My name is David Robinson, although I perform music under the name The Cold Heart Revue. My interest in music began as a nine-year-old boy. There was an extra-curricular course that my primary school ran that was hosted by visiting American harmonica hero Johnny Mars. He gave me my first musical instrument; a harmonica in a red box that was adorned with his name. He was a wonderful teacher and knew exactly how to unlock the door to let music into our minds. I grew up in Portsmouth in the UK and Johnny was the first real musician that I had met. He gave me the inspiration to make music my life. I grew up and attended music colleges in Liverpool and London. The guitar is my main instrument, but I always keep a harmonica handy at every recording or performance. Before the pandemic I once opened for the band Madness at a football stadium in Portsmouth. My compositions Hope and Magazine and (You’re A) Picture On A Wall reached No#1 on the iTunes Blues Singles chart,
COLD HEART REVUE Royal Variety Performance By David Robinson and I regularly played my music at festivals, concerts and gigs with the intention of refining and learning from other, more experienced, musicians. The pandemic hit me, and every other person in the arts, hard. It was right that our health be protected, but my income was reduced to nothing. There are no reserves of help for musicians. There is rarely enough to cover the present moment, never mind a net that will relieve you under additional pressure. After receiving many rejections for help, I reached out to the Royal Variety Charity and received a one-off monetary grant. It reminded me that a tiny amount of respite is of real importance when your environment is hard.
