A Chris Conway songs concert is a unique show - "Songs of Love & Peace & Outer Space" is his slogan and that sums it up well.

Think David Crosby or James Taylor on a journey taking in Ireland, a jazz club, and Outer Space (you need to hear The Alien Jellyfish Song!). Add to this his multi-instrumental wizardry on guitar, piano, kalimba, Irish whistles and even theremin, entertaining chat and a soulful voice to die for. Funny at one moment, magical and moving the next.

He has released 16 CDs of his own songs and more in collaborations.

He's played with the cream of the UK folk and folk/rock scene.
He is a part of Vikki Clayton's band, and she has recorded two of his songs. He has played Cropredy Festival twice playing to 20,000 people, and the Edinburgh Fringe 5 times. He has toured with ex-Monkees Peter Tork, played with members of Jethro Tull and Fairport Convention as well as Martin Carthy, Sally Barker, Pete Morton, Tommy Emmanuel and Talvin Singh.

He has opened for legends...
Bob Geldof, Roy Wood, Richie Havens, Frances Black, Country Joe McDonald, Jefferson Starship and Arthur Brown, Dean Friedman amongst others at packed houses.

live songs now - new live songs album!

A new live songs album is released. Recorded at 2 concerts in Leicester UK - at the Unclocked Songs album launch concert at The Musician, and at the SoundHive Social event at Duffy's Bar.
16 songs - 7 are live versions of songs from the Unlocked Songs album. The rest are a mix of old favourites. For more info, go to the album webpage

It's currently available to hear ir download on Bandcamp. - Other stores in a few weeks.
CDrs will be printed to order and will be available from Bandcamp.
Have a listen...

songs set - at the winter sessions at the soundhouse, leicester

Twas good to play again at The Winter Sessions at The Soundhouse, Leicester - saw lots of chums too!
Had a couple of lyric memory lapses in my 30 minute set, but I did dig up some old songs and a new one.
I have a date in the diary for The Summer Sessions! - Sat 20th July - 2.30pm

Thanks to Paddy McCullough for the photo - I used it on my nerw live album!

set - Train Of Thought, Easier, Leaf Boat Dreams, Monkeys On The Moon, Rejoin The Circle, The Wishing Tree, The Alien Jellyfish Song

songs set - at the uk filk convention, buxton

I played a 30minute set at the U.K. Filk Convention in exotic Buxton! (Filk = sci-fi songs).
There hadn't been a Filk Con since 2020, so it was great to see so many chums after a long time. The stage was in an amazing Victorian ballroom. It went pretty well, and some songs were nominated for a Sam Filk Award.

Weirdest thing for me at the Filk Con was when I sang Three Headed Girl in the one-shots, as I’d realised it was 10 years since I recorded it in the studio - which made me think it was 10 years old. A chum, Marilisa, reminded me that I sang it when I was U.K. Guest Of Honour exactly 20 years ago! (and now I think about it, it was on my 2010 Live album! ) Tempus sure doth fugit!!!

set - Bombarde tunes, The Alien Jellyfish Song, Love Song, I Wish I Was A Sasquatch, Rejoin The Circle*, Let’s Go To Outer Space, The Fish Song. *debut

October Song Gigs

A flurry of songs gigs this month

Tues 3rd Vikki Clayton & Chris Conway & Bob Gillmore-Evans, John Montague - The Blue Bell, Hoby
I playes a 30 minute solo set, then joined Vikki doe her 2nd set, as did club host John Montague. I played my new song* in concert for the first time!
My Set - A Song About Nothing, Monkeys On The Moon, Lifespell, Love Song (twice!), Dance To The End Of Time*, The Fish Song, Lost In My Mind.
My songs In Vikki’s 2nd set - Coming In To Land, Ten Years, I Want Something.

Thurs 5th - CC, Mike Howard-Ahern, John Fryer, Alabama Breeze, Autumn Dawn Leader - The Donkey, Leicester
I played a 30 minute set, om ashared bill with several chums.
Set - Leaves, Call Of The Wild, Vegetarian Vampire, Sleep Life Cycle, Have A Little Fun, The Alien Jellyfish Song - Superheroes Never Die (request)

To celebrate 30 years of Govannen, we are releasing a new recording of The Hothouse Flowers song "Sweet Marie". Founder member Bridget McMahon joins us on it. hear it on Spotify

Why this song?
When Chris Conway & Dan Britton first met Bridget & Adele McMahon, the sisters were in their teens, singing this song in sweet harmony, at an open mic at The Royal Mail pub in Leicester. In 1993 Dan & the sisters formed a band to play at Molly O'Grady's and other Irish pubs & clubs in the city. They didn't have a band name but were sometimes called "The McMahons".

At bigger occasions, like St Patrick's Night where a bigger sound was needed Chris joined them on keyboards, Irish whistles & vocals. When Chris was asked to make a Celtic album for Paradise Records, he brought the others on board, and came up with the band name Govannen, after a Celtic god. That album was Healing Waters. More albums followed, for the label and for themselves, and Govannen were away!

Recently, by chance, Bridget ran into Hothouse Flowers leader, Liam Ó Maonlaí on a train! She told him she and her sister used to sing Sweet Marie, and Liam said he'd like to hear it. So we recorded it, and and we will send it to him!

Bridget & Adele McMahon - vocals
Dan Britton - acoustic & electric guitar, mandolin, bass, harmony vocals
Chris Conway - piano, organ, harmony vocals
Roger Wilson - violin
Damon Clarridge - drums

Produced by Chris Conway & Dan Britton.

vikki clayton + chris conway - at The Musician, Leicester - concert report

Great to play with Vikki Clayton again after a gap of 5 years at The Musician, Leicester. Great crowd - 2 chums dove up fro south London to see us!.

My solo opening set flew by, so it was nice to play 4 of my songs with Vikki which she has recorded. It all came back, with the songs of hers & others we used to play as a duo, and in her band in the 90s.

solo set - Leaves, Turn Me Around, Love Space Station, Lifespell, Jazz Potato, Have A Little Fun, The Fish Song

with Vikki - I Want Something, Islands, Coming In To Land, Ten Years

Melton Folk Festival - concert report

My first MFF! - 2 x 35 minute sets, each at a different Melton venue - an lots of other players doing the same, so I met lots of chums at, and between sets. The first was at a historic Tudor inn, and the second was a bohemian bar with comfy sofas, cushions, & standard lamps. Thanks to Josephine Allen for the photo!

I was due to play a 3rd set later on but it was cancelled - which suited me as I'd had enough excitement!

Anne Of Cleves set - Turn Me Around, Alien Salad Abduction, Long Day’s Waiting/Porth Ui Mhuirghaesa, Forget About You, Leaves, Ten Years.

Charlie’s Bar set - Lost In My Mind, Monkeys On The Moon, Lifespell, Wiccan Chicken whistles, Superheroes Never Die, The Fish Song

new song music video! - A Song About Nothing

A great tunrout for 3GM3 - as before we each played a solo set.

Andy Griffiths played a perfect and precise set of his wonderful songs on a wide range of topics and brought on 3 chums for harmonies on his iconic "Last Orders". He also too some great photos (below)
Steve Parker spent quite lot of his set telling anecdotes about playing in America years ago including playing at an orgy!

My set - I was quite tired by the time I came on. I had a memory lapse on the first song (Time To Talk) which I had to abandon and replace with Carousel. I rearranged my over ambitious set as I went along. I did debut "I Wish I Was A Sasquatch" which was tricky. I got there in the end. :-)

Setlist - Carousel, Have A Little Fun, Long Day's Waiting, Love Song, I Wish I Was A Sasquatch, Superheroes Never Die, Lost In My Mind, Jazz Potato, Forget About You, The Fish Song

I got to play a little longer than the planned 30 minute set at The Donkey. My setlist continued evolving even while I was playing. Unusually for me I stood to play, as everyone else was. Feld odd but OK.

Thanks to Wake up promotions for organising the event, and to John Fryer, Hugh McManners & Calder for their great sets. Thanks to Louise for the photo!

Set - Science Fiction Eyes, Have A Little Fun, Lifespell, The Fish Song, Lost In My Mind, Rainbow Real (twin whistles), Superheroes Never Die (request), Life Magic & Love.

As you can see by the songs gig diary, I've been trying to get out more to sing my songs.

1. Teacher's Strike Rally - Athena Leicester
I was asked to play a set on the arrival of the Teacher's Strike march at the Athena venue, Leicester. That was a lot more adrenaline than I’ve had in a long time! It was full, and there was hubbub, but a lot sang along!

Set - The Alien Jellyfish Song, Nobody Loves Me (Like I Do), I Want Something, Rainbow Real (tin & twin whistles), Three Headed Girl

2. The Sound House, Leicester
I played a 30 minute set at The Sound House. It was quietish, so I played a chilled set.

Set - I Don’t Know, Have A Little Fun*, Nightmare Journey, Monkeys On The Moon, A Song About Nothing, Rainbow Real (tin whistles) Train Of Thought. - *new song

3. A few songs here & there
I also played 3 or 4 songs each at The Sound House Open Mic, and Song Circle in Woodhouse Eaves

The excellent RnR Magazine have published a fab4 star review of my EPs & Singles Collection album!

CHRIS CONWAY - EPs & Singles Collection 1995-2020
**** (OBLONG)
Described by Conway as “quite an eccentric album', his EPs & Singles Collection 1995-2020 is in fact a perfectly reasonable attempt to round up various orphans and outtakes from a twenty-five-year period of prolific writing, recording and performance. (It perhaps ought to be noted, however, that he actually turned professional in 1989.)

Covering Conway's solo work, the first five tracks here originally comprised his Lost Tracks EP in 2002 and include 'Remember Me', a leftover from his superb Earth Rising album of 2002. His duo activity with Dan Britton is represented by 'Better Times In Sight' (also featuring Sally Barker). In a lighter vein there's 'Fake News' and 'other silly songs' ('The Space Accountant', anyone?), plus 'Jazz Potato from his work with Celtic/ceilidh band Govannen.

There's a whole bunch of other stuff from the multi-talented Conway, too (a theme for 2009 web TV series Raising Kayn, and 'We Have Life', an anthem sonq for his old alma mater Leicester University, for example), yet anyone unfamiliar with his music would nevertheless find this strong collection a coherent and satisfying whole.

For those who've followed his career with interest, Chris Conway's EPs & Singles Collection is merely the latest addition to an ever-expanding, always stimulatinq musical CV.
- David White - RnR Magazine

A concert is annouced to mark CCs 60th birthday, 2 days after the day itself.

Wednesday 7th December
The Musician, Leicester
7.30pm doors, 8pm start

Tickets - £9 advance/£10 door

The night will be about songs - highlights from CC's 200+ recorded songs in over 33 years as a pro musician in Leicester.

The plan so far is a CC solo set, followed by a band set with Dan Britton & Neil Rabjohn - but there may be a support act.

EPs & singles tend to get a bit lost, especially in online stores, so I've gathered mine together on an album spanning 25 years of songs!

Included are 15 tracks from...
EPs - Lost Tracks 1995-99, Fake news and other silly songs.
Singles - Raising Kayn, So Many Years, Better Times In Sight (ft Sally Barker & Dan Britton), & Me Time.

+ 2 bonus tracks
We Have Life (previously unreleased Leicester University Graduation Anthem)
Jazz Potato - from Govannen's As I Roved Out Album.

Bandcamp (CDs - made to order)
Spotify
Apple Music
Amazon UK
Album Webpage for liner notes & background (CDs - made to order)

First songs set in a while. Nice to be back at Kontra Roots Club, in Earls Barton
My set went down very well! I sold 7 CDs and had a gig offer from an acoustic clubs further afield.
Twas fun singing my songs thru a PA again. Playing with the dynamics and reverb!

Set - Ten Years, A Song About Nothing, Nightmare Journey, Love Song, Easier, Monkeys On The Moon, Out Of The Blue, Jazz Potato, Ghosts, Three Headed Girl.

Played a silly songs solo set as promised at Ju’BEE’ilee Event. A group of kids arrived during Rainbow Real whistle tune, and joined in with The Fish Song & Three Headed Girl!
I also jammed with Steve Cartwright on his set, and I played to some bees at an Apiary! Thanks to Grace for the photo

Set - Alien Salad Abduction, Nobody Loves me (Like I Do), Nightmare Journey, Let’s Go To Outer Space, Rainbow Real, The Fish Song, Three Headed Girl!

Archive recordings with my band in the mid 90s have been released. The best of 3 gigs - at The Magazine, The Princess Charlotte, and The Royal Mail - it is a snapshot of a busy Leicester music scene of the time and fills in a missing link of the band's story and mine.

Half the album features the trio of CC, Simon Styring & Neil Segrott, and the other half adds drummer Alan Flanders. It's fun to hear new live versions of recorded songs and songs which were yet to be recorded.

All proceeds from this album will go to Neil Segrott and/or the Headway Brain Injury Charity.

The theme song from the web TV series Raising Kayn.
I recorded this song in 2009 for the Raising Kayn web TV show, but it didn't fit on any of my song albums and, at the time, I wasn't doing singles. I then forgot about it until I found it on my computer 12 years later. It's nice to to release it now, as I haven't done anything like it before or since.

I remixed and mastered it in 2021 but I kept the official release date as 2009, when it was recorded. I also included an instrumental version.

I also did the underscore for the series and some pieces from that can be heard on my Vampire Dreams album of music for films, videos, and stage.

Thanks to all those who came to see Melanie Pegge and myself at The Musician today. Andy Griffiths had had to cancel at chort notice, so it was just Mel and I.

After Melanie's mesmerising set, it was one of those mellow Sunday afternoons where I ditch setlist plans and play what I fancy at the time, which made for a unique set of old and new in the end.

Set - Leaves, A Song About Nothing, Jazz Potato, The Answer, Wiccan Chicken flutes, Sleep Life Cycle, Wonder, Out Of The Blue, Nobody Loves Me (Like I Do), Ghosts.

Conway/Britton played a 45 minute set at Kontra Roots Club in Earls Barton, Northants. It was our first gig in 18 months - we had a rehearsal just the day before!.

All went well on a hot night and we closed the night that included great sets by Stevie Jones, CarterDolby, & Steve Jinski.

Our set wasn't quite what we originally planned, but we went with the flow. We even played Satan Park Mall from our latest album Wonder for the first time as an encore!

Set - The Storm, Carousel, Song For Eric, Lifespell, When Will We Be Married?, Train Of Thought, The Return Of Crazy Horse, The Alien Jellyfish Song - encore - Satan Park Mall (live premier!)

I was missing my regular live stream visits to the Virtual Black Horse Club in lockdown (it has now returned to being real on Monday nights at The Black Horse Pub, Leicester).

So I've started a fortnightly 15 minute live stream on my Facebook Chris Conway Music page. (the one where my photo is black & white) on alternate Tuesdays at 9pm - the next one is on the 24th Aug. I plan to do other kinds of music as well as songs.

Here is my first one - 3 songs - Time To Talk, Train Of Thought, Satan Park Mall

Yes my first concert of any kind since the end of October is soon!
It's a repeat booking of the double header I did with my chum Andy Griffiths at The Musician.

when - Friday 28th May - 7pm
where - The Musician Pub, Leicester
tickets - £9 - advance only - from HERE ---- audience distanced, 30 only.

Unlocked Songs Launch!
I'm making my set an album launch of my Unlocked Songs album. I'll play some songs from it plus some old favourites.

Andy Griffiths - one of the best singer-songwriters I know - his set is sure to be a real treat,!

SEE YOU THERE!

I played 3 songs from my new songs album Unlocked Songs live at my regular streaming acoustic club. 1. New Songs Now, 2. Be There, 3. Ghosts - I glitched the 2nd song a couple of times but that's live streaming for you :-)

As it has been a while since my last solo studio songs album I thought I'd make an unboxing video for it. I'd hope to seem more excited but I'm always a little worried that it has turned out OK.!

Sorry the website has been so quite. I have been very busy working on a new studio songs album and it took longer than I expected but it is OUT!

The new songs album Unlocked Songs is released for download & streaming from the 2nd April. CDs are comingbut are expected mid-April.
The songs were all written in lockdown year (apart from 2 that were substantially rewritten from songs I wrote in the early 90s). There's quite abit of variety - singer-songwriter West Coast songs, bossas, piano ballads, and some Celtic touches and 1 filk/sci-fi song!

I had some remotely added special guests on percussion - Govannen chums, Dan Britton & Neil Rabjohn, and my Aramara chum Zorpinda Zorpin.

It's my first solo studio songs album for 3 years, the last being We're All Astronauts.
I hope you enjoy it.

Links
Album Webpage - for info, and track by track liner notes
Bandcamp - downloads, streaming, and CDs when they are ready.
Spotify - streaming
Apple Music - soon
Amazon

Though singing and writing a little in his college days CC's singer-songwriting came of age when he joined The Storm Thives - a trio of singer-songwriters. Comparisons were made to CSN and other west coast groups. They recorded a number of albums and some of CCs work with them is collected on his Storming CD.

Whilst with The Storm Thieves CC looked into solo performing and recording, setting his stall out with Sounds Like Rain CD which got international distribution.
Early influences were definitely David Crosby, also John Sebastian, Jesse Colin Young, Buffy Sainte-Marie and Celtic influences from Alan Stivell making a kind of US west coast- meets-Celtic sound. He formed his own band Chris Conway & The Talking Fish.

He then toured Germany 6 times with singer-writer Roger Pugh. On that tour he met Vikki Clayton who drafted him into her band, playing Cropredy Festival twice to 20,000 people, and getting him to record on 2 of her albums including 2 of his songs. Earth Rising was a big CC album with Jethro Tull drummer Clive Bunker and a host of other guests on it.

Other CDs followed - a live one, which demostrated his humourous banter on record, and the twin releases My Mind's Island and Alien Salad Abduction - the latter reflecting his interest in Filk Music.

5 years went by before Chris returned to making an album of new songs in the studio with the release of Close the Circle in 2006. Following this up in 2008 with Songs for Dreamers. In 2010 he released an In Concert DVD and taken from this a live greatest hits album Live & Peace & Outer Space. In 2011 he returned to the studio to release Time Traveller. In 2013 he released an album of filk/space songs Deep Space Love. In 2015 he released another studio album Out Of The Blue. In 2018 he released We're All Astronauts. He wrote So Many Years in 2019 to comemorate 30 years in the music business and released it as a digital single. In 2020 he released a digital EP Fake News and other silly songs, and another digital single Me Time. In 2021 He released his 13th studio singer-songwriter album Unlocked Songs of songs written in the year of pandemic lockdown.

Through all this time his duo with singer-songwriter Dan Britton has continued. They have recorded 3 CDs and 1 DVD, played Edinburgh Fringe twice and are a terrific duo with a big band sound. In 2016 they released Safe Harbour, their first studio duo album for 15 years, followed by Wonder in 2020.