These Boots Were Made For Gigging
Having played every show since 2001 (except one where i forgot them) I finally retired the pictured boots from active duty.
At the re arranged and final show of the year in Haywards Heath I decided they were beyond repair and took them off for the final song. They were a good investment back at the beginning of the decade and have been around the world a few times. From Hugh’s Room in Toronto to the Albert Hall in London, from Greenwich Village New York to the Talbot Hotel in Tregaron and well over a thousand other venues, they showed up faithfully and have earned their retirement.Much the same can be said of you guys this year though I hope retirement from attending shows is not an option! We have had a wonderful year of concerts with too many highlights too mention though I would put Cropredy and the Tonypandy Broken Peace project at top of my list. ‘Under Lemonade Skies’ was released to great reviews and more importantly you guys thought it was one of the best, and it seems the music remains relevant and important to you. Thats great news as it means I have to go and buy a new pair of boots! We broke all our records for attendance on the recent UK tour and after a brief rest in January Im looking forward to getting stuck in again in 2011.Thank you everybody for the amazing support and interest you invest in this music and also a huge welcome to all the folks that came along for the first time this year. I hope you have had a wonderful Christmas and that 2011 will be a good year for us all. So much of the world remains fragile or broken and inexplicable and yet there is great beauty and grace everywhere. We move forward trying to make sense of that.Peace to you on that journey and thank you once again.Martyn x