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Martin Barre - November 1998
After three hugely enjoyable US tours where, amazingly, we managed to
avoid the awful summer tropical storms, we have now completed a brief
Spanish tour which has taken us to some new, as well as old, destinations
in the that romantic Iberian peninsula. The highlights were Jerez and
Malaga and the wonderful drive in between. Out of season, the Costa was
really OK and I shall be back with my family just as soon as I get the
chance and the money. The Tomato and Cheese sandwiches were basic but
pleasant and the old city of Santiago in Gallicia, offered the chance
to stretch the leg muscles in pursuit of finer cultural things.
The Martin Barre Band recently played a club tour of German dates, plus a show in Holland. Against all the odds, we have been asked back to play more German dates in 1999. It would be nice to have the opportunity to play the UK and the USA, but the economics, especially of doing the US, make it unlikely. I would like to thank the enthusiastic and supportive German and Dutch audiences who made our efforts seem so worthwhile, and especially to thank the German Fan Club through whom there is just the possibility that a live CD of the tour might be made available in due course.
At the moment, I am organising (and reorganising) my on-stage amp rig for future tours. For the "gear-spotters", I am currently using a Soldano Decatone amp with two Soldano 4 x 12" speaker cabs, together with a Manson "Strat" type guitar with single coil p/ups.
While in the US, I was loaned a Wechter acoustic guitar which has an unusual body design and has been built specifically to be amplified for live concert work. I hope that there will be a few acoustic opportunities for this instrument in the up-coming tours scheduled for 1999.
My commercial recording studio "The Presshouse" has been working to full capacity and we have recently installed a new desk with full automation as well as digital multi-tracking facilities via "Pro-Tools" in addition to our analogue 24 track facility.
Mark Tucker continues to engineer and produce in-house, extending the long list of satisfied clients who have benefited from his expertise. Recent clients include Portishead, and the residential facilities are first class. Catering is given special consideration knowing all too well the varying tastes and tendencies of the musical fraternity. See the link below for further info on the "Presshouse".
I have recently been working on a track for the forthcoming ELP tribute album and what a pleasure it is to finally "connect" with the equally jolly ELPs after thirty years of not-quite-crossing-paths until 1996 when we finally toured together. I wonder if Keef, Greggy and Carlos will rush to play on the Martin Barre tribute album when it is recorded in the year 2010? And issued on the independent Don'oldyerbreath label.
Well, must run……. OK, smartbottoms……….I meant let's jig. Or jog.
Or whatever.
Martin Barre,
November, 1998.
> Barre Band dates
> Presshouse
> ELP tribute
> June 1999
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