Writing has trapped a nerve in my arm (!) but it's worth it. Yesterday I discovered a scribbled note in the margin of one of my conference papers that led me off on a new trail. I will take a break for a couple of days soon so I can see the wood for the trees, and perhaps write some new songs too.
On another and more musical note, Maverick magazine has given Anarchy Skiffle a four star review and also (thanks to Martin) put one of the tracks, Magpie, on to a free CD on their cover. The reviewer, Alan Harrison, is also a photographer who takes amazing pics of the Newcastle music scene, here http://www.harrisonaphotos.co.uk/
I bumped into him backstage at the Americana festival a few weeks ago and he told me that he really, really likes the album so I was chuffed to bits. I might try to find a double bass player locally so I can play some of the skiffle in its energised form in London.
Also backstage, there was a guy with a strangely-shaped black musical instrument case. Miraculously, the instrument that he unpacked was one of these http://foldingbass.com/ which he proceeded to put together in a trice, and which sounded perfectly normal when it has been assembled.
I love the sound of the double bass; I wish it had been an option to learn when I was a nipper.
Instead, I sat swinging my legs in my piano lessons at Miss Matthew's house, unable to read the dots and carrying the music home in my head to work out at my leisure.
When she realised what I was doing (I'd got to grade three by then) she sacked me, and my formal musical training ended before I got to the age of twelve.
I didn't really like the way she spat her bits of dinner that had been trapped in her teeth on to my knuckles during the lessons anyway.
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