Event at the People’s History Museum

Almost one year on from the recording of Greedy Magicians I’m delighted to be putting on a special show at Manchester’s People’s History Museum. ‘The making of a Protest Album (in 5 easy steps)’ will  tell the story of how I made my protest album – how it was recorded over a single evening in a Salford church, what events inspired the songs and how the artwork was created using 19th century machines. And of course I’ll be playing many of the songs from the record. There will be special guest including Tony Walsh (Longfella poet).

I’m thrilled to be playing at the People’s History Museum. I think it’s amongst the finest museums we have and absolutely essential to have a place that teaches our history and safeguards the real story of the people’s struggle against the vested interests that hold back progress. The event if part of an ‘Art of Protest’ season at the museum and is also part of the brilliant Museums at Night initiative. Immediately after my show will be an art of Protest evening featuring other performers including Sam Duckworth from Get Cape, Wear Cape, Fly.

People’s History Museum & Little Red Rabbit Records presents……

Quiet Loner’s “The making of a protest album in five easy steps”
Saturday May 18
FREE ADMISSION (Limited spaces, booking is advised)
3-5pm The show will start at 3pm so please arrive in time.

The People’s History Museum
Left Bank, Spinningfields, Manchester M3 3ER

To book a place contact 0161 838 9190 or info@phm.org.uk

Discontented Winter – free download.

On the day they bury Margaret Thatcher, I’m giving away my song ‘Discontented Winter’ as a free download. For the next week, you can download the song which is a reflection on the devastation that Thatcherism brought to many communities, whilst spreading  her doctrine of self-interest. I am angry that she is being given a State Funeral. Her policies and ideas continue to dominate life today and so whilst she is dead now, Thatcherism lives on and I see no reason to respect or celebrate that.

FREE TRACK DOWNLOAD

New single & tour

Quiet Loner will release a free download single on April 01. An April Fools Day song about the fools running our country.

‘The Captain’s Diseased’ is the second single to be taken from Quiet Loner’s new album of contemporary protest songs ‘Greedy Magicians’. Picking up on the oft- heard mantra that ‘we’re all in the same boat’, this rollicking sea shanty casts David Cameron as a deranged and syphilitic sea captain. The captain decides the sick and frail aren’t working hard enough and casts them overboard. The allegory isn’t subtle, at a time when the coalition is cutting billions from the benefits of disabled people and carers. Despite the serious subject, it pokes fun in the long tradition of satire, with its boozy accordion and cries of “he’s syphilitic and riddled with fleas”. Nevertheless it makes a powerful point.

The single will be accompanied by an out-take from the Greedy Magicians recording, not released before.  

Live dates

This will be followed by a short UK tour in April taking in Liverpool, Sheffield and Glossop. Then Quiet Loner’s first ever visit to The Netherlands opening for Kirsty McGee. APril also sees a couple of exclusive appearances in Manchester – one for the Northern Vegan Fair aftershow party and another for Tony Walsh’s book launch at Manchester Library.

In May Quiet Loner will be performing a special one-off show at Manchester’s People’s History Museum. ‘How to make a protest record (in five easy steps)’ will look back at the recording of Greedy Magicians and talk about the motivations and inspirations behind the album. Details are on the People’s History Museum website  

Greedy Magicians video
There are now a selection of videos for tracks from Greedy Magicians. Many feature footage of the live recording.

We will not forget

‘We Will Not Forget’ is the first single to be taken from ‘Greedy Magicians’. It’s a classic list song with references from the Peterloo Massacre (barely a mile from the album’s recording location in Salford) and the Tolpuddle Martyrs, to Hillsborough, the miner’s strike and the current assault on the NHS and public services, the song is a celebration and remembrance of struggle of ordinary people against the powers that be.

This video has been created by K.Craig

The download single is accompanied by an exclusive B-side, an out-take from the Greedy Magicians recording. The song ‘Papers Please’ was written by Steve Roberts and is a beautiful reminder of what happens when governments become authoritarian.

You can download the single here

Greedy Magicians

Quiet Loner’s third album ‘Greedy Magicians’ will be released on November 19 2012. The album will be available to buy direct from Little Red Rabbit records,  in good record stores (not many of those left) and from online retailers such as Amazon and iTunes.

The album was recorded in a single evening in May 2012 in a Salford church and is a collection of political and personal songs. The CD release comes in a unique limited edition hand printed sleeve. Quiet Loner will be celebrating the release with a short run of English dates. Read more about the creative process behind ‘Greedy Magicians’

30.11.12 SHEFFIELD The Shakespeare  (with Mark Wynn, Huw Costin and William Barstow)
02.12.12 MANCHESTER The Castle (with Longfella)
03.12.12 LONDON The Windmill (with Greg Harrisburg and Anne Catherine Parkes)
07.12.12 GLOSSOP The Oakwood (with Sparkwood&21 and the Listeners)

The song ‘We will not forget’ – will be released as a single for radio with an accompanying video on December 3rd.  A full UK tour will follow early in 2013.

Greedy Magicians dates

Greedy Magicians released soon.

The new album from Quiet Loner – ‘GreedyMagicians’ – will be released on November 19th 2012.  Recorded live in a Salford church over a single evening in May,  ‘Greedy Magicians’ is a collection of contemporary protest songs seething with disgust and shot through with melancholy at the state of our coalition-led nation.  It’s an album which responds both personally and politically, reflecting on recent events and rewriting them as the latest chapters in a long and historic struggle of the many against the few.

The album will be released as both CD and download. The CD will come in a limited edition cardboard gatefold, each one individually printed by hand using 19th Century machines and techniques.

Read the press release