Last night saw the end of the second Ragged Kingdom tour in the beautiful old theatre in Treorchy, South Wales. Thanks to all the fans who came along to wish me well, I was very touched by the depth of feeling and all the wonderful presents. It was an emotional night for many of us.

This has been, for me, one of the best tours ever. It is, of course, also the end of an era.

It is now time to part company with the band I have played in for so many years. I have so many good memories clamouring for attention, of the fans and audiences we connected with, the companionship and the creative times we had together on stage and in the studio, the friends, promoters, crew, the hotels, the ferries, planes, the hospitality, the dressing rooms, the dinners and all the refreshments we enjoyed so much. It has been an incredible ride, touring in 23 countries, over 2000 shows, 100s of festivals and recording more than a dozen albums.

It has been a great band to be a part of, but now I find that I don’t want to be a part of any band any longer. I need to take a different path and try and make a new career as a singer on my own. Oysterband have already started work on a new album, it is a band that never stands still.

All I have to say to the band and the wonderful Oyster fans is a very, very big thank you.

Ray