Hello folks, yep it's that time again for a bit of a natter (from your nutter!). Ah yes, by the way, "Happy New Year to you all" .... 2008 already!

It was about a year ago when I asked you folks out there if there were any venues in your town you could recommend we play at. Then we would call them and if all was ok, we'd come and play near you! Well, some of you made some good suggestions and we always followed them up, resulting in a few new venues and some more friends along the way. The objective was just to get out there and play. I'm not going to get on my 'soap box', but there is a lot of funny stuff going on out there at the moment regarding venues and I would be ages trying to explain it all. Everyone wants something for nothing and I don't recall registering STRAY as a charity organisation. Everywhere you go it's bloody 'tribute bands'. Ironic really, because without the original bands to start with, there wouldn't be any tribute bands now. Got to be careful here because my old friend, drummer Andy Beirne is with 'Stairway to Zepplin' and they are very good! Incidentally, Andy played harmonica on the track 'Move that Wigwam' on the 'Saturday Morning Pictures' album. Also back in the 70's they were called 'Dirty Tricks'....remember them? Ummm...maybe I should go out as a 'STRAY' tribute band? .... nah!......maybe I do!!!!!!!! Arrrggghhhh stop.....enough already!!!!

Speaking of Charity Organisations, if you go to our website links page, you will find a link to The Nordoff Robbins Music Therapy Organisation. Get Ready To Rock's Jason Ritchie is helping them raise money which will go to a good cause. It is widely recognised that music stimulates the brain and Nordoff-Robbins are involved in bringing music to those less fortunate than ourselves. You can read all about it on the link. Look.... music must stimulate the brain - take a look at Pete Way, Nikko McBrain, Lemmy, Ozzy and Me .....!!!!! 'Nuff said I think !!!!!!!!!!!!

Also, we like to get involved with Clive Aid, in aid of Multiple Sclerosis. Sam Hill does a great job organising events and concerts around the world and I'm proud to say one of our old road managers, Noel Buckley, is now the 'Clive Aid' official photographer. Noel has worked hard for a long time and now he is getting the recognition he rightly deserves.

I went along to the Clive Aid show at The Brixton Academy where our old muckers 'Iron Maiden' played. As you may know Steve Harris has a daughter named Lauren Harris and she has been touring all over with her band and she was on at the show in Brixton. To my surprise she finished her set with our song 'Come on over'. She managed to get all the crowd singing along on the chorus. It was great watching and listening to the band and audience singing at the top of their voices!

After the show I met her American manager Steve Altman and her drummer producer Tom McWilliams. He is a grammy winning producer of some note and I was completley bowled over when they told me they were all fans and want to put the song on her next album! Keep it in the family Steve, that's what I say (geddit???).

STRAY DVD

As most of you will be aware by now, we played a show right in the centre of London at 'The Borderline' club back in October. It was a great night for various reasons.

First of all, and this goes back to what I was talking about earlier regarding 'funny stuff going on at venues'... there were those in the music business who because we had not played in the heart of London for a few years, were not too enthusiastic about STRAY headling a show there. There were those who didn't think there would be enough people out there interested enough to come and see us! Well ....... THANK YOU to all who came to The Borderline that night, Friday 12th October. You were a wonderful audience and I think it's fair to say that everyone had a great night. We proved 'em wrong didn't we?

A lot of what happened on the night only came together literally a couple of weeks before the show. We wanted to play the whole evening and do as many songs from the albums as we could. Truth is we would need more than two and a half hours to play them all. Anyway it was a celebration of all the albums, particularly as they'd all been re-released over the past year or more.

A friend of ours has a film production company called '4THOUGHT' and we got together to see if it would be possible to film the show. So that was in place. Then I thought, I wonder if Steve Gadd was going to 'come on over' and see us on the night. For those new fans of the band, Steve was the original vocalist on the earlier albums. Then I thought wouldn't it be great if he got up and sang a couple of the old songs with us. He did intend to come along, but the problem being he had a busy schedule and so did I and we couldn't find a time in the couple of weeks running up to the show to get even one rehearsal. So he walked on stage that night, no rehearsal and had not sung live on stage for some years! By his own admission he was nervous before he got on stage, but he was great and I know his family who were in the audience were especially proud of him that night!

Well, we filmed the whole show and we only really expected to get about a good hours worth, but we played for 2 1/2 hours, all done in one take, no second chances or overdubs (like some!), resulting in a double dvd set including an interview with Steve and myself by Classic Rock journalist Dave Ling. So, thank you all who took part in this show. It is a night I will remember for the rest of my life ... I know there were a few tears of joy and emotion!!!

If you don't already know, there is a double DVD 'Live in London' available only on this site or at our gigs.

... And there's more...

Speaking of gigs, I must say a word of thanks to our mate 'Oz'. He won't mind me saying he has been coming to gigs for many years, and has been compiling a list of the gigs we have played for as far back as he can find.

He has done loads of research and somehow we would like to tie this up with our 'Archive' section on the website. So we are looking for people with good memories for dates and places. Hoarders who might have old ticket stubbs or flyers. Memories of particular gigs. We have had couples who met at our gigs. I am not sure at this moment how we are going to do it but Oz and I would like to see if we can create a list of as many shows played as possible. If you have anything, send us a mail at the website.

Many thanks to you Oz, I will try and get around to going through all my scrapbooks and diaries... it'll take bloody ages..... might have to pour me a large 'JD'!!!!

Right now let me see if I can answer some of your questions ... a few of you have been asking about the film crew who were at the Marquee Club back in 1984. As you may know the album 'Live at The Marquee' album was released but many of you have asked what ever happened to the film footage. It was not discovered until after the performance that the line link from the cameras to the sound desk had gone down!!! Therefore there was vision but no sound! I have enquired as to where the film footage is, as with all this newfangled technology we might be able to synch it with the album soundtrack. Unfortunately the film footage whereabouts is unknown. It may well turn up on t.v on the Antiques Roadshow. So sorry, no plans for that to surface at this time.

Also I heard just today that the long awaited feature about Stray should appear in Classic Rock in the edition released March 5th, which is themed 'Best of British'. Let's see shall we?

So now what is coming up for this year 2008? Well I am really pleased to announce we have the Alan Cottam Agency representing us now. Alan and his partner Steve Galeazzi have many years of experience in the music business in agency and management and we are optimistic that together we can form a succesful partnership and endeavour to reach out and take Stray to a worldwide audience once more.

We intend to record a new studio album this year. I personally want to record with Karl and Stu and put their mark on Stray history. They are brilliant musicians and lovely people to work with. I consider myself a 'Lucky Man'. Also lucky to have our 'merch maidens' Annie and Linny with us on the road and they love hearing all your stories too. Also our winder of the cables and packer of the drums Peter and Jay. Our Myspace pagemaster 'S2' and last but by no means lost ... er sorry, I mean least, the legendary 'Batttttty' for looking after both the Stray and Del Bromham websites.

That's all from me now folks. Have a peaceful and succesful new year and we hope to see you all soon.

'A whole lotta luv' ..... Del xxxxxx