Launceston

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Drew Nelson played at No8 Cafe Launceston

first gig of his UK Tour 2010

Drew Nelson singer songwriter at No8 Cafe
Drew Nelson performing at it No8 Cafe Launceston

Colin Hill sent me an email to tell me about the next musician he had lined up at No8 Cafe  and he seemed really excited. Now I know why. Drew played on Independence Day last year at no8 and he was very well received and still remembered by many.

Drew mentioned at one point that he felt that playing again at No8, was like coming back to a place where he knew he was amongst friends. That's nice.

Drew Nelson grew up in MIchigan and later joined the Navy and travelled the world. Returning from his travels around the globe he saw the old familiar small town communities through a different pair of eyes.

Drew's songs are inspired by ordinary everyday events, hometown, travelling the road, friends and family. politics, economics and eavesdropping. Whilst talking with Drew he said that some songs come to him in a flash, whilst other songs may sit around for years before going out to the public. Sometimes he felt inspired by catching snippets of conversation. I can almost imagine Drew sitting in a cafe listening to the chatter around him and thinking to himself "can you talk a little louder please, I am trying to write a song"!

Drew proved he could come up with a spontaneous song when he opened the window and the sound of workmen sawing timber and  local girls laughing and talking as they walked  by on the pavement below, entered the room .  Drew closed the window and started to sing. If he ever produces a song called "Jigsaws and Cornish Girls"  you know where it came from!

Drew Nelson on tour in UK 2010
Drew Nelson live at No8 Launceston Cornwall

  Drew places his songs in two categories. Happy and sad. We were privaleged to to find out that some songs he  sang for us tonight were sung for the first time ever and in fact one song was only two days old! Drew introduced  each song by telling us about the source of inspiration,  which always make the song understandable and gives meaning to the lyrics.

Drew Nelson on UK tour at No8 Cafe
Drew Nelson singer/songwriter in Launceston Cornwall

Some times when listening to a person sing you can say oh he sounds like......and come up with name, sometimes when listening to a song you may think of a style and draw comparisons, well all I can say is that Drew Nelson sounds like......Drew Nelson, and his style of music is very much like that of... Drew Nelson. He is funny, pleasant, friendly, approachable and very entertaining. He is a brilliant musician, singer and songwriter.

Graham Sleeman who provided all the equipment and monitored the sound,said people like Drew were easy to do the sound for because the instrument and the voice were so good, that once the sound desk was set up there was very little to do except enjoy the music. 

Drew makes his own instruments and he said as he tuned the guitar that it thought it was still a tree, meaning it still had life in it. It was certainly alive in Drews hands. His guitar sounded lovely and I thought a couple of times is the man playing the guitar or the guitar playing the man?  Perfect partners.

Drew Nelson Poster for No8
Drew Nelson signed poster.

 After Drew had played his encore, he was busy signing the CD's which he had for sale, along with sweatshirts, the proceeds of which go directly to a very worthy cause.... the Mortgage! I took a poster off the wall which Drew kindly autographed for me. Thank you very much Drew.

No8 Cafe and coffee shop is found in Westgate Street Launceston opposite the post office.

Telephone number -01566 777369

Special Thanks to

Colin Hill for another wonderful night of great entertainment

Adrian Harvey for the lovely venue

All the very friendly staff  for being very friendly staff

Graham Sleeman for the fantastic sound

Drew Nelson for sharing your passion

Drew Nelson has a deep spiritual conection with the planet Earth and the people who live on it and call it home. When I think of home I think of it as "Here On Mother Earth" I am sure Drew would agree. Native American Indian influences come across very strongly in the song "Grand Mother Moon" and "Raindance." Drew has seen first hand the damage and destruction caused by large companies seeking only profit, caring little about the environment or the displacement of  local people who watch their lands disappear.

Please visit Drew Nelsons website where you can download free music and learn more about his desire to help the people who are defending sacred territory called Eagle Rock from a mining company.

 

To find a gig near you visit Drew Nelsons Show Schedule

Albums by Drew Nelson

Dusty Road to Beulah Land          Immigrant Son

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For an evening of poetry and prose,
 come down by yer, to Jericho's
Poetry in Jericho's
A night of poetry in Liberty House Launceston

Thursday 9th September at Jericho's in Liberty House in Launceston is Poetry and Prose night. This is an evening of poetry inspired by Janet Guest
The first Poetry and Prose evening at Jericho's was held on Thursday 22nd July.
Janet has a great love of poetry and entertained the audience by reading poems by Pam Ayers, Charles Causley and Rudyard Kipling amongst others. Janet also read some funny poems she had written herself.

Chocolate cake by Michael Rosen  
 
I love chocolate cake.
And when I was a boy
I loved it even more.....

Rudyard Kipling  (if)

IF you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you,
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
But make allowance for their doubting too;
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or being lied about, don't deal in lies,
Or being hated, don't give way to hating,
And yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise:
If you can dream - and not make dreams your master;
If you can think - and not make thoughts your aim;
If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster
And treat those two impostors just the same;
If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,
And stoop and build 'em up with worn-out tools:

If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings
And never breathe a word about your loss;
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: 'Hold on!'

If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
' Or walk with Kings - nor lose the common touch,
if neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you,
If all men count with you, but none too much;
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds' worth of distance run,
Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it,
And - which is more - you'll be a Man, my son!

 Janets has written her own version of (if)
and is called (if all the world were chocolate)

Janet also read

Mary, Mary Magdalene
Lying on the wall
I throw a pebble on your back
Will it lie or fall?

From Mary, Mary Magdalene by Charles Causley

I remember as a kid, standing with my back to the wall and gently throwing a smallish stone back over my head to see if it would land (and stay) on Mary's back.  The carving of Mary can be found on the end wall of the St Mary Magdalene church. The story is that a stone lodged on her back will bring good luck.

Mary Magdelin Church in Launceston
Mary Magdalene with stones on her back

Alan Guest also told  some stories about his dad Ken and the life's lessons and inspirations he had learnt from him and how he hopes to share them with you.

John Bailey read a piece called "here are two stories".

This will become a regular event to be held on the second Thursday of each month.
Come along and listen and if you would like to share a story, read a poem or piece of literature that would be great.

You can bring a drink with you or tea, coffee, soft drinks and a selection of Mels home made cakes will be available for purchase.