Matt Henshaw @ The Oxjam Leicester Takeover 2013 ...

Afternoon Tea to all,

Yesterday I played three sets in total at three wonderful venues for Oxjam 2013 ... met loads of great people, made plenty of new friends and caught up with some old ones as well. Spending a day doing what Sundays are for ... home-made banana bread, apple crumble, carrot and coriander soup and a nice hearty garlic & celery broth ! The compost is absolutely buzzing !!

Here's me at the start of the day at The Curve Theatre in Leicester ...



Here's what I played:-

Your Eyes Are Made Of Gold
Always In The Way
Not In Nottingham
Play The Game
707
My Life
It Ain't Easy

And here's me at Hansom Hall, beautiful yet underused venue in Leicester city ...



And here's what I played there:-

It Ain't Easy
It's A Wonderful Night
Always in the Way
Stop Me Girl
Me & You
You Send Me

An absolute pleasure it was to hear my voice ringing out singing Sam Cooke ie. The Greatest's first smash hit in Leicester own mini Royal Albert Hall. Made me think about the future and what is and what could be. My dreams as a teenage were always to sing in the Albert Hall and the Empress Ballroom in Blackpool ... help me out, help me get there.

And then I played a pretty impromptu set at The Basement, top place, and some top blues bands on later on ... I was playing away from the guitar and sat a piano and jammed through a few songs ...

Stop Me Girl
That's Life
Goodnight

Yeah, that's right, in true lounge piano stylee I played a bit of Frank Sinatra for the locals, they loved it. They wanted more anyways, I was only supposed to play two, and whilst my piano skills are little lacking, plonking and pedestrian to say the least, I was asked to do one more. Good times all in all and all the great acts I managed to see I fancy doing a blog on each, so I'll be bring back 'Matt Henshaw Recommends ...' ASAP.

Peace, Love & Tea,
Matt Henshaw.
MattHenshaw.com

Festival Season ... Godiva setlist ...

Afternoon folks, Good Monday,

Absolutely pooped with the busy-ness ! Filled up on sleepings last night after a hectic week ... anyways, here's the songs that I done over the last weeked ...

First @ Scorpios in High Wycombe ...
It Ain't Easy
Always in the Way
707
Let Everything Go
Coming Around
When I Close My Eyes
Get Me Some
Everybody Clap Your Hands
Can't Hold Back
Adidas Trainers (Stan Smith Remix)

And from Godiva Festival, and Party in the Park the previous week ...
Pick Up The Pieces
Gimme Some More
Can't Hold Back
Everybody Clap Your Hands
Dance To The Music
Think Twice

Funky Good Times !

Here's me hard at work ... what I do when I'm not onstage ... go on, tickle my belly ... you know you want to ...

Satsuma Elephants @ Pepper Rocks, Nottingham setlist ...

OK, so this is the last of the setlist blogs for a while ... no gigs for a bit, certainly no Satsuma Elephants 'till Y-Not Festival (we're on on Saturday afternoon by the way) unless something special comes up ... in the mean time we'll be working away at some new songs, beefing up the setlist and hitting the studio to demo some of them proper !

So, Pepper Rocks, Nottingham. Tuesday 18th June, remember the date, the first Satsuma Elephants show in their hometown. And what a show. Certainly the best dressed crowd the Elephants have played for so far. Especially Chief Satsuma in her home made Satsuma Elephants t-shirt ... and very snazzy indeed it looked too ! You can read her thoughts here ... SatsumaElefans.blogspot.co.uk

So what did we play ...
707
(I Went On) Holiday
Creep Into the Night
Let Everything Go featuring ReggiiMental AKA. Jimmy B-Boy
A Hard Road of Hope
Always in the Way
I Didn't Know What Day It Was

Thanks to everyone who came down ... photographers doing a spectacular job, can't wait to see some pics and my man JC on the video cameras, making the Satsuma Elephants documentary ... the first clip from which can be found on YouTube, roughly edited, before you video editing impressarios hit me with your negative feedback ! YouTube.com/user/SatsumaElephants

And if you didn't know by now there's a brand new website up and running ... SatsumaElephants.com

The Actress & Bishop setlists ...

Evening chaps and chapesses,

Here's the songs I played at the Actress & Bishop in Birmingham last Wednesday 6th June. We were booked in with MuthaFunk and ReggiiMental to play upstairs at our soon to be regular club night The Funk Realm, and then surprisingly downstairs after hours was an open mic night run by none other than Andy Bennett of Ocean Colour Scene, so we did the gig upstairs and then I hung around until 3am jamming with Brimingham's finest.

Upstairs @ the Actress & Bishop, Birmingham ...
What's Going On
The Funky Chicken
Think Twice
Gimme Some More
Coming Around
Nitty Gritty
It's Gettin' Late
Can't Hold Back

And downstairs at the open mic acoustically, accompanied by Lukasz of MuthaFunk on saxophone ...
It Ain't Easy
Always In The Way
Donkey Rides, A Penny A Glass
707
Not In Nottingham
Your Eyes Are Made Of Gold

How jolly pleasant and spiffing it all was. Plenty of Birmingham/Nottingham "banter" and good times had by all.

Here's me playing 'Let Everything Go' acoustically, a new addition to the Satsuma Elephants set ... a sing-a-long ... learn the words !!!

Dot-to-Dot Festival setlist ...

So here it is, the set I played for my impromptu set @ The Jam Cafe in Nottingham on Sunday at Dot-to-Dot Festival in Nottingham. Thanks for watching if you were there, thanks for caring if you wasn't, and there was loooooads of cameras there so I'm sure videos and photographs will emerge soon ... keep 'em peeled !

Matt Henshaw @ Dot-to-Dot Festival, The Jam Cafe, Nottingham, Sunday 26th May, 2013
It Ain't Easy
Always In The Way
707
Can't Hold Back

More Coming Around videos coming around soon ...



And keep on listening ...


And Keep Fighting !

The Bodega Social Club, Nottingham Setlist ...

Monday Morning here again!

And I'm guessing all over the midlands and everywhere else in the UK it's pretty wet. What happened to the summer?? It's seemed to come and go with the release of Coming Around, right?

Anyways, where were we? Nottingham. Saturday night. You were beautiful. Especially if you was there. And if you wasn't I hope you was thinking of me, Reggii and the MuthaFunkers ! A spectacular show put on by the chaps, sax man Lukasz going into the crowd even. I was holding all that jazz together out front no doubt. Here's a list of them there songs what we done ... sure photos, videos and recordings will surface if you keep your eyes peeled, it was a rather good show.

Save The World
Loving You
Pick Up The Pieces
Think Twice
Gimme Some More
Can't Hold Back
Space Cowboy

Keep watching the skies ...



And keep on listening ...

The Roadhouse, Birmingham Setlist ...

So good evening/good morning Birmingham; or should I say Derby, as now I'm down in The Deepest Cellar doing what myself and ReggiiMental call "blapping" !

Anyways, where was I ? Oh yeah, setlist; or should I say, setlist(s) ...

So, arrived at the venue, the Roadhouse in Birmingham ready to soundcheck, and that's what we did, but, next door I noticed there was an open mic night, so I did two sets. An impromptu bit of acoustic love, featuring ReggiiMental who walked through the door, late of course, to see me about to play my final song, so I got him on.

Acoustic set ...
It Ain't Easy
Always In The Way
In The Presence Of The Lord
Can't Hold Back

And then onto the evening set with the MuthaFunk ...
Save The World
Sunrise
Think Twice
Can't Hold Back
Pick Up The Pieces
Gimme Some More
Loving You
Space Cowboy

So, there it is ... the first bit of Coming Around on tour ... see you in Nottingham on Saturday !



And keep on listening ...

The Exchange Bar, Leicester Setlist ...

Tonigh; or should I say last night as it's now in the wee early hours of the morning I entertained the fine folks of Leicester's Vineyard Church at the Exchange Bar in Leicester. The cultural quarter no less. Me being all cultural and that playing my calvacade of acoustic rhythm and gospel. Everybody enjoyed, Coming Around CDs were sold and songs were sung.

Here's them ones what I played ...
It Ain't Easy
Always In The Way
In The Presence Of The Lord
I've Had Tears (You're Not There)

If you haven't heard a few of them then the best way to hear them is to catch me live singin' 'em.

I've got a few acoustic sets booked in this summer along with shows and festival with ReggiiMental, MuthaFunk and Satsuma Elephants.

See you Around ... did I tell you that we're Coming Around ... ??!

A Very Special Christmas Guest ... Matt Henshaw (Little Old Me!)

Morning, Afternoon, Evening, (depending upon when you catch up on your favourite blog!),

Enjoying a festive Christmas break with the family and an assortment of friends when I get a call from them jolly cockneys the Small Fakers to guest with them at The Flowerpot in Derby ... only a ten minute drive and I've never played in there before, so why not? I went on in the interval between their hits set and a full blown retelling of the classic 'Ogden's Nut Gone Flake' ...

Three songs and a little bit of humorous wit from myself nattering between the three songs ...

It Ain't Easy
My Life
Bonne Nuit Madame (Goodnight My Lady)

A little minor distressing news, I'm having technical delays (namely my CD drive not working on my laptop) so I can't bring you my radio session from Tamworth as soon as I would have like, but I will find another computer to get it online for you ASAP ... although, I must be honest, between the turkey and various M&S desserts, finding a working disc drive is not at the top of my priorities, but that's not to say I don't love you ...

... and to prove I love you, here's a link to a FREE Matt Henshaw download ...

With Love, and extra Love,
Matt Henshaw.

PS. this is me playing Live as I sometimes do, not as often as maybe I would like to or should ...

O2 Academy, Islington setlist ...

Good morning, afternoon and evening pop pickers,

Had a rate good cracking night last night playing the 15th Annual Small Faces Convention. Always a pleasure to get together and celebrate the greats and stick on a sharp suit and some Chelsea boots. Here are the songs that I played and the order in which I played them in ...

Black Coffee
My Way of Giving
The Universal
Afterglow (Of Your Love)
Donkey Rides A Penny A Glass
Tin Soldier
Every Little Bit Hurts
If You Think You're Groovy

Bravo! What a fabulous set of songs I'm sure you'd agree. Many thanks go to John Hellier of Wapping Wharf and the guest vocal talent I shared the stage with, Miss. Mel Dayna. And two other bands I would like to express my utmost profound adoration for, and express what a bloomin' great show they put on, Stone Foundation and the Small Fakers (who are now going out as SuperDuperGrass as well I might hasten to add) ...

Hasta la vista all,

MHx

PS. more updates soon, what with this pleasant sojourn down Nostalgia Way out of the way ... oh, and pictures / video to follow I am sure ...

Small Faces show @ the Islington Academy today !

I'll be off for the Academy very soon ...

Suited and booted ... you know the score. Will tell you all about the show and my weekend over the next week.

Stay Cool won't you now.

Matt H.

Milly's World @ the Monarch, Camden, setlist ...

This was my only live date of the summer and it was a true pleasure.  There should be some live videos and an interview from the night coming soon on Milly's website ... 


I've Had Tears
Missing
Move A Little Closer (with Emma-Louise)
Let Everything Go (with Emma-Louise)
My Life
Bonne Nuit Madame


So, there it is, a whole bunch of new songs and a guest vocalist in the shape of spoken word artist and lyricist Emma-Louise ... she was wonderful.  


There's plenty more new tunes to come.  Stay tuned won't you now ...


My Love,
Matt Henshaw.

Out The Box Festival 2011 set list ...

I hope you enjoyed listening to my recent radio broadcasts ... I thought I'd treat you to the list of songs that I played at the Out The Box Festival in Derbyshire ... the plan was to play something from the Censored Age, a little B-Boy Soul, a few of my old favourite songs and something new ...


The Way It Is
Can't Hold Back
What A Diffr'nce A Day Makes
Sorted For E's & Whizz
"Heroes"
It Ain't Easy
That's Life


Coming shortly ... setlist from Milly's World show at the Monarch in Camden ...


Here's a picture from the Censored days ...

A penny for anyone who can guess what year this was?  Or where it was ?

Best Wishes,

Matt H.