Hello, did you have a good Christmas? I did, apart from a bad shoulder and some odd week-long heartburn. I've been back in the wolvo house for two days, with fluctuating hot water and no heating, but at least I've got a recording of a new song together. Well Adjusted is in the player on the right now, have a listen and let me know what you think
More to follow...
Tuesday, 30 December 2008
Thursday, 18 December 2008
Last Thursday I once again visited the Blues Jam at the Cross Roads Blues Club. It's hard to describe just how much I enjoy visiting and playing at the place. The atmosphere is great, the music is brilliant and it's really cool to feel a little bit accepted by these guys, even if Ken has trouble remembering my name (must be his age!)
I started of my little bit by Singing and guitaring on "As The Years Go Passing By" with a really good Jazz/Blues guitarist Alan Garwood, Steve Butt on Snare Drum and a guy who's name I didn't catch playing a tea chest bass. I then joined all the regulars as ChickenBone John took us through the last song of the last jam of the year, appropriately enough "Cross Roads Blues"
It's always a bit hard to tell how well jams are going, I find that I play best when I don't think too much and just let go a bit, which means I haven't really listened much to what I've done! I had some really nice feedback from a few musician's and audience members though so must I must have done OK. I'm hoping to be there tonight to watch the last session of the year.
By the way, if any crossroad regulars find this site, say hello!
Thursday, 11 December 2008
On Tuesday I had a really good gig at The Island Bar in Birmingham, thanks to everyone who was there.
Sadly next Thursday's gig at the Soak has been cancelled, as it'd just been realised by the venue/promoter that most of the Soak's normal student audience will not be on campus. Should be a replacement in January though.
Tonight I'll be joining in with the Blues Jam at the Crossroads Blues Club in Birmingham. These nights are really good fun, anything can happen and if your a musician your more than welcome to get up and join in. Hopefully I'll see some of you there.
Sadly next Thursday's gig at the Soak has been cancelled, as it'd just been realised by the venue/promoter that most of the Soak's normal student audience will not be on campus. Should be a replacement in January though.
Tonight I'll be joining in with the Blues Jam at the Crossroads Blues Club in Birmingham. These nights are really good fun, anything can happen and if your a musician your more than welcome to get up and join in. Hopefully I'll see some of you there.
Saturday, 6 December 2008
You want to sing some songs? Where was your granddad from?
Just spotted this little nugget on the Crossroads Blues Club website
Read the article, and come to your own conclusions. As far as I can tell the form, if it becomes a reality, only effects London but there are likely to be similar things happening around the country. Even if it does only effect the capital, then it could have a very unpleasant consequences for musicians and music lovers in the UK, as so many important venues are in London.
I don't like the sound of this for a few reasons.
One, as the article eludes to, asking questions such as is there "a particular ethnic group attending?" in order to predict where trouble is going to happen seems to border on ethnic stereotyping doesn't it?
Two, I don't like the Police having any more powers to know who is what and every one's back story. The form asks for performers' names, aliases, private addresses and phone numbers, why? I've been accused of being dramatic before now on this kind of thing, and it's very cliched and boring to use the word "Orwellian" but, you know, how Orwellian is this??? Will it mean that the police will need to know everything about performers or they can't play?, why, it's a free country isn't it?
Three, the forms will be filled in by someone at the venue, so all this personal information could be seen by anyone, is that such a good idea?
Four, surely many venues will say no thanks to all this new paperwork won't they, and more live music outlets will be gone. While we're talking about that, read this http://www.thestirrer.co.uk/digbeth-noise-row-moves-on-to-digbeth-0512081.html
The police themselves have defended form 696 thusly "It wasn't about the music, it wasn't about the venue, it wasn't about the promotion it was because gangs were associated with those particular events." They seem to be saying that the powers are to enable them to attack knife and gun crime at particular venues by particular gangs. Another problem, and this goes back to Mr Orwell, is that once such powers exist they can be used to ends different to those imagined when they were created. Think 90 days without charge, think prosecuted under Serious Organised Crime and Police Act 2005 for reading the names of servicemen killed in Iraq by the Cenotaph, http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-371004/MPs-condemn-arrest-woman-spoke-out.htmla think arrested under the terror act for stopping tube lift with your foot...
Anyhow, what do you think. If you feel strongly against it, sign this petition http://petitions.number10.gov.uk/Scrapthe696/
Wednesday, 3 December 2008
Recession hits physical CD, DVD and Games supply
I'm still digesting this one, but I've just read on New Music Strategies http://newmusicstrategies.com/2008/12/03/a-long-tail-british-christmas/ that the major supplier of CDs DVDs and games in the UK, Entertainment UK, is in administration.
Check out Andrew Dubber's summary of the news, plus the comments on his blog. As far as I can tell some major retail outlets may not be able to stock big titles in their stores in the run up to Christmas. At the same time Zavvi are no longer taking orders online for the same reason. This doesn't seem to have had any effect on other sights including Play.com or the HMV site, yet.
By coincidence Amazon UK have now started MP3 downloads, so basically it's really looking like people won't be able to have the physical copy of the big albums this Christmas, so will they download them as MP3s instead, as they obviously won't be affected by the same supply problems?
Could we be seeing the beginning of the end of Physical albums etc? MP3s are always available, and for most of us much more convenient, as well a cheaper. You can't give an MP3 for Christmas in quite the same way though, can you? I for one would miss that experience of looking at a CD case in a shop, and flicking through the inlay book as I'm listening to it once it's home. How about you?
A lot of independent "unsprung" musicians such as myself are likely to be quietly tickled by this news, as it could be another nail in the coffin for the major record labels, who are the subject of so much distain in the modern music arena.
It seems to be that although they will of course suffer, it's the middle ground smallish labels that will be most hit. Then again, I'm not certain exactly which artists are affected by the supply chain problems, perhaps the middle ground artists will sell more than expected, while the major artists really suffer.
Let me know if your having trouble, or not, getting hold of music and DVDs in the run up to the holidays.
Check out Andrew Dubber's summary of the news, plus the comments on his blog. As far as I can tell some major retail outlets may not be able to stock big titles in their stores in the run up to Christmas. At the same time Zavvi are no longer taking orders online for the same reason. This doesn't seem to have had any effect on other sights including Play.com or the HMV site, yet.
By coincidence Amazon UK have now started MP3 downloads, so basically it's really looking like people won't be able to have the physical copy of the big albums this Christmas, so will they download them as MP3s instead, as they obviously won't be affected by the same supply problems?
Could we be seeing the beginning of the end of Physical albums etc? MP3s are always available, and for most of us much more convenient, as well a cheaper. You can't give an MP3 for Christmas in quite the same way though, can you? I for one would miss that experience of looking at a CD case in a shop, and flicking through the inlay book as I'm listening to it once it's home. How about you?
A lot of independent "unsprung" musicians such as myself are likely to be quietly tickled by this news, as it could be another nail in the coffin for the major record labels, who are the subject of so much distain in the modern music arena.
It seems to be that although they will of course suffer, it's the middle ground smallish labels that will be most hit. Then again, I'm not certain exactly which artists are affected by the supply chain problems, perhaps the middle ground artists will sell more than expected, while the major artists really suffer.
Let me know if your having trouble, or not, getting hold of music and DVDs in the run up to the holidays.
The Four Gigs of Chirstmas
Running up to christmas I've got a gig or two each week.
First up is Bar Island, Birmingham on the 9th. This gig has been organised as a replacement for the cancelled Atticus gig. Very nice venue in the city centre.
Thursday the 11th is the regular blues Jam at the Cross Roads blues club, Tower of Song, Birmingham.
See below for info on all the gigs. Some are at venues I've played at before and really liked, others are my first time at the venue.
At some of the gigs I'm a featured performer and will have a 20-40 minute set, others are open mic and I'll just be doing a couple of tunes. Best of all, they are all FREE.
Look out for some new song's I've written recently, as well as a couple of Christmas tunes!
First up is Bar Island, Birmingham on the 9th. This gig has been organised as a replacement for the cancelled Atticus gig. Very nice venue in the city centre.
Thursday the 11th is the regular blues Jam at the Cross Roads blues club, Tower of Song, Birmingham.
See below for info on all the gigs. Some are at venues I've played at before and really liked, others are my first time at the venue.
At some of the gigs I'm a featured performer and will have a 20-40 minute set, others are open mic and I'll just be doing a couple of tunes. Best of all, they are all FREE.
Look out for some new song's I've written recently, as well as a couple of Christmas tunes!
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