It'll be a bit briefer this week, as I'm writing this between the soundcheck and performance with the covers band today. Yes, it's Sunday and it's a 60th Birthday party in a golf club, which can only mean one thing...it'll be too loud.
Just the one gig this week which was the old faithful Doctor Wu's on Tuesday the 23rd. This in itself nearly didn't happen due to a power cut, and having driven there in the snow it was beginning to look like one of those days....
Fortunately power was restored and though mysteriously the light in the room never seemed to quite return to normal, I was able to play and mingle.
I got 3 songs this time, 'Your Shadow', 'The Prisoner' and a cover-'You Got To Hide Your Love Away'. There wasn't much of a listening contingent this week, but it went off fine. 'The Prisoner' is a song that hasn't quite bedded in so far, and this was it's best airing yet.
Away from the gigging scene, there's been a major development:
CHECK OUT THIS MYSPACE PAGE
Here you will find details of a new movie based on the autobiographical novel 'Addict', by Steven Smith. There's full details on there, and also on Carol Douglas' page
Basically the song you can hear playing 'Money From The Satisfied Man' is written by me and Carol, and will feature on my forthcoming album. The song lyrically was inspired by the said book, and Carol had the ingenuity to contact the author, who it turns out is a big fan of the song.
We can only hope that the song makes it that far, and that this stage nothing is certain, but Steven wants full control over the film and if you read his blurb you will see it says the song will appear 'by hook or by crook'. It's all rather exciting....
The version you can hear is only the original rough demo, but the fuller version will be with us shortly, watch this space....
THE PRS
I guess if I achieve a worldwide smash hit in a movie, the PRS might even let me join. Like most things in life, I get the feeling they are becoming squeezed and as the music industry of old forever contracts I wonder just what will remain in another few years time.
MIKA
Thank heavens for talent coming to the surface in the face of all this..... I have to say I love the new 'Mika' song. After first hearing him on Jools Holland before Christmas, I was uncertain as to what I felt was the over-use of falcetto. Perhaps its a normal reaction to be a little uncertain over someone who takes things a little further.
I think it's wonderful to hear something different, and only time will tell if the rest of the album measures up. My main reason for saying all this is that he is clearly influenced by Queen. The middle section is very Queen, and its about time too!!
BOBBY
My other great passion apart from music is the real life 'who dunnits', in particular the Kennedy assassinations. I have bored many a person over the years with my conspiracy theories first triggered (forgive the pun) by watching the JFK movie back in the 90's.
So naturally I had to see the new Anthony Hopkins film Bobby which was released on Friday. It's not a conspiracy film, but paints of wonderful picture of the era and the atmosphere leading directly up to the lesser known shooting. If the aim of the film was to make you think 'what if...' then it certainly got me thinking again. Anyone who cares about the state of the world today should go and see it. Quickly.
THIS WEEK....
A busy week ahead, with open mic slots at O'Donoghue's, Wakefield on Monday 29th and The Ship, Briggate Leeds on Tuesday 30th. On Thursday 1st February there will be a booked 30 minute slot at The Old Police Station at Chapel Allerton and then on Sunday 4th my first full set show of the year at the New Inn, Barwick-in-Elmet. The latter is one of the nicer parts of Leeds (!!) and will feature covers as well as originals. It's a lovely venue so it should be a good night.
Sunday, January 28, 2007
Sunday, January 21, 2007
This week it was a case of 2 out of 4 ain't bad. That's got nothing to do with Meatloaf (thank God) but of course the tremendously exciting gig situation....
Monday 15th: I had finally got around to trying out Carpe Diem's Open Mic night in Leeds, having had a reasonably succesful trip the year before. I knew that the promotion had changed hands to a more hip-hop orientated crowd. Well, on arrival, it was certainly busier....
The hip-hop jam was in full-flow (an early start?), and so not feeling entirely comfortable with the crowd I waited to see what developed. Eventually the open mic acoustic did begin and, given that there was a fari-sized audience, I decided to hold on for a while. Only then did I discover that it was too late to put my name down, as they were fully booked!
At the moment the jury is out on whether to bother going back, it felt more like a school disco than a gig, but we shall see.....
Tuesday 16th: It is after nights like Monday that you realise how well Doctor Wu's go about things. Ok, so the occasional transvestite throws a glass across the bar, but you have to take the very rough with the smooth.
Of course this time I did get to play! I went on later than normal, and this proved to be an advantage, as CD sales were helped a little by the increase in beer consumption. I played 'Your Shadow' (my live favourite), 'I Won't Back Down' (Tom Petty but in the Pearl Jam mould-a late but succesful inclusion), 'Whiskey Coloured World' and 'Life' (much better this time!).
The addition of a booked act (who were excellent), gives the night more of a gig-feel, and more focus. Indeed I will be the said act on Tuesday 20th February. I have a slight concern over how late they went on, but the policy of giving everyone a fair crack and a fair set length definetly works.
Wednesday 17th: My first 2007 appearance at the Grove. It was the usual atmosphere, and went very well. I played '7 Shades' and 'Old Wishing Well'. The same 2 tracks as on my last visit the previous month. The former went down even better than on it's debut, it really is a song I like doing.
Thursday 18th: I was supposed to be playing at the Black Swan in York. But given the uncertain weather I decided to give it a miss. I'd had a meeting with a publisher earlier in the day, so it wasn't completely wasted. The latter concerns a deal recently signed for a song called 'Ain't No Doubt', which I wrote with Chris Breen and Andy McNeil. It's in the r&b genre and is very commercial. I also think we've finally found a publisher that actually pitches songs, perhaps someone should suggest this at the MIDEM conference as a revolutionary approach to music publishing.
Friday 19th: My current standing on 'Pure' songwriting (ie, those I don't perform myself) is a little ambiguous. I'm enjoying so much at the moment the freedom and rewards of being a DIY singer-songwriter-record label-producer-tea maker that I could quite happily stay away from the world of publishers and cover-releases for the time being.
However, the past 24 hours reminded me of the amount of hard work that I had put into this area in the past. I had a call from a company called Acapella Heaven, who about 18 months ago seemed set to release a version of 'Summer Love'. The call was to inform me of a new mix of a different song, which was submitted at the same time. It reminded me of the importance of stsying patient-there may after all be something promising to come this time. After all, it took seven years in total for 'More Than The Need' to surface.
Speaking of the latter, that too has re-appeared. After the original single release of my charity song by TalentStar 2005, the song has recently been re-released on an album by the same people. It is the final track (#17) and can be bought here.
Swings and roundabouts I suppose....
This week it's Doctor Wu's on Tuesday the 23rd, and then possibly The Albert in Huddersfield on Thursday the 25th. Please check my myspace page for confirmed gig details.
Monday 15th: I had finally got around to trying out Carpe Diem's Open Mic night in Leeds, having had a reasonably succesful trip the year before. I knew that the promotion had changed hands to a more hip-hop orientated crowd. Well, on arrival, it was certainly busier....
The hip-hop jam was in full-flow (an early start?), and so not feeling entirely comfortable with the crowd I waited to see what developed. Eventually the open mic acoustic did begin and, given that there was a fari-sized audience, I decided to hold on for a while. Only then did I discover that it was too late to put my name down, as they were fully booked!
At the moment the jury is out on whether to bother going back, it felt more like a school disco than a gig, but we shall see.....
Tuesday 16th: It is after nights like Monday that you realise how well Doctor Wu's go about things. Ok, so the occasional transvestite throws a glass across the bar, but you have to take the very rough with the smooth.
Of course this time I did get to play! I went on later than normal, and this proved to be an advantage, as CD sales were helped a little by the increase in beer consumption. I played 'Your Shadow' (my live favourite), 'I Won't Back Down' (Tom Petty but in the Pearl Jam mould-a late but succesful inclusion), 'Whiskey Coloured World' and 'Life' (much better this time!).
The addition of a booked act (who were excellent), gives the night more of a gig-feel, and more focus. Indeed I will be the said act on Tuesday 20th February. I have a slight concern over how late they went on, but the policy of giving everyone a fair crack and a fair set length definetly works.
Wednesday 17th: My first 2007 appearance at the Grove. It was the usual atmosphere, and went very well. I played '7 Shades' and 'Old Wishing Well'. The same 2 tracks as on my last visit the previous month. The former went down even better than on it's debut, it really is a song I like doing.
Thursday 18th: I was supposed to be playing at the Black Swan in York. But given the uncertain weather I decided to give it a miss. I'd had a meeting with a publisher earlier in the day, so it wasn't completely wasted. The latter concerns a deal recently signed for a song called 'Ain't No Doubt', which I wrote with Chris Breen and Andy McNeil. It's in the r&b genre and is very commercial. I also think we've finally found a publisher that actually pitches songs, perhaps someone should suggest this at the MIDEM conference as a revolutionary approach to music publishing.
Friday 19th: My current standing on 'Pure' songwriting (ie, those I don't perform myself) is a little ambiguous. I'm enjoying so much at the moment the freedom and rewards of being a DIY singer-songwriter-record label-producer-tea maker that I could quite happily stay away from the world of publishers and cover-releases for the time being.
However, the past 24 hours reminded me of the amount of hard work that I had put into this area in the past. I had a call from a company called Acapella Heaven, who about 18 months ago seemed set to release a version of 'Summer Love'. The call was to inform me of a new mix of a different song, which was submitted at the same time. It reminded me of the importance of stsying patient-there may after all be something promising to come this time. After all, it took seven years in total for 'More Than The Need' to surface.
Speaking of the latter, that too has re-appeared. After the original single release of my charity song by TalentStar 2005, the song has recently been re-released on an album by the same people. It is the final track (#17) and can be bought here.
Swings and roundabouts I suppose....
This week it's Doctor Wu's on Tuesday the 23rd, and then possibly The Albert in Huddersfield on Thursday the 25th. Please check my myspace page for confirmed gig details.
Sunday, January 14, 2007
OK, the first full proper week of the year is over, and it already seems to be going quicker than last year...
Continuing in the day-by-day format:
MONDAY 8TH JANUARY: No gig today, so I decided to do a bit of web promotion, which is still a vital part of things alongside the live promotion. To this end I've joined a new upload site, similar to the others, but a different one nevertheless. These sites won't be much use to people who've seen me on the likes of soundclick, myspace etc... but the aim is to continually expand and find new listeners.
The site is www.7161.com and my page can be found here. The longhand version of that link is http://www.7161.com/~Paul_Jeffery
I've uploaded six tracks, and if you go to the homepage for 'rock/metal/indie' you can link straight to the tracks from the 'recently uploaded' list on the front page.
TUESDAY JAN 9TH: Gig at Doctor Wu's, the first of probably many there this year. I was expecting a quiet night but it turned out pretty well and busier than I thought. It's arguably still my favourite gig at the moment, and the more I get to know people there the more I can get out of it. I played four songs: 'Old Wishing Well', 'Whiskey Coloured World', 'Young, Lost and Hopeful' and a cover: 'I Guess Thats Why They Call It The Blues'.
Of those 'Young, Lost' is actually the first time in ages I've performed it live. And it ought to be played more often, because I think it's one of the strongest tracks. The cover received special comment from someone in the audience who approached me afterwards to say it was one of his favourite songs. You wouldn't expect anyone in there to really dig that kind of song, but it just goes to show you should never judge.....
WEDNESDAY JAN 10TH: Gig at The Pump Room in Halifax, hosted by Al Dickinson. I first spoke to Al on the phone just before Christmas. He talked more sense about music and gigging than most people do in a month. So I was very happy to be there on Wednesday night. Al really does have a fantastic voice and playing style, really thick, rhythmic acoustic guitar and gravelly voice.
I played 'These Eyes Of Mine' and 'Whiskey Coloured World' and then broke the ice a little with a cover of the Kinks 'Sunny Afternoon'. Later in the evening there was a group 'jam' which saw me take the lead on 'Freefallin' in the company of about 5 other acoustic guitars-it sounded just like The Travelling Wilburys!!
The night is not as well-established as the Leeds ones I do, it's only been running a few months. I found the pub had more of a provincial feel to it, but the hardcore regular players were really nice people. And there was a special highlight, almost worth turning up for alone, which was a guy's version of 'Golden Brown' by The Stranglers.....except for Golden read Gordon!!!
It was brilliant, a piece of satire in deepest Halifax. The words were adapted and included such gems as 'Gordon Brown, wants Tony's job/'Gordon Brown, bit of a nob'/
Sorry, that's the only one I can remember. I can't say I'm as anti-Brown as some seem to be getting, but it was hilarious nonetheless. I wonder what Rory Bremner would have made of it......
The Pump Room does it's bit for racial equality.
Inside the venue, Al Dickinson is pictured left, here in full flow.
THURSDAY JANUARY 11TH: This was my first 'proper' gig of the year. A half hour slot at The Primrose, opening the night. I have to say this was my favourite night of the week. A half-hour set leaves a bit more time to warm up and pace the set and the audience. The sound was big and full (the best so far) and I was able to rock out to an audience that listened and appreciated. I can't say the Primrose will ever be a great venue, but it proved it can be pretty solid this week.
For the record, the set was 'These Eyes', 'Your Shadow', 'Even', 'Young, Lost and Hopeful', 'Old Wishing Well', 'Whiskey Coloured World', 'Cold Cold Day' and 'Rocket Man' to finish.
Of these I'm taking a real fancy to 'Your Shadow', it's going down very well pre-release. 'These Eyes' was good too, and the last song never seems to fail to get people's attention.
All in all a pretty good night, and I'm hopeful of another such slot in March or thereabouts.
Arkwright's till is now housed at The Primrose.
Bad Manners and P Diddy in shock collaboration.
FRIDAY 12TH JANUARY: The final show of the week tested my versatility to the extreme. It was at the hard-to-find Ukranian Club in Keighley, home to the Baccapipes Folk Club.
As I mentioned last week at Otley, I'm experimenting with folk clubs at the moment. The idea is that as a 'mature' singer songwriter I can get an audience that listens, and in these cases, joins in!
It has to be said 'gig' is pushing it a bit here. The club meet downstairs in a small room rather like a kitchen, and everyone sits round in a circle and takes it in turns to play or sing a song from their seated position.
Needless to say, having been the oldest there the night before, I was suddenly one of the youngest. From stiff to rebel in 24 hours....versatility, yes, but why do I never fit in????
Let's just say if the room had been more open plan, I might well have dived for the exit. But after a bottle of Taylor's Landlord (Ukranian strength) I took the step of staying and playing. As the singers set off, with renditions of folk songs from a bygone age, I was even more un-nerved by everyone joining in, treating the songs like old friends.
When it came to me, I was rather nervous it has to be said. So I took the plunge and played '7 Shades of Grey'. To my relief it was 'accepted' and of course everyone joined in on the choruses, it was almost like they'd heard the song before....
Later I was asked to play 2 more songs, so out came a debut of 'Chains Around My Heart' (a potential folk hit I think) and 'Reminders', which was plucked from my memory at the last minute-I haven't played that song live for over 3 years.
So I had walked the walk, I had a similar feeling to when I played with Desire at Jilly's Rockworld in '99, except that this time I was the long-haired rocker.....
I think folk clubs are as a big a culture shock as Working Men's Clubs, but at least the average brain cell count is slightly higher. It was good to see Tim Moon again, who joined in with a great slide solo in 'Chains', all improvised of course.
Having said all this, I know I'll have to re-think my folk club strategy. So far this year, they are the only 2 gigs at which I haven't sold any CDs. They simply aren't open to my type of music, which I don't suppose they ever said they wanted to be. Nice people, but I get the feeling deep down they would be glad if I didn't darken their doors again....and the cliqueiness is a problem, not something I care to be part of.
So, a bizarre way to end the week. Indeed one of the most bizarre gigs I've ever done, and that's really saying something. I think my scatter-gun approach to bookings needs refining a bit!
Christmas lasts longer in the Ukraine. Babushka prepares to exit.
"Welcome Folkies, what's your poison?"
THIS WEEK:
Monday January 15th: Capre Diem, Leeds. My return to this central Leeds venue.
Tuesday January 16th: Doctor Wu's, Leeds. If it's half as good as last week then last week was twice as good.
Wednesday January 17th:The Grove, Leeds. My first 'unplugged Leeds' night of '07.
Thursday January 18th:The Black Swan, Peasholme, nr York. Open night.
Amen.
Continuing in the day-by-day format:
MONDAY 8TH JANUARY: No gig today, so I decided to do a bit of web promotion, which is still a vital part of things alongside the live promotion. To this end I've joined a new upload site, similar to the others, but a different one nevertheless. These sites won't be much use to people who've seen me on the likes of soundclick, myspace etc... but the aim is to continually expand and find new listeners.
The site is www.7161.com and my page can be found here. The longhand version of that link is http://www.7161.com/~Paul_Jeffery
I've uploaded six tracks, and if you go to the homepage for 'rock/metal/indie' you can link straight to the tracks from the 'recently uploaded' list on the front page.
TUESDAY JAN 9TH: Gig at Doctor Wu's, the first of probably many there this year. I was expecting a quiet night but it turned out pretty well and busier than I thought. It's arguably still my favourite gig at the moment, and the more I get to know people there the more I can get out of it. I played four songs: 'Old Wishing Well', 'Whiskey Coloured World', 'Young, Lost and Hopeful' and a cover: 'I Guess Thats Why They Call It The Blues'.
Of those 'Young, Lost' is actually the first time in ages I've performed it live. And it ought to be played more often, because I think it's one of the strongest tracks. The cover received special comment from someone in the audience who approached me afterwards to say it was one of his favourite songs. You wouldn't expect anyone in there to really dig that kind of song, but it just goes to show you should never judge.....
WEDNESDAY JAN 10TH: Gig at The Pump Room in Halifax, hosted by Al Dickinson. I first spoke to Al on the phone just before Christmas. He talked more sense about music and gigging than most people do in a month. So I was very happy to be there on Wednesday night. Al really does have a fantastic voice and playing style, really thick, rhythmic acoustic guitar and gravelly voice.
I played 'These Eyes Of Mine' and 'Whiskey Coloured World' and then broke the ice a little with a cover of the Kinks 'Sunny Afternoon'. Later in the evening there was a group 'jam' which saw me take the lead on 'Freefallin' in the company of about 5 other acoustic guitars-it sounded just like The Travelling Wilburys!!
The night is not as well-established as the Leeds ones I do, it's only been running a few months. I found the pub had more of a provincial feel to it, but the hardcore regular players were really nice people. And there was a special highlight, almost worth turning up for alone, which was a guy's version of 'Golden Brown' by The Stranglers.....except for Golden read Gordon!!!
It was brilliant, a piece of satire in deepest Halifax. The words were adapted and included such gems as 'Gordon Brown, wants Tony's job/'Gordon Brown, bit of a nob'/
Sorry, that's the only one I can remember. I can't say I'm as anti-Brown as some seem to be getting, but it was hilarious nonetheless. I wonder what Rory Bremner would have made of it......
The Pump Room does it's bit for racial equality.
Inside the venue, Al Dickinson is pictured left, here in full flow.
THURSDAY JANUARY 11TH: This was my first 'proper' gig of the year. A half hour slot at The Primrose, opening the night. I have to say this was my favourite night of the week. A half-hour set leaves a bit more time to warm up and pace the set and the audience. The sound was big and full (the best so far) and I was able to rock out to an audience that listened and appreciated. I can't say the Primrose will ever be a great venue, but it proved it can be pretty solid this week.
For the record, the set was 'These Eyes', 'Your Shadow', 'Even', 'Young, Lost and Hopeful', 'Old Wishing Well', 'Whiskey Coloured World', 'Cold Cold Day' and 'Rocket Man' to finish.
Of these I'm taking a real fancy to 'Your Shadow', it's going down very well pre-release. 'These Eyes' was good too, and the last song never seems to fail to get people's attention.
All in all a pretty good night, and I'm hopeful of another such slot in March or thereabouts.
Arkwright's till is now housed at The Primrose.
Bad Manners and P Diddy in shock collaboration.
FRIDAY 12TH JANUARY: The final show of the week tested my versatility to the extreme. It was at the hard-to-find Ukranian Club in Keighley, home to the Baccapipes Folk Club.
As I mentioned last week at Otley, I'm experimenting with folk clubs at the moment. The idea is that as a 'mature' singer songwriter I can get an audience that listens, and in these cases, joins in!
It has to be said 'gig' is pushing it a bit here. The club meet downstairs in a small room rather like a kitchen, and everyone sits round in a circle and takes it in turns to play or sing a song from their seated position.
Needless to say, having been the oldest there the night before, I was suddenly one of the youngest. From stiff to rebel in 24 hours....versatility, yes, but why do I never fit in????
Let's just say if the room had been more open plan, I might well have dived for the exit. But after a bottle of Taylor's Landlord (Ukranian strength) I took the step of staying and playing. As the singers set off, with renditions of folk songs from a bygone age, I was even more un-nerved by everyone joining in, treating the songs like old friends.
When it came to me, I was rather nervous it has to be said. So I took the plunge and played '7 Shades of Grey'. To my relief it was 'accepted' and of course everyone joined in on the choruses, it was almost like they'd heard the song before....
Later I was asked to play 2 more songs, so out came a debut of 'Chains Around My Heart' (a potential folk hit I think) and 'Reminders', which was plucked from my memory at the last minute-I haven't played that song live for over 3 years.
So I had walked the walk, I had a similar feeling to when I played with Desire at Jilly's Rockworld in '99, except that this time I was the long-haired rocker.....
I think folk clubs are as a big a culture shock as Working Men's Clubs, but at least the average brain cell count is slightly higher. It was good to see Tim Moon again, who joined in with a great slide solo in 'Chains', all improvised of course.
Having said all this, I know I'll have to re-think my folk club strategy. So far this year, they are the only 2 gigs at which I haven't sold any CDs. They simply aren't open to my type of music, which I don't suppose they ever said they wanted to be. Nice people, but I get the feeling deep down they would be glad if I didn't darken their doors again....and the cliqueiness is a problem, not something I care to be part of.
So, a bizarre way to end the week. Indeed one of the most bizarre gigs I've ever done, and that's really saying something. I think my scatter-gun approach to bookings needs refining a bit!
Christmas lasts longer in the Ukraine. Babushka prepares to exit.
"Welcome Folkies, what's your poison?"
THIS WEEK:
Monday January 15th: Capre Diem, Leeds. My return to this central Leeds venue.
Tuesday January 16th: Doctor Wu's, Leeds. If it's half as good as last week then last week was twice as good.
Wednesday January 17th:The Grove, Leeds. My first 'unplugged Leeds' night of '07.
Thursday January 18th:The Black Swan, Peasholme, nr York. Open night.
Amen.
Sunday, January 07, 2007
Is life too short for Freebird?
Well bugger me, (no, not you), it's only the 7th day of the year but I feel to have crammed about a month in already. I'm sure it can't last, as I warned before, it could be back to Bedlam by the time the vernal moon strikes.....and that's got nothing to do with James Blunt.
Where to begin, well I'm changing the structure this year in an effort to make it more organised. Firstly, my weekly review, and then a few general notes at the end-those that don't fit into any particular day.
SUNDAY DEC 31st/JANUARY 1ST:
My year started in a holiday camp, and while Ruth Madoc's legs (circa 1970s) were nowhere to be seen, it was very easy to imagine Ted Bovis popping in. No, I wasn't having a scrote's christmas break, I was working with one of the Function bands I play with: Morris and the Minors. The holiday camp in question was Ribby Hall near Kirkham, not far out of Blackpool. It's all chalets, none of your cheap caravans herder am I bothering to mention this, well it's simply because I took a few pictures to see out the old year. Also because it kind of bookends things as we start afresh.
Clem contemplaits his upcoming US tour with Beth Wheatley. The latter can be found on my new EP.
John contemplates a change of tie colour.
Keith (left) shows off his new stage clothes, Keith can also be found on my new EP playing bass.
Oh, the fun we have backstage, so there you go. Thats was the end of 2006 and the start of 2007.
TUESDAY JAN2ND:
The official release date of the new EP. PAUL JEFFERY & FRIENDS: GET THE DRINKS IN
There details in an ealrier blog about this, suffice to say the CDs are now available from me and cost £3. To purchase email me at paul@pauljeffery.com
To listen to the tracks, click the links below:
Whiskey Coloured World (Anglestar Blend)
Get The Drinks In (Vocals by Sally Rivers)
Old Wishing Well
Drinking My Way Down (Vocals by Beth Wheatley)
And to read rave reviews (!) click here.
I'm so proud of this EP, because it's involved quite a few experiments which have worked. The guest vocals, the live drums and the hip-hop flavoured remix of 'Whiskey Couloured World' have all gone to make this a most enjoyable CD to make.
It will be on sale at gigs for the forseeable future. All that remains now is to get it shipped to the States so I can sell online at cdbaby. At roughly $5 it's surely a bargain!
Early reviews and chart positions on the net suggest a bright future for the disc.
WEDNESDAY JAN 3rd:
The first gig of the year took place at Korks Wine Bar in Otley. This is the home of the popular Otley Folk Club.
Folk clubs are an experiment for me. I feel that as a singer-songwriter for the more mature listener (debatable I know!), I can crossover in this direction. Of course it's always better to check in advance as some like the Grove Folk Club don't want anything to do with my genre of music. I can understand this point of view as some follow a more traditional format, making use of traditional songs.
The atmosphere appeals to me, because it's a million miles away from the scrote-infested pubs I've played in the past. People are friendly, and generally more gentile-I can't promise they like what I do, but as I'm not going in there f-ing and blinding I think it's OK.
On this occasion it was unplugged with a lovely Piano (in tune too!). I played '7 Shades Of Grey' (A cheerful way to start the new year!) and 'Whiskey Coloured World'. Later on I was invited back up to play 'Old Wishing Well'.
All in all, a great night with a warm atmosphere. The standard of music was very high and whilst I was clearly a bit of an outsider, I'd certainly go again. I loved the way the audience joined in with the traditional folk songs. I got a bit of that going on the outro to '7 Shades'. Below are a couple of rushed photos. The piano is over to the far right.
THURSDAY JAN 4TH:
Definetly the busiest day of the week. I spent the day working on the 2nd album with Jon Strong. We worked on the 2 piano tracks which were more or less finished in the day. The 2 songs are both Sarah Thurlow lyrics, 'Gods And Angels' and the very new 'Cold Steel Lover', which I had worked on over Christmas at home. The piano sound is great and I can't wait to hear these tracks when mixed.
In the evening it was off to The Primrose, Meanwood Road, Leeds. The Cloth Cat Open Mic night was busier than I expected for deepest darkest January, this despite the lack of a booked act. Every act (including 2 bands) got 4 songs: so I took the chance to play 'Whiskey', 'Even', 'Your Shadow' and 'Life'.
After being the youngest present the previous evening, this time I was one of the oldest. And you really feel it at these nights! I must have seemed like a quirk to most of the younger ones, but I was very pleased with the reception-even if my performance of 'Life' was a bit wayward. 'Even' was only added after I read a certain interview of a certain artist in a certain magazine.....I've cleaned the vomit off the page now.
Next week (see below) I'll be back there for my 30minute support/opening slot.
The Primrose about to rock.
FRIDAY JAN 5TH:
A chance to see one of my very favourite musicians and his band, playing but 5miles from home. Paul Carrack made his annual visit to the Ritz Ballroom in Brighouse, and I was there this time. If you close your eyes, his voice is identical to the records he made, there is absolutely no studio enhancement, and the band are brilliant, totally vibrant. Unfortunately the Ritz is set to close, sold to developers this year. It must be one of the last preserved 60's style ballrooms left in the area, and it will be sadly missed.
A fantastic night!
SATURDAY JAN 6TH:
I finally met one of my newer lyricists, Carol Douglas yesterday. She has 2 tracks on the 2nd album and we were also meeting to discuss an exciting new project in the pipeline, I'll say no more for now!
LOST IN LOVE TOWN ALBUM ON APPLE iTUNES:
Should this have come higher up??? Anyway follow this link to buy my debut solo album as a download. The album is currently being distributed to 32 download companies, so stand by for more and more links!
THIS WEEK:
The gig schedule is hectic this week, I'm currently keeping the myspace page updated with the shows, as the list appears on the front page. I hope soon to have a list on a seperate page here too.
Tuesday Jan 9th: Doctor Wu's, Leeds
Wednesday Jan 10th: The Pump Rooms, Halifax-a night hosted by local singer-songwriter Al Dickinson.
Thursday Jan 11th: The Primrose, Leeds. The afore-mentioned 30 minute slot.
Friday Jan 12th: Ukranian Club, Keighley. BACCApipes folk club.
Where to begin, well I'm changing the structure this year in an effort to make it more organised. Firstly, my weekly review, and then a few general notes at the end-those that don't fit into any particular day.
SUNDAY DEC 31st/JANUARY 1ST:
My year started in a holiday camp, and while Ruth Madoc's legs (circa 1970s) were nowhere to be seen, it was very easy to imagine Ted Bovis popping in. No, I wasn't having a scrote's christmas break, I was working with one of the Function bands I play with: Morris and the Minors. The holiday camp in question was Ribby Hall near Kirkham, not far out of Blackpool. It's all chalets, none of your cheap caravans herder am I bothering to mention this, well it's simply because I took a few pictures to see out the old year. Also because it kind of bookends things as we start afresh.
Clem contemplaits his upcoming US tour with Beth Wheatley. The latter can be found on my new EP.
John contemplates a change of tie colour.
Keith (left) shows off his new stage clothes, Keith can also be found on my new EP playing bass.
Oh, the fun we have backstage, so there you go. Thats was the end of 2006 and the start of 2007.
TUESDAY JAN2ND:
The official release date of the new EP. PAUL JEFFERY & FRIENDS: GET THE DRINKS IN
There details in an ealrier blog about this, suffice to say the CDs are now available from me and cost £3. To purchase email me at paul@pauljeffery.com
To listen to the tracks, click the links below:
Whiskey Coloured World (Anglestar Blend)
Get The Drinks In (Vocals by Sally Rivers)
Old Wishing Well
Drinking My Way Down (Vocals by Beth Wheatley)
And to read rave reviews (!) click here.
I'm so proud of this EP, because it's involved quite a few experiments which have worked. The guest vocals, the live drums and the hip-hop flavoured remix of 'Whiskey Couloured World' have all gone to make this a most enjoyable CD to make.
It will be on sale at gigs for the forseeable future. All that remains now is to get it shipped to the States so I can sell online at cdbaby. At roughly $5 it's surely a bargain!
Early reviews and chart positions on the net suggest a bright future for the disc.
WEDNESDAY JAN 3rd:
The first gig of the year took place at Korks Wine Bar in Otley. This is the home of the popular Otley Folk Club.
Folk clubs are an experiment for me. I feel that as a singer-songwriter for the more mature listener (debatable I know!), I can crossover in this direction. Of course it's always better to check in advance as some like the Grove Folk Club don't want anything to do with my genre of music. I can understand this point of view as some follow a more traditional format, making use of traditional songs.
The atmosphere appeals to me, because it's a million miles away from the scrote-infested pubs I've played in the past. People are friendly, and generally more gentile-I can't promise they like what I do, but as I'm not going in there f-ing and blinding I think it's OK.
On this occasion it was unplugged with a lovely Piano (in tune too!). I played '7 Shades Of Grey' (A cheerful way to start the new year!) and 'Whiskey Coloured World'. Later on I was invited back up to play 'Old Wishing Well'.
All in all, a great night with a warm atmosphere. The standard of music was very high and whilst I was clearly a bit of an outsider, I'd certainly go again. I loved the way the audience joined in with the traditional folk songs. I got a bit of that going on the outro to '7 Shades'. Below are a couple of rushed photos. The piano is over to the far right.
THURSDAY JAN 4TH:
Definetly the busiest day of the week. I spent the day working on the 2nd album with Jon Strong. We worked on the 2 piano tracks which were more or less finished in the day. The 2 songs are both Sarah Thurlow lyrics, 'Gods And Angels' and the very new 'Cold Steel Lover', which I had worked on over Christmas at home. The piano sound is great and I can't wait to hear these tracks when mixed.
In the evening it was off to The Primrose, Meanwood Road, Leeds. The Cloth Cat Open Mic night was busier than I expected for deepest darkest January, this despite the lack of a booked act. Every act (including 2 bands) got 4 songs: so I took the chance to play 'Whiskey', 'Even', 'Your Shadow' and 'Life'.
After being the youngest present the previous evening, this time I was one of the oldest. And you really feel it at these nights! I must have seemed like a quirk to most of the younger ones, but I was very pleased with the reception-even if my performance of 'Life' was a bit wayward. 'Even' was only added after I read a certain interview of a certain artist in a certain magazine.....I've cleaned the vomit off the page now.
Next week (see below) I'll be back there for my 30minute support/opening slot.
The Primrose about to rock.
FRIDAY JAN 5TH:
A chance to see one of my very favourite musicians and his band, playing but 5miles from home. Paul Carrack made his annual visit to the Ritz Ballroom in Brighouse, and I was there this time. If you close your eyes, his voice is identical to the records he made, there is absolutely no studio enhancement, and the band are brilliant, totally vibrant. Unfortunately the Ritz is set to close, sold to developers this year. It must be one of the last preserved 60's style ballrooms left in the area, and it will be sadly missed.
A fantastic night!
SATURDAY JAN 6TH:
I finally met one of my newer lyricists, Carol Douglas yesterday. She has 2 tracks on the 2nd album and we were also meeting to discuss an exciting new project in the pipeline, I'll say no more for now!
LOST IN LOVE TOWN ALBUM ON APPLE iTUNES:
Should this have come higher up??? Anyway follow this link to buy my debut solo album as a download. The album is currently being distributed to 32 download companies, so stand by for more and more links!
THIS WEEK:
The gig schedule is hectic this week, I'm currently keeping the myspace page updated with the shows, as the list appears on the front page. I hope soon to have a list on a seperate page here too.
Tuesday Jan 9th: Doctor Wu's, Leeds
Wednesday Jan 10th: The Pump Rooms, Halifax-a night hosted by local singer-songwriter Al Dickinson.
Thursday Jan 11th: The Primrose, Leeds. The afore-mentioned 30 minute slot.
Friday Jan 12th: Ukranian Club, Keighley. BACCApipes folk club.
Tuesday, January 02, 2007
All is quiet on New Years Day.....
Happy new year to everybody- and I say that now safe in the knowledge that there are quite a few people reading this page nowadays. So I'd better make the first resolution not to insult anybody online, wonder how many minutes that one will last.
LATE DECEMBER (OH WHAT A NIGHT!) REVIEW......
Firstly, there are 2 gigs to report on: Wednesday 13th Dec at The Grove was as mad as ever. I went on soon after a stand-up row between 2 poets, who couldn't have been more contrasting if they'd tried. You can sort of get a flavour for how these nights are...but don't worry they're not unpleasent-more amusing in a strange sort of way.
After this little contre-temps, I came on to uplift everyone with my new song 'Seven Shades of Grey'. I say uplift ironically because, as I said on the night, the song is about a woman on the edge, who proceeds to shoot herself in the middle 8! It was the song's debut performance live, and it certainly went down a bomb. A good sign of things to come with this one. I got people to help sing the ooo's on the outro-which worked very well in the intimate setting, indeed the song is very well-suited to that venue-and it raised the roof at the end.
I had intended to perform 'Your Shadow' but I switched to 'Old Wishing Well' as it's got some humour in the lyric. I didn't feel this one carried as well as it did at Doctor Wu's the week before, but the reation to the first song was very special. Indeed, '7 Shades Of Grey' is set to be the title track for the 2nd album at this point.
The final show before Christmas was back at Wu's on December 19th. There was a distinct end of term feel about this one. I played 'Whiskey Coloured World', 'Your Shadow', 'Cold Cold Day' and to finish with, 'Somebody To Love'-which is my favourite cover to do. It was one of those nights where people were applauding loudly, so that suited the last song very well.
THE BAND MANAGES A REHEARSAL, A NEW ERA BEGINS.....
Yes, it finally happened. On Thursday 14th December, the new band was together at last to rehearse. And as I always knew from the line-up, it sounded magic. Hearing songs like 'Hell Freezes Over' done live were a dream come true. Long overdue after all this time. All went well and now it's just a case of making sure we've done enough before the first gig on Wednesday 21st February at Zephyr Bar in Huddersfield.
2ND ALBUM PROGRESSES:
The album I'm working on with Jon Strong is well on the way now. I absolutely love the arrangements of all the tracks, four of which are now complete. I think it will be a great album and can't wait to finish all the remaining tracks now. Who knows, it might even be ready for the Feb band debut gig.....
EP Released this Week:
I'll not say too much here about the EP, except that it's finished-inlay artwork and all, and I'll be announcing its official arrival very shortly. I'll also do a blog about it on here.
Gigs This Week:
Subject to confirmation, I shall be playing at:
Wed 3rd- Korks Wine Bar, Otley
Thu 4th- The Primrose, Leeds
It's now full-on to make sure the EP is on sale at these venues, as it will be in the weeks to come. It's only £3 too.
Cheers
LATE DECEMBER (OH WHAT A NIGHT!) REVIEW......
Firstly, there are 2 gigs to report on: Wednesday 13th Dec at The Grove was as mad as ever. I went on soon after a stand-up row between 2 poets, who couldn't have been more contrasting if they'd tried. You can sort of get a flavour for how these nights are...but don't worry they're not unpleasent-more amusing in a strange sort of way.
After this little contre-temps, I came on to uplift everyone with my new song 'Seven Shades of Grey'. I say uplift ironically because, as I said on the night, the song is about a woman on the edge, who proceeds to shoot herself in the middle 8! It was the song's debut performance live, and it certainly went down a bomb. A good sign of things to come with this one. I got people to help sing the ooo's on the outro-which worked very well in the intimate setting, indeed the song is very well-suited to that venue-and it raised the roof at the end.
I had intended to perform 'Your Shadow' but I switched to 'Old Wishing Well' as it's got some humour in the lyric. I didn't feel this one carried as well as it did at Doctor Wu's the week before, but the reation to the first song was very special. Indeed, '7 Shades Of Grey' is set to be the title track for the 2nd album at this point.
The final show before Christmas was back at Wu's on December 19th. There was a distinct end of term feel about this one. I played 'Whiskey Coloured World', 'Your Shadow', 'Cold Cold Day' and to finish with, 'Somebody To Love'-which is my favourite cover to do. It was one of those nights where people were applauding loudly, so that suited the last song very well.
THE BAND MANAGES A REHEARSAL, A NEW ERA BEGINS.....
Yes, it finally happened. On Thursday 14th December, the new band was together at last to rehearse. And as I always knew from the line-up, it sounded magic. Hearing songs like 'Hell Freezes Over' done live were a dream come true. Long overdue after all this time. All went well and now it's just a case of making sure we've done enough before the first gig on Wednesday 21st February at Zephyr Bar in Huddersfield.
2ND ALBUM PROGRESSES:
The album I'm working on with Jon Strong is well on the way now. I absolutely love the arrangements of all the tracks, four of which are now complete. I think it will be a great album and can't wait to finish all the remaining tracks now. Who knows, it might even be ready for the Feb band debut gig.....
EP Released this Week:
I'll not say too much here about the EP, except that it's finished-inlay artwork and all, and I'll be announcing its official arrival very shortly. I'll also do a blog about it on here.
Gigs This Week:
Subject to confirmation, I shall be playing at:
Wed 3rd- Korks Wine Bar, Otley
Thu 4th- The Primrose, Leeds
It's now full-on to make sure the EP is on sale at these venues, as it will be in the weeks to come. It's only £3 too.
Cheers
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)