Back performing...

...Post Covid gigs - after seemingly ages we have just completed a set of three performances at the Old Mill Plumstead, Eltham Park North Parkfest, and the Pelton Sunday Session - all of which have been well attended and we have been received very well too..  We are out and about again, the next performance of the usual varied lively material will be outside Charlton House in the Community Festival  Friday 10 September at 1.30pm - any of you would like us to perform dont hesitate to get in touch... email thelosdawsons@gmail.com

Well it has been too long posting here, I have been writing a new album of music for the Roswell Imps (now nearly completed) and playing a few gigs with Dennis Greaves... I have been urged by a few people to start doing some more Los Dawsons gigs - so with that in mind watch this space...

ATB Mike

2014 - the year so far..

Well we have been fairly busy, we have played a few festivals and we are still running the open mic at the Pelton Arms in Greenwich - which in my opinion  is the best live music pub in Greenwich. Notable wonderful musicians who have sat in over the last year include Emma Jane, Mancie Baker and Graham Okey to name a few and any I have not included here will be on a roll of honour here at Christmas as there are too many great acts to put in this posting alone..

Blimey its 2014

Well were doing a few gigs, and weve had some great people joining us over the last few months, we are still running the bit in the middle and it works well most of the time - we need more musicians to sit in with - you lot are not usually backwards in coming forward.. any way we have a couple of gigs coming up - try and see us if you can.. next gig features Jim Kimberley on sticks who is awesome ( Bruise, William Topley, Mish Mash Band, and Knopfler and Squeeze back in the day..) so we are looking forward to that - Dana is filming so the grease paint beckons.. we are hoping that our mate Dennis Greaves will join us and maybe a few other associates - its like a party  Im going to spring some unusual numbers on people  too I think, and next week we are at the awesome Duke which is a great pub and they like Dancing - hopefully Dave Suich from the ukes can make it down - we like like him as well...

Music Music Music...

We played the Duke and the Pelton recently and went down well, seemingly Gravesend is beckoning again so as soon as we get a positive we will post, we have added significantly to our dancey  numbers to such an extent that Bo from the Duke wants us to put one that went down well on a Deptford promotional sampler record that the Duke is producing... accolades and chapeuax as the french say.. wed like to play back at the Old Fountain and the Secret Garden again.. we always went down well there, and the British Oak has not been much of a feature this year.. who knows what 2014 will bring...  hopefully a few more gigs for the Los Dawsons!

Well its been a busy year...

Coming up to Christmas we are doing a couple of gigs at the Pelton the first Sunday in the month, we've had some good acts on... so into the new year with more on the list in the middle of the set.. we did a good gig at the Duke at Rons Speakeasy in October that went down well so hopefully we will repeat performances in the future 2014 forward.. to everyone that has come to see us - a resounding thank you and we will continue to announce gigs on Twitter as well as here..

Dean Powell remembered..

Deano -  Wreckage     What ya goin to do about it?    Handbags and Gladrags    Waterloo Sunset    Just give me a kind of sign...  

and I am absolutely certain I've missed a few..  we played a birthday in Camberwell and he joined us at Chu and Chos and the Pelton and many other places... over the years.. he wanted to sing and he loved Mod music, maybe it was his release from the boxing business - I don't know - but there were some big smiles when he performed... you will be missed... loads - our thoughts are with everyone who knew him...  especially Lisa and the family...

The Dawsons and 2013

As we are ramping up for gigs this year, we are changing the complexion of our most established gig: The Pelton is going to me a more collaborative experience!  We are inviting musicians to open mic the set in the middle, and then sit-in in the final set: last month we had a couple of performers join us: Leon Tilbrook sang two songs, then his father Glenn joined us, as did David and Loader for some lovely soul songs and a Dr Feelgood song for Wilko as part of our goodwill living memorial initiative for Wilko Johnson; so far 5 songs and counting: 30 yards behind (twice), roxette, she does it right and back in the night...  Riot in cell block number 9 next or down by the jetty?

Tenterden tentertainment festival and more open air gigs coming up

We headlined the Friday night,and it was a lovely balmy evening... Ben was performing with the James Taylor Quartet in Glasgow so Gus Glen depped for us, he was our first bassist so the repertoire was not an issue, and he rather enjoyed himself if his Facebook posting is anything to go by... We then went back to Tenterden on the Saturday evening blow at th post festival festivities at the Woolpack pub next to the Town Hall which was a fabulous vibe, with everyone dancing their shoes off. The next weekend saw Dana going to Austin to record new material with Cotton Mather, so another old friend from the cabaret days (and Vic Reeves big night out days) came back to sit in on drums Simon "strevi" Strevens had lost none of his verve and flair on the skims and he did a good job... Dana is back tomorrow and we are at the Canal Tavern in Gravesend for a good shindig this Sunday, should be fun! Then over the Olympics we are performing in Greenwich Park and East Greenwich Pleasaunce as well as the fabulous Pelton Arms. Have a gander at the gig list...

Dana Is back from South by South West

Jim Kimberley helped us out over the last 3 weeks - thanks Jim. And now Dana is back on sticks/skins etc... Danas old band Cotton Mather from Austin Texas have had their most famous CD Kontiki rereleased and repackaged via a process called kickstart, where a collection of people make donations for a rerelease.. amongst famous supporters of the band is Noel Gallagher.. he liked the band enough to put them on a world tour support with Oasis..

I have a copy of the new pressing and its awesome; Its like a cross between Odelay and Revolver, with bits of Squeeze, World Party, Neil Finn and the Fountains of Wayne added in for good measure.. as Dana plays with us hopefully Cotton Mather may come here to play ?

Other news is that Ben has turned his hand to some asian beat stuff which is doing well with Khiyo http://soundcloud.com/khiyoband/khiyo-amar-shonar-bangla-mp3 and his other outfit the Jezebel Quartet have pleased Craig Charles on his 6Music funk show with their new CD... Phils Icarus Club seems to be going from strength to strength in its new venue so all of the band seem to be doing well...

2012 for The Los Dawsons

We are currently playing the early part of this year with guest Guitarists, as our original Guitarist Dave Burrluck has been persuaded to stop his working with the LDs due to other commitments, whilst we are saddened we all wish him well.

We have used Dennis Greaves when he is not playing with 9 Below Zero, and we are also using local guitar luminary Phil Dearing (who is also Mikes brother). So we are continuing gigs in the present like up.. come along and see what you think!

Activity Activity OXJAM GREENWICH

After a few less gigs than normal, (due mainly to Mike Dearings non working fretting hand after slipping a disk..) we are now back on the road again...

We are looking forward to the Oxjam headliner on Saturday 19 November which should be fun.. it is at the Duke in Creek Road Greenwich Deptford borders - I cannot remember the last time I gigged there.. I think it was when Erich Hofer was still the landlord so it must have been some time ago..

Upcoming Gigs...

After a busy first couple of months, last month was quiet for us - just the 2 gigs; though this month we see some new venues, returning to old favourites in Battersea and Gravesend, and a showcase at the Sydenham Blues Club which has a sterling reputation for hosting great acts... So try to catch us in April... Were looking forward to a busy month...

Busy Busy Busy

The Los Dawsons are slowly getting the itinerary together for 2011, we are hoping to broaden our choice of venues this year so hopefully out to Kent Surrey Sussex and Essex and even maybe North London... as a few recommendations have been given so fingers crossed.. we will keep everyone posted...

A Happy New Year to all our friends...

Thank you for your support, we have a raft of gigs in the wings! Cattleyas The Pelton The British Oak The Bull at the top of Shooters Hill, The Swan at Wittersham and the Distillers in Smithfield so all in all it should be fun...

New Bohl Logo - now a quartet!

Some of our more eagle-eyed dawsonistas may have noticed that the old trio Picasso pastiche has been updated with the edition of Dana our drummer, a big thank you to Lance Bohl the graphic designer who rustled up the original and has now upgraded it - Our only hope is that we dont add anymore musicans as the logo will take on poster proportions... Big up...

Gigs Past Present and Future

Well weve had a good set of gigs from a performance perspective, and we are playing really well at the moment - lovely vibe and dynamics, weve been paid some nice compliments by serious musicians so all in all a satisfying experience.. we are looking at more dancers for next year rather than our love of esoteric songs - the difference between the blind boys of alabama and the alabama three is lost at function gigs, so its some upbeat standards we are intending to add to the set... I remember from the 1970s when acts were denegrated for being "commercial" . The reality is that we have to chose upbeat standards that are fun enough to play and find new perspective in them.... hey Im going all Jazz... here..

Gigs past, A Charity do, Some Pictures and interesting gigs in the future…..

I suddenly realised that it was a long time since I had posted to the blog, we have had a busy summer, playing outdoors quite a bit, establishing the Pelton Gigs on a Sunday evening, doing a few gigs out of town and finally playing at the City & Guilds Pakistan Flood Relief charity bash in Smithfield which raised c £1000 so that was a very good cause.

Weve just had some new publicity shots taken and we are pleased with the initial results, whilst sadly I don’t look in my twenties, not even the fabulous photographer Mr Burrluck can do that, but the band at least looks interesting; potentially a kind of cross between Get Carter/a slightly demented looking Klesmer band and us…..

The next month should be fun as we are playing at the British Oak, Cattleyas The Pelton and a great pub in rural Kent. Were rather hoping that Mr Tilbrooks series of Tuesday gigs at the Hope & Anchor will start up again as they made Tuesday evening a real joy…

May? Where did that go?

Well, we’re not quite sure where May went — another gig-filled month for us and already we’re into June!

Our last gig at the Pelton Arms was on 30th May; that venue is getting busier ever time we play and we now have (at least) one Sunday gig there a month and one a Cattelya’s so please check our gig list so you don’t go to the wrong one.

Once again we’re playing for the Greenwich Parksfest. We started at the East Greenwich Pleasaunce on 6th June and despite heavy rain being forecast it was a beautiful balmy afternoon and very well attended too. Our next one is over at Avery Hill Park on July 10th 12-5pm. There might be some misty eyes from Mike and Dave who both used to attend the college before it became Thames Poly or even Greenwich University. And yes that was so long ago that there were dinosaurs in the park (well, at least some punks!). These are great family events and so long as the weather holds are a great way to spend a Sunday afternoon.

As to the rest of June, we’re back at the Pelton Arms on the 13th (7-10pm) then Cattelya’s on 27th (8-11pm). Our bassist Ben will be off gigging in Finland so Gus Glen will be filling his shoes. It’ll be a bit of a reunion as it’ll be the first time the ‘original’ Los Dawsons (Mike, Dave and Gus) will have played at Cattleya’s for many a year. Don’t miss that one.

Thanks for all your support and see you soon!

May Day Weekend and we are at Cattleyas 2 May 9pm

Its a typical long weekend holiday - mixed then ghastly weather, tonight we are back to our normal quartet line up which should be fun as Volcanic Ash paid havoc with quite a few musicians we know, strandings in Africa and Japan, cancelling gigs in Norway so all in all, to quote "Have I got news for you" there were winners and losers, so we were lucky to keep playing under these circumstances, thank you Dennis and Gus for your help here...

All that behind us we have some interesting gigs this month, more work at the Pelton and The Canal Tavern in Gravesend next weekend and we are chasing work in Sydenham and potentially Smithfield as well - lets see what the outcome is...

have a look at our upcoming gig list