This is news though

Hello from Patience Bootcamp! I'm not very patient, you see. This notwithstanding, it's been a bit of a slow few months. But the demo CDs are back from the pressing plant, be-artworked and mastered and all those professional things. I start sending them out next week, yeow!!

My first Eindhovinian gig is on at the end of November. Yip yip! AxesJazzPower is an Eindhoven-based promotions group and "stage for adventurous new music". Their programmes range from jazz to contemporary classical, theatre, electronica, and pretty much anything else interesting. I see that Andy Moor (guitarist from the legendary Dutch punk band, The Ex) is playing in a few weeks with Yannis Kyriakides, a Cypriot composer living in Amsterdam. Seeya down the front, hweh!

But anyway, yeah, their shows are always interesting, and for the gig in November, they're setting up a collaboration between an upcoming artist (that'd be me) and an old, wise, lion with years of experience. So, I'll be going to Amsterdam in a few weeks to meet up with Sean Bergin, we'll have an aul jam together, and see what happens. It's really exciting though, obviously a very different set-up to Ireland. Slightly more (this word again) professional. But it is though.

It's not News...

By this stage, it's Olds, but nonetheless -

London Burning.

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.

Video from last Friday

Jimmy put up a video from the Bierhaus gig on Youtube. The track is "Jump Don't Jump", and it's on the album. Which is being released....some time???? Need to get the house in order in that regard.

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!!!!!!

Today I have mostly been obsessively listening to...

The O6 Census by Botched Fairytale

It's like being fifteen again! Just gorgeous.