... - Recent Topics

London Gigs Next Week

MarkMcCall — Fri, 03 Apr 2026 09:44:56 +0000

Posting this on the off chance anyone on here knows of any decent gigs in London between 5 and 10 April. I'm down in London for a few days and was hoping to go to a few shows but, having looked on the usual sites, can't see anything that takes my fancy. There's no doubt somebody brilliant playing is some pub somewhere I haven't managed to find!

J'accuse

Paul Villers — Wed, 01 Apr 2026 15:19:47 +0000

Oh just do one will you? Please?

With patience running thin and tempers about to flare give me here your worst exponent of the americana genre. I mean that little shit who all of your buddies like but you don't have time for. That absolute cretin who you would rather punch in the face than open a door for. The poor excuse for a human being who that they could rule the world with their music but were actually shit. Go for it:

Dale Watson's 'Crazy Again' film

durks — Tue, 31 Mar 2026 18:43:47 +0000

Has anybody here ever see the film made by Zalman King about Dale Watson, entitled 'Crazy Again'? It was released in 2006, but seems only ever to have been shown at festivals - and I don't think it's ever been available in the UK.

If anybody has information about how it can be viewed here, I would be delighted to hear it.

Some further information about the film is available at the following links:

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0762086/

https://savingcountrymusic.com/movie-review-crazy-again-starring-dale-watson/

There used to be short trailer for the film available on YouTube which, among other things, showed Dale turning up at Ginny's Little Longhorn Saloon on his Indian motorcycle. But even that short clip now seems to have disappeared.

Thanks in advance for any information.

RIP Wes McGhee

durks — Sun, 29 Mar 2026 19:16:51 +0000

Wes McGhee died on 30th January, 2026. He had been ill for a while, and we all know how everything ends. But his life deserves to be remembered and celebrated here.

Wes was a brilliant British musician and songwriter who really understood country music - specifically, Texas country music. He worked and played with a whole host of musicians from that state and, I think, was much better known there than he is here. But we should be very proud and thankful for the music, and the legacy, with which he leaves us.

An obituary for Wes appeared in The Guardian:

https://www.theguardian.com/music/2026/feb/22/wes-mcghee-obituary

RIP Wes - and Thanks For The Chicken!

Americana 25 Festival

Paul Kerr — Sun, 29 Mar 2026 00:58:16 +0000

This looks like it should be a good day out... https://americana-uk.com/americana-25-festival-comes-to-liverpool-in-november-with-chuck-prophet-steve-wynn-and-more

Calling fiction writers - we want to publish your stories

Tim Martin — Thu, 19 Mar 2026 07:21:57 +0000

Americana UK is putting out a call for original short fiction around the theme of Americana. You can learn more about it on the site.

If you belong to a writers group or know anyone who might be interested you can also share our press release which is attached.

We already have 2 submission, including one from a well known name in Americana land, and we'll start publishing them at the end of April.

Americana-UK-Launches-Fiction-Series-Calls-for-Short-Story-Submissions.pdf

Nothing is real (maybe)

Paul Villers — Wed, 11 Mar 2026 09:27:04 +0000

https://www.popularmechanics.com/science/environment/a70594935/simulation-theory-new-physics-law-of-infodynamics/

An interesting read if you can get through some of the technical language

Pedro Sánchez

Mark Whitfield — Fri, 06 Mar 2026 13:19:56 +0000

I long for us to have leadership of the same calibre as Spain's PM Pedro Sánchez. A really good piece in the Guardian today on him. He's been outstanding in recent weeks.

“It is naive to believe that democracies or respect between nations can spring from ruins. Or to think that practising blind and servile obedience is a form of leadership … We will not be complicit in something that is bad for the world and that is also contrary to our values and interests, simply out of fear of reprisals from someone.” Can you imagine Starmer (or anyone in the current government) saying this!

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/mar/06/pedro-sanchez-spain-european-leader-take-on-trump

John Hammond has gone

Martin Johnson — Mon, 02 Mar 2026 15:21:19 +0000

He brought country and electric blues to a new generation, introduced the pre Band members to Dylan and recorded an album of Tom Wait covers. The AUK obit is coming soon.

Neil Sedaka

Paul Villers — Sat, 28 Feb 2026 08:33:17 +0000

I see that Neil Sedaka has died which us sad. Not to everybody's taste but undeniably one hell of a songwriter

https://youtu.be/MtIibcNDQ6o?si=j5uxZgK5-847Zava