Shop! 

There is now a new Shop feature on www.bernardbutler.com. In the spirit of clearing stuff out I wanted to make available stuff I have had at home for ages which some of you would like, all of course signed in whatever way you would like. There are a few items up now which are already selling out fast and once these are gone THEY'RE GONE! So take your chance to find a few originals. And please watch out as I start to make more music available. Stay safe x

Earth Day 2020 

Hi everyone. Please see the attached info about Earth Day 2020. I will be performing as part of Sam Lee's Nest Collective celebration which will be streamed live on Youtube on 22/4/2020. I will be performing a live improvisation for a short segment of the show which will feature artists, musicians and writers accompanying the song of the nightingales. Please join in this completely magical and freeform event and share widely.

Summer events 

I will be appearing in various different guises at a few events over the summer so head to the LIVE page to see what's happening. The Tipping point Live event in Newcastle should be fun. It is a songwriting session. We will invite members of the audience to the stage and I will direct you through suggestion on how we can arrange a song, accompanied by your fellow audience members. By the end of an hour or so we will all perform it and follow with lots of questions and lots of fun hopefully. This is a lunchtime event so please come down.

 

80 Plays 

In my role as Patron of The Bert Jansch Foundation, I am taking part in the Around The World In 80 Plays venture. Yamaha Guitars are passing one of their wonderful L Series guitars around the world via players nominating each other to make a Bert-inspired contribution before nominating another. Johnny Marr began the journey and I was delighted to be nominated by Johnny to be next. I have recorded a small piece and message about Bert, and will be nominating the next player and sending the guitar on it's way soon. 

You can watch and share my piece as well as Johnny's here . It will be updated so please watch out for further pieces as the journey continues. 

 

https://80plays.bertjanschfoundation.org

OTRMCR 

I will be "In Conversation" with Dave Haslam in Manchester on 16th November at the Central Methodist Hall. This is part of the Off The Record Festival held over 2 days in Manchester, hosting curated conversations by day and shows by night. Some of you maye have heard me talk to Dave last year. It was good fun and the audience gets the chance to throw things at me at the end. We want to centre this conversation this year on the present, where we are now, songwriting techniques, and how to survive and still be making music through the years. This isn't another chinwag about the good ole days, and if anything we want to confront the concept of an audience's obsession with where they first discovered an artist and the relationship that creates with the artist. How can any artist get across the life they lead in the meantime and do they have any right?! Please come along and say hi. I always love being in Manchester.

 

Mako 

I'm so sad to share the passing of my friend, musical partner and hero Mako Sakamoto. Mako succumbed to illness on Tuesday. I don't know what I'm going to do without him. Please play his spirit loud. He was the greatest.

I will write more in due course but until then please show the world how much love there is for Mako by playing his music and sharing your memories.