Page 16 - BiTS_06_JUNE_2021
P. 16

frustrating. I’d love to do that, but we’re not quite sure where we stand and then we’ve got the
     added problem of Brexit because I don’t know how easy or difficult it’s going to be to tour in
     Europe again. But hopefully, in 2022, we might be able to get back on track with that, which is

     something I’d love to do.

     BiTS:  Have you got any gigs coming up for this year? Are they creeping back?

     GW:  Yeah, they’re mainly ones that were cancelled last year. I’ve got probably a couple that will
     go ahead. There’s a Music at the Crossroads Festival in Hook Norton, which is July, probably the
     3rd, tentatively booked, as is the Mitcheldean Festival in Gloucestershire on Saturday, the 17th of
     July. One of particular interest that

     I’m really looking forward to is the
     Radford Mill Festival of Rhythm and          © Karen McBride
     Blues. That is Saturday the 14th of
     August in Timsbury. That’s near
     Bath, and I’m scheduled to be on at
     3pm in the afternoon. There’s a good

     line up there, including the Milk
     Men and I think top of the bill is
     Debbie Bond. That’s got the makings
     of a great blues festival, so I’m
     really looking forward to that one.
     Then, later on in the year, hopefully,

     the Wooton Blues Festival, which is
     near Stroud, Gloucester. That’s 18th
     of September and then, fingers
     crossed, get back to Wales for the Tenby Blues in November, but obviously, these things are all to
     be confirmed. I keep trying to put the latest information on the website and when they are definite,
     I’ll say so.


     BiTS:  Working on BiTS, I see the gigs starting to creep back, I can’t put it any higher than
     that. Just before the lockdown, we got up to 300 a month on the gig guide, but I’m lucky if
     there’s ten or 12 now, to be honest with you.

     GW:  Yeah, I know it is a struggle and frustrating and obviously for a lot of people, the financial
     impact because gigs are where a lot of the revenue comes from, so if you’re dependent upon that
     money, it’s a difficult time. It really is.


     BiTS:  Do you have any other source of income? Did you have a trade or anything?

     GW:  Well, I have another source of income in that being old I’ve got a pension now, [chuckles] so
     I’ve survived on that, but I am registered as a sole trader so the taxman knows about me, so I’ve
     got to justify my existence best I can, so that’s been difficult. I did manage to get a couple of gigs in
     locally in Cheltenham. The last one was in December. We were quite lucky because the lockdown

     round here was not as severe as other parts of the country, so we social distanced and I managed
     to get a couple of outside gigs in the park, which was nice. Kept things ticking over. Looking
     forward to doing that again soon too.

     BiTS:  You started off your life in the Manchester area. Where is it you are now?
   11   12   13   14   15   16   17   18   19   20   21