Blue Stu
Meet Langwith, near Mansfield-born UK Open Mic performer Blue Stu:
Hi Blue Stu, thanks for joining us! Let’s get into it:
Do you play solo only, or also in a group?
Solo
How old are you?
62
Where were you born?
Langwith, near Mansfield
Where did you grow up?
Harworth, near Doncaster
How did that place influence your music? (if at all!)
Harworth was mining village – Northern soul was played in the youth club.
Where are you based now, and why?
Epsom
What got you into making music in the first place?
Playing with my older brothers was my favourite thing.
What instrument/s do you play?
Singing
Guitar
Guitar
Who would be in your top 10 musical influences, and why?
Nick Lowe, Patsy Cline, John Lennon, Elvis Presley, James Brown, Lorna Bennett, Cole Porter, Terry Hall, Charles Alexander.
Do you write your own songs?
Yes
How many years have you been writing songs for?
50
What process, or processes, do you often find yourself using when you write songs?
Lyrics 1st – I pick and idea, object write, harvest nuggets, work up the beginnings, then look for rhythm in the lyric, then look for melody in the natural up & down of the language. Then musically, I’ve usually got some idea/technique I want to try out. Everything changes repeatedly including the core idea, and it keeps changing over years as I learn the song.
How long have you been playing open mic nights?
6
Why did you get into playing them in the first place?
I was in a duo, guitar and sax – it was the obvious forum for us. I got the confidence from that to perform solo.
What advice would you give new performers who are just starting out playing their first open mics?
The more you do the easier it gets and the better you become.
What’s the hardest thing, for you, about playing open mics?
If you don’t do it for a while, it becomes harder – need to keep performing often
What’s the most bizarre, or fun, open mic, or gig, you’ve ever played, and why?
I’m an open mic tourist. I like to go to out of the way places, small towns, on the coast out of season, and play the local open mic – people are so welcoming and it’s a great way to connect with a place.
If it’s not already, are you hoping to make music your full-time career?
Yes
What do you currently find the hardest and biggest obstacles to moving your music career forward?
Keeping focused on it. Connecting with my musical tribe has been hard. Finding musical partners, cos I like to play with others. Plus can’t be dealing with social media.
What’s the most exciting project you’re working on at the moment?
I have 3 things which I’m excited about.
1. I’ve recently taken over a weekly 2 hour coffee shop 100% acoustic session and I’m now shaping it, bringing in other performers, making it into a real event
2. I run an online songwriter community on Meetup called Songwriters Unplugged Night – we hold a monthly online song share and it’s going great – we have 500. Next I want to work with an existing open mic to make a monthly face-face songwriters’ night
3. I’m a member of the Arsenal prostate cancer support & walking football group and we’re looking at musical ventures to promote the group.
Do you have your own music video, channel or playlist you’d like to share?
Do you have music on streaming? What’s you main streaming channel to send people to?
Where is the main place should people go to find out more about you?
https://linktr.ee/BlueStuMusic
What other sites/profiles should people go to to find out more about you?
https://linktr.ee/BlueStuMusic
www.facebook.com/BlueStuMusic/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">www.facebook.com/BlueStuMusic/
We’re done! Anything else you want to share before we go?
No thanks!