Last Week:

The week after Easter is always a bit strange for me, as the following weekend approaches far faster once things have returned to normal. It's a truncated week and having been so busy again it'll be a few more weeks before things settle down again.

Anyway, that little philosophy aside, things were pretty busy with stock car visits to Skegness on Thursday and Northampton on Saturday. Going to mid-week meetings qualifies me for real anorak status, and my new fur-lined coat is in the post. Saturday was the warmest day of the year and I must say it even made the long drag down the M1 bearable as I negociated the longest Average Speed Check in the world whilst listening to the Grand National and on the way back the US golf. Listening to golf commentary on the radio is funny in itself as they have to whisper in order to not put the players off. It sounds like they're stalking somebody.

On Sunday evening I was playing at the New Inn in Barwick-in-Elmet (this is supposed to be a music blog after all!). I had a problem with my PA amp which was off-putting, and whilst the gig went fairly well I was not best pleased with my equipment, it leaves you very exposed at a solo gig!

More Stock Cars followed with the Monday meeting at Sheffield (anorak now arrived) and then onto last night (Wednesday 14th) I had my second gig with Katie at the Cardigan Arms in Leeds. This fabulous old-style Leeds pub has an upstairs room they use for music, with a very tidy in-house PA system, which worked, unlike mine! We played a 30 minute set featuring 5 originals and a couple of covers. I was delighted with how this went, and was revelling in the comparitive novelty of not having to hump gear around, worry about the sound, or indeed worry about anything.

Music is meant to be enjoyable to perform, which leads me onto another breaking news story.

THE PAUL JEFFERY BAND RIP

Yes, after a little while deliberating I've finally taken the decision to disband my band for the time being. It was of course a tough decision as for the past 3 years it's been my number 1 priority. I was finding the nature of the gigs a strain and the fact that there is so much outside pressure just to end up playing a handful of my own songs hasn't helped. My heart isn't really in the band project right now, although I still think you can't beat a band playing some of the songs.

For now I'm going to be concentrating on my solo work, plus the projects with Katie and the acoustic 3-piece with Dan & Ol (the latter I'm not sure I mentioned before but please read on for more details!). That's still 3 live music projects, hardly a quiet time for anyone once you throw in the recording and practicing side of things.

Maybe in a while I'll get the bug back to do something band-wise, but for now I'm really looking forward to playing without the stress and getting back focussed on making progress and promoting the songs: but most importantly looking forward to doing the gigs themselves and really enjoying them!


This week:

I'm performing a solo gig (full night) at Mr Foleys on the Headrow in Leeds on Monday night (19th) from about 9pm. This will be my 2nd visit there and I can tell you it has good beer and nice relaxed atmosphere. I'll be playing covers and originals and really anything goes. I reckon the next blog will be on Tuesday but just in case I'll mention now that I'll be out with Dan & Ol for our debut performance at The Grove in Leeds on Wednesday night. That's open mic so can't say a definite time, but suffice to say it's a great little unplugged gig which I've done many times solo in the past.


A-Z of Music:

Just the one this week,
THE BYRDS (2 x CDs of Essential Byrds):

I have now had my first introduction to this iconic and highly influential band. I enjoyed the earlier material with its trademark jangling guitars. The songs oosed 60s-ness and were so atmospheric of the era, very representative of that time. There's also a song about the JFK assassination on there, so it's a winner in my book! The later material goes into a country style, which I need to research more as some of it sounded tongue-in-cheek country. Especially 'Drugstore Truck Drivin Man, He's the head of the Ku-Klux Klan....'. Sorry to speaking from general ignorance here but I will get to learn more in due course about why the band did what they did, that is after all a big part of the foraging and curating process.