Mike Silver

Subject: MIKE WOWS SOUTHPORT!

Email: jean@pownceby.fsnet.co.uk

Message: Mike's appearance at the famous Bothy Folk Club in this north-west town was a winner from start to finish. He's played the Bothy many times before and there was an eagerness in the club room tonight, almost 3 years since he'd last been in town. That anticipation was rewarded with an acoustic glow of a performance - songs of real substance, put over in heartfelt, everyday language - the Mike Silver stock-in-trade in fact.
Elusive romance, wry reflections on the commonplace and acerbic observations on the wrongs in this troubled world of ours are all grist to this songwriter's mill.
When it all comes together so perfectly as on the shimmering 'Certain Something' the two-way empathy is palpable and if encores could go on and on, the cows would've been home before us!
A speedy return then Mike, we're missing you already, but as the MC so aptly said at the end of the evening "It's just goodnight, it's not goodbye." Where would you rather be tonight? An answer isn't necessary!

- Clive Pownceby

Bob Harris quote after he played Not A Matter of Pride on BBC Radio 2 Saturday 12th July:

It is a really lovely song isn’t it and what a story this is? This is Mike Silver. and for thirty years he’s been a hidden gem, well now the secret is out, we’ve discovered him and at last people are hearing Mike Silver’s music. This new album is called Solid Silver, it’s on Demon records and that track is called: Not a Matter of Pride.

- BBC Radio

This is what Jasper Carrot wrote for us when we asked him for a quote:
Quite simply Mike Silver is an outstanding singer and songwriter and his guitar accompaniments are among the best I have heard. I have all of his albums; I actually paid for one of them. Yes! He is that good!
- Jasper Carrot

Live performance: THE 25th GLENFARG FOLK FEAST
19th April

Saturday night’s audience was treated to the delights of a long-standing friend of the Glenfarg Village Folk Club, Mike Silver. Over the years Mike has played the club on many, many occasions and remains as popular as ever. This was the first time he had topped the bill and he did not disappoint. Mike fully relaxed into what was to become one of those special nights where singer and audience entertain one another. Mike invited the Glenfarg crowd to sing “Down South with him and he was visibly taken aback by the wave of harmonies that swept up from the darkness as he started the first chorus. He went on to share wonderful self-penned songs like “Pretoria and “Not a Matter of Pride accompanied by an audience that could be mistaken for the Glenfarg mixed voice choir. A medley of “Fly Me to The Moon" and “Unchained Melody" as an encore just sent the hairs on the back of the neck into spasms. It was tremendous stuff.

Mike Silver has the ability to send an audience home with that satisfied glow of having been part of a magical and wonderful evening of entertainment. Festival organisers everywhere, as they sit down at their meetings to plan next year’s events, would be well advised to add the name of ‘Silver’ to the list of potential guests.

- Glenfarg Committee

Extracts from a letter from one of Mike’s many German fans
Uwe, on January, 4th in 2004

Dear Mike,
To keep my promise and because of wanting it from my heart I like to tell you something about your singing and playing at my birthday-party. But ahead of that please excuse the way I use the English language. I’ll try to do my very best, but I surely cannot keep from making mistakes. And that under the eyes of a man you loves his language like many other famous poets. Please have mercy with me.
First I want you to know about the several reactions of my guests about you. There was a young man called Axel (an excellent hobby-piano man and bass-guitarist with whom I made a lot of music in the past) who came to me after your concert. He said that he’s ashamed that he requested you to sing some songs like “You Got A Friend��?, because during your gig he realized what kind of fine musician he’d seen and listen. So now I take this occasion to permit you his pardon and admiration. On holy night he listened to your music from CD together with the whole family.
There was a 10 year old child called Felix (a son of a fellow student and friend of my wife) who grew up in a home only with classical music and a little bit of big band styles. His mother told me, that he was so amazed during your singing, that he couldn’t take his eyes from you. After finish he asked his mother: “Das war ein richtig großer Musiker, stimmt’s?��? (This was a really great musician, wasn’t he?) And she answered to him that he is right. She called me a few days later on the phone to say that she is still enchanted of this heartfelt evening.
There is a very fine church organist and virtuous pianist called Peter, who bought all of your records he can get. He will use some of your lyrics and songs in some special divine services. His wife tells everybody she meets about that evening.
There’s an old girl friend of mine called Andrea (a very professional Viola player at several famous orchestras in and around cologne) who has a little child she sent home with her husband before you started singing. During the first three songs she tried hard to find someone with a mobile telephone. After she got one she called her husband: “You must have to come here immediately! Here’s happening something marvellous. There’s someone on stage. You look at him and listen to him and you’re lucky from heart”
There’s my colleague Andreas (a hip-hop fan and lover of endless disco-nights and raving the whole time through) who bought CD’s from you. I never expected that. To me it’s just a little bit of miracle.
There’s the wife of a very good friend at school times called Steffi, who wasn’t able to speak to me after the end of the concert. She only looked at me with wide-opened eyes. A few weeks later I heard from her husband, that this evening was some kind of revelation to her. She found deep interest in discovering music of the singer/songwriter style.
There’s my first true love called Ute, who guided me to the first time I saw you in Lüdenscheid. She needed over half an hour to realize, that you are here in Gummersbach. She was so thankful that the birthday surprise was a full success. She was never able to imagine to see such famous musicians playing on “my day”
There are so many positive reactions too I don’t want to add here. But the reason to them is always the same. You turned on a light in their hearts and minds. Not more and not less. But it’s the greatest gift a human being can use.
Please don’t forget this in all kind of good and bad times you’ll walk through.
And now: thank you, thank you, thank you for all good things you’ve done to people wherever they are and first of all you’ve done to this crazy guy from Gummersbach called Uwe
- Uwe