IT'S BEEN A BUSY COUPLE OF weeks so let's get straight on with it.

I was in France all last week on holiday, staying in the Pas De Calais region.  More of that in a moment. 
Following on from the amazing experience of seeing Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, 4 days later it was time for 'US Singer-Songwriter Legend Part 2' with Bruce Springsteen at the Etihad Stadium, closer to home this time in Manchester.  Closer to home but a considerably wet day meant hopes weren't high!  So we all stood there in the great British outdoors on the longest day of the year, me wearing a dayglo overcoat.  I was hoping to be at least once mistaken for a steward but it wasn't to be.  Anyway, by some minor miracle it stopped raining just before The Boss took to the stage, and there were only a couple of minor showers during his 30 hour set!
Needless to say it was a high-octane, passionate performance (actually 3 and a half hours long!).  You can't fault the band's effort or enthusiasm.  It could have done with being a bit louder to be honest, as the noise of the devotee fans singing out of tune often drowned out the man himself!  He gives a lesson to us performers in stagecraft though.  The songs come rapidly one after another.  Fast songs or slow songs, new or old, everyone is delivered as if it's life dependent.  Another memorable night leaving me with plenty of inspiration for the future.

France was my first experience of driving abroad, hence the short distances covered.  I stayed for 3 days each in St Omer and Boulogne.  Again, by luck rather than judgement, the weather was great.  Fairly hot and dry in fact.  It's an area often over-looked by tourists as everyone piles off the ferry and onto other places.  But that's just the way I like it.  Quiet towns with beautiful architecture, and huge deserted beaches.  Now I could get used to that!


GIGS
Just prior to my trip I did a wonderful gig with BitterSweetShop at The Chemic in Leeds.  This time we were the 'headline' act doing a 40 minute set.  It was great to play a longer set but moreover it was great to play in front of an enthusiastic audience!  Long may this continue, it was a one of the better gigs I've done.

I'm aiming to be out playing solo too very soon.  I'm rusty and currently practicing some arrangments, it's all quite exciting and another 'back to basics' project.

STUDIO
Amazingly I'm finding time to write as well.  I've just started work on a big heavy prog song that I'm really excited about.  Warning: it's easily as depressing as 'Even', 'The Prisoner' or 'Gods &Angels' !!

WEB
Another new song that's already completed is about to be aired for the first time.  It's called 'Crude Oil Stains' and was co-written with an American poet Nell Ledger Bolden.  The song will be aired on Tuesday 10th July on Whistle Radio at 9pm EST.  The station is Canadian but I'm sure with the benefit of the internet it can heard all over the place.  Just click the links to find out more!

LISTENING
I enjoyed Amy MacDonald's new album. Solid, direct songs.  I'm having my first taste of The Cure with their 'Disintegration' album:  Am finding it doesn't taste very nice.  Also on my travels I've been listening to Erasure 'The Innocents' and Spandau Ballet's last album 'Heart Like A Sky.'  'Kick' by INXS is an iconic album, and I still love 'Mystify' which I used to play live a lot.  I'm in no doubt there's about 4 or 5 really memorable tracks on this album but I'm still unconvinced the band were really that special.  It's the old 'style over content' dilemma for me.  The lyrics are pretty poor and some of the other songs don't stand up too well.  But it's all part of the learning process and at least now I've actually heard the records.