Dartford.

This Saturday, I'm playing at the Growler Stop's Beer Festival, in Dartford, with some very special secret guests I'm emotionally excited to share the stage with again.

The music starts at 1pm, and this (currently) one-off supergroup, "Who Are Those Guys" (it's a working title), are on around 4 or 5ish. I don't know exactly when. Come in good time, stick around, enjoy.

Dartford is a place that's been very formative for me, in some ways hilariously so.

With one of my old groups back in my pub cover band days, we got a gig in Dartford (the wonderful Ivy Leaf). Then another gig at another place in Dartford. Then a gig somewhere else in Dartford. It became a running joke.

Despite our urges to branch out, it seemed we always ended up playing in Dartford.

We'd have discussions about getting gigs in another town for a change, only to receive another confirmation email, request to play, or request to return to venues in Dartford the next morning! Or a member would liaise with venues and go "this one's technically in Crayford, it just has Dartford on the address". It was frustratingly hilarious.

During this group's world tour of Dartford I got the invitation to join Nine Below Zero. I was so excited to experience different towns and cities. The itinerary came through. What was the first date of the tour? The Mick Jagger Centre! In Dartford! There's no escape! But it was a really special show.

When lockdown finished and venues started reopening I was desperate to play again, but too rusty to jump in the deep end with a full blown gig. My friend Calli put out a call to arms for an open mic she was running, about three songs each. PERFECT! So I jumped on it. I looked up the address of the venue before I left home. Dartford High Street!

It was also in Dartford that I first met my marvellous friends in The Aim, and also where I tried music college ten years ago (but only lasted four weeks), and where I picked up my first Leslie cabinet.

And where my guitar amp, a Vox, was invented.

It's a very significant and almost gravitational place that I have great memories of and a true affinity with.

So feel free to join me and celebrate the wonders of Dartford with some local legends!

Anyway, here's a photo of me with Anthony Harty and Billy Boy Miskimmin, from Coventry and Belfast respectively, in Salzburg in Austria.