Last week:
I stepped in to host the Moorlands Open Mic last Tuesday at Ogden. In and amongst the other performers I played a few songs solo and also some with Dan and Ol as a 3-piece. I've also been recording vocals with Katie for the BitterSweetShop's 'debut' CD which was great fun to do.
The weekend was the usual hectic madness but not for any work-related reasons this time. I went to see Peter Kay in Sheffield on Friday night which was brilliant, perhaps even better than expected. I went with an open mind as so long has passed now since he last did a stand-up tour and some of the gags have taken on near legendary status. This gives the new material a tougher job to measure up against it. I thought it was all very funny and it cheered me up no end. The opening Bernard Matthews comments set the tone nicely as I'd made the same observation on the way to the gig. Thanksgiving Day, turkey's ultimate revenge.
The following day I was down in London to watch the Masters Tennis at the o2. I was staying in Stratford amidst all the building work that's going on for the Olympics. I was a bit concerned about how much tennis I'd see from the upper tier but to be honest it was dead easy to see where the ball landed, the venue was superbly lit. It's luck of the draw when it comes to which match you will see. I saw the second semi where Federer demolised Djokovic. The afternoon semi had of course been Nadal-Murray which was something of an epic. We saw the closing stages of this in the bar outside which had a great atmosphere as there was a group of Spaniards present.
This week:
Snow permitting, and let's face it I hate snow, I'll be playing with Atlanta Soul on Saturday and then solo at the Rose & Crown in Greetland on Sunday evening.
Moan of the week:
2 words: Myspace Beta.
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
Last week (and the week before!):
Welcome back, I've been away for a week in Angelsey. It was just a holiday break, and what a fantastic place it is. I know many would prefer to disappear to somewhere a little warmer but for me it was perfect. The rain thankfully stayed away most of the time, and the whole island was very quiet. It was an absolute joy to visit the secluded coastline, bays, villages and have a whole vast beach all to myself.
The week previous I'd been to see Rick Wakeman and Jon Anderson in Manchester. No need to complain about audience reaction this time (see previous blog!). The music was first class of course and with most of it being on the quiet side it meant people had to be quiet to listen.
This week:
Tonight (Tuesday) I'm hosting another open mic night, this time at Moorlands- a venue popular with my old band. Then this weekend something different again: I'm off to see the Masters Tennis at the O2 in London and also Peter Kaye on Friday night in Sheffield. I first saw Peter Kaye in a comedy club in Manchester in 1998, before he hit the big time. I actually also shared a stage with him briefly at the Palace later that year. We were playing for the NSPCC concert and he was on after the band I was in. As we loaded out behind the curtain, he performed in front. It's my only claim to fame I know!
Music:
I got a bit of time to catch up on Sky Arts on the weekend, as they always show some good classic concerts. Thin Lizzy were being shown, and after 20 minutes I realised this was the most Thin Lizzy I'd seen in one go. I'm always a bit put off because I remember the type of bloke who used to like them when we played rock covers gigs in pubs. I must admit I'm not overly enthused by them now. It's not very melodic and seems to appeal to a more basic need to rock and grunt along. Status Quo are often accused of this, but they to me have the melodies and I would much prefer to listen to them.
The other concert I saw on TV was much easier to judge. Talk Talk at Montreux '86 was excellent! What a great sound and all the music fitted together superbly. I love the un-expected chord changes and I must surely now get some of their back catalogue.
Welcome back, I've been away for a week in Angelsey. It was just a holiday break, and what a fantastic place it is. I know many would prefer to disappear to somewhere a little warmer but for me it was perfect. The rain thankfully stayed away most of the time, and the whole island was very quiet. It was an absolute joy to visit the secluded coastline, bays, villages and have a whole vast beach all to myself.
The week previous I'd been to see Rick Wakeman and Jon Anderson in Manchester. No need to complain about audience reaction this time (see previous blog!). The music was first class of course and with most of it being on the quiet side it meant people had to be quiet to listen.
This week:
Tonight (Tuesday) I'm hosting another open mic night, this time at Moorlands- a venue popular with my old band. Then this weekend something different again: I'm off to see the Masters Tennis at the O2 in London and also Peter Kaye on Friday night in Sheffield. I first saw Peter Kaye in a comedy club in Manchester in 1998, before he hit the big time. I actually also shared a stage with him briefly at the Palace later that year. We were playing for the NSPCC concert and he was on after the band I was in. As we loaded out behind the curtain, he performed in front. It's my only claim to fame I know!
Music:
I got a bit of time to catch up on Sky Arts on the weekend, as they always show some good classic concerts. Thin Lizzy were being shown, and after 20 minutes I realised this was the most Thin Lizzy I'd seen in one go. I'm always a bit put off because I remember the type of bloke who used to like them when we played rock covers gigs in pubs. I must admit I'm not overly enthused by them now. It's not very melodic and seems to appeal to a more basic need to rock and grunt along. Status Quo are often accused of this, but they to me have the melodies and I would much prefer to listen to them.
The other concert I saw on TV was much easier to judge. Talk Talk at Montreux '86 was excellent! What a great sound and all the music fitted together superbly. I love the un-expected chord changes and I must surely now get some of their back catalogue.
Tuesday, November 09, 2010
Last week:
Enjoyed a few fireworks on Friday night then rounded off the stock car season at Coventry on Saturday (more fireworks, dissappointing racing results!). On Sunday night I went to one of those 60s package shows at the Grand in Leeds. I know I have a reputation for liking very old music and musicians but on this occasion I swear I wasn't supposed to be going. But a ticket became available so there it is.
On the bill were Chip Hawkes, Gerry & The Pacemakers, PJ Proby and The Searchers. It was a good gig and I'll always readily watch professional musicians perform live, I might even become one myself one day.
One thing got me though, the attitude of the audience. From being a performer for some time I've become very sensitive to audience reaction to musicians. This extends to all gigs and not just my own. At one time I used to watch a pro band totally oblivious to the audience reaction, now I find myself studying it.
It may just be my hyper-sensitivity to these things (I blame clubland) but I detect a slight lack of respect among punters these days. Naturally in these circumstances I blame X-Factor and co, something I'm only too happy to do. Seriously though I have a theory that these shows have made people more blase about what a live performance actually involves.
TV shows make it look a lot easier (The Searchers weren't using autotune!) and with the angle on reality TV being 'give the public a chance' I think more people now think they could give it a go. Or at the very least, that more people can 'sing', without necessarily having any experience or training.
The one thing those guys on Sunday have is experience. Hundreds of combined years of it! The crowd however seemed to treat it a bit like a commodity rather than a finely honed craft. One person even came out with one of those comments I used to detest at club gigs. 'Best song so far' she says. Does that mean the previous songs were rubbish? Is she keeping a scorecard? To me, as far as the average punter is concerned, in the presence of such luminaries as these, EVERY song is equally good. And before you ask, no I don't expect people to think like that at my shows, these guys are legends and have had number one hits.
This week:
Going to see Rick Wakeman and Jon Anderson in concert. This one is more my choice and let's see what the audience reaction is like this time! Best song so far indeed.
A-Z of Music:
More ELO this week, I now need a discography of their's as this is a double delux 'best of' containing lots of songs I haven't previously heard. All good stuff though.
Moan of the week: See above!
Enjoyed a few fireworks on Friday night then rounded off the stock car season at Coventry on Saturday (more fireworks, dissappointing racing results!). On Sunday night I went to one of those 60s package shows at the Grand in Leeds. I know I have a reputation for liking very old music and musicians but on this occasion I swear I wasn't supposed to be going. But a ticket became available so there it is.
On the bill were Chip Hawkes, Gerry & The Pacemakers, PJ Proby and The Searchers. It was a good gig and I'll always readily watch professional musicians perform live, I might even become one myself one day.
One thing got me though, the attitude of the audience. From being a performer for some time I've become very sensitive to audience reaction to musicians. This extends to all gigs and not just my own. At one time I used to watch a pro band totally oblivious to the audience reaction, now I find myself studying it.
It may just be my hyper-sensitivity to these things (I blame clubland) but I detect a slight lack of respect among punters these days. Naturally in these circumstances I blame X-Factor and co, something I'm only too happy to do. Seriously though I have a theory that these shows have made people more blase about what a live performance actually involves.
TV shows make it look a lot easier (The Searchers weren't using autotune!) and with the angle on reality TV being 'give the public a chance' I think more people now think they could give it a go. Or at the very least, that more people can 'sing', without necessarily having any experience or training.
The one thing those guys on Sunday have is experience. Hundreds of combined years of it! The crowd however seemed to treat it a bit like a commodity rather than a finely honed craft. One person even came out with one of those comments I used to detest at club gigs. 'Best song so far' she says. Does that mean the previous songs were rubbish? Is she keeping a scorecard? To me, as far as the average punter is concerned, in the presence of such luminaries as these, EVERY song is equally good. And before you ask, no I don't expect people to think like that at my shows, these guys are legends and have had number one hits.
This week:
Going to see Rick Wakeman and Jon Anderson in concert. This one is more my choice and let's see what the audience reaction is like this time! Best song so far indeed.
A-Z of Music:
More ELO this week, I now need a discography of their's as this is a double delux 'best of' containing lots of songs I haven't previously heard. All good stuff though.
Moan of the week: See above!
Wednesday, November 03, 2010
There was a power cut here this morning, that's called 'outage' in the States I think...(usually it's the US who have more literal names for things)...we were told it could last until 4pm so I was kind of hoping I wouldn't have to do any work today as I seem to need a computer to do anything these days. However, those good old boys got it up and running again by mid-morning. Bastards, now I've got no excuse for not working.
Last Week
Fairly quiet. I spent Saturday night in Boston (Lincolnshire) having watched an enthralling stock car meeting in Kings Lynn. There was a Monstor Truck demonstration, it does 54 yards to the gallon. There's very little chance of a carbon-neutral stock car meeting.
I did get chance to add a home video to my youtube channel. So click below for a version of 'Young, Lost And Hopeful'.
Young Lost And Hopeful Video
I'm enjoying making these little films. For one it saves going out doing them at a gig! I know it's not quite the same, but thinking logically I've done over 1000 gigs and managed to promote the song a little, whereas I can film it at home and immediately post it for people all over the place to view. The chances being these people will actually want to see it, unlike the majority at a gig!
This week:
The big Stock Car finale in Coventry Saturday night. I have my priorities right!
A-Z of Music:
There was a major splash on Elton John over the weekend, with an hour-long 'One Show' (good music, and twice as long to watch Alex Jones), then there was 3 hours on Saturday night. I'm still watching these but the opening documentary was very good. I shared his sentiments about clubland (if I hadn't been fronting the bands I'd have stormed off too!), and the anecdote about Stevie Wonder made me laugh. Have to say Robert Crampton's derrogatory remarks about Sir Elton in the Times mag belonged more in the Sun than elsewhere. I don't recall him being a music critic, not that that would have made it any better.
I've also been listening to Tangerine Dream for the first time in years. I still enjoyed that. And then to follow that I've had a listen to some really old stuff I recorded. This was a mixture of cringing and pleasant nostalgia in equal measures. But good to remember those parts of songs I'd forgotten, those middle 8's and instrumentals I couldn't remember writing...
Last Week
Fairly quiet. I spent Saturday night in Boston (Lincolnshire) having watched an enthralling stock car meeting in Kings Lynn. There was a Monstor Truck demonstration, it does 54 yards to the gallon. There's very little chance of a carbon-neutral stock car meeting.
I did get chance to add a home video to my youtube channel. So click below for a version of 'Young, Lost And Hopeful'.
Young Lost And Hopeful Video
I'm enjoying making these little films. For one it saves going out doing them at a gig! I know it's not quite the same, but thinking logically I've done over 1000 gigs and managed to promote the song a little, whereas I can film it at home and immediately post it for people all over the place to view. The chances being these people will actually want to see it, unlike the majority at a gig!
This week:
The big Stock Car finale in Coventry Saturday night. I have my priorities right!
A-Z of Music:
There was a major splash on Elton John over the weekend, with an hour-long 'One Show' (good music, and twice as long to watch Alex Jones), then there was 3 hours on Saturday night. I'm still watching these but the opening documentary was very good. I shared his sentiments about clubland (if I hadn't been fronting the bands I'd have stormed off too!), and the anecdote about Stevie Wonder made me laugh. Have to say Robert Crampton's derrogatory remarks about Sir Elton in the Times mag belonged more in the Sun than elsewhere. I don't recall him being a music critic, not that that would have made it any better.
I've also been listening to Tangerine Dream for the first time in years. I still enjoyed that. And then to follow that I've had a listen to some really old stuff I recorded. This was a mixture of cringing and pleasant nostalgia in equal measures. But good to remember those parts of songs I'd forgotten, those middle 8's and instrumentals I couldn't remember writing...
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