Monday, February 11, 2013

An interesting time of it

The last week and a bit has, I think, proven to be a pretty good example of how my new-found musical life will pan out over the coming months. Feast and famine, sunshine and rain.
I have returned to the Sunday Markets, and it has been worthwhile doing so. The vibe is good, people are kind, and I get to run through songs old and new, usually doing so until my fingers are too sore to keep playing with any real passion. I should probably get the action lowered on the Taylor. It is usually a three and a half hour shift, so there's plenty of time to work on new songs and different arrangements.
My gig at The Irish Club on February 1 was a good night out. The place was filled with 30th Birthday revelers so I took the sensible option and dotted my set with a few popular covers. I'd gashed my head on an overhanging blind-spot bougainvillea on the way to the gig so I was happy it all turned out well in the end. I wasn't so sure as I waited for the tram into the city with rich, red krovvy streaming down my face.
I played a gig last week where I would have been close to the oldest person in the room. A sign of things to come, being the oldest in a group of 50 people. Reality bites. Oh well, I went down OK with the bobby-soxers; there's life in the old dog yet...
On Wednesday I played to a near-empty pub and took the opportunity to play every Beatles' song I could think of for my second set of the evening. Help, Cry Baby Cry, I Feel Fine, Mull of Kintyre (yeah I know), Things We Said Today, Chains, Yellow Submarine, Working Class Hero, You've Got To Hide Your Love Away. I forgot to play Rocky Raccoon.
I played The Astor on Thursday night - a short set in front of a healthy crowd. I met some of my fellow musicians and feedback on my original songs was favourable. A very pleasant evening.

So there's been lots of playing, continuing the solid effort of 2012. The regular gigs are showing signs of drying up though, so it might be a good time to focus on writing and recording. Especially with the travel I have planned for the next few months - that makes it difficult to commit to any offers. I am hoping to get opportunities to play in Canberra and England while I am away; we'll have to see what eventuates.
I plan to record my next LP sometime in the second half of the year. I have enough songs, but I'd like another half-a-dozen or so to ensure a strong product.

And the band played on...

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