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Well I started writing this last week but time slipped away. I’ll carry on with it anyway after I tell you that this weekend (May 31st) we are at:-
Saturday 31st May
Hoggs ‘n’ Heifers
Bentham
West Yorkshire
We love to play here and apparently it is carnival day so a lot happening around the town. Should be better than usual.
Ok back to where I was a couple of weeks ago - So another bank holiday weekend came and went and rain forecast – No suprise really. Not that I am complaining as the previous weekend was very hot and sunny followed of course by thunder and lightening. For anyone wondering where the bank holiday weekend gigs were we had a well earned weekend off. Good to know you are not playing every now and again, a chance to do something else.
This followed two crackin’ gigs. The first was at the Greyhound in Beeston. We love this place and it didn’t disappoint. Not as full as usual but sound was great (Thanks Ade), the new management and staff are great and what a brilliant audience. Met up with some old friends and made a few new ones. We will return.
Sunday afternoon saw us in Ighten Leigh (Burnley). Despite the hot sunny weather outside and a 5:30 start we had a decent sized crowd in this great venue and everyone had a good time. Home at a reasonble time as well!
I seem to have a yearning for boats at the moment, what with Canal trips, Boat trip on the Thames etc. The Saturday saw us on the Mersey Ferry which we used to take Gemma (the dog) over to Albert dock. A very pleasant trip across and a large cruise ship (Celebrity lines) to look at as well. A good atmosphere at the Albert dock/Pier head and a very successful trip.
I have been catching up on some swimming recently as well, got to do something to try and convince myself I am relatively fit. I do enjoy it actually, quite relaxing.
Maybe I should restart my writing career as well and complete my book, Now there are downloadable books it will be far easier to distribute and make available. Food for thought.
What else have i been up to? Well I think I mentioned I was clearing a few things out and Ebay has been busy. I am selling some vinyl records so I have reconnected my turntable and given some of them a listen whilst transferring them to Digital format. There is definitley somethng more pleasing about 12″ albums due to the sleeves. It was great to be re-reading some of them and remembering the excitement at procuring them. Just not he same when you click a button for a download. Youngsters will never appreciate this I guess although apparently most major bands are releasing their new recordings as limited edition vinyl options. Times have changed though and the vinyl editions are quite pricey.
Finally managed to sort out the home studio/office so demos have been started for some new Clan material. Some blues amongst the rock. Speaking of Blues we play the well known and “prestigious” BJs Blues night in Chorley on July 24th. Quite difficult to get on there so it’s a good one for us. May try and rehearse a few more bluesy numbers before then if we get the chance.
June is looking quite busy for gigs although we are avoiding June 14th due to the first England World cup match. Not because we are interested but because it will probably be shown on TV in every venue making a live band pointless.
We also had some interest from Phantom records this week, possibly a photoshoot on the cards. Just waiting to see what they say.
Ok that’s pretty much the news for now so here are the rants
RANTS
Recently I have seen a couple of people on the TV who really do think they are far more important than they actually are.
1) Tom Daley. I unfortunatley caught some of his round the world program and he seemed to be constantly saying how great it was to be in places where he doesn’t get recognised and can be himself. Well I am pretty sure that would happen if he walked down most people’s roads. I mean come on, I know he is somewhat obvious due to his sun tan but really does anyone care enought to bother him? I admit I wouldn’t do it but at the end of the day all he does is fall from a height into water for a living. Not really important is it?
2) Unknown Eastender. No I don’t watch the program as personally I find it dreadful and depressing but this guy from it whoever he is turned up on a couple of other programs recently. One was masterchef where the contestants served the Eastenders team, he moaned about the food and showed himslef up to have no manners or tact, then he was on a chat show (Paul O Grady I think it was ) where he made insulting remarks about Timothy West, who at the end of the day is a much finer actor than this lout will ever be. So no, I don’t know who he is, don’t really care but he needs to look at himself hard and realise that as far as acting goes he is playing himself and that is not a very nice character. Some people get one sniff of recognition and it goes to their heads as they confuse it with talent. As we all know that is not necessarily the case of course. Recognition and fame has far more to being in the right place at the right time or who you know.
Politics has been in the news recently of course specifically UKIP. Now I don’t really voice my opinions on politics and I am still not going to. All I will say is that UKIP seem to have a good PR/Marketing team behind them.
Music
Been listening to a range of music recently. Haven’t listened to planet rock radio ofr a while and sure enought within ten minutes of me putting it on yesterday AC/DC were on. So it got turned off rather quickly. Not that I mind AC/DC but they do overplay them a bit. For me the thing with AC/DC is the lack of variety. Most bands including heavyweights such as Sabbath, Purple, Rainbow, Metallica, Zeppelin, Priest etc. do change the tempo and play ballads or blues type songs every now and again. AC/DC just seem to reproduce the same thing over and over again which their fans sem to love but I find a bit tedious after 10 minutes.
Speaking of this I read recently that you can’t keep selling the same thing over and over again which is why the likes off Bowie, Queen and Madonna have stayed commercially successful. They changed their styles and reinvented themselves on a regular basis. True, they have but there are multiple examples of bands who have stayed with their style and remain commercially active to this day AC/DC, Sabbath, Saxon, Iron Maiden, U2 to name a few. So who is right?
I think the thing about music is there are no rules so do whatever you want and don’t try to pre-empt.
So what is my recommendation this week? I think I have recommended this before but if so here it is again,
Robin Trower – Living out of time (Studio album)
Until next time Keep rockin’
Craig