The weather here in France this spring has been a “cat’s arse trophy!” (say it quick). It’s been so cold and wet. In fact right now it’s pishing down and only 10 degrees C, and we are almost in June!!!
So I’ve been doing a lot more rock’n’roll that I have cycling. There’s a rampant music scene here in our part of central France, and over the next few months I’d like to share some of it with you.

With that in mind, I’ve changed all my header pictures and installed a calendar plug-in. I’ll try to keep you up-to-date with what’s occurin’….just in case you fancy coming along and checking any of it out.

Next thing for me personally in the Jazz n Blues club in St Junien tonight. It’s been going from strength to strength since we started it in Feb. Tonight promises to be another great night. We are getting a good mix of French and ex-pats coming along. It’s just great to see everyone getting ‘hip’ together and enjoying themselves.

Here’s the poster y’all…

In the meantime, my band The Sugaree Band had a storming gig at the Giac’s Bar in St Junien last Saturday. Ace pro’ photographer Ian Wilson came along and took some superb pictures.

Many more here.

If you want to hear a clip of us playing there’s one on you tube here…

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If someone had said to me, “you’ll move to France and start a Jazz Club”, I would have laughed in their face…….. But, I did, and I am! I’m starting a Jazz’n’Blues club! It’s something i’ve been thinking about for quite a while, and I finally got around to it. I contacted the Giac’s Bar in St Junien and asked if I could use their bar as a home! Next I put a call for musos on facebook, and voila! it’s happening! First meeting on 28th February. If it works it’ll then be the last Thursday each month.

Why am I doing it? Well, because I want to create a warm loving environment in which like minded musicians can meet, play, share, grow, and get hip! 😉 Nah, it because I thought it would be fun. There’s nothing else like it going on nearby. Seems to me there’s a lot of very experienced musos not playing, and something like this might get them out. I’m hoping I can learn from them too!

Here’s the skinny from the page I put up on limousinlife.com…..

We’ll aim to meet up on the last thursday of each month. Initially,
until we get things established, a list of songs for the session
will be posted by me well in advance. This gives those wishing to
take part a chance to brush up on them. We want people to feel comfortable,
so, no surprises – please don’t just turn up and ask to play something
that isn’t on the list. This may make people uncomfortable, and
while ‘outside the comfort zone’ is often where the magic happens
we don’t want to put people on the spot or embarras them.

Here’s the list for this month…

Moondance – Am

Autumn Leaves – G

Blue Bossa – Eb

Carnival/Black Orpheus – C
Mercy, Mercy, Mercy – Bb

Tell Me All About it – Bm Blues with a Feeling – 12 bar in G

Juke – 12 bar in E

Funk Groove 1 – Am

Funk Groove 2 – Em
If you want to play you must contact me in advance so that I can
plan the session. My aim being to give a little continuity to the
evening.

We’ll start the evening around 8pm with a couple of numbers from
the ‘house band’. Then I’ll invite people to get up and play. Think
of it as more of a ‘sit in’ session rather than a ‘jam session’.

There will be a PA with at least two mics, Guitar and Bass amps,
keyboards, and drums. Guitarists and bassists – you’ll need to bring
your own instrument and lead.

The venue is the Giacs Bar – 15 Rue Jean Jacques Rousseau, 87200
Saint-Junien. It’s a super nice bar, and they have a great courtyard
that would be fantastic for summer night jazz!

Some of you, most of you, probably know me as a cyclist, but actually, I’ve been playing guitar longer than I’ve been riding a bike! I first picked up the guitar when I was a teenager recovering from a motorcycle crash! I didn’t start competitive cycling until some years later.

I’ve played in all sorts of bands over the years. I love playing guitar, and I think guitars and cycling go well together. Since I moved to France, and I’ve had a little more spare time I’ve been playing more. I’ve always been in other peoples bands up until now, and while that’s great, sometimes you don’t get to play the stuff you really want to play. Also, when I’ve played. friends have told me that they didn’t realise I was into this or that or whatever when really I’m not, I’m just playing the bands material – I rarely get to play as ‘me’!!!! I hope that makes sense.

So, I finally started my own band, “The Sugaree Band”. We play an eclectic mix of anything that takes our fancy, and anything that suits my 70s based Strat spanking style. From Hendrix to Anita Ward! Yeah! We do “Ring my Bell”, the old disco classic!

We are a three piece, drums, bass, guitar, plus singer. You’ll never guess who the singer is! Actually, you probably will. The thing I really love about the ‘power trio‘ line up is that everyone must hold up their corner. There’s nowhere to hide. It’s honest, raw, earthy. It can make a grown man cry, and a young woman go weak at the knees – goin’ off on one. Soz!

We’ve only played a handful of gigs so far, but we’ve had a truly great response which has motivated us even more. No, I don’t imagine for a second anything silly. But I don’t see why we can’t be a good semi-pro outfit with a full schedule. There’s plenty of work out there for good bands.

Watch out, here comes the sales pitch! If you are looking for a band playing an eclectic mix of fantastic covers from the 70s onwards in the Haute Vienne (Limousin), and surrounding departments for your party, wedding, biker fest, fete, celebration, we are available.

You can listen to a sample of our music on our reverbnation page here…
http://www.reverbnation.com/thesugareeband

You’ll find my stuff including some hilarious pictures of bands in the past here…
http://www.reverbnation.com/stratobiker

We have a facebook page here. Please ‘like’ us. It’s good karma! 🙂

Keep on Rocking in the Free World

SB 🙂

The first two….
Madame Blanc – Vocals
Supawal – Drums
Me – Guitars
Serge Baudot AKA The Kawasaki Kid guesting on bass! 😉

Please cock a deaf un.

SB 🙂