Phil Bates

Phil Bates

September 23rd, 5:17 pm

Two very nice concerts at the weekend - Kulturkirche, Köln and Christuskirche, Bochum.Lovely audiences that I want to say a huge thank you to. I know the sound was somewhat challenging in theses churches, but I hope all was OK for you all. Impossible for it to sound 100% everywhere in an extremely lively and echoey church, but we had a great spirit between band and audience.Of course, the music is the great triumph. Our audiences seem to inject a huge amount of joy into these great songs which has not been there to such a great extent in my previous ELO performances. But we are grateful as band because it makes every gig such a pleasure 😄🙏☯️❤️Wish I could say the same about the travel, Birmingham Airport in particular.Thursday’s experience of the airport was perhaps the worst ever because they seem to have no idea how to handle the number of people that were travelling. As if the numbers travelling was a complete surprise.There are so many holiday flights scheduled (with very many kids, who should surely be in school at this point in September), but the airport seems incapable of handling so many travellers. Words fail me. Almost complete lack of organisation.We have to do it all again on Friday, so please Birmingham Airport try and get things organised better so everyone can actually make their flight.See y’all soon 😄❤️🙏☯️ ... See MoreSee Less

Phil Bates

September 13th, 10:00 pm

Just been to see Voces8 at Malvern Forum Theatre.Absolutely wonderful in every sense. I have been a huge fan for years, but to hear them ‘live’ was just one of the best experiences of my life.If you don’t know them, you must check them out on YouTube, and then buy all their albums like I have.Words cannot express how brilliant they are, how fantastic their musicianship is, and the sound they make ……..We were both in tears several times, but Elgar’s ‘Nimrod’ just destroys me every time.It will never happen, but I would be the happiest songwriter alive if they ever worked their magic on one of my songs.Anyway, go and find them. Perfection 😄❤️🙏☯️ ... See MoreSee Less

Phil Bates

September 12th, 5:27 pm

OK, it seems I posted my depleted list of 2024 solo gigs on my personal page and not this one. So here goes, again😂Studio 7, Panketal, Germany - 20th OctoberStudio 7, Panketal, Germany - 21st OctoberThe Core Theatre, Solihull - 26th OctoberOwen Street Community and Arts Centre, Atherstone, Warks - 1st NovemberThe Lake View Sky Bar, Bowness - 3rd NovemberVictoria Hall, Settle - 6th DecemberThe Grieg Hall, Alcester, Warks - 7th DecemberSt Edithas Church Hall, Tamworth - 14th DecemberGreystoke Castle - 20th DecemberThere are also various concerts playing ELO music with my German band in September, October and November, especially 7 concerts on Denmark between November 12 and 19th.Always love playing in Denmark for so many reasons❤️☯️I am hoping for some improvement in the health and mobility of my hands and fingers for 2025, so there will be more solo gigs then, hopefully, and oodles of ELO gigs in January, February, April and November.All will be published here and on my website.Also, watch out for our special ‘farewell’ concert somewhere at the end of 2025 in Berlin. Details have not been finalised, but it will be a BIG farewell, so keep a look out 😄❤️☯️🙏2025 will be my last year as a stage performer, so I am hoping to see as many of you as possible.Although, I will still do a few low key acoustic solo gigs after I finish the serious stuff, this time playing what I want to play…….FINALLY😂❤️🙏☯️ ... See MoreSee Less