Lewis Hall

Hello ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the Metcalfe Show. On the show today, talking about the tracks of his career, I've got Louis Swann, and he'll be coming along just as soon as we've had It's Now or Never. It's now or never, come hold me tight, kiss me my darling, be mine tonight. Tomorrow will be too late, it's now or never, my love won't wait. When I first saw you, with your smile so tender, my heart was captured, my soul surrendered. I spent a lifetime, waiting for the right time, now that you're near, the time is here at last. It's now or never, come hold me tight, kiss me my darling, be mine tonight. Tomorrow will be too late, it's now or never, my love won't wait. Just like a willow, we would cry an ocean, if we lost true love and sweet devotion. Your lips excite me, let your arms incite me, for who knows when we'll meet again this way. It's now or never, come hold me tight, kiss me my darling, be mine tonight. Tomorrow will be too late, it's now or never, my love won't wait. It's now or never, my love won't wait. It's now or never, come hold me tight, kiss me my darling, be mine tonight. It's now or never, come hold me tight, kiss me my darling, be mine tonight. It's now or never, come hold me tight, kiss me my darling, be mine tonight. It's now or never, come hold me tight, kiss me my darling, be mine tonight. It's now or never, come hold me tight, kiss me my darling, be mine tonight. It's now or never, come hold me tight, kiss me my darling, be mine tonight. It's now or never, come hold me tight, kiss me my darling, be mine tonight. It's now or never, come hold me tight, kiss me my darling, be mine tonight. It's now or never, come hold me tight, kiss me my darling, be mine tonight. It's now or never, come hold me tight, kiss me my darling, be mine tonight. It's now or never, come hold me tight, kiss me my darling, be mine tonight. It's now or never, come hold me tight, kiss me my darling, be mine tonight. It's now or never, come hold me tight, kiss me my darling, be mine tonight. I've spent a lot of money and I've spent a lot of time. The trip we made to Hollywood is etched upon my mind. After all the things we've done and seen, the findings are not met. The things you think are useless, I can't understand. Are you reeling in the ease? Showing away the time? Are you gathering up the tears? Have you had enough of mine? Are you reeling in the ease? Showing away the time? Are you gathering up the tears? Have you had enough of mine? Here we go then, reeling in the ease. I wrote that record loads of times myself. I always liked it, it's always a rocky climb. It gets you going in the morning, doesn't it? Yeah, it's very upbeat, isn't it? Going back to you playing the guitar, you were saying, while the record was playing, you taught yourself, but you had an uncle. Yeah, and you said everybody's got an uncle. Yeah, everybody's got an uncle. Everybody's got an uncle that introduces you to something. Yeah, no, he had a guitar, he always had guitars around the house and that, so when we went, I would have only been a teenager at the time, he'd pick it up and play a bit, and I thought, oh, that's cool, you know, and something obviously clicked, and then they took me to buy my first guitar when I was 16, in Leeds, of all places, Northern Music, I think it was called, in the centre of Leeds, yeah. I think they were mainly selling second-hand guitars as well as a few new guitars. So yeah, that got me going there. So that got you playing the guitar, so when did you actually start to sit down and write your own music? I think I was writing before that. I think how it started, I just had ideas or had melodies in my head and I had to write it down, but I didn't have anything, a musical instrument to compose it with, so it was a lot of tapping and things. So apart from the guitar, do you play any other instrument? I play the bass guitar. Yeah. It is different, actually. Yeah. Played properly. Yeah. Yeah, because of the old jokes, isn't it? People who play the bass guitar can't play it. Yeah. I've heard that one myself, yeah, going around, going around. So you were saying that you actually enter some of the songs you've written into competitions. Yeah, you've got international competitions, you've got the International Songwriters Competition, which I've entered a few times. Last year I entered it, I can't remember which song it was, but I entered a song into the John Lennon Music Competition. John Lennon does a, well, obviously not him, but the John Lennon Foundation or whatever, do a songwriting competition as well. And then you can enter, they have sub-genres within that, so you've got jazz, country, folk, etc., etc. Have you ever won? No. Do they give you recognition or anything like that? Yeah, but the ones that I've entered, I think you're talking 10,000, 20,000, possibly 100,000 entries. Really? Which is a lot of, I think they're quite big. I think I need to find a more niche one where my probability might be slightly higher. Because we got the two songs of your own that we're going to play a little bit later, you've written those yourself, yeah? Yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah, I mean, I've heard them and they are really good, but I say we'll play those a little bit later. So we're getting back to the records that you've chosen. The next one is Rock and Roll Suicide, David Bowie. As I said, we've had a lot of guests come on here, and a lot of them have chosen, it's really popular with musicians. Yeah, yeah. And you're no different. Yeah, it's weird, isn't it? Yeah. Everybody, and even celebrities, when you ever watch interviews and things, a lot of celebrities, even if they're not particularly musical, will always sometimes mention David Bowie and artists, and it seems to be always there or thereabouts, I think. Yeah. His popularity never seems to diminish. But yeah, this track, I just love it. I just love that acoustic guitar sound. I used to play it, but then it goes into this whole other thing once the acoustic guitar is out of the way, and then we've got the orchestra and everything coming in, and it's not repeating itself. It just goes somewhere completely different and then ends. I've not heard it for a long time, actually. I picked it, but in fact, I've not heard it for years. This will be the first time I've heard it. As you said, you play these in your own set. I don't play this one. I've never learned it beyond the acoustic guitar. I mean, I could do, but yeah, he gets quite extravagant once all the other instruments come in. Yeah, I guess I could probably play the first two minutes of it, yeah. I tell you what, let's have a listen to it then. Rock and Roll Suicide by David Bowie. Rock and Roll Suicide by David Bowie Time takes a cigarette Puts it in your mouth Pull on your finger Then another finger Then your cigarette Well, the wall-to-wall is calling It lingers, but still you forget You're a rock and roll suicide You're too young to lose it But you're too old to lose it And the clock waits so patiently on your song Well, you walk past the cafe But you can't eat when you've lived too long Oh, oh, oh, oh You're a rock and roll suicide Now the ship breaks a smiling As you stumble across the room But the day breaks instead So you hurry home Don't let the sunlight dash your shadow Don't let the milk float behind your mind There's some natural, religiously unkind Oh, no, love, you're not alone You're watching yourself, but you're too unfair You've got your head all tangled up Pretty far can only make you care Oh, no, love, you're not alone No matter what or who you see No matter when or where you see All the miles seen, the laughs, the rain I've had my share Now I'll help you with the pain You're not alone Just turn on with me And you're not alone Just turn on with me And you're not alone Give me your hand Cause you're wonderful I said Give me your hand Cause you're wonderful Give me your hand Cause you're wonderful And you Give me your hand Cause you're wonderful Give me your hand Give me your hand Oh, you're wonderful Oh, you're wonderful Give me your hand Cause you're wonderful And you're wonderful Hey Oh, you're wonderful Oh, you're wonderful Yeah What was your favourite band? Well, it's always good being in an original band where you get a good reaction from the audience and they appreciate what you do I was in a band years ago called The Notion and that was in York and we even got asked to play at somebody's wedding because they liked our compositions that much Yeah So, you know, that's... Because were you doing most of your own stuff then? Yeah, you'd always... And all original bands will throw a few covers in, don't they? Yeah You'll throw a couple of covers in Even the Beatles when they started they'd throw covers in, wouldn't they? Elvis would face his career around covers Yeah, well, exactly So, it's all... They've always been there or thereabouts But, yeah, you work on... It's the creativity It just allows you that extra bit of creativity when you've got your own material So... And then I enjoy... I love doing the stuff over here now It's a different lifestyle I'm a bit older Yeah It's a bit more relaxed It was all a bit manic when we were younger in bands and, you know... So, I mean, at the moment you're in the band Blackjack 5 That's right, yeah And you were saying it had a different name when it originally started? Yeah It's a continuation of another band that was called The Fake Raccoons So, I was trying to work out how long that's been going But I suppose it's been probably going for 10 years, really And then it became Blackjack 5 after about 3 years Yeah Because I remember when I was the president of the Vitamins in Lushan I booked you for two events I booked you for the market And you came as Lewis and the Magic Egg which is going to be back in... Oh, right ...around Covid time Yeah, it must have been before Covid, yeah Yeah Because... The strange name I've got to ask You came up with Lewis and the Magic Egg Well, at the time it was a collaboration with a local drummer called Mark Pieri And he decided on that because he was joking that his head looks like an egg He obviously doesn't have much hair on his head No So, it was his brainchild So, how many of you... Because you're obviously in Blackjack 5 How many of you are in the band? Just three Three of you What's that? Drummer, bass... Drummer, bass, and then I'm guitar singer Yeah, yeah That's great, that is So, going back to your music You've got... The next one is completely different to what you've had so far It's Don't Look Back in Anger from Oasis Right, yeah Well, I thought that it would only be right to pick something from the 1990s and focus more on when I... Those were the years when I was growing up coming of age, I suppose you would say and there was the revival of Britpop and indie music and that's what influenced me and what I was doing at that time So, I was trying to rack my brains and think of a song from that era Yeah, it's just... There's a lot of memories It was a big hit at the time and it was always there or thereabouts even featured on TV programs And I think when Noel Gallagher goes and plays it now and performs he doesn't even sing it because the audience basically just sing it back to him So, it's just become its own... Like an anthem It's the power of music, isn't it? And some songs just become so big you know, almost bigger than the artist himself And I think it's a good example of that, really And Oasis were just becoming and you'll remember yourself at the time, they were just becoming bigger and bigger They did I mean, they still are, to be fair But, I mean, yeah I remember when they first started appearing on radio and then they had their concerts and everything It was just wild time, it really was So, I'll tell you what Let's have a listen to it, then So, don't look back in anger from Oasis You say that you've never been But all the things that you've seen Slowly fade away So I start a revolution from my grave Cause you said the grave that was your mind Step outside in summertime And stand up beside the fireplace Take that look from out your face You ain't ever gonna burn my heart out And so Sally can wait She knows it's too late As we're walking on by And so it slides away But don't look back in anger I heard you say Take me to the place where you go Where nobody knows It's a sad old day Please don't put your life in the hands Of a rock and roll band We'll throw it all away I'm gonna start a revolution from my grave Cause you said the grave that was your mind Step outside in summertime And stand up beside the fireplace Take that look from out your face You ain't ever gonna burn my heart out And so Sally can wait She knows it's too late As we're walking on by And so it slides away But don't look back in anger I heard you say And so Sally can wait She knows it's too late As we're walking on by And so it slides away But don't look back in anger I heard you say Take me to the place where you go But don't look back in anger I heard you say And so Sally can wait She knows it's too late As we're walking on by And so it slides away But don't look back in anger Don't look back in anger I heard you say Also available on Facebook It takes place every Sunday morning between 9.30am Or from 9.30am, sorry Check their Facebook page and their website for more information And that's at the stud at Lucia at 86430 And they're also moving to Expanding to Avail Limousin very soon So check their website for more information on that Then in Le Jour Dan We've got spinning classes And that's for all levels of fitness It's a group class on static bikes Cycling to music against resistance Takes place every Saturday between 10 and 11 And also 11.15 to 12.15 And if you can't make it on a Saturday They also have sessions on a Wednesday From 18.30 to 19.30 It's a great way to keep fit Lose weight and meet more people In a fun environment For information on that contact Andrea And to book a class Her email address is Lecoldespin at gmail.com And you can listen to the interview with Andrea Also on Spotify And then we have an information update for Jay Brett She has a new book And it's called Everything you want to know about a transgender woman But are afraid to ask It's now available in French So in French it's Tout ce que vous voulez savoir sur les femmes transgenres Que vous n'osez pas demander So for information on that contact Jay Brett on Facebook To find out how you can get a copy Or contact Mick on Mick-l at orange.fr For details of how to get a copy And also you can hear Jay's interview on Spotify Then we're moving to the Footbridge Tavern At Mortimer 86300 So on Saturday May 25th at 7.30pm Mick will be hosting a party to end all parties And sadly this is the last event that Julia and Stuart will organise It's going to be a great evening with lots of dancing, fun, games And of course Mick Hal performing his tribute to Elvis Presley It's going to be a buffet meal for 15 euros a head So you have to make a reservation please if you'd like to attend that It does get fully booked quickly So contact the Footbridge Tavern on 0972636685 To book your place there So don't delay, book today Oh I like the link So let's go back to Lewis So Lewis that was a great record The Oasis, Don't Look Back in Anger The question I'm going to ask is Do you tour any other country? Do you go back to the UK touring or I picked up a little bit of Some concerts in Spain funnily enough So I've been to Spain three times now Just to do little concerts at various seaside resorts Oh wow Yeah so and then I tie them together It becomes a holiday though really Tie it together as a holiday which pays for part of the holiday We're getting a holiday out of it Yeah Look at the accommodation Well we went in the van I think last The first time I went in the van on my own Then I went with my girlfriend the following year And then we flew the last time And somebody was kind enough to lend me A full PA system and his guitar to do some concerts And I did a beer festival In a place called Almerimar A two day beer festival, that was fun There would have been a few thousand people there It's a harbour town with big yachts Quite a big event then Yeah so that's on the south coast of Spain So is that one of the biggest events you've done Or have you done quite a few bigger events? I've done various festivals And I mean some of the night markets We've done in the past Have probably played in front of more people Because you've got a constant flow haven't you But yeah I mean really The outdoor things I've played in front of more people than indoors I suppose I've only played in front of a few hundred inside Never done any huge Never done any stadiums No one's ever asked me But you're always open to offers Absolutely yeah Still waiting for Michael Eavis to contact me So when would your next gig be? The next gigs are We've got Friday the 12th of April And that's at the Bistro du Douve Which is situated in Vertoy And then the following night on Saturday the 13th of April Is Grange de Lac And that's with a band And that is in a place called Saint-Mathieu Which is in department 87 Just south of Saint-Junien On the 19th of April There's a new venue called The Abbey Bar at Champnay Oh yes At 86 The band are playing there That's a Friday night as well the 19th And then the following night I have a solo concert at a place called Saint-Mathieu Which is over towards the other side of La Dora Right Which is department 36 is it? Could be yeah Because it's 36 I'm not sure I'm not sure but They're the next four gigs anyway You get out Spread about April's looking good There's some more in April but Because I see a lot of your posts on Facebook and everything And you're always out and about So if somebody wanted to book you How could they do that? Well I've got a page I have a page on Facebook I used to have a website It just wasn't being used It's really Facebook That is the media that people are tending to Just Lewis Hall on Facebook yeah? Lewis Hall Music Lewis Hall Music on Facebook ladies and gentlemen Don't forget of course If you can't get hold of Lewis Hall You've forgotten what I just said Then you can always drop me a line at mickell.orange.fr That's m-i-c-k-dash-e-l At orange.fr So coming to your last piece of music that you've chosen Because I've got a couple of tracks of your own music I want to get to Yeah that's right The first one is New York State of Mind Billy Joel Yeah Which I even questioned myself then But I think it's more to do with I've been to America twice I've been to the States twice I've been to New York twice And I do love America I know it gets a bad press But it gets a good press as well I guess And I love New York And I just love the idea of the song I can just imagine him sat there In a jazz cafe that's closing down With a cigarette burning away on top of the piano And the waiting staff wiping down the bar And I just like the sentiment of it Because he's a New Yorker anyway He's Billy Joel And he's kind of implying that He doesn't really want to go far He could go anywhere But he's in a New York state of mind So I like the sentiment and I like the song Right Okay so let's have a listen to it then New York State of Mind Billy Joel New York State of Mind New York State of Mind New York State of Mind New York State of Mind New York State of Mind New York State of Mind Some folks like to get away Take a holiday from the neighborhood Hop a flight to Miami Beach or to Hollywood Without taking a break On the Hudson River Line I'm in a New York State of Mind New York State of Mind I've seen all the movie stars In their fancy cars and their limousines Sit high in the Rockies under the Everglades I know what I'm needing But I don't want to waste more time I'm in a New York State of Mind It was so easy living day by day Out of touch with the rhythm and blues But now I need a little give and take The New York Times, the Daily News It comes down to reality And it's fine with me Cause I've let it slide Don't care if it's Chinatown Or on the Riverside I don't have any reason To have left them all behind Left them all behind I'm in a New York State of Mind I'm in a New York State of Mind It was so easy living day by day Out of touch with the rhythm and blues But now I need a little give and take The New York Times, the Daily News Oh, oh, oh It comes down to reality And it's fine with me Cause I've let it slide Don't care if it's Chinatown Or on the Riverside I don't have any reason To have left them all behind I'm in a New York State of Mind I'm just taking a train Out on the Hudson River Line I'm in a New York State of Mind I'm in a New York State of Mind I'm in a New York State of Mind I'm in a New York State of Mind I'm in a New York State of Mind I'm in a New York State of Mind I'm in a New York State of Mind I'm in a New York State of Mind I'm in a New York State of Mind Yesterday all my troubles were done And tomorrow I know I can move along And I know it sounds so strange My demons locked in a cage And I'll never let them out until I've done And I know it sounds so strange My demons locked in a cage And I'll never let them out until I've done Used to pray he'd talk to me before Used to sit outside my bedroom door And I know I'm running late And I know that I'm on my way Yesterday all my troubles were done And tomorrow I know I can move along Seasons come and go And it's hard to get my head It's hard to see what's going on It's too hard to share Used to pray he'd talk to me before Used to sit outside my bedroom door And I know I'm running late But time just slips away And the reason is that I'm on my way I'm on my way Used to pray he'd talk to me before He used to sit outside my bedroom door And I know I'm running late But time just slips away And the reason is that I'm on my way I'm on my way I'm on my way I'm on my way I'm on my way I'm on my way I'm on my way I'm on my way I'm on my way I'm on my way I'm on my way I'm on my way I'm on my way I'm on my way I'm on my way I'm on my way I'm on my way I'm on my way I'm on my way I'm on my way I'm on my way I'm on my way I'm on my way I'm on my way I'm on my way I'm on my way I'm on my way I'm on my way I'm on my way I'm on my way I'm on my way I'm on my way I'm on my way I'm on my way I'm on my way I'm on my way I'm on my way I'm on my way I'm on my way I'm on my way I'm on my way I'm on my way I'm on my way I'm on my way I'm on my way It's like a military opera But the characters are proper They don't put on a show But the plot is unknown There's a man with a family song Don't you know? And back in the city Trouble's a-kissin' They were movin' in line With the bad and the kind Ooh, you gotta take me downtown Ooh, you gotta take me downtown Won't you take me? Won't you take me? Won't you take me? Won't you take me? Take me downtown Take me downtown Take me downtown She's just content in the way When the drink is flowing When the man grows kind And the world feels fine There's a man with a plan But it's all soft, don't you know? And back in the city Trouble's a-kissin' They were movin' in line With the bad and the kind Ooh, you gotta take me downtown Ooh, you gotta take me downtown Ooh, you gotta take me downtown Ooh, you gotta take me downtown Ooh, you gotta take me Won't you take me? Won't you take me? Won't you take me? Won't you take me? Won't you take me? Won't you take me? Won't you take me? Won't you take me? Won't you take me? Ooh, you gotta take me downtown Ooh, you gotta take me downtown Ooh, you gotta take me downtown Ooh, you gotta take me Won't you take me? Won't you take me? Won't you take me? BBC Radio York BBC Radio York BBC Radio York Country Club and Chameleon There's a lovin' in your eyes all the way If I listened to your lies, would you say I'm a man without conviction I'm a man who doesn't know How to settle a contradiction You come and go, you come and go Come on, come on, come on, come on, come on, chameleon You come and go, you come and go Love is easy cause you're like my dream Red, gold and green, red, gold and green Didn't hear your wicked words every day And you used to be so sweet, I heard you say That my love was an addiction When we sing, our love is strong When you go, you go forever You swing along, you swing along Come on, come on, come on, come on, come on, chameleon You come and go, you come and go Love will be easy cause you're like my dream Red, gold and green, red, gold and green Every day is like survival You're my lover, not my rival Every day is like survival You're my lover, not my rival I'm a man without conviction I'm a man who doesn't know How to fill a contradiction You come and go, you come and go Come on, come on, come on, come on, come on, chameleon You come and go, you come and go Love will be easy cause you're like my dream Red, gold and green, red, gold and green Come on, come on, come on, come on, come on, chameleon You come and go, you come and go Love will be easy cause you're like my dream Red, gold and green, red, gold and green Come on, come on, come on, come on, come on, chameleon You come and go, you come and go Love will be easy cause you're like my dream Until then, you all take care, speak to you soon, bye bye now Thanks for watching!