Latest news

SONG OF 2011 AWARD

Robb's song "When Tottenham Burned" has been won FATEA's "Song of 2011" award. In thanking them, Robb says, "I am pleased that this song has been honoured with the FATEA award. I would hope that the song presents a truer understanding of these events than you find in the mouths of politicians and the media. That is, after all, one of the main functions of folk song."

IN FAVOUR OF PRIVATISATION!

Here is the proof of the old sayiong that there's one exception to every rule, the rule in question here being "Privatisation is never ever a good idea". You can sign an e-petition here calling for Margaret Thatcher's eventual funeral to be privatised, in accordance with her firm political beliefs. Go on, sign it now!

THE WORKERS

The TUC has brought together a group of public sector staff as The Workers to re-record the classic song "Let’s Work Together" as a charity track that celebrates everything that is good about the public sector and raises money for today’s pensioners. The song will be launched on Monday 21st November, to chart on Sunday 27th November – the week of the TUC Day of Action.

The Workers are fourteen-strong and include a firefighter, probation officers, a teacher, civil servant, social worker, student support officer and health service staff including a nurse, midwives, a physiotherapist and a clinical engineer. And guess who is the teacher? Yes, it's Robb Johnson - who is really proud to be a part of this, and asks you to get everybody you can to buy this track.

The aim of the song is to get people talking about the importance of the public sector and its staff in a week when the government wants to focus on union bashing. The single will also raise money for charity. A major part of the sale price, equivalent to about 40p out of the 99p cost in most outlets, will be donated by the TUC to Age UK to show support for today’s pensioners.

"Let’s Work Together" will be available to download from 2pm on Sunday 20th November on iTunes, Amazon and other major online retail outlets. Further information about the band and how to buy the single is available at www.theworkers.org.uk.

The more singles that are bought, the higher the chart placing and the more attention the song will get. This is why we need your support!

PODCAST

The latest episode (8th November 2011) of the Labelled Independent podcast features the track "Second Division Life" from Robb's new CD "Once Upon a Time".

Subscribe/listen on iTunes: http://bit.ly/labelledindyitunes.

RETURN TO THE EVENING STAR

Praise for Robb Johnson’s recent solo acoustic album “Some Recent Protest Songs” (IRR080):

“impressive … thoughtful and personal stories of squandered hopes, and laments for a divided Britain” (The Guardian)

“a perfect record for the times” (R2)

“funny, moving and inspiring” (The Morning Star)

“Robb’s typically literate, quirkily individual songs genuinely entertain” (Properganda)

ROBB ON FACEBOOK

Yes, Robb has succumbed to the 21st Century and now has a Facebook Presence. Marvel at it at www.facebook.com/pages/Robb-Johnson-Official/200634450006087. You don't even have to be logged in to see it!

FORTHCOMING CD

Robb and The Irregulars' latest album entitled "Once Upon a Time" (not "Happily Ever After", which will be the second part, and should be out in the late spring of 2012) is due out on 7th November 2011. It will be available as both a CD and a digital download via Proper. A vinyl version will also be available. See details.

ROBB BLOG

Robb now has his own page on the "Waking the Muse" blog on the Properganda web site! See http://www.propergandaonline.com/blog/?p=25809.

"ANARCHY IN THE UK!" 

Ermmm... for a more considered presentation of anarchist ideas than you get from the Daily Mail and The Sun headlines, you may be interested in the following:

The latest issue of Anarchist Voices magazine (Spring/Summer 2011) is out and features an interview/conversation between Chris Butler and Robb Johnson. The issue (where on sale) costs a pound, though you can email the magazine via lloegrambyth@tiscali.co.uk to ask about the costs of post and packaging to purchase the magazine or to enquire about subscription rates.

More info, as well as back issues of the magazine, available as a pdf document from their website: www.anarchistvoices.wetpaint.com.

And you could also take a look at Chumba's Boff Whalley's article in The Independent, 12th August: "In Defence of Anarchy".

(Added 22nd August 2011)

HAPPILY EVER AFTER

The Irregulars is now a twin-guitar, bass and drums line-up, with the superb Tim Sanpher on guitar along with Robb. Bass and drums is the magnificently formidable Forrester and Waygood partnership. Our dear friend and comrade in racket Roger Watson remains our melodeon player, even though since suffering a stroke last June, he is no longer able to play. The band recently recorded 16 tracks for a forthcoming Irregulars album, probably likely to be titled "Happily Ever After" and released some time in the autumn. At the moment, we're not sure what format(s) we'll release the album in...

Without Roger, there is not even the fig-leaf of melodeon-flavoured fFolke Respectability, so we're not sure where or how we're going to promote it. One lunatic idea is to release the album on vinyl, just for the hell of it, and on download through Proper (Proper aren't too keen on handling vinyl). We'd welcome your views on this - email info@irregularrecords.co.uk.

We are starting to mix the album on July 3rd; already it sounds... very noisy and pretty awesome. If you can help us find some gigs in the autumn, that would be appreciated - again, email us at info@irregularrecords.co.uk. At the moment, we have a world tour that takes in Leighton Buzzard, Stockwell and Ghent...

(Added 23rd June 2011. Photos by Charlie Waygood)

OTHER CDs

Now available: "Now That's What I call Garage" by the SC4 (South Coast Four) - Robb's son Arvin Johnson on drums, Robb Johnson on bass, Graham Larkbey on guitar and vocals and Tim Sanpher on lead guitar. A thoroughly excellent collection of ten songs, the sort of stuff that powered pubrock into punk - a tenner plus postage. Unmissable - Chuck Berry meets Bob Dylan. "I Fought the Law" meets "Gloria" and "Peace Love & Understanding" - plus some Larkbey and Johnson numbers too. E-mail info@irregularrecords.co.uk for details.

(Added 28th April 2011)

Aficionados of righteous racket will also enjoy "No Future", the Released Emotions CD of classic punk Sex Pistols, Clash and Damned songs performed by the likes of The Price, Blaggers ITA, Attila, Steve Drewett, with Robb providing an acoustic guityar version of "Thanks for the Night". Contact info@irregularrecords.co.uk if you fancy one for a tenner.

(Added 26th June 2011)

MAGAZINE ARTICLE

That excellent on-line music magazine "Caught in the Act" on the "Stick It In Your Ear" web site includes another article about Robb in its March 2011 edition! You will find it at www.siiye.co.uk/E6/PAGE_096.html. Focussing on the Man Walks Into a Pub CD and tour, it includes some of the information also to be found on this web site, but adds a brand-new Tour Diary written by Robb as he went along, which starts at www.siiye.co.uk/E6/PAGE_102.html . Don't stop when you get to the end of that - there's more! An interview with Geoff Wall starts at www.siiye.co.uk/E6/PAGE_115.html. And there are even two or three introductory paragraphs at www.siiye.co.uk/E6/PAGE_006.html.

If that still leaves you panting for more, take a look at the article which they published in May 2010.

(Added 27th April 2011)

NEW VIDEOS ON YOUTUBE

"Everybody Loves" - a song for the Windsor Wedding. Filmed by David Rovics at Hove Folk Club on 1/4/2011.

"No Fly Zone". Recorded at Transmission Studios on 21/3/2011. See more of Robb's videos here.

NEW MP3s TO DOWNLOAD

New in March 2011 are "Goodnight Jerusalem" and "No Fly Zone".

(Added 2nd March 2011, updated 23rd March 2011)

"CLASSIC ROCK" INTERVIEW

An interview with Robb on the "Classic Rock" web site is available at http://www.hotdigits.co.uk/cgi-bin/diary11/journal?user=jason.

THE LIBERTY TREE

A recording of the acclaimed "Liberty Tree" song-and-spoken-word story of the life and times of Tom Paine, written by Leon Rosselson and performed by Robb and Leon. A superb two-CD set of radical thinking, topped off with Leon and Robb's songs and some of Tom Paine's favourite jokes. Released by PM Press, and available at gigs or through PM Press, PO Box 23912, Oakland, CA 94623 | 510-658-3906 | info@pmpress.org. Or buy "The Liberty Tree" from Amazon with free postage!

(Added 13th December 2010)

NEW ALBUM - MAN WALKS INTO A PUB

“‘Man Walks into a Pub’ - that's what I do, I walk into pubs, take out a wooden guitar and play people songs,” says Robb.

Robb has produced a new album, the first album consisting of all-new material since 2008's Love & Death & Politics. It will be officially released on 20th September 2010, but is available from Robb at gigs now. Read all about it - and listen to some free sample tracks!

This album sees Robb revisiting his folk club songwriting roots. The majority of the 14 tracks on the album were written for the monthly Hove Folk Club that he's been running since September 2008. Robb set out to write a new song for each folk club night, and rediscovered just how enjoyable playing an acoustic guitar is - that's why the album includes two instrumentals, as well as Johnson’s trademark capacity to write intelligently about issues as diverse as love, kids, the war in Afghanistan, the condition of Albion, saving the world, pubs and meeting foxes on the way back from them after closing time. There’s also a cover of a traditional song, collected from the singing of Michael Jones and Joe Strummer, “Stay Free”.

“The organic feel of this album is reflected in the photos used for the cover; they were taken in The Poet’s Corner pub where the folk club’s held, by Agata who also works there as a barmaid,” says Robb. The album packaging contains a 16-page booklet of poems written by Robb over the last two years, frequently in pubs but also sometimes on the bus on the way to work using local paper headlines for initial inspiration.

“It seemed a bit pointless having the lyrics with the album, ’cos hopefully you can hear them on the CD, but it's always good to have something extra to look at when you first open an album - hence the booklet of poems, many of which relate directly or indirectly to the songs on the album,” explains Robb. However, for those of you who find Robb’s diction a bit suspect, lyrics and notes to songs will be appearing on this website over the summer.

Robb is promoting this new album by walking into pubs, taking out a wooden guitar and playing people songs, nationwide, in Autumn 2010 and Spring 2011. The official launch gig was on Friday 17th September.

In addition, there is now a video of the song Man Walks into a Pub, to accompany the relaese of the album, which you can watch on YouTube.

Buy "Man Walks Into a Pub" from Amazon with free postage!

(Added 21st July 2010, last updated 21st September)

MAGAZINE ARTICLE

The excellent on-line music magazine "Caught in the Act" on the "Stick It In Your Ear" web site includes in its May 2010 edition a long and detailed article about Robb, which you can read at www.siiye.co.uk/E4/PAGE_099.html. (It's nearly fifty pages long! - so don't overlook the "next page" blue triangle at the bottom left corner of each page.) There are also a couple of introductory paragraphs at www.siiye.co.uk/E4/PAGE_004.html.

LIMITED EDITION CD

A limited edition CD (only 50 copies) called "Win Lose or Draw (Unbeaten)" went on sale at Glastonwick on Sunday, 6th June 2010. The tracks are:

Win, Lose or Draw - electric
Win Lose or Draw - acoustic with Duke of Wellington Community Choir
Spirit of the People - with Arvin Johnson
Bullingdon Circus - Robb solo
Goodnight Noddy - Robb solo

(Added 2nd June 2010)

ALISTAIR HULETT R.I.P.

Robb's song "Patterns", for Alistair Hulett, is here; and he has written an appreciation of Alistair's life for R2 Magazine, which you can also read here.

(Added 8th February 2010)

T-SHIRTS: Margaret Thatcher, my part in her downfall

Now available: striking new T-shirts. The design below is printed on white T-shirts, which are available in sizes XXL, XL, M and S, at a cost of £10 + £2 p&p. Order yours by e-mailing info@irregularrecords.co.uk, or save on the p&p by buying yours at one of Robb's gigs.

(Added 6th July 2009, updated 5th August 2009)

PHOTOS

These photos were taken at Trowbridge on 25th July 2009 (for which many thanks to photographer Claire Pullinger). Click on any of them to see a much larger version. There are more of Claire's photos of the occasion at http://gallery.me.com/cpullinger#100401.

Also, follow this link for some band photos taken in May 2008.

The current membership of The Irregulars is (in addition to Robb himself, of course):

Naomy Browton, cello
John Forrester, bass and b/vox
Roger Watson, melodeon and harmonica (though missing in Germany when these photos were taken)
Charlie Waygood, drums

Publicity photographs:
Robb Johnson & The Irregulars
Most of The Irregulars
Saskia & Roger
Robb & Paul
Robb & John

These publicity shots are large images which open in a new window. Photo credits: Guy Smallman.