seat for a while. This is The Dirts time!!. A few slots but focus on the music… its where we go heading forward!!..

Other projects include painted vinyl exhibition.. soon heading to redwilliw tap in Macclesfield!.

Tbe co juring next year… a 3 day fest of psychedelia

Acoustic/word nights.. in various places..

Keep an eye on socials!

So heres a few pics from last week. All by Pete Rooney

Next stip Stoke on saturday at Captains bar… 09.11.24..

The cauldrons bubbling

Its approaching Halloween. All eyes are on The Dirts gig in Manchester for that night in our house. Then as per last post there is a string of Dirt activity leading up to the next album recording.

But in the background The Conjuring cauldron bubbles. For our psych fest over 15-18 Aug 2025. 

Our 3 day psych fest with Richie of last stop sounds/liverpool psych society is still offering excitement!..

Weve gathered a cracking three day line up!… the poster is attached.. tickets are on sale too. Early birds have flown but general sale exists…

For those not in the know.

Its set in an 18th century barn near Northalerton, North Yorkshire  called Pealies barn with camping.. over 3 days/nights and still under £100.. bargain… its DIY music.

Some great Northern and UK psych is converging on this old farm heres some links.. come check out what we are doing there

https://www.facebook.com/share/v9SzE2bAeiUps664/

https://www.instagram.com/theconjuringfestival?igsh=MW5nOGtrdmc2MnN1eQ==

https://www.ticketline.co.uk/the-conjuring-festival#bio

So socials and ticket link.give you a flavour!!.. come join us .

Line up…

The Dirt take over

Hello.. Hows things?…
Halloween is knocking on the door!!
The night The Dirt play Manchester and the iconic venue Night and Day. So excited!!..
There are some tickets left if folk want to join us.

Weve also done a new test run  T shirt colour to honour the gothic and dark season.
Black T shirt and purple reflective logo.

Not on our merch pages but they can be ordered via a message direct. Or picked up at gigs!

The night and Day gig on 31.10 in manchester kicks off a string of 8 gigs before The Dirt  head into the studio for album 2. 


Heres the others
03.11 – Hull – new Adelphi
09.11 – Stoke – captains bar
22.11 – Wolverhampton – Giffard
28.11 – Todmorden – Golden Lion
07.12 – Nottingham – Angel brewery
14.12 – Darwin – Sunbird studios
15.12 – Newcastle – Trillians

Come say hello as we road test a few new tunes along the way before the studio beckons!

In other new Leon will be doing bits along the way. Like Shiiine on fest and a feature word slot or two..

Gallery – gigs – going forward

Tonight is a kind of official opening of a gallery exhibition at Industry  in Stalybridge that ive plotted. Its centred around painted vinyl from The Dirt miss press… some great artists.. all women i or the band know that have resurrected the  damaged goods.

The last project in the damaged goods run…

It kicks off with some spoken word and acoustic vibes tonight and will remain in situe for 5 weeks until the Dirt play manchester at Night and Day on Halloween

In other parts of this crazy world the second conjuring fest for 2025 has been announced. Weve got a mega line up and found a great creative event space in a historic barn complex in N Yorks.. poster attached. Some great alternative and psych happenings.

The gigs and bookings continue to flow.. The Dirt are loving this journey of new and returned places.The new tunes are growing.. being put to demo and by next year will be on record..

A few things in the pipeline for autumn coming.. a bit of Leon and lots of The Dirt. Gigs are secured well into 2025 for this sonic psych duo too. 

Anyway.. lets have some posters of things that are coming up.. fitst pics though are from a couple of solo  gigs last weekend..

Time to reflect then push on..

Its been a busy period for Leon and mostly The Dirt… loads of gigs solo and music. All have been memorable and great experiences. Love this journey.

The Dirt have one gig this month. Leon a few more.. The Dirt also have demos for album 2 to sort. The background is always as busy as front of house…

Thank you to all who have come watched us /me at gigs and festivals. who have bought merchandise. Books… CD… T shirts.. bobble hats!!.. It all adds to the pot that makes this journey continue to roll on and help make more art!!..

Thanks to all that have booked us and given us a platform too.. The feedback has been mega..

So. Where are we heading. As leon.. lots in september before The Dirt take over for the rest of the year.. i will pop up solo here and there… 

The Dirt this month is RDF support in Barrow  on fri 13th Sep

Leon has a few more

Work with company of makers on line poetry club

20.09 Gaza gig at Fuel Withington

26.09 Chatter and Verse – at Industry in Stalybridge

27.09 – Burning planet compere at The Globe Glossop

28.09 – Revolution Headsticks gathering in Stoke. Compere

So come say hello..

Heres some posters for September

October info coming soon.. As will our 2025 conjuring festival…

Conjuring an experience

Last week end i put on with a pal a music festival. An event in a cumbrian wood called The Conjuring (northern lights).

It sold out. We gathered top folk of mates..  bands and punters and we now start plotting 2025. Mega experience!!..

On top of that.. ive been organising spoken word/acoustic nights in Accrington – crafty lyrics.. and now stalybridge – chatter and verse.

Also working with Dorothy pax venue in sheffield around an event called Corrosion bringing northern bands together..

Its alll go and fun!!.. with a sprinkling of problem solving and frustration!!.. thats life.

On our gig front.. its busy.. The Dirt continue to demo and write album 2.. and gig in some mega places… recent highlights been Koz fest and 3s a crowd fest in manchester. Not forgetting our Conjurig slot which raised our bar!..

Leon is still popping up and spoken word events when asked and compering mudic events. Theres even been more recent vocal collaborations with a great band – intelligence of plants…

In a few weeks i start charity workshops again with veterans and continue to pursue mental well being.

So.. heres a few pics and gig posters of where we will be over the next few weeks…

Come say hello..

Long time no natter

Its been a while since  i gave a website and social word update. Japan trip.. family health.. departed cat and rehearsals for gigs and album demos made me forget. And other things just get in the way…

Anyway its important to reflect and move forward. So heres the first waffle in a while.

We have had 6 weeks off gigging. 4 weeks of it in japan. But we get busy again this weekend as The Dirt. As leon i did a gig in manchester on Monday. A great night called WAP. It was Wit and poetry. A comedy / spoken word mash up.. loved it.

So heres a project and activity update to get things up and running again..

Gigs. We have lots.

The Dirt. Kick off this saturday in manchester for “threes a crowd” fest at peerhat 20.07.

We then head south to play the amazing Kozfest in Devon.. mega

In Agust we have 3 gigs

10.08 – salty dog northwich… 17.08 – conjuring festival (lakes).. 31.08 – space chase 7 in cannock.

A busy time.. come see what the fuzz is about. Ticket links on socials…

Leon has a few too. – this friday compere at the Globe Glossop residency #burning planet. Great bands on..

Then in Aug i have a couple

04.08 compere at Riot fest in Ashton and 08.08 my crafty lyrics gig at crafty fox in Accrington. Sadly the gig with Martin Atkin of PiL etc has been postponed.

Music. The Dirt put on socials two new music projects. A charity CD for our recently departed cat Billy. A re issue of our firt physical offering – psycherbilly.. all profits to cat rescue.. And we put our demo album of Agitator on line… 7 tracks called Ultraseven great projects.

Both available on our bandcamp page…

https://thedirt71.bandcamp.com/

So the intention is to update more now. Heres a few posters of gigs.

Do you remember the first rhyme

Last week i got back on the wild horse of spoken word. Loved it.  Its not happened much this year. The Dirt has took over.. and rightly so. Its a juggernaut of noise and verse. Heading to places Leon cant!.

Last week was special not only as it a top venue in Mash guru in Macclesfield but i got to co feature with Pal Culain Wood. A mega wordsmith. We started at similar times… 5 years ago. Met early on in our journeys. Write about similar subject matter. Paths regularly cross but this felt mega..

Aside from shouting down the mic ove had two workshop groups running. In Oldham with Hack and on line with ex vets at company of makers. Both conclude this week. Timely as the Dirt take a breather and head to japan soon.

The dirt have also had some mega gigs recently. We loved a trip to Derby to play dubrek studios!!.

Before we breather theres 3 mega Dirt  gigs left. Lancaster at kanteena (23.05) party in pews in Macclesfield (26.05) and psych mabfest (08.06)… leon will also do a pro palestine med relief fund gig on 02.06 in manchester.

I have fingers in other pies i am announcing soon. An art exhibition.. promotion in another city.. more gigs leon and The Dirt.

This creative journey keeps me going.. i love it.. For anyone who thinks they have no creative bones.. dont kid ya self.. its out there..

So heres a few pics posters and bits coming up before we take 6 weeks off and as soon as we get back!!..

Demo land

So.. whats going on.

Well leon is hiding in the shadows of The Dirt.. hes still jumping out now and then.. but mostly.. letting the filthy sonic sounds take to a stage!!..

The Dirt are busy doing doing gigs all over and in between creating demos for album two..

We have 7 tracks written.. 4 of which have been played live at some point!.. lyrics written for the other two pieces.. we have a title and cover artwork ideas.

So we are ahead of schedule for a december studio date.. The album is planned for 2025 release. More on that later.

Festivals are taking up the summer as is a trip to japan!.. a busy autumn is planned and we have 7 gigs booked into 2025 too. So if a promoter is reading this.. and if ive pestered you for a gig.. May 2025 is where we are at.. yes booked a year in advance.

Or come chat to me about been part of a DIY tour we hope to plot for sep/oct next year!.. ill be getting onto that later this year.. haha.

We have our own fest with pal Richie this year. The conjuring takes its first steps into the woods 16-18 Aug.

I am co plotting a gig in manchester with Abbattoir blues in manchester in july.

And i will soon announce a sheffield residency with pals at Dorothy pax. Taking the sonic psych punk garage and heavy to a sheff venue!!. Look out for “corrosion”…

As for leon.. i did a fest 10 days ago with after all. Did my regular night in Accy.. Ive got more fest compere stuff and a couple of solo gigs.  But like i say.  Its the Dirts time..

As such ive attached a few gig pisters to show where you can grab us.

We did a steam punk fest at weekend and a cracking manchester gig before it..

So.. on that note. Check posters.. see where we are.. and come along.

See what the fuzz is about!

Absent.. no longer

Its been a long time since i dragged my arse onto wordpress. Too long.. i try at least every two weeks.. not leave it 2 months.. 

MID TOUR.. Sorting cancelled gigs..replitting gigs.. on the road tour part 2 .. Damaged music batch.. designing hats.. getting the rest of the year in some order gig wise.

Its ace.. i love the DIY. But neglected a blog.. updates creative natter. Whsts on and whats gone…

On that note. EMF tour was mega.. we went on holiday in the sun.. updated- uploaded and upheaved sachiko visa apllication for next 30 months!!.. (i may rant on that soon!)…

Weve done a few gigs.. two with italian giants JuJu in sheff and Hull. Then we joined mates Amon acid and others at Bradfords 1in12 club.. iconic!..

Next up is manchester in 5 days on Tue 09.04.. at The Rose and Monkey..

Leon is quiet – er. The Dirt train is chugging so i need rehearsal down time and creative space for this.. But im still popping up at various events.. so dont forget me.. im still mouthing off.

Anyway.. this is hello.. im back rambling and more to come soon.. until then heres recents pics and a few gig posters for stuff coming up before we go back to japan in june!