News and things August

Date: 07/09/2010

Well what can the "olddogs" say except that August was a surprisingly fun month with lots of wonderful famlies here on the island. Route 66 was full every night and people were partying with the kids being shocked that they were listening to Lady Ga Ga, Pixie Lotte, Killers, Kings of Leon as well as all the old favourites. They even joined in on drums (Brandon - fantastic version of Rockstar) and tambourine - lots of sore hands. They even allowed their parents to have the odd dance!! The "olddogs" are just about alive and kicking and really looking forward to their 5 days of rest and recuperation starting on Friday. Lots of redecorating being done on Casa Azul, the home of the "dogs" with some major renovation and remodelling being done. Both Bob & Jill have been working solidly for the last 5 weeks and are now beginning to see the fruits of their hard labour. New extension now finished and lounge and hall completely redecorated with lots of rewiring and plasterwork being done. Still it has been worth it and not much more to do before tackling the stairway - the house is like the Forth Road Bridge. Furry friends all well and looking forward to their week in the kennels where they get spoiled and have great fun. Big thanks for all the wonderful photographs, keep them coming and check out Facebook.

July 2010 News Update

Date: 09/08/2010

What a fantastic month for July with lots of guest guitarists young and old and a multitude of tambourine players, some good - some still learning. Good luck to Zak & Sam with their band, Jake with his band and good luck to their parents who could be in for seious investment in musical equipment. Great to see young musical talent bursting forth. A big thanks to everyone who responded with support to Stephen & Lucy's comments but remember that everyone is entitled to their opinion be it positive or negative and that is why the Guest Page is an open forum. Good news on the bookings front - the Barcelo Santiago has renewed the "olddogs" contract right through to the end of April 2011 with the option to extend indefinately. Route 66 still marching on and it is great to have such a multi-national audience with a marked increase in Canarian & Spanish members. Rumour has it that the "olddogs" are having a few days off in September and will be covered by drummer (much improved) Graham's other band "Traveller" - 4 piece band and very different - worth a visit. On the home front all is well if hectic with much DIY and redecorating taking place. Bob cries "is there any rest for the wicked". Dogs & cats all fit and healthy.

CD Launch - June 2010

Date: 01/07/2010

Well here we are moving into school holidays with a stronger pound which hopefully will see a rise in the number of tourists here inTenerife. June has been an eventful month with the disappointing World Cup seeing England failing to perform much to Bob's delight (Scottish git) although he reckons even at his age he could play better than most of the England team which Jill says would not be hard. The good news as this is published is that Andy Murray is still in contention at Wimbledon and the "olddogs" have released CD No. 8 - "Better than Sex" which is worth buying just for thr pictures on the cover and the CD. Roger the bands producer and photographer had great fun at the photo shoot and Bob reveals more than ever before!! The good news for the "olddogs" is that the first batch sold out in less than a week although they are not sure if it is for the music or the artwork. Jill would like to say a big thanks to all who contributed generously to The OWR Project which was collecting money for Cancer Research. The final figures are not in yet but it was hoped that they would raise 100,000 UKP through the sponsored bike ride and various groups donating what they could .Route 66 still buzzing and the "olddogs are looking forward meeting and greeting more old friends over the next couple of months.

May 2010 Update

Date: 07/06/2010

Well the update is a bit late but the "olddogs" have been extremely busy working on their latest CD "Better than Sex" which should go into production later this week. Bob has asked for "Pegleg" to send his address again as computer malfunction has caused his address to be deleted by accident. Both Bob & Jill are really excited with the results on the new album with Bob playing two or three guitar parts on each track and Jill experimenting with different sounds on her voice. The month of May has been a difficult one due to lack of tourists - credit crunch, ash cloud, teenagers preparing for GCSE's and therefore staying at home but when the going gets tough the tough get going and ODNT are pretty tough. May also saw a rush of blood to a number of regulars' heads and there was a sudden glut of mature newly weds - 4 lots on one night. Congratulations to you all and the "olddogs" wish you happiness and health for the future. Bob became a grandfather for the 4th time and congratulations go out to Bob's son Duncan and his partner Pauline on the birth of their daughter Fia. Let's hope that June sees a return to normality and lots of tourists flocking back to sunny Tenerife.

April Showers

Date: 02/05/2010

Well April was a very strange month with Easter holidays or not as the case may be and the dreaded ash cloud. There was certainly a noticable drop in the number of tourists on the island. The "old dogs" took a week out to visit Barcelona which proved to be heaven for Jill and hell for Bob - too many shops and oportunities for Jill to spend money and no live music entertainment in the evenings for Bob to get back his sanity. On the work front Route 66 soldiers on and the "old dogs" still pack them in although people are arriving later and spending less. The Courtyard which was the other music bar in Puerto Santiago has finally given up and closed its doors which is very sad and certainly not good for the area. The "old dogs" wish Stuart and family the best of luck in whatever new venture they take on. Obviously due to the ash cloud tourists got stranded on Tenerife and had to put up with the sunshine and many regulars didn't get here at all and it is hoped that they will get here later in the year. There was chaos with people being moved in and out of hotels but in general Thomsons & First Choice did a great job except that they moved everyone to All Inclusive accommodation which didn't help the local bars and restuarants. Many bars on the island have closed - many of them needed to go anyway - and the better bars are surviving. The "old dogs" are looking forward to a busy May and to their show in The Plaza in Los Gigantes on the 22nd of May.

March Newsflash

Date: 28/03/2010

Well last night the "olddogs" rocked The Plaza in Los Gigantes again, albeit rather unexpectedly. The Ayuntamiento did their usual and called at the last minute to ask them to headline at a Festival which was announced on National TV and in all the National press as well as all Local Radio Stations. The festival was to help celebrate a 3 day International Beach Volleyball Competition in Playa la Arena. Starting at midnight the "olddogs" had to raise the crowd who had been listening to a funk/fusion band who were excellent except not to the taste of Los Gigantes clientelle. The "olddogs" took the opportunity to introduce some of their newer covers - Lady GaGa and Pink as well as the tried and tested favourites and soon had them on their feet dancing the night away. The rest of the month has been great with enthusiastic crowds packing out Route 66 on a nightly basis and lots of "old" familiar friends returning to Tenerife to get away from the dreadful European weather - great to see you all and keep returning. Dogs taking a well earned break in April - 9th 'til 16th (just after Easter) Watch out for more new numbers and dates in The Paza.

February 2010 Update

Date: 01/03/2010

Well to say that the beginning of the year has been hectic for the "olddogs" would be a bit of an understatement with another performance in The Plaza since our last update. The finale was the performance at "The Carnaval" last Saturday which saw "the dogs" at their best strutting their stuff to an audience of well over a thousand who were singing and dancing throughout their performance. Judging by the many plaudits given to the band at the end of their performance it would be true to say that the multinational audience enjoyed the show. The band were presented with an engraved plaque by the Carnaval Committee to mark their contribution to the success of the event. Roll on next year!! Route 66 has continued to be successful despite the dreadful weather and the credit crunch. February saw some of the heaviest rainfalls on record for Tenerife with many properties flooded including the "olddogs" studio but fortunatley with no fatalities on the island. Bob has finally got his new guitar which was last years birthday present and has gone wireless so no longer are the audience safe - help!! Jill goes from strength to strength and is currently in the studio learning yet more new numbers. Graham also working hard with the band as well as rehearsing with a new band who will be performing mainly original numbers. Rumour has it that the "olddogs" may take a week off in April for a wll deserved rest - watch this space!!!!

Jan 2010 - latest news from the "dogs"

Date: 02/02/2010

Well the New Year started with a bang with another great party at Route 66. It also started with a bang in other ways with "old dogs" fans being up in arms due some negative comments placed on the Guest Page by someone calling themselves Roger Blade but hiding behind a false e-mail address. Bob and Jill (and of course Graham) would like to thank everyone who rose to Jill's defense. Everyone is entitled to their opininion and all criticism is welcomed - positive or negative. January also saw Bob and Jill taking a short break to visit family in England and poor old Bob returned with a nasty sinus infection which caused him to be even more deaf than usual for a week after their return. Jan 30th saw another triumphant return to The Plaza in Los Gigantes despite an Orange Alert weather forecast - only 10 minutes short due to rain and a goodly sum of money raised for The Carnival - well done Sally and her bucket. Looking forward to next month there will be another bash at Vista Guima in aid of Breast Cancer - contact Lyn on 922 860 521 or 620 355571 for tickets. Don't leave it too late as they sell like hot cakes.

December 2009 Update

Date: 19/12/2009

Well this will be the last update of a hectic and very successful year for the "olddogs" with more still to come. In the run up to the year end they have been booked to play at a Fiesta arranged by the Council for Santiago del Teide so they will be appearing in The Plaza, Los Gigantes on Boxing Day from around midnight until 2.00 am. This is following the show at the Barcelo Santiago Hotel so it is going to be a bit manic. This will be the 5th time that they have been booked to play in The Plaza this year and they have already been booked to play on Sat. Jan 30th and again on Sat 27th Feb (the main carnival) with discussions going on to play at Fiesta's in Arona and Playa Santiago - watch this space. The year will end with a bang with a big New Years party at Route 66 - not to be missed. The "old dogs" would like to take this oportunity of thanking Route 66, the Council, Santiago del Teide, the Carnival Committee, Los Gigantes, the Barcelo Santiago Hotel and the numerous people who booked them to play both in Tenerife and the UK throughout 2009 for making it such an enjoyable and successful year. They would also like to wish all of them and all of the people who have come to watch them a very merry Christmas and a happy, healthy and prosperous New Year. They hope to see you all again in 2010.

November Update

Date: 28/11/2009

Well it seems like yesterday since the last update was posted as life for the "olddogs" has been even more hectic than usual (one run of 13 nights in a row nearly killed them off). This month saw another successful party in The Plaza in Los Gigantes where 800/900 people rocked the night away and showered "the dogs" with praise at the end. Typical comments were "you have given us the best night of our holiday" - "great music briliantly performed" - "better then concerts we've paid 50 UKP's to see" etc. and all done using their own sound system. They have already been booked to do another night on Friday 11th December - it is the only night that they have free as Graham (drummer) is off to the UK for 2 weeks on the 17th). No rest for Bob & Jill though as they will carry on as usual. Also this month they delighted the audience at Vista Guama where they performed at the Breast Cancer Charity Party. Again they were told that it was the best yet and more importantly a considerable sum of money was raised. Well done Lynn & Gill. Route 66 has continued to be "the best bar in town" and is pretty much full to capacity every night when "the dogs" perform. The Hotel Barcelo Santiago is still in early days and "the dogs" are working with the hotel to improve the in-house sound system and the layout of the seating as the acoustics of the entertainment hall are very poor. Watch this space. Next week sees Bob & Jill jetting off to the UK for a few days to perform at a 60th birthday party - no rest for the wicked. It has to be reported that all furry friend are well and causing mayhem as usual. On behalf of the band a big thanks to all their friends who have showered them with gifts over the last 4 weeks or so - the food parcels are very much appreciated as well as the T- shirts and bandanas.

October Highlights

Date: 25/10/2009

Last night saw "The Dogs" make a triumphant return to The Plaza in Los Gigantes just 4 weeks after their last success. This time they were asked to help raise funds for the local Carnival which is at the end of February. With just 3 days notice and absolutely no publicity they managed to fill all the adjacent bars and restuarants plus every available form of seating. The square rocked yet again and was once more filled with a mixture of tourists and local people (including Canarians) dancing the night away and screaming for more. Great news for "The Dogs" is that they are going to be booked for the Carnival and also the Fiesta in Puerto Santiago - watch this space. On the home front Route 66 continues to flourish and has been packed every night with a pan European crowd enjoying the eclectic collection of music performed Sunday through to and including Thursday. ODNT just seem to get better and better and the level of energy and performance seems to get higher. Maybe something to do with Jill wearing short dresses and flashing those legs around!! Saturday 31st sees ODNT's debut at the Hotel Santiago Barcelo which should be an interesting experience given Bob's dislike of hotel entertainment. He guarantees the bands usual no nonsense approach and promises to rock the place from 9.30 pm until 11.30 pm with no concessions for the young or the elderly - should be interesting!!

September Update

Date: 29/09/2009

OLDDOGS TAKE LOS GIGANTES BY STORM - Sat 26th saw olddogsnewtricks triumphant return to The Plaza in Los Gigantes to celebrate "El Dia de Turismo" and they were joined by a crowd estimated at between 1000 & 1200. Following on from an excellent show of Canarian Folk Music the "olddogs" rocked the square non stop for 3 hours much to the delight of the audience who danced and sang their hearts out to music from the 60´s right through to music from "Kings of Leon", "The Killers", "Pink", Snow Patrol", Amy Winehouse" & Newton Falkner to name but a few. The audience ranged from children right through to octogenerians. The "olddogs" were also joined by dancers from The Centre Stage Dance School which is based in Playa la Arena who gave their 1st public performance and the bands thanks goes out to Amanda and her you starlets. The rest of the month has seen Route 66 packed to capacity and overflowing on numerous occasions with people dancing in the streets - long may it continue. As a result of their success the band will be taking the main stage in The Hotel Barcelo Santiago every 2nd Saturday from October 31st - 9.30 pm until 11.30 pm. The band have asked for pictures of the event in The Plaza for the website - please send to bobkerr@telefonica.com. Big thanks to all from Bob, Jill and of course Graham.

August Update

Date: 25/08/2009

Well doesn't time fly when you are having fun - school holidays nearly over!! Summer has seen the band adding lots of new numbers which have been appreciated by young and old - The Script, Jason Mraz, The Killers, Kelly Clarkson & Kings of Leon. Big bonus - even Bob likes the new numbers!!! IMPORTANT DATE FOR YOUR CALENDARS - SAT. 26TH SEPTEMBER - OLDDOGS NEWTRICKS WILL BE PLAYING IN THE SQUARE IN LOS GIGANTES FROM 9.00 PM UNTIL MIDNIGHT - NOT TO BE MISSED. The summer has been busy depite the "credit crunch" or "the crisis" as it's known here in Spain and long may it continue. The band continue to get requests to play in the UK which is great - keep them coming. Once again the band thank you for your continued support and even more importantly the presents which they receive - tee shirts for Bob and dresses - yes dresses for Jill. For those of you who have not seen the band recently Jill has had her legs on show all summer. Although it hasn't reached the national press it has created quite a stir among her "groupies", especially the older ones! Luckily no heart attacks to date.

July 2009 News Update

Date: 24/07/2009

Well it's a big hi from the sweltering heat of sunny Tenerife. The "olddogs" had a successful trip back to the old country when they performed at a joint 60th birthday bash held at St Neots Football Club which proved to be an excellent venue. They hope that Laurie & Margaret enjoyed the event despite one of their son's losing a case of very expensive champagne on the way home. Since their return it has been extremely hot and sweaty and has even seen the band perform in shorts!! First Jill gets her legs out and now Bob - what next? (well Graeme the bands drummer and relate councillor got his out as well) What can be said but "the crowd went wild". As is traditional the band have been adding new & up to date numbers to the set in time for the arrival of the "little ones & teenagers". They get great pleasure from being able to surprise the younger ones with up to date chart material - Kings of Leon, The Killers etc.. The look of shock on their faces makes all the work worthwhile. Any suggestions for new numbers will be looked at and given serious consideration. Bob is now back on dog walking duty building up the muscle in his bionic leg and enjoying being able to get out amongst their unsuspecting audience - especially the good looking sexy members of the fairer sex, although he has been known to shock the odd male member. Nothing and no one is spared - you have been warned!!!!

June Hot News

Date: 15/06/2009

Well what can I say May was better than April, a real surprise and so far June is proving to be better than May. Long may it continue. Last night saw "old dogs the band" (with Graham on drums) joined on stage by Frank on lead & rythm guitar and Mike (an unsuspecting holiday maker) on bass and Mel on backing vocals. They then proceeded to do an hour and a half of live rock music with Bob proving once and for all that he is no slouch when it comes to lead guitar playing swapping roles with Frank during songs. As they say "the crowd went wild" and not only was the bar absolutely full but the street was as well. If only there was a venue that would make it financially viable to have a 5 piece band!! Bob's hip continues to improve slowly and he can now be seen back wandering amongst the audience molesting unsuspecting holidaymakers. Jill goes from strength to strength and can now be seen performing in short dresses. The legs look great thanks to all the dog walking while Bob has been incapacitated. Shame she hadn't found her legs sooner. Can the "more mature" men in the audience cope or will we see the arrival of the local medical team? Thanks to all the regular "groupies" and welcome to the new recruits, you make it all worth while. Keep rocking!!!

May Update

Date: 18/05/2009

Well all going well so far post operative and now managing to stand throughout the gig. Changing sounds on the pedals can be a bit difficult but have managed to not fall over so far. One scary moment last week when German "pole dancer" tried to use my leg as a pole!! Still so far we have had a great May with the bar being packed every night. I think we are entertaining the total tourist population of Puerto Santiago, Los Gigantes and Playa La Arena which is great. We have now released an MP3 version of our recordings which contains all 93 tracks. It is called "You Better Believe It" and is available for €40 or 35UKP by post. A real bargain and can go straight on to your iPod. Weather here has been great so if your feeling depressed by UK weather and UK politics now is the time to fly out to the sunshine. Dogs and cats all well if a pain in the but but at least walking the dogs keeps Jill fit. See you all soon - keep on rockin?

Post Operative Update

Date: 18/04/2009

Well the big op. is over and I have a new hip. Unfortunately it proved to be a much bigger op. than expected and I spent 6 hours in surgery ending up with a full hip replacement instead of a resurfacing due to complications. It looks like it may take me just a little bit longer to get back into the full swing of things. Big thanks to Frank who has ably assisted Jill at Route 66 in my absence and will continue to do so for a little while yet. I will however be there to support them and of course will do a few numbers just to keep my hand in. Big thanks to all who sent cards and best wishes and th the Chayofa Fan Club for visiting me in hospital - much appreciated as were the DVD's they brought to while away the lonely hours. Poor Jill has been run off her feet visiting the hospital, walking the dogs, taking cats to the vets, shopping for stuff for me and of course entertaining the troops. She now has the added work of looking after me as I'm on crutches and struggling to walk at the moment. I feel a holiday may be needed in the not too distant future but will have to wait until I get the OK to fly. Look forward to getting slowly back into the swing and see you all soon.

April 2009

Date: 12/04/2009

Well here we are back from our all conquering tour of Buxton. The ball was a massive success and a big thanks goes out to Robin (The Mayor) who invited us to perform, Chris and Dan from the production company who did so much work preparing the venue and making the sound & lighting excellent (plus the team of unsung heroes the volunteers), Amy and her team of dancers who were great fun to work with, Mel for joining us on stage and doing what she does best - harmonising with Jill, Gillian & Mike for being perfect hosts and last but not least our band of loyal friends and "groupies" who turned up from all over the country to support us. Also a big thanks from Jill and I for all the fantastic birthday presents - what a weekend. Back to reality and it has been a busy week here in sunny Tenerife with Route 66 proving yet again to be THE entertainment venue at this end of the island. Jill has been busy rehearsing with Frank as he will be filling in for me while I recover from having my hip replacement operation tomorrow. Good luck to them both - go and support them. Graham our "part time" drummer & Sandra his wife are of to Australia for a month. have a great holiday. Hopefully see you all soon, albeit on crutches.

March newsflash

Date: 08/03/2009

Don't miss out on tickets for Breast Cancer Research Night at Vista Guima, Tamaimo on Sat 21st March. Dinner, transport and olddogsnewtricks, what more could you ask for??? For tickets and more details contact Lynne on 922 860 521 or 620 355 571. Don't leave it too late as this event is normally a sell out. Jill becomes a grandmother!! Well Duffy our cat gave birth to 4 beautiful kittens nearly 3 weeks ago and they will all need homes (we already have 4 dogs & 3 cats) so if your interested contact Jill on 922 741 689 or 666 911 292. They need to be homed by the end of March as we are off to the UK to do the Mayoral Ball in Buxton. On the work front all has been excellent with full houses every night at Route 66. Great to see old friends from Ireland, Sweden, Denmark, Germany and of course the UK. Welcome and thanks for being here.

Feb 2009 Update

Date: 14/02/2009

Well here we are again bringing you up to date with the lives of "the old dogs". January finished off well with lots of Scandinavian friends returning to the island to get away from the lands of eternal darkness. February started well but unfortunately Jill succumbed to the local "lurgy" and lost her voice for a couple of days. Big sorry to all our friends who missed us. Bob however put the time to good use and converted all our mini disks to MP3 and we are anxiously awaiting the arrival of our new piece of kit which will allow us to dispense with mini disks at last. Jill has serious problems remembering which track is on which disk. Poor old dear, the memory's not what it used to be. Dylan now seems to have fully recovered from the nasty bacteria which infected his leg and new cat Duffy is well and truly "up the Duffy" so we will be looking for good homes for the kittens. Everything is now in place for our trip to Buxton in April to perform at the Mayor's Ball and we are looking forward to seeing many old friends who have booked tickets and are travelling from all over the UK to spend the night with us. See you soon.

January 2009 Update

Date: 21/01/2009

Well we are back safe and sound from the depths of winter in the UK. We had a great time and enjoyed Chrissie's 40th in Kettering + Joanne (Bob's daughter) & Peter her husband's joint 40ths in Burghclere near Newbury. We experienced every kind of weather possible (except warm weather) - snow, fog, 100 mph gales, torrential rain and some weak sunshine. From a weather point of view it is great to be back. On the work front we had a great gig last night at Route 66 with everyone very much in a party mood. Sadly we will not be performing at Oscar's in the foreseeable future due to a sharp downturn in their business and a number of acts have been dropped including us. On the plus side we will be performing at Vista Guimar on the 14th of March where we will be doing a Charity Show in support of the Breast Cancer Research Organization. Previous nights at this venue have been great with good food, fine wine and great company. Contact us quickly if you want tickets. All furry friends back safe and sound from the kennels and Dylan (our ginger cat) recovering well from his recent illness and surgery. Wer hope that you all had a great Christmas and New Year and look forward to seeing you throughout the year.

December Update 2008

Date: 20/12/2008

Well as usual the year has absolutely flown by with time disappearing so quickly that it has been hard to take stock. Life in the Kerr household is never dull and there are constant changes either to the house, the music or the family. The house has seen yet more changes I'm (with the help of Phil - cheers mate) in the process of building yet another extension. (quote from her ladyship "Bob claims that it is an investment for our pension but I think that it is just an excuse to get out of the way"). The studio has been reorganized and redecorated and the mammoth task of pointing the crazy paving in the back garden is almost complete. The front garden is a triumph, the back garden is surviving the trials and tribulations of 4 dogs. Of course a house like ours it is like the Forth Road Bridge and work will never end - such is life. On the music side we saw the addition of Graham on drums in March. He joins us 2 nights per week and also acts as our relate councillor, an enviable task at times. We played at "El Dia de Turismo" (The Day of the Tourist) in the square in Los Gigantes and had the honour of being the first non- Canarian band to be booked by the local council. They televised the show and played an hour of us on Local TV - fame at last! They wanted us to play for New Year but unfortunately due to budget restraints had no cash. We released our 7th CD "21st Century Better" which contained all the latest hits from the last couple of years and featured my new acoustic guitar. We also have a new website being developed which we hope will go live before Christmas. Big thanks to Peter Blake now safely ensconced in South Africa for his sterling work over the years maintaining the old site. Enjoy your retirement. Work wise we are still gainfully employed working 5 nights one week and 6 the next. Times are worrying due to the economic climate and the ever devaluing pound. Many venues are struggling and acts are having to take pay cuts or are having work cancelled on a regular basis. Fortunately we are still playing to full houses but are aware that we are only as good as our last show. A big thanks to our loyal friends and fan base. On the family side we still have our 4 dogs and are now back up to 3 cats. When we came back from the UK in May we found that a black & white female kitten had moved in in our absence. She is still with us much to the annoyance of "Simba" and is called "Duffy". On the real family side my youngest grandchildren Callum

December Update Part 2

Date: 20/12/2008

On the real family side my youngest grandchildren Callum & Duncan have now started school. Grand daughter Megan is continuing to be a superstar at football, netball etc and tries to rule the boys. Jan 2009 will see us returning to the UK for a week to celebrate my daughter Joanne & her husband Peter's joint 40th birthday party. It will also be an excuse for a Kerr family get together where hopefully I will see my two sons - Hamish & Duncan and their respective partners and for us to visit the Davies family. Both events are long overdue. My Dad continues to struggle on with failing eyesight and failing hearing - the perils of old age. On Jill's side she unfortunately lost two uncles however her mother is well, sister's business thriving and nieces and nephews continue to do well both scholastically and in their chosen careers. Of course the big plus side for us is that we live our lives doing a job that we love on a beautiful island with almost continuous sunshine. We continue to meet really nice people who enjoy our music show their appreciation by coming back year after year. Thank you and have a wonderful Christmas and New Year. Best wishes, Bob & Jill

November 2008 News Update

Date: 01/11/2008

The weather here in Tenerife has been absolutely brilliant all year (6 hours of rain to date) but of course we will suffer the loss of tourists due to the increase in air fares and the collapse of travel companies. We just hope that it has not affected any of you directly. (sorry Mel & Bet) Our furry friends are all well and the dogs have just gone off on holiday for 10 days to the luxury kennels in Arona as we are about to have a few well earned nights off before doing 10 shows in a row with no nights off. We have been booked by the tourist board to do a special show in the square in Los Gigantes on Sat 27th September from 10.00 pm until midnight. This is the first time that they have ever booked a non Spanish act for a Fiesta and we are feeling rather chuffed. On the personnel front we have added a drummer (Graham) to the line up on a Thursday and Friday and he will also play when we perform in the square. It is great to have him on board and just wish that we could earn enough to have him play more often, but such is life. One day we will get back to being a fully live band. Jill is threatening to learn to play guitar and has been practicing (finger tips allowing) so that we can do some more acoustic numbers without backing tracks. As always we are looking for ways to make the shows more varied and hopefully more interesting. This last 6 months has seen a major reinvestment in equipment with new guitars, amps, bass bins, microphones, effects units etc. and a new vehicle to transport it. This has meant that poor Bob hasn't been able to afford any new T-shirts or bandanas which of course has been a major source of friction. Joking aside we hope that we are now sounding better than ever and more importantly better than our competition. Check us out on You Tube - olddogsnewtricks (all one word). We hope that you are all well and we are looking forward to our "swallows" arriving for the winter when we hope to see more old friends. Stay healthy and live life to the full. You only get one chance at it. See you soon.

El Dia de Turismo (The Day of the Tourist) Los Gigantes

Date: 27/09/2008

Saturday 27th September 2008 saw OlddogsNewtricks take Los Gigantes by storm when they headlined the festival "El Dia de Turismo" in the square. We were the first ever UK band to be booked by The Ayumiento de Santiago del Teide (the local council) and the evening turned out to be one of the best ever held in the square with around 400 people dancing the night away. The evening opened with 2 Canarian folk bands singing and dancing in traditional Canarian fashion followed by Bob, Jill & Graham - who is Graham? Graham is the "Olddogs" drummer and has been performing with us for the last few months and he is a fantastic addition to the line up. Our sound was fantastic thanks to the council sound engineer - yes the council have their own sound system and employ a sound engineer and several roadies. We had visitors from all over Europe and we were showered with praise after the gig and are still on a high and enjoying the moment. We would like to thank everyone involved and all the people who came and danced and sang along with us. It was a wonderful success and if you wish to pass on your comments please send them to santiagodelteide@yahoo.es as well as to our Guest Page. Big Thanks, Bob, Jill & Graham