LATEST NEWS

Welcome Angel, Kaz, Matt and Ollie to our band

Band members come and go, and we miss the talents of those who have moved on.  But, it has been very enjoyable and fulfilling searching for musicians to help showcase my songs.   We are proud to welcome Angel and Kaz into the band, adiing wonderful lead and harmony singing, also Matt playing superb bass, and some fine, distinctive electric and acoustic guitar and keyboards from Ollie.  You can read more about these musicians HERE. 

Another very enjoyable evening at Bath Festival

It was a treat, performing for an appreciative crowd of Bath Festival visitors,  Unluckily,  Barry had contracted laryngitus in the run up to the evening and almost completely lost his voice, so our new singer Angel very bravely agreed to prepare and sing all the songs in our set.  She performed them beautifully and well earned the appreciation of the audience.   Thanks, also, to Bristol poet David Punter, whose poems added to the depth and colour of some our songs.  We were also supported by the very able and energetic upright acoustic bass played by James Anderson.

Many thanks to Gerie Herbert, Paul Amesbury on PA, and Bath Festival for giving us this gig.  Playing at Bath Festival for Party in the City is always one of the highlights of our year.

Our latest CD - Legacy

Our latest CD was released early 2023.  It includes more of Barry's new songs as well as revisiting some old favourites.  The CD was recorded and mixed once again at the J&J Studios in Eastville, Bristol in the expert hands of Jim Barr.  It was well-mastered by our usual sound engineer Pete Maher. 

The CD features many guest musicians and  featured performers;  details on the CD.   

A list of songs and pieces on the CD opposite and some demos below.

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 The CD is also available for streaming from Spotify here.   and  Apple Music

Resilience CD

 Here are some screenshots of the wallet artwork from our previous CD, Resilience, published early 2020.   Featuring musicians from the Fridge Mechanics band, as well as guest musicians.  Click on the images below to see more details.  

The CD was recorded in November 2019 at J&J Studios in Easton, Bristol in the excellent hands of engineer Patrick Philips, and mastered by Pete Maher in London. 

It is currently being given away for free, but inviting a donation to the Ukrainian Appeal at all our gigs or by sending £5 to Paypal (have credit/debit card ready.  £1 will be added to cover postage, please contact enquiries@barry-lane-songwriter.org.uk to enquire about posting overseas)   The proceeds will be donated to the Ukrainian Appeal. 

<<CLICK IMAGES FOR LARGER  VERSION >>

 Thanks to all the musicians, engineers and friends who contributed toward making this CD possible, not least of all all of you who support our music at gigs.   

Watch!
Please visit our new Watch section to see some more videos of the band performing at various festivals and clubs. Including, some older sessions of Barry performing with various retired members of the Fridge Mechanics at the now closed Valindra Open Mic in 2015.  Some great instrumental playing from Jamie Hill and James Anderson.  Also, videos of the band performing at Keynsham Music Festival 2019 and our Kino sessions Xmas Bash 2019.  

Gigs 2023?
We have enjoyed a year of festivals and clubs, especially with such a talented and creative team of musicians driving the engine of the Fridge Mechanics.  Gigs included Bath Festival, returning to BRLSI in Queens Square, a really enjoyable folk club booking in Shepton Mallet, our usual favourite events at Victoria Park Festival, Art on the Hill, a spot on the chill stage at Priston Festival, and an informal pre-Xmas gig for round the year off. 

Live performance is the life blood of bands, and singer/songwriters.  Introducing our songs to audiences, talking to people about them, and feeling the energy of people really listening.  There's nothing like it!  We hope to see you at one of our gigs in 2023 and 2024!

Animations and Videos

 IF I HAD THAT SHIRT VIDEO - SONGSHEET #1

I have always been fascinated by the possibilities of integrating visual imagery with music and over the years have sometimes used films and slides when performing some of my songs.  Some of you will know The Shirt Song, a song I wrote about a tramp I used to see gazing longingly at a shirt in a shop window in Saville Row, London.  The song is all about dreaming and wishing and I always imagined a cartoon o r animation to bring this story to life.  In 2015, I hired an Australian animator Durand Greig http://is.gd/hG2KsV to interpret the song for us.  He did a wonderful job, there is a still from it on this page.  You can play it on this page, also here is a Youtube link to it if you want to view it full screen;  https://youtu.be/WJ8YlSxt-M8  Hope you enjoy it!  Let me know?  Leave some comments on YouTube!  I like the idea of sharing songs like this, with lyrics and images combined with a recording, so this will be Songsheet #1 of a series I will publish on Youtube this year.  I will be asking some other animators to produce some more interpretations of the songs we do.

NAILHOUSE - SONGSHEET #2
Some of you will have heard a new song, Nailhouse, we performed last December at the Cafe Kino and at the Square Club in Clifton.  This song is about Chinese people who refuse to move their homes when a motorway or office block is but the authorities build them around their houses, until they eventually flamethrow or bully them out.  Their homes are called Nailhouses because they are 'nailed' to the ground. 

I was moved and fascinated by the images of Nailhouses on Google, so I wrote a song about it. A film maker called Diana Taylor, in Clifton, Bristol UK http://is.gd/0Lam7K heard us performing this song, and has made a film based on the song lyrics and story ofNailhouses.  The film is an apt and powerful interpretation of the lyrics and music.  We are proud to present this.