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| | | :: NEWS | | | | :: More new video - Dingle, Irelandposted Friday, July 25, 2008Thanks to all who came along to St James' Church in Dingle last night for a concert in a lovely venue. I really enjoyed playing in the old church and thanks to Pauline Scanlon, Donogh Hennessy and the lads for a great show. There's some video of my set on the --> video page. | | | | | :: New video - Kinvara, Irelandposted Sunday, July 20, 2008Last night I had the pleasure of playing with Marie Dolan and Mike Considine at Johnston's Hall in Kinvara, on the Galway coast. Some video clips of the gig are available on the site now... --> more info | | | | | :: Following Distance now available for orderposted Friday, July 04, 2008Following Distance cleared mastering today and is in replication - it's available for ordering now and orders on the site will ship, from Scotland, on July 16. | | | | | :: Following Distance - cans closedposted Tuesday, June 24, 2008Well, it's finished. I did the last recording on Following Distance this morning and couldn't believe it when I looked at the q list and realised it was all done. I started the final mixdown this afternoon and it goes into mastering next week. Thanks for the emails asking about the thing and sorry very few people ever got a reply - it was either, reply to the emails, or finish it.... anyway, it ought to be available online in about 3-4 weeks, in stores about a month after that. It's been so nice to get those mails asking how it was going, especially toward the end there, thanks for the encouragement. So many people have asked about the songs that made it onto the disc. I ended up with 11 tracks: Never got to Cleveland, Erin, Nazareth, By now (Richard Shindell), Northeast belle, I dug up a diamond (Mark Knopfler), Spitfire, Northbound 35 (Jeffrey Foucault), Southland man's lament, Can't say I'll be listening, Shine | | | | | :: Mugdock International Music Festivalposted Monday, June 23, 2008Kenny and I are just back from the Mugdock International Music Festival north of Glasgow, where we played four set in two days in the old courtyard at Mugdock country park. It's a truly beautiful spot and a geat site for a festival. We had a great time and hope to get back to the festival at some future point.
A big thanks to Erne Parkin and all the crew for booking us for the event and looking after us so well when we got there. Slan!
Festival website www.mugdockmusicfestival.co.uk | | | | | :: A big thanks to Edinburgh Folk Clubposted Wednesday, June 18, 2008I met Kenny in Edinburgh yesterday and we made a homage to a couple of Edinburgh's famous music pubs, even managing a drink in one of them, before heading down to the Pleasance to play our first Scottish gig at Edinburgh Folk club. It's a lovely venue which, since we're basically both New Zealanders now with little knowledge of the Scottish lowlands, neither of us had ever been in, despite the fact it's been in that venue for 14 years. It was a great night and we'd like to thank Angus Lyon & Ruaridh Campbell for great tunes and craic and Paddy Eberhort for getting us along to the club in the first place. Cheers
Bob | | | | | :: Ben the Hoose north island tourposted Wednesday, March 14, 2007A warm if belated thanks to everyone who came out to see Kenny and I at the gigs in Wellington, Taupo, Hamilton, Waiheke and Auckland last week. We had a great time and the tour was a success, largely thanks to all of you for turning up, and to the sterling efforts of Alistair Cuthill, Catriona Stuart, Tony Hillyard, Tyree Robertson, Chris and John Maydon, Sarah at Waikato Museum, Alan and Jenny Knight, Roger Giles and Hilary Worsfold. Huge thanks to you all! | | | | | :: Ben the Hoose win Best Folk Album Tui for The Little Cascadeposted Wednesday, January 31, 2007Kenny and I just got back from Auckland where Ben the Hoose won the Best Folk Album 2006 Tui for The Little Cascade. We both put a lot of heart and soul into the record and we're over the moon with the critical and reaction to it. Winning the Tui was the icing on the cake. | | |  | | | | | :: Thank you Whare Flatposted Sunday, January 07, 2007A big thanks to all the folks who turned out to see Ben the Hoose at Whare Flat festival over New Year. Great to see you all at the gigs. Thanks also to the organisers, especially Mike and Bernadette for having us. Also to our old buddy Ronan Martin, and kenny Ritch senior, for joining us on stage at various points during the shows. | | | | | :: Ben the Hoose The Little Cascade up for NZ Music Awardposted Monday, December 18, 2006Ben the Hoose have been informed that their October 2006 album The Little Cascade has been shortlisted for the Recording Industry Association of New Zealand Music Award for "Best Folk Album of 2006". The announcement can be read on the NZ Music Awards website: www.nzmusicawards.co.nz. Needless to say, Kenny and I are surprised and delighted. | | | | | :: Norway Yawl wins YELP songwriting awardposted Friday, December 01, 2006I've just been informed that my song Norway Yawl has won the 2006 YELP songwriting competition in Australia. I'm just waiting for more details from them, but I'm really pleased - the competition ran all year, and they featured one song a month on their website . I heard a few of them and they were really good, so I'm flattered to have won this. | | | | | :: The Little Cascade now released!posted Thursday, October 26, 2006It's great to announce the new Ben the Hoose album "The Little Cascade" is now available. Kenny and I played sets from the new album for the first time last Sunday on the main stage at Wellington Folk Festival and a great time was had by all. It's great to have the record finally finished and be able to get back to doing some gigs and, otherwise, a reasonably normal life. The album's so far available on the Ben the Hoose website www.benthehoose.com, or, if you live in Wellington, New Zealand, from Alistair's music in Cuba Street. We should have it in more outlets soon. | | | | | :: New Ben the Hoose album The Little Cascadeposted Tuesday, September 26, 2006The Ben the Hoose album is nearly finished. It'll be called "The Little Cascade", after the title track, a gorgeous six part reel composed by George "G.S." McLennan in 1915. The album will be available at Wellington Folk festival in October 2006. We're really happy with it, looking forward to playing the new sets in concert. | | | | | :: Radio appearance on Saturday 9 Septemberposted Tuesday, September 05, 2006Bob will be on Wellington Access Radio on Saturday 9th September 2006 at 2.30pm New Zealand time (2:30 AM Saturday, September 09, 2006 UTC GMT), playing songs from Turn the Diesels live in the studio. if you're in the Wellington area you can listen on 783AM; if you're elsewhere or don't have an AM radio you can listen online at www.accessradio.org.nz. | | | | | :: Shine and The Other Roomposted Sunday, June 11, 2006Well, here's an update on the two projects I'm working on at the moment.... it's true there'll be a new EP from me before the end of the year, featuring five new songs. It'll be called Shine, and should be released in November. Kenny and I are also hard at work on our new Ben the Hoose album, which is provisionally titled The Other Room, and should be out in early October, in time for the spring festival season in NZ. I'm really enjoying working with Kenny on this record, and enjoying the writing as well. The Other Room will feature four or five songs, including Norway Yawl, a favourite at concerts but never included on an album. Shine will be a very different record from Turn the Diesels, and I'm really enjoying that. Kenny and I are currently organising a tour of NZ for March 2007; dates should start appearing here soon. | | | | | :: thank you Ireland, and goodnightposted Monday, April 24, 2006I just got back from ten days in Ireland with Neasa. I'd like to say a big thanks to Gary Leahy, Mike Considine, everyone at the Pilot's Bar in Inniscrone, Co Sligo, and in Gaughan's pub in Ballina, and also everybody else in Mayo for great craic and music. Special thanks to all Scanlons... I have to sleep now. | | | | | :: Signs of Trouble climbs chart and wins 5 awards at GarageBand.composted Monday, March 27, 2006Signs of Trouble has made round 2 on the current Folk chart on garageband.com and is still climbing. Last week it won the Reviewer's Pick award for "Best Mood" in Folk; this week it won no less than four Reviewer's Pick awards, including Best Love Song overall on GarageBand.com! On March 26 it was Folk Track of the Day. The song has been reviewed more than 35 times on the site with a very positive response. So far Signs of Trouble has won the following:
Track of the Day on 3Apr2006 in Folk
Best Keyboards in Folk, week of 27Mar2006
Best Melody in Folk, week of 27Mar2006
Best Mood in Folk, week of 20Mar2006
Best Love Song overall, week of 27Mar2006
Best Love Song in Folk, week of 27Mar2006
Check it out at GarageBand.com | Signs of Trouble | | | | | :: auckland folk festival ::posted Wednesday, February 01, 2006I just got back from Auckland Folk Festival, where I had a fantastic time playing, more or less incessantly, with Kenny, Ronan and Brendan Martin and my old pal Davy Stuart. Thanks to Glor na mBan, Tony Hillyard and Louise Evans who all invited me up on stage at one time or another.. this was one of the best festivals I've ever been to, well done Roger and Hilary and the rest of the organisers for another great festival and another terrific night at the Bunker. Slan, Bob | | | | | :: more about ben the hoose ::posted Saturday, January 14, 2006Kenny and I will be at Auckland Folk Festival in New Zealand, looking forward to meeting up with some old friends and playing a few tunes. We're currently hard at work getting material ready for our new album. | | | | | :: Ben the Hoose ::posted Monday, July 18, 2005So I've finally got around to writing something here...it's been a busy last three months with one thing and another. Kenny Ritch and myself have been rehearsing our new duo Ben the Hoose and can't wait for our debut show in Wellington on July 24th. See the Ben the Hoose website for details.
We've also recently been confirmed as guests at the Dunedin Celtic Arts Festival, with Waterson:Carthy, in October. | | | | | :: more tvnz appearances ::posted Friday, May 13, 2005Bob will be recording more songs for tvnz, to be broadcast at a later date. Full details broadcast times and dates will appear here when they are available. | | | | | :: turn the diesels wins nz music award ::posted Wednesday, February 02, 2005Last Sunday my new record Turn the Diesels won the NZ Music Award ("Tui") for Best Folk Album 2004. I was surprised and delighted to win, especially in view of the company I was in - the other finalists were Hinemoana Baker and John Sutherland, both of whom put out great records last year. It's the second time I've won the Tui; I think this one means more to me even than the first one, as Diesels is all my own songs. So thanks to RIANZ and everyone at Auckland Festival, and especially Hinemoana and John, for helping me enjoy the night... | |
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