I want to look back at 2009. Looking at where you’ve been helps you see where you’re going.

The first thing I want to say is a BIG THANK YOU to everyone who has supported me and my music. 

I’ve had a great year.

I’ve been all over the UK, doing my first real tour with on the Academy Live Tour in Autumn. I’ve ping-ponged back and forth between London and Liverpool, also visiting Cheltenham in the summer making my debut at the Greenbelt festival. Every new city I’ve played in has brought me and my songs closer to everyone. May that increase tenfold in 2010!!

In Liverpool this summer, I played the 2 biggest shows I’ve ever done. First was a prestigious support slot with The Lightning Seeds at the beautiful Philharmonic Hall. An amazing venue!  This was then topped only 5 days later when myself and the boys in the band walked onto the stage at the Echo Arena to play for 6000 people, supporting Deacon Blue!! The response was fantastic. What a night that was and such valuable experience for me!!  It’s amazing how comfortable it feels to perform in front of that many people!! Electrifying!

Some of the moments I’ve had onstage this year have been the best in my career so far. I can tell already that next year will take things to another level!!

In the studio, I’ve written and recorded 2 EP’s – When All Is Said and Acoustic EP.  The Acoustic EP was recorded in Leeds and I’ll never forget recording the song ‘Does It Matter?’. The lights were moody in the studio, Ged Allen was on piano and I was at the microphone. We recorded the piano and vocal live. I LOVED this way of recording (old school!). A special moment – you can hear the atmosphere on the recording.

There are brand new songs that have come to me in the last part of this year which no one has heard yet – but you will be hearing them in 2010!!

2009 has also seen the birth of the first official ‘Stephen Langstaff’ T Shirts - complete with song slogans and my personal ‘arrow and circle’ symbol (which I finally had tattooed on my left wrist this year – after months and months of saying I would!). I remember looking out at the packed crowd on the Liverpool leg of the Academy Live Tour and seeing people proudly wearing the words ‘Here Come The Sunbeams’ and ‘I Saw The Angels’. Another special moment.

So another year comes to an end and we have Christmas with all the colour and presents and food!! A time to switch off and relax with friends and family.

That’s what I’m going to do now.

See you at a gig in the New Year and thanks once again for sharing the musical adventures with me in 2009!!!!!!

Lots of love and Happy Christmas

Stephen

xxxx

Christmas is here! The Yuletide is upon us.

I've been having a little break from gigging and have been working on new songs and making plans and projects for next year. If there's no blog entry on here, rest assured I'm still a borderline-workaholic singer/songwriter so am always getting up to something!

I filmed an interview for a new musicians website the other day too - that'll be available on the web before the end of the year so I'll post it up here!

I've also been enjoying the run-up to Christmas and indulging in my favourite festive habits: Mulled Wine, Christmas Markets, Present Shopping, Wine Driinking, Cheese-Eating, Mince Pie Eating, Film Watching, etc. etc. etc!

I went to watch a stage performance of 'A Christmas Carol' the other day. What an amazing story - and what an imagination Charles Dickens had. I read the book a few years ago and hugely recommend it to anyone. It's a shory story but so simple and powerful - my favourite kind of art!

My favourite line from a Christmas story though is still this one from Miracle on 34th Street (the Richard Attenborough version!). Father Christmas says to someone:

"If you refuse to accept anything on faith alone you doom yourself to a life dominated by doubt"

Well said. Ho ho ho.

Stephen

x