Rathlin Wish-List

Ha! Every year, the same thing. "I wonder will I get over to the puffin sanctuary..." Past experience says noooooooo. Can't let the dream die though.

I've got a bad case of the Christmas Eve excitements - hyper since yesterday, completely not with it in work this evening. I imagine tonight will be a winkless night of sleep.

The Show Must Go On

That's the buzz at Rathlin - "So, the tent's blown away, the generator keeps cutting out, and half the stage has collapsed because of a hurricane... But why have you stopped playing?"

Mini trouble in paradise the other day though, and this in the comfort and safety of my own home. I plugged in my gear, post-Galway, and the Machinedrum, well, she sings no more. So I dunno, the plucky little drum machine that could is probably going to have to go to hospital in Sweden, leaving me sad, bereft, and (most importantly) mildly stuck for Sunday's gig. No cello either, that's been "sick" since my last trip back to Ireland.

I really need to sort out a better way of travelling with gear. In the meantime, though, this could work out even better - just a laptop, midi controller, and soundcard. Less hassle, less worry, less things that could go missing/be smashed to bits/be abducted by aliens, the usual crack.

G-g-g-Galway!

Just had a lovely few days out west. And back in Ireland. Ah yes, killing the planet, one Ryanair flight at a time. But yeah, it was a lovely trip out to Connemara and Galway city. I was recording a few songs for Ceol ar an Imeall, a weekly music programme on TG4. On Friday night, I was lucky enough to play in the Bierhaus in Galway. It was a Community Skratch gig that I kind of muscled in on. The music sandwich had a glorious landscape filling - we drove off out into the wilds, climbed The Diamond in Letterfrack (well, I'm a bit starved for slopes in The Netherlands), and went around Lough Mask and Lough Corrib. Great fun altogether.

Not so much fun, however, the 2 a.m. bus from Galway to Dublin airport for a 7 a.m. flight. I swore I'd never say "I'm getting old" but it fairly knocked the stuffing out of me. Getting ready for more of the same this weekend though.

RATHLIN!!!!!!

Demodemodemo de Mode du Monde

As we say On The Continent. So I've been getting my internet on, researching labels all over the world. All over the world, says she!

My cunning plan is to get the album released in as many countries as I can, or even just get talking to people who may be in a position to have us over for an aul gig. An aul gig, says she!

The UK, the Americas, Africa, Yerp, Australasia, Asia, I'm only limited by my reserves of patience. Philips' School Atlas on my lap, and away we go. Virtually speaking....

I've been fascinated by the island of Saint Helena since I read about it. On one side, the wind never blows, and on the other, it never stops. The only way to get there is on a Royal Mail boat, and it takes two weeks to get there (did somebody say "Hen Party"!!??). Maybe I'll leave Saint Helena for the time being, but I'll get there eventually.

The Chequered Life of Michel Thomas

I've been learning Dutch these last few weeks, listening to Michel Thomas. It's a great way of learning; the nice Dutch lady with the calm voice and the terrible puns gives small building blocks of sentences, and then there's the "how would you say 'they don't want to stay here tomorrow because they want to go there today'?" part where I say stuff in Dutch and hope none of my housemates can hear me. Still though, it's quick, and it gives you a real sense of familiarity with structure and word order.

But as for Michel Thomas' life! Colourful, to say the least. In and out of concentration camps like a yo-yo, in the French Resistance, involved in a sting operation where he posed as "Dr Frundsberg" to root out SS officers. Michel's wartime experiences, particularly his torture by the French Milice (Gestapo) when he discovered the ability to block out pain, made Michel Thomas aware of the untapped potential of the human mind.

No messin with that.

Nederlands!

The countdown begins now for the move over to Eindhoven. Eeekkk. Oh yes, it's exciting (what, living in the same country as my boyfriend!?), but new language, new country, new home, finding work, the prospect of a lotta push push push before there's a whiff of a gig or anything of the sort. "Comfort-zone" is one of these snappy buzz-phrases all the rage these days, or rather, one's removal of oneself from said cosy place. "Get out of your comfort-zone, ye big lummock!" And I'm a sucker, a proud, proud sucker, confidently striding over the Discomfort Frontier, with a big knot in my belly and an icy lump in my chest. No looking back though! T minus two months or thereabouts.

Addendum: Make that two and a half months. I have to get cracking on the album in the meantime.

More house gigs please!!!

Great time altogether down in Kinsale on Friday. What a nice place, and what nice people. Playing in a house is great; as Aoife said (afterwards, as we were eating roasty potatoes and homegrown parsnips and onions, AND an omelette, AND soup), it's like being a travelling musician. Of old, I mean.
I don't have a harp, and I'm not sure if my array of cables and various USB interfaces would have quite the same hold on the imagination as Turlough O' Carolan, but still, people were wiggin out and throwing shapes around the wood stove. As a long-standing shape-thrower, that was pretty heartening to see.
Big ups to Colin for asking me down, and to Lindsey, Bríde, Amandine, Eva and Innes as well for opening their doors!

Gig in Kinsale

Off down to my ancestral county on Friday for a house gig! Should be fun alright. No vintners' coffers will be lined on said occasion either; bonus! As it's just a session in a sitting room, there's no advertising, as such. Don't even know where it is myself, but I'm looking forward to it nonetheless. The guy putting it on is a Rathlin attendee, so it's bound to be simply maaahvellous.

Gig Tonight in the Stables

I've been a bit lax with the posting of late. Spent the last few month farting around with My New MACHINEDRUM which is frightfully exciting altogether. Not massively interesting to talk about though. Weeeellll, talking about "I'm doing this" and "I'm doing this" (as she talks about that she's doing) maybe isn't massively interesting. But hey, whatcha gonna do??

So, playing tonight in the Stables in Mullingar with FYED, Fuzzy Hell!! and Aidan O'Brien. Last night I decided to give myself a hangover today, the logic being that I'd be less nervous and jumpy. I questioned the wisdom of that this morning, but what's done is done.

My driving test looms as well, watch yer grannies! Following last night's rationale, I'll probably drink a bottle of poteen on Monday to prepare for the test on Tuesday. Yeow!

Rathlin Jigs & Rigs Gig

Goin up to Rathlin tomorrow morning. Yay! I love that place (the small portion thereof that I saw last year). Hoping to explore the island a bit more this time round. Holly and Regan from next Sunday's choir will be up there too, so we're planning (approach that word with caution) to have a bit of a practice while we're up there.
Playing on Sunday; Sunday appears to be my most frequent gig evening. Six of them so far have been on a Sunday, must be that lazy lullaby girl's voice thing. Hangover music. I suppose a lot of it has been written with a hangover, and the sort of clarity that comes with one.