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The BiTS Interview: Ian Siegal

Ian Siegal is British Blues. A prolific winner of UK blues awards, Ian has made a name

for himself as an authentic purveyor of blues, gospel, Americana and roots music,
delivering his songs with a readily identifiable voice and an eclectic guitar style. A long

time at the forefront of UK live music and a desire to settle down have led him recently
to announce retirement from touring—but we’ll see. Ian has just completed a mammoth

tour promoting his album ‘Stone By Stone’. While on tour, Ian McKenzie spoke to him
on the telephone.

BiTS: Let’s make a start, Ian. I just want to talk to you about the new album and the tour. I
gather the tour has been a bit of a problem. There’s been some cancellations and that sort of
thing.

IS: Well, there was a gig cancelled and the one that got cancelled, which was the biggest paying

part of the tour and covered a lot of the expenses that the UK
always seems to rack up, which doesn’t happen in other
European countries. That’s why Americans tend to just fly
straight over into Europe.

BiTS: Is this really going to be your last tour?

IS: I would like it to be. Let’s put it that way.

BiTS: Why is that?

IS: Well, for one thing, I live in the Caribbean. It’s a lot
of travel. For me to make a tour like that and stay
on the road for a long time is quite a toll. This
tour is nine weeks. Eight countries. Four
different bands plus the solo – mostly
solo. I can’t hop back and forward
because, again, the expense that would
take negates the whole tour. I would still come over
to festivals and special gigs, just not long tours and
I’m trying to see if I can figure out a way to set up
something where I live where I don’t have to travel,
but I can still make music, so we shall see. Any full
tours of the UK, I stopped doing it with a band a
few years ago because you just can’t make it
work. Unless you’re just in it for the hell of it
and for the fun of it, which frankly, I’m

not [chuckles]. It’s my living
[laughs]. I think in the UK, a lot
of the venues, the promoter
expects you to do it for next to
Ian Siegal at Arlington arts, picture Brian Harrington nothing.