Last Week: (and a half!)

I didn't get chance to write anything on here earlier in the week, so just to recap: I had a fairly busy week and a bit with open mic/acoustic appearances at The Ship in Leeds, Bar 62, Horsforth and the New Inn at Headingley. These were all solo and it's been good to sharpen up a bit and play my own material!

The main gig was on Saturday (Aug 21st) with the Barwick-in-Elmet music festival. I played a set at short-notice and it was 45 minutes of solely original material, a rare event in that sense but really good fun to do. The festival was by all accounts a great success. The gig was also notable for a unique interruption after I'd played my second song: A heckler perhaps? A streaker? Nope, it was the local combine harvester and my car was blocking it in. So I had to leave the room and go move it. I don't know, it never happens to Cliff....

WEBSITE AND VIDEO NEWS:

Just very briefly, my website is currently under-going a complete overhaul. It's almost there and indeed if you go to my site you'll see a lot of the changes already. When it's all done I'll mention a bit more about it.

I've also posted another new film on my youtube channel, this time playing a solo version of 'Your Shadow'. A lot of people have asked to see live performances, particularly those overseas who can't get to the gigs, so I'm hoping these films will go some way towards getting the idea across, and getting more exposure for the material.

This week:

It's the final bank holiday of the year, if I'm writing another blog on Tuesday it'll just be over...I've no gigs this weekend but will be busy doing lots of things.

A-Z of Music:

I listened to another Bruce Springsteen album last week, 'The Rising' (2002). I'm a big fan, and I'm still learning his back catalogue, which is substantial of course! This album has a lot of material to digest, all of it new to me. But there's always moments on his records that move me straight away. In this case it's the refrain to the opening track and the 4th song, 'Nothing Man'. Altogether it just inspires me to write more songs....oh to have more time!

Last Week:

I completed doing 5 gigs in 7 nights on Thursday (12th Aug) where I was hosting the Open Mic night at The Plough in Warmfield. This was the first time I'd done this (I played a few songs too) and it was very interesting to see how it worked from the other side.

This Week:

I'm doing the Ship Open Mic in Leeds tonight (Tues) and then tomorrow an acoustic set at Bar 62 in Horsforth.

A-Z of Music:

Mine this week! I've got behind a little with updating you on the latest updates...there's quite a few new videos involving my music which have appeared recently.

Cold Cold Day has been subject to a new 'fanfilm'! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z3Oh7Hn0S1Y

My Acoustic 3-piece has been filmed in action twice in the past few weeks...resulting in 3 new videos, the first indeed of the this project.

All I Want From Love

Even

Four Seasons In One Day (cover)


Have a look thanks!


Moan of the week:

Why do people with no knowledge of a particular case feel the need to debunk a particular theory put forward by people very knowledgable in their field? And why is someone who believes an alternative theory labelled a crank by someone who is ignorant of enough information to form any opinion?

Last Week:

A bit like the days of old here, I've just completed 4 gigs in the previous 4 nights, and all with different line-ups!

On Friday I was solo at The Abbey in Bramley, then on Saturday I was playing a function in Huddersfield with various members of my old band, Morris And The Minors. This was a great evening and rather reminded me how much I'd enjoyed my time with them circa 2006-2007.

Then it was onto Todstock on Sunday afternoon with Dan & Oliver. I really enjoyed the set we played for this event, playing for about 40 minutes in the Acoustic Tent. The tent was run by the fantastic Hole Note Acoustic Club who of course we know well from various venues around Calderdale.

Last night (Monday 9th) I did another new venue with Katie in Leeds, this being The Hop. This is the same people behind the Hop in Wakefield and it's built into the arches underneath the station near Granary Wharf which gives it a unique atmosphere, as well as the ground-shaking noise of trains passing overhead once in a while! So there you have it, 4 gigs and this at a time when I'm supposed to be doing less gigs! All good fun though.

This Week:
Slightly quieter, with just The Plough on Thursday night this week. That's in Warmfield near Normanton near Wakefield. Postponed from a couple of weeks ago, I'm hosting their open mic night. So if anyone sings or plays, please feel free to come down and do a few songs!

Last week:

A busy and totally enjoyable week with another visit to the Chemic Tavern last Thursday with Dan and Ol. We played a different trio of songs this time, and it sounded very good. No two weeks are the same at an open mic so it was good experience to go back and play again after the previous week. We're now looking forward to doing Todstock this coming Sunday (Aug 8th). We're in the 'Acoustic Tent', playing from 2pm til 3pm.


Here's the poster! My name's on there, spelt correctly, job done!










On Saturday afternoon the BitterSweetShop (that's Katie and I) had another gig, this time at the Yarnbury RFC Beer Festival. The club had gone to a lot of trouble to make their innaugural beer fest a success and it looked like it was indeed a great success! There was a stage errected, and thankfully it stayed dry for our set....always a nervous moment given the combination of the British Summer and outdoor gigs. I did a couple of solo tunes and then we performed about half an hour as a duo.

This Week:

In addition to the above mentioned Todstock, I'm doing a full Friday night session at the Abbey Inn in Bramley. That's starting at around 9pm.

A-Z of Music:

I'm still listening to the over-long Fleetwood Mac album 'Say You Will'. But I've also had my ears open to some other great tunes. I'm sure all musicians have had this experience, where you learn a song and then wonder why you weren't playing it years ago? Well I found this with Billy Joel's 'Always A Woman To Me'. What a song! I've always known this, but only just got around to learning it. It'll be in on Friday night!!

Stock Cars on the BBC!

Just a quick plug for my other great passion, which has found it's way onto BBC 1 for the next few Monday nights. 10:30pm, straight after the news. You have to watch it and thus understand what I keep rambling on about! Here's the link to the trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yrqGEGl13Qo