Hi there.
We're about to set off on tour, taking our* show The Transports to towns across Britain. It seems a good time to tell a story of exile to Australia in the 1780s, reflecting that migration has always been part of history.
If you'd like to know more about the show, here's a short film, and here's me talking about it on BBC R4 Front Row (starts around 14.15). Plus our website's got lots of information.
The tour's largely sold-out, but there are still a few tickets at Cambridge this Tuesday 24th Jan, Glasgow on 25th, Sage Gateshead 26th (very few), Milton Keynes 31st, Crawley 1st Feb and Shoreham-by-Sea 3rd Feb.
Our London gig's been full for a while, but Crawley is only 30-40 minutes from central London to Three Bridges station - so Londoners, if you're interested, why not take a trip out there? (It starts in Crawley at 7.30pm and will be finished by 9.30pm).
Alongside writing and rehearsing The Transports, I've been busy putting together our Parallel Lives programme. This aims, town by town, to contrast stories of people who emigrated from there in past centuries with those who've settled there recently. At each gig we're partnering with a local refugee or migrant support group, who'll be there at the venue to talk about what they do.
*We, of course, means myself plus a gaggle of folk's finest. It's an honour, and a joy, to be sharing a stage with The Young'uns, Faustus, Nancy Kerr, Greg Russell and Rachael McShane. So even if you tire of my storytelling, there's a ridiculously high quality of music to be enjoyed in this show.
Later in the year we have one more date for The Transports - at Shrewsbury Folk Festival in August.
Other news
I'll be performing Human Cargo with The London Lubbers near Brighton on 2nd March. The lovely Robb Johnson's asked us to perform at his Railway Roots club at The Railway Inn, Portslade. We're looking to set up other Human Cargo dates for the Spring.
My music hall gig at Sharp's Folk Club in December turned a bit wild. Have a listen to the highlights here - but be warned: the jokes are shocking, and it's a long way from talking about slavery and transportation.
What a year
It's been an odd twelve months. Writing and publishing Human Cargo last February ... organising housing & clean air campaigns in North London ... election agent for the May elections ... putting together the Somme concert in June ... touring Human Cargo around summer festivals ... preparing 90 minutes of music hall material for the autumn ... writing and rehearsing The Transports.
And in the middle of that, my beloved Marie died last August. Two days ago I sold her flat, finally, having gradually dispersed the gatherings of her life. People have shared many stories about her. Here's a short one, from last week, about her continuing influence on the young people who grew up around her. One of our neighbours, and great friends, told me her elder daughter - who'd recently got into a big law firm after university - had now rejected that path because a) she wasn't enjoying it and b) she asked WWMD (What would Marie do?). It was a large decision with the world so hard for young people, but Marie's memory made it easier. I miss her now more than ever. As she would always say when departing - go well.
So, thank you for enduring this massive missive of Me Me Me. (And if you'd like some more Me check out my website, facebook or twitter.)
Meantime, go well.
Best wishes, Matthew
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