Jess Morgan's Webpage

I played at some truly unique places while in Hamburg as part of my Germany tour... the Sweet Home Cafe was a well needed respite from the hustle and bustle of central Hamburg and back in St.Pauli, The Mobile Blues Club was just too cool for school - but in the nicest, friendlies, humblest of ways. I say you can always get an idea of what a gig is going to be like by the ladies loos... to there weren't hight expectations of Astra Stube. To quote Hugh Grant - 'surreal, but nice.'

I got to do a couple of videos while there. Those of you know you me will know that making videos for me is an experience I can only really liken to... cod liver oil.

Still, here is me on BALCONY TV - overlooking a famous road in St. Pauli and on PLATTENKISTE video in a record store...

Hey there,

3 Chances to see little old me this week if you're easternly based...

14th April
Thursday night I'm supporting the fabulous Jeff and Vida (jeffandvida.com) at Olives Cafe in Norwich. Tickets are £7.50 on the door. Food served from 7-8 and then my set at 8.15. Hope you can make it.

15th April
At The Dukes Head in Somerleyton it'll be time once again for 'Club Uniquity' to open its doors. Theres a fab line up 
(http://clubuniquity.co.uk/)

16th April
The CB2 in Cambridge. When there's not an Acoustic Routes night in the basement of the CB2, door are open by way of an open-mic. I'm playing a longer feature slot  ...so why not come and cheer me on and put your name down for a slot too! 

hope to see you there!

26th March - Hamburg - Echzeit Studios

this gig has CHANGED and will now be in Buxtehude, Cafe Belvedere (Ritterstr. 16, 21614, Buxtehude)


30th March - Hamburg - new gig added

we play our scheduled evening gig at Freunlich+Kempetant then tootle off to the Mobile Blues Club to play a short acoustic set.
(Schulterblatt @ corner Max Brauer Allee, 20357, Hamburg)

Well, as the title suggests... I've been in Germany a week now - and squeezed in a mighty 12 gigs plus a little TV and radio too. Its been really interesting so far - learning the ropes for gigging here. Most of the gigs have been in cafes/theatres/record shops and the usual bar club type places. I even played in a medieval style bar up in Wilhelmshaven complete with stocks, mead and that old chesnut - lots of people smoking in a small room without any windows!! Lets just say my visit to the laundrette this morning was well timed.

Day One - Big Buttinsky Osnabruck
nice place, good crowd, met some really lovely people, hollandaise sauce pizza pleasantly surprising!

Day Two - Hafen Casino
A small truckstop cafe out in the docklands area - we were packed in like sardines!

Day 3 - Busking in Hannover - great experience - met some lovely people - sold a stack of CDs.

- Hot Shot Records - instore gig - a bit surreal...but nice

- Gig-Linden - An old Burgermeister converted into a bar - great food - difficult gig as was a bit busy and bustling but still had fun.

Day 4 - Across to The Netherlands - gig at Images
lovely gig, great support-band called The Fortunate Holders, great hosts too made us feel really welcome.

Day 5 - TV spot back in Germany
In all honesty...the last thing you want to do when you've woken up feeling disgusting and worn out after a gig! Learning curve.

-Haven Hooft, Bremen - Busking in Shopping centr
In truth I was dreading this... but the little kids loved it and were dancing away and everything - really good experience in the end.

-Das Kleine Restaurant, Wardenburg - evening gig
great place - lovely people running the bar - had ourselves a little lock-in after but poor turnout for the gig bit. It seemed our thunder had been stolen by a new shopping centre opening down the road!! hmmm.

Day 6 - Traingel Musik, Wilhelmshaven
it was a sunny day so played outside - made enough money for lunch! Practised my German - learned that Coffee to go - is simply "Coffee to go!" handy one that.

-Anno 1300 - the medieval place - the table at the front thought their rubiks cube was more interesting than me! Kind of like a hot spot for warhammer collectors, battle reinactors and every loser who ever got 
picked on at school and tried to cover it up with a beard.

Day 7 - Schortens - Fair Cafe
lovely quirky cafe - nice welcome - good proper food. In Germany its traditional to have coffee and cake on a Sunday...when in Rome et al.

- Delmenhorst, Karem Kulturkneipe
great place. My heart sank a little as I walked in the door - a sparsely decorated sports-bar with a very 'local' vibe but thankfully in the back there was a brilliant, sparkly, music venue - with stage and great sound from our buddy Jens. Played a blinder here.

 
I'm based, for the time being in Bremen - and staying in a flat somewhere on the outskirts. Its a beautiful sunny day today - I've got the morning off - so going to have a read in the park nearby.

All in all - tour going well - internet connection painfully slow - so will post photos etc soon!

Don't forget to make friends on facebook www.facebook.com/jessmorganmusic

Jess x

I'm getting all excited. My tour of gorgeous Germany-land begins next week. I'm sharing the bill and the tourbus with fantastic Bighton-based folk outfit ZARBO. Check out their music here: www.zarbo.co.uk

Exciting times - I'm off to represent our fine nation at festival in Reykjavik in a mere few days time and the big German tour is barely a few weeks away. Luckily there seems to be juuuuust enough time to squeeze in a couple of really lovely gigs:
Saturday, February 19, 2011ACOUSTIC EXTRAVAGANZA Chairty Gig for SCOPE @ Norwich Puppet Theatre
Norwich, UK, (United Kingdom) - Map 
Set: 8:00 PM 
All Ages 
Tickets: £6.50 (in aid of SCOPE charity) 
 Thursday, February 24, 2011BERGEN - NUUK - REYKJAVIK @ tbc
Reykjavik, (Iceland) - Map 
Set: 8:00 PM 
All Ages 
 Tuesday, March 1, 2011Rootes Group Celebrate St. David's Day!! @ Olives Cafe
Elm Hill, Norwich, (United Kingdom) - Map 
Set: 8:00 PM 
All Ages 
 Wednesday, March 2, 2011The Boudoir (unplugged) @ St. Gregory's Church
NORWICH, Norwich, (United Kingdom) - Map 
Set: 7:00 PM 
All Ages 
Tickets: 4 
 Monday, March 7, 2011The Kitchen Garden Cafe @ The Kitchen Garden Cafe,
Birmingham, (United Kingdom) - Map 
Set: 8:00 PM 
All Ages 
 Wednesday, March 9, 2011Bedford Live! Presents @ Harpurs Cellar Bar
46-48 Tavistock Street, Bedford, MK40 2RD (United Kingdom) - Map 
Set: 8:00 PM 
All Ages 

I really hope you can make it along!

flyers are below xxx 

This sounds hard - but I'm going for it - anyone care to join? 

February Album Writing MonthThe FAWM challenge is simple: 14 songs in 28 days. Why?

"You can't wait for inspiration. You have to go after it with a club." — Jack LondonIf it's inspiration you are after, then FAWM is your club! Each February this website forges acollaborative community of thousands of musicians worldwide, from all walks and skill levels. We're taking on the challenge of writing an album's worth of new music during the shortest month of the year! We "fawmers" are a motley mix of music professionals, students, homemakers, and folks who work dayjobs but rock nightclubs

Here's me plugging the gig on the Sue Marchant Show last night... and palying a few songs too (http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p00cs597)
 
A bit like a folk club... there will be several open mic slots before and after Jess's showcase performance. 
 
Histon Unplugged - a space for young performers and songwriters 
The Boot, High Street, Histon, Tuesday 11th, 8.30-11pm.
 

Oh Bedford what can I say? I love you, I need you... I just can't get enough of you!!!!

 

Wowsers, its been a long time since I've written anything! My frail excuse is that I've just moved house and have no 'proper' internet connection. The idea of blogging from my phone far from appealed!

So I've done a good few cool things this past couple of weeks.

A little bit of teachering at Flegg High - which is always a pleasure. Lovely school, passionate teachers, talented kids, what more can you ask for? Great Yarmouth Library just unvieled their new community garden complete with hand-carved totum pole. I love wood carvings - totum poles expecially - so much story telling involved. Images I use for my ep and album are printed from carvings into lino - then scanned blah blah blah but someday I'd love to attempt a wood cut!

Then there was the Otis Gibbs support gig at The Slaughtered Lamb in London. Nice gig. Thanks for all the people that came out to support me! Heres a quick pic of me and Gibbo after the show - its a bit dark but its is me, promise. Otis supported Billy Bragg on his American Tour last year. Heres hoping the Braggster will call on me for that honour one of these days!

what next - oh yes then my BIG DRIVE

I'd never been to Dorset before and I have to admit I was a little skeptical about driving all those miles from Norwich to Swanage just for one gig - but what a gig it was! The Square and Compass seemed to be a kind of beacon - as people from all over seemed to be drawn in for its atmosphere. I met some lovely lovely people and played a whole bunch of my songs including a rendition of 'Froggie Went A-Courtin'' in an effort to cheer up a crying child. It worked...for about 15 seconds! Walk in the country, check, Cider, check, Pasty, check, Lion Bar, check...

Then on to Brighton for a gig at one of my favourite places - 'Get Rhythm' at The Foundry in the lanes. The night is the brain-child of fellow singer-writer Danni Nicholls and all the music is totally unplugged which is a HUGE treat and all the better for stomping ones boots! Americana, Country, Gipsy, Folk, Roots - all the good stuff.

I had a fab day the next day despite horrid weather conditions, nerding around in Brighton and then headed home. Went to a lot of shops selling cowboy boots - but then didn't buy any!

As if that wasn't enough I got to play one of my other favourite gigs with one of my other favourite acts Grapevine at Bedfords with The Proposition. As always this crowd is a joy to play too and it was a fantastic night. If you missed it - sorry - you missed out!

It could almost be a Christmas card!