First Review of The Chefs

http://www.shout4music.com/albums-eps/the-chefs--records-a-tea-the-best-of

Songwriting and Technical

Yesterday was an emotional day: the City and Hackney Carers screened the films that the carers' film project had made, alongside the carers' songwriting project ( done at the Premises Studios) that I was involved with. The films were very powerful, and it was lovely to see the songwriters again and to listen to their songs as we sat upstairs at the Hackney Picture House and all ate our lunch together. The cinema was pretty full, and it seems that both projects are going to not only help the carers to keep in touch with each other, but also raise their profile. They are remarkable people in a lot of ways.
And who should be there but Lucy Toothpaste, looking very glamorous! I forgot to tell her that the book is coming out next month.
This morning, I have been transferring the DAT audio of the backing tracks of the Voxpop Puella song-cycle to Garageband so that I can add some fresh lead vocals before sending them off to be mastered. The tracks are what is called 'hot': dynamically wild! I had to set the input volume at zero for one of them and I still think it was clipping. We shall see: I am going to trim them in a minute ready for the vocal recording tomorrow.
Later, I am off to work with Lucie Sieger:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dc8BxyICJmc
And the washing machine is working overtime, as I realised that five of our tour dates are consecutive so I will have to take a lot of clothes with me!

Daffodils

And they smelled delicious. I have never seen so many, not even here at Trent Park. The poor students are being moved out to Hendon. Not quite the same: a bit grey in comparison.
Daffodils always seem like curious nineteenth-century ladies pointing their bonnets in different directions- a whole load of nosy parkers minding everyone else's business. Just imagine the racket if this lot could talk!
Today's news is that The Cafe of Tiny Kindnesses has unexpectedly shown up- will have copies next week.

The Hulk

Aha! A fluorescent green Hulk has arrived to guard the doll collection that I keep at work in my office; every summer, someone steals from me and it's really upsetting.
The Hulk is so beautiful, I'm not sure I dare to take him there to take up his post as guard: what if he gets stolen too?
Thank you Sarah, for helping him into an envelope and paying for his ticket. He has arrived safely and is being admired as I write this post!

Tory Policy

If it ain't broke, break it.

Tickets for the Daintees Tour

I am being asked for ticket details for the tour: they are available from gigsandtours.com and by phone from 0844 811 0051

Eureka!

I learn more when I am teaching other people to do things that I do when other people are teaching me to do things.

Aha!

http://www.equinoxpub.com/PMH/announcement/view/68

Mo-Dettes

June Miles KIngston was a pretty impressive drummer!

Saturday

Absolutely the best I have ever heard Viv or Gina play; the audience was sparse as we were clashing with Jah Wobble and The Stranglers at other Manchester venues but those who came along (Cazz included) seemed mighty impressed. I have not seen Viv play since the Damned tour and she played with the angry commitment of.. well, a proper punk actually. The performance was obviously completely cathartic for her, but what also impressed me was her guitar playing skills, which are now second to none (all you rockstar guys with your copycat licks, watch out!) and probably for the first time, the lyrics were crystal clear thanks to Chris's sound engineering skills. Gina has also sharpened up her act immeasurably-very different music to Viv's because she is an experimenter: I loved her pop vocoder/autotune track and also her song inspired by the riots. Offsprog One did sterling work as a DJ playing Northern Soul between our sets, Martin MC'd with aplomb and Liz, bless her cotton socks, sold CDs for us. I don't think I have ever sold so many CDs at a gig before. Thank you to all who came along to support us, someone even making the journey from Leicester! It was much appreciated. Now, I am knackered and permanently in the shape of 'person-sitting-in-car-and-driving-long distance'!

Tomorrow, Hyde

... I shall be playing a Telecaster, or a Squier with Seymour Duncan Pickups.
Doors open 8.30, I will be on first, then Viv, then Gina...
... three very different women playing guitars...
be there or be Squier!

Ha Ha Ha HA HA!

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=3171397958395

Studio One Soul 2 And Other Listening

In a vintage clothes shop in Newcastle I heard a track that was irresistible and I sent off for both of the Studio One soul albums. Number Two arrived today and I've been bopping away.
As a complete contrast I am now listening to Standard Planets http://soundcloud.com/standardplanets
I have worn my fingers out rehearsing for Saturday's gig. I will be playing the Squier telecaster copy that Martin gave me, and feeling like a rocker. Shall I wear my leather jacket?

Lofty Thoughts

Dusty up there: but I emerged with lots of lost DAT tapes of old music, and a clutch of Chefs and Helen and the Horns vinyl that I will bring along on Saturday to the gig at Hyde. And that's where all the MIDI leads went to.
I need a three week lock-in to sort all this stuff out. So much I had forgotten! Old school's songwriting projects, the song cycle called Herms that I did before Voxpop Puella, slides of gigantic drawings in pen on graph paper.
The City and Hackney Carers' songwriting CD arrived this morning. It is lovely: of course if we had had more time we might have been able to polish it more, but would we have had the stamina and the patience? Probably not, although I have resolved to get hold of an electronic metronome for rehearsals next time!

The Guitar Weekend

It was a lovely weekend, illuminated by Western-Scotland sunshine and soundtracked by a flock of eccentric guinea-fowl that wandered in an anxious huddle across the grass on incomprehensible birdy missions from time to time.
Tutors Martin Stephenson, Jim Hornsby and Brian Younger treated us to an amazing, once-in-a-lifetime (and unfilmed) improvised version of The Entertainer on two guitars and banjo that left us all breathless. For the first time, I came away being able to remember some of what I learned (including the chords for Sunny). There was a great combo of people- two younger people and some bubbly personalities; a Johnny Cash voice to die for and as always, a lot of humorous banter.
The first year the profiteroles didn't have cream on the turn too!

The hotel staff seemed as relaxed as we were this time round (they set the dining tables up in a guitar-shape, bless 'em) and we gave them a round of applause; as always it was difficult to tear myself away and head back to reality. Here's to the Songwriting Weekend in June!