The end of an era…

The end of an era...but let us not forget. In 2012 The Blu Funk Allstars began their journey into all things funk. Sharing ideas and collaborating, as friends and musical peers, advocates for each other, a solid crew. The band was formed of a ‘dirty’ back line (Alex Wanikowski - Guitar, AJ Hill-Shaw - Bass, Nick Watson - Drums), four piece brass section (Josh Westrip - trumpet, Roxy Cox - Tenor Sax, Kirstie Floyd-Walker - Trumpet…not forgetting…Felix Martin - Trumpet, Isaac Winyard - Trombone, Mark Rottenbury - Trumpet, Jack Edwards - Alto Sax, Liz Wayne - Alto Sax) and me, holding the fort at the front of what turned out to be one of the best bands I’ve ever played with. I don’t know what it was about this group of musicians, the connection? The style of music? The attitude towards ‘letting go’? There was something very special about it and it rang out from the front of house speakers, engaging our audiences, dispersing inhibitions on the dance floor and sounding altogether tight as f@^k. After 11 years together, we have decided that it's time to move on, to take what we’ve learnt from our time with The Blu Funk Allstars and let it guide us on our own musical adventures. It was time well spent I’d say and am I’m going to miss it a lot. Hopefully, we’ll forget we’ve booked a gig next year and have to get back together for it! For now it’s the ringing in my ears, the kick drum in my gut, the vocal and performance stamina I’ve gained, that gives me purpose to move forward. It's been an absolute pleasure. I don’t want it to end.