Alaska Mike going to England 2005

Subject: RE: Alaska Mike going to England 2005
From: alanabit
Date: 01 Dec 04 - 02:38 PM

I can just advise anyone who gets the chance to see Mike play to do so. He has a very distinctive, deep voice and some good, strong songs. He kindly sent me his CD and I have just been listening to "Pint of Your Beer" - a delightful character sketch of the village drunk and the moving ballad of a gold prospector "Wilderness Letters".
The only thing wrong with this guy is that he lives in Alaska. That's a long way, so don't miss the gig!

Subject: RE: Alaska Mike going to England 2005
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 29 Oct 04 - 05:53 AM

Mike and Tawmmy - if you need a place to stay in London, Chez Draper is available, if you don't mind cats and a what will be (should she live so long) a 9 year old.....

I'll be working part time by then so I'm available, with car, for trips into Essex and Sussex to see some of the finest hunting forest and one or two rather pretty castles. Does the lady prefer pristine or slightly battered? From London, with a car, you can see Rochester, Hastings and Battle Abbey, Herstmonceux(pronounced Hurst-mon-so), Camber, Pevensey, Lewes, Castle Hedingham (almost complete Norman tower), Saffron Walden (ruined, but town is lovely and has a little maze) and Hadleigh where Henry VIII's fourth wife, Anne of Cleves lived after her divorce. There's also Rochester, where the castle is a bit knocked about but the Norman cathedral is practically intact and well worth visiting. The town is full of Charles Dickens stuff as he lived nearby.

Most castles are owned/managed by English Heritage and the National Trust, so going with someone who is a member of those organisations might get you a cheaper entry.


Looking forward to meeting you anyway. We'll have to organise a get-together at a local pub, not all of us spend our summers at festivals!

LTS

Subject: RE: Alaska Mike going to England 2005
From: fiddler
Date: 29 Oct 04 - 03:29 AM

The boat dwellers in Reading always have some space - Just need to plan, and August next year is a way off - But Reading other than a sacked monastery, Orscar Wildes imprisonment, the former home of Huntley and Palmers and Sutton Seeds has very little to offer.

But...................

Andy

Subject: RE: Alaska Mike going to England 2005
From: Alaska Mike
Date: 29 Oct 04 - 12:58 AM

*Amos* nope, there's not going to be ANY room in my bags.

*Kendall* You went to England and changed into a newlywed, what's going to happen to me?

*Carly* Thanks much, but Tawmmie is the only roadie I'll need.

*Deckman* Hey Bob, don't be smack talking the Great White Whale!

*Seamus* Ireland is on our list of things to do. One vacation at a time. See you in January. BTW, I've written a new beer drinking song for you to steal. Love back at you, my friend.

Subject: RE: Alaska Mike going to England 2005
From: Seamus Kennedy
Date: 28 Oct 04 - 11:22 PM

Mike, buddy, I can't help you with England.
But I have a few contacts in Ireland when you want to go thataway.
I'll see you in January at St. Pat's.
My love to Tawmmie.

Seamus

Subject: RE: Alaska Mike going to England 2005
From: Deckman
Date: 28 Oct 04 - 04:05 PM

Mike, I'm 'gonna PM a good catter friend in London. I'll be talking to you. CHEERS, Bob (by the way, I have heard that since you haven't been close to Shilshoal Bay lately, the lake level has dropped three feet!!!)

Subject: RE: Alaska Mike going to England 2005
From: Carly
Date: 28 Oct 04 - 03:57 PM

Mike, are you sure you don't need a roadie? I can restring and tune guitars, plug in microphones, act as fashion consultant, sing backup, serve as audience "plant," do girl-stuff like shopping with Tawmmie (giving you more picking time,) and I even have some familiarity with the language ( English, as opposed to my native tongue, American.)
Ever hopefully yours,
Carly

Subject: RE: Alaska Mike going to England 2005
From: kendall
Date: 28 Oct 04 - 01:28 PM

Just remember, you must return him in the same condition as you got him.

Subject: RE: Alaska Mike going to England 2005
From: Amos
Date: 28 Oct 04 - 12:32 PM

Mike:

Got room in your luggage for me and my luggage???

A

Subject: RE: Alaska Mike going to England 2005
From: My guru always said
Date: 28 Oct 04 - 12:13 PM

Alaska Mike: Live near Gatwick if you're coming in that way, should be able to pick you up & squeeze you into the cosy cottage, PM me. If not, will be looking forward to meeting & hearing you around the festivals!!!

Subject: RE: Alaska Mike going to England 2005
From: GUEST
Date: 28 Oct 04 - 11:46 AM

Go North!

Subject: RE: Alaska Mike going to England 2005
From: GUEST,noddy
Date: 28 Oct 04 - 11:37 AM

England is very small in comparison to Alaska so you can visit lots of places. Make sure you visit Chester you miss the festival which is in may. Search on Folk Roots for festival dates. and Folk Orbit for all that happens around Chester ,Manchester ,Liverpool.

Subject: RE: Alaska Mike going to England 2005
From: George Papavgeris
Date: 28 Oct 04 - 11:13 AM

DOWN everyone - this guy is MINE! We met at the Getaway and I am still reeling.

Mike, August being summer (such as it is in the UK), many clubs are shut and few book guests. Nevertheless, I will attempt to prevail on Herga to give you a booking, where the Londoners and those from the Home Counties NW of London can come. If we get the Mudcatters from that area, we fill the room!

Maidenhead might also be an option, I will talk to the folks there.

Room chez ElGreko's of course for as long as you're in this part of the UK. I will think about ideas for visiting places after tomorrow (tomorrow's "home" launch concert is foremost in my mind right now).

More anon - for now, keep well and "stay a rock".

Subject: RE: Alaska Mike going to England 2005
From: kendall
Date: 28 Oct 04 - 11:02 AM

UK gonna love this guy. Guy gonna love UK.

Subject: RE: Alaska Mike going to England 2005
From: Lanfranc
Date: 28 Oct 04 - 10:52 AM

Hi A M

We're just north of London and there are several 'catters hereabouts. We'll have to beat up on Breezy to book you into St Albans, I'll try to fit you in at Blackmore, and there are numerous other places we could possibly get gigs for you over here. Could help offset the cost of the trip!

Hospitality also available. Keep in touch.

Alan

Subject: RE: Alaska Mike going to England 2005
From: Chris Green
Date: 28 Oct 04 - 10:47 AM

Dah! Sorry - just looked at your dates and you'll miss Warwick (last weekend in July). My offer still stands though if you find yourself in the Midlands! :)

Subject: RE: Alaska Mike going to England 2005
From: Micca
Date: 28 Oct 04 - 10:47 AM

and Mike you have an invite to London, and the Tower of London is possibly the most famous castle in the world!!!

Subject: RE: Alaska Mike going to England 2005
From: Chris Green
Date: 28 Oct 04 - 10:44 AM

If you're planning on going Warwick FF, Warwick has what is probably the best preserved castle in the UK. And five miles or so down the road there's Kenilworth Castle, which is my favourite castle in the whole world!

Actually, if you're going to be in the Warwickshire area please drop me a PM and I'll furnish you with my contact details. I used to work as a tourist guide and there are various places round that way that don't get publicised particularly well but are really worth seeing!

Cheers mate

Chris

Subject: RE: Alaska Mike going to England 2005
From: Alaska Mike
Date: 28 Oct 04 - 10:37 AM

I thought I would revive this thread once more. Tawmmie and I will be arriving in London on August 4, 2005 and returning to Alaska on August 27th. I will be sending inquiries to several festival coordinators and will also be looking for bookings in folk clubs and house concerts. If any of you can help with contacts it would certainly be appreciated.

For those who don't know me, I sing mostly original folk songs with an Alaskan flavor. Ballads, songs of the sea and humorous ditties make up most of my set list. I have a website here.   We hope to see many of the friends we made at Getaways and meet many new friends as we travel around. I will NOT be performing with the Alaska Highlanders Pipe Band on this trip unless we turn up at the same place at the same time.

Since we really don't know much about the U.K., we are seeking help from Mudcatters there to let us know where best to go and what to see. We realize that 3 weeks is not much time to see it all, but we are looking forward to packing in as much as we can. Thank you all in advance, I know my Mudcat buddies will come through for us on this.

I will try to update my schedule as it firms up. I can't wait to get over there and start singing with my friends.

Best wishes,
Mike

PS Tawmmie says I can make all the plans I want as long as she gets to see some castles.

Subject: RE: Alaska Mike going to England 2005
From: Mr Red
Date: 17 Nov 03 - 06:16 PM

Warwick & Bridgnorth FF's are at that time (big and bustling) but have a look on cresby.com for festivals & clubs around the mid west.

Subject: RE: Alaska Mike going to England 2005
From: vectis
Date: 17 Nov 03 - 06:00 PM

Raggytash forgot to mention that Broadstairs Folk Festival in Kent fills the week between Sidmouth and Whitby.
Some of us folk maniacs do all three, one after the other. This year a friend and I did the trio and then spent the weekend at Bridgnorth to finish off the circuit. You end up with folk fatigue but as each festival is different you see a huge selection of singers and dancers in a short space of time.

Sadly I can't give you a booking because my club closes for July and August. Looking forward to meeting you at a festival in 2005.

Subject: RE: Alaska Mike going to England 2005
From: Gorgeous Gary
Date: 16 Nov 03 - 07:06 PM

Hmmm...looks like there might be a Mudcat invasion developing! Sheryl and I will likely be in Scotland in early August 2005 for the World Science Fiction Convention which will be in Glasgow. There will certainly be some travelling around the countryside, but this far out I have no idea what form it will take. (Hey, gotta finish with the wedding and honeymoon first!).

-- Gary

Subject: RE: Alaska Mike going to England 2005
From: Ebbie
Date: 16 Nov 03 - 02:54 PM

Jenny Islander, 'white' can be taken several different ways. Here in southeast Alaska, where it sometimes rains, our skin tends to look (to quote someone else) like the underside of a beluga.

Subject: RE: Alaska Mike going to England 2005
From: Forsh
Date: 16 Nov 03 - 02:45 PM

Remind us nearer the time! I can recomment though, that you do get into the north east of england at some time on your trip, I will see what can be done in my locale, but hey, if you dont visit Geordie Land, it will be like going to France and not visiting Paris, Bridge FC in Newcastle, Then theres Cramlington, Ashington, Bedlington, Pegswood,and some wild places out in the sticks with the wooly-backs. (Alendale etc). Anyhow, I am sure that you will visit Scotland, and we are on the way there! :{D>
Peace

Subject: RE: Alaska Mike going to England 2005
From: SINSULL
Date: 16 Nov 03 - 01:31 PM

Lucky England! Mike fills a room, to put it mildly. He and Tawmmie are a pleasure to have around. She even cooks. But I agree with Jeri. Someone should be booking Mike for a tour. Ask him to tell you about how his whale song suddenly became traditional and the "expert" was not happy to be told otherwise.

Subject: RE: Alaska Mike going to England 2005
From: Alaska Mike
Date: 16 Nov 03 - 02:04 AM

Hi Jenny, I'm not familiar with LeMoyne. I played a Shriner show with Hobo Jim last August and saw him again at the State Fair. He's great. Is Jeremiah still running the Kodiak Bear Country Music Festival? I played that festival for the first 5-6 years of its existance until it seemed to morph into a rock and roll fest. Say hi to the White Twang Gang for me.

Mike

Subject: RE: Alaska Mike going to England 2005
From: Jenny Islander
Date: 16 Nov 03 - 01:27 AM

My first year out of the state, I got these questions:

"First time on a freeway?" (It was a four-lane paved road.)

Guy shows me a Rand McNally road atlas. Dad's lending him the RV for the summer and he wants to take an Alaskan road trip. Why did they leave so many of the roads off the map? Does the atlas just show the major highways or something? (I couldn't help laughing. There ARE no roads to the towns and villages he was pointing at. He just couldn't get his head around the notion of a mainland community with no road access whatsoever!)

"Ever seen cable television before?" (Actually, IIRC, Alaska and Hawaii were the first states to make cable pay. Anything to ward off cabin fever.)

And my favorite:

"I hear you're from Alaska."

"Yeah."

(long silence, peers at me suspiciously) "Why are you white?"

Hey, Alaska Mike, do you know any LeMoyne songs? Needs a woman to sing it, but something tickles me about "That Hungry Look Again" being sung in a pub. Hobo Jim was here in Kodiak over Halloween and I missed both shows, darn it!

Subject: RE: Alaska Mike going to England 2005
From: alanww
Date: 11 Nov 03 - 10:26 PM

Mike: that's brilliant - something to really look forward to! I really enjoyed your singing at the Getaway and would be honoured if you came to stay with me in Stratford-upon-Avon for some of your time in the UK. Snuffy lives only 7 miles away from me too!
The big festivals can certainly be listed in the way suggested by Raggytash. In terms of club bookings, once you have decided on a time slot I will be pleased to connect you to the relevant ones in my area. Please PM or email me (see the Getaway list for my email address) if you want anything more at this stage.
"Dancing and singing, bell ringing ...!"
Alan

Subject: RE: Alaska Mike going to England 2005
From: mg
Date: 11 Nov 03 - 10:19 PM

Cool...I might see you in Hull...I am going there by hook or by crook...and can you plan a trip closer to home...like maybe Seattle Folklife on Memorial Day? mg

Subject: RE: Alaska Mike going to England 2005
From: Barb'ry
Date: 11 Nov 03 - 04:53 PM

That's FANTASTIC!! Come and stay with us! Bring the rest of the Getaway crowd too...
Love B

Subject: RE: Alaska Mike going to England 2005
From: Ebbie
Date: 11 Nov 03 - 04:24 PM

Alaska Mike, a couple of years ago I stopped on the street corner here in Juneau to assist two middle-aged men wearing Green Bay Packer jackets. After a bit of a chat, one man said diffidently, I don't want to hurt your feelings or anything, but - I thought you get lots of rain here - why is your water so low?

Subject: RE: Alaska Mike going to England 2005
From: Alaska Mike
Date: 11 Nov 03 - 04:08 PM

lol Jeri, an Alaskan friend's daughter sent an application to Delta Airlines seeking employment as a flight attendant. She received a nice letter from Delta's corporate headquarters thanking her for the application but was told, "we only hire United States citizens".

I was performing once in Colorado and was asked what we do for shelter when our igloos melt in the summer.

A tourist got off the Princess Lines tour ship at the port of Juneau last year. She stood on the pier, looked around at the beautiful glacier covered mountains with tall Sitka spruce trees growing all around and said, "Wow, what's the elevation here?"

No passport needed, Jeri, your American money is always welcome here.

Mike

Subject: RE: Alaska Mike going to England 2005
From: Jeri
Date: 11 Nov 03 - 03:29 PM

Well, I know you aren't Canadian too, but you sound more like some Canadian songwriters I'm familiar with than US songwriters. Maybe it's just a 'north' thing.

So what does Alaskan money look like and can people spend American money in Alaska if they don't have any Alaskan money? (Just kidding.)

Subject: RE: Alaska Mike going to England 2005
From: Alaska Mike
Date: 11 Nov 03 - 02:03 PM

Raggytrash, thanks for the froots website. It has a lot of info.

LOL, Jeri. I almost wet my seat when I read your post. Thanks for the nice comments.

*******YIPPEE********* from us too, Carole. Can't wait to see you again.

Subject: RE: Alaska Mike going to England 2005
From: SussexCarole
Date: 11 Nov 03 - 01:50 PM

***********    Y I P P E E *****************

Subject: RE: Alaska Mike going to England 2005
From: Jeri
Date: 11 Nov 03 - 10:58 AM

The heck with inviting him to listen (although that's good, too) - BOOK THE GUY! Seriously, his songwriting is on a part with many Canadian songwriters you've actually heard of, and he sings 'em darned well. He needs a far bigger audience, in my opinion. I heard him at the Getaway and wondered why the blazes it WAS the first time. Easy, relaxed, warm, silly, soul-grabbing or seat-wetting - the songs and the singer run the gamut*.

*Mike doesn't wet seats as far as I know. You might just laugh that hard, though.

Subject: RE: Alaska Mike going to England 2005
From: GUEST,JOHN
Date: 11 Nov 03 - 10:51 AM

Don`t forget "ELSIES" in Cowden, Kent. Come back nearer the holiday time.

Subject: RE: Alaska Mike going to England 2005
From: Raggytash
Date: 11 Nov 03 - 10:46 AM

Mike,
July and August are full of festivals, they tend to follow the same weeks year on year, I.E. the first weekend in July or the second weekend in August etc. If you look up froots on the Google search engine it will lead you too their web-site which carries a month by month breakdown of most of the festivals in the UK and beyond. There are two major festivals in August, both week-long ones, one being Sidmouth on the south coast the other being Whitby on the North East Coast, many Catters go to Whitby which is a festival of English, Irish, Scots and Welsh music

Subject: RE: Alaska Mike going to England 2005
From: Beverley Barton
Date: 11 Nov 03 - 10:31 AM

2005???!! well at least that gives me some time to practise mike, get yourself up yo hull/beverley, you'd be surprised at just how many mudcat berks there are in this area.
          none of the buggers play flamenco though!!

Subject: Alaska Mike going to England 2005
From: Alaska Mike
Date: 11 Nov 03 - 10:24 AM

My wife Tawmmie and I are beginning to plan our trip to the UK for July-August of 2005. Exact dates not yet firmed up. I would appreciate any assistance from my Mudcat friends as to contacts for performing at Folk Clubs and Festivals during that time frame. Also, any helpful information regarding lodging, sightseeing, transportation, etc. After meeting the Shellbacks at this year's FSGW Getaway, we can't wait to visit and share songs again with our English friends. Thanks to all in advance.

Mike