Dave Atkinson

I have been singing, playing and writing for over 40 years - and the music has always been a key part of my life and for me the songs capture life's moments in a way that no picture, memory or physical souvenir can do. I love the fellowship with others it brings and, I love song as an art form and delight in the many manifestations of the form I encounter along the way. There are of course enough songs out there already and no need for more from me, but, sometimes seemingly driven by a force outside me, the songs have kept coming. A survey of the songbook would find some favourite material originating from 1970-73 and a steady output continuing until 1990 by which time there were 320 songs. For the next 10 years there was virtually nothing and it appeared to be over, then late in 2001 my mischievous muse woke again and since then has supplied me with another 50 plus songs - but quantity was never a guarantee of quality, was it? - but there really are people who like some of them, and some of the older stuff has endured well.

I was briefly in a band called 'The Silver Dufflecoats' (!) but basically I am a solo performer.

I love playing live, usually it has been in the relative 'safety' of those who know me, where I can vary what I do to meet the tastes of the company and mix 'sing all ye' covers with some of my own material. I am try to get out more to open mic type things and then that I usually hear something from someone else to inspire and delight me - as well as the chance to try out some of my own songs. I love singing for friends who know me and the songs, and there was no greater joy than when grandchildren of my peers asked me to play material that I had written over 30 years ago.

Bob Dylan, Joni Mitchell, Leonard Cohen, Jackson Browne, Kris Kristofferson, Gram Parsons, Steve Knightley - also the Brill building 60's songsmiths and the 'Great American Songbook' have often been great sources of wonder and inspiration. I get inspiration from my fellow Chester songwriters, and local band the Deportees. And my Mum, the first person to tell me I had a song to sing. http://www.facebook.com/groups/403632133027839/

A 37 year old Yamaha acoustic guitar, plus harmonicas each made special by their history -

C: belonged to my father-in-law, Tom Weedall; G:25th wedding anniversary present from my wife, Jackie; D: given to me by Cliff Hall of the Spinners when I sang 'The Last House in Erskine Street' at Gregson's Well (just round the corner from Erskine Street) in Liverpool in 1972; D: engraved and given to me by my daughters Katie and Amy on my 60th birthday - this enabled me to give the Cliff Hall one an honourable retirment. 'C': A 'Bob Dylan' Signature Series' one given to me by my friends at Halton Disability Partnership when I retired in June 2015. And I have a few percussion things which I hit not very rhythmically.

I make recordings on a Tascam 8 track hard disk recorder.

I have recorded quite a few songs, now all collected on 10 separate CD's. I have also got sheet music (top line, chords and words) for around 50 of the songs. Just e-mail me on dave.atkinson27@googlemail.com if you are interested. Thank you!