Martin Harley's 'Blues Gone Green' Tour
The traditional image of touring is one of lumbering coaches, changing hotel rooms and miles on the motorway, a carefully orchestrated movement of artists and entourage with an often sizeable carbon footprint. However an increasing number of musicians are eschewing this approach, contemplating their environmental impact and finding new ways to connect with their audience.
Martin Harley is such a person. Front man for the blues/roots group The Martin Harley Band, the innovative musican has recently completed a solo tour of the UK using nothing but his trusty bicycle 'Big Dummy', on a journey that took him from Newcastle to Cornwall in just under a month. The 'Blues Gone Green' tour was designed to promote Sustrans' National Cycle Network, which celebrated its 15th anniversary this year, and to highlight the wealth of beautiful outdoor pathways available for both commuting and recreational use in the UK.
Carrying all his own equipment, Martin spent the month biking between a diverse set of venues, playing in locations ranging from small community halls to the enormous Bestival on the Isle of Wight. The total tour covered 1,200 miles and 27 shows, all the while barely emitting a whiff of CO2. We at Julie's Bicycle would like to offer Martin our congratulations on his success, and are excited to record another positive example of a musician actively addressing his environmental impact while drawing attention to the outstanding cycle routes in this country.
To read Martin's blog and watch videos from the tour, please visit the Blues Gone Green website
Click here to read our research into the environmental impacts of touring
