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Hugh Featherstone news
 

Hugh Featherstone is now on facebook:

facebook.com/hughfeatherstone.songwriter
Older news is in
the archive below.
 
 
 

Hugh Featherstone:

50 Years of Songwriting
 
rebooted
 
16 & 17 June 2023
 
 
Re-rescheduled from 2020 and 2022
 

Hugh Featherstone & the FeatherTones

Friday 16 & Saturday 17 June 2023   20:00

Kühlraum, Alter Schlachthof
Rotenbergplatz 19
BE 4700 EUPEN, Belgium

alter-schlachthof.be/veranstaltung/hugh-
featherstone-50-years-of-songwriting/


Tickets already purchased for the cancelled
October 2022 concerts can be used for the
corresponding evening(s) in June.
  To celebrate the years 1969 - 2019 (merci Corona!) I finally invite you to
an extraordinary double concert: 25 songs per evening, with the help of
Kim Bastian (vocals & percussion), Chris Sichert (cajon & percussion),
Winfried Winkler (bass), Frank Denhard (mandolin, lap steel & electric
guitar). Another dash of Celtic soul in a cold world.

Further information (English & German),

Weitere Informationen (Englisch & Deutsch):

Hugh-Featherstone-50-years-Reboot.pdf

Webflyer (English & Deutsch):

hugh-featherstone-50-years-rebooted.jpg
 
 
 
October 2022

Hugh Featherstone

"50 YEARS OF SONGWRITING"
 
 

Hugh Featherstone & the FeatherTones

Kühlraum, Alten Schlachthof, Eupen, Belgium

www.alter-schlachthof.be

Friday 21 & Saturday 22 October 2022

CANCELLED (again)

due to the sudden illness of three of the five FeatherTones.

The concerts have been rescheduled for June 2023.

Original 2022 press release (English & German),

Hugh-Featherstone-50-years-EN-DE.pdf

Original 2022 Webflyer (English & Deutsch):

hugh-featherstone-50-years-webflyer.jpg
 
 
 
11 June 2022

Hugh Featherstone & the FeatherTones

Kim Bastian (vocals & percussion), Chris Sichert (cajon & percussion),
Winfried Winkler (bass), Frank Denhard (mandolin, lap steel & electric guitar)

The FeatherTones play warmup to the Blue Mockingbirds,
a young generation of dixie New Orleans jazz from Brussels.

Schlachthof bistro terrace, Eupen, Belgium
 
 
 
October 2020

Hugh Featherstone presents

"THIS STRANGER AMONG YOU:

50 YEARS OF SONGWRITING"
 
 

Kühlraum, Alten Schlachthof, Eupen, Belgium

www.alter-schlachthof.be

Part One - Friday 23 October 2020

Part Two - Saturday 24 October 2020

Sorry, folks,

CANCELLED DUE TO CORONA / COVID 19

Rescheduled for October 2022.
 
 
Candlelight Edition 2019

Hugh Featherstone Candlelight Edition 2019, concert in support of Amnesty International

Hugh Featherstone on stage with his trusty Washburn 12-string guitar.

photo: © Torsten Giesen
 

Hugh Featherstone & Friends

8 December 2019 – 19:00
Alten Schlachthof, Eupen, Belgium

Hugh continues his annual Candlelight concert
series in support of Amnesty International.

See the Candlelight article in the Archive below.

Kim Bastian – Vocals & Hand Percussion

Liene Sejane – Flute & Overtone Flute

Frank Denhard – Mandolin & Guitar

Chris Sichert – Cajon, Congas & Percussion

Winfried Winkler – Bass

Hugh Featherstone – Guitar & Vocals.
 
Hugh Featherstone news  
Hugh Featherstone video channel at YouTube


The video of Hugh playing his song Conway bridge, on his YouTube channel.

Released 28 December 2013.
 

Hugh has recorded a number of songs on video for his new YouTube channel.
For details of song videos already online, see the discs page.

The concept is refreshingly simple: Hugh and a guitar in a small studio, no special effects, no razzamatazz; the focus is purely on the singer and the song.

Song videos already online include Conway bridge, The day you left, Kerosene and caffeine, Landing and Lights along the highway.

The embedded video above includes a link to the channel:

www.youtube.com/c/HughFeatherstone/videos
 
Hugh Featherstone news  
 
9 on the sub-prime – the new CD by
Hugh Featherstone & A Panel of Experts
 

Hugh Featherstone and A Panel of Experts in the studio, recording the new CD 9 on the sub-prime

Hugh Featherstone and A Panel of Experts in the studio
 

10 April 2010  The first copies of 9 on the sub-prime, the new album
by Hugh Featherstone & A Panel of Experts, are now available.

Hugh describes the studio album as:

"Nine tasty tracks of intelligent and catchy acoustic and hot-wired, typically Featherstone
songwriter-stuff for those who still have a shirt to lose. Smooth songs in a sharp package.

Slightly less "music for jumping off bridges to" this time out, I seem to have caught a little of
the "hey ho, may as well look on the bright side" attitude currently going around. Could travel."

See further details, lyrics and a review of the album, and hear sample tracks in the discography.
Cover of Hugh Featherstone's CD 9 on the sub-prime
 
You can order Hugh Featherstone CDs direct from blutopia.networks:   www.blutopia.net
 
Hugh Featherstone news  
Hugh's song my favourite planet inspires world travel guide name
 

Hugh Featherstone's song my favourite planet, which appeared on his CD Negotiations and Lovesongs, was the inspiration for the name of the new online travel guide.

The website My Favourite Planet, launched in November 2008, presents information both practical and whimsical about places on planet Earth, richly illustrated with original photos, drawings and maps.

The editor, David John describes the encyclopaedic internet project "as part travel guide and part homage to our wonderful and whacky world and the creatures which live on it". The long-time Hugh Featherstone fan says that my favourite planet is one of his favourite songs: "It grabbed my imagination the first time I heard it. It's ridiculously catchy, light, optimistic and wonderfully funny. Although it's one of his one of his simpler songs, this is actually quite deceptive, as it contains a whole miniature world, one I imagine it would be very pleasant to live on. The hook line 'This is my favourite planet because it's the one with you on it' says it all really."

During the start-up period for his internet project David consulted with colleagues and friends about a name for the website. "Of all the probable and improbable suggestions we came up with during brain-storming sessions, My Favourite Planet always came out top of the pile. The original idea was to present a description of aspects of our world which is useful, informative, entertaining and thought-provoking. I wanted the general tone to be positive, but since nothing is perfect it also had to have a critical edge. Perhaps Hugh's liner notes to the song in the CD booklet sums up the general attitude."

"Despite all the drawbacks - meagre size, funny money, mosquitoes, antique toasters, limited off-world opportunities and primitive showers - this still remains one of my favourite planets."

David says he sometimes wonders if he has bitten off more than he can chew. "It's often said that it's a small world, but collecting, editing and publishing quality articles and images about all the places on the planet would be several lifetimes' work. There are just so many amazing places to cover. It's the ultimate long-term project. Who knows how many places we can cover, say in the next ten years. One thing's for certain though, we're in this for the long haul."

Visit My Favourite Planet at www.my-favourite-planet.com

See the full lyrics of the song my favourite planet in the discography.

Negotiations and Lovesongs CD by Hugh Featherstone which contains the song my favourite planet

Negotiations & Lovesongs
CD which contains the song
my favourite planet
 

My Favourite Planet - the online travel guide

My Favourite Planet
the online travel guide
by travellers for travellers
 
 
archive
2015   2014   2013   2012   2011   2010   2009   2008   2007   2006   2005   2004   2003   2001
Hugh Featherstone news archive 2015  
 
11 September

Hugh Featherstone and the FeatherTones

Atelier Regenbogen, Hauset, Belgium

7 November

"When I'm sixty four", Hugh Featherstone's birthday party + benefit concert for Wikipedia

Belgischer Rundfunk (BRF) Foyer, Kehrweg, Eupen, Belgium

with: Adrian Byron Burns, Jacques Stotzem, Liene Sejane & Kristaps Grasis, Nosie Katzmann, Chris Sichert

Adrian Byron Burns, British guitarist of ex-Rolling Stone Bill Wyman's Rhythm Kings

Jacques Stotzem, internationally renowned guitarist, a top-notch finger-picking stylist;

Liene Sejane & Kristaps Grasis, flute and guitar duo and gifted composers from Latvia

Nosie "Mister Vain" Katzmann, songwriter, producer and author
of several international hits, particularly for Culture Beat

4 December

Hugh Featherstone with Kissing Gourami

Atelier Regenbogen, Hauset, Belgium

12 December

"Candlelight 2015", Amnesty International concert

Stadthalle, Viersen, Germany
 
Hugh Featherstone news archive 2014  
 
2 November

Hugh Featherstone and the FeatherTones live at the "Walls to Fall" conference in Berlin

Allianz Stiftungsforum, Pariser Platz, at the Brandenburg Gate, Berlin.

Hugh Featherstone (guitars & vocals), Kristaps Grasis (bass), Christian Sichert (percussion)

The theme of the conference: "Overcoming the walls in our heads. Germany discovers the
value of its social innovators." Organized by the GENISIS Institute for Social Innovation,
as part of events commemorating the 25th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall.

See photos and video
 
Hugh Featherstone news archive 2013  
Lokal Heroes and Friends live CD featuring Hugh Featherstone
Hugh's collaboration with the band Lokal Heroes (see 2012) continues as their new live CD Lokal Heroes & Friends is released. The international line-up on stage during the concert recording, described as a "cast of thousands", featured a dozen musicians from a wide variety of genres.

See: sejane-grasis.com/?tag=lokal-heroes
 

Cover of the Lokal Heroes live CD album Lokal Heroes and Friends, featuring Hugh Featherstone

The Lokal Heroes live CD album
Lokal Heroes & Friends
featuring Hugh Featherstone

KGB Records, 2013
 

Hugh Featherstone on the cover of the Lokal Heroes live CD Lokal Heroes and Friends

Hugh Featherstone (centre) on the cover of the Lokal Heroes live CD Lokal Heroes & Friends
 
Hugh Featherstone news archive 2012  
Hugh Featherstone and Lokal Heroes

Hugh's 2012 New Year message

"They were the best of times, they were the worst of times"

With this famous line Charles Dickens opened A Tale of two Cities, his very
anglophile take on the French Revolution. The times we live in now could be
similarly described. For while there's enough gloom around to fill all the cellars
of the world, there are yet enough highlights to set the firmament afire.

On a personal level, one of the highlights of the past year for me, and one
that promises much joy for the year to come, has been collaborating with
Lokal Heroes on their new CD To be continued ...

The CD will be launched on the 28th of January at a live concert featuring a
cast of thousands (well, about a dozen actually) within the prestigious walls
of the "Harmonie" in Bonn. Welcome one and all!

By way of wishing you a happy and prosperous 2012, here is a link to a few
of the finished tracks:

www.lokalheroes.com/sounds/

enjoy! Hugh

 
Saturday 28 January

Hugh Featherstone + Folk-Rock with Lokal Heroes

To be continued... CD launch at “Harmonie”
(home of WDR TV music show RockPalast)

Frongasse 28, Bonn, Germany
 

The CD To be continued ... includes the classic Hugh Featherstone songs
Corner Of the sky, Hiring man, I lay with love and Lights along the highway
(see the Hugh Featherstone songlist).

Update February 2020

The Lokal Heroes website is currently being redesigned
and the linked page containing the tracks is not online.
 

Cover of the Lokal Heroes CD To be continued, featuring Hugh Featherstone

The new Lokal Heroes CD
To be continued ...
featuring Hugh Featherstone

Zyx Music
 

Hugh Featherstone on the cover of the Lokal Heroes CD To be continued

Hugh Featherstone (centre) on the cover of the Lokal Heroes CD To be continued ...
 
Hugh Featherstone news archive 2011  
 
8 October

Hugh Featherstone with "Slow Night"  + plus + Hugh Featherstone with “The FeatherTones”

Lichterfest Music Café (music & light), Atelier Alexandra Koller, Hütte 5, Eupen, Belgium

11 November Hugh Featherstone with "Slow Night", Atelier Regenbogen, Kirchstrasse, Hauset, Belgium

19 November Concert for Amnesty International 50th birthday: Aula Carolina, Pontstrasse, Aachen, Germany

25 November Hugh Featherstone's big birthday concert in the foyer, BRF Funkhaus (Belgian State Radio), Kehrweg, Eupen

10 December

Candlelight Concert for amnesty international in Stadthaus Viersen, Germany

with "Sejane & Grasis"  sejane-grasis.com

Find out more about Hugh's annual Candlelight concerts below.
 
Hugh Featherstone news archive 2010  
 
9 on the sub-prime – the new CD by
Hugh Featherstone & A Panel of Experts
 

Hugh Featherstone and A Panel of Experts in the studio, recording the new CD 9 on the sub-prime

Hugh Featherstone and A Panel of Experts in the studio
 

10. April 2010  The first copies of 9 on the sub-prime, the new album
by Hugh Featherstone & A Panel of Experts, are now available.

Hugh describes the studio album as:

"Nine tasty tracks of intelligent and catchy acoustic and hot-wired, typically Featherstone
songwriter-stuff for those who still have a shirt to lose. Smooth songs in a sharp package.

Slightly less "music for jumping off bridges to" this time out, I seem to have caught a little of
the "hey ho, may as well look on the bright side" attitude currently going around. Could travel."

See further details, lyrics and a review of the album, and hear sample tracks in the discography.
Cover of Hugh Featherstone's CD 9 on the sub-prime
 
You can order Hugh Featherstone CDs direct from blutopia.networks:   www.blutopia.net
 
 
 
30 January Hugh Featherstone & Kim Bastian with Lokal Heroes at Bonner Harmonie, Bonn

16 April Hugh plays at the first Aachener Songwriter's Slam at Raststätte
 
Hugh wins the first Aachener Songwriter's Slam
 

Aachen, Germany, Friday 16 April 2010

The first Aachener Songwriter's Slam at the cultural venue Raststätte, organized and hosted by Aachener musician Kai Hennes, attracted a full house and songwriters from Germany, Holland and Belgium. The enthusiastic audience, which acted as a jury for the competition, chose Hugh as the winner by the volume of their applause.

For the final of three rounds Hugh sang I don’t get it (which appears on his new album 9 on the sub-prime) and Statistic (which featured on his 1999 double CD album Me & Miss Wray). The latter is a beautiful but heart-breaking song about a young victim of a landmine - not what one would imagine would be a big crowd-pleaser. But to Hugh's surprise, after he finished playing, there was a brief stunned silence and followed by a storm of wild applause.

Astonished and somewhat embarrassed by his victory, Hugh handed the first prize of a guitar to Dutch songwriter Daniel Gilt, the runner-up. So there is still gallantry amongst songwriters after all.
 
 
 
 
21 May Hugh plays with Slow Night at Kukuk-an-der-Grenze, Hauset, Belgium
 
22 May Solo house concert, private party (sorry), Aachen, Germany
 
4 June

Hugh Featherstone & A Panel of Experts

at Café Modern (website in German & Flemish), Teuven-Voeren, Belgium
 
5 June Hugh plays with Slow Night at Café Egmont (website in German), Aachen, Germany
 
16 July

Hugh Featherstone and A Panel of Experts

(Kim Bastian vocals, David Spencer drums, Chris Sichert percussion, Korneel Steukers bass)

Open Air: Big West Terrace at Kukuk-an-der-Grenze, Hauset, Belgium
 
18 July

"Sunday afternoon in the park"

Hugh Featherstone and A Panel of Experts

(Kim Bastian vocals, David Spencer drums, Chris Sichert percussion, Korneel Steukers bass)

play for "Summer in the City", Stadtpark, Eupen, Belgium
 
20 August

Weltmusik Fest   sunergia.be   Temsepark, Eupen, Belgium

an evening of world music

Hugh Featherstone & The FeatherTones

(Chris Sichert percussion, David Spencer bass)

with Kel Assouf, S-KillZ, DJ Dada & others

Hugh Featherstone plays at Weltmusik Fest, Eupen, Belgium

download flyer
 
(PDF version)
 
17 September

"25 years of songwriting"

Solo and with A Panel of Experts

(Kim Bastian, David Spencer, Chris Sichert,
Korneel Steukers and Walter Kraushaar)

+ special guests

Jünglingshaus Foyer,
Neustrasse 86, Eupen, Belgium

Hear the mp3 audio invitation
to "25 years of songwriting"
(pretty loud!)
 
10 October

First Songwriters' Breakfast at Kukuk-an-der-Grenze, Hauset, Belgium

Hugh Featherstone, Farah Rieli, Korneel Steukers, Leo Leonard, Kai Hennes
and hopefully many others...

10/10/10 at 10:10 !
 
15 October Hugh Featherstone and A Panel of Experts at Atelier Regenbogen, Hauset, Belgium
 
10, 11, 12
December

Candlelight 2010

Atelier Regenbogen, Hauset, Belgium.

Hugh & Kim with a mighty percussion section:

Yannick Le Roux, David Spencer, Chris Sichert

+ (hopefully) Beda Su, violin and vocals

See article about Hugh's annual Candlelight concerts below.
 
 
 
December 2010 Hugh Featherstone's Candlelight 2010 concerts  
 

"Justice has no borders, it is a universal virtue."

Abdu'l Bahá ‘Abbas

Hugh has been performing his "Candlelight" concerts for over a decade in support
of Amnesty International. He has always been committed to human rights and
social justice, themes which are directly addressed in many of his songs.

The song Candlelight appeared on his CD album News from Nowhere.

You can find the lyrics on the album's discography page.

"Candlelight 2010" consists of three concerts as part of events to celebrate
the 61st International Human Rights Day (10 December).

The events are organized by Amnesty International
and local Bahá'ì communities (see bahai-viersen.de).

10, 11, 12 December 2010

Hugh Featherstone and Kim Bastian

with a mighty percussion section:

Yannick Le Roux, David Spencer, Chris Sichert

+ (hopefully) Beda Su on violin and voice

Atelier Regenbogen (website in German), Hauset, Belgium

You can see a video of the Candlelight 2008 concert at Belgischer Rundfunk,
including interviews with Hugh Featherstone and Kim Bastian, at:

brf.be/brftv/regional/candlelight-2008

It's all in German. To view the video, click on "Video ansehen".
  Hugh Featherstone Candlelight concert

Candlelight concert
in Viersen, 2005

photo: Michael Birken

See the photo series
 
Hugh Featherstone news archive 2009  
 
19 January

Solo: Acoustic Chill, Mausefalle, Weberstrasse 41, Bonn, Germany

Tel: +49 228 - 22 01 84   mausefalle-bonn.de

9 May

Hugh Featherstone with Kim Bastian
and special guest Leo:

L’An Vert, Rue Mathieu Polain 4, Liège, Belgium.

lanvert.be (in French)

Hugh writes:

Due to internal restructuring in the band, plus a clash of calendars, I will be playing the L'an Vert gig as a duo with Kim on Saturday 9th May instead of with "a Panel of Experts" as previously programmed.

Kim and I play regularly together and have a distinct approach to my material, especially those songs that are otherwise "Experts" territory. We can guarantee a very relaxed and song-oriented evening with some gems you won't have heard before.

We're also happy to announce our special guest for the evening:

Leo is a fine singer/songwriter/guitarist, with a deal of stage experience, who has appeared with major acts and with whom we have already played at the same venue. His highly individual guitar technique, coupled with his quixotic, whimsical and melodious songs must be heard to be believed.


Leo's myspace page

(English with photos & songs)
 

Flyer for Hugh's concert with Kim Bastian and special guest Leo at L'An Vert, Liege

Flyer for Hugh's concert with Kim Bastian
and special guest Leo, Sat 9 May 2009.

Download Flyer (PDF)
 

Kim Bastian

Kim Bastian
 

Leo, Belgian singer songwriter

Leo
 
11 June

Hugh has been invited to play at "Songwriters' Tafelrunde" (Songwriters' Round Table),
the special edition of the monthly "Parkside" event.

Parkside Café, Jacobshof, Stromgasse 31, Aachen, Germany. www.jakobshof.de (in German).

Hugh writes: I've already appeared at the Songwriters' Round Table several times. It's a great opportunity
to try out new stuff and, in this case, a new guitar. This bumper version also features Renaud Marquat,
Soufian, Farah Rieli, Sebastian Sturm, and, of course, our usuual host Cesar. There are more players this
time, so a few less songs each, but the quality will be assuredly high.


18 September

Slow Night (Hugh Featherstone, Gerlinde Steigerwald and Ali Döhler): Regenbogen, Hauset, Belgium

Hugh writes: It's the first time my new Kraushaar guitar Lisette (I call her Liesl, and she is,
i.m.h.o. the world's best electric guitar) gets a gentle evening outing with "Slow Night".


December

"Candlelight - 2009" (see article above)

Amnesty International concerts

Celebrating the 60th International Human Rights Day

Organized by Amnesty International and
local Bahá'ì communities (see bahai-viersen.de)

Hugh Featherstone

with:

Kim Bastian (vocals), David Spencer (drums),

Chris Sichert (percussion), John Renerken (bass)

featuring: Kristaps Grasis & Liene Sejane  sejane-grasis.com

11 December

12 December

19 December
BRF Funkhaus, Kehrweg, Eupen, Belgium

Stadtbibliothek Viersen, Rathausmarkt 1b, Viersen, Germany

Kukuk-an-der-Grenze, Hauset, Belgium

Flyer for Hugh Featherstone's Candlelight 2009 Amnesty International concerts

Flyer for Hugh's Candlelight 2009 concerts

Download Flyer (A4 PDF format)
For the Candlelight 2009 concerts there were at least 3 different posters:

Hugh's own version:

Viersen Bahai Community version:

featherstone.de version:
hugh-featherstone-candlelight-2009-poster-2.pdf

hugh-featherstone-candlelight-2009-poster-3.pdf

hugh-featherstone-candlelight-2009-flyer.pdf
 
Hugh Featherstone news archive 2008  
Introducing "Hugh Featherstone & a Panel of Experts"
 

Hugh Featherstone - vocals and guitars

Hugh Featherstone
vocals, guitars
 

David Spencer - drums, backing vocals

David Spencer
drums,
backing vocals
 

John Renerken - bass

John Renerken
bass
 

Christian Sichert - percussion

Christian Sichert
percussion
 

Kimbastian - vocals and small percussion

Kim Bastian
vocals &
small percussion

Hugh Featherstone & a Panel of Experts have now been playing together for over three years with a long list of European concert appearances under their belts. They have quickly tightened up into a lean, mean groove machine and a great crowd pleaser with their own following.

Here's what Hugh has to say:

The real pleasure of working with "Experts" is that we are all 100% behind the music. It's a truly constructive experience.

Although there are very different influences at work (an age span between 18 and 54 sees to that!), the overall direction is one, the dynamic is very coherent and united.

Rehearsals are very upbeat. We laugh more than before as well as working harder, more intensively on the songs. We all feel this freedom, the atmosphere is experimental and infectious, even old songs are coming up as fresh as new pennies time after time.
 

Hugh Featherstone and A Panel of Experts record a live album at La Chapelle studios, Belgium

Hugh Featherstone and A Panel of Experts
 

David Spencer - drums and backing vocals

When PhilBY decided to settle in NYC, I thought it would mean musical meltdown. He knows my music better than anyone, has the devil’s own sense of rhythm and a canny knack for finding exactly the right drum feel for a song. On top of this he was my bassist’s buddy from way back and also had a unique musical chemistry with Chris.

his was always going to be a hard seat to fill for David and yet, that didn't seem to faze him in the least. With his solid musical training and pedigree, you forget his relative inexperience and youth the moment he leans back to let rip.

It’s all there, the power, the timing, the feeling, the commitment and the teamwork: what can I say? David's becoming a truly great drummer and it's a privilege to work with him.

David joined the experts in Autumn 2006 at the age of 15, making him one of the youngest drummers in a pro rock band. In the same year his own band Colonel Meyers (average age 15) won a significant regional rock prize: the Jukutu Rock Jury Award. Hugh, who was at the Jukutu show, said: "They were amazingly good... Tight, well thought-out pop/rock, unpretentious and authentic, very well played and ... not a trace of nervousness, despite the big stage, big sound and big light show provided by the organizers!"

David can also boast an excellent pedigree, being the son of Manchester-born bluesman Joe Spencer of "Joe Spencer and the Real Men" fame.

John Renerken - bass

When Christoph Mattar's main band, "Peter Steivver", began really emerging in early 2007, there was no time for divided loyalties. After all, these were the guys he’d gone to school with! Departure was set for the end of summer, but instead of the usual weary process of searching, we were lucky one day to find our new bassist actually standing in the audience, waiting to sign up!

John plays with a lot of feeling for the songs, real musicality, a firm rich sound and a technique that he expands constantly. Hitched to this comes a tranquil strength of character and dedication to the band.

Curiously enough, it was one of my concerts, many years ago, that first turned him onto the idea of becoming a working musician ... another life on my conscience!


Chris Sichert - percussion

Chris and I have now been companions on this musical journey since the late 1980s: that's longer than I've ever worked with anyone. I think the main reason for this, apart from his considerable technique and rhythmic ability, is his very real enthusiasm for my songs and his concern to see that the best is made out of them.

Chris is not the kind of musician who just minds his own bridge, he spends at least as much time in rehearsals listening carefully to others as he does playing, and his opinion, not always gentle, is nonetheless always listened to.

Loyalty and commitment are writ big with him and if anyone is going to go an extra mile, or even a thousand, to make something work out, it'll probably be Chris.

Chris played on the Red Shift CD West of Eden, Hugh's solo CD News from Nowhere
and Hug Featherstone and a Panel of Experts' Live at the Chapel.

Kim Bastian - backing vocals and small percussion

My daughter Kim has been singing with me, one way or another, since she was twelve. In recent years she's professionalized this in her membership of the Experts”.

Onstage with Kim is a gas. She's always fun, always helpful and encouraging, follows my vocal curves like a rally driver, is rhythmically spot-on, moves well and is a whole lot easier on the eye than the old geek with the guitar.

Lately she's also been building up quite an arsenal of small and strange percussion instruments upon which she performs with deft precision. Her "gling-glö" addition to Birthday Surprise makes a major contribution to the song, and her powerhouse triangle, while singing harmony, on Man who wasn't there is simply legendary.


Even if you can't get to see Hugh Featherstone and A Panel of Experts in concert,
you can hear their fresh live sound on the CD Live at the Chapel. More information,
with tracklist, notes, CD cover and lyrics in the discography.

See photos of the band taken by David John during
the recording at La Chapelle in photo series 5.
 
 
Friendly Skies, Hugh's new solo album

2008    Hugh has finally released his long-awaited solo album Friendly Skies.

In the sleeve notes Hugh writes:

"All freedoms are subject to gravity. All liberties are freighted with obligations. Thus, in the same way that my 1995 album Negotiations and Lovesongs explored the tension between fidelity and integrity, so this one explores the dynamic that must exist between commitment and freedom."

The cover and booklet of the 13-track CD were designed by nemodreaming.

You can find more information, Hugh's notes and the full lyrics for the CD,
as well as a review by our correspondent Gobo in the discography.
  cover of Hugh Featherstone's solo CD Friendly Skies
 
 
 
7 March Experts: Jünglingshaus, Eupen, Belgium

15 March Solo: House Concert (private)

19 April Slow Night: Adenau, Germany

25 April Experts: Bodega, Imgenbroich, Germany

1 May Solo: invited guest at the “Songwriters Table”, Parkside, Aachen, Germany

4 May Slow Night: Stadtfest, Würselen, Germany

17 May Experts: L’An Vert, Liège, Belgium.   lanvert.be (in French)

28 May Experts: Malteserkeller, Aachen, Germany

3 June

Slow Night: Mausefalle, Weberstrasse 41, Bonn, Germany.

Tel: (0228) 22 01 84  mausefalle-bonn.de

7 June Experts: LOAF, Eupen, Belgium

14 June Solo: House Concert (private)

21 June Tone Poets: Fête de la Musique, Glain/Liège, Belgium

29 June Sommerfest, Langenhain, Germany (to be confirmed)

16 August Solo: House Concert (private)

13 September Solo: Songwriter Seminar and House Concert (private)

14 September Experts: Wild Rover, Aachen, Germany

1 November

Experts: SPECIAL BENEFIT GIG, l'An Vert – Liège, Belgium.

With special guest guitarist Walter Kraushaar.

30 November

Hugh, Kimbastian & Christian Sichert:

Acoustic Sunday Session, La Grande Poste, Liège, Belgium.

Hugh writes: "It's vast, it's gothic, it's central, it's humming with art and culture
and this Sunday Kim, Chris & I will be playing an acoustic set there. So, visit the
Sunday street market, see the ethnik'art expo and pick up on a little music too."


12-14 December

Hugh Featherstone & Friends:

"CANDLELIGHT 2008 ": The Amnesty Concerts

(Eupen, Belgium; Luxembourg; Viersen, Germany)

You can see a video of the Candlelight 2008 concert at Belgischer Rundfunk,
including interviews with Hugh Featherstone and Kim Bastian, at:

brf.be/brftv/regional/candlelight-2008

It's all in German. To view the video, click on "Video ansehen".
 
Hugh Featherstone news archive 2007  
 
3 March Schlüsselloch, Aachen, Germany (with A Panel of Experts)

17 March Café Cubus, Imgenbroich, Germany (with A Panel of Experts)   cafe-cubus.cre8ives.de

9 June Parkside, Aachen, Germany (with A Panel of Experts)   parkside-aachen.de

23 June Festival de la Musique, Liège, Belgium (with A Panel of Experts)

6 October Mausefalle, Bonn (with A Panel of Experts)   mausefalle-bonn.de
 
Hugh Featherstone news archive 2006  
 
February 2006 Live at the Chapel radio CD of the week  

Radio Contact CD of the week

announcement on
Radio Contact's website
 

Live at the Chapel, the new album by Hugh Featherstone & A Panel of Experts, has been chosen as "CD of the Week" by Radio Contact, the German language version of an important national commercial radio network in Belgium.

The FM pop & rock station will be blasting out the Experts' songs during February on 107.0 MHz in northern Belgium and 98.0 MHz in the south.

If you are not lucky enough to live in Belgium, the German service of Radio Contact is streamed live from their website - free of charge.

Happy listening, pop pickers.
 

Radio Contact www.radiocontact.be

radiocontact.be

available in
German, French
and Flemish

with live streaming
 
 
May 2006 Finally back in Berlin - twice!  

Friday 19th May 9pm

open-air acoustic pop with

Hugh Featherstone & Sebastian Zukunft

in Rue Bunte, Neukölln, Berlin

Saturday 20th May 6.30pm

at WELTFEST 2006

Hugh Featherstone & The Tone Poets

Weltfest am Boxhagener Platz, Friedrichshain, Berlin
 

Hugh Featherstone and The Tone Poets

Hugh Featherstone & The Tone Poets

 

Hugh Featherstone finally returns to Berlin where he will play at two very different events.

On Friday 19th May, the English musician will play solo on a double acoustic music bill with German songsmith Sebastian Zukunft at the intimate city centre green oasis Rue Bunte.

The next day, on Saturday 20th May, Hugh will appear with his trio Featherstone and The Tone Poets as one of the headline acts on the stage of the 5th Weltfest, Berlin's annual multicultural event.

The Tone poets describe their music as "acoustic music with bite". Their line-up is Hugh (guitar and vocals), Kim Bastian (vocals and shakers) and Chris Sichert (percussion).

The Weltfest (world festival) on Boxhagener Platz is a platform for inter-cultural dialogue, especially in the context of world development politics. The proceeds of the festival go to support a world development project. The theme of this year's Weltfest is "Water means Life" and addresses the political, economic and social issues surrounding the availability and distribution of water for the planet's growing population.

Other international musical attractions at the fest include the Chilean ska band Chico Trujillo and reggae masters Fôô Fanick & One Roots.

See photos of Hugh's Berlin appearances at Rue Bunte and Weltfest
 
Berlin's Radio F-Hain interviews Hugh Featherstone

Radio F-hain in Berlin

studioansage.de

While in Berlin to play at Weltfest with The Tone Poets,
Hugh was interviewed live by Radio F-Hain, which covered the event.

Weltfest, Berlin-Friedrichshain, Saturday 20 May 2006.

Broadcast live in Berlin by Radio F-hain on FM 97.2 MHz,
cable 92.6 and on the internet:

www.studioansage.de

If you have a fast internet connection, you can listen to the interview online.
Otherwise, save the MP3 file to your hard disk and listen whenever you like.



 
Download: hugh-weltfest-interview.mp3 (opens in a new window)
language: German duration: 03:10
size: 3.6 Mb channels: 2 (Stereo)
bitrate: 160 Kb/s quality: 44 KHz
Enjoy.
Weltfest 2006, Boxhagener Platz, Berlin - Water Means Life
 

Hugh Featherstone, vocals and guitars

Hugh Featherstone
vocals, guitars
 

Kimbastian, vocals and shakers

Kim Bastian
vocals & shakers
 

Christian Sichert, percussion

Christian Sichert
percussion
 
 
 
March - July

Hugh Featherstone & A Panel of Experts perform a hat-trick in Malmedy

Hugh and the Experts are planning a triple rock'n'pop attack on sleepy Malmedy,
a small town set like a jewel in the forested hills of Belgium's Eifel/Ardennes region.

19 March

17 June

21 July

in the context of the RTL charity series "Télévie"

as one of the 15 or so acts in Malmedy's Fête de la Musique

as one of the events to celebrate Belgian's national day

30 September L'An Vert, Liège, Belgium (with A Panel of Experts)

27 October Cité des Étoiles, Chaudfontaine, Belgium (with A Panel of Experts)

24 November Café Kuckuck, St. Vith, Belgium (with A Panel of Experts)

9 December "Candlelight" Amnesty International benefit, Eupen (with Slow Night)

10 December

"Candlelight" Amnesty International Benefit, Viersen (with Kim Bastian)

As part International Human Rights Day events.
 
Hugh Featherstone news archive 2005  
 
28 October

Hugh Featherstone & A Panel of Experts

Amnesty International concert, Galerie Café Message, Sophienstrasse 17, Moenchengladbach, Germany
 
 
December 2005 Hugh Featherstone and A Panel of Experts have a live one  

Cover of the CD Live at the Chapel by Hugh Featherstone and A Panel of Experts

Live at the Chapel

CD cover design
by nemodreaming
 

Hugh Featherstone and his band Hugh Featherstone and A Panel of Experts have just released their live CD Live at the Chapel.

The 16 songs on the album, mostly brand new but also including a few old Featherstone favourites given a fresh Panel of Experts treatment, were recorded on Saturday 24th September 2005 in front of an invited audience at La Chapelle, one of Europe's premier studios, in Waimes, Belgium.

To keep the fresh live sound of the recording, the band got to work on the mixing with La Chapelle's sound engineer Flavio Marredda the very next morning. The resulting rattles and hums were then masterfully mastered by producer Frank-Stefan Kimmel at while-others-sleep.de.

The captured concert programme features performances intimate, epic, earthy and ethereal. But as you would expect from a band which describes itself as having "pop sensibility with a punk attitude", the rocking highlights of the evening are outrageous you-talkin-to-me-pal numbers like Box-car City, No regrets and most notoriously Moving to Berlin. This last, uproarious pop tune - which the band left tactically, strategically, mischieviously till last - just has to become the album's single. (Perhaps with Box-car City as the B-side and counterpart? Although the Garden of Eden would be the splendidly serene counterpoint.)

If you have never heard Hugh Featherstone or the other musicians featured on this album before, this is an excellent introduction to their collective and individual talents. If you are already familiar with any of the artists, this CD is well worth a listen, or two, or three, or ...

In producing a live album, the mission statement of the band "is to provide our live audiences with something close to what they've just heard". With this CD you get just that: a faithful reproduction not just of a bunch of songs but of a very special event. If you are lucky enough to get to A Panel of Experts concert soon and get hold of this CD... Well, just stick your headphones on, and here you are, right in the middle of things again. Again! Not bad, eh? "We want more!" You got it.
 
 
In February 2006 Live at the Chapel was chosen as "CD of the Week"
by the Belgian radio commercial network Radio Contact. See article above.

More information about the CD, including tracklist,
sleeve notes, CD cover and lyrics in the discography.

See photos of the band Live at the Chapel in photo series 5.
 
Hugh Featherstone news archive 2004  
 
3 March Café der mayersche Buchhandlung, Aachen


 

26 March

27 March

Amnesty International concerts

Dinny Byrnes Irish Pub, Viersen

The Pogs Irish Pub, Moenchengladbach

Presented by amnesty international Moenchengladbach
 
Hugh Featherstone news archive 2003  
 
Flyer for a Hugh Featherstone concert in Berlin, June 2003

Hugh Featherstone
in concert

at the Werketage,
Prenzlauer Berg, Berlin

28 June 2003

"The tiny angels would go flying on the summer breeze
and I would follow with my dreams,
across the river into the trees."

Sometime, never, maybe
from Hugh Featherstone's CD Landing

See photos of this event
in the photo series 4.
 
Hugh Featherstone news archive 2001  
 
July 2001 Hugh Featherstone plays support for Aimee Mann,
singer/songwriter & soundtrack composer for the movie Magnolia
 
 
Hugh Featherstone plays Kraushaar Guitars
 
www.featherstone.de website design Ursa Major