Frank Burkitt: News

THIS IS THE NEWS!

Coming Soon

My new album 'Valley of Gold' is in the pipeline,
like Tim Robbins in the Shawshank Redemption!
However, it is going a lot quicker than he was.
All songs have been recorded and finishing touches
are being applied. I anticipate October shall now be
the month of it's release. I am also currently organising the CD launch in Edinburgh so watch this space for more details.

It will be even more chilled out than the last CD
as many songs will just be solo. My plan is then
to take this new album and do as many gigs as my
administrative capabilities can get me. Check the gigs
section of the website to check my progress. I am putting
together a new band as the wonderful Chris Stone and Holly
Downes are inconveniently Australian and thus spend the
majority of their time in said Australia. Plus, they are going
great guns with there new fantastic band, The String Contingent,
who I'm supporting at Leith Folk Club on Tuesday 17th August.

Posted on 29 Mar 2010 by Frank

Antipodean Tour '09

I have returned from New Zealand
and Australia where myself,
Chris Stone and Holly Downes
shared four wonderful weeks playing
music to smiling Kiwis and sharing a
tiny camper van with a Double Bass.

Dunedin was our first stop and New
Edinburgh Folk Club. I did find it
amusing that I'd flown 20,000 miles
across the world to play in Edinburgh
Folk Club. Was a fantastic night
though and the highly amusing
support from old Ted the fiddler will
remain in my memory for some time.
Was still recovering from the flight and
my almighty welcoming drinking session
with my good friend Tom so apologies
Dunedin.

Then we played at the Wanaka Colours Festival. The colour was mainly grey sadly as the weather took a turn for the worst but we still played to a packed tent and had a light lunch with three wonderfully appreciative ladies. I can't remember their names but I can remember that the soup was chunky and delicious.

It was a rowdy night at Christchurch folk club, where an old Kiwi gent not only put my CD down his trousers but he also commented that Holly was the most attractive Bass player he'd ever seen. I don't think Holly reciprocated.

Then full steam ahead to what had to be the Rivendell of New Zealand. Golden Bay. As the name suggests, it was a beautiful place and it seemed that all of New Zealand's produce was grown there or round about anyway. We drove up the treacherous Takaka Hill road to come back down the other side and be greeted with a ray of sunlight penetrating the Bay. The Jewel in the crown however was a little place called the Mussel Inn. Built in 1992 by Andrew and Jane Dixon and their sons, it is surrounded by stunning hills and acres of land which Andrew tends daily. They brew their own beer which I can testify is like the nectar of the elves! They grow their own food and they have a feijoa bush that I helped myself to on more than one occasion. If you want to know what a feijoa is then go to Wikipedia. We spent two glorious nights there and played a fantastic gig and I will return undoubtedly.

After a sour communication break down with the Interislander Ferry company and a woman named Naomi Campbell in particular, regarding free passage in exchange for entertainment, we found ourselves on our way to Auckland and in particular a little suburb called Titirangi. It was a beautiful little beach hall with the acoustics of a purpose built concert venue! We were put up by Gavin and Kara, two lovely members of the folk club. Despite being slightly alarmed that there was a Pylon in their garden, a very huge Pylon, their hospitality was unrivaled and especially Kara's Ukulele expertise.

Then we travelled up to the Bay of Islands and played at KeriKeri Folk Club. Unfortunately, perhaps it was the weather but the turn out was low shall we say. Still had great fun and I was given, in exchange for a CD, a large, plastic bottle of home brew whisky that the barman took pride in. Having tasted this concoction, I can say with all safety that the distillers at Laphroaig have nothing to worry about. It was mingin!

Then after a hectic rush back to Auckland, Chris and Holly flying back to Melbourne and a highly controversial night in downtown Auckland, alone, drunk, at 5am with only our very garishly painted camper van to keep me company, I found myself eventually in Australia. Things all of a sudden got further and further away and the bars started pouring beer into 'Schooners' which as I understand it is a girls beer glass!

A gig in Canberra, the weirdest capital city ever, which was class. Chris's Mother Margaret accompanied us by singing lovely harmonies and it was great to finally meet all of the Stone Master's family. His father actually had fiddles instead of arms!

The whole trip was fantastic and thanks to all of the people i met along the way. In the word's of Tim O'Brien " mostly it's people, make you come back again." And return I surely will.

Posted on 10 Jun 2009 by Frank

Summer Gigs

We have been tirelessly on the hunt for gigs to make up the 2009 summer schedule. We have booked a handful and the Stone Master and Holly the Bass Machine will be back in the UK for one month only. Check out the gigs page to see if we're playing near you.