It's the Creoles at 9, us around 10:30. Great show, Two bands for the price of one, and we're going late.
See you there!
Friday, January 18, 2008
Post-Moorrings bar musings
It's good to be back!
I'm loving the new songs, the new vibe, the whole shootin match. And the fat that y'all are connecting with it too really makes it make sense.
If you haven't seen a show this year, the new vibe is a cross between the foot-stomping delta blues I play at a solo gig, and an electric band. It's raw, loud and edgy authentic blues. Works for dancing. And it went down well at the Moorings, which is proof that it's a good thing.
OK, off to the Tunnels next week for our next Aberdeen gig. See you there!
I'm loving the new songs, the new vibe, the whole shootin match. And the fat that y'all are connecting with it too really makes it make sense.
If you haven't seen a show this year, the new vibe is a cross between the foot-stomping delta blues I play at a solo gig, and an electric band. It's raw, loud and edgy authentic blues. Works for dancing. And it went down well at the Moorings, which is proof that it's a good thing.
OK, off to the Tunnels next week for our next Aberdeen gig. See you there!
Saturday, January 05, 2008
Inspiration from strange sources
Sometimes you get clobbered by an inspirational guitarist or songwriter that comes from a direction you don't expect. Imagine that happening in your own house, and that person being one of your kids?
5 years ago my oldest learned how to play the guitar at a summer camp, and kept it secret for a while, eventually getting the nerve to ask for a guitar and lessons. He's been shy about it ever since, playing in his own room, mostly metal and punk. It turns out he's a great songwriter and has been recording songs with an old acoustic guitar and putting them on myspace. He's really good, and sings well. In fact I didn't recognize it was him when I first listened to it.
But the kicker is that he's writing and performing songs in open tunings, and he's a monster in dropped-D. Completely self taught from listening to CDs and downloading tabs off the web.
Out of respect for his privacy I won't publish his myspace address. But, *crap* he's good.
5 years ago my oldest learned how to play the guitar at a summer camp, and kept it secret for a while, eventually getting the nerve to ask for a guitar and lessons. He's been shy about it ever since, playing in his own room, mostly metal and punk. It turns out he's a great songwriter and has been recording songs with an old acoustic guitar and putting them on myspace. He's really good, and sings well. In fact I didn't recognize it was him when I first listened to it.
But the kicker is that he's writing and performing songs in open tunings, and he's a monster in dropped-D. Completely self taught from listening to CDs and downloading tabs off the web.
Out of respect for his privacy I won't publish his myspace address. But, *crap* he's good.
Wednesday, December 26, 2007
You stumble across some strange stuff..
But this is kinda cool.
There's a playlist of 'current and timeless masters of the instrument' a steel guitar playlist on FIQL.com, a library of playlists. It's got all the people you'd expect- David Lindley, Speedy West, Black Ace, Santo and Johnny, Jerry Douglas. And 2, count em, two tunes from my first CD! Man, not sure I belong there, but I'm flattered that someone thinks those songs belong on that list.
Click hear to see the play list
Wow....
There's a playlist of 'current and timeless masters of the instrument' a steel guitar playlist on FIQL.com, a library of playlists. It's got all the people you'd expect- David Lindley, Speedy West, Black Ace, Santo and Johnny, Jerry Douglas. And 2, count em, two tunes from my first CD! Man, not sure I belong there, but I'm flattered that someone thinks those songs belong on that list.
Click hear to see the play list
Wow....
Saturday, December 22, 2007
BUT RL IS STILL KING
Yeah, take them all, RL Burnside is still the king. Found this on youtube. Nothing fancy, just an old guitar and a folding chair and music without crap. Simplicity.
Friday, December 21, 2007
Thursday, December 20, 2007
All the best for the holidays!
Here's hoping that no matter where you are, the holidays are well spent with family and friends!
Sunday, December 16, 2007
~ that's all the gigs for 2007 ~
This time I mean it, one last show for an important cause.
The LemonAid benefit yesterday was one last blast for good cause that we shouldn't need to be fighting. Sad that there is even a need to assemble a bunch of musicians for a benefit to protest the closing of an arts center like the Lemon Tree. Especially over a small amount of money, in comparison to the money spent by the government on other things. But, there we were, if only to show support to a place that was really supportive of our music, and the music and theater and art of all our friends.
Thanks to all of you that joined us at the Tunnels yesterday to show support. I have no idea if we even registered on the City Council radar, but we did demonstrate that support for the arts is alive and well in Aberdeen.
The Lemon Tree was one of the first places to put me on the bill as a solo act in Scotland, one of the first places to book my band. I took my kids there for theater performances, my kids were involved in student productions there, and my wife and I sat there on a regular basis to soak up the music on friday at lunch for the Friday Live series, and the regular folk and blues offerings there in the evenings. We'll miss it! Thanks to the staff for all you've done over the years to make the place what it is/was.
"You don't miss your water, till your well runs dry"
The LemonAid benefit yesterday was one last blast for good cause that we shouldn't need to be fighting. Sad that there is even a need to assemble a bunch of musicians for a benefit to protest the closing of an arts center like the Lemon Tree. Especially over a small amount of money, in comparison to the money spent by the government on other things. But, there we were, if only to show support to a place that was really supportive of our music, and the music and theater and art of all our friends.
Thanks to all of you that joined us at the Tunnels yesterday to show support. I have no idea if we even registered on the City Council radar, but we did demonstrate that support for the arts is alive and well in Aberdeen.
The Lemon Tree was one of the first places to put me on the bill as a solo act in Scotland, one of the first places to book my band. I took my kids there for theater performances, my kids were involved in student productions there, and my wife and I sat there on a regular basis to soak up the music on friday at lunch for the Friday Live series, and the regular folk and blues offerings there in the evenings. We'll miss it! Thanks to the staff for all you've done over the years to make the place what it is/was.
"You don't miss your water, till your well runs dry"
Monday, December 10, 2007
Help the Lemon Tree benefit gig!
OK, I thought the year was over, but this is important.
There's a benefit gig at the Tunnels on Saturday afternoon. Lots of Aberdeen bands, all styles. We're there around 3. Details to follow.
You can do some christmas shopping, stumble in for a pint and help the Lemon Tree as well. Great way to kill a Saturday!
Check this space, as soon as I have details I'll post em-
There's a benefit gig at the Tunnels on Saturday afternoon. Lots of Aberdeen bands, all styles. We're there around 3. Details to follow.
You can do some christmas shopping, stumble in for a pint and help the Lemon Tree as well. Great way to kill a Saturday!
Check this space, as soon as I have details I'll post em-
Sunday, December 09, 2007
More unconstructed ramblings.....
Yeah, some interesting processing for 2008 going on here. More solo gigs? Sure did play some great places this year, packing only a guitar or two. Music is good fun, more personal. Less crazy and sweaty.
the Ipod collection of 2007
If you're interested, this is what had the most air-time on my Ipod this year-
Seasick Steve
Ray Bonneville (Rough Luck)
R L Burnside
T Model Ford
Southern Culture on the skids
Kelly Joe Phelps
Blind Willie Johnson
Bukka White
Mississippi Fred McDowell
Lightnin Hopkins
Not what I expected, if I'd guessed the top 10 would have been more electric players, but the stats on the computer don't lie I guess.
Seasick Steve
Ray Bonneville (Rough Luck)
R L Burnside
T Model Ford
Southern Culture on the skids
Kelly Joe Phelps
Blind Willie Johnson
Bukka White
Mississippi Fred McDowell
Lightnin Hopkins
Not what I expected, if I'd guessed the top 10 would have been more electric players, but the stats on the computer don't lie I guess.
Friday, December 07, 2007
and that's a wrap......
That's it, last gig of 2007 has now been played and I can get on with my Christmas shopping. Phew.
It was a great year with some great places to play and lots of fantastic people along the way. Ireland, Orkney and Shetland by ferry, Burnley by train, Alaska by plane, the Moorings by bus, the Lemon Tree on foot and lots of places by car. We got hopelessly lost on the way to Fetternear, and stuck in Customs in Seattle.
And last night was a great way to wrap up the year, sitting on a bar stool at Drummonds with Dino and Angus blasting out the Mississippi hill county slide and lap steel tunes in a 2-hour set till 1 am, to a club jammed to the rafters with happy dancers and drinkers. Great to see lots of you last night, regulars and semi-regulars all in one place.
I'm walking in my sleep, my finger tips are sore and I have no voice left. Sure signs of an extremely over the top gig.
Cheers all, see you next year in Germany, the US, the UK.....
It was a great year with some great places to play and lots of fantastic people along the way. Ireland, Orkney and Shetland by ferry, Burnley by train, Alaska by plane, the Moorings by bus, the Lemon Tree on foot and lots of places by car. We got hopelessly lost on the way to Fetternear, and stuck in Customs in Seattle.
And last night was a great way to wrap up the year, sitting on a bar stool at Drummonds with Dino and Angus blasting out the Mississippi hill county slide and lap steel tunes in a 2-hour set till 1 am, to a club jammed to the rafters with happy dancers and drinkers. Great to see lots of you last night, regulars and semi-regulars all in one place.
I'm walking in my sleep, my finger tips are sore and I have no voice left. Sure signs of an extremely over the top gig.
Cheers all, see you next year in Germany, the US, the UK.....
Wednesday, November 21, 2007
New recordings
It was such a frantic trip that the new CD didn't get finished, but we're working on it long distance...
11 new songs in all, 10 originals and a cover. It's more 'Americana' than pure blues. Yeah, sure, there's a couple of stone-cold blues tracks. But for the first time there's tunes that are more JJ Cale, lots of lap steel.
You'll like it. But you gotta wait a bit longer.
11 new songs in all, 10 originals and a cover. It's more 'Americana' than pure blues. Yeah, sure, there's a couple of stone-cold blues tracks. But for the first time there's tunes that are more JJ Cale, lots of lap steel.
You'll like it. But you gotta wait a bit longer.
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