The Daily Telegraph published a review of Midnight in Havana, yesterday, Saturday 26th October 2013. A timely reminder that the album is released this Monday - the 28th October.

The Lee Thompson Ska Orchestra will be playing the Madness curated House of Fun Weekender at Butlin's, Minehead, on the afternoon of the 24th November. After the gig I am told to expect a Radio interview with Koast Radio in which I will answer any questions put to me as honestly as I can and play a track or two on the piano (if I can move it fast enough from the stage to the radio tent) At least one of the tracks I play will be from Midnight in Havana. 

The new album is now available to pre-order from Amazon and what a bargain - the price of a couple of pints! Or even one Mojito at a high end cocktail bar. I won't mention Christmas yet . . . far too early.

Time to release the second of the videos made to accompany the album Midnight in Havana. It is a tribute to the composer Eric Satie and the title 'Velvet and Absinthe' references the 'green devil', absinthe, and the velvet suits favoured by the composer. The clown make up is based on the traditional french clown character "Pierrot'. The fact that he is on his way to work in the City of London in no way implies that bankers are clowns (ahem). This was directed and edited by my daughter, Melody Cornford. 

I now have it on good authority that Midnight in Havana is to be released on the 28th October 2013 so with that in mind here is the first of the videos we have created to accompany it. It was shot in just an hour and a half at Wilton's Music Hall in London's East End and I chose Wilton's because it has that crumbled magnificence that is so striking in Havana. The title, Bucaneros at O'Reilly's, refers to the excellent local beer which I enjoyed at O'Reilly's in Havana. O'Reilly refers to a man of that name who fought against the English for the Cubans in 1762, and had a street and bar named in his honour. The O'Reilly's in Ireland created their own currency which gave rise to the phrase 'Living the life of Reilly', because if you have the power to create your own currency then - indeed - you are (living the life of Reilly).

CORRECTION RE; MEATOPIA

My apologies: 'MEATOPIA' is on the 7th September not the 6th as announced in the previous post.

FORTHCOMING GIGS BY THE LEE THOMPSON SKA ORCHESTRA

Time to announce confirmed gigs by The Lee Thompson Ska Orchestra this Autumn. I suppose - at a stretch - you could call it a tour.

25th August 2013        Craig Charles' Fantasy Weekender                            Bristol
6th September 2013     Meatopia (please look this up on the internet)            London
2nd October 2013        Concorde                                                                   Brighton
3rd October 2013         Globe                                                                         Cardiff
4th October 2013         Arena                                                                         St Albans
5th October 2013         Waterfront                                                                  Norwich
18th October 2013       Corn Exchange                                                          Ipswich
25th October 2013       Brudenell                                                                   Leeds
31st October 2013       Jazz Cafe                                                                    London
1st November 2013     Komedia                                                                     Bath

And here are a couple of action packed photographs of our performance in Brussels last Friday.

A fantastic evening . . . thank you Brussels.