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January 7th 2013
Long time no blog!
 Yes indeed, guilty as charged. This blog update has been completely overlooked in the face of the social media onslaught. Time, therefore, for an update.
2012 saw us venturing into new territory to broaden the set. For once writing took a place on the back burner as we worked on some challenging harmonised covers with a Graffiti slant. Good fun all round and a shift of emphasis both for rehearsal and live work. Ended up with polished versions of Moon River, Wonderful World, a lovely medley combining Moon Dance and Neal Hefti’s Odd Couple theme. Icing on the cake has been a full harmony version of Smokey Mountain Lullaby, Chet Atkins’ last recording with Tommy Emmanuel.
2013 marks the 10 year anniversary of Graffiti’s Edinburgh Festival adventure so we must mark it by polishing off an album which has been ‘forthcoming’ ever since!
New photos & video shoots planned courtesy of Flat Out Films.
Onward & upwards.
AG
August 28th 2011
Limetree Festival World Stage, North Yorks
 Opened the JB Jazz blues World Stage at Limetree Festival.
What started as a venture into the unknown - our first real mainstream festival - turned out to be a revelation. Gene and the crew at JB’s had put together a tremendously cosy venue in the middle of a field. Resplendent with black drapes, top notch lighting & sound systems and the right vibe the venue stood head and shoulders above the rest and was perfect for a half hour opener. Squeezed half a dozen numbers out to an appreciative crowd. Delighted to be invited back for more acoustic fun in a field next year.
See
On Easy Street (You tube video)
JB’s Jazz Blues
Limetree festival
Cheers then.
AG
 February 18th 2011
Adam Palma, The Verge, Hyde
Delighted to open for acoustic virtuoso Adam Palma & saxist Snake Davis at a packed Verge in Hyde, Manchester on Feb 18th. A cracking little venue run by musicians and gaining a reputation for putting on a brilliant & mixed programme of live music every month. A collectors item for performers of our ilk; long may it thrive.
Tidy half hour opener with some nice banter and the customary impromptu moments. Attentive, warm, knowledgeable crowd here and a lovely reception.
Palma was awesome. Consummate and original, a brilliant percussive fingerpicker straight off a tour supporting the legend that is Tommy Emmanuel. Everything from ballads to Django. Real friendly, approachable guy too, in fact he made the effort to meet us rather than the other way round...which is nice. Fingers crossed we can hook up & open again for him some time. Snake (who indeed does introduces himself as 'Hi, Snake') did his bit but in truth this was the Palma show.
Gomm & Palma inside 6 months. Getting there?
AG
 January 6th 2011
Happy New Rant
So, into 2011 fresh faced (no not really) and bushy-tailed as it were. New territories to explore with the full original set complete and ready to rumble.
The Jon Gomm support at The Verge last November was a real shot in the arm. Not only playing to an out and out guitar crowd but securing an encore in a support slot was mighty pleasurable, Back at The Verge on Feb 18th to open for Snake Davis (Eurythmics, M People and virtually every other band on the planet) and Adam Palma (new Polish guitar finger-picking maestro last seen on stage with Tommy Emmanuel)! Not our first encounter with Snake...we opened for him and the not nearly so legendary Jim Diamond at the Cinnamon Club a couple of years ago. Doubt he’ll remember that we were spot on and they so weren’t. Hi Ho Silver!!
Recording that difficult second album is well overdue and something we’ve set our minds to working on this year.
But this rural touring is proving hard to crack. Only a smattering of community venues are geared up to taking acts outside the ‘official’ rural touring programmes which you need a letter from your great grandparents to get on. That or admit to Hungarian gypsy roots and a penchant for ethnic dancing. Plain & simple acoustic genius seems not to cut it with the PC-mad rural touring organisations. Infuriating but true.
Rant pretty much over. We’ll strike out on our own to get this sorted. If you need a job doing properly....don’t involve a third party!
As for regular gig finding the banks have a lot to answer for. Only a few brave, committed, musically passionate venues seem willing to take a chance on new live music (tribute & karaoke don’t count of course). Otherwise it’s a risk averse world out there.
The shiny needles in the haystack are worth finding.
Bring it all on.
AG
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