Hey everyone,
What a GREAT year 2019 was and 2020 setting up to be even better one.
First gig up for Syteria was at the Fabulous new festival ‘Rockmantic’ in Carlisle run by Raz White who also runs another fabulous UK festival ‘Call of The Wild’. Then off to Blackpool to play my favourite gig in the UK ‘The Waterloo Bar’ which has the best musical decor I’ve seen in years, especially the Ladies toilets…lol
THE LADIES TOILETS AT THE WATERLOO
Then in March a quick jaunt over to Prague to play with our friends ‘The Agony’ and a couple of days holiday before coming home to play Great Yarmouth ‘Yarmageddon’ and after a bit of car trouble we made it back up north to play the ‘Grimm Up North’ festivals.
PRAGUE
Then for me a VERY special night in March as we got to present an award to Suzi Quatro at the Vive Le Rock Awards in London and on my birthday too. Got to hang out with the who’s who of Punk and Ska for the night, Happy Birthday me.🙋
VIVE LE ROCK AWARDS Mar 27th
JAX AND SUZI QUATRO
Finally in April some gigs with Girlschool and with Tracey Lamb (ex Girlschool and Rock Goddess) back in the fold and off to Spain for a few gigs, even saw the sunshine again😼.
JAX & TRACEY IN A SPANISH HOTEL
Then back to the UK for a few more gigs there with Syteria before flying off to Belgium with Girlschool again.
In May we played the ‘Call of The Wild’ festival just as we closed another successful Syteria Kickstarter campaign and in June started to record the second album Reflection with the wonderful Tim Hamill at Sonic One studios again, which will be released to the world Feb 21st 2020 (not long now).
JULIA ABOUT TO LAY DOWN A VOCAL
JAX AND TIM HAMILL WORKING HARD COMPARING SHIRTS
In the middle of all the recording we got to play at the Camden Rocks festival too, Wales and then London and then back again in the same day…bed at 6am and up to record at 9am rock n roll zzz.
In June Girlschool finally got to play In Australia after 40 years, a quick stop off in Japan, our luggage didn’t make it though for 2 days so that was fun…not! but nothing was going to stop us getting to Oz and having a good time, we even made it with the luggage too. Had the best time ever visiting so many places with Tank and Raven with great venues and promoters too, hopefully we’ll go back. We even had time to visit a few sites and go to our favourite pastime, an animal park… a very happy band🙋
GIRLSCHOOL AT SYDNEY OPERA HOUSE
GIRLSCHOOL, RAVEN AND TANK
AT THE END OF THE TOUR
Not long landed and off Girlschool went again to Ireland for 3 shows and then to the Wacken festival in Germany which is always a fun gig!
IRELAND WITH RICHARD FOWLER & KAAREN DEAN
A few more gigs then back to Belgium to play at the town hall with the lord mayor present and he’s a full on Motorhead fan with an office full of memorabilia, weird but fun!
LORD MAYOR OF BRUSSELS
‘NICE BIT OF RUMP THAT’ …SAID THE COW
Back to the UK for more Syteria gigs up north and then with a new manager Andy Turner and brand new bass player Steph Dawson, a few rehearsals later…
THE AMAZING STEPH DAWSON
Another flight with Girlschool back to Spain, not been there for yrs then twice last year!
SPAIN
Next stop Hamburg to play with Demon and Praying Mantis
HAMBURG FESTIVAL
Back to the Waterloo in Blackpool this time to play with 1 of my personal favourite bands, Vice Squad, now that was a fun night for us.
BLACKPOOL
Then time for some real fun, video time again… 1st up ‘Gossips’ with ‘Fly Girls Films’ which was 1 hilarious day, all dressing up and as ‘chavy’ as possible lol. I was supposed to be a Mrs Robinson (The Graduate) type but ended up being more Anne Robinson (weakest link UK) we spent the whole day laughing and changing but the results were great, coming very soon.
The very next day we were up and off to do video number 2 with Jay Hillyer, this time Make Some Noise! a little more serious this one, but Richie Stone made us up a fun t-shirt to go with it.
T SHIRT
Last gig of the year for Girlschool and back to Finland to play with Nazareth with friends Barbe-Q- Barbies. Always fun to catch up with those guys, been a while.
BARBE-Q-BARBIES IN FINLAND
A quick photoshoot with Marc McGarraghy in Sheffield for the Reflection album sleeve.
SYTERIA NOV 2019
Only 2 more gigs for us with the last 1 of the year being in my town of birth Bradford in Yorkshire, a few family and friends there for a little Xmas get together, and a great way to end the year and decade by signing our contract with Cargo for the distribution of Reflection in Feb 2020.
JULIA THINKS SHES IN THE SUN, ‘OI IT’S BRADFORD WOMAN’
Last but not least we were voted number 3 best live band of 2019 in the NWOCR poll at the end of December, so thats a great way to go into a brand new year which will be full of gigs. Hope to see some of you at them.
Make Some Noise video is coming soon
HAPPY NEW YEAR TO YOU ALL
JAX X
www.syteria.co.uk