Welcome back to the online world of Neal X and The Montecristos!
I’ve finally found the time and HTML skills to update the site and add a bunch of new stuff to The Montecristos Shop <https://themontecristos.co.uk/shop-2/> .
It’s my birthday tomorrow… I’m turning 65 this week and would have been slowing down and getting my pension had the UK GOV not changed all the rules but I have no plans to retire.
I’ve got to say 2025 has been a terrific year for me so far… I’ve written and recorded a song “I Love You More” with the brilliant Kathy Valentine from The Go-Go’s and we’ve played it live at gigs with the former Sex Pistol Glen Matlock in London and around…and released it as an extremely limited edition single of only 200 copies.
I’ve visited Marrakesh in Morocco for the first time. I’ve visited Australia for the first time with Marc Almond – and popped over to New Zealand to visit a dear old school friend while I was down under.
I’ve played a fab short UK tour with Glen Matlock in gorgeous spring sunshine! I played the opening two songs as special guest guitarist with The Waterboys at The Roundhouse in London. I’ve played at “ON THE BEACH” in Brighton with Marc Almond opening for The Human League in a typical English summer thunderstorm….
I’ve played some wild Rockabilly shows in Düsseldorf and Stoke with Vom off of Dr & the Medics and Phil Polecat – and ended the summer playing a fantastic short tour with STARCAT – Slim Jim Phantom, Phil Polecat and me…
It’s all been an absolute delight!
I’m looking forward to shows in Greece in October, interviewing old friend and former Clash drummer Terry Chimes at Electri-City in Düsseldorf late October, a short tour with The Loveless at Christmas, a special New Year’s Eve show in Norfolk… (more to come on that soon) and a trip to Japan with Marc Almond in early January.
The Loveless play Wembley (Arena not the stadium… but it’s still Wembley!) in April as special guests of The Damned – and look out for a warm up show or two ahead of that.
2026 will also finally see the release of “Dropping Like Butterflies” by Nina Antonia and The Lunar Moths – an album of Nina’s brilliant, evocative poetry set to music composed and recorded by Chris Musto and me – and mixed by the wonderful Mike Scott of The Waterboys. It’s a really special record that has taken forever to bring to fruition but we’re all really thrilled with the way it’s turned out and are looking forward to you being able to enjoy it with us.
I’ve been through the cupboards and have found a few items that I’ve added to The Montecristos store…
There’s a few copies of the STARCAT single – “Tiger Feet”/”Born To Rock ‘n’ Roll” 7″ vinyl single. It’s a limited edition of only 500 copies so grab one before they go. There are also a few A2 STARCAT posters and T-Shirts if you’re quick! There’s a box of 20 signed KVNX – “I Love You More” singles.
I’ve also found a box of The Montecristos “Born to Rock ‘n’ Roll” T-Shirts in all sizes… Check it out if you want one.
<https://themontecristos.co.uk/shop-2/>
Thanks for the ongoing love and support!
Neal X
September 2025
News
2020
Well 2020 has been a cataclysmic year for us all so far! The entire planet seems to be in lockdown and no-one knows what the outcome will be.
We hope you’re all safe and well wherever you are.
In these troubled times Rock ‘n’ Roll might seem trite and inconsequential – but I firmly believe that music is as important as ever.
It still has the power to comfort, thrill, excite and inspire us like nothing else – and we need all of that to get us through.
We’ll be recording and releasing new music soon – hopefully some of you will find it helps you through….
I’ve been greatly inspired by this passage by the wonderful Indian author Arundhati Roy.
“Whatever it is, Coronavirus has made the mighty kneel and brought the world to a halt like nothing else could. Our minds are still racing back and forth, longing for a return to “normality”, trying to stitch our future to our past and refusing to acknowledge the rupture. But the rupture exists. And in the midst of this terrible despair, it offers us a chance to rethink the doomsday machine we have built for ourselves. Nothing could be worse than a return to normality. Historically, pandemics have forced humans to break with the past and imagine their world anew. This one is no different. It is a portal, a gateway between one world and the next. We can choose to walk through it, dragging the carcasses of our prejudice and hatred, our avarice, our data banks and dead ideas, our dead rivers and smoky skies behind us. Or we can walk through lightly, with little luggage, ready to imagine another world. And ready to fight for it.”
Let’s hope so.
Much love and best wishes to you all
Neal X 2020
