The Tombstone tour was a blast. The support though was shocking. Non existent for a man of Francis's Dunnery's ability and pedigree. 

So I literally hopped on a plane to Marbella with Chris de Burgh on the Friday, gigged on the Saturday, Flew home on the Sunday, to learn Mal Pope's songs for his rehearsal on the Monday, then the Grand Theatre gig on the Tuesday....THEN home late to learn the last bits of Brass for the Tombstone Dunnery gig, left at 6.30am for Oswestry and rehearsals with Francis and the Band.

It was great to finish the gig and travel back to base every night with  Francis, Quint Starkie, Remco Engels, Paul Brown, Deanne Blazey, Aileen McLaughlin,  Phil Beaumont, Phil Evans. Phil Brown and Nathan Jones......We had some laughs and I got to spend serious time with people who'll walk the journey with me hopefully for the rest of my time on this planet.

We'd finished the tour and as Francis was trying to pull together the New It Bites album, I was in communication virtually every day. The Date for the Studio was moving around like crazy, and drummer's names were going into the Pot.....it was becoming a real struggle to put everyone together in the same building and country at the same time.

Before we knew it, Chad Wackerman( yes that CHAD WACKERMAN) had accented the role of Drummer for the new It Bites FD, but fate was to play a big part in it all.

No sooner than I was in IT BITES, I was out. I couldn't commit to the final studio date and I couldn't find a window to learn all the material for the tour either....so I sent an email to Francis explaining that I couldn't find the time to commit to the band.

AND SO, I WAS GONE, but for a final brief moment in time.....

I was in a band with one of my favourite drummers 

 It wasn't to be. Still, you count your blessings and before I knew it....I was back out into the world and hoping people would contact me to work with them.

Then it was a case of moving onto the next project...which was doing a track for the Blow Monkeys, working on some Katherine Jenkins Stems and a Christmas TV show, revisiting the lovely ELIN FFLUR's tracks and joining her, her band (who are made up of some great friends of mine), and the National Orchestra of Wales conducted by my long time mate Mr John Quirk for a Radio Live Broadcast. 

Every cloud has a silver lining they say, but leaving the It Bites camp before I'd even played a note was sad.

I wish Francis ALL THE LOVE IN THE WORLD and I am looking forward to hearing the new album, which is slated for release in January, just prior to the tour.

So onwards and upwards good people.

The world still turns, the folk of the music industry require your support so keep going to those gigs and buying the music. 

Talking of which......

Chris de Burgh's "Missing You" track, that I did last year for Christmas is still available on Bandcamp

https://nigelhopkins.bandcamp.com