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I post updates and new music every few days.
Last concerts of 2023 into 2024
Just a handful of concerts left this year, including shows in Cologne, Essen, Berlin, Dresden and finally Stuttgart and Freiburg. Still a couple of free dates left for simple shows - if you can help or offer something please drop me an email here.
I start 2024 with a little show in Hamburg and then 2 free nights for anywhere between there and Aachen…
It goes on, let’s see.
Thanks all
Stephen
October shows
My October plans:
10/10/23 House Concert, Hamburg
11/10/23 House Concert, Hamburg
12/10/23 Tonfink, Lübeck
13/10/23 Prinz Willy, Kiel
14/10/23 Café Feuerwache, Hamburg
15/10/23 Deichdiele, Hamburg
16/10/23 Lítil, Hamburg
18/10/23 Hole Of Fame, Dresden
19/10/23 Lila Drache, Halle
20/10/23 FREE
27/10/23 FREE
28/10/23 Zucker, Darmstadt
Please contact me for any details about any of these - you are all most welcome.
June dates
I’m expecting perhaps one or two little changes but right now but my month goes something like this:
•
13/06/22 El Lokal, Zürich, CH
https://www.facebook.com/events/1389451088147027/
16/06/22 Mühlstrasse 14, Leipzig, DE
https://www.facebook.com/events/966078684256721/
17/06/22 Kosmos Festival, Chemnitz, DE
https://www.facebook.com/events/5110810545666282/
18/06/22 Galerie Fango, Cottbus, DE
https://www.facebook.com/events/714477333150319/
19/06/22 Deichdiele, Hamburg, DE
https://www.facebook.com/events/1026815754890652/
20/06/22 Café Feuerwache, Hamburg, DE
https://www.facebook.com/events/539256404500116/
22/06/22 Garden Concert, Hohenweddrien, DE
23/06/22 Prinz Willy, Kiel, DE
https://www.facebook.com/events/1038704463429079/
24/06/22 Club-Debil, Dresden, DE
https://www.facebook.com/events/419134583221420
•
Please email me at thegreatpark@icloud.com if you'd like to make it to any of these or if you just would like to say hello.
Thanks and see you soon,
Stephen
Free concert in Stuttgart this Thursday 07.04
I’m playing in Stuttgart this Thursday evening - 20:00 at the Kleiner Schlossplatz behind the art gallery. Wrap up warm and byob. Entry is free and later Mo Klé is playing too. Details behind the image:
Concert in Aachen this Saturday
I am playing my first concert of 2022 and the first for me since last November. The longest break I've had between shows since 2008.
The event is at Überhaupt and will be organised with 3G rules, or as they write:
3G-Regel: Bitte Immunisierungsnachweis oder aktuellen Corona-Test (PCR < 48 Std., Schnelltest < 24 Std.) einschließlich Ausweis am Eingang vorzeigen.
I appreciate asking people to be in rooms with others might not be the most considerate thing to do but this date has been moved already and I can't imagine things getting much better soon. If you can make it and feel comfortable enough please join me but otherwise let's hope for more opportunities later in the year.
More details behind the links below and if you are a subscriber to my Patron or Bandcamp let me know and you get on the guest list.
Überhaupt website here
Überhaupt Facebook event here
Thanks all,
Stephen
20 concerts from 2020
I played just twenty concerts last year and here’s the pages from my diary for the last two. I scanned the rest and made a series of all of them that are over on my Patreon here now.
I’d like to think everyone that’s into my stuff considers supporting me directly over on Patreon but more than that I do hope I get to play more concerts soon, my word.
UT Connewitz in Leipzig this Saturday (free download)
I’m very happy to be returning to the magnificent UT Connewitz in Leipzig this Saturday night. A big old cinema and home to a great program of musicians over the years, I’ve been fortunate enough to have played there twice before. This weekend is a Woodland Recordings label night so my dear friends Vivian Void and Geneva are playing too. If you use Facebook the event is here.
The last time I played there was back in 2014 and the recording from my concert that night is currently up as a free download on my Bandcamp page here.
Also, Mina Reischer filmed the whole thing on Hi-8 video tape and that can be watched right below.
The night before, that is tomorrow, I’ll be at Gelegenheiten in Berlin. Also happy to be going back there and if anyone wants to join me there well that’s really brilliant too.
See you soon
Stephen
Zürich and Luzern
So I get to El Lokal, a beautiful old bar, restaurant and music venue in a military building in the centre of Zürich, surrounded on both sides by water and busy streets. I’m perfectly in time of course and we start an easy soundcheck. My friend Sophia arrives halfway through to join me on violin and then we sit upstairs and enjoy a fine dinner before the concert.
I’ve played here once before, a couple of years previously and the experience confirmed what I had long suspected - it’s one of the nicest places to play in the country as far as I’m concerned. It’s super friendly, nice and small, sounds brilliant and everyone there seems to do everything right. Their program is imaginative and brave and many people I respect and listen to have played there - Will Oldham, Damien Jurado, Jason Molina, Lambchop... This month Scarlet Rivera will bring her violin to the little stage, C.W. Stoneking is back - it goes on.
Anyway, I’m fortunate enough to have a nice audience this Sunday night and, although Sophia and I don’t play our greatest ever concert, it’s a super warm and friendly time on the island.
Later, I stay at Timo’s house and we sit up talking for a couple of hours before I sleep the sleep of death in a most comfortable bed. Delicious breakfast and then back to the venue for lunch - lunch too! It’s too much. I stagger out of the door to catch my train just as Maclcom Middleton turns up. Wish him a fun evening and then kind of skip down to the station.
I arrived in Luzern as the weather turned dark and the rain came. Opted for a bus ride up and over the hill to Nade’s house for a little Wohnzimmer concert she had arranged for me that night. Normally I’d be at her Phrontistery in town, but we thought we’d try something else and I think it was a change for her to invite people to her beautiful apartment.
We sat and talked before the guests came and then I played a kind of quiet set of songs, not all the usual things I rely on. Was refreshing and enjoyable. My buddy Karl turned up in time and was a fine evening.
Next day a wash out but also a day off so I kept warm and dry for as long as possible before making a dash for the station and a short ride back to Aarau for an evening off. Would be at Garage Bar the next night so this was a chance for stinky raclette and early to bed.
I realise normally I’d be uploading recordings from these shows and sharing them here. I have been taping everything and recordings will come but I haven’t quite managed an easy method to edit live recordings and get them up here without my laptop right now. I have everything I need except the desire to sit at my iPad for an hour importing and learning a good way of managing it. Perhaps tomorrow morning, let’s see what sort of a late night we have here in Bern. I’m at Zar bar, starts in an hour or so. Come quick.
Anyways, be well all, thanks for sticking with this.
Stephen
Kofferfabrik (free download)
Photo by Mina Reischer.
A lovely evening at the Kofferfabrik here in Fürth this last Saturday night. Geneva started with some sweet songs and then I played a long, slow set to a nice crowd. Some friends in the audience and Stefanie from Vivian Void joining me on stage for a couple too. Of course it turned into a long night so yesterday was lost in a lazy wander around the sunny town, talking and sitting by the riverside whilst the swimming club splashed about.
Anyway, here’s a free download of a song I had never played before but this evening turned up. I might follow with more from the night but right now I’m preparing for the shows and putting something else together for the newsletter exclusive series.
I know I said I would write about the new album yesterday but the simple thing to say is that it’s available for pre-order here and a massive thank you to everyone who has already bought it, especially as I’ve only posted a couple of things and people haven’t had a chance to hear much. Sight unseen, sound unheard or some such. Is very humbling, thank you all. The physical release turned out to be very simple and enjoyable to put together and hopefully I’ll find some more words to share before it comes out properly on the 24th of November.
This week I have concerts in Heidelberg, Darmstadt, Ulm and Zürich. Wowee.
See you soon?
S
El Lokal in Zürich this Sunday night.
Local concert with Geneva this weekend
Just a quick update to let anyone living near my place know that I’m playing a concert tomorrow night (Saturday) at the Kofferfabrik in Fürth. Tickets are here and the selfie poster above will also take you to the Facebook event.
I don’t play so often around here and have never had a concert at this place. We fixed it 18 months ago, let’s see…
Also and anyway, Geneva will be playing some songs before me and recently I’ve been recording and producing her first set of songs for the label. Here’s a video from that.
Lastly, please visit my Bandcamp page later this evening as I’ll have the new St Arbogast church recording available to pre-order. More words on that Sunday.
Have a nice evening,
Stephen
Two concerts in Nürnberg this weekend.
Despite living here, I rarely play concerts in Nürnberg or Fürth - usually just if it’s something a friend is organising or a benefit concert or something like that. This is not to suggest that I’m charitable or particularly fussy but I hold to the old adage of not shitting where you eat. It’s also so much more enjoyable and exciting to play in front of strangers and to keep a little distance between the home life and the music life. A splash zone.
That being said this weekend I get to play two concerts 10 minutes from my bed, which is a fine, rare thing at times.
The first thing is tonight at MUZ in Gostenhof, Nürnberg. I’ll play an acoustic set in their tiny studio room (capacity 20?) as part of the city’s Stadtverführungen event - a weekend of walking tours through the town that take in different cultural and historical sites and happenings. I thought it sounded interesting and simple. Naturally as it’s such a small room it’s sold out but let’s see.
Saturday night is a big night in town as the 14 legged monster that is VIVIAN VOID are ten years old and will celebrate with an evening at Desi. I get to play too and part of the deal is everyone has to cover a song of theirs so there’s that as well. Again, let’s see. I am looking forward just the same.
More details about the concert are here and this is from their latest album ‘Rhododendron’ out a couple of years ago. They rehearse every week and have a wealth of material but it seems actually committing things to release comes harder. VV is a slippery beast.
For my part, here’s the only remix I ever made and so much fun with this my word.
Hope to see some familiar faces this weekend then - have fun all and speak soon please.
Stephen
Video: 'Pure Black Coal' from Kröpelin last weekend.
Here’s a video filmed by Marv from my concert in Kröpelin at de DROM.
This was a difficult night for me somehow, perhaps due to the events of the night before (see this post for that) but the room sounded grand and there were enough people to shout this stuff to. Perhaps it’s time to put this odd, spiteful song away for a little while though - have been singing it with a little too much joy and relish for my liking recently.
Anyhow, more to come from this show perhaps. For now, here comes an early night. Hope you’ve had a lovely weekend.
Stephen
St Klara
St Klara is a recording from my recent concert at St Klara church in Nuremberg, Germany available to stream and download on my Bandcamp page now.
Recorded on the 23rd of March 2019, this evening was a benefit concert for Strassenkreuzer magazine and featured The Air We Breathe and nobutthefrog also playing earlier.
Soundcheck was a fairly stressful affair, or at least the sound in the big old room was something we had to work with in a particular way. I love me a bit of echo but I think anything amplified in there struggles a bit. Steffen at the desk did a fine job though, but in fact I ended up playing the start and the end of the concert acoustic in the room, without the microphones, When it came to the recording these were just a weird boomy mess, with people finding their seats or shuffling prayer books about who knows. Suffice to say those songs didn’t make this release. The same has to be said for the two quicker, or at least more rhythmic songs I played - both of these just bounced around on the recording and you’re really not missing anything by not hearing them either.
Setlist with missing songs.
Stefanie from Vivian Void joined me for a beer on stage and a couple of songs. Playing in this space with the audience so far away can make the whole thing feel a bit dry so that certainly helped.
Selina sat in the audience and took some photos and that’s the cover and there it is. I got to play in another church in another country a few weeks later but this is the St Klara recording and go listen to that big mess of echo.
Karlsruhe and Bern (free download)
Have most of the day free in Bern so I’m spending it catching up with booking shows for the next months, writing some verses for new songs and getting a little distracted by this new website I’ve found called the Youtube. Also listening to concerts recorded recently and pledging to speak less between songs, my word.
Last night I played at La Cappella so this is where I am now. A beautiful wooden church converted into a theatre and music venue 20 years ago and run by Christoph and his team. Honestly, the concert was pretty empty last night but I had a lovely evening and I think the people who came had a nice enough time too. We got it dark and lit the candles and played the songs without mics or electricity distracting and making things louder than they need to be. I hope to come back someday and urge you to visit this place as well.
The night before was a concert at the NUN café in Karlsruhe. A perfect bunch of volunteers running the venue wonderfully and helping out to no end. Nice friendly audience and I played so-so ok and these are pictures from the lovely evening by Simon Beha.
Perhaps I will upload the complete recording of the concert soon, as it was kind of solid and sounded grand. I just need to cut out some of the talking for I did go on and on and on and on. Here’s something in the meantime, download and share and what you will.
Tonight I’m heading across to St Gallen for a concert at Sandro’s house. I think it might be pretty full already but if you are in the area and would like to join by all means email me and I’ll stand up so you can have my seat.
Otherwise, it’s Luzern tomorrow, Wienacht-Tobel on Wednesday, Thun on Thursday, Freiburg, Landau and Baden after that. Full dates here.
Between Wiesbaden and Karlsruhe (free download)
I left town mid-morning rode west and up across towards Köln and a couple of small local trains to Grevenbroich. Nicole picked me and up and took her to her house - it was her birthday and I had been asked to play a little concert at her place for her, her friends and family.
We walked down the lane, by fields and the river. Warm, spring evening.
Everyone sat around and I sat around too and played a bunch of things, actually quite a lot of things. Loads. Half an hour after I finally stopped Achim said he wanted to go home right away to get his saxophone and play some with me, so that happened as well. Maybe you’ll get to hear that but someone has to ask because it’s kind of a mess. The best kind.
The next morning he kindly drove me back to the station and I rode down to Stuttgart for a day off, completely not on the route but really exactly the right place to be for a brilliant evening of delicious Swabian food at Vetter, lovely company and the next day the Seilbahn and a graveyard and all the good things to be found down there.
Yesterday I took a train back up along the Rhine, around the Loreley corner and to Wiesbaden where I was back at the lovely little Wakker room. I’ve played here a few times before and it’s always been very cosy and fun. Last night was no exception and the room filled up and people squeezed in and sat down the front and I played some new songs, plenty old songs.
From the back of the tiny room here’s a free download the last song of the evening. It does go on a bit.
I’m in Karlsruhe tonight to play a long overdue concert at NUN. I was last here back in 2009 or so with Liz Green and her band and it was the first the first time I stood up to play a gig. We were all barefoot that week and super pretentious and sloppy. Was a grand time.
In Stuttgart
Day off in Stuttgart with Martina, who took this photo of me next to my spaceship for the afterlife.
Tonight I’m playing in Wiesbaden at Wakker and then tomorrow in Karlsruhe at NUN. Sunday I head down to Bern and then will be in Switzerland for the rest of the week. All dates here.
A few nights ago I played a 10 minute version of the folk standard ‘Delia’ with Achim on saxophone. I might have a recording of this and I might post it later. Let’s see.
April 2019 dates
I’m booking for May onwards now but here’s where I plan to be this month:
10/04/19 House Concert, Gruissem, Germany
12/04/19 Walker, Wiesbaden, Germany
13/04/19 Café NUN, Karlsruhe, Germany
14/04/19 La Capella, Bern, Switzerland
15/04/19 House Concert, St Gallen
16/04/19 The Phrontistery, Luzern, Switzerland
17/04/19 Restaurant Treichli, Wienacht-Tobel, Switzerland
18/04/19 Mundwerk, Thun, Switzerland
20/04/19 KISS, Freiburg, Germany
21/04/19 Riva, Landau, Germany
22/04/19 Werkstatt, Baden, Switzerland
Everyone is welcome at these concerts - please just email me if you’d like more details. As ever, all concerts will appear here first as soon as I confirm them.
April concerts
I’m playing a bunch of concerts in the in the south of Germany and Switzerland next month. I’ll be visiting some old friends at places I’ve been before, as well as arriving in towns and at venues that are new to me. It’s safe to say I’m looking forward.
I think I’ve done an ok job of filling my days but I still have one pesky free date on the 11th of April that I can’t seem to fix anywhere. If anyone has any ideas please drop me a line - I’m happy to play a little house concert or a simple gig in a bar somewhere on this night.
Anyhow, goes like this:
10/04/19 House Concert, Gruissem, Germany
11/04/19 Free - please get in touch with any offers, or ideas
12/04/19 Walker, Wiesbaden, Germany
13/04/19 Café NUN, Karlsruhe, Germany
14/04/19 La Capella, Bern, Switzerland
15/04/19 House Concert, St Gallen
16/04/19 The Phrontistery, Luzern, Switzerland
17/04/19 Restaurant Treichli, Wienacht-Tobel, Switzerland
18/04/19 Mundwerk, Thun, Switzerland
20/04/19 KISS, Freiburg, Germany
21/04/19 Riva, Landau, Germany
22/04/19 Werkstatt, Baden, Switzerland
Hope to see some people along the way, please don’t be shy.
St. Klara church in Nürnberg this weekend.
I’m very excited to be headlining the benefit concert for Straßenkreuzer in the centre of Nürnberg this Saturday evening. St. Klara is a beautiful and modest 13th century building with a naturally crazy reverb. I listened to Vincent von Flieger and Aldous Harding play a concert here a few years ago, was a bit weird and kind of tense but very special indeed and I hope to not be so wide eyed on Saturday. Probably will be.
Nobutthefrog and The Air We Breathe are playing too, it starts at 20.30, I’m on last and all tickets naturally go to the charity. More info at their site here: https://www.strassenkreuzer.info/aktuell/benefizkonzert-st-klara-rockt
Horns Erben, Leipzig
I’m back in Leipzig today, playing at the wonderful Horns Erben in Connewitz. I’ve been having concerts in town since 2008 and it’s usually an absolute pleasure to visit there so I’m looking forward to this.
Horns Erben is a tasty bar with a brilliant wooden theatre type room upstairs. Old place, beautiful big window and original stuff everywhere. Little stage, raised seats, a very nice place to play.
Last time was my first time there and I recorded the concert, played ‘The Hills Are Alive’ which I hardly ever do and then only ever in Leipzig. The whole show is available as a free download here:
Tomorrow I’m in Halle, playing at Lila Drache - never visited the town before so have little idea what to expect. They seem like super nice people running the place at least. Anyone nearby please come and help me out, otherwise I’ll report back later for sure.