Sept 3rd   (gigs for the next few weeks, new gigs added)

July and August were extremely busy months with thirty four gigs in all. It becomes a little quieter now but still with plenty going on.

Highlight of August was probably Broadstairs Folk Week. We had a fantastic time there and it was good to catch up with some people we hadn't seen for some time. It's such a good festival and I would recomend it to anyone who hasn't been before.

Work continues on the new album with with quite a few songs completed now, and most of the others nearly there. It's progress has been a little slower than hoped mainly because of the number of gigs in recent weeks and because we moved house a few months ago. The album is a collection of songs and some tunes from or inspired by the eastern part of East Anglia i.e. the Waveney and Yare valleys an area, I think, which is a bit overlooked. The subject matter ranges from the lost city of Dunwich to the Scots Fisher girls, fisherman superstition to Great Yarmouth prostitutes, amongst other things. This is more of a folk album than some of my more recent ones and the release date draws closer.Recently Lynne has added some backing vocals, Ian some piano and Mario some violin parts. I/we will be performing some of these songs at up and coming gigs.

On September (10th) we have a gig at The Seagull Theatre, Lowestoft, home of our first ever gig together, tickets available from the seagull theatre, Morton Rd. Adrian O will be with us that night, a wonderful poet/storyteller/photographer who we've become friendly with and that I saw do his show in Broadstairs and asked if he'd come up to do a slot at the Seagull.

On the 12th of Sept from 1.30 untill the early evening there is an open day as Bond's Meadow. Bond's Meadow is a six acre conservation area in Oulton Broad, Lowestoft that me and Lynne are involved in helping with. This will be in afternoon of historical and nature walks, weaving and dyeing demonstrations and from 4.00pm some music and poetry. Come along and have a look at the work that's being done there and bring an instrument if you are of that persuasion. There are entrances in Sands Lane and Hall Rd.

The cds and book continue to be available in a couple of retail outlets in Lowestoft - The Heritage Centre in the High Street and Scott's Gallery Cafe near the Marina theatre as well as Morlings in London rd South (incidentally some one stole one of my cd's from there recently, I think it's a kind of compliment).

Here are the gigs for the next few weeks, hope to see you there. Remember, gigs are sometimes added at short notice so keep an eye on the gig list

September

1stth Beach Farm, Pakefield, Suffolk (solo informal with guests) 9.00pm

4th The Old Belle and Steel Yard, Woodbridge, Suffolk. 9.00pm (solo)

10th Seagull Theatre, Lowestoft. With Adrian O. 7.30  Tickets £6.00 and £7.00 Tel 01502 589726 also available on the door.

11th Private Function

18th Maids Head, Old Catton, Norwich 9.00pm

19th Kings Head, Brooke, Norfolk 8.30 (solo)

23rd De la Pole Arms, Wingfield, Norfolk (solo) TBC

24th Private Function

25th Private Function

October (so far)

1st High Barn, Great Bardfield, Essex (with the Destroyers) 7.30

2nd The Reedcutter, Cantley, Norfolk 9.00pm

9th Charity Ceilidh, Carlton Colville Community Centre

15th The Crown, Framlingham, Suffolk 9.00pm

REVIEWS

PRAYING FOR THE ALIEN

'....15 well crafted, self penned songs.....this raw, honest and intelligent set of british folk boasts something for everyone'. (Musician Magazine)

'Lovely singing and guitar playing throughout. A CD to sit and listen to,read the lyrics and reflect. A good one'. (Around Kent Folk)

'For every poignant point there is an entrancing and charismatic melody that keep the songs dynamic. .Sturdy songwriting and excellent musicianship. And if you're lucky enough to catch this guy live it gets even better! John is a vibrant and exciting performer'. (The Waveney Advertiser)

'If you've yet to sample this man's music then Praying for the alien is a good place to start, but be warned. You'll want to hear the rest as well'. (Eastern Evening News)

'There's a lot of dynamic at play across the album. Ward writes well infusing his songs with a sense of the dramatic. The instrumentation adds to that sense of passion reinforcing the mood to give emphasis to a strong lyrical set'. (Fatea Website)

'Too cheerful by half'. (Eastern Daily Press)

'Well worth buying'. (Essex Folk News)

A paypal link has been added to the discography page so you can buy the new album through this site. Alternatively you can send a cheque to the PO Box. It's a good idea to drop us an email if you order through the PO Box as we don't get a chance to check it as much as we would like. As with all the albums it will be £9.00 which covers the postage and packaging,£8.00 from gigs. There are also some sample tracks on the site and on Myspace. If you are in or near Lowestoft you can buy it from Morlings in London Road South, The Heritage Centre in London Road North and Scotts Gallery Cafe near the Marina Theatre.

Don't forget that there is a Myspace site now www.myspace.com/johnwardionmusic

You can now buy my CDs from this website using paypal