Apologies from Phil To those who have ordered merchandise from me recently and havent had their orders. I would like to apologise for this, its simply that I have been away so much and havent been at home for more than a 24 hr stretch at a time. I am rectifying this as i write, but thought it fair to explain to you all. ----- 2008 is proving to to be a busy year. I have my act together now thanks to Tina and she is now beginning to compile a Phil Bates emailing list. I will try my best to send out a quarterly email update on my activities, so to register please email Phil Bates ------ BEATLES, BLUES & BLUE VIOLIN PROMO ONGOING Yesterday, Sunday 3rd August, national ads appeared in the Sunday Mirror, promoting the forthcoming Orchestra tour, which of course is very pleasing. BBBV starts as soon as The Orchestra dates have been completed. Here is the back of the new flyer which accompaines the tour. We need everyone to help us to ptomote this tour as of course this project, although important to us does not have the budget to do major ads. We need your support to spread the word
ORCHESTRA UK PROMO ONGOING
EXTRA EASTERN EUROPEAN We have just confirmed the locations of the Eastern European dates for Orchestra, there are two extra dates in St. Petersburg, Russia. Then it's straight onto a plane to Birmingham for the Middleton Hall show. Phew !! -------
Those who live within travelling distance of Burnham On Sea in Somerset will be delighted to see that the Beatles, Blues and Blue Violin Tour has added a very special extra date on the evening of the spectacular Burnham On Sea spectacular Illuminated Carnival. This is all happening on Monday 10th November. The carnival starts at around 7.30pm and the concert will commence at approx 9.30pm. Many thousands of people from all over Britain make the journey to this part of Somerset to watch the November carnivals. Watching dozens of dazzling illuminated floats parade through the streets is an amazing spectacle.Over one hundred giant Carnival floats pass -------
Virgin Rock with Russ Williams. website Gold Radio with David Jenson. website BBC Radio Leeds with Paul Carrington. website BBC Radio York with Adam Tomlinson. website BBC Radio Stoke with Tim Wedgewood. website BBC Radio Kent with Roger Day. website -------- Phil, Mik and Tina unveil the Beatles, Blues & Blue Viloin Project in illustrious company on Bank Holiday Monday 26th May. They will be appearing on the Maverick Tent Stage at 11.30 am. Mondays billing also includes Peter Tork of The Monkees, Midge Ure, 60's Legend Donovan, The Animals ....... Day tickets are available on the gate, check www.acousticfestival.co.uk for details. It's time for a spring clean in Bates mansion, Phil has been donning his mop cap and apron, and having a right old clear out since his return from the successful Orchestra tour and has given Tina a great promotional photograph to add to the shop, for those collectors of memorabilia, which he has individually signed for you to purchase should your heart desire. -------- New Phil Bates Band and Orchestra Dates on Gig Page Fully refreshed after a little break, I am now getting back into the swing of things. There are a few new dates in the diary for June and July which are now on the gigs listing. There are some details missing at the moment until I have the information to hand. This will be added as soon as possible. ------ Great New Site for You To Look At The Orchestra have a page on 4th Beat, its well worth looking at, you can hear two tracks and their are also pics and lots of other stuff. Tina has just registered too so there will be some Eleanor Rigby Experience and BBBV stuff on soon. CLICK TO GO TO THE ORCHESTRA'S PAGE ON 4TH BEAT ------ Thanks Everyone, You Were Great Well its the last day of the tour and I have to confess to being a little tired and am looking forward to getting home. But its been a great experience and I have had a thoroughly enjoyable time. I would like to thank all the management and crew and most of all I would like to thank all of those who came to the shows, you made it a real party. ------ The Acoustic Festival of Britain 2008 at Catton Hall
------ A Little Reward for Services to Music Myself, Mik and Tina really appreciate all the hard work and dedication that Serena Torz of u-l-s puts into her passion for the music she loves. As a little thank you from us, we have decided to issue Serena with a special guest pass for any Beatles, Blues and Blue Violin show in the November 2008 or March 2009 tours. We cannot thank Serena enough for the work she does. ------ Fancy writing a Review?
If you have a passion for our music and have recently been to a gig, or a festival, and fancy writing a review for inclusion on this website, please send it to Tina at this website ----- Beyond the Eleanor Rigby Experience Click to see why they made us blush, thanks!! ------
------ Beatles, Blues & Blue Violin drop in at The home of The Beatles
------ The first short tour of the BBBV project has now been confirmed. It will be taking place in November 2008 (Thursday 6th to Sat 15th). Four dates are already in, but will be shown on the gig guide when contracts are exchanged. Flyers will be available at forthcoming UK Orchestra dates. A more lengthy tour of the UK is planned for Spring 2009. ------- There is an old saying that the early bird catches the worm, and we have certainly taken that on board. Today we have confirmed that myself and Tina will this year be returning to the magnificent Middleton Hall on Saturday 6th December to present our annual Acoustic Christmas Show. We are also preparing to present a special Summer Garden Party on the lawns of Middeton Hall, the date will be announced soon. We are hoping the Mik Kaminski will join us for both shows, but this is yet to be confirmed.
------ AN ALBUM ANNOUNCEMENT FROM PHIL
------ NEW PROJECT WITH MIK KAMINSKI
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RETROSPEKTIV features contributions from Jo Bates (Dancing on the edge of a Knife), Mik Kaminski (Port in a storm), and Pedro Brown (Township Tourist), and a song co-written with Martyn Baylay (Fear of a lonely heart). The cover is designed by my friend from Sounds Promotion, Rathenow, Enrico Arndt, and features photography by another German friend, Ilka Heun. The plan is to have it for sale via this website and from my gigs as soon as possible. Plans for 2007 on the solo front are to focus more on roots/blues as far as gigs and recordings are concerned. I plan to have a blues CD recorded and ready for release by the end of 2007, although this might spill over into 2008. I also plan to bring my German R&B/blues band, provisionally named Loose Change feat. Phil Bates for UK gigs, over to the UK in November for as many gigs as I can get. More news later. Would also like to record something with Tina McBain later in 2007 if time and inspiration allow. Also, I am talking to Mik Kaminski about the possibility of doing something together again next year – gigs and recording. I'll keep you posted. |
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I am pleased to say that the promotion for the forthcoming UK tour is well underway. The management and band have been working hard on PR since the end of the last tour. The scan on the left shows a tour ad which featured in the National Sunday red top, The Sunday Mirror, on 27th July 2008.
Signed Phil Bates Promotional Photograph on sale 
Today sees the start of the UK tour with The Orchestra. I am just heading off to Reading. I thought we should post this before I leave. 
Dear Oh Dear! things are hectic at the moment for yours truly. What with the forthcoming Orchestra tour and the Beatles, Blues and Blue Violin project taking shape. But i am pleased to announce that we will be officially launching the BBBV project at one of the biggest acoustic festivals in Britain on Bank Holiday Monday (26th May 2008) when we will be appearing on the bill with such artists as Donovan, Midge Ure, The Animals, Peter Tork of the Monkees. All the details of this fantastic three day festival can be found at 
Doesn't time fly? It's coming up to ten years since Tina, myself and the rest of the mottley crew were touring with a project called The Eleanor Rigby Experience. The tours and the albums I remember with fondness. Tina is currently putting together a look back compilation of the ERE material which she hopes to have ready for later this year. Hopefully, in time for our Summer Garden Party at Middleton Hall (details will be added to the site when dates are finalised) I am hoping to find the time to try to add a couple of new tracks for inclusion. So for those of you who never experienced the Experience, and would like to pre order a copy of this limited edition CD, you can email 
I am happy to announce that I have been approached by the Orchestra (or Former Members of ELO and ELO Pt2 - take your pick) to join them on the departure of Pathenon Huxley in August 2007, and I have decided to take them up on their offer. The start date is not yet 100% certain, but it will be somewhere around the end of August. Equally, there are no gigs set in cement yet, but I will post them on my gig list when there is something firm. This means that my current gig list suddenly becomes out of date.
Phil and Mik Kaminski have agreed on a joint project which they will begin preliminary work on during the next few weeks. The provisional title of the project is 'Beatles, Blues and Blue Violin'. The Cd will do what it says in the title and explore some new arrangements of Beatles songs, especially where the Beatles and the Blues meet. Alongside this, Mik and Phil will revisit some of the ideas they were kicking around 10 years ago when they last played and recorded together. Live concerts will include the above, plus ELO material, naturally.
Phil will be playing some dates with ace American blues singer, Lisa Mills. Phil and Lisa first played together in 2005 at the 'Going Up Country Blues Festival' at Worthenberry, near Wrexham, something they will be repeating on June 30th 2007.
Released April 2007 is my new CD ‘RETROSPEKTIV' – it is, as the title suggests, a retrospective look at my 10 year solo career and features 17 tracks selected from my 4 solo Cds since 1996, plus a track recorded with Rosie, my daughter. | home | news | biog | gigs | gallery | links | guestbook |
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