The News

Filled with a million memory’s and masses of good music, 2011 came and went... and here we are writing again and its 2012...to sift through the highs and lows of the last year would be exciting but we prefer to look forward to what this year has in store for the band and the new roads it may lead us up...many of last year’s highs came from our growing work with American artists...The Gene Watson and Moe Bandy Tours proving to be a massive success and provided much of the ground work and the ultimate showcase environment for us to impress others in Nashville. This in turn has now given many other US Country Legends food for thought and a renewed confidence to come over and tour, with the band hopefully providing a musical package that is appealing and profitable to all.

Needless to say as we write we are knee deep in musical Tabs and CD’s... Cramming hard to ensure that come April when we work with Moe Bandy, Johnny Rodriquez, Gerry Kilgore and Moore & Moore we are confident and match fit. Such opportunities are only repeated when you are delivering to those whose expectations are matched by both commitment and confident delivery... fingers crossed it continues.

We are in the throes of writing for a new album we want to make before the work cuts in to the point where we can’t see a clear weekend until 2013...this will be our first time putting together original material and will allow the opportunity to develop a sound and poss a style of writing that is successful...The Album will be a split between self written and classic stage tracks...we might just call it ..“Six of One....Half a dozen of the other”.......we shall see...

The diary as you can see on the gig page is stuffed to the gills... Despite being only part time we seem to have gained a lion share of much work and thank those who have booked shows and shown a great liking to our musical performance.

We are as committed as ever to our chosen charity Marie Curie Cancer Care and the total raised through our own shows and associated events came to over £25k which we feel is excellent...our quest to match if not do more in 2012 begins on the 9th March when we have arranged to be part of a fundraising night at the White Heather Caenby Corner in North Lincolnshire.. A beautiful venue we hope to have a full house for great Country Music and a hot supper... please support us

Winter so far has not been too bad on the roads so hopefully if we are coming your way we might just get there in one piece...Looking forward to the next few months and the shows ahead...come say hello and let us know what you think of the website in general...

May 2011

Returning to our Cest La Vie shows after the highs of the tour had been met with mixed emotions from all in the band...Keen to push on with our own work and furthering our fan base we eagerly slotted back into our shows but with a ting of sadness at the week that had become a benchmark for everything we wanted to do....With dates in the dairy for many US Artists later this year and next, we loaded the van and returned into the fray with excitement...Our first show would bring back those distant memories of the Gene tour with a charity event organised on behalf of the Darren Busby Bike Ride....As you may know we work closely with the Marie Curie foundation to raise as much as possible each year...As our chosen charity we were keen to support Darren and Darren and went along to Brigg..This turned out to be a fantastic evening of music and great fund raising...We had John Aston with us and performed both our own set and one with John as a tribute to the Gene Watson show....We loved it and what memories came flooding back with John Aston doing an amazing job on vocals... Raising well over £1500 we came home proud of our contribution to the causes they are doing the ride for... The John Aston Tribute concert has been very popular and we have shows lined up this year and next so look out on our date sheet and in your local venues for this great nights entertainment... First weekend back and off to Norfolk we did go....Soo many clubs to chose in the area and the Park Hotel is a well run popular venue packed with dancers and listeners alike....We enjoyed our evening and got back into the swing of things with ease....We were looking forward to playing the Dave Bryan weekend in Fleetwood nr Blackpool and were not disappointed.... working with our close friend Nicky James we loved the ballroom and great party atmosphere created by Dave and Jean who host these wonderful events.... Close up and personal we had a ball with both dancers and listeners with Dave getting up and joining us on a couple of numbers.. Great night. And hope fully back again soon...next show was at Rattlesnake CMC in Northumberland...Packed again and lots of dancing and merriment...Soo well run, again these organisers put everything into the night with the room dressed and just a great attomstphere...On the subject of organisers, they don’t come much better than Fred and Bernie at Freds Place Nottingham..Our shows there always great fun for us with a mix of dancing and listening, we like this local event and look forward each time... and its early home...Our run of well organised events continued and our visit to Skegness and the Nita and Nick weekend couldn’t have been better... loving the venues large stage and great acoustics we shared the night with good friend Darren Busby.. Darren got up to sing a couple of Gene Watson numbers at the end and brought the house down...big thanks to Nick and Nita for such a well run weekend...

The weekend ahead will see us at 3 festivals and a great venue in Lowestoft and I look forward to sharing our experiences next month...

The coming months will see the band busy with shows, learning material for US artists coming over and working on self written material for our new Album that that will be ready...when we’ve finished it! Our first CD has been very well received with many fantastic write up’s...let’s hope the next one can produce the same excitement and move us further along the road as a band...Our thanks as always for your support and good wishes...it means a lot...

April 2011

What a crazy month it has been...Soo much happening and with the Gene Watson tour in the middle we have not had a minute to breath never mind turn our bikes round....The month began with a visit to one of our favourite clubs...Ian and his wonderful team at Marston Social Club in Bedford do an amazing job and the club was bursting with Country Music fans out to listen and dance...we loved the night and thank Ian personally for his support and good wishes. Ian’s music collection is a mouth watering feast of the best Country and we could just sit and listen all night... makes a pleasant change to the usual DJ fodder.. thanks again Ian and team..here’s to next year..

Next our second visit to award winning Park Place Social in Knaresborough and another packed venue run with perfection by John and his great team...The perfect listening club and although the stage is tight we cram our gear on with engineering precision and have a ball...Knaresborough is a beautiful market town and we always try and arrive early to sample the local fish and chip restaurant and walk it off around the castle ruins..The sun shone and we had a great time...Thanks John.

Gig number 3 was at The Stallion in Norwich and Sandra and team know how to run a successful dance club...A great venue and a full dance floor...We love both listening and dancing venues and this is in our opinion the best of both...We will return later in the year and also on New Year’s Eve...Should be a great night.

Gene Watson Tour ‘The Short Report’

Those who follow these pages and the band will know we have been preparing for the Gene Watson tour in the last few months and on the 16th April we began Day 1 of our 8 date tour with this legend...Gene had sent over a long list of tracks to learn and with the help of John Astons amazing vocal talents we set about mastering Genes songs ready for this day...We had John Pettifer with us on the tour to support the rhythm section and add guitar to layer Derek’s steel work...Also we had Pete Steel and Adam Scratcherd from Premier Audio who blow us away every night with their sound system and total professional approach, all working to the same goal to achieve ‘match fit’ perfection on day one...Seeing Gene’s smile as we began sound check brought a huge relief to us all...The hard work had paid off and Gene seemed very happy with the band and sound....We sat and chose the set list from all the songs learnt and that became the show for the tour...Also on day one we met Lisa McHugh who we were also to back throughout the tour, we ran Lisa’s songs during sound check and they also seemed to work well, so in all we felt comfortable going into the evening show..Not confident but comfortable!! Being first night the Irish Centre Leeds was awash with press and the flow of interviews for both Gene and Lisa became constant from late afternoon till performance time...As a band we also had interview commitments with all the mags and radio stations..The support and excitement from the media had been warmly received by the band, this being the first tour for us we had hoped for positive reaction from the UK press and our sincere thanks to all those who supported our work...The gig was a blast with no errors to note and both Lisa and Gene performed flawlessly and with standing ovations all round we finished on a massive high..To go home and sleep would be an impossibility!!! Day 2 and our tour travelling began with a journey to Norfolk and Mike Rix lovely theatre style venue...Sold out and bursting with fans Gene once again brought the house down..Merv Futter was our compare for the evening and we thank him for his personal support..The comments and reaction from the audience to our own short spot was very encouraging, also the support from the fans for our work as a backing band was overwhelming throughout the tour ..A successful night and Mike seemed suitably happy with the outcome after many months of planning...Well done Mike and team on a great show superbly organised..The Travelodge in Stow market would be our home in the coming days and as we crept in and found our rooms we were all asleep before our heads hit the pillow...Day 3 and a short journey to Harlesden where top UK promoter Paul Sturman had also sold out the show at the Apollo Club...A great venue with a very intimate audience sat mostly within a few feet from the stage giving for a great evening of warmth and good banter..A tiny stage as we crammed on and did our best not to blast everyone who sat before us....More standing ovations and great comments from those in attendance...Gene has soo many stories from his life and about each song it was both a pleasure for the audience and the band to listen in wonderment as to how the world has unfolded on a career spanning many decades, with each song delivered perfectly to massive applause. Back to our hotel and an early start for Day 4 as we travelled the 250 miles across to Somerset and the Shamrock Club in a sleepy village called Puriton...Basking in the sunshine we enjoyed afternoon tea and some quality time to relax and talk about the tour and the gigs soo far...Another packed venue with great food and a close intimate attomstphere..Again the sound guys working this small room well to make sure Gene and Lisa’s shows came over perfectly. Back home after the show and with the following day to rest we all hastily crammed all stage gear into the washing machines, with the benefit of sunshine and sleep catch up before Day 5 and our journey to the Theatre Royal at St Helens.. A large venue and a chance for the Noise boys (sound crew)to open the rig up and enjoy a little more power than the last few gigs..We were to be joined on tour by The Haley’s who we are massive fans of and loved their set, chosen perfectly for this theatre audience..We stood in the wings with Gene and watched as their harmonies and beautiful music enthralled the crowd with massive applause at the end...Gene and Lisa’s spots performed with perfection it was a superb night all round ...With soo many good wishes and many CD’s sold in the foyer we packed and moved onto our next Travelodge home in Warrington...Day 6 and with the hotel right next to the local shopping centre we wandered in the following morning to a healthy breakfast in Debenhams and a little retail therapy (yes even for boys) with choice items taken we gathered the band and headed the short distent to Elsmere Port and the Whitby Sports Club....A large venue and a lovely complex...With interviews and press pictures we settled in the lounge for much food and conversation....With such a busy schedule we found ourselves taking every opportunity to speak with Gene and discuss his career and plans for the future, often sharing an insight to the highs and lows of his time in Nashville and the pit falls common in such a fickle industry...Needless to say we loved this time with him and cherished each conversation...To the show and another packed crowd and a great night enjoyed by all...Many fans of the band in tonight and the comments and support again overwhelming...Back to Warrington and another early start for Day 7 and our journey to Penrith leisure Centre..This was a sports hall venue and arriving with the sound crew we watched as their faces drained at the thought of controlling the sound in such a room..With much conflab, drapes and clever EQ from the noise boys they did a great job and with tiered seating we had a great night with the crowd, spending much time with us all after the show it was a great chance for us to talk with our fans on the Scotish Boarder as we don’t get up here as a unit as often as we would like so many faces new and old to chat with...With a crazy journey to our last show in Caithness at the tip of Scotland we decided to break the back of that journey by travelling from Penrith up to Falkirk that same night..Arriving in Falkirk it was quickly to bed ready for the early start and silly miles to Day 8 and Caithness Country Music Festival..Little Chef provided the Sausages and much sustenance needed to begin the 300 mile trek...We had left the Noise Boys in Penrith as the Caithness festival had its own sound crew..We bid Pete and Adam a fond farewell and both Gene, Lisa and ourselves thanked them for a perfect tour and superb sound throughout...Also Lisa was not travelling to Caithness as her touring schedule in Ireland meant she would return quickly to resume her gigs with her band..Lisa was such a professional performer and with a beautiful voice and presence we loved our time with her both on and off stage, where we developed a fun relationship with the boys also teaching her a little cockney slang..We bid Lisa who was now nicknamed ‘Treacle’ a sad farewell.... 6 hours later we arrived at the riding stables in Halkirk and a mass of buses lined up to ferry the crowds from this remote site into the local towns where they were all staying during the festivals 3 days..With many bands on the same stage we set up best we could and in the hands of the crew performed a great last show with Gene..Many fans filled the large dance floor and gave Gene great applause and much attention after the show..We quickly packed and headed back to the local guest house in nearby Castletown... The following morning noted many sad faces at the breakfast table as the ‘end of tour’ feeling sank into our hearts and the 500 mile journey home loomed..

Our time with Gene was probably the best musical experience the band has encountered to date and with firm handshakes and deep thank you’s all round Gene left for Texas and talk of his return next summer for another fantastic tour..Our sincere thanks to Nicky James who masterminded this perfect tour and kindly put his trust in us to deliver Genes music to a standard that would also reflect Nicky’s commitment in providing a great touring platform for US artists to step onto...With many top Country Legends working closely to Gene in the states we hope the good feelings will rub off on those who will then chose to visit our shores and enjoy the success Gene had in this glorious week of great music and friendship...Thanks Gene..Thanks Lisa...Thanks Nicky..thanks to our many fans, friends and media for all your support and good wishes...

Tuesday morning.. the clock went off and we all went back to work..Was it all just a dream...?

March 2011

Spring has sprung and the weather has been very kind in the last few weeks. It helps us get about and as the months get busy we need all the help we can get…A journey well worth making was our visit to Strollin Steves great weekend of Country at the Humanus Holiday Village near Yarmouth…Steve knows how to put on a show and we loved the crowd and the cosy room…sharing the stage with our good friend Darren Busby we always have a laugh and lots of banter on and off stage which we love….We wish him luck on his “Across The Miles” bike ride and look forward to working with him again at a charity event we are part of in early May to raise more funds for the chosen charities…It wasn’t long before we were to play at another Holiday Village, somewhat bigger though the Butlins Minehead resort has become a Mecca for all things Country and is probably the biggest event on the Country Music calendar….Proud to be involved we made the journey down and had a wonderful time soaking up the atmosphere and playing our set in one of the 2 venues on the site….Packed to the roof with Country folk and line dancers we enjoyed every min of it….I can recommend the food and chalets to anyone who hasn’t been there…It is soo cheap for the facilities and entertainment you get…I cant live at home for that money!!! It was however over all too quickly and the next day we headed back up north via Woodford CMC in Northampton where we stopped off to have a great night with the friendly crowd at the sports complex…They sure know how to dance and sing…A very small place and such a contrast to Butlins in size but equally fun to play and we look forward to returning in 2012…Suckers for travel the following night we had a show in Norwich so back down the hill for us all to the Apollo at Harleston….This is a venue we will play again in a few weeks as part of the Gene Watson Tour so looking forward to good night there with Gene…The following Friday we got to play at probably our favourite venue on the Country circuit bar non.. Ravenshead Village Hall is such a great place…Geoff and the team run a superb venue and always cater for your every need. The audience are purists and the “pin drop” atmosphere is to die for! These environments are where we do our best work and along with a select few other venues bring out the best in our music…Needless to say we shall beg for another date maybe next year to look forward to…Our quarterly pilgrimage to Edlington in Doncaster was a great night as many friends and fans are based in this area of the UK… A surprise “laugh a min” night for me but im sure everyone else enjoyed themselves…

Ever closer to April and the Gene Watson Tour, we have yet to rehearse with John Pettifer but will catch up with him during the next few weeks and seal the songs ready for opening night at Leeds Irish Centre on the 16th April. That will also be the first time we meet Lisa McHugh and run through her 8 songs…that day will be interesting both musically and logistically…

We are talking to folks across the pond at the moment about another US Country Legend coming over later this year…I will reveal all as the situation is confirmed but hopefully this will lead to many other artists venturing over to our island to perform…Busy times ahead me thinks…

February 2011

The sun is shining and my daffs are blowing in the wind…Spring has come and hopefully warmer days to help an achy drummers bones….Now the boys in the band are all in their early thirty’s we reach for our Cod Liver Oil now as appose to our bottles of Bud…Carrying gear in keeps us fit and cursing the stairs also helps loosen our vocal chords for the shows…

We have just received confirmation that we are to open the 2011 British Country Music Awards…These take place on Sunday 23rd October In London…We will also be the house band to back various artists appearing at this National Awards presentation…

Back in the swing and with many shows in February we found ourselves back at our favourite venue in Haywood Lancs…Hobos Retreat is a sanctuary for many musicians and always brings a smile as we remove the clubs Organ and Drum kit from the stage in order to set our own gear up…It’s worth the strife to just play for the patrons of this super listening venue…Our thanks to Jack and Mavis who continue to provide an excellent Northern venue…In the words of Jacks famous Mr & Mrs Rams bottom monologues…we get paid “tuppence per person per gig or per part gig” we don’t mind that in the least and ensure we are booked well in advance to ensure at least 3 shows per year…

Our journey to the Lakeside in Surry for the annual Southern Country Awards allowed us to share the stage with our close friends Gary Perkins and the boys and girls in his band…A great venue full of Country fans and dancers keen to make the most of the 5 bands and large dance floor…A great atmosphere and a credit to the organisation…Not playing in the South as often as we should it was a chance to say hello to many new people and ensure more gigs next year in the southern venues…a wonderful day.

Back to work on the Monday but Thursday we arrived in Liverpool to a venue we have not played for some 13 years...St Aloysius has continued to provide a weekly Country Music venue for those who enjoy a night out…Last time we played there we were offered band van protection by three 12 year olds!!! Fortunately there mum shouted them in for their tea so we were saved from teenage menace’s...a lively night from all accounts with the crowd enjoying themselves...

Sunday saw a second chance to work with Gary, and our visit to Pontins in Pakefield had the band playing and also backing Gary in a spot…we like the challenge of remembering 16 of Gary’s songs and the chance to have a great time... Another packed crowd enjoying this great venue. Our thanks to Sam Laws who put on a perfect day…

The following Thursday we migrated into southern territory to our new found favourite “True Country Venue” in the South… H Bar C is older than me, and Roland and his wife run such a lovely club…the effort is appreciated by the packed crowd who know their music… They dance, sing and enjoy the night... Our hope is it continues for another 30 years…We will be there to support and appreciate Roland’s efforts…

A new venue for us the following week and a journey to Kings Lynn to the famous Pentney Bowls Club…What a great venue hosted by some lovely people and a credit again to the work put in…the club packed and with amazing food and large dance floor the night saw both the floor and our belly’s full to bursting…The Norfolk crowd always on their toes and having a great time….we look forward to future shows and maybe a festival in the summer in the spacious bowls arena…

We continue our rehearsals for the Gene Watson Tour in April and have already had one afternoon together dedicated to the 26 songs we need to have perfect for the 8 day tour…6 weeks to go means we will be hard in the saddle…One of the biggest problems is that we don’t have Gene to rehearse with …Jon’s vocal range is much lower than Gene’s and the distraction of learning words etc would not allow true concentration for any of us…We have been very lucky to have John Aston as a good friend and musician, he has provided a perfect vocal for the songs we are to learn giving us a true “Gene Watson” sound in the rehearsal room. John’s vocal range and sound is the closest you will find to Genes in the UK and our grateful thanks go to him for his time and efforts to help this project. I think most of the venues have sold out now so we look forward to seeing many people and maybe selling a few of our own CD’s on the way round…

Look out for our picture on the cover of Aprils Cross Country mag...It’s our “Boys on a building site” picture... admittedly it was -3 that day so the “smuggling peanuts” look was unavoidable!! Inside is also a few words to ponder…

In between all this we need to get the garden sorted…fingers crossed everything pops up as planned... Presentation is everything and for me, ‘Bush Management’ never fails to impress on a first visit !… Where are my Secateurs??

January 2011

Welcome to the new year and Januarys cold and icy weather…purposely quiet to allow for winter holidays and new year to leave us we enter into preparation time for both this years gigs and the pending tour with Gene Watson…the tour looks set to be a sell out and along with support act Lisa McHugh we have 26 new songs to learn for the 8 days Gene is in the UK…no mean feat and our prep has begun with a series of conversations to determine musical responsibility…we have John Pettifer with us who will control the acoustic rhythm side of the show which is extremely important in genes songs…we look forward to working with John on this and other tours in the next year. I will keep you informed as to our progress in the coming months before the tour gets under way…if you wish to come and support us and Gene please see our gig page for details on the venues.

Our own gigs have all gone well. it is the beginning of year 2 for the band and will see us revisiting many venues second time round….one venue we have not visited in 13 years was the Pony Express in Stevenage…last time we played we won band of the year as the Jon J Paul Band!!! It’s a lovely small but friendly club with great atmosphere…we had a great night and met some lovely people. we shall be back later this year and we look forward to it…The night after we travelled up to the Croft in Darlington…the crowd are crazy and we had a wild night…there seemed to be a selection of hip flasks moving around the venue containing god only knows but as the evening progress the smiles became wider and soo did the eyes!! Needless to say the all rolled out to their respective caravans as we packed and left for home…..Thanks to all for a wonderful reception we got at Renishaw where the club had received an award for being one of the best clubs in the country…we agree and count it as our top local venue…it is run by Mick Greenan and his lovely wife and the place is bursting with happy dancers and listeners alike…we loved it and will return later this year…

The CD is selling well at the venues and on-line from our website through Pay pal so thanks to all…I hope you enjoy it…

Next month will see many more shows and back to our usual busy schedule and we look forward to see you around…keep warm and always have a Fishermans friend close by…you never know when he may cum in handy…!

Christmas 2010

Well…its come round quick again hasn’t it…..the snow I mean!!! Didn’t take much to turn the wheelie bin into a snow man today. The heavens have opened in Derbyshire and even thou I think we were last to get it, we have received our fair share and once again the rush is on at the village co op for the bread and milk….i was a little late so I have a milk roll and some soya protein in the pantry!!! Yuk….needless to say we were caught in the last lot and had 2 shows cancelled…our apologies to those who were planning to go but there was no way we could have attended…all of us live in villages or isolated areas which doesn’t help…on the pic gallery you can see the bands truck up to its knees in the white stuff and going no where..That left our shows in the first week of Dec in array and we missed Harrow CMC and a show in Birtley in the North East. Again apologies to all concerned… I heard that 99% of all Country Music shows were cancelled that weekend leaving all the artists to watch the X factor!!!! Onto the next weekend and our first trip to Mundesley and the truly wonderful weekend hosted by possibility the 2 nicest people in Country Music, Merv and Maria are consummate hosts who know how to both run a perfect weekend and look after the bands and their needs….we had a great show and snuggled down in the warm chalets for a great weekend of Country…selling many CD’s in the special “Merchandise Area” we made many friends on this 3 day event commonly known as the “Love Weekend”” too true…on the Sunday we made the trip to Haverhill and our friends at the Lazy K….Keith and team run a great venue and we had a ball working as a band and also backing Gary Perkins on one of the special shows we do with him from time to time…a great nite and Keith said the most he had ever seen in the club which was nice in these days of dwindling numbers…

The next few weeks are purposely quiet with some of us away for winter breaks and others doing prep work for rehearsals for both new band songs for 2011 and the pending Gene Watson Tour…many hours of work are put into such a show and another 30 songs to learn for a 2 week tour bringing much work but much pleasure….

For those on Utube put in our name cestlaviemusic and you will get onto our very own new music channel…we have placed some videos people have sent us from the festivals this year so you can have a look and a laugh at us…if you subscribe you will be emailed every time we add another…get on there and have a look…

We will be in Bournemouth for the New Year but where ever you are. You’ll be there!!! Have a good one and here’s to 2011…another busy year…

***** STOP PRESS *****

C'est La Vie to work with Gene Watson

Ace UK band C'est La Vie have been asked to support and back 80's American Country Music Icon Gene Watson on his UK tour next April. The bands management Evil Genius commented "We are very excited at the opportunity to work with such a respected American Star and the band look forward to flying the flag for UK Country Music on

this tour and others being set up in the coming months". The band will open Genes show then back him during his performance. Check press for details of UK, Ireland and European dates. Well done boys, we all wish you well.

December 2010

I sit looking out at the snow and another chilly November Nite… Boy have we had a few already….the gigs slowly getting harder to drive to as the month opened up, but every show a great one and well worth the effort. Lots of CD’s flying off our merchandise table…thank you to all who have it playing in the Kitchen as you read this, with a pan of beans on the stove!!! Well maybe not but all the same the fires on….We had a chance to spend some time with our good friend Alan Watkiss in the BBC Radio Sheffield studio where we got to talk and also play several live unrehearsed tracks totally unplugged…as well as the first air play of the new CD we had some lively conversation about life on the road and the history and pedigree of the band…we enjoyed it immensely and received some wonderful feedback from all corners of the UK with many listening on line….

Some great shows this month including Edlington in Doncaster where our quarterly visit always draws the locals from the Yorkshire scene…also we had Nancy Ann Lee on stage to belt a couple of tracks out…we love her dearly and support her shows and music where ever possible….next we travelled up to Durham and the Glaxo Country Music Club where we had a 2 tier stage and a wonderful attentive audience. We could have played on forever and sold many CD’s to the lovely folk who visit this well attended well run venue….

Mexborough in Doncaster was the second visit to the area in as many weeks and again we had a wonderful nite with our friends and fans buying CD’s and tee shirts!!! At this time of year??….well you can wear them in bed she said. like thermals!!!

The following week we spent the afternoon at Freds Place Nottingham where we put 3 new songs together before the night time show…always a great atmosphere at this, one of our favourite venues…the snow was threatening that night but didn’t stop the crowds gathering and making our visit special….Travelling to Guisborough on Teesside the snow began and as we slide up the A19 we wondered if anyone would be there…or if we would get home!!! We arrived and were welcomed by the crowd who listened and danced the night away in this wonderful club…the snow fell in heaps outside as we belted out our name sake song…needless to say we had a hair raising journey back to the main roads and hurried back to Nottingham…it wasn’t long before it followed us down through the Midlands and making our way to The Stallion in Norwich we knew it would be a hard night to drag everyone out…minus 5 the car dashboard said…the regulars came and enjoyed the large dance floor and great atmosphere…Sandra and her team do a fab job and we loved the night despite the 350 mile round trip in arctic conditions..

The next few weeks up to Christmas will continue to see us up and down the country from Newcastle to Bournemouth and across into Wales and Yorkshire before Santa arrives…hope he brings us all what we asked for…?? Keep warm and don’t forget “friction causes heat”!!! Anything to get the kettle boiled….!

November 2010

We have been on tour!!! Serious...850 miles in four days counts as a tour to us. Heading down south we began at H Bar C, and Roland’s team made us very welcome...What a great night of music and lots of dancing, a happy crowd and we really enjoyed our first visit. Our lavish lifestyle allowed us a bed each at the Travelodge on the M4... living the dream we had breakfast in the services and made the 5 hour journey onto the Ponsmere Festival in Perenporth....its been 12 years since out last visit, Barry Smalley the organiser said it would be a cold day before we returned and it was!!!!...blowing a gale as we stood and watched the waves crashing down on the many surfers. Such a lovely festival and hotel surroundings with lots of friends and an easy going atmosphere that allows everyone the opportunity to chat and enjoy wall to wall Country... There was equipment and artists set up in every room you went into.....the crowd were great and we didn’t want to leave the stage. Joined by the Big Bear” Dave Cause who gave us Route 66 full bore...our thanks to Barry and team who made us feel soo welcome.... Accommodation and food were 5 Star and we left the next day to head up to Gloucester... Badger Creek near Stroud is another venue we haven’t played for 12 years and we enjoyed the listening audience immensely...home almost on the Sunday we headed for Walesby near Nottingham for an afternoon and evening show in the company of Noel and team plus the many friends and fans who visit this popular autumn festival...In at 1am and up for work at 5am soon brings you back down to earth but we loved it all the same... early bed all week to catch up...

The CD should be out as you read this and available in the shop on this website or from our shows...Or you can email or post a cheque and we shall send you one off swiftly.... We are hoping you all like the tracks chosen and we will be happy to sign our names over Jons face anytime!!!! Im sure a few eyebrows will be raised when reading the notes on the middle pages but we feel its an honest statement reflecting our thoughts back then....many who were involved in Country Music will agree but we feel the scene in many respects as come full circle and our diary is a reflection of this need.

Talking of diary’s, next year looks like a busy time with more than one hundred shows booked and still coming in....its heartening to feel that people enjoy our style of pure country and that helps us strive for better things in everything we do. See you on the ice!!!!

Oct 2010

With over 3000 hits in the last few months the web site has achieved just what we wanted, to give information about gigs, share news and thoughts from our shows and activities, and to allow comments and suggestions from those who visit and follow us on our travels around the UK. As always we are grateful for the support and love to meet and talk to those who love our music. Having just returned from our second visit to the Brean fortnight we had the chance to close the festivities at the Seagull and as always the place was rocking. We enjoyed the night and stayed 5 star in a large caravan just a few yards from the stage…the rain however almost washed us away and Jon rescued the van just before it wandered off on a mud bank into the opposite vans. I don’t think it will stop raining now till Easter but it won’t dampen our memories of Brean and the last few weeks in and out of the studio and up and down the motorways playing our music. As I write, the Album is almost ready to go for print and then on sale in the coming weeks…You will be able to buy it on this site …if not we have it at the shows our by post with a cheque if you prefer. Hopefully you will like the tracks chosen and this will be a little piece of the show to listen to again. With festival season now closed for winter we managed the last few visits before the rain set in, our first journey to the Broken Spoke Festival proved a great success…We met “Nancy Ann Lee” at the bar who nudged her way onto stage and we spontaneously backed her on 2 songs that seemed to go very well…another successful festival from Malc and Roger and we are back at both their events next year. A long trip to Scotland and the Creetown Festival was a site to behold…the whole town consumed by Country Music in all shapes and sizes, we played the main marquee and the rowdy crowd lapped up the fun and entertainment provided by the bands on stage…a long day but great fun all the same…5 hours there 1 hour on stage 5 hours back. From our festivals we hit on 2 amazing small venues and perfect crowds, both Park Place at Knesborough and Chew Valley near Oldham are exceptional well run venues and the audiences were the best we could hope to encounter in our field. Pin drop attention and masses of recognition for our craft filled our hearts with happy thoughts and excitement at the return in the new year to do it all again, our thanks to Jon at Park and Trevor at Chew for perfect evenings. Another chance to work with Gary Perkins in Doncaster this month and we loved it, both Gary and the band doing their separate spots then all in on the last one playing many of Garys self penned tracks along with some old favourites. We always have fun and look forward to December when we are both together in Haverhill...keep your messages and comments coming in and pick up a copy of the new CD, there great Christmas presents along with the best quality Tee Shirts on the circuit…

You will be “loved by many and hated by non”

Good lines for a song me thinks!!!!

Sept 2010

Being locked away in a Recording Studio over 4 days can test any bands friendship but we emerged into the light of the Newcastle skyline with 12 tracks that will form the content of our 1st C’est La Vie Album…and as the CD preface indicates we are 10 years on from the Jon J Paul Band days but it all feels like we have “been here before”…and for that reason we have aptly named the CD.. Déjà Vu…. The CD should be out in early October and despite it being a collection of Classic Country tracks with only one self penned submission, we remain confident that we have added our own sound and with Jon’s individual vocal performance we are hopeful it will be warmly received by our fans and friends alike. With our song writing well under way the new year will see the release of a self written Album reflecting a clear way forward artistically for the band. The first CD will be on sale at shows and on the website as soon as it’s ready…. look out for radio interviews and ways to win a copy signed by the band…

Still in Festival mode we were invited to play at the Great North Festival, a first time for us but we had a great time and met old friends and managed to keep everyone in the marquee on such a sunny afternoon…we have received a write up from a national magazine on that show and have placed it on the reviews page of this site so check that out…

As you may know from last months news we are supporting Marie Curie and keen to get our fund raising off to a great start we were involved in a charity night in Ludford, Lincolnshire where we found a packed hall and an overwhelming array of raffle donations. The night raised £1000 toward our total and with Marie Curie Nurses attending and accepting the cheque we proudly played and thanked those who both attended and organised this marvellous event…look out for other shows in your area and come support us.

One of our favourite venues in the North is Hobo’s Retreat in Heywood and Mavis and Jack run such a friendly venue that caters for pure traditional country music fans…. We always laugh as we walk into the club as the organ and drums take up the whole stage and before we can set up we have to dismantle their gear and put it all in the dressing room…those who have seen the band will know we need lots of room for all our trankluments!!! Space on stage is a premium with the piano often balancing off the edge with our flight cases forming corner stages where needed. A perfect night again for us, we hate it when it all ends as we just want to play on forever…. We look forward to the next time and also another opportunity to be Jacks backing band…

From 75 to 7000 people and our arrival at the Malvern Western Motor Home Festival marked another first for the band. This multi venue showground was bursting with, well, motor homes I suppose…. and along with those homes came a mass of country music fans who had the choice of country styles from line dance to concert. We headed for the theatre venue and set up shop along side the “Country Legends” show…a great bunch of lads and lasses and we had a great night…. A little like a cattle market but on the whole a great audience and many new friends and fans gathered to enjoy the weekend.

As festival season comes to a close we reflect on what has been a good summer all round with many organisers quick to re book the band which is always nice… the dairy is beginning to fill nicely with some great shows in the new year to look forward to. Those dates include Theatre shows organised by our management team Evil Genius, this will see our first collaboration with The Haley’s, who we admire and respect tremendously. We look forward to sharing the stage and the evening with this extremely talented Trio. Maybe a few songs round the piano as well so we hope you look forward to a special show with two contrasting styles of Pure Country Music… please come and support us where you can. Its always extra special when you put something on yourselves and its well received.

It’s also nice when we share a stage with people who give Jon a run for his money in the hair department!!!!! I can see “hair brushes at dawn” happening. No problems with make up mind. Jon J prefers the “Washed out” look…

August 2010

Just back from the Norwich Festival we reflect on a month of great weather and some fantastic shows we had pleasure of being involved in.

The East coasts of Lincolnshire, Norfolk and Suffolk are areas we love to play with soo many venues running each and every night of the week the area is bursting with Music. Add to that a plethora of festivals it all makes for a great feast of all things Country. With the Norwich Show Ground Festival possibly being the highlight of the summer calendar for many we happily closed the main Saturday afternoon slot and as always loved the crowd and the atmosphere of this great venue. Superbly run as always by George Watts & Co we had a ball. Our good friend and festival sound manager Dave Cause joined us on stage for a burst of Route 66…Dave is such a pro and performed as only he can. Such a mountain yet he struts around like a spring chicken. After selling a few Tee Shirts and enjoying a chat and a cup of tea (soo Rock & Roll) with our many friends we embarked on the 4 hour journey home and still managed to get back at a reasonable hour, well before the test card.

The Breckland Festival is another great weekend and our first chance to share the stage with Henry Smith and the boys this year, we certainly made the most of it…a great crowd and the end of the night saw both bands playing along side each other in what can only be described as a “clatter”…. Funny having 2 drummers on stage….we built a few sheds that night!!!!! Mike Rix who runs the festival had suffered from the world cup date clash but still managed to hold a crowd and maintain a good atmosphere….well done Mike and team.

A trip to Birmingham and our friends at Brains CMC welcomed Simon Brady on stage with us. Simon plays for The Swing Commanders and depped for Derek who had holiday commitments. Simons Mandolin playing is world standard and along with some serious guitar picking helped us through a warm night. Our thanks to Simon and needless to say we had a great time with both dancers and listeners at this long running venue.

The Wild Stallion at Norwich was bursting with folk keen to dance and enjoy what is always a party night. We love this crowd and take great interest in watching both line and freestyle dancers stay in their respective sides of the floor with strict demarcation lines not to be crossed….great dancing great atmosphere and run superbly by host Sandra and her team.

We never fail to note the people who support the hosts and wherever there is success in country music there are always teams of lovely people who help make either clubs or festivals nice places for us to play… As a band we rely on the venues and organisers to be professional and in control of their shows, as moving a band around the country is no mean task and the planning involved to ensure success means the venue plays a big part in providing an environment suitable for performance.

As a band we have chosen to support Marie Curie Cancer Care and have pledged to raise an amount of money each year through shows and other projects we are involved in…The next charity event is in August (see our gig guide) and will be the first in a series of shows we dedicate our time to. Im sure we all know someone who has benefitted from the amazing work the nurses and care staff provide from this trust. Come and support us in our quest to raise as much money as possible this year.

With many more summer gigs and the new CD on the horizon we look forward to seeing you at shows around the UK.

July 2010

The band are truly in festival mode now and our visit to the Copper Kettle weekend proved to have the perfect combination of an electric atmosphere and a true country audience, something you rarely find in a large festival environment... Malc and Roger really do know how to put these festivals on and this makes an artists job so much easier. The interesting thing for the band when we play these shows is the change of set… In most venues we have a pattern of songs that match most environments but at festivals we have to ensure the set is upbeat and of a quicker pace to hold an audience who are often surrounded by many distractions in a large marquee…. Needless to say we had a great time and thank the audience and organisers for a wonderful night…. As I write we have just received confirmation of our return to Cooper Kettle next May and cant wait….

Another highlight for the band this month was the show at Walesbys legendary festival… Another team who know how to run these shows are Noel and his band of helpers, we love the attentiveness of the Walesby crowd and although a large tent Walesby always manages to maintain its personal “up close” touch that adds a nice edge to the music…. Jon’s ballads and deep voice excel on these stages and never fail to please those who love his style and delivery…. Walesby is another festival confirmed for next year as well so we are building a lengthy gig list that can be viewed on its own page in the web site.

Our visit to “West Virginias” Annual bash in North Wales proved to be an eventful night with the highlight being our sharing the stage with the Haley Sisters. We have known Jo Ann and Becky for some years and have always admired their amazing voices and stage presence… Our chance to get up and play along side them was too good to miss and we performed the longest version of Route 66 ever just to enjoy every moment and the solo’s many times over… Lots of fun and again a great atmosphere… Thanks Guys and Girls…we loved it…

Where ever you find Nick and Anita from Country Contrast running a venue you are guaranteed 3 things, a professional and warm welcome, a club that is bursting with country music fans and a night that is filled with laugher and merriment…. If you haven’t visited Silver Spur Cmc In Lincoln you need to as its one of the best crowds ever and our night was fantastic, bullying for more time on stage as usual we loved every min and I think the crowd had a good time too. Back again next year we look forward to their festival in May.

Choosing songs for the CD we are to record in Aug is a tricky process and we try and gauge people’s choice of their favourite songs against the ones we love to play as well. Its hard as we love them all really, so we shall be tossing a coin for the final 12.. We have had fun with names for the CD as you can imagine with our name being of French connotation, the suggestions have raged from “par lay vue” to “sack re blur” !!!!! All will be revealed when the CD is released in Sept…look out for Radio interviews on your local country station in Aug/Sept/Oct as we shall be visiting the Stations and playing tracks from the new CD and also live studio tracks during the interviews (just need to find a way to get my drums in!!!!)

June 2010

June is on us and we are 1100 plus hits on the site which we are very excited about. Thanks to all who wander through the pages…

Each month we add our latest gigs so keep checking the list out for your area, we update the music as we record it, mostly live tracks at the moment, and we try and keep you up to date with our activities through the news pages. Hopefully in the months to come the site will be a hive of info as we build all the pages to the max. Check out the new gear pages within the band members biogs…

Lots of shows again this month and we are gaining new friends and fans in all parts of the country…Our show in Sacristan, Durham was a full house and a great atmosphere from such a friendly crowd… we had a ball and will return in 2011. Across to Cambridge we loved the Britville Festival and thank the crowds and crew for making us welcome…a chilly night but we kept warm dancing about to the songs on stage. Lots of faster songs with Jon’s Accordion puffing and blowing in the night air!!! Steam rising from the steel guitar of Mark Dunn who stood in for Derek and did a sterling job. One of our favourite venues in the UK is Hobos Retreat in Haywood Lancs. A small true Country Music venue bustling with connoisseurs of fine music…. The crowds know their stuff and we love the evening as its intimate and a “pin drop” atmosphere with total appreciation for the songs and performance…we never want to come off stage and had bullied organisers Jack and Mavis to allow us to do longer spots…almost missed the raffle out!!!!! Another highlight was our first show with Gary Perkins at the Trinity Arts Centre in Gainsborough…a beautiful setting for our new show and the audience loved ever second… we have posted 2 tracks from the show on the music page and you can enjoy a little piece of the night through those songs. Festival season is upon us and we have many booked Inc Copper Kettle, Walesby, Breckland, Welbeck, Robin Hood Camp, Norwich etc so more about those next time.

We have booked the dates for the studio, these are 18th to 22nd August and we shall be at The Cluny in Biker nr Newcastle so anyone local who can put us up for 5 days please shout else the Travelodge account will get a hammering. We hope to come away with a good Album to sell at the shows…the tracks will inc some originals which we are currently rehearsing…should be fun having our own stuff on there along with some choice tracks from other writers. As the sun appears the sales of our now famous high quality tee shirts are expected to soar!!!!!!…Please grab one if you see us about and enjoy looking smart at the festivals...

Don’t forget to wash them inside out and make them look like new forever. You know it makes sense!!!

(Please read the label… the bag it comes in is not a toy and small cowboys could suffocate if placed over their heads.. please don’t try this at home, wait till we are there to enjoy your fun!!!)

May 2010

As I write we have surpassed the 700 hits mark on the website which is a great achievement considering we have been running less than a month. I hope it becomes a great tool to help friends and fans find gigs, new tracks and have fun with the pics as we update all info monthly. We as a band have a busy time and the news pages are intended to share some of the highlights and lowlights of our activities on and off stage.

As well as our shows around the country this month we have been working in a rehearsal studio on songs with Gary Perkins who many will know and love. We are to perform several shows in the coming year with Gary and the next few weeks will see the final stages of that show rehearsed and ready for the road. The first night at the Trinity Arts Centre in Gainsborough is on May 22nd, tickets from the box office and all info on the gigs page of the site. We feel the show sounds great and as a band are looking forward to the first of many nights with Gary on stage. Those who have been to some of our shows in the last few weeks will have seen Gary on stage with us, this has also been a chance to play some of the 26 songs taken from the main show and to “bed them in” ready…we would love to see you at Gainsborough…come say hello and add a comment or two on the Web sites friends page and let us know what you think…

April 2010

Many people have begun to ask about an album and we are keen to get into the studio and put together some tracks for a CD. Time is against us and as we record at the Cluny Studios in Newcastle it means we have to be either playing up in that area or have to find time to travel and do as much as possible in a short space of time…with our daytime jobs its not always easy but we have booked several dates in May and June so I am hopeful that come August time we may see a C’est La Vie CD on sale…we just have to pick through the tracks and plan the format!!! The songs currently being played on UKCountry Radio are demo tracks home recorded to help us choose the final ones for the CD…these are not available to purchase despite several requests for downloads…

Evil Genius, who are the Bands Management have involvement in many aspects of the Country Music scene and from that we were asked to provide PA for the Heather Myles show at Freds Place in Nottingham. We are lucky in the band to have an excellent PA rig and Jon J, Tony and I had a great night with Heather and the band. It seemed a little strange being out front controlling sound instead of being on stage playing but needless to say we had fun and received much praise for our efforts. The coming months will see news of the bands work next year with American and Australian Artists…keep your eyes out for that exclusive info next month? All we can say is “our people are taking to their people”!!!!! Well I think it was a tx but it sounds better that way!

The following week we were on stage ourselves at Freds and had a wonderful night. The venue packed and an attentive audience through to the last note…with several new songs in the show and Gary getting up we had a blast. Freds is a local venue for Derek and myself so it’s nice to play to home crowds and it’s also nice to get home for once before the milkman!!!! (Wots a milkman???)

More great gigs in March included North Walsham Country Music Club near Norwich. We love the Norfolk people and their clubs are full of genuine folk who love to dance and listen to good Country. Our gig list reflects several shows this year and next in that area and we look forward to them all. Also in Norfolk we visited Pontins in Pakefield, again the venue bursting with crowds of dancers and we loved every min of it. Not sure about the Sunday morning spots at 10am!!!! We as a band are normally in church at that time! But as needs must we entertained with croaky voices and sour eyes…and you all thought it was posh hotel rooms and lavish banquets…more like damp chalets and egg and chips!!!! Never mind we collected many penicillin cultures from the bathroom wall…

C’est La Vie…Such is Life

March 2010

All Back Together Again!!

C’est La Vie’s Management team have announced that Derek Thurlby, one of Britain’s top Pedal Steel/Lead Guitarists is to join the boys from January 2010.

This will bring the band back to its original line up from the days as the Jon J Paul Band, who were noted in Country Music’s premier league during the late nineties.

The bands drummer and management head Lee Guyler commented “We are all pleased and excited at the return of Derek to the fold and believe we can surpass the level achieved some 10 years ago”.

C’est La Vie are extremely keen to carve a name in today’s field by maintaining the individual style they adopted in the past and hope to attract pure Country Music fans through their travels throughout 2010…With many high profile shows and festivals booked you are sure to see the talents of this unit performing in your area. With the band members individual session commitments backing other top Country artists, their shows will prove a rare treat just to see 4 of the UK’s top Country Musicians on stage together.

Working With The Best!!

C’est La Vie have been asked to work with the UK’s top Country Music Singer Songwriter Gary Perkins. The band will back and support Gary at special shows throughout the year. These can be found on gig pages as and when they are booked.

These shows will compliment Garys work with The Breeze but will not effect their main show in any way…Gary commented “This is a great opportunity for me to play with the boys and produce a different show” Gary has been keen to increase his work load in the UK on the Country circuit and the gigging restrictions of the Breeze has borne the opportunity for Gary to work with other artists. As you can imagine C’est La Vie are very happy to have been chosen for these shows...The Bands Management Evil Genius told us “The Band and Gary are currently in rehearsals for the first main show in May, and the fans can expect many new songs not normally played”, these along with Garys many self penned songs will ensure a great evening of Pure Country Music…Gary has also been appearing as a guest on some of the bands gigs which has been both a nice surprise and an extra bonus for both club organisers and those attending the shows as well…Gary will appear as a guest with the Band at Freds Place
on 21st March...

Look out for these special shows near you soon.