2022
New Simon Finn release & live dates
Buy here - Live at Cafe Oto 2021
This recording is from Simon's 31st August 2021 show at Cafe Oto. Simon performed two sets backed by Joolie Wood, Maja Elliott, Ian Hothersall and Mark Kluzek. A lot of the songs on the release aren't played as often and for that reason it is a fairly different track list to the 'Strict, Straight & Gorgeous' live album of 2020. Posters from the night are also available here
LIVE ANNOUNCEMENT!
Simon will be playing the following shows this year:
Leigh Folk Festival - June 25
Fanø Free Folk Festival - July 22-24
SuperNormal - August 12-14
& more to be announced.
2021
Simon Finn at Cafe Oto
TUESDAY 31 AUGUST 2021, 7.30PM
£12
£10 ADVANCE
£6 MEMBERS
For those venturing out into the viral world we'll be playing the below show in London at Cafe Oto 31st Aug.
It will be with the full band;
Joolie Wood - violin, melodica, vocals, recorder
Ian Hothersall - drums
Maja Elliott - piano, vocals
Mark Kluzek - bass guitar
After a number of cancelations and reschedulings we’re all looking forward to playing together.
It was to have been part of a 50th anniversary of Pass the Distance - if we all live long enough, that will happen when travelling becomes fluid again.
£12
£10 ADVANCE
£6 MEMBERS
Buy Tickets here: https://www.cafeoto.co.uk/events/simon-finn-2021/
2020
Simon Finn has created series of individual works of art. Each work is a pressed flower sewn onto a sheet with a printed poem 'Our Da Da (The Chord's Prayer)' .
From Simon:
"These floral zucchini moments take a few weeks to achieve, with most unable to reach their aspired to state; the flowers needing to be moistened and dried a number of times before being pressed and painted, after which they must finally survive my Victorian Singer's little grasping feet as they are sewn onto watercolour paper. Many flutter away at this challenging juncture and join the big Da Da in their altered state, but occasionally one is in a receptive mood.
It is of course a poignantly pointless if painstaking task, and as with life, it is only by constantly reminding oneself of the utter meaninglessness of it that one learns to master the exquisite sense of disappointment at the continual failure of paint and petal; a prescriptive mini mirror then of existence, to place on wall or window to help keep the Da Da's designs fresh to mind. They come seated next to The Chord's Prayer, which may be recited quietly under one's breath, or even bellowed with a ferociousness sufficient to excite The Boatman."
There are five available for sale at simonfinn.bandcamp.com/merch
---------------
Be Here Then was initially intended to be an album to coincide with a 50 year anniversary tour of Pass the Distance’s release, but it turned out this ageing frame had some cracks and needed a few new frets and a new bridge - once accomplished, the world then closed down for its own repairs.
When the full album, LP or CD will happen is unclear, so I’ll release tracks here and there when recording is possible. Many many thanks to Mark Kluzek for knowing where and how this is done, and for doing it! My knowledge of what I think of as the woe betide you web, and what others refer to the internet is limited, and after the 10 to 1 accounts were hacked some years ago, I became rather more wary of its perks.
Track history: I doubt it started life 2 or so years ago with The Sea Bracken Choir at Leigh-on-Sea, and then it took awhile for me to decide to let into the public realm.
Kings and Crazies was recorded in March 2020 with Joolie before either of us, or apparently the government, knew any better.
Thanks as always to Joolie Wood for her pre Covid vocals & melodica.
Our Da Da (The Chord’s Prayer), mostly came to me in a Moody Bluesian, Dystopian, Duchampian dream. Steve Krakow was putting together an online version of his Million Tongues Festival in Chicago. I didn’t have the courage to record anything live on my sofa for it, so Our Da Da was by way of a blessing. I have since sent a live (ish) version of Kings & Crazies which I recorded at home live and then added an additional track.
Suffice to say I am still passing the distance, and likely, though probably more by luck than judgement, so will the world.
I'll dedicate it to the romantics, who feel the worse thing that can happen to you in life is death - and also to the rest of us.
---
Be Here Then is available for pre-order here.
Two of the songs from the EP will feature at the Million Tongues Festival on August 2nd. Full details here .
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Unfortunately most of the shows below have been postponed due to the pandemic. Please watch this space!
Upcoming shows
Leigh Folk Festival: June 23 UK
Fano Folk Festival July 23-25
Alice, Copenhagen in the autumn, date to follow
Cafe Oto, London January 21, 2021
I was to do some shows to celebrate Pass the Distance's 50 year
anniversary this year. But they have had to be put on hold due to a
hernia and ulcers. Delighfully they are both being fixed.
So it is with a lot of pleasure that I can say that I will be playing The Fano Festival in Denmark which runs from July 23rd - 25th.
Much thanks to Rasmus for his patience. I can think of no better place to celbrate Distance passing, and indeed myself.
details of acts and times can be found on http://fanofreefolk.dk
2019
I took a break for year to have an arm operation which has now been fixed by a delightful and competent Dutch surgeon,so I can now take up Polevaulting should the mood strike.
More pleasurably still, I shall be doing some shows this year. The first will be in Copenhagen in March ,
followed by a show in Pisa., Tuscany in April.
COPENHAGEN Sat. 16TH March at ALICE
Nørre Allé 7
DK-2200 København N
Tlf.: +45 50 58 08 41
info@alicecph.com
I will be acompanied by Sarah Hepburn on Vocals and Harmonium and Mikkel Elzer on Drums & electic Guitar.
http://alicecph.com/event/simon-finn-uk/
BACKDOOR Friday 26th at 22hr.
Casa Del Pololo di Castelfranco di Sotto
Via Francesca Sud, 30 - C/Franco di Sotto (PI)
2017
All of us will be doing another show together in Folkstone Dec 9thAt the Lime Bar
46 Tontine Street, Folkestone, CT20 1JU
Doors open 7.30pm concerts start at 8pm
I'll be playing a couple of shows in the UK with the delightful Doomed Bird of Providence and Harpoon Group, this autumn.
Starting off at: The Colchester Arts Centre, Sept 13th & The Golden Lion, Todmorden, Friday Sept 15th.
Todmorden is a couple of miles from Hebdon Bridge I believe.
We will also be playing in Cambridge at the
The Blue Moon
THU 14TH SEP, 2017 8:00pm
If everyones shedules and shows sync we hope to do some others together in November.
I'll be playing at Cafe Oto April 16th with Bob Theil, whom I look forward to hearing.
That's Easter Sunday, by the way, so we can hopefully soften the blow for those that found no eggs.
I will be doing a show in Rome, March 16th at "The Flying Donkey"
This concert is a fund raiser for The Italian Insider , one of the few remaining papers still being sent to print. And also one of the few remaining papers that have things of any relevance to say. For reservations and concert details go to: info@italianinsider.it
2016
Good way to end the year:
Thanks to Michal Porwet in Gdansk & Marcin Barski in Krakow for looking after me so well. It was wonderful to see both cities again, though one day I must arrange to be there in summer. It was very chilly.
Thanks also to John Philips for his unexpectedly in depth review of the show for the Italian Insider. It lent my songs a rather more generous political bent than they've usually received, but I understand he's mainly a political correspondent for the Times & Independent. That said, I've never felt more political in my life than at the present time, so he was likely interpreting my unconscious.
I should correct one detail in John's review - Though I would have been ecstatic to have been "mentored" by Leonard Cohen, I love his work, but in truth other than once delivering and helping him lay a Persian rug in his Montreal apt. we only spent one night together; in the 80s with a mutual friend and poet Bill Fury, who'd introduced us. He was both delightful, and delightfully intelligent, qualities we could use a lot more of in the world at the moment.
POLAND:
November shows
I will play at the Gdansk Art Centre, on the 27th,
Address: Jaskółcza 1, 80-767 Gdańsk, Poland
Tel: +48 58 305 40 50
and in Krakow on the 28th at Baza, 15 Florianska Str., Krakow
We will be playing at Cafe Oto: March 14th
We will also play the Colchester Arts Centre, June 30th 2016.
A huge thanks to everyone who arranged and made playing in Denmark such a pleasure:
at The Jazz House: Mads Pedersen, Rasmus Steffensen, & Andreas
Korsgaard Rasmussen, & Anders Feerup for the most amazing sound
with his collection of strategically placed & magical microphones.
A real thrill to play acoustic guitar into. As it once was before the
world of pick-ups intruded.
In Aarlborg, The Northern Winter Beat Festival at the Huset
Thanks to Michael Marino, who it gradually became clear to me not only
runs the whole festival, books it, did our sound, and ten other things,
but also has a relationship and children. And astonishingly was always
smiling!. Thanks, Michael for everything. An inspiration.
And of course, as always, Sarah & Mikkel, Blood on a Feather, who
made the both the practices & traveling as enjoyable as the shows.
And the shows were really great! We will do others!
I will be playing two shows in Denmark in January which I am very much looking forward to; both shows will be as a group with the inventive sounds and percussion of Sarah Hepburn and Mikkel Elzer of Blood on a Feather.
Friday Jan 29th at: Jazzhouse, Copenhagen
Niels Hemmingsens Gade 10, 1153 Copenhagen K
http://jazzhouse.dk
&
Saturday Jan 30th at: Northern Winter Beat Festival, Aalborg
http://winterbeat.dk
2015
25th Oct: Colchester Arts Centre 12 noon.
l'll be hosting an evening celebrating The Beatles album Revolver at the Colchester Arts Centre this sunday (25th Oct).
Playing it recently induced many eidetic and surprisingly pleasant memories for me. I should probably play a couple of other albums some time. The original vinyl album will be played in entirety.
17th April: Colchester Arts Centre 7.30pm
Joolie (Wood) will be singing and playing at the Colchester Arts Centre on April 17th. Mark Kluzek (The Doomed Birds of Providence) and I will be joining her on stage, Mark on accordion myself on electric guitar. Joolie's voice has always held for me a special quality of unflinching vulnerability and I always look forward to hearing it.
I think this will be the first time Joolie's had an accordion player in her group, it works wonderfully; and Mark is real pleasure to rehearse with.
9th Feb: Cafe Oto 8pm
www.cafeoto.co.uk/events
We are very much looking forward to playing again at the wonderful Cafe Oto. This set will be with Joolie Wood on violin & various things that are blown into & Ian Hothersall
on drums. It will be both electric and acoustic. I realize that it will
in fact be the first time I've played in London with a drummer since
1970. Time flies. Grimm Grimm has been kind enough to open which I am also really looking forward t.o
Another bit of Cafe Oto news. David Toop will be joining us on a couple of songs from Pass the Distance.
David and I haven't played together live for 45 years! We met up
recently to try and work out what key, if any, we'd played them in.
Once that was sorted it all seemed to fall into place wondrously
smoothly.
Cafe OTO, 18 - 22 Ashwin street, London. E8 3DL. Details and directions
can be found at www.cafeoto.co.uk
Dec 2nd, 2014: Colchester Arts Centre - The Arts Centre is always a luxury to play. It has lovely people and fabulous sound. This show will be with Joolie Wood & Ian Hothersal on Drums, and I will be playing a mix of electric and acoustic.
Also playing will be Fishclaw, a group I heard for the first time two months ago and loved.
Leigh-on-Sea folk festival: June 30th.
I understand there are a number of venues. I will be playing in the church at 5pm on Sunday.
Colchester Arts Centre: August 21st.
This will be with United Bible Studies & Dead Rat Orchestra
Copenhagen: Sept 5th. at Huset, with Blood on a Feather and The Great Park
I will be back in Canada Sept 17th.
Colchester Arts Centre: 12th Sept
Before I leave I will be doing a "plugged" experimental set at the Colchester Arts Centre opening for United Bible Studies. Whom I look forward to hearing. I haven't seen Alison since Nidge's birthdays party.
By "experimental" I mean only that I will be playing an electric
guitar and be playing a some songs I've not previously used mixec with
some longer and different versions of songs I have used.
Arriving Montreal:
I will be arriving in Montreal, Sept 24th. It will be really wonderful to see everyone again.
The Fano festival was a wonderful experience in every way; as part of the show, part of the audience, and part tourist.
Thank you Rasmus (Steffensen) for a really enjoyable and unique few
days. It was wonderful to spend as relaxed a time with so much
music and energy. The festival seemed to have worked as a very
succesful human filter. Virtually all the people attending,
either as players or audience, were talented and/or interesting and/or
delightful to be around.
I also want to thank Blood on a Feather,
(Sarah & Mikkel) for being kind enough to join Joolie and I, on top
of doing their own set. Thank you!! It worked very well and with your
permission we will do it again!
DENMARK:
Fano Festival July 27th - 29th
Joolie and I will be playing at the Fano Festival on Fano Island, in Denmark. I am not sure which day yet.
Joolie will also be doing her own set! And Sarah Loraine Hepburn
will be playing with us. Both on my own set and on Joolie's.
Sarah played and sang with me last time I came to Copenhagen and is
fab!
We all had a really fabulous time in Spain thanks to so many people's
effort. A really big thank you to Edu at Girodisco for putting
everyone together as well as aranging the Madrid show.
Marta & Alfredo, the dinner you took us all too afterwards in
Vitorio we are still talking about. Alex thank you for an amazing
lunch, we loved your bar (and John!). Ivan thank you for
Santiago, and Brandan for his kindness, everything was so perfect. My
only sadness is that I should have stayed a little longer!
And thanks too to Nidge, for being the world's best road manager, and keeping us all sane and on-board.
UK:
May 09th - Colchester Arts Centre
Joolie, Maja and I will be doing a show at the Colchester Arts Centre.
It is one of the loveliest venues in the UK and the sound is always
wonderful there. If I'm lucky there will also be someone with one of my
favourite voices playing.
Lille and Copenhagen were both really wonderful shows and lovely places to play.
In Copenhagen: thank you
to Mads & Lasse and to Klaus at the Studenterhuset, it is the 3rd
time playing there and it has been perfect each time. And a very big
thank you to Sarah Hepburn for being kind enough to add her lovely
voice and instraments to brighten some of my songs . And thanks to Aron
and Blood on a Feather for playing.
In Lille: Thanks to
Arthur for arranging everything, and Guillaume, "Radio" Charles (I'm a
terrible interviewee!) and Le Malterie for hosting the show, Thanks to
Raphaelle for doing sound. And the incredible audience for their
warmth; your encores used up all the songs I'd rehearsed. So a
big thank you to the person who saved my life by suggesting I repeat a
song.
SPAIN:
In a couple of
weeks I will be heading off to Spain with Joolie (Wood), Maja (Elliott)
for the below shows. Nidge Ince will be accompanying us as our, badly
needed, tour manager.
Mar 14th - Vitorio,
Spain. Vitoria-Gasteiz's University
Mar 15th - Bermeo,
Spain. Ateneo Cultural Beleza Malandra
Mar 16th - Madrid,
Spain. Club Ganimedes "Nasti" Calle de San Vicente Ferrer, 33, 28004 Madrid
Mar 18th - Santiago, Spain Theatre Principal Compostella.
FRANCE
Feb 22nd - Lille, France.
La Malterie, 42 rue Kuhlmann 59000, Lille
Sam Nolin will also play. And I'm hoping he will play "Her Marshmallows were Grey" - one of my favourites
DENMARK
Feb 2nd - Copenhagen, Dnmrk Studenterhuset
also playing at this show will be Aron and Blood on a Feather
which I very much look forward to hearing
A big
thank you from Joolie, Maja and myself to everyone who made the London
show what it was. That magic combination where the sound, venue, and
audience were all wonderful. Thank you James for doing such an amazing
job on sound, everyone after the show mentioned it. (I'm seldom aware
'til then!)
Thanks Jenna for your work, and Rich for arranging Cafe Oto. And as
always special thanks to Joolie & Maja whose voices and playing
were truly amazing.
London show: Café Oto. Saturday Dec 10th
This show
will be with the wonderful Joolie Wood & Maja Elliott
Black Carrot will be
opening the evening
Cafe OTO, 18 - 22 Ashwin street, London. E8 3DL. Details and directions
can be found at www.cafeoto.co.uk
A 3rd night in Tokyo has now been
added.
All dates & details are
below
Japan:
Fri. Jan 28th - Mandra-RA2 Kichijoji, Tokyo
Sat. Jan 29th - U.F.O. Club Koeji, Tokyo
Sun. Jan 30th - TRAUMARIS, Nadiff, Tokyo
http://www.traumaris.jp/
UK:
Thur. Feb 17th - Colchester Arts Centre, Colchester
Denmark:
Thur. Nov 25th - Studenterhuset, CopenhagenAlso playing at this show will be: Kloster + Of the Wand & Moon
Sept 23rd, Casa, Montreal, Canada
London: HMV Forum May 28th
Single for HMV show
St. Etienne
June 11th Festival Toto, Musee de la Mine,
Saint Etienne, France (Faust will play on the 12th)
Marseille
Paris
Madrid
