FLEA is the post-punk combo with me and Art Carbuncle. Between 1987 and 1993 we made an industrial techno racket with our drum machine Sissy. It was a bit experimental and fun but we never had anything released until TODAY that is! – thanks to German Shepherd Records. Here’s the GRS press release from Bob Osborne:

When the ecstasy fueled “Idiot Joy Showland” was bubbling up in 1988, down at the Boardwalk a couple of miscreants and a drum machine were creating some edgy art punk which flew in the face of the prevailing trends. Part of the German Shepherd ethos has always been to bring back to the wider world some of those bands that were groundbreaking but didn’t get the kudos they deserved. Flea were such a band and the opportunity to release this music came out of a 25th anniversary reunion gig supporting The Cravats last year, and a memorable appearance at this summers Manchester Meltdown. Flea are back, and it’s about the right time for them..

Delighted to say I’ll be playing Levenshulme Market in the south of Manchester on the afternoon of Saturday September 29th. Come down. It’ll be fun! And, yes,  CDs will be on sale.. It’s at the train station car park. There’s ‘shopping, street food, kids fun and live music’ (that’s us!).

Set times for the Manchester Peer Hat gig this Saturday: 7.50pm The Earls of No King 8.30 Michael Seal and the Be Positives 9.15 China Pig 10.15 Boz Hayward

 Joining me on Saturday will be: Phil Robinson: guitarron bass; Mark Greer: slide guitar/keyboards/golckenspiel; Rick Burrows: trumpet/melodica/keyboards/glockenspiel; Rob Haynes: drums; Pat Clarke: harmonica

Please put Saturday May 19th in yer diaries! I’m playing my first Manchester city centre gig as a singer-songwriter for over 3 years at the Peer Hat,  14-16 Faraday St, Manchester M1 1BE. Other acts playing will be The Earls of No King (aka Mark Greer), China Pig and Michael Seal and the Be Positvies.

I will be joined by bozchestrians Phil Robinson (bass), Rob Haynes (drums), Rick Burrows (trumpet) and Mark Greer (Slide/glockenspiel) and maybe one or two others depending on their availability and what we have selected to play. We will be playing a number of Tennessee Ten songs and some classics

It promises to be a great evening. It’s a fiver in. Doors open 7.30. Curfew is 11.

I’m playing the featured artist slot at the Strange Brew open mic on Monday 18th December with my long term accomplices Phil Robinson (guitarron bass) and Mark Greer (lap slide guitar). I think we’ll be on around 9pm. Strange Brew is on Barlow Moor Road in Chorlton, Manchester. All welcome! (If I remember, I’ll play a seasonal song, too!) x

Louder Than War has given us a fab review for Tennessee Ten. It was written before its recent release and can be found here:  Louder Than War review

And here’s a screenshot of half of it:

The new album Tennessee Ten is now available from Manchester’s legendary Piccadilly Records shop. Pop in or order on line. More info here