Be careful what you wish for.  On Sunday I looked out of the window at my car and realised it was covered in the shale contents of Stoke Speedway.  (I'd been there the night before, it wasn't some meteorlogical miracle that carried it all the way to Brighouse).  I remarked how a good rain shower would sort it out.  3 days later and it's virtually never stopped bloody raining.  We have major roads flooded and all manner of rivers fit to burst.  So I'm sorry for tempting fate, I do feel partially responsible.*

*For the benefit of insurance companies reading that is a joke.

GIGS
I've done a couple of nights in the past week, at The Hop in Leeds and then The Hop in Wakefield.  That's a tour of Hops completed.  The nights actually contrast one another.  The Leeds venue is quite big with a big sound and the Wakefield one is much more intimate.  I enjoyed them both for those reasons.  The Wakey one was especially pleasing as it was a struggle getting there in the heavy rain, but once there it felt like a really worthwhile trip.

I'm doing the Chemic this Thursday in Leeds and then we shall see what treats are in store for next week.


STUDIO
I've been working on some new songs both from a writing point of view and also a guitar recording session.  More new songs are edging towards completion.  The floodgates will open soon!

LISTENING TO MUSIC
The Pet Shop Boys new album 'Elysium' is one I'm on with at the moment.  It's got a touch of class about it with some finely crafted songs and subtle but un-cluttered arrangements.  I like the 2 whimsical tracks 'Ego Music' and 'Early Stuff' especially.  The album also ends with a track-by-track interview with the band, which is something I might consider soon, co-writers be warned!
I also listened to Bob Dylan's new release 'Tempest'.  The title track is without doubt the most depressing song I've ever heard.  It's a very long lament about the Titanic going down.  Warning: Do not listen to this song after a bad day.  There are 3 or 4 other songs that give it a run for it's money too.  Long, lyrically-driven laments, over 10 minutes long, with absolutely no hint of light breaking through.  Maybe in years to come this will be seen as some under-rated masterpiece of which I've completely missed the point, but just now I'd confidently say it makes some of my darker material seem like Half A Sixpence.

Well almost a month has passed since the last blog which leaves me quite a backlogue of things to tell you about, mainly on the gigging front.  I've been out playing quite a lot of solo gigs, and I'm still enjoying it immensely.  There's something so comforting for me to know that the only person I have to rely on is myself and that I can practice and then it's all down to me to fulfill what I set out to achieve.

However there are still things I can't rely on, even at solo gigs.....a few weeks ago I got stuck in a huge traffic jam in Leeds city centre on my way to a gig at the Chemic.  Having fought my way through the city centre's one way systems and many traffic lights, I arrived only to find out that the next available slot was at nearly midnight!  A double blow and I came away without having played.

The following week was much better with a return to The Hop in Leeds.  This night has recently changed hosts and I enjoyed the fact I had a really big sound on stage.  It's certainly needed in there for when the trains pass overhead!  I returned to the Chemic again the night after, this time avoiding taking the same route, and went on early for another really good slot.

I've since been back to The Ship and also an interesting night at Verve on 30th August.  Here I opened for a touring American band called The Sweetback Sisters.  They were a last-minute booking due to having a gig cancelled in....Inverness!  The singer said she found it a little chilly in Leeds, I dread to think what they'd have made of Inverness as it happened to be that night when the temperatures touched freezing!  I enjoyed my set, which was played to a listening audience, and the sound was every bit as good as in The Hop, so clear I could hear every mistake perfectly.

Last week I did the New Conservatory also in Leeds, which was my first solo set there.  It wasn't too busy but, like all these shows, I'm loving the process of practice, performance and then more practice!


I've not played one this week due to other commitments, which include standing in with a band on Friday night and then the small matter of the World Stock Car Final on Saturday night in Skegness!  I will blog further when I return from SkegVegas.