Hiya folks,

 

the weather's fine and we're gearing up for an eventful summer season.

 

Andi and I are currently rehearsing for Würzburg's finest music festival, the Umsonst & Draußen from June 22 to 24, which we'll have the pleasure of closing on Sunday night. Our set starts around 9.30 pm. We'll bring a surprise guest, introduce some of the new songs, play some songs that we consider classics, and also have some new merch stuff available that a bunch of you have been requesting for quite awhile - if it all gets here on time.

Do come out, folks, we'll have a good time.

 

For some reason I got booked for practically any live music event in my hometown this summer. With The Gunslingers I'll be rockin' at the Weinfest am Stein (July 19) and I've got a solo gig on August 4 at the Vierröhrenbrunnen in downtown Würzburg in conjunction with the Transdia bicycle race. Andi & I will be playing the Kultursommer im Hafen (August 9) and the Ringparkfest (August 11).  Really, guys, if you're from the Wuerzburg area, there's no acceptable excuse if you don't come out at least once or twice.

 

More news: Blue Rose Records are offering not one but two live CDs that I'm on. One's from the birth of the Blue Rose Rockestra at label head Edgar Heckmann's 50th birthday party on June 10, 2005. Along with Todd Thibaud, Elliott Murphy, Joseph Parsons and other guests, I played a few of my own songs and jammed with Todd's band and the rest of the posse on a host of rock'n'roll classics. It may not have been the best-rehearsed show on earth but it's good fun to listen to. It's available for download to anyone buying 50 Euros' worth of merch at www.bluerose-records.de this month! (Check the website for the details.)

 

The other upcoming Blue Rose release featuring my contributions will be a DVD and live CD recorded at the Blue Rose Christmas Party in December 2006. Slightly better rehearsed, the Blue Rose Rockestra v. 2.0 featured Elliott Murphy, Iain Matthews, Julian Dawson, the fabulous Hank Shizzoe, Ad Vanderveen, Dave Kincaid of the Brandos and yours truly.

Again, you'll hear some solo stuff and a jam section with a whole lotta shakin' goin' on. I sang lead or shared lead vocals on a bunch of nuggets like Chuck Berry's Run Rudolph Run, Tom Waits' Downtown Train, Angel From Montgomery, The Weight and lots of other songs I can't remember right now. You'll find videos of this memorable evening here:
www.bluerose-records.com/videos/X-mas.html

The album and DVD will be released on July 6 and will be available through www.bluerose-records.de and at my live shows.

So get ready for a great summer. Treat yourself to the new Springsteen Live In Dublin record, and come out and see some live music!

Yours,
Markus