Happy new year to each and every one of you who read our news page. .Moscow and the Kremlin was an extravaganza of a night with President Medvedev and Prime minister Putin in attendance along with the most senior government and business leaders of Russia. We were looked after extremely well as usual in Russia but it is always good to be home for the first day of 2012.

T

 Smokie would like to wish each and everyone of you beautiful folks who have supported us from  maybe just now,Since then, (whenever that may have been) and since way way back a truly wonderful Christmas and a fantastic 2012.

xxxxxxxxxxxx

T

 When we arrived home yesterday morning from Estonia we thought that our calender which was made up of 162 flights and 80 concerts was finished.We said our Greetings for Christmas and New year to one another and went our seperate ways for a 6 weeks break.WRONG !!!!!.We all recieved a phone call this morning from our manager John Wagstaff informing us that we have been invited to The Kremlin in Moscow to perform for President Medvedev and Prime Minister Putin to celebrate the New Year.Awesome!!! We performed for the then President Putin for the same celebration back in 2004. Happy Christmas and a fantastic new year to you all.We cant do it without you!! Terry

 Thanks to everyone who attended our gig at the Apollo in Tallin on Saturday evening.You were awesome! A pity we had to leave a few hours after the gig.I was back home in Yorkshire by 0930 on Sunday.See you soon I hope. T

 As always we had a ball in the Emerald Isle culminating with a fantastic gig at The Waterfront Hall Belfast where our great and talented friend Pat McManus joined us on the stage to play 4 songs.2 0n guitar and 2 with his magical fiddle playing.A great musician.Thanks Pat.

 A fantastic time in Moscow last night.This is a city whch really is changing all the time.From my hotel window I can see in the distance The Kremlin palace and St Basils cathedral to the right and new Moscow skyscrapers to the left. At night from floor 20 is a spectacle.Even the roadside trees are full of light for christmas.The stadium was full and We thank Moscow for a wonderful event and that includes the aftershow party with many Russian singers doing a couple of tunes each for us.Awesome!

 Thanks to the good people of Germany for our wonderful weekend.2 gigs and much fun. Fog caused delays and cancellations both to and from Berlin but didnt deter the bands enthusiasm.We were supposed to fly to Amsterdam and then on to Leeds yesterday but because of fog at both destinations we were diverted to Paris and then Birmingham where we had to complete the trip to our homes by train.17 hours from our start time we finally arrived. It was a good sleep last night.

T 

 We had a great comfortable stress free 4 day tour of Sweden this week.No long drives unlike the last weeks and to finish the gigs off at the top of a mountain ski resort was amazing.The public were fantastic all the way through our days there. I had a sauna in my bathroom on this last day but should have looked at the instructions.It wouldnt work in the afternoon when I required its services but I knew about it at 0300. I had messed with the timer by mistake and by that time I was cooking.Another lesson of life for my sins.

Germany Friday

T

 Home for a few days after a great but tiring tour of Moldova and Ukraine.8 hr drives every day as there were no available airports in our vicinity and all followed by the gig. I think it was the most time consuming 9 day tour ever but the gigs were as great as ever.Great folks met along the way but now happy to be at home to rest for a few days before we head off to Sweden on Tuesday.

Thank You Moldova and Ukraine

T

 Every night has been a wonderful experience.Long travel days but worth the journey's. Tonight in Kiev was amazing.Not only the gig but the hospitality shown to us. The most amazing Georgian dancers entertained and i have to say that the Irish show Riverdance captivated everyone but these folks were more energetic and absolutely priceless. Check you tube for Georgian dancing and you will understand where I am coming from.

T

 RIP Jimmy.Didnt know you well but proud to say we spoke many times.

Sir Jimmy Saville. A true Yorkshire man..xxxx

T

 We have now been re-routed so its Leeds-Amsterdam-Vienna-Kiev.Overnight in Kiev and then flight to Odessa.So we sit in the lounge at Leeds and wait.Not a big problem as we will make it to the gig tomorrow.Now I feel like Martin.

T

 Following Martins flight problems at the weekend the same problem falls on Mike and Myself.Aircraft couldnt leave Amsterdam to Leeds because of technical problems and so we are now waiting to find out our re-routing to get to the Ukraine today. Not bad really to have one cancelation out of 134 flights from Leeds so far this year.

T

 Bergen is a beautiful city even in the rain. Very vibrant full of history.We always enjoy places by the water but this place has a special feeling to it.A very enthusiastic crowd greeted us and although it was a very late show we managed 2 hours sleep before heading home for 36 hours in our own envoirement.

Ukraine tomorrow morning!

T

 Fog in Frankfurt made delays for the band at the weekend but we made it on time for the gig in wiesbaden, that is except for Martin.He had a technical problem with his aircraft and was re-routed via London-Munich-Frankfurt and made the show by 5 minutes.His luggage was nowhere to be seen and so he had to perform in a heavy track suit which he had traveled in. Ear monitors in and direct to the stage.A true pro.

T

 It was like being at home once again in Randers,home of Puk studio where we have recorded so many times. The public was as enthuseastic as usual and a great night was had by all.Unfortunately we had to be away from the Hotel at 0500 and so didnt get the chance to wonder into the town.Next time!

T

 Great to be on stage once more in our own country. I had a great time getting to the shows by train and discovering the beautiful English countryside as my transport sped through the towns and villages.We dont gig the Uk enough but when we do it is very special to us all.

Thanks homeland.

T

 Cluj Romania was the city and the opening of the new football stadium along with German band Scorpians.They played first night and Smokie the second.A bevvy of 6 feet + tall models met us backstage and I suddenly felt like Bernie Ecclestone of formula 1. The after show party was fantastic and took place in a club where we filmed a video for "The night stood still" back in 98'. Thank you Romania.

T

 Tonight we recieved a request from Chechnya requesting a gig on wednesday night (2 days from now) performing for the President of the country and also Vladimir Putin who would be in attendance. Guess what? The company couldnt organise our visas in time. It just shows that Government sometimes cant pull strings for its own purposes. Now I can play golf on wednesday.

Next stop Denmark and Romania

 What a fantastic weekend to be in Copenhagen. 25 deg and a hotel room with south facing verandah. October sunshine made my day. It was almost like the start of summer with the restaraunts and bars heaving with the public that didnt get the real time vacation period. Thanks Ringsted for a great night.

T

 We started back on the road last weekend in Vienna City hall for a corporate event which turned out to be an extravaganza of great magnitude.National day with all traditional costume.4000 folks smiling and making our night work also.Thanks to to all involved.

T

 Well the vacation is over and we head back to the airport on Thursday on our way to Denmark for a Friday night gig. We eased our way in last weekend in Vienna for a very short private show in front of 4000 folks in the City hall. It still works and set the rest of the year up.Look forward to seeing you all at some point.x

T

 What a fine way to head into our summer vacation.Skien Norway.A beautiful place to look at and a beautiful crowd to play to.Thank You Skien.Today we go our seperate ways for one month and this marks our 108th flight in 2011.Many more to go in the coming months and look forward to each of them.They take us to you, our wonderful fans. See you after we have taken our sunshine wherever it may be.

Next stop Denmark

T

 We were asked if we would play a few tunes ln the night club of our hotel here in Boras.Well guess what we did just that .35 minutes of fun because we could and wanted to.Once again Boras Tak

 We have just left the stage in Boras near Gothenburg Sweden and the warmth that we felt from the 20000 folks here was fantastic.Everyone of them sang every song with us and we in return helped them out with our voices.A fantastic gig in a beautiful  and very pretty city plus it didnt rain.Only the second non rain gig this summer.Thank you Boras. Tomorrow we fly to Norway for our last gig before a well earned 4 week break. See you somewhere at the other side of vacation land.

T

 How diverse our gigs are.From Lithuania with our friends the 40 strong Vilnius Symphony orchestra in a new 7000 capacity arena to Judenburg Austria with a reception for us in the city clock tower which included a fantastic yodelling duo named Stollies then followed by Pink Floyd in the rooftop of the tower which is a Planetarium and then quickly followed by a lecture about the stars which were displayed on the the roof.The gig itself was in the law court grounds with around 20 prisoners listening at their windows along with the thousands of folks who turned up..Quite amazing! 2 days at home and now arrived in Denmark.

Vacation coming our way

T

 Sweden and Norway last weekend. A great time in Sweden although the wettest and most vicious storms that we have ever worked in on any festival in our career.Thanks very much Sweden! Friday took us to Oslo where in a matter of 2 hrs of us landing at the airport, Oslo became world famous not for Nobel peace but for a serial killer from his native country. Our hearts go out to the victims,families and friends who will feel the effects of this dastardly crime for the rest of their lives.Our love to all the peaceful people of Norway. We saw your solidarity in grief. A country pulling together in such a time of sadness. I looked at the Tv news today and the killers lawyer will plead insanity on his behalf. How can this be so, He organised this crime precisely and an insane person would not be so orchestrated in his venture.

God bless. x

T

I was invited recently to send an entry to KLM's "Tile and Inspire" competition. The winning tiles are then copied on to the side of one of KLM's fleet of aircraft and flown around the world for all to see. My tile was accepted and included in the artwork on this highly decorated airplane. Now I shall be looking out at Schipol Airport to see if the plane is in view. If you wish to take a look just follow the link below:

 http://www.tileyourself.com/?h=371785a2-e207-4993-a6ff-844176cc1a0b&l=uk&utm_source=makingoff&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=tileyourself

Best wishes to all

Martin

For more details see: www.lochnesscomposer.com

 Well we managed to do it again! 3 gigs in 36 hrs with 90 mins sleep in between Vienna and 1st Danish show. 2x 6 am flights with late nights but with the luxury of having 4 hours sleep after the second Danish show before returning home.Guess what? It was so worth it! When you are performing in front of such a great public you are no longer tired. Its the shot of adrenalin that makes the day.Thank you very much Denmark.xxx Thanks to MN music for my little birthday party after the Karup show.Balloons and all.See you very soon.

x. T

 How beautiful Austria is! We had our show in a fantastic castle surrounded by mountains and the greenest of fields.What a setting for a gig. Even as I opened the curtains in my hotel suite my heart melted at this incredible sight which is Austria. A few promotional things during the day included archery in the castle and being serenaded on a town stage by the Mayor ,The finance leader plus other important folks.Classic! Alice will never be the same again. Thanks Austria!

Next up 2 shows on Saturday in Denmark

T

 A great night once again in Denmark.Fantastic to be on the same bill as our old friends Nazareth and Bonnie Tyler. Bonnie is such a down to earth lady and husband Robert a great guy. Magnificent crowd and party atmosphere all night. A few glasses of the red stuff went down well with the back stage bbq and gave everyone the chance to play catch up with each others touring plans. A very early start this morning and headed up here to Greenland to do the show that we missed because of the weather in February.Steve is having his second consecutive birthday here in the snow and ice.Im sure it wont affect his day though. We just ate together in the restaurant at the Arctic hotel and it seems so strange to look down on the igloos that can be rented and watch the icebergs pass the window while you eat. Gig in 2 hrs.

T

A new photo gallery has been added to the website.

Most of the initial photos have been supplied by Terry so he features rather prominently however more will be added as time goes on.

Try clicking on the photo to expand it and moving the mouse over it will scroll it as well. To see more photos click the category link which at the moment looks like this

 What a week of travel.We started out in Stockholm Sweden and boarded the rock'nroll ship The Baltic Queen.A quick soundcheck and headed to the restaurant for dinner followed by a relaxing early evening in our beautiful suites at the front of the ship.Fantastic views as we cruised past summer houses of all shapes and sizes. You would never think that you were on a vessel. Great gig and great crowd. We left  the boat at 1000 am in Tallin Estonia and headed direct to the airport for a flight to Bucharest Romania via Helsinki. The hotel was at the foot of a ski slope and there was a little snow around but not enough for a skier to fly through the front door. Gig day arrived but before anything else we had to make an appearance at the unveiling of a 640 kg cake with the mayor of St George. Nice! 30000 people showed up and a great night was had by all concerned. Arrived home monday and now here till Saturday morning when we fly to Germany to play Schalke football stadium.

x

T

 We have never forgotten the things that you are and have been going through. Our thoughts are with you every day.x

T

 We would like to thank everyone in South Africa for the great support shown to us on our tour.What can be better than to have sell out plus extra shows with an album chart entry also and all done in 10 days.We thank all of our sponsors and all at Lefra productions for the finest of times.Federal air for the private facility and the great South African crew.From stage to radio to television to  game reserve, vineyard and stroking Lions and swimming with Crocodiles. It was a packed event full with passion from everyone involved in the Smokie travelling family.God bless Meerandal wine.God bless you South Africa.

x

T

Next stop Ireland.

 Back home for a short break after Czech Republic and 3 days filming for German television in Lanzarote Canary islands.Very hot and burnt my head but an enjoyable time was had by all.Thanks  to everyone involved at ZDF.

South Africa Thursday

T

 With great sadness we have to announce the departure of 2 of our beautiful trusted tech guys.Vernon,(stage sound) who after around 25 years with us has decided that his time on the road has come to an end and will concentrate on his hire company based in leeds. Sean who has a university degree in sound technology will take his place leaving his back line tech station.Jason,(Front of house)who throughout the years with us after discovering him in South Africa has extended his contact knowledge and enhanced his business sightline.. We wish them each a great future and we will be with them always. x

T

 2nd night in and the vibe is fantastic. Last night was the Czech version of London's Marquee club followed tonight by the start of the Arena tour.Photos will appear soon. Great!Great! Great! I love my gig.

T

 Last week in Russia saw us teaming up with musicians from variious countries such as Afghanistan Pakistan and India in a night that was named 'East meets West'. It was a bringing together of multi cultural music backed by the Russian government.The deputy Prime Minister attended and what a night it was.Very cold outside but a fantastic warmth inside.I think that there is more to come with this event.

T

 Poland was great as usual but after December's concert in Warsaw where we were accompanied by a 40 piece orchestra we had to come up with something special so we teamed up with our friends Sweet and Slade for 4 gigs and although we have done this before in other countries it was the first time for our polish audience to stand and listen to none stop hit records all night long.Poland definately rocked.

T

 Finally recovered from our trip to Greenland.Another first for the social side of our work.Dog sledding! Our first gig which was in Illussat was cancelled due to bad weather at our destination and so we were marooned at the smallest but friendliest airport on the planet Kangerlussuaq. We finally flew of to our second show in Sisimiut 24 hours later and had another great feelgood time there. As the flights to and from Greenland are so few during the week we found ourselves passing the following day dog sledding through the snowy terrain. -17 deg and looking at 10 Husky's bottoms was not my idea of heaven but we all enjoyed the day anyhow. The dogs kept getting tangled with other sledding parties and on the third time of untangling the pack my driver didnt  quite manage to get back on the sled in time for the dogs rapid departure leaving me attempting the solo land speed record for a non Greenland inhabitant. Luckily two guys on a ski bike came to the rescue and halted the Husky's.

Thank You Greenland.See you soon.

T

 Thanks for the support once again. Any financial plus is a plus for the charity.great night for all concerned.Thank you.

T