what a fun gig on sunday. it was my first all on my ownsome which might sound a bit strange. usually i play either with one other guitarist (most recently dave but before that chris) or a full band. i like to have the harmonies you see. but it went well and i enjoyed the night thoroughly. i've just confirmed an acoustic gig on saturday 3rd of january at nice and sleazies. also playing will be jim mcculloch (former soup dragon, bmx bandit and member of superstar) and another act tbc. i've been lucky enough to have a sneak preview of jim's album and it's truly lovely. so it should be a great night and i'll have dave there too to add a bit of harmony to my set. on sunday night i was asked if i had any records to sell (which at the time i didn't) but i have a few copies of the 7inch vinyl EP that i'll bring to sleazies on that date should anyone want a frisby. there might be the odd gig before the 3rd jan, but there might not .....good luck to sodastream as they continue on their exhausting tour, lovely people, beautiful, warm music.
i enjoyed friday night's gig upstairs at barfly, despite some technical problems with the sound/set up. there was a band playing downstairs and they just started to rock things up as i decided to play a picky song. bit frustrating. oh and i completely fluffed a chord change on the first song, 'midst of the storm'. for about 1 second i had no idea where i was . very strange feeling.. i'm not a great guitar player me, i get by okay i think. i was picking the strings to this other song of mine called 'the sore feet song' and i couldn't hear a note i was playing which was pretty funny. fortunately dave could hear what i was playing so he was able to keep time pretty well. i'm really enjoying playing live now. i'm still learning . i'm hoping to do another acoustic show before the end of the year. that's the plan anyway. i think the most important thing is to get the songs across, be it acoustically or with a full band.
i can't believe it's been a week since the east kilbride arts centre show. wow. it's a cliche but where does the time go? i was saying the same thing in an email to a friend who is studying for a postgrad at uni. i can't quite believe it was a year ago that i met her on her bike on her way to her new course. the place seems quite busy just now with lots of students wandering around looking a bit confused. i live near the uni you see. i live near the park too and it really is amazing just now, lush with wonderful colours. apparently the warmer the summer, the more visually striking the autumnal leaves appear.
i seem to be thinking more about ideas for songs than actually picking up the guitar and writing them. maybe i'll just convert these ideas into stories some time. it's my aim to not get into the trap of hibernation that i mentioned in my last blog. i don't wanna lie in bed all evening and eat pasta till spring. i need to force myself to actually get up and grab my guitar. or plonk myself down in front of my pc. oh, i got a typewriter on saturday. it was £3 from a jumble sale. some idiot had written £3 on the case in big black letters. a well meaning vandal. there's something very rewarding about thrashing away on a typewriter. you have to hit the keys with such conviction that it actually makes you more passionate about what you're writing about. my plan is to just leave it on my desk and if ever people come over they can type away their random thoughts. if the paper runs out i'll just replace it. eventually i'll have these quite strange, random pieces of writing.
so, talking of ideas i was walking past this pet store near my flat. it sells small animals. i was thinking of this story i have in my head about a guy whose girlfriend is about to leave him coz she feels really lonely in a small scandanavian town. it would be somewhere very barren with lots of snow, stark scenery, fur and strange characters milling around in an un-nerving, almost eccentric way . so he goes and buys her a hamster. he thinks by giving her this she'll wanna look after it and she'll not leave. he hopes she'll go "awwwwwwwwwwwww look at that cute little creature" and become instantly attached and wanna care for it in the way he cares for her. he thinks that it'll make her stay and he can keep on loving her but really it will end up just adding to his problems when he has to look after it for himself after she goes to start a new life with thor the very successful businessman (and childhood friend) who went ahead to live in new york city a few years ago and has been writing, telling her all about it. he ends up confiding in the hamster.. i'll maybe try and finish this some day.......it's just an idea. i can picture it all......sorry, where am i?
come along to glasgow barfly on friday if you're bored. :)
the gig at east kilbride will be the first in a while, seems like ages since i last played my songs on stage. i'll probably be a bit wobbly, but i'll settle into it. i've been quite quiet recently, bit reflective. that's not always a bad thing though. maybe it's an autumnal thing coz we're like the squirrels, we start to gather our nuts, hoard them then disappear into a bundle of warmth till spring. i think that's what i'm doing just now, gathering my nuts (thoughts) before disappearing into a bundle of warmth (my parka).
here's what i've discovered. some animals go into a deep sleep for the winter. other animals go into a light sleep and wake up during the winter, eat food that they have stored, and go back to sleep. reptiles are true hibernators. squirrels, bears, raccoons, chipmunks, and skunks are examples of animals that do not really hibernate, but only have periods of winter inactivity. the groundhog is one of the few mammals that really does remain asleep all winter. some animals have adapted to cold weather, while others, such as birds, fly south for the winter. animals that remain in the cold climates have characteristics such as fur to keep them warm and snug. or duffle coats.
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