Now sitting by the canal in the beer garden at Tavistock Wharf after a chilled drive down from Bath in the first real Summers day of the year for me! I’d hoped to have been more communicative on this tour but a succession of long days and lack of Wi Fi and the collapse of my personal systems on days … Read More
missing pieces – part 1
Sitting here backstage at the Robin in Bilston I am glad I am not on a helicopter costing over £5k plus coming down from yet another Hampden park disappointment.As most of you know from previous posts I couldn’t make the times work on regular flights and despite having a ticket and a bag of hope it wasn’t to be. I … Read More
The Caravan Heads South
Just woke with the husky voice you would expect after 2 x 2hour shows and 2 weeks of rehearsals. Got a good deep sleep last night after I got home and the drive buzz wore off. Bottle of wine and an episode of ‘Vegas’, stage clothes in the washing machine before the Zed wall hit me. Woke up to get … Read More
The Price of Peanuts
I’d decided after visiting Frank Ushers border retreat a few months back to put a concerted effort into attracting wild birds around the studio gardens. I’d been entranced by the amount of wildlife that were visiting the feeders hanging outside his living room window, multiplied by reflections in long mirrors he’d fixed where the internal wooden shutters used to fit. … Read More
Leamington Spa Fishheads Convention 2012 – Part 3
The breakfast room looked like a casualty clearing station. I wasn’t too bad and Simone and I sat down with Mickey and Sarah for our first breakfast together in a very long time. The other tables were scattered with band, crew and friends, most in distressed states like Muppets in a blender. I was glad I’d kept it toned down … Read More
Leamington Spa Fishheads Convention 2012 – Part 2
Outside my bedroom window I heard familiar voices. Dave Barras and Scott Mackay, the director and writers of “Electric Man” were unloading a similarly familiar vehicle, the pick up truck I’d driven as “Uncle Jimmy” in the movie and which belonged to Scott. It was a wreck then and hadn’t improved with age. An exchange of haranguing and “witty banter” … Read More
Leamington Spa Fishheads Convention 2012 – Part 1
Just after 9am on Friday we passed through Galashiels in the packed estate car and descended into mist where the A7 skirted the river Tweed. The market square with my lyrics to “Kayleigh” carved in cold damp limestone behind us and perhaps an omen missed as Elspeth and I headed South towards the border. Shaun was driving the “clown carrier” … Read More
Leamington Final Preparations
Rehearsals are over apart from an hour on Thursday before we load out the studio just to go over the landmine map! I must admit that we are all exhausted and am actually glad of the electricity being cut off tomorrow as Scottish Power make line repairs. The set works well although we still have some big brush ups to … Read More
Cracking Gs and Chimneys
Rehearsals going well. The Big G cracked and fully playable. Wide range of material all OK’d by His Yattaness with enough “new” material and returning favourites to keep everyone happy. The set lists are locked in a briefcase and attached to my wrist with handcuffs. 🙂 Russell Cherrington who directed the new Derby DVD will be filming the convention and … Read More