Allison Crowe - Touring and Recording Activities

Touring and Recording Activities

Allison Crowe has toured across Canada and in the northeastern United States as headliner. Two one-hour television specials have been broadcast across Canada, with her Allison Crowe: Tidings special telecast each December since 2003.

In late 2005 she performed for the first time in western Europe, with concerts in Dublin, London, Munich, Frankfurt, Amsterdam and Paris.

In the Spring of 2006, Allison Crowe toured coast-to-coast in her homeland, covering most of the distance by Via Rail Canada train on the Rock'n'Rail Revue.

In October 2006, Allison Crowe released a new album, This Little Bird, which she began recording in February 2006 in her new home of Corner Brook. The album was completed some 6000 kilometres west, on Vancouver Island, and Salt Spring Island, British Columbia.

Following the release of This Little Bird, Allison Crowe visited England, Ireland, and Scotland on a concert tour. In 2007 Crowe's touring included a series of concerts across North America and a return to Europe where she performed to great acclaim at the John Lennon Northern Lights Festival in Durness, Scotland performing on a bill with Sir Peter Maxwell Davies, the Queen's Master of Music, and Carol Ann Duffy, Britain's Poet Laureate. The event was subsequently crowned the "UK's Best New Festival".

Piano, guitar and lead vocal tracks for two albums were recorded by Allison Crowe throughout 2007 and early 2008. One release, with the working title of Aquarius Rising, is anticipated to include expanded instrumentation and orchestration. In May 2008 Crowe released an eclectic, acoustic, song collection called Little Light.

In May 2009 she was prevented from performing in Edinburgh, Scotland and London, England after being turned away by UK Border Agency officials at Gatwick Airport for not having a "Certificate of Sponsorship". This requirement of a controversial new "anti-terrorism" and "illegal immigration" policy in the UK is not shared by countries of continental Europe and Crowe's tour with her band resumed days later in Germany. In response to widespread calls for reform, effective April 6, 2012 the UK government implemented a new route, called "Permitted Paid Engagements", which does away with a range of the controversial requirements and fees for artists and academics visiting the UK for under one month. In enacting this new legislation, Immigration Minister Damian Green stated: “We do not want to be discouraging world-class performers from coming . I am aware that this has been a sore point for some time and we are taking action".

Crowe's touring band, her first since 2003, comprises Billie Woods on guitar, Dave Baird on bass, and Laurent Boucher on percussion. This quartet has toured Canada's Pacific and Atlantic coasts, as well as continental Europe.

Following a string of successful concert performances in Germany, the Czech Republic, and Austria, Allison Crowe returned home to Canada and during the Summer of 2009 selected songs for a new album to be titled Spiral. Some of this collection comprises never-heard songs from Aquarius Rising (those for which orchestration was not found in 2007), along with new originals and cover songs. The album Spiral was released March 17, 2010.

In July 2011 Allison Crowe released a double-A-side single, featuring two songs: Arthur, a piano original; and Up to the Mountain (MLK Song), a guitar version of the Patty Griffin song.

In early 2012, Crowe reported her focus included two projects due for release in 2012/13: a ballet production, and a major motion picture.

In May 2012 Allison Crowe performed Hallelujah live on-stage with Canada's Royal Winnipeg Ballet (RWB) for the World Premiere of "The Doorway – Scenes from Leonard Cohen" - created and choreographed by Jorden Morris." On the RWB's November 2012 tour of "The Doorway", Crowe again performed on stage with the ballet company for Hallelujah along with Sisters of Mercy and Bird on the Wire.

Following a concert tour with dates in Belgium, Germany, and Italy, on November 25, 2012 Allison Crowe released her newest album, Tidings Concert.