I play solo and with Ploughmens Bunch and The Delta Dogs. For the solo gigs it's a a mix of my own songs and others on guitars and strummers in standard and other tunings, some slide guitar and a bit of banter as I go along. It's all communication really. I like the interaction with the audience and the feedback. There's no substitute for playing live, you can only practice it by doing it. At some of these gigs I'm joined by other musicians depending who's around willing & able.
I write a weekly column for Northcliffe Newspapers on gigs in the Grimsby/Cleethorpes area and also Lecture part time on "Public Relations & Marketing" at Lincoln University. On the music side I host a couple of "Write Note" sessions per month at Lincoln Central Library and the Golden Eagle in Lincoln. I also organise some gigs including The Lincoln Busking Festival. If it appeals to me I'll give it a go!
"Now" from "Songs In The Key Of B Natural" Jolly Brewer, Lincoln, March 2008
Blue Moon Of Kentucky With Ploughmens Bunch live from Azle Texas,Oct 2007
an ever changing list that would include Richard Hawley, The Byrds, Gene and Gram Parsons,Nick Drake,Country Joe And the Fish, New Riders Of the Purple Sage,The Beach Boys, Dennis Wilson, Free, Woody Guthrie,Super Furry Animals, Pete Seeger,The Boys,New York Dolls,Ramones, Johnny Cash, Dylan,Flying Burrito Brothers,John Phillips, AC/DC, Michael Franti, My Morning Jacket, Tom Pacheco, Tom Rush, Miles Davies,Marc Bolan,The Cult,Moondog,Hank Williams,Joe Strummer,Neil Young,Paul Weller. That's it for today anyway!
Here's my thoughts on the strummer
Strummer Intro 1
And some further ramblings
Strummer Introduction 2 A bit More!
Sounds Like
Sometimes at gigs I would be referred to (because of the strummers) as Strummin' Steve Jackson and I started to use it on the basis it made me sound more interesting! I play a mix of originals and folkier old time stuff plus some boot stomping cover versions but I adapt to whoever the audience is. I accompany myself on a jumbo Takamine acoustic, worn nylon strung acoustic guitar and slide guitar, a couple of strummers (in the keys of A & G) and hopefully a relaxed line of banter. Best of all I like performing original material but people often want to hear something they know and there's nothing quite like everyone joining in on a chorus! I'm prone to borrow the odd musician or two if they're loitering with intent! I just let them know the key I'm in and we're off on the ride!
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LATEST CD - SONGS IN THE KEY OF B NATURAL! £5 EACH POST FREE.
I've put a 20 track compilation of my original songs together, recorded at various locations on one CD. “Songs In The Key of B Natural” is the end result. If it all ended tomorrow, I’d be happy that this represents my creative juices.
These recordings are a combination of solo performances and sessions with occasional guest musicians and recordings with “Ploughmens Bunch”. I'll be happy to post you one. Contact me or catch me at a gig.
THE PRESENT.................................................
Songwriting,playing and singing is what I like to do either solo or with the folk roots band "Ploughmens Bunch". So I do paid gigs and open mics and the like,anything different that interests me. I organise a monthly lunchtime session for musicians at Lincoln Central Library which is called "The Write Note" . It's been running since Jan 2007 and has established itself as a regular monthly gig.
I also run a monthly "Write Note" at the Golden Eagle on Lincoln's High Street, which runs from noon-2pm, on the third Wednesday each month.
Contact me @ Stephen.jackson8@ntlworld.com if you’d like a future slot or want to know more. I also write on a weekly basis about live music for the Grimsby Evening Telegraph/Life newspaper and have done so for years (since about 1988!)
THE PAST...............................
Musical Career (not sure I can call it that!) To Date
Formed my first band with Ivan Codd,Paul Johnson (now deceased) and Mick Weatherall after leaving school in 72. Originally called Larry Lightning and the Electric Shocks, it was shortened to "Shocks" and we played local pubs and clubs in the Grimsby area playing pop and rock stuff of the day. Signed with local agent Don Carrol. If I only knew then what I know now but we can all say that about life. Helped form a band called "Bankrupt" and graduated to workingmens clubs and the like playing Sheffield,Pontefract,Doncaster (the Yorkshire circuit). John Howden in the band played a Hammond organ with a huge Lesley speaker which was very heavy lugging up stairs! We did a barnstorming version of Argent's "Hold Your Head Up" and Sly Stones "Dance To The Music". John also sang a cracking version of Whiter Shade Of Pale which was ideally suited to that Hammond organ. Specail metion also to Alan Gladding on drums who held it all together. During this time entered a couple of Melody Maker Folk Rock competitions at Hull and Leeds playing original songs.........................................................................................
After Bankrupt I put my own band together and sent off various demo tapes of original material (mostly composed with Nigel Young who was also in Bankrupt) to record labels and I have the rejection slips to prove it!
Unperturbed, I recorded a single in 1979 - Fiction/The Man With The X-Ray Eyes, under my own name and on Almost records, which apart from getting mentions in the NME/Melody Maker and local press and radio also received one play on Radio 1 courtesy of the John Peel programme.
The single was recorded at The Studio Playground, Wragby, a pre-runner to Chapel studios at South Thoresby
..................................Around 1980 Joined up with drummer Johnny Tasker (sadly missed)from Louth for a short lived version of the "New Gatlin Boys" playing a mix of Richard Thompson and Country Rock and tracks from their Gatlin Boys album which included some fine Ozarks stuff.
In 81/82 played clubs and pubs with a Scunthorpe based quartet "Mustard" playing a mix of Elvis stuff (both Presley and Costello) and some rock n' roll and pop stuff.
....................In 1985 I got the ball rolling with David Martin from the Grimsby Evening Telegraph to put together a local Live Aid Tribute Concert featuring a number of Grimsby area band's who reformed especially for the event.....................
After that I ended up writing the Grimsby Evening Telegraph's weekly music column which was originally called The South Bank Show and I now contribute to the weekly Target/Life newspaper................................... I've interviewed a range of musicians over the years in person or over the phone from Paul Rodgers, Bruce Dickinson, Edwin Starr, Jimmy Ruffin, Steve Marriot, Jon Secada, Al Stewart, Joe Brown, Ian Gillan,Iain Matthews, Noel Redding, Dave Davies etc.
Ploughmens Bunch and Beyond........
Performing wise I was fairly dormant until "Ploughmens Bunch" around about 1997 reactivated my songwriting. We've recorded three cd albums to date and launched our "Ploughing On" album in Lincoln Castles Victorian Prison and Hat Trick at the Collection Museum in Lincoln,so we try to use different kinds of venues if we can. We've made live appearances on BBC Radios Lincolnshire and Nottingham and also played a few gigs in Texas in October 2007! Always on the lookout for new avenues to explore. More recently I've tended to concentrate on my solo activities and recording wise have a track "You" on the new Jolly Brewer Christmas compilation. I'm planning a Christmas CD project with a few musical friends of mine and I want to keep things rolling with a CD album of covers that I play at my live gigs.
At The Jolly Brewer, Lincoln - A burst of Folsom Prison Blues
Strummin' Steve...nice profile pic. Just sat through introduction to the strummer 1 & 2, I'm not quite sure why I did that either. Probably need to sort my life out. Remember walnuts xx
Hi Steve, thank you for supporting me and my music! I wanted to let you know that my new single, "Live For Today", will be out on the 12th of October! The new album, "Fragile", is due out in November. http://www.tanjamaritsa.co.uk
A final call to get your music uploaded to www.topoftheox.co.uk and list / update your gigs. Win one of the biggest prizes in UK music today. Win an album deal, UK tour, merchandise, radio play, music video and much more
Cheers Steve enjoyed the write note excellent spot for some excellent music. The T ladies are ace work permitting will be there again if possible. Good bunch of musos too good variety and friendly to novices. That ceiling is ace.
Good Rocking Tonight A Tribute To Sun Records Hosted by The Coffee Bar Cowboys Tuesday 8th September 7.30pm £3.00 Lincoln Drill Hall Free School Lane Lincoln 01522 873894 www.lincolndrillhall.com
Hey Steve thanks for a great day at the Library its really picked up my spirits being able to joke about hospitals and doctors, it is just what I needed as Ive seen a few this year myself believe me. Anyway a blast as always love your enthusiasm in keeping music Alive and LIVE. your pal in the music Simon Johnson
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