and...........Rolling!

Been in a recording studio the other night. We played six songs, quite a few times, with quite a few cock ups, but it all ended up sounding pretty much ok. We were all wired up to headphones and mikes-me in the mixing room, rich the singer in the passageway and rich and roland (drums and bass) in the main rehearsal room, a whole new experience for me and very differant to playing live.

Pictured is three of the band plus steve the technician who did a brilliant job. Unfortunately Roland the bass thing had to leave so didn't get in the photo.

I had had visions of some posh steel and glass pad for a studio, it was actually quite a murky, dingy place tucked in an industrial complex and surrounded by a car park full of wrecks! Inside it was quite small and cramped, but the sound played back at the end of the night was amazing and made up for any lack of luxury!! ">Link

There's a ghost in my house...

...and she is a happy ghost and a warm ghost, as I've managed to light the Aga, after only six years! It took alot of fiddling, opening and closing vents, aswell as filling the house with smoke at one point, but now the kitchen is toasting hot. It feels like a proper Victorian house now, smelling of coal and soot... Hey El! this may amuse you, I'm booked onto a dance training session for my special needs teaching. It's really for health and safety reasons, don't know if they'll teach me the right way to pogo or samba, but I bet that I'll.. "look good on the dance floor, dancing to electro pop like a robot in 1984..." Me and me two left feet. Awwww! ">Link

Annus Fantasticus

Happy birthday! ...my blog spot is one year old. Its actually about one year and one week old, but I've only just realised. I do forget the birthdays of most close to me so it's quite fitting really... (It was also the donkey tamers birthday last week, which I remembered two days late!)

Maybe this year I will get my five string bass built and achieve all those things I wanted to achieve. So glad I joined Alberts Kitchen, that's one objective fulfilled-to get back into playing live music, despite the nerves.

I suppose this is turning into abit of a reflective,a review of the year! What else have I achieved while Im thinking about it?...Lets have some bullet points!

• The Chinese project was a resounding success. (I'm seriously considering teacher training soon so I can get into special needs teaching properly).
• Tucking my trousers in me socks was a highlight.
• Drama workshops have been good for me as I have no acting skills whatsoever. (I'm even booked in to a dance workshop in March. I can hear the guffaws reverberating around the cosmos even now).
• Learning how to use the bulletted list function on blogger dashboard...

Enough of this, lets have a birthday picture. Here's Lucy and Millie.......

A grand day out

Wow, what a night! We played our second gig tonight at "the last drop", a pleasant pub out towards Sutton in Ashfield. It was a much better event than the previous one at the Black Market. We played two sets very confidently, even getting applause! I road tested my brand new Fender Acoustasonic amplifier, which sounds amazing. It almost looks like its in someones front room! Big thankyou to El for all the technical advice and support.... I'm still suffering from feedback problems, but getting them sorted bit by bit. My twelve string mandolin sounds wonderful through it. The catering manager, (a top bloke called chocko) even gave me a bottle of whiskey after the gig as a thankyou, as well as paying us all.

Picture below is Richard "bigfoot" in the rain, at the end and Moi, taken between sets on my camera phone, just to prove I was there! ">Link

Slinging rocks at the riptide...

We have another gig lined up. Thursday at 'the last drop', a newly opened pub in Sutton in Ashfield. I know its not very rock and roll but I've realised I play so much better when I'm sat down. Maybe I should wear my cowboy hat (I have one!) and sit on a crate, for maximum theatrical effect? Anyway, seems this is quite a good gig, free food, payment for playing and experience. I must try to not get so nervous as the last time!

The picture is of my wellies. They were attached to my feet, in the dark, in my glasshouse at the time (tonight). I'm already planning this years planting scheme, if I get time in between rehearsals and... oh yeah, work! Shit!

So good to speak my tamer this afternoon, after a long, long, long time...

So good to hear your voice....