Well, as this year draws to a close it’s time to say thanks to all of our acts and the promoters we’ve worked with the past twelve for making it quite a memorable year!

GRETCHEN PETERS continues to get more popular in the UK and Europe with a number of sold out shows when she’s toured here and some memorable festival appearances from her as well, this year.  Her current cd “Hello Cruel World” is being recognized as a songwriter’s masterpiece.

BRUCE COCKBURN returned to these shores for the first time in a few years and was well recieved everywhere he performed.  Plus he met up with the Canadian Paralympics Team at the London Olympics Village.

CARMEL emerged from semi-retirement with a brand new seven piece band and wowed audiences at the three very special shows she played with them.  We’re looking forward to hearing new material from her in 2013.

ALTAN popped across from Ireland for a short run of shows and once again proved why they’re probably Ireland’s finest traditional folk act!

STEVE FORBERT headed out in October (a tour we booked in association with Adastra Agency) across the UK & Ireland to promote is excellent new cd “Over With You”.

Canadian songstress, LYNNE HANSON, came across to open for Gretchen Peters in the UK for part of her March tour here, then repeated that again opening for Steve Forbert in October.  In addition Lynne played some of her own shows and is becoming recognized here as one fine singer – songwriter and a mean acoustic guitar player as well.

We’re excited to welcome some brilliant new acts to the agency – THE ABRAMS BROTHERS; BEN GLOVER; CARAVAN OF THIEVES; THE EMPERORS OF WYOMING – and these, along with our established acts will all be touring in 2013.  There are already tours announced, and on sale, GRETCHEN PETERS in February / March and PERE UBU in April.  Plus we’re working on more tours and these include the wonderful AMY WADGE & PETE RILEY; 3 BOXES; BRUCE COCKBURN; LYNNE HANSON; DAVID BROMBERG and and we’re waiting to be told what our others want for 2013.

There’s very regular updates about specific tours, and general gossip, on our Facebook page so do log in, check it out and like us - https://www.facebook.com/pages/Moneypenny-Agency/295044847185848

Finally, have a real Happy New Year and an absolutely wonderful 2013.

Warmest regards,

Nigel Morton and Ruth Gordon

Regular updates on all Moneypenny news and tours are posted on our Facebook page

She’s number one!!!  Yes folks, it has happened….Gretchen Peters is number one on the Official UK Charts-Country genre category with the album “Hello Cruel World”.  Check it out at:  .  She is above established artists Lyle Lovett, Nanci Griffith, Tim McGraw, Glenn Campbell, Alison Krauss &Union Station and Todd Snider—go Gretchen!  In addition to this great news, shows on her UK and European Tour are selling out, including Norwich, Exeter, Limavady, Belfast and The Hague to name a few.  Tickets for some shows are becoming as rare as hen’s teeth.

Gretchen has also now announced for the following UK festivals:

June 22,2012     Isle of Wight     Garden Stage

June 29, 2012    Cornbury Festival     River Stage

June 30, 2012   Maverick Festival     Peacock Stage

July 27, 2012    Cambridge Festival     Stage Two

July 28, 2012     Cambridge Festival     Stage One

We are expecting more festivals and dates to be added over the next few days.  Watch this space!

If you are interested in making an offer or discussing a proposal, please contact nigel.morton@moneypennymusic.co.uk.

It’s an exciting spring here at Moneypenny! Lots of excellent news and action from our talented artists. Read on….

We are pleased to say Gretchen Peters is at last getting the commercial, critical and artistic recognition she so richly deserves. The responses across the media worldwide to her lastest CD release “Hello Cruel World” have been stunning! These include outstanding reviews in a variety of publications ranging from Q, The Sun, Maverick Magazine, Uncut, Billboard, Sunday Times and Financial Times. On U.K. national radio, not only has Gretchen had a session broadcast on Bob Harris’ radio2 country music program in January, she has an upcoming appearance on radio2 Simon Mayo’s feature Drivetime. Across the whole of the U.K., local stations and press have followed the example set nationally. All this activity is helping to make her current tour of the U.K. and Europe (March 1 to April 5) her most successful to date, with sold out shows in advance at a number of venues. Finally, we are pleased to announce that Gretchen has also confirmed to perform at the legendary Isle of Wight Festival, Garden Stage on June 29. She is also playing Cornbury Festival on River Stage June 29 and Cambridge Festival Stages 2 and 1 July 27 and 28. Finally, she is appearing at Southern Fried Festival July 29. We expect to announce even more soon.

All the best for 2012!

Moneypenny’s latest signing is The Nightingales, formed by former of The Prefects following that band’s demise in 1979.

With an ever fluctuating line up, based around lyricist/singer Robert Lloyd, the Nightingales enjoyed cult status in the early ’80′s as darlings of the credible music scene and were championed by John Peel, who said of them – “Their performances will serve to confirm their excellence when we are far enough distanced from the 1980′s to look at the period rationally and other, infinitely better known, bands stand revealed as charlatans”.

The group recorded a bunch of critically acclaimed singles (Almost always ‘Single Of The Week’ in the music press) and three albums, plus many radio sessions for their great supporter Peel – more than any other band bar The Fall. They also regularly toured the UK and Northern Europe, as headliners and supporting acts as diverse as Bo Diddley and Nico.

In the late Eighties the Nightingales stopped working but, following the occasional gig between times, they re-grouped in 2004, with Lloyd being joined by original Prefects guitarist Alan Apperley to its current line up, which features Lloyd, Apperley, Andreas Schmid (from Faust Studio) on bass, ex Violet Violet drummer Fliss Kitson and guitarist Matt Wood, plus on occasion bassoonist Katherine Young &/or guitarist Christine Edwards and Emily Manzo on keyboards (Christy & Emily).

Since restarting the group have been more productive than ever – releasing five 7″ vinyl singles and three studio albums (Plus two live albums), touring England, mainland Europe and USA numerous times, recording many radio sessions along the way. They have been invited to play various festivals in Europe and the States, including Glastonbury and SXSW. Their “Let’s Think About Living” 45 was ‘Single Of The Week’ on BBC 6 Music and they have continued to receive regular rave reviews for their records and live shows.

In 2008 the band recorded “Insult to Injury” with Hans Joachim Irmler of krautrock legends Faust. This record was released in February 2009 on the Klangbad label and is largely considered the best ‘gales album yet. Another Irmler produced album – “The Lost Plot” – was recorded in August 2010 but has no planned release date. A new album is due to be recorded/released in 2011 and the group will be playing more live shows in Europe and the U.S during the next year or so.

Moneypenny are currently booking for autumn and winter shows / tours from our array of UK and international acts – Ireland , USA , Canada all being represented.

• ALTAN  – November 2011
• BRIAN KENNEDY  – New cd touring October / November 2011
• BRUCE COCKBURN  – New cd touring February / March 2012
• THE CRAYONETTES feat: Kathryn Williams & Anna Spencer. Read  Guardian Article  & Listen on Soundcloud – offers and ideas
• GRETCHEN PETERS – New cd and touring UK & Europe March 2012.
• KATHRYN WILLIAMS – New cd and touring October 2011
• RENAISSANCE – New cd and touring November 2011
• SUZY BOGGUSS – new cd and touring November / December 2011
• THE RANKIN FAMILY – New cd and DVD January / February 2012

In addition to these acts with defined periods we’re also interested in discussing dates for

• MAX GILKES
• JOANNE LOUISE PARKER
• LYNNE HANSON

Please call me on either +44(0)7977-455882 or +44(0)1377-240162 and if it goes to voice mail please leave a message with your name and contact number.  Or email me.