FEBRUARY NEWS PART 2 - News updates

No news for months and then two news sections in one month....wonders never cease.

Tull Tribute Shows
As you will have noticed from checking out the gig guide, Cold Flame embark on their first Tull tribute show of 2006 headlining The Witchwood Club in Ashton U Lyne,Tameside on Thursday March 9th.This will be of approximately two hours duration and will feature much of the set heard in Italy during December. Additionally the band are very pleased to announce that one of Manchester's newest emerging singer songwriters - the highly talented Denise Morgan will be supporting with her backing band. Doors open at 8.30pm. Tickets are now available from the venue log on to www.thewitchwood.co.uk or phone 0161 344 0321.Further Tull tribute shows for 2006 have already been confirmed see gig guide with additional shows likely to be added through the year. This has alreay prompted the band to start working on material previously not covered from the extensive Jethro Tull back catalogue. This new material will certainly be part of the band's summer completely revamped Tull shows and rest assured the emphasis will be
on the rockier material.

The Website
Yes we are slowly but surely getting to grips with the workings of running a website and additions are starting to appear. Some of this is perhaps more obvious than other bits but rest assured its all comes down to making the site more usuable and interesting for you all during the next few months. Check out the message board for up to date news on website progress and if you need to know anything specific either use the message board or contact the band at info@cold-flame.co.uk

Peter's Christmas Presents
Lots of money has been spent in the Cheetham household recently with Peter now the proud owner and user of a soprano sax [Passion Play ???] and a very expensive American microphone attachment....expext both to be seen/heard in up and coming concerts.

Cold Flame Acoustic - Monthly Residency
Well we almost pulled it off. Recent hard work by the band and a certain local hotel had set up a new weekly music venue with some excellent acts provisionally booked from March onwards including Clive Gregson, Steve Gibbons Band, Devils Right Hand, Morgan le Fey, Some Blokes and of course CFA as a monthly headliner. Sadly the local gas company have gone and kicked all plans into touch in a row with the venue that has now been featured on BBC 1's Watchdog programme. Whilst the matter is now going to court, in the meantime all music plans are on hold.....the curse of Cold Flame strikes again.We will keep you informed of developments should the position alter in favour of common sense.

Devils Right Hand
As you will be aware, our latest band member is the highly talented Glossop fiddle player Paul Newland.You may be interested to know that Paul also has another band in tow - recently formed - called Devils Right Hand. It is a three piece comprising Paul with Mike Revell on guitar and vocals and Phil Stocks on guitar,mandolin,banjo and vocals.

February 2006

Mick Abrahams Patrick Clive Bunker - Italy Dec.2005

By way of introduction and greeting.....hello and welcome to yet another year with classic rock band Cold Flame boasting what is in effect a very new and extended musical line up. Yes we know its been a while but circumstances already logged elsewhere have meant that the website has been static for some time. Anyway that is all now sorted and we are very pleased to announce that we are now running our very own website with the admirable assistance and support of good friend and musical colleague Peter Mcdonald. Already there have been very neccessary changes to the About page and Gig Guide with further changes in the pipeline over the next few weeks.Not least amonst these is the decision to place all band Diary items on the News page with a section for Diary archives as well. Former webmaster Wal remains very much part of our set up and will continue to run both the message board as well as the Cold Flame Shop which will be extending during the course of this year with even more goodies on offer.

Meanwhile despite changes and upheavels on and off the field of play, you will all be very pleased to know that normal service has already been resumed with plans to record and perform live throughout this year. Finally a very loud thank you to all Flame fans everywhere for helping to keep our interest in maintaining the band at its maximum.Tell your friends we are back and we will all chat into the small wee hours post gig.

LIVE IN ITALY
Who would have thought that for Cold Flame's 21st anniversary, the band and entourage would be invited to play in Italy.A very warm thank you goes out to Aldo and the itullians crew who having invited Cold Flame over to perform at the 10th Italian Tull Convention in Fidenza near Milan made everyone so welcome and looked after all needs. The whole event was a tremendous occasion with many many highlights including Phil's drumming duet with Clive Bunker, Patrick and Peter joining Italian Tull tribute band Beggars Farm in their finale, backstage with Mick Abrahams and Clive Bunker exchanging stories that got darker cruder and more unprintable by the second....side splitting laughter throughout of course because musicians remain schoolboys at heart.Then there was the after gig party which went on and on and on....even Dave Rees looked tired though Martin Webb and Patrick continued to go on and on about the merits of Tull and the wonderful A New Day magazine through the ages.Lets not forget very brave Robert who admitted just before take off that he had never flown before and though his face turned green at one point maybe thats because it was pressed against the window for the whole of the journey. Considering the band only had 6 weeks in which to put together a show suitable for the Convention given that the line up was practically new......well the chaps did themselves and Blighty proud.There now follows a review of the gig as written by Gillian Christie from Manchester.

''Cold Flame opened the Itullians 2005 Jethro Tull Convention in Fidenza with a blistering hour and a quarter of old and new Tull, interspersed with some instrumental Flame mayhem.After a thunderous intro of MAINLAND BLUES the band bounced whole heartedly through FAT MAN, prowled upon HUNT BY NUMBERS and meditated tastefully to the spiritual mysteries of DUN RINGILL. Skilful segues from THICK AS A BRICK into JIGGERY POKERY, and later WE USED TO KNOW into BOUREE, added to the obviously well rehearsed sections. Humour was never far away as is the tradition of Tull shows. Peter’s Anderson Squire-like outfit with boots and riding pants complimented well with Patrick's tailcoat a la Hammond- Hammond whilst the other members complemented the stage setting ever further. Cold Flame even tackled aspects of PASSION PLAY with a short rendition of THE HARE into CRITIQUE OBLIQUE. There was further comic display in the form of Davyd’s pirate outfit and the roadies magic broom and air guitar extravaganza. Peter’s (flute and vocals ) interesting tribute to early Ian Anderson’s facial and body language was enhanced by his Blues saxophone skilful solo in the rare TO BE SAD IS A MAD WAY. Patrick’s solid bass worked well with Phil’s drums, flowing with ease from one time change to another as LIVING IN THE PAST moved from 5/4 to NEW DAY…in 12/8! Rob punctuated Martin Barre's guitar lines with his own persona in a fascinating performance with Davyd on keyboards giving subtle but telling ideas across every tune (and some surprise tinkering on his organ). Cold Flame delivered a musically skilful and fun show. In short Cold Flame set light to the Itullians and the Italians loved every second of it.''

GIGS 2006
Check out our latest website Gig Guide which covers the whole of this year with new gigs being booked as we move through the year. The main changes reflect a much simpler layout compared to in the past with just one page reflecting Cold Flame gigs in all guises.Additionally we have gone for colour coding ie......White stands for Rock and Blues gigs, Yellow means Cold Flame Acoustic and Red stands for Tull tribute shows.Keeping things simpler. Talking of which if anyone cares to recommend a venue or would like to book the band for a private or public engagement please don't hesitate to contact us - see contact details elsewhere on the website. The first Tull tribute show this year will be at The Witchwood in Ashton U Lyne on Thursday March 9th with support from amazing Manchester songstress Denise Morgan and her band. Advance tickets are now available from the venue see gig guide for further details.

NEW RECORDINGS
Due to recent changes in band personnel, the new Cold Flame studio album will now be recorded during the early part of this year . Stay tuned for updates on our progress which will as usual also feature Wal and the Shipwreck Studios team .Other live and studio releases including Pete Cheetham's new solo album 'Shine' are also scheduled for release during the next few months.