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CHARLESTOWN LAUNCH ACTIVITIES & EVEN MORE REVIEWS
13th October 2010


THE NEW ALBUM IS NOW IN STOCK AND READY TO BE SENT OUT !!!!


There are a number of planned radio interviews & podcasts being scheduled here in the UK, Canada & in the USA, to coincide with the launch of the new MANNING album "CHARLESTOWN"

2Details on where / when to catch these shows are found HERE!
Some shows are now published HERE! We hope you can join us to celebrate the
culmination of another years hard slog!

Meanwhile, the very first reviews of the new album have started to arrive...


Manning “Charlestown" by Tarcisio Moura (Progressive Archives)
"Another masterpiece of progressive music, no less!
Guy Manning is definitly one of the most important songwriters to appear on the new millenium and Charlestown is definitly a must have for anyone who thinks they don´t do great albums like they used to
do in the 70´s. Highly recommended to all music lovers!"
The longer and more in depth version can be found HERE!

Manning “Charlestown” by John Sealey (Progressive Ears)

"I've been playing this CD regularly since it dropped through the letter-box at the end of last week. The title track is hugely impressive and I envy anyone attending the live show on Saturday. (23rd Oct 2010 - Ed.)
"Charlestown" (the track) may be an "epic" but it's also a stirring suite of well put together tunes which flow excellently throughout the whole 30+ minutes. The most pleasing thing for me is the that the subject matter of the "story" and it's lyrics fit so well with the musical themes. Guy Manning, I think, is a composer who understands the link between the poetry of the lyrical content and the drama of the music. I can't see this being anything other than a real "grower" for me and I'd heartily recommend it to anyone who has an interest in the written word as well as the music played. Actually, although I've so far concentrated more on the title track (it's 35 minutes long, back in the day it's what I was used to for a complete album!), the other five songs on the CD are very good too! I'm kind of saving them as the dessert when I'm getting full of the main course. "Caliban and Ariel" is a really gentle piece that, again, fits the lyric beautifully. I suppose it keeps the watery theme going too! "The Man in the Mirror" is a tale that reflects that sometimes life is just not full of happy endings, delivered with real pathos, I think. I like this song very much. "Clocks", another rather gentle song with a beautiful and very wistful lyric, may turn out to be a personal favourite for me - only time will tell! In some ways it reminds me of The Musical Box in it's sentiment, although interpreted differently, of course. "T.I.C" takes us into more uptempo territory with it's more blues-rock feel - a bit of fun here I think and even a bit of Wishbone Ash twin lead and some Tull flutes! "Finale" wraps it all up with a full on instrumental coda rounding up some of the themes from, I think, the title track? The reworking here works superbly well and provides a fitting end to a high quality album. A little irony at the end really; an album so brilliantly served in it's lyrical content ending with an intrumental. I like that and it says a lot about the artist. There you go, I've done the lot now. It's a pleasure from start to finish - a highlight in what has been a super year for the music I love. Now .........back to my epic!! "

Manning “Charlestown” by Keith (Aural Moon)
"The title track is a veritable MASTERPIECE!!!!!! Superb playing throughout.
You won't be disappointed if you get this I promise you."

Manning “Charlestown” by Paul Baker (ARFm Soundscapes Radio)

"The 11th album from one of England’s best kept Prog Rock secrets; ‘Charlestown’ is a splendid blend of modern and classical progressive rock. Epic opener ‘Charlestown’ is an amazing musical adventure on the high seas of imaginative forward looking rock. ‘Caliban & Ariel’ is a gentle contrast to the drama of the title track, there is also a ‘what was that?’ moment when ‘T.I.C.’ takes to the air!

Album closer, ‘Finale’ takes some themes from the epic opening track and re-works them into an absorbing instrumental extravaganza, but don’t expect a straight copy, that wouldn’t be Manning!

Fans of Jethro Tull, Yes, Gentle Giant, Genesis and all the usual suspects should find a lot to like on this album, but may be disappointed if they expect an impersonation of their heroes, Manning and Charlestown are much too adventurous and original for that!"

The longer and more in depth version can be found HERE!

CHARLESTOWN ALBUM LAUNCH
24th September 2010

We are happy to announce that the Official CHARLESTOWN launch gig is to be held on Sat. 23rd October 2010 at the Peel,
Kingston-upon-Thames, London.
Tel: 0208 8546 3516. Doors open 7:30pm

Our special guests will be
Dec Burke's Destroy All Monsters

This will be the first gig with our new drummer, John Kennard.
Please come along and support him!

The album will on pre-sale and we will
be debutting some new material from it, but you can now PRE-ORDER it from this site plus there
is an edited snippet from the title track for you to hear HERE!

We hope you can come and see us and
pick up your pre-release copy!
Evening dress is optional OR you can come
dressed as a sailor from the late 1700s to fit
in with the album theme.

NOTE: Change to 3rd Dec 2010 concert:
Crimson Sky have had to pull out, but we have managed to persuade the fabulous GODSTICKS to take their place!!

CHARLESTOWN - To be released on 25th October 2010
6th July 2010

The new album has been finally mastered and the artwork completed!

With a good headwind and weather, we are on course for our Autumn release schedule. (OK, that's enough of the sailing imagery I think).

'Charlestown' is made up of six new recordings including the epic mulit-sectioned title track. The album features the new band line-up (except Conor, who arrived afterwards) and includes Dave Albone's last work with the band before his retirement.

Once again, some extra guests have been drafted in to help add to that unique sound which is MANNING music! (See our BIOGRAPHY section)

The front cover has been especially created by Rosie Manning (who also did the 'Bilston House' artwork).

"Definitely a more challenging listen this time around, lots of quirky time signatures, stark light and shade plus more band ensemble / orchestral playing...I always liked albums that I maybe did not get into right away, but kept coming back to time after time to really appreciate...A Passion Play and Topographic Oceans spring to mind...my first reaction was a 'what the *?/*@!'...but now I love them dearly' (Guy Manning).

Material from the new album will be featured in the late 2010 UK dates.

DOMICILE Promotional Film
5th July 2010

Check out the promotional file that Steve Dundon has put together to accompany the track "DOMICILE" (taken from "THE CURE" album).
It is now available on YouTube and Steve tells us that more are on the way!

Also now published are the 2 video blogs we filmed on our way to RoSFest 2010. Sample international life on the road with the band
(on a very low budget)!

You can get to all these via our PRESS pages.

More LIVE dates are being booked as we speak, so make sure you subscribe to the MANNING Mailing List (see box above) for all the latest bulletins or check back here regularly!

Dave Albone retires...and we welcome, Conor!
20th May 2010

Guy Manning
“Following on from Manning’s triumphant appearance at RosFest 2010, the band has to sadly announce the departure from the line-up of drummer/percussionist, Dave Albone.”

Dave Albone
“After a fantastic 2 years working with Guy, I have taken a very difficult decision to not only leave Manning, but retire from any kind of regular live playing for good. This decision includes a number of personal reasons, the key one being gradually increasing problems with pains in my elbow and wrist joints, making the physical side of being a drummer very difficult – and quite painful! The timing – after our highly successful and hugely enjoyable trip to RosFest in the USA – seemed right, going out on a massive high.

I’m not leaving music behind entirely – my first instrument was actually piano and I will be reviving my interest in this later in the year – purely for personal pleasure though!

I’d like to say a massive thanks to Manning – to Guy for giving me the opportunity to do some really good things in my last 2 years of playing (Cambridge Rock Festival, RosFest USA, recording the new album); to Julie for feeding me every Tuesday rehearsal night; to Kev, Kris, Chris, Steve, and Tim for being excellent companions and such top notch dedicated musicians – it’s been a privilege. I’m very proud to have been involved in what Manning has achieved in the last 2 years.

Big thanks also to anyone who has ever supported me or attended a gig I’ve done over the last 36 years of playing – from rough houses in Manchester to The Royal Albert Hall, I’ve had a ball. And finally – a colossal and heartfelt thanks to my long suffering wife Christine – she has quietly supported me, put up with many absences, late nights and grumpy mornings and never, ever once asked me to give it up.

I wish Guy and the rest of Manning all the very best for the future – I’m sure they’ll now go on to build on the success of Cambridge and RosFest and get the wider recognition that the music deserves.

Anyone want to buy a drum kit!”

The Cure electronic release
18th May 2010

We are pleased to announce that The Cure (originally released in 2000) will be released onto itunes worldwide, Amazon mp3 and Napster in early June. Release dates vary but it should be online at all stores by 8th June.

The Cure is one of the four albums also re-released as 10th Anniversary editions, which currently are only available to buy on this site, via Festival Music (F2) or at our gigs.

Finally, we have the RoSfest (April) Manning Newsletter online. This was originally going to be produced and distributed at RoSfest, but due to the volcanic ash cloud preventing us sending any airmail just before the event,
we had to abandon those plans. However, you can now view, download and print your own copy of this combined newsletter and RoSfest programme.

RoSfest photos and a new e-mailing list
16th May 2010

We have our first block of RoSfest photos online. None of us onstage as yet, but these will follow soon.

With all the new fans from RoSfest wanting to be kept up to date and our clunky old system failing rapidly, we have decided to update our mailing list and are now using those lovely chaps at Aardvark Mailing Lists to manage this for us.

We promsie that we won't spam you or pass on your details to anyone else and you can unsubscribe at any time.

If you do decide to subscribe, you'll find the link at the top right of this page... so why not go along there now and get the latest Manning news delivered into your inbox?

Guy Manning & The Tangent 
11th May 2010

After much discussion and soul searching, it has been mutually decided that Guy will no longer be partaking in future Tangent activities. Both Guy & Andy (Tillison) would like it to be known that this decision has been reached amicably.

The reasons are simply the fact that Guy's band MANNING and The TANGENT are both working hard on projects (both on stage and in the studio) and over the past two years, progress for both bands has been halted as a result of intense activity by one or the other.

This leaves Guy free to focus entirely on his own music and for the Tangent's new four piece lineup augmented where possible by Theo Travis, to arrange gigs and recording sessions equally independantly.

Both Guy and Andy are sure that this will not be the end of musical collaborations between them.
They are parting company in just ONE respect, i.e The Tangent.

Both MANNING and The TANGENT have recently had successful and very well received performances at major festivals and the future looks good for both parties.

On a personal note, Guy and Andy would like to add that their work together in the Tangent has been very rewarding and also a lot of fun! They both feel very proud of what the band has produced/achieved.

Best wishes from both.

RoSfest Triumph! 
9th May 2010

We are now back from our amazing visit to the Rites of Spring festival in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, USA and are preparing to knuckle down and finish the new album Charlestown, but before all that we thought we would share a message and some memories of our experience with you.

We'd really like to thank George Roldan and all the team at RoSfest, the backstage crew, drivers, roadies, technicians, noise boys, lampies, venue crew, bar staff, and the people who loaned us keyboards and other gear to help us perform our set at RoSfest. We mean it when we say without you lot it wouldn't have happened.

We'd also like to say a big thanks to all the other bands, and the people who bought the tickets and supported what is one of the best festivals on the prog calendar... without people buying tickets these things don't happen.

And finally - a massive Hi to Connie... who served us disproportionately large numbers of beers and entertained us with stories and anecdotes in the bar of the Eisenhower Hotel.

Thanks to all the band members - but the man of the festival is of course Tim Leadbeater, whose fine sense of balance and excellent composure allowed him to finish the gig even when his seating arrangements failed him, although an honourable mention must also also go to Chris "I don't know that one" Catling whose knowledge of Lynyrd Skynyrd's Free Bird is uncanny.

We're sure photos will be rolling onto the internet over the next few weeks and months, and if we find any photos, videos or reviews we will share them with you. We are also currently compiling a RoSfest blog video which we hope to release online on the Official Manning Youtube sometime in the near future. A few band photos have made it online on Kris's Picasa for you to see...

And now... back to Charlestown...

 

Welcome... Tim Leadbeater on Keyboards
29th November 2009

Manning are pleased to announce the completion of the line-up with our new keyboard player Tim Leadbeater. Tim is the final member in our line-up and you will be able to meet him at one of our performances for the Classic Rock Society in March and at RoSfest in Gettysburg, PA in May 2010. We are currently scheduling even more gigs for next year and you'll see the news here first.

We also have good news that the Manning album Number Ten has been nominated for the Fourth Edition of Progawards.

Finally, we can announce that our Classic Rock Society date is being re-scheduled and will most likely be on 20th March 2010 at The Wesley Centre, Maltby, Rotherham.

New TANGENT album is released
22nd November 2009

The new album by The Tangent, "Down and Out in Paris and London" is now released. Please visit the Tangent Website for details and ordering.

Guys' "A LIFE IN MUSIC" page, accessed via his Biography page has been updated.

A little post-bonfire night update
8th November 2009

You can now buy Songs from the Bilston House on itunes, Napster and Amazon MP3 downloads, priced at a rather modest £7.99 for UK itunes customers. Should you fancy a shiny boxed version, we still have those available although, we can now advise that we are running very low on Tall Stories for Small Children, One Small Step... and The Cure.

On a slightly sadder note, the keyboardist situation has forced us to postpone the XMAS 12th December gig at the Classic Rock Socety until the end of March 2010, however, we are pleased to announce that we are now in the process of shortlisting and should be able to announce very soon who the 8th member of Manning is!

Work on the new album is progressing very nicely; it's currently been given the provisional title of "Number 11", but we should have its name rounded up shortly and you'll see the news here first.
The centrepiece track of the new album is a 36 minute seafaring epic!!

Introducing... Chris Catling on Lead Guitar
21st October 2009

Manning are pleased to announce that our new lead guitarist is Chris Catling.

After an amazing response to adverts posted both on this site and on the various musician's sites, and after some real tough auditions and an even tougher decision for the band, Chris was chosen as the replacement for Dave Million to take Manning to the next level.

Finally, we have a few updates around the site including an interview with Guy printed in the dutch magazine IOpages (sorry we haven't had it translated yet).

Releases Page Updated
19th September 2009

We have another new presspack online for your downloading pleasure - Songs from the Bilston House - as well as Lost in Play available for you to download.

Songs from the Bilston House will be available to download from itunes, Amazon and Napster on 5th November (Guy Fawkes Night in the UK).

Tall Stories for Small Children released on itunes today
7th September 2009

It's good news today for all you ipod and iphone fans (as well as the many other MP3 players out there) as Tall Stories for Small Children gets it's release on itunes and Napster worldwide.

Available for £7.99 in the UK in the itunes store, and at comparable prices worldwide - now is the chance to update and complete your collection. The album is also available to play on demand or to purchase for you Napster users.

The remainder of the back catalogue will be released over the coming months with Songs From The Bilston House getting it's release on November 5th (Guy Fawkes Night in the UK).

Releases Page Updated
5th September 2009

The first of the new Press Packs is online now on the Number Ten microsite. You can now download as a PDF a full set of lyrics for the album.

We also have Ships online as an MP3 for you to listen to on the same page.

Manning recruiting new members
29th August 2009

Following the departure of Dave Million and Phil Wilkes, Manning currently has vacancies for a keyboards player and a guitarist:

We are an 8 piece band formed around a Leeds based prodigiously talented singer / songwriter / multi-instrumentalist with an impressive record of releasing ten studio albums in ten years! The band produces an eclectic mix of music which broadly falls within the “progressive” genre, but in reality spans many different musical forms from beautiful ballads and folk-tinged songs through to awesome all-out rock workouts and true progressive epics – no two songs sound the same!

The band is currently experiencing a surge of interest and support, with nominations for Album of the Year by the Classic Rock Society (CRS) and a series of storming headline gigs in support of the latest and critically acclaimed new album.

Highlights of the band’s tenth anniversary year are a very successful appearance at the 2009 Cambridge Rock Festival and the planned recording of a live album later in the year. 2010 will see the band is making an appearance at the prestigious RoSfest festival in Gettysburg, PA..

We are now looking for two versatile and accomplished musicians to take us to the next level in terms of musical professionalism. Able to play in a variety of styles, and integrate very quickly into an 8 piece line-up, you will be experienced in live work, as well as recording, have a good sense of humour, your own transport, equipment and a desire to continuously improve what you do.

Lead guitar: You must have the ability to adapt your playing style to the mood and nature of each song. Tuneful solos and sensitive lead passages are often required, as well as standard rock patterns and riffs. You will be equally at home playing acoustic as well as electric guitars.

Keyboards: You will have a natural pianistic style, as there are many open passages where the piano is exposed and required to accompany the lead vocals. Contrasting with that are large passages requiring tasteful orchestral beds, organ and piano solos as well as the more traditional “synth” solo. Sensitivity and timing are key and a natural musical awareness of what is required.

The nature of the band is semi-professional – everyone has a day job. However, the ambition and approach is completely professional. These are not positions for anyone wanting to earn money – the band is wholly dedicated to bringing the recordings to life and seeing where that takes us. If this sounds interesting to you – let us know.

Contact details for more information : krishudsonlee@googlemail.com

Manning Line-up Changes
26th August 2009

Guy Manning

"Following on from the milestone that was the bands triumphant appearance at the Cambridge Rock Festival, the band are to make some line up changes.

Getting the band to the point at which MANNING could sustain 2 separate shows (ELEKTRIK and AKOUSTIK) took a vast amount of dedication and effort on behalf of the players and I am eternally grateful that they did not disappoint myself or the fans (new and old).

Having said that, in the aftermath of the festival, we were able to objectively look at the point we were at and the known future activities (possible new Studio album, a live album, UK and worldwide dates). Each member of the band reviewed their own position and did some soul searching.

At this point, we can formally state that Phil Wilkes and David Million will not be continuing on as a part of the MANNING band line ups.

I wish to personally thank them for all the time and effort they have put into getting the band to where it is today. It would not have happened without you both.

All the best with your new projects and deserved time off!"

Phil Wilkes

“After 18 months with Manning, during which time the band has seen increasing support and success, I have reached the difficult decision to leave the band. I feel that the time is right for me to focus on completing a personal music project and pursue other interests that would conflict with the growing commitment required for Manning to achieve the next levels of its success. I am delighted to have been part of the band’s continuing story and proud of the contribution I have been able to make.”

David Million

"Being a part of the Manning band has been a great experience and it has been very satisfying to watch the band gain more respect for their recorded work, live shows and so be offered more prestigious gigs worldwide.

For my own part, work and family commitments are proving hard to give the band the level of involvement it needs, especially meeting the rehearsal and live show schedules.

Couple this with a desire to pursue my own material (which I have been working on in parallel), I therefore feel it is a good point in time to concentrate more on the 'home' front and leave the live band line-ups.

The future is not set in stone however and my involvement with Guy will continue in some capacity, I am sure.

I want to wish Guy and the band all the best with their next ventures, which will be brilliant I am sure!"

Releases Page Updated
23rd August 2009

A few more website updates today - this time the Releases page has been updated to include details of all 10 available albums including track listing and members.

Tall Stories for Small Children itunes release in September
15th August 2009

September is the start of a major release cycle for Manning as the back catalogue starts to appear on itunes, starting with Tall Stories for Small Children (have a listen to a couple of tracks now in the player on this page).

Number Ten is expected to be released on itunes, along with The Cure in December 2009.

Website Updates
15th August 2009

Another website update today - improved graphical appearance, better functionality of the forums and blog and some other cosmetic improvements. Manning Music Player added to website... keep checking back as more songs get added.

Manning at the CRF
9th August 2009

We are pleased to announce that the Cambridge Rock Festival gig on Saturday 8th was a complete success!

We sold rather a lot of CD's (including reducing the remaining stock of the older deleted CD's quite dramatically), and made a lot of new friends.

For those of you who missed it, we played A Strange Place; The Dream; Antares; Ships; Holy Ireland (parts 3 and 4); Silent Man; The House on the Hill and to wrap things up (and to great requests) Lost in Play.

Photos et all will follow shortly, but in the meantime you can discuss this and all things Manning at our Forum.

Manning announced to play RoSfest 2010
31st July 2009

RoSfest is pleased to announce Manning this eight piece band led by maestro Guy Manning will be playing the second slot on Saturday May 1st.

The band Manning has been around since 1999, formed around the prodigiously talented singer / songwriter / multi-instrumentalist Guy Manning. Having previously been an associate of prog. legends Parallel or 90 Degrees and being a founder member of the internationally respected, The Tangent, Guy has an impressive record of releasing ten studio albums in ten years!

Manning produce an eclectic mix of music which broadly falls within the “progressive” genre, but in reality spans many different musical forms from beautiful ballads and folk-tinged songs through to awesome all-out rock workouts and true progressive epics – no two songs sound the same!

The band is currently experiencing a surge of interest and support, with the previous album “Songs From The Bilston House” having been nominated for Album of the Year by the Classic Rock Society (CRS) and a series of storming headline gigs in support of the latest and critically acclaimed album “Number Ten”.

Manning to play Cambridge Rock Festival
1st May 2009

Manning will be the pre-headline slot at the Cambridge Rock Festival on Saturday August 8th 2009 along with Solstice, Tinyfish, DeeExpus and many other bands.

Tickets are currently available from the CRF website and the band are expected to take to the stage at approximately 7:15pm on Stage 2 (the CRS Stage).

Meanwhile, our gig at The Wesley Centre was totally successful and we would like to thank all those who attended. We will be returning to The Wesley in December.

 

 


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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