I'M FINALLY BACK OUT on the road as a solo artist!  Yes, it may not have made any headlines but I've now done 2 gigs in the past week.  I've been practicing for a while (this may come as a shock to you) but I still felt very rusty and under-rehearsed.  Around 5 years ago I was doing these sort of gigs (open mics, acoustic showcases) at a furious rate.  But lately this rate has dropped off and it's amazing how quickly you get out of the habit.  I've also been trying to put a bit more thought into the arrangements this time, with some better dynamics and musical stuff like that.

So it was Thursday 12th July when I appeared at the Chemic Tavern in Leeds.  It's slightly quieter in summer when the students go home but it's still a cracking intimate venue.  The audience was very attentive and despite several bum notes it felt good to be back. 

This was followed on Tuesday 17th (last night) by The Ship on Briggate in Leeds.  A fantastic old-style Leeds pub.  I played 4 songs this time and again it was a small but appreciative crowd.  The sound is always good at this gig and host Ben has recently acquired a TC vocal harmoniser.  I want one I must say.  It made Simon & Garfunkel tracks sound really authentic.

So all in all it feels like the start of a journey, often the best part I find!  I'm cracking on with another visit to the Chemic tomorrow night (Thurs 19th).  I almost squeaked an encour out of last week's set so I said I'd come back next week !  The challenge now is to practice and perhaps sneak in a couple of different songs to last week.


LISTENING:
A quieter week than before but I still found time to listen to Paloma Faith's new album 'Fall To Grace.'  Very nice, the first 4 songs especially which were excellent pop songwriting.  Her voice is reasonably captivating although I can't help wondering what Joss Stone would do with the same songs....then again I often wonder about her.

More tales from my world tour of Leeds (open mics only) next week!