Years ago I met RJ Ellory, best-selling author extraordinaire at a writing festival in York. My performance of ‘Lizard Luck’ (to a backing track by the esteemed Scott McMahon) went down like a lead balloon! The uptight faces of freaked-out diners at the fancy gala dinner remains vivid as does the way I so quickly became persona non grata. At the end of the festival Roger gave a keynote speech to a thousand people during which someone asked him what advice he would give to new writers? His majestic reply was ‘be more like Mark Waddell..’ You could have a heard a pin-drop as the gathered crowds sucked in their breath in disbelief!
Roger and I recently hooked up at The Forge in Camden where he was appearing with his Country-blues band The Whiskey Poets, and I had the pleasure of introducing them live on stage. What a night it was - to hear them was to take a roadtrip in an open-top cadillac under endless American skies, shootin’ cacti along the way before heading to the nearest bar for a bourbon ‘n brawl! On top of that they’re great musicians, with Martin Smith, formerly of ELO on guitar, Rob Oliver (a stint with Paper Lase) and Roger Nunn (of B.Good fame) and the songs are stories in themselves.......stunning stuff.
On Thurs 20th Oct I’m gonna MC a night of music with The Whiskey Poets, supported by Robbie Ransom and Tom Hartley Booth at The Magic Garden, Battersea, London. Its free, there’s beer, great music, a few poems and a magic garden, what more can you want?!
C’mon and have a blast - we’ll stick 2 fingers up to the mundane!
Click below for The Magic Garden gig details....
www.magicgardenpub.com
Click below to find out why ‘Lizard Luck’ was so hated...
www.markwaddell.com/audio.html
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