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PLAUDITS FOR THE ARMADILLOS AT THE 2007 DIGITAL
BLUES AWARDS!
THE
2007 Digital Blues Award
winners have just been announced and againEssex
gig-goers and visitors to the Digital Blues website
have been very generous in their appreciation
of the band's efforts.
Frontman
TIM AVES won TWO
categories, being voted
FAVOURITE
MALE ARTIST
and
BLUES PERSONALITY OF THE
YEAR
There
were runners'-up slots, too for
PAUL
LESTER
(Favourite drummer)
ROB BARRY (Favourite
bassist)
JANE ENGLISH (Female
Artist)
OWEN
BARRY and
ALEX HALL were voted third and fourth respectively
in the guitarist category
Oh
yes, and the Armadillos were voted third in the
FAVOURITE BAND category
(having won for the previous two years in succession).
Our
warmest thanks to everyone who voted for us again
- we really appreciate it!
Added
16/2/08
Joke
on the water...
No
joke really, but too good a pun to pass up - Armadillos
PAUL LESTER and JANE ENGLISH went afloat on Sunday
June 17 to play with RIVERfest's famous floating rockers,
THE RIVER RATS.
Paul's
pictured with Rats Warren, Pete and Nick...
On
YouTube ..
see clip opposite .................................
.....for more, click here Live
..........See
Owen live with Purpemelon at the following
2008 gigs:
March 23 Cosmic
Puffin Charity Festival, Mersea Island,
Essex 29 Mar
Club Riga Southend-on-Sea, with Jon Amor 27 Apr
The Yardbird Birmingham Birminham, Midlands 12 June
100 Club, Oxford Street, London 26 Jul
The Codicote Festival, Hertfordshire
(Owen's
band!)
ADDED
25/05/'07
ARMADILLOS
SCOOP ANOTHER FIVE AWARDS AT THE 2006 DIGITAL BLUES
AWARDS!
THE
results of the 2006 Digital Blues Awards - voted
by Essex gig-goers, Phoenix FM listeners and visitors
to the Digital Blues website - were announced on
February 20, 2007. In previous years, The Rockin'
Armadillos and various band members have won several
categories - the band was Best Blues-Rock act and
joint overall best band, two
years running, while Tim, Owen, Paul
and Rob have won their respective categories in
past polls (Rob twice!).
This
year, the catergories were redrawn, but, the Armadillos
were still voted into the top spot in the top overall
awardFAVOURITE
BAND. In additon,
band members and projects won FOUR
other categories, were placed second in three more
and were placed third in a further two.
We
would like to offer our warmest thanks to everyone
who voted for us - we really appreciate it.
DIGITAL
BLUES AWARDS:
FAVOURITE
BAND:
The Rockin ...................................Armadillos
FAVOURITE
FEMALE ARTIST:
Jane .....................................................
English
FAVOURITE
GUITARIST:
Alex Hall ...................(Runner-up:
Owen Barry)
FAVOURITE
DRUMMER:
Paul Lester .............(second
year in succession)
FAVOURITE
CD:
Essex Delta Blues
.............................
Vol II A-Z (featuring the Armadillos track
"24/7")
ADDED
24/2/;07
We
recently heard the terrible news that our
good friend Jeff Pick, photographer
and all-round good bloke, has died tragically.
Jeff was one of the nicest people it has ever
been my good fortune to come across on the
blues circuit and his tragic death is way,
way beyond sad.
I know I speak for all the band when I say
that Jeff was a tremendous, loyal friend to
our group and a passionate music-lover whom
we will all miss enormously. Jeff's
sincerity and love for music and musicians
was matched only by his professional excellence
as a photographer. He took some great photos
of the Armadillos down the years - the montage
above is a selection of our favourites.
The
Armadillos have always greatly looked forward
to our annual visit to play at Stortford
- we have so many good friends there. However,
when we played at the Bishops Blues Club
this time, our thoughts were 100 per cent
with one friend in particular - a friend
who was very much with us in spirit, if
not, sadly, in person. RIP,
Jeff
Tim
Aves
December 11, 2006
Riga
charity show raises the roof
- and £1,300+ for a good cause!
NOVEMBER
8 saw the Armadillos joined by a host of good friends
from the UK blues world for their annual charity
all-star blues jam at Club Riga
in Westcliff,
Southend, in aid of Havens Hospices.
Among
those taking part were:
Top pic - the band plus Alan Cleaves (Blue Touch)
and Ray Bartrip.
Clockwise from top left: Pete Nash; Papa George; Dave
Richardson, Bob Hokum; the prize guitar signed by
all the players; Val Cowell; Howard J Bills; Ray Bartrip;
Jon Amor; Len Tuckey; Fergie Fulton; Martin McNeill;
John Butters; Phil Burdett; Eddie Angel; Roy Mette
and John Hazeldene. ...........(Photos
by Wendy Auld - cheers, Wendy!)
Apart
from the chance to get together for a blow with
some good pals, another bit of brilliant news
was the fact that the star prize in the raffle,
a white Les Paul copy, signed by all the players
who took part, was won by one of the British blues
scene's best friends and loyalest supporters,
Big Doug Rushmer,
from Witham, who tells us the axe now has pride
of place on his sitting-room wall! We're all dead
chuffed, Doug. It couldn't have found a better
home, mat! Here's a pic of the lucky winner...
ADDED
9/11/'/06
'Dillos wow the crowds
at Lakeside Summer Blues Festival!
AUGUST
4-6 took the band down to darkest Hampshire
for the Lakeside
Summer Blues Festival, a truly
spendid three-day riot of good music,
good friends and good times, down by the
sea, on Hayling Island.
Jane
and Alex were the
sensation of the event's afternoon acoustic
blues session, when they turned in a really
well-received spontaneous session of unplugged
blues, with Alex standing in for Owen
at the last minute. (Owen was unexpectedly
delayed, working on his new rock band
project, Purple
Melon - more of which soon.) Tim
also played an acoustic set with his pal,
Dave Werewolf.
The
evening's mainstage show, however was
the talking point of the weekend, with
the 'Dillos on what was generally agreed
to be unprecedentedly good form, also
debutting a couple of brand new songs
from the eagerly-awaited new CD. They
were followed by the newly-reformed Nimmo
Brothers, who sounded absolutely
terriffic - definitely one of this summer's
must-see bands!
Owen
was also in the house band for the weekend's
all-night jams (officially playing bass,
but also turning his hand to some mean
six-string work, the highlight of which
was a great funk jam alongside Galveston,
Texas sensation Hamilton
Loomis and his band and veteran
Connie Lush
guitarist John Lewis!)
Added
08/08/'06
Los
Tres in action at Beat Roots, Maldon,Fri Jun 30 ...
Pics:
Jackie Lester
....Busy
weekend for Tim, Owen and Paul...
Owen playing on the WolfTone stand
at the London Guitar Show
Tim singing at the Lee Brilleaux
bash Pic: Pete Hall
Friday
May 5 saw Tim
sharing a stage with his heroes, Dr
Feelgood, after he was invited to
sing at the annual Lee Brilleaux Memorial
Concert, on the site of the famous old Dr
Feelgood Bar, on Canvey Island.
Every
May, around the time of the legendary
Feelgoods frontman's birthday, Feelgoods
past and present, plus various musical
friends, join forces to play a special
charity show in memory of Lee. This year's
lineup included the current Dr Feelgood
lineup, plus original
Feelgoods Wilko Johnson Sparko and The
Big Figure, plus former guitarist Gordon
Russell, former frontman Pete Gage, Eddie
and The Hot Rods, accordionist Zydeco
Slim, Gordon Russell's excellent duo,
Two Timers Dutch band, Doctor's Orders
- and Tim.
Tim
joined Figure, Sparko and Gordon Russell
for a spirited rendition of Feelgoods'
encore favourite "Great Balls of
Fire" - to huge acclaim from an audience
of fans from literally all around the
world.
Owen,
meanwhile was back on familiar territory
the same weekend - playing at Wembley!
For the second year running he spent the
weekend working as a demonstrator, playing
guitar on the WolfTone Amplification stand
at the London Guitar
Show in Wembley Conference Centre
(coincidentally, the scene of his victory
in the Young Guitarist of the Year competition,
a few years ago.)
Paul
was
out playing at the weekend, too. He was
invited at short notice, to take over
the drum chair for the Martin
McNeill Band's Saturday afternoon
show at Blues at the Farm in Billericay,
joining bottleneck guitar virtuoso McNeill
and the cream of the south Essex blues
crop.
.........................................
.Added
07/05/'06
BACK
ON THE ROAD AT LAST! ....
On Saturday April 22, the band successfully
played their first full gig since Tim's
heart attack in January. Saturday's afternoon
show, at Blues at the Farm, in Billericay,
Essex, saw Tim and the band turn two full
sets in front of a very appreciative crowd,
with Tim afterwards reporting feeling tired,
but thrilled to be back in the saddle.
Some of the band's more distant shows over
the next couple of months - the more taxing
ones involving long drives and late nights
- may still be subject to rescheduling,
while Tim regains his strength, so keep
checking the Gigs
page for updates.
NB: The Los Tres show at St Anne's Castle,
Great Leighs, on May 20 will definitely
be on.
GOOD
NEWS - TIM BACK IN LIVE ACTION...
ON
Saturday March 11 Tim gave his first
live performances since suffering
his heart attack in January. He
made a brief solo appearance during
the acoustic session at the Sinah
Warren Warner Blues Weekend, on
Hayling Island, Hants, playing three
songs. After a good rest in the
evening, he returned just after
midnight to sing and play four songs
in the late-night jam session. The
good news is that he was in fine
voice and ended up none the worse
for his exertions. "It
was good to be back doing what I
love doing - and to catch up with
so many old friends," he said
afterwards. "Everyone's been
so kind to me since the heart attack
and it was great to be able to see
a lot of those people at last and
thank them personally."
17/03/'06
23/043/'06
ARMADILLOS
SCOOP FIVE DIGITAL BLUES AWARDS...
..........................................and
come close to landing several more!
THE
Rockin'
Armadillos had another amazing night in 2005 Digital
Blues Awards
- announced on Feb 22 during Digital Blues presenter
Ashwyn Smith's Digital Blues Matters show on Phoenix
FM.
For
the second year running, the band was voted Blues-Rock
Band of the Year
and joint Blues Band
of the Year by listeners to the Essex-based
online radio show and visitors to its accompanying
Digital Blues website.
In
addition, three Armadillos won individual awards,
with two more coming a close second:
Paul Lester was Drummer
of the Year
Rob Barry was Bassist
of the Year
Tim
Aves was Blues Personality
of the Year
Owen Barry was
runner-up for Guitarist of the Year (with Alex
Hall fifth)
Jane
English was runner-up for Female Vocalist
of the Year
Tim
Aves came third in the Male Vocalist
of the Year poll
The
acclaimed Rockin' Armadillos
and Friends all-star charity night at
Club Riga, Southend last November was runner-up
in the Gig of the Year section.
The
"Essex Delta Blues
- A Sampler" CD - featuring the
Armadillos and spinoff acoustic trio, Los Tres
Armadillos - was third in the Best Album poll
In the previous year's awards, the band won four
categories and came second in a further three.
The
band would like to thank everyone who gave us
their backing in the poll - and also, of course,
everyone who has continued to support the Armadillos
by turning out to gigs, buying CDs and generally
spreading the word about the band over the past
year.
We'd
also like to congratulate all the other fine musicians
who won awards - and especially our good pals,
Ray Bartrip (Keyboard Player), Roy Mette (Solo
Artiste) The Two-Timers (Duo) and Connie Lush
(Female Vocalist ).
And
a special mention for Kelvin for coming fourth
in the Blues Personality of the Year section!
Richly deserved - it's high time the punters got
some credit, too!!!
Tim,
Jane, Owen, Alex, Rob and Paul 23/2/'06
Click
here for the full Digital Blues Awards lineup
PERSONAL
MESSAGE FROM TIM...
JUST
brief note to let you know that I'm fine and making
a slow, but steady recovery at home. I'm not allowed
to drive at the moment and still seem to tire quite
easily, which is the main reason I'm unlikely to
be sticking my head above the parapet for any live
work for a few weeks yet.
In the meantime, however, I have not been completely
idle. I'm getting to play quite a bit of guitar
here at home (there's even a small chance I might
even get a bit better at it, if I practise enough!!!)
and I'm hoping the band will shortly be back in
the studio to lay down some more tracks for the
album, so watch this space... The
other good news is that the Essex
Delta Blues Revue gig at Pam's Bar in Brentwood
on February 24, will definitely be going
ahead - sadly, without me, but with the rest of
the Armadillos, plus our good mates, The Swamp Cats
- so please make sure you get along and give them
your support.
In the meantime, I'd like to thank the dozens of
you from literally all over the world who have phoned,
e-mailed and sent get-well cards over the past couple
of weeks. Your good wishes have been appreciated
more than you can possibly know. I will look forward
to seeing you in the coming months, so I can thank
you personally.
Be
seein' you... TIM 8/2/'06
GIGS
CANCELLED AS TIM TAKES AN ENFORCED BREAK...
TWO
days after the band's incredibly enjoyable and successful
Essex Delta Blues Revue gig at the High Barn, Great
Bardfield (see pic above), Tim was taken
into hospital, following what appears to have been
a mild heart attack.
He was allowed home five days later and is now doing
fine, resting and making a slow, steady recovery.
However, Tim is unlikely to be fit enough to play
gigs for a few weeks at least. Any Armadillos, Los
Tres or EDBR gigs scheduled between now and the
end of March, 2006, are likely to be called off,
or if they go ahead, will do so without Tim's participation.
Keep checking this page and the Gigs page for details...
ADDED
28/1/06
This was the scene at the end of the
Armadillos' all-star charity jam night at Club Riga, Wesctliff,
on November 2, 2005. A host of names from the blues world,
including Big Bill Hurley (Inmates), Matt Schofield, Gary
Fletcher (The Blues Band), Andy Billups (The Hamsters),
Len Tuckey (Suzi Quatro) and many more turned up and jammed
to help us raise the thick end of £2,500 for the Southend
Hospices. Pictured during
the encore (l-r): Ray Bartrip, Matt Schofield, Tony Farinha,
Rob Barry (behind), Dave Richardson, Tim Aves, Tim Hill
(behind), Paul Lester and Tim Bale (behind), Mark Sibley,
Owen Barry, Jane English and Pete Sonny Nash.
Pic:
Alan Harvey
