Information on up and coming gigs can be found HERE

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My First Gig 1968/69

was at a working men's club in Middlesbrough. I was 14/15 and had answered an advert in the local paper for a girl singer in a trio. We sang songs like, " Listen to the rythmn of the falling rain" and "Will you still love me tomorrow" (I still sing that one!). I got paid £3.50 and went out the following weekend and bought myself a grey box-pleated skirt and a blue angora jumper (C&A) I thought I looked lovely. I can't remember the names of the guys in the band but I didn't work with them for very long.

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My First Gig in London (1971)

was at the Commonwealth Institute supporting Terry Reid. I had two managers when I first came to London. The first, John McCoy had discovered me one night when I sang in his club. It was 1970 and I'd been writing songs for some time. I approached John to play at his club and he said yes. Alan White the drummer from Yes was playing for Terry Reid at John's club a couple of months later and Alan introduced John to Tony Demitriades who was Terry's manager. Then Tony and John became my joint managers. I'll never forget that gig because as Terry performed we watched his lovely Martin guitar slide off the side of the electric piano and snap the neck completely ...oh dear!

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My first tour (1971)

was with John Martyn and Bronco. It was a blast. i can't remember much about the english gigs but when we got to scotland i remember one dressing room being so spartan that we had to sit on paint pots! One night we stayed in digs in Stirling and the landlady had very kindly put hot water bottles in our beds to keep off the chill..we're talking the 70's here..no central heating yet ! You can read more about my relationship with John in the forthcoming book about him by John Neil Monroe.

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My first Stadium Gig (!972)

was as the opening act to Jethro Tull in Quebec Canada. I had quite honestly never seen anything like it in all my life. Unlike my grandfather, brothers cousins and uncles, i had never been to see the Boro play so had never been in such a big arena. It was mind- blowing! Ian Anderson was absolutely charming and came to my dressing room after my soundcheck to introduce himself and ask if i needed anything. So Sweet.
The following night we played Toronto. That was the night my estranged father decided to make an appearance so it was a bit of a shock. My managers were both with me at the time and i don't think they knew how to handle it. They were very sympathetic but it would be another 10 years before i was able to speak to my father.

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My first Headline Gig (1973)

was at the Queen Elizabeth hall in London 1973. I had a wonderful band,in fact that was another first for me,the first time I'd ever played with any accompaniment.It made me more nervous I'm afraid!. Well consider the line-up. Albert Lee on guitar, Jean Roussel on piano, Pat Donaldson on bass and Gerry Conway on drums..Phew, not surprising i was a bit overwhelmed. One thing that also made it difficult is that I was wearing a ridiculous Fotheringay type dress and i looked like Good Queen Bess! not very suitable for an 18 year old girl! That came about because Paul Samwell- Smith who'd just produced my second album October, had recommended this designer to me and before i knew it i was dressed up like something out of Shakespeare in love! trouble was i didn't love it , it was extremely hot and Huge!! Wish I had a copy of the review, I think the dress got a whole review of it's own!

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My first Gig (night) in new York (1975)

was at the bottom Line. It was my second american tour and I was now signed to ABC. I think I may have supported Jimmy Buffet as he was also on the label and we did many gigs together. He was a perfect gentleman. The previous night I had been in Philadelphia opening for the lovely Bill Withers. Bill was just about to go huge. His audience was black so they didn't "get" me to say the least and the week had been very hard but Bill used to cuddle me and say "never mind little poohkipsie" ( I later found out Pookhipsie is an industrial town near philadelphia!...not a bad choice!). In those days you played a weekly residency in a club. It makes a lot of sense. The press were invited down on the first night to review, the review came out 2days later and if you were good everyone wanted to be there.

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My Most memorable Gig with Wishbone Ash (1981)

Was at the Birmingham Empire. I wore my Vivienne westwood outfit that I'd bought . Little did I know then that she would turn out to be so famous. I looked like a little rock chick. I was trying so hard to impress the guys. I loved being on stage with them and still do whenever i get the chance to sing a chorus from "Living proof". The noise the sheer power of the sound just sends me crazy. unfortunately My voice just can't hold up when i sing rock. I think I had the attitude but I'm no Joplin. I prefer to sing sweetly. I realised I was destroying my voice and used to get a bit neurotic about it which made the lads think I was a wuss! that night however was the best.5 guys jumped on stage and tried to kiss me." Fantastic!!!

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My Favourite tour (1986)

was with my all girl band" the Voices". My new age album had just gone to no1 in the new age chart and we were off on a new age tour around england with my stable mates, John Themis and Stephen Caudel. I laughed so much in that band it was hysterical. I'm amazed that we ever got any work done. We hired a van and a driver and just drove around the country laughing all the way. We made the back seats into a bed for my little girls Tara and Susannah and off we went.For years afterwards Tara and Su would say" mummy are we going on tour again this year!" if you reading this Annie, Enid and Jana, thanks for the memories.

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I still love singing as much today as i did when i was just a girl and I'm grateful that there are still those of you who want to hear me..godbless...Clairexxx