The New Year starts here with the latest news. We can already start looking ahead to those summer music festivals, and the reintroduced Isle of Wight Festival is getting better each year. Already announced for the festival taking place at Newport from June 11-13 are David Bowie, The Who and The Stereophonics. Event organiser John Giddings says: "The festival is now attracting premier league acts." The festival will be held at Seaclose Park, Newport on June 11, 12 and 13, with Bowie closing the event.
Tickets are available from Wight Leisure premises.   (©Peter Ashton 2003)

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       One of Playing Out Loud’s favourite performers, Gordon Haskell, will be in the recording studio during January and February 2004. Ex-Average White Band and Paul McCartney band member Hamish Stuart will be producing Gordon’s new album which sees him moving towards a jazzier style, with some hand-picked musicians picked from the top players on the jazz scene adding their talents.
Gordon is concentrating on the songs of his favourite composer Michael Franks, whose songs have always been a staple part of Gordon’s set list. Expect “Hourglass,” “Cookie Jar” and a host of other great Franks songs to figure as Gordon prepares to become “a male Norah Jones” (his description, not mine). Then it’s back on the road for Gordon on a national tour including dates in the south: The Brook in Southampton on March 4 and Fareham’s Ashcroft Arts Centre on March 27.  (©Peter Ashton 2003)