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phil bates

Musician | songwriter |producer|  

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Oktober 25th, 1:14 pm

Phil Bates
Hello all. Important announcement.It looks as if I will have to postpone tomorrow night’s concert at the Core, Solihull - 26th October.I have completely lost my voice, and almost every ounce of energy in my body. Whether it is a bad cold/covid/flu, I am not sure, but it has rendered me useless.I would play the concert if it was just down to me feeling like crap, but I have no voice, speaking or singing. Pretty sure it will not return in the next 24 hours. If I had any confidence it would, I would go ahead with the concert.I want to re-schedule as SOON as possible, and I will let you know when I know.Very disappointing because I was looking forward to this one, and I had been rehearsing quite heavily for it, working on a few new ideas.MANY, MANY apologies, but I will keep you posted 🙏❤️🙏☯️ ... See MoreSee Less

Oktober 22nd, 8:29 am

Phil Bates
Still in Berlin after a strange few days. Two nice solo concerts in Studio 7, Panketal. Nice audiences who were largely appreciative, but it all just highlights the fact that I do not have many more solo concerts left in me now.My hands were a problem after 2 hours, or so, on the acoustic guitar, but it also highlights the other fact that I do not want to play ELO songs in this context any more.I have some nice arrangements which I enjoy developing and playing, but I NEED change and variety. It is not even my own songs I want to focus on, but there are so many other great songs from people like Steve Earle, Tom Waits, Bruce Springsteen, and more, alongside some Celtic and traditional tunes, and, of course, much more blues. As long as I am so heavily connected with ELO music, and this is why people want me to come and play for them, it is what they expect, this is not going to change.So that is another reason why I will be doing less and less solo work, and then stopping completely next year.I do plan to do a couple of small concerts next year in which it will be ME and my music, just to put a full stop at the end of things, and to say goodbye and thank you.Not sure where or when, but I will let you know.Also, hopefully, returns to Ruthin and Leek, which have been mainstays of my solo work over the last 20+ years.Flying home in a couple hours exhausted. I can’t sleep in hotels.But, see some of you on Saturday at Solihull Core Studio Theatre ☯️🙏😄❤️ ... See MoreSee Less

Oktober 19th, 8:10 pm

Phil Bates
When you come close to the end of your career and musical life, you become reflective, inevitably. Different bands, projects etc from different periods come spontaneously to mind.YouTube is often a reminder. Just got reminded of 2015 and a degree of diversity I was involved in.The late, great David Saylor asked me to sing on one of the tracks from ‘Ship to Nowhere’ with him, which I was more than happy to do.David was such a great singer that I worried about keeping up with him, but I think I held my own ….just about. ‘We won’t sacrifice’ is on YouTube if you haven’t heard it.In the same year, I was working a lot with Les Penning, who inhabits a whole other musical world. Les writes and plays old music, traditional folk, on recorders and other wind instruments, and had a long association with Mike Olfield.A couple of the things we recorded together with Rob Reed are on YouTube also - ‘Sellingers Round’ and ‘Nobody’s Jig’. Very different musical area from what I had been used to before, but I loved playing with Les, just guitar and recorder, and some very weird time signatures at times😂I was very sad when he decided to do no more music with me, but I appreciate what we did. Always a challenge, which is what life is about.Anyway, check out those tracks if you haven’t heard them.Variety is the spice of life 🙏☯️😄❤️ ... See MoreSee Less

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UPCOMING concerts

my projects

solo - ACOUSTIC

Reimaginings of ELO, Beatles, Trickster, Atlantic, classic songs from the extensive pop/rock/blues songbook, and songs from some of my favourite songwriters – Stevie Wonder, Tom Waits, Steve Earle, Bruce Springsteen, Gerry Rafferty, Keb Mo, Ry Cooder …… plus a smattering of blues, and a soupćon of Celtic.

Plus, some talking about 56 years of my musical history ….. if anyone wants to hear an old fart talking about ‘the good old days’.

Phil Bates & Band

An exhilarating musical journey through the greatest hits of ELO, ELO II and other classics

MEET THE BAND

Jo Bates - Keys, Vocals
Suse - Violin, Backing Vocals
RaVo - Bass, Vocals
Chris - Drums
Eric - Keys, Vocals