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Cut, cut, snip, snip - something is stirring in Sunny Colch and it won’t leave you short on cultural enlightenment. Johnno Casson - for he is Mr Snippet - is starting to be talked about, all in a nice way of course, which reflects the very nice chap that makes up Mr Snippet.

I first came across Johnno @15QueenStreet. Previously unknown to most in the building, he revealed a Colchester back story going back seven years or so, and how he came to North Essex to find a decent way of life. It seems that Snippet has been busy working away behind the scenes, building up a considerable song base, and is now ready to share his love of all things Essex around the area.

Performances at Slack Space and a live spot on Radio Wivenhoe have followed. Building up his support from the base up, the next stage in Snippet’s meet ‘n greet to the great Colchester public is to play a series of pop up gigs.

Saturday afternoon saw the one man and his guitar entering Revolver Retro along Sir Isaacs Walk, and playing a short set to entertain the shoppers and supporters. This was the busiest shopping afternoon of the year. The Christmas scramble for jumpers and socks was put aside as Snippet strummed out three numbers and created a collective smile.

Awwwww…

A cover of Kate Bush’ Running Up That Hill was a great opener. Dear old Kate probably didn’t have in mind a lovable bloke matching her note for note in a Sunny Colch clothing shop when she first penned her ode to relationship role swapping. Having an adopted Essex son singing about the role reversal just about worked.

But this was no stand-alone headline performance, bye-bye and please buy my T-shirt at the back of the hall style show. Saturday afternoon shoppers were welcomed in and encouraged to spend. Most stood in their tracks and listened to Snippet, although the sound of the tills can thankfully still be heard in the recordings made.

Cash from comfortable, organised and ever so slight chaos.

This is Essex is Snippet’s crowning glory to date. It is HIS story - the boy that went on holiday to Jaywick and then came back an Essex Man via Hackney. It is also the song for Sunny Colch, celebrating all that is great around these North East Essex parts.

It is starting to create quite a local buzz, with the hyperlocal angle to the liking of local media. The single is released early in 2012 and it should help to further promote Snippet from garden shed strummer to a treasure on the Sunny Colch circuit.

Fifteen minutes or so since the first welcome of HELLO REVOLVER RETRO! …and Snippet walked around the shop and personally thanked all that had come out to support, planned or random onlookers. It certainly beats the Now! Christmas albums that characterise some shops this time of year.

Now That’s What I Call A Colchester Man!

etc…

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