While the FOTN team is on their summer break, a new series has been launched called Tour Diaries, where artists share their stories from the road.

To start things off, [The] Music Of Sound document their journey from their summer tour, as well as reviewing the acts that supported them.

Also featuring: TWIVEE; IZZII GRACE; BRETT HULME; RED SHIFT; LOST CHIMES; SOFIA GILLANI; LYNNIE SNOW & ADAM KIDD

(Words: Neil, Sherry & Elena from [The] Music Of Sound)

NEIL: The first thing I want to say, before I even mention the gigs themselves, is that I now have a newfound respect for anyone who organises tours without the aid of a booking agent nor the kind of budget that would fund a tour bus! It may only have been five dates around the South East of England but, with different promotional relationships, different artist line-ups and different set-ups at each, not to mention the multiple train tickets, ubers, hotel bills, promoting, door management, stage management, administration and being Booking Agent, Tour Manager, Band Manager, Publicist and Musician, it took a huge amount of work. I will not bother mentioning all the venues who opened our emails (and yes we can see who did) but couldn’t be bothered to reply even on the second or third attempt. Never mind though because we had the opportunity to perform for 5 lovely venues who genuinely care about supporting grassroots live music [as opposed to paying lip service and lapping up the MVT-negotiated levy while external promoters do the work].

SHERRY: At the start of the tour, I was honestly very nervous. Stepping onto that first stage felt overwhelming. But with each gig, the nerves slowly turned into excitement, and I began to enjoy the flow of performing. This tour has taught me so much about myself, the areas I need to work on, and how I can grow further as an artist.

ELENA: In the upcoming weeks I was very excited for the tour. It’s always a pleasure to play in different venues and to bring our music to a larger audience!

The Mall Sessions, Belfry Centre, Redhill (Saturday 5th July)

NEIL: Anyway, to the tour itself. We kicked off with a two hour rehearsal on a hot Saturday afternoon at ICMP in Kilburn just to make sure we had complete confidence that we wouldn’t make any mistakes on stage. The rehearsal went so well that our confidence level was all the higher. Well, mine was. Sherry was still a tiny bit nervous but inside she knew she was getting better every time we played together. Elena was probably the most relaxed and confident of all of us despite being the youngest at 21. But if I could play the flute like her, I would be too! I’m generally a confident performer with decades of experience but I always have small worries about other things that can go wrong. I guess it’s my job to take those worries on!

So then it was off to Brondesbury Station to catch two trains to Redhill where the tour began at the beautiful Belfry Centre; a gig promoted by local CIC Redstart and curated, with help from me via BBC Introducing’s Melita Dennett, by my good friend Steve Trigg. Steve also came and picked us up from the station and stopped for us to buy drinks and snacks! The venue was a stage and audience area in the large shopping mall, cordoned off to prevent anyone avoiding buying a ticket. We had a green room just beyond the back of Waterstones and, thanks to sound engineer Julian, the sound was pristine and the balance was perfect. First night of the tour and immediately it felt like we were playing at a venue with real class.

What then followed were two stellar sets. The first came from local Hip Hop hero Twivee, twice a Fresh on the Net Listening Post candidate this month, accompanied by a live drummer and DJ. Twivee is a true entertainer who knows how to work a crowd. He is also an impressive rapid-fire rapper and a big, loveable character. The audience were soon eating out of his hand and responding obediently to his requests for them to join in on key phrases. The combination of the live drums, expert DJing and Twivee’s vocals and personality, along with a clear local following who understandably love his act, meant this was a cracker of an opening set. It was a pleasure to meet him too.

Twivee @ The Mall Sessions, The Belfry Centre, Redhill

The second act was contrastingly quiet and laid back courtesy of another local artist, hometown singer-songwriter Izzii Grace. With just their guitar for accompaniment, they provided us with a reflective and emotionally charged set of songs, backed up with some story-telling. This put everyone in a fittingly mellow mood, enjoying Izzii’s expressive vocals and thoughtful songwriting. Again it was a pleasure to meet Izzii and we enjoyed their set very much.

Izzii Grace @ The Mall Sessions, The Belfry Centre, Redhill

[The] Music Of Sound then took to the stage and played a 40 minute set with only one track from last year’s album, underlining how far we have moved in terms of musical direction and sound since then. With lovely sound and a supportive audience, we had a ball; a great way to get the tour underway.

SHERRY: Our first stop at Redhill was in a shopping mall. The stage was set up so beautifully; instantly like a proper live venue. I was a little nervous at first, but the night’s energy quickly lifted that. Twivee got the crowd buzzing with his powerful rap and big personality, and Izzii Grace brought a calm, heartfelt vibe with their reflective songs. It felt inspiring to share the stage with such talent. Huge thanks to Steve Trigg for putting the show together and welcoming us, and to Julian, the sound engineer, for making everything sound so clear and balanced. By the time we played, my nerves had settled, and I really enjoyed performing.

ELENA: Our exciting first stop was at the Redhill shopping mall. This was particularly exciting as it was my first time playing at such a large, and rather unique venue. It’s always so encouraging to see local communities come together to create a venue that allows local artists to perform their work. Seeing Twivee bring out the energy of the audience, and Izzii play such heartfelt, meaningful songs was an amazing start to the tour. A first stop on tour can always be daunting, but I feel that we really came together well and enjoyed the performance and atmosphere of the venue.

[The] Music Of Sound @ The Mall Sessions, The Belfry Centre, Redhill

The Oddfellows Arms, Apsley, Hemel Hempstead (Monday 7th July)

NEIL: The next stop saw us on familiar ground at the Oddfellows in my home town of Hemel Hempstead where we have been promoting gigs for the past three and a half years. This was very much our gig. We curated and promoted it. We ran the door and I was also the Compere (or MC if you prefer) for the night. We love the Odds and Brett Hulme, the musician who bought what had been a slightly tired pub and transformed it into a beautiful little grassroots venue some years back. Brett is a top guy and a unique character who combines being landlord, venue manager, sound engineer and leader of the in-house band. The combined efforts of our team, Brett himself and local indie rock band Red Shift ensured ticket sales went well and we had a packed house.

On this occasion, the audience was given the rare treat of Brett Hulme himself opening the gig with a solo set of his original songs. Accompanied just by his guitar, Brett blew the lid off the venue with his stunning vocals, thoughtfully written and excellent songs (interspersed with explanations of the lyrical themes) and accomplished guitar playing. It was a perfect start and a welcome reminder of the breadth of his talent.

Brett Hulme @ The Oddfellows Arms, Apsley, Hemel Hempstead

Next came another band with recent Listening Post history; Red Shift, a band whose last two singles have featured on my radio show and who have already caught the ear of BBC Introducing in Three Counties. They brought the house down with a barnstorming set of melodic, energetic and jangling alt rock numbers (plus a surprise cover of The Knack’s My Sharona). Top marks for uncool coolness to the lead guitarist for sporting an Eagles Hotel California T-Shirt which certainly confused our friend Lionel (who, it’s fair to say, is not the Eagles’ biggest fan!)!

Red Shift @ The Oddfellows Arms, Apsley, Hemel Hempstead

Last on, of course, were [The] Music Of Sound. Unfortunately, it wasn’t an entirely happy experience. The Odds is a fantastic venue and is perfectly set up for most bands but, with no DI boxes, we had to use adaptors to put the digital piano and laptop straight into a PA amp and the configuration proved problematic. The balance would not settle and the backing track would sometimes go inexplicably loud mid-song. It was also hard to follow the beat at times. None of this was the fault of Brett or the venue. We just didn’t think things through in terms of how our set-up would work, especially as it had altered since we last performed there in 2024.

Despite this, we got through the set without any mistakes and still succeeded in selling a few copies of the limited edition UK Roadtrip CD EP our wonderful record label Monochrome Motif Records produced especially to be sold exclusively at the gigs. Conclusion: The Odds is a dream venue but we should stick to putting other bands on which, when you are running the door and stage and compering, is arguably enough to be focusing on! It was still a fun night though and major props to Brett for keeping control of the sound situation in challenging circumstances. Without his help and expertise, it could have been a lot worse!

SHERRY: Like Neil said, playing at the Oddfellows felt like being on familiar ground since we’ve been promoting gigs there for years. Brett’s opening set was amazing. His voice and songs really set the mood for the night and Red Shift brought so much energy with their alt-rock set. When it was our turn, we did face some sound issues with the new set up, just as Neil mentioned, but I tried to stay focused and enjoy performing. It reminded me how important it is to adapt quickly on stage. In the end, the crowd was supportive, and I still took away a lot of positive energy and lessons from the night.

ELENA: Having our second stop at the Oddfellows was an amazing choice of Neil’s. After playing there the year before, it was nice to come back to the venue with a newer programme that represents our current sound. As Neil and Sherry mentioned, we did face a few issues with the sound balance, however with the help of Brett and our confidence as a band, we were able to keep going and enjoy the rest of the night.

ELENA: Having our second stop at the Oddfellows was an amazing choice of Neil’s. After playing there the year before, it was nice to come back to the venue with a newer programme that represents our current sound. As Neil and Sherry mentioned, we did face a few issues with the sound balance, however with the help of Brett and our confidence as a band, we were able to keep going and enjoy the rest of the night.

[The] Music Of Sound @ The Oddfellows Arms, Apsley, Hemel Hempstead

The Libra, Camden, London (Tuesday 8th July)

NEIL: After a night of patchy sleep (for me and, it transpired, for Sherry too although Elena slept fine!) in the Holiday Inn near the Odds and a lovely breakfast, we headed for Kilburn (which meant yet more Ubers, carting heavy trolley cases and folding digital piano up and down steps, along streets and on and off trains etc!). Once there, we could camp out at ICMP for a few hours. I also got to have a very useful meeting with my ICMP Programme Leader Yannis Iliopoulos (also head of The Sound Of Everything) and Associate Dean, Ken Foreman (aka former singer and guitarist with The Thrashing Doves) while there and they both came to say hello to Sherry (their former student) and to meet Elena. Sherry and Ellie used their time very productively to work on some cool TikTok content and then it was off to the North London Tavern (our home venue for the Brilliant Brent gigs) for a very nice lunch where we were well looked after by the young Ents Manager George.

Next we headed to Brondesbury Station once more and London Overground to Kentish Town West before a brisk walk (too brisk for me at times!) to Chalk Farm Road and to The Libra. As we were approaching the final turning, we ran into the lovely Nicky from Lost Chimes so he was able to appraise us of the itinerary for the evening.

A few months ago, I was a guest of Ray Jones, Pablo Ettinger and Talentbanq (their unique company) at their opening night for Live @ The Libra, the event they put on there every Tuesday. I reviewed that gig for Fresh on the Net. Ray and Pablo have been friends of mine for around seven years but it was only at the start of 2025 that Ray realised I am an active musician and not just a promoter, blogger, broadcaster and academic! So, although Talentbanq put on up to 5 gigs a night, as soon as he learned that we were supporting recent fresh faves Lost Chimes at their album launch, he made sure it was in his diary. Initially Ray was only intending staying for the soundcheck as he had other business to attend to but, once he saw and heard Lost Chimes soundchecking, in his own words, he thought ‘Holy F***’ and decided he had to see the whole gig!

If the opening night had been slightly modest in terms of audience numbers but had great sound and the second one had been packed but marred by problems with our sound, it was a case of all the ducks being in a row with The Libra. Helped by top notch sound engineer Daisy, a sold out and supportive crowd, the positivity of Ray and the Talentbanq team and, of course, the amazing support of our friends Gemma and Nicky aka Lost Chimes, everything went as perfectly as possible.

The sound was lovely. We played a 30 minute set of all newer material and had a total blast. Our lovely friends Sue and Tadj were in the audience and I sat with them afterwards to enjoy an absolutely stunning set by Lost Chimes. Sherry and Elena stayed as long as they could but had long journeys to make.

[The] Music Of Sound @ The Libra, Camden, London (taken from video by Sue Oreszcyn)

It was the third time I had seen Lost Chimes live (and the first time at a gig where I was not the promoter!). Now augmented by a drummer for the whole set and a violinist for the second half of it, they sounded better than ever. Gemma has an extraordinary voice with a gutsy traditional English Folk sensibility and so much expression. She is also a great storyteller and knows how to work a crowd. Nicky plays guitar at a level of intensity I do not think I could ever match. Even the easier bits are technically demanding. He sets himself such difficult parts to play but then makes them sound easy. The drummer was superbly supportive of the tunes and understated in his playing and the violinist was fantastic, blending a clear understanding of folk-oriented fiddle with a classical richness of tone and dynamic control. Having reviewed the album in the last edition of Trust The Doc, it was great to hear the tracks (and more) performed with such energy and commitment.

The night ended with a passionate speech from Ray and the feeling of the whole night having been a triumph. Great way to pass the halfway stage of our tour.

SHERRY: After the Hemel gig, we went to ICMP the next morning and had fun experimenting with some TikTok videos. After resting there for a while, we headed to Camden for the next show. The venue was lovely, cozy and intimate, perfect for performing. We met Ray again, who was very lively and brought great energy to the room. After our set, we watched Lost Chimes. They were amazing, and Gemma has a really enchanting voice. Although Ellie and I left a bit early, we still managed to catch half of their fantastic set.

ELENA: After many discussions about taking our social media in a new direction, me and Sherry had started to begin creating new content for our TikTok and Instagram pages. If you haven’t already, check out our social media pages for exciting content and updates of our news. This venue was amazing, they were so welcoming and had such an inviting atmosphere. It was also nice to see that they have a lot of engagement with local communities, such as theatre productions as well as music. The energy for this gig was amazing, thanks to our incredible audience and Lost Chimes. Unfortunately me and Sherry had to leave early, but Lost Chimes were fantastic and you should listen to their music if you haven’t already.

Lost Chimes @ The Libra, Camden, London

The Fiery Bird, Woking (Friday 11th July)

NEIL: The day got off to a highly civilised start when I accepted Sherry’s kind invitation to visit her flat in Basingstoke where she would cook one of her lovely South Indian lunches (which I have sampled on a number of past occasions). Sadly a GP appointment meant Elena couldn’t join us for lunch. But she will get the opportunity in the near future for sure.

We reached The Fiery Bird around 5.30PM and were greeted by singer and poet Elaine McGinty. It did not take long to realise that Elaine and her entire team are some of the nicest people in grassroots music. Sound Engineer Jake was first class and we were treated with such care and kindness by everyone. It is also a beautiful venue in an amazing building.

The gig got off to a stellar start. Sofia Gillani was 15 the last time I put her on at a live event (Contemporary Music Proms, 2022) and she blew us away then. Now 18, accompanied by her lovely dad Asif on guitar, she treated us to a set of diverse, soulful, expressive and imaginative original songs plus a couple of carefully selected covers including a surprise rendition of Oasis’s Don’t Look Back In Anger, a reminder that, when you have talent like Sofia’s, you can make almost anything your own. It was a stunning performance and it was lovely to catch up with her and Asif after so long.

Sofia Gillani @ The Fiery Bird, Woking

Our [The] Music Of Sound set followed and, thanks to the perfect sound and an appreciative audience, we had a great time. We even received an extra round of applause when we came off the stage after switching everything off. There were some amazing comments too. One young couple from Basingstoke bought our EP and told us this was the most uplifting music they had heard in an age! They were keen to explore our influences. That was one of several really inspiring comments from audience members. Elaine told us we were exactly what she had been hoping for when she booked us which was also a lovely comment. Needless to say, we will definitely be playing this wonderful venue again. Our good friend Ken Powell had told us, when we said we were playing there, that it was a great venue and Elaine was awesome. He was so right.

SHERRY: Woking is definitely my favourite gig from the tour. I really enjoyed the atmosphere and the whole complex where the venue is located has such a great vibe. The sound was amazing, which gave me the chance to really experiment and explore my potential on stage. Overall, I felt less nervous and more confident. The audience was very supportive and hyped us up throughout. Our support act, Sofia, with her unique voice, completely blew the audience away with her performance.

ELENA: Similarly to our other gigs, the Fiery Bird created such a welcoming atmosphere. At this point of the tour, you could feel our confidence as a band, and our stage presence was really becoming strong. In each stop of the tour, I tried to increase the energy of my stage presence and interaction with the audience, and thanks to the support of Sofia, the energy in the room was already flowing. As said by Neil, I can’t wait to hopefully come to perform in this venue again.

[The] Music Of Sound @ The Fiery Bird, Woking

The Prince Albert, Brighton (Wednesday 16th July)

NEIL:After a few days’ break to do other things, we reconvened for the final date of the tour (which happened to be my birthday!). After meeting at Clapham Junction, we headed to Brighton early, intending to dump our gear at the hotel and go looking for a nice spot to have lunch. But to our surprise, the rooms were ready an hour early so we were able to check in and leave our bags in our rooms first. We then found a small and reasonably priced restaurant called Hong Kong Siu Mei in the North Laines. The food was really good; better than I expected in fact. The service was also first class. I would very happily recommend it to anyone looking for relatively inexpensive food in Brighton.

The gig was fun. Will Moore, who gave us the gig, turned out to be a highly likeable and exuberant character who is also a drummer (and has played a lot with Punk/New Wave legend Wreckless Eric and others). We had a lot of fun chatting with him and look forward to more opportunities to sit down with Will and swap stories and insights. After a bit of a scare with the interface between the keyboard and the desk during soundcheck, sound engineer Oscar did a stellar job with the sound.

First up was Lynnie Snow and her band. They played an entertaining set of well-written songs. Their sound is quite varied; heavy in parts but also quite poppy too, veering between a punchy Post-Punk and synth-infused alt pop. The band looked and sounded like they really enjoyed playing together and their chemistry and contribution to the nuanced arrangements of the songs was clear. Energetic, melodic and topped off by Lynnie’s distinctive vocals and personality, this was a reminder of why they have achieved so much already at such young ages. I recently told Lynnie about Fresh on the Net so look out for her submitting new tracks in the future.

Lynnie Snow @ The Prince Albert, Brighton

Then it was time for Adam Kidd. Backed by most of his band Fragile Creatures, it was the first time Adam had performed his solo material live. He has enjoyed fresh faves success both with Fragile Creatures and as a solo artist. When he released his solo album Seven Years Of Bad Luck in 2023, it had been a decade in the making but, as he pointed out in relation to the song Cemetery Smile which had been written in response to comments by former Prime Minister Teresa May, some tracks seemed more relevant than ever given current goings on in the political world.

For me, the joy of seeing Adam perform these songs was in being reminded about how good they are. Songs with clever, often sardonic, lyrics include the daunting representation of paranoid misogyny in final track If I Can’t Have You. The set was packed with memorable tunes such as with Storm In A Cup and Idiom. Adam is an engaging, charismatic performer and his fellow musicians are accomplished and imaginative. But it is also clear that this is something distinct from Fragile Creatures, a band who I have seen play superb live sets on three occasions (twice as promoter). Tonight Adam gave us something unique and his band lovingly contributed to that achievement.

It was also lovely to have a proper chat with Adam’s dad Jerry, lead singer of one of my favourite bands Red Guitars. Jerry told me I am liberally quoted on their website for reviews I have written about them which is a wonderful privilege for me as such a long-time fan. He also bought me a birthday drink which was very kind. So too did singer-songwriter Alan Dreezer who I finally met in person for the first time. The second time will happen a lot quicker. It was a real pleasure to chat with Alan and it was wonderful to see and chat with other good friends and talented musicians Iain (Hello Midlands) and Ruth and Jim (Alien Alarms) and his friend Jo. I had no idea that Iain and Jim knew each other from way back when both were involved in the music scene in Nottingham. I love how music brings people together.

Last but definitely not least, it was amazing to see Steve Trigg, friend and ICMP colleague and the man who put on and promoted the opening night of our tour in Redhill. Steve was in Brighton for a presentation by Budgie (former Siouxsie & The Banshees drummer) and dropped by in time to see the whole of our live set.

So to our [The] Music Of Sound set. There was no question that five gigs in a week and a half does wonders for the band’s chemistry and confidence. Helped by great sound and a lovely, supportive audience, we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. We decided to drop the opener Only Make Believe and play the other nine tracks that have been in our set on the tour – You Lost Out, Love Me, This Longing Heart, When You’re Near, Second Light, Somewhere Only We Know, Never Let It Die, Butterfly Heart and Cold Weather Man. Then came the big surprise. First, Sherry led the audience in a rendition of Happy Birthday and then Ellie appeared with a birthday cake, complete with candles. It was a lovely and thoughtful surprise that rounded off one of the best and most memorable birthdays I have honestly ever had.

Incidentally, it had been the eighth anniversary of the first ever Music Of Sound gig. The original band was formed when I was invited to play the BBC Introducing Stage at Latitude in 2017 (also on my birthday). My current bandmates would still have been at school but the band has evolved through numerous line-ups from an avant-classical and industrial sextet to the Electro Dream Pop trio we are today. It has been a heck of a journey so far, including having had 14 different members and recorded for three different labels in that time, but we are a band in the true sense of the word now and this tour has been a measure of how far we have come and how much we love and believe in what we do. Words cannot describe how proud I am of Sherry and Ellie.

SHERRY: After the Woking gig, I felt much more confident on stage. The experience from the earlier shows really helped me relax and enjoy performing more. By the time we reached Brighton for the final night, I was excited and ready to give my best. The whole tour showed me how much we’ve grown as a band and how far we’ve come together. It was a proud moment to celebrate not just Neil’s birthday, but also everything we’ve achieved so far.

ELENA: Brighton was our bittersweet moment of the tour, an amazing gig but sadly our last stop. Playing in Brighton was a highlight of mine, I have only visited a few times but I love seeing its beach. It was a great moment too, as we got to celebrate Neil’s birthday. I’m proud of us as a band and feel that this tour has brought us together, as well as strengthening our musical spirit.

Adam Kidd @ The Prince Albert, Brighton

MOS: We have to mention that the morning after the final gig, we kept our promise to ourselves to leave our luggage and instruments at the hotel and head down to the beach. That was a very nice way to contemplate an amazing week and a half. Big thanks to everyone who came to any of the shows, all the wonderful people who helped us in various roles in all the venues and all the amazing artists who supported us or who we supported (in the case of Lost Chimes) and big thanks to Andrew Hartshorn and Monochrome Motif Records for coming up with the UK Roadtrip EP. We sold a decent number in the end and hope to shift a few more at the Brilliant Brent gig in October.

So, in no specific order, special thank yous to the following organisations and people who all made the tour possible: Redstart; Steve Trigg; The Oddfellows Arms; Brett Hulme; Talentbanq; Lost Chimes; The Libra; Elaine McGinty, Andy Edmonds, Phoenix Cultural Centre; The Fiery Bird Venue; Will Moore; The Prince Albert; Melita Dennett; Twivee; Izzii Grace; Red Shift; Sofia Gillani; Asif Gillani; Adam Kidd; Lynnie Snow; Andrew Hartshorn; Monochrome Motif Records; Andy Maclure; Paul F Cook and Sanuja (Sanu).

On the eve of the tour, Fresh on the Net published a lovely interview with [The] Music Of Sound by Del Osei-Owusu for his Tea, Biscuits And A Chat feature. Read it here.