Easy. Just back from a whirlwind expedition to play a couple of shows in Rome. Far too many planes trains buses and cabs and lack of sleep for three days. I dream net jets. I live easy jet.
Rehearsals tonight where we'll be putting the finishing touches on a couple of little beauties we'll be releasing into the wild this Saturday at the strummerville festival.
Stay occupied.
X
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May 21. Newbury Rock City
On my way to play a show in Newbury. Set times seem to get longer soon as you leave the
M25 which is good news for your hero the story teller. It's kind of difficult to show people what you're about in a 25 minute set. I'm not a fan of just playing the hits and getting off stage. "These are the radio tunes and the rest doesn't really matter." That's just rude and a little shallow if you ask me. it takes a lot of hard work to impress an audience with your tunes and a couple of catchy hooks won't cut it. You can't just have icing; you need a big fat cake as well. Anyway.....
Apparently I was in music week magazine this week. No news agent in London sells this magazine. I have a pair of broken shoes to prove this.
Four shows this week which keeps me busy and busy me means happy me. London songwriter week gig tomorrow and Rome next week to play just the one show and strummerville festival next Saturday with the boys. That's going to be huge.
Someone now very close to gtgt inadvertently got it into my head yesterday that burning drum kits on stage is a good idea. In fact... it's fucking genius!! outdoor gigs now seem to be an open invitation for mentalism at it's up most. I'm a fan of this . It's a big look.
Staying on the topic of the drumming trade, my drummer Ben has somehow convinced me that running a 10 mile race in Kent four weeks from now is good idea. How did this happen? 'Sall good though. Don't worry kids. I bought myself a cracking pair of mizuno running shoes yesterday and i'm completely ready. 10 miles easy. Bring it on. Believe. Achieve. Simple.
XX
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M25 which is good news for your hero the story teller. It's kind of difficult to show people what you're about in a 25 minute set. I'm not a fan of just playing the hits and getting off stage. "These are the radio tunes and the rest doesn't really matter." That's just rude and a little shallow if you ask me. it takes a lot of hard work to impress an audience with your tunes and a couple of catchy hooks won't cut it. You can't just have icing; you need a big fat cake as well. Anyway.....
Apparently I was in music week magazine this week. No news agent in London sells this magazine. I have a pair of broken shoes to prove this.
Four shows this week which keeps me busy and busy me means happy me. London songwriter week gig tomorrow and Rome next week to play just the one show and strummerville festival next Saturday with the boys. That's going to be huge.
Someone now very close to gtgt inadvertently got it into my head yesterday that burning drum kits on stage is a good idea. In fact... it's fucking genius!! outdoor gigs now seem to be an open invitation for mentalism at it's up most. I'm a fan of this . It's a big look.
Staying on the topic of the drumming trade, my drummer Ben has somehow convinced me that running a 10 mile race in Kent four weeks from now is good idea. How did this happen? 'Sall good though. Don't worry kids. I bought myself a cracking pair of mizuno running shoes yesterday and i'm completely ready. 10 miles easy. Bring it on. Believe. Achieve. Simple.
XX
Sent from my BlackBerry® wireless device
May 20. photos from the abbey
Peter Weddell the Great took some photos at our show the other night - thank you all for coming down. See more photos here.x
May 19. On the northen line...
Busy busy living the dream up here in my own little world. It's been great to get out there and play after a few weeks of tedious normal life. Our show this Saturday at 333 in shoreditch was nothing short of outstanding if I do say so myself. New set opener "on the long road" is as immense a song as I've ever dreamed.
Fingers crossed tonight will be more of the same at the abbey in kentish town.... It's fast becoming our second home for the amount of times we play here. the people that run the venue are more than good to us and we love them for it. Always a pleasure to be back.
I've wanted to for ages but tonight will be my first show wearing my much loved red head band. I'll call this my very small and humble tribute to The Boss with whom i'm sharing the bill with next month. See that? Seamless. Yes. I'm playing glastonbury festival next month. i'm completely over the moon about it. Fiesta in my tent. Make your way over.
Speaking of gigs... This Friday should be mega as well so if you're in London make your way down to the fly on new Oxford street playing a show for the London songwriter festival with the very exceedingly talented Murray James and Iain Archer.
Last note before this tube gets to kentish town..... I fear I may have pissed off a few people with my incessant texts about goodtimes GOODTIMES shows this week. Not apologising. I love you.
X
Sent from my BlackBerry® wireless device
Fingers crossed tonight will be more of the same at the abbey in kentish town.... It's fast becoming our second home for the amount of times we play here. the people that run the venue are more than good to us and we love them for it. Always a pleasure to be back.
I've wanted to for ages but tonight will be my first show wearing my much loved red head band. I'll call this my very small and humble tribute to The Boss with whom i'm sharing the bill with next month. See that? Seamless. Yes. I'm playing glastonbury festival next month. i'm completely over the moon about it. Fiesta in my tent. Make your way over.
Speaking of gigs... This Friday should be mega as well so if you're in London make your way down to the fly on new Oxford street playing a show for the London songwriter festival with the very exceedingly talented Murray James and Iain Archer.
Last note before this tube gets to kentish town..... I fear I may have pissed off a few people with my incessant texts about goodtimes GOODTIMES shows this week. Not apologising. I love you.
X
Sent from my BlackBerry® wireless device
May 11.
I'm back from my week long writing excursion. Good things to follow ladies & gentlemen; good things indeed. I've dusted off the TASCAM and will be bringing these new tunes to you very soon courtesy of some old school home recording. We're also rehearsing this week; there's been a few weeks' (stinky south london reherasal room) break and i think we're all the better for it. Raring to go now. Sun's out; get the tunes on. happy days.
May 4th. Songwriting. TCB
I'm thinking. Where does a good song come from? Elvis and his cohorts would pick tunes with a proven track record and add appropriately "slick" lyrics that would work for that time. That's pretty clever if you ask me. "Love Me Tender" was originally entitled "Aura Lee" & written in the 1860s by an English composer called George Poulton. That same melody with different words was a huge success back then and the words changed continuously up until Elvis recorded the version I'm most familiar with (but you might be more familiar with the original "Aura Lee"or even "Army Blue" as it was sung in the American Civil War) for his first ever film role. It was a SMASH!! No gambles taken whatsoever. When you know it works; you know it works. Many other of The King's most famous songs are different lyrics put to great melodies with that all important track record.."cant help falling love" was a re-write of a French song called "Plaisir d' Amour", "It's Now or Never" was originally the Italian "O Sole Mio".... and the list goes on. Anyway..I digress talking to you about my great love of Elvis Presley. My point was..what makes a great song .."great"? When we listen to songs our brains capture the melody first. The lyrics are almost an after thought. You've decided you like a piece of music by the way in which the melody makes you feel...that tune you can humm along to without knowing what the words really are or that favourite song you've been singing along to for years with the wrong words. Time for a litte sermon..if I may...What could we ever have to say to each other in words that we couldnt say better through music? There, I've answered my own question. Right, I'm off to pilfer the record collection. Be good. xx
May 1. waiting for the sun
i think i've picked up my guitar twice in the last three weeks. i played a show last week in shoreditch with no set list and no idea what i was going to play till i got to "good evening ladies & gentlemen" and i had a little tinker at home the other day. that's it. not to worry music fans. this has happened before and it usually signifies the calm before the storm. so i've gotten myself out of london for a week ( already this is a good thing; it's a beautiful place to be in most of the time but fuck me does it get you down some times ) in prep for the new tunes. i'm expecting them any day now. I'll introduce you to them soon as they arrive.
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