|
3rd April 2012
Hi Folks,
I've been in the studio for what seems like almost every day this year so far, other than when I've been playing gigs. It's really going well and will be finished by the summer as we are now taking a break for three weeks to finalise the cello parts and other details whilst giving our ears a well earned rest.
The album will consist of ten songs shortlisted from more than double that number which I've written over the last couple of years. Whilst some of the songs which won't appear were left off simply because they didn't make the grade, plenty of others are songs which I like but which don't fit the style and theme of the record I'm making right now. Actually, I've kind of written two albums, maybe the second album will get recorded in the future at some point, I hope so.
There are lots of new dates getting added to my 'Tour' page at the moment, so please check it out:
ianparker.biz/tour.shtml
For my friends in Germany, I'm really happy to tell you that at last a tour has been booked for September and more dates will be added to it soon. There will also be more Project Dylan Acoustic shows in Spain over the summer, which will be great fun if the gigs we did in February are anything to go by.
Take care,
Ian
13th January 2012
Hi Folks, and a slightly belated Happy New Year to you all!
It's been a busy start to the year for me as I'm about to begin recording my new album which is going to be all consuming but lots of fun I'm sure. The final preparations have certainly been keeping me occupied for the last couple of weeks.
I'm also avidly learning the songs of Bob Dylan for a project I'm doing in Spain this year called Project Dylan Acoustic. The project is a celebration of Dylan's music and marks the 50th Anniversary of his first recording. The show features sets from Derrin Nauendorf, Miguel Banon, and myself, and we'll be playing songs together too.
I always feel that you get inside a song properly when you learn how to play and sing it, and as such the exercise is proving to be very interesting and inspirational. I'm sure we'll all have a good time on the tour too, so lots to look forward to there.
facebook.com/pages/Project-Dylan-Acoustic/213309592079962?sk=wall
Other dates are being arranged too in the UK and elsewhere in Europe for my ongoing Bare Bones tour, so hopefully I'll see you all on the road before long!
Take care,
Ian
19th December 2011
Hi Folks,
Last night I played my final show of the year at The Marrs Bar in Worcester. It was a really good night, and the atmosphere was fantastic. I've enjoyed playing this year more than ever, and what with the Royal Albert Hall in May, and some cool tours in the UK and throughout Europe, it's been a really great period for me.
I'll be recording my new album in the early part of 2012, the pre-production has gone really well and I'm excited about getting on with it now. After that, I'll be back out on the road again with shows in the UK, Europe, and hopefully the US again this time around. I'll be involved in a one-off tour in Spain later on in 2012, celebrating the music of Bob Dylan, fifty years on from his debut album release, which will be a lot of fun too.
Thank you all for your support throughout 2011, I wish you a Merry Christmas and a very Happy New Year!!
All the best,
Ian
20th November 2011
Hi Folks,
I can’t believe it’s nearly December already, 2011 has flown by. I’m just getting ready to go out on tour for the last time before Christmas. I’ll be playing shows in The Netherlands, Luxembourg, and Belgium over the next couple of weeks before returning to Blighty to work on my final session of pre-production for the new album. I’ll then be shutting up shop for the festive period with a local-ish gig at The Marrs Bar in Worcester on 18th December, which will be fun.
I’ve had some especially enjoyable gigs recently. I was in Paris with my trio (Steve Amadeo and Chris Eaton) at the beginning of November, where we had a couple of great nights, with fantastic audiences, and I’m looking forward to more trio shows next year. My solo gigs have been going well too, it was great to be back in The Netherlands in October, and I was lucky to get a week of sunshine last week in Spain, where once again the people turned out in good number and gave me a warm welcome.
I’ve had lots of emails from my friends in Germany asking about when I’m coming back. Thank you for your continued enthusiasm, and sorry it’s been so long. The good news is that I’m planning a tour for March of next year.
I can’t wait to get this new album recorded. I’ll keep you posted with my progress over the next couple of months. For those of you who are interested in more regular updates, why not follow me on Twitter (@ianparkermusic)?
Don’t forget to check out the online shop for that perfect Christmas gift too! We’ve got a full range of stock including much of the back catalogue as well as the latest album ‘The Bare Bones’, and some new T-shirts!!
http://ianparker.biz/buy.shtml
I hope to see you out on the road before long.
Ian
6th September 2011
Hi Folks,
Following the excitement of the Albert Hall and then a busy June and July on the road, I've spent the last month recording at home as part of the pre-production for my next album. The songs are really coming together and I'm getting pretty excited about it now.....much more on that over the coming weeks.
I played a nice couple of gigs with Steve and Chris last week to kick off a series of UK dates and I'm back solo again now for the rest of the month in promotion of 'The Bare Bones'. I've been playing lots of my new stuff at gigs recently, and it's been encouraging to get such a positive response at this early stage. I'll be trying out more new ones as well as revisiting plenty of songs from the past during my forthcoming UK tour, and I'll be back in The Netherlands, France, Spain, Luxembourg, and Belgium too before the end of the year, which is going to be fun. Check out the tour page for details.
See you along the way,
Ian
The new album 'The Bare Bones' available now!
A new range of IP t-shirts available now!
See the online shop for details!!
11th May 2011
Hi Folks,
I just wanted to let you know that new dates have just been added to my tour page including my debut appearance at The Royal Albert Hall on Saturday 28th May in promotion of my new album 'The Bare Bones'. I'll be opening for Zucchero. The show will probably sell-out, but for now there still tickets available. It would be great to have you guys there! For tickets, please see the link below:
http://www.royalalberthall.com/tickets/zucchero-2011/default.aspx
My solo shows have been going really well, and I've been introducing lots of new songs into the set of late which is keeping me on my toes, and helping me to develop the new
material. The tour has been extended throughout the UK, and now also includes shows in Italy, The Netherlands, and France too (see the tour page for details). I'm hoping to add shows in Spain and hopefully the US over the summer, and I haven't forgotten about you guys elsewhere, more dates will follow in good time!
I've recently joined the Twitter community, and some people will be surprised to hear that I'm quite enjoying tweeting! I like the idea of quick updates and the opportunity to publish some of Mick the Dog's (my trusty road manager) finest quotes as they come out of his mouth on the road! https://twitter.com/#!/IanParkerMusic
All the best,
Ian
3rd March 2011
Hi Folks,
Thank you to those of you in the UK who came out to support the 'Newlife Up Close and Acoustic Sessions' at Robin 2 in Wolverhampton last month. It was a really fun night and in the end the event raised £2,507.05, which has already been allocated to disabled children in the West Midlands area. A huge thank you goes out to Scott Matthews, Steve Gibbons, and Lucy and The Rambler for giving up their time to get involved, and for their great performances.
My live recording at The Globe in Cardiff on 9th February went really well too. It was great to see so many people turn out for it, and despite the usual pre-live-recording anxiety, I actually really enjoyed the gig. My old mate Morg Morgan came down and played on three songs which are featured on the album 'The Bare Bones' which consists of 11 songs including 4 previously unrecorded tracks.
I'm very happy with how it has turned out and the official release date is Monday 21st March. You can buy the album now: click here. You can also watch the promo video which Mick 'the dog' Allen has put together.
I look forward to seeing you out on the road before long.
All the best,
IP
19th January 2011
Hi Folks,
I'm very happy to announce that I'm going to be involved in a really worthwhile charity event next month. Newlife Foundation for Disabled Children is a fantastic national charity based in Cannock, Staffordshire. The charity does marvellous work raising money to help disabled children and their families to purchase specialist equipment, which makes an enormous difference to their lives.
The Newlife Up Close and Acoustic Sessions will take place on Thursday 17th February at Robin 2, Bilston, Wolverhampton, and will be headlined by the Ivor Novello Award winning songwriter, Scott Matthews whose music I love. Also on the bill is the legendary Steve Gibbons who I used to go and watch as a teenager, and local talented newcomers Lucy and the Rambler. I reckon it will be a really fun night of music, and hopefully we'll raise plenty of money for the charity in the process. Tickets are expected to sell quickly and a sell out is a strong possibility, so it's best to buy your tickets in advance. The hotline number is 01453 462 777.
The other news is that after several requests at gigs and via email, I've decided to record my solo gig at The Globe in Cardiff on 9th February. If it all works out ok, I'll put it out some time in March. In the meantime, I'm working hard on writing again, and the main focus for the next few months is to record a new full-length studio album at last! I'll keep you posted...
All the best,
IP
15th December 2010
Hi Folks,
Thank you for your support throughout 2010, it's been another great year for me, with lots of new musical challenges and plenty of fun. I'm really looking forward to the full band tour in The Netherlands which starts this week, and then it's back home for Christmas.
I wish you all a great Christmas, and I look forward to seeing you out on the road in 2011 - starting on New Years Day at Robin 2 in Bilson, Wolverhampton where I'll be playing a special afternoon chill-out show with the acoustic trio!
All the best,
IP
1st December 2010
Hi Folks,
I can't believe it's already December, this year has flown by. It's going to be a busy month for me, with a week of UK solo dates starting tonight in Brighton (Morg Morgan joins me on Friday in Stratford-upon-Avon), then the final two UK full band shows in Manchester and Kendal the following weekend, before we go off to The Netherlands for another full band tour before Christmas.
The full band shows have been going really well. It's been really cool to be back out with the guys again, and the response has been fantastic. The balance between old and new material seems to be working out well, and I'm looking forward to the next batch of shows in a couple of weeks.
After the tour of The Netherlands, it's back home for Christmas, although I'll be back at Robin 2 in Bilston, Wolverhampton with the acoustic trio on New Years Day for a special hang-over cure show!! It will be really nice to play with the trio at Robin 2 actually. We've mainly played in smaller, more intimate venues with that format, so it will be interesting to try it out in a bigger venue. We'll be on stage at 1.30pm and the ticket price includes food. To book tickets, call 01902 401211.
My recent tour of Germany, Luxembourg and Belgium went really well. I was joined on the German dates by Wayne Proctor on percussion, guitar and backing vocals and we had a lot of fun. It was the first time I've played in Germany without the full band, and I was pleasantly surprised by the enthusiastic response from audiences up and down the country. Then it was off to Luxembourg and Antwerp for a couple of solo shows. The Brasserie in L'Abbaye de Neumunster in Luxembourg is a great venue, especially for acoustic shows, and my mate Jimmy was a fantastic host as ever. Antwerp was cool too. I seem to be playing to a different audience there now, it has a slightly more bohemian feel to it these days which I really love.
Anyway, enough of my ramblings for now...
All the best,
IP
11th October 2010
Hi Folks,
Just a quick hello whilst I’m taking an afternoon away from rehearsals and re-building Stratocasters (or rather making the tea whilst my trusty tech Terry does the hard work) in readiness for my first full band tour in 18 months. The official rehearsals (I’ll still be singing and playing in front of the mirror in my living room over the next week and a half) are now done, and I’m feeling very good about getting back out on the road with the guys. The show consists of a mixture of old and new, and after all this time away from the full band sound, it feels very fresh and exciting to us all. The two guitar format is working out really well too, which I’m very pleased about.
The acoustic trio tour in September was really good fun, thank you to those of you who came out to see us. That line-up is so different from anything I’ve ever done before, that it has taken a long time to really get used to it and be confident with it. I’ve had to adapt to being the main rhythm instrument, rather than the guy who just gets to play on top of the foundation carefully constructed by the others, and this has been a really important learning experience. Also, Steve has had to really get stuck into his double bass after years of predominantly playing only electric bass guitar which is a completely different instrument. He’s done an incredible job, and his playing on this latest tour was outstanding. Chris as ever continued to blow us away with his slide solos and soundscapes as he’ll be doing again no doubt with the full band later this month.
Well that’s about it for now. I hope to see you out on the tour soon!
All the best,
IP
Ian Parker Full Band UK Tour 2010:
October 20th - The New Roscoe, Leeds
October 21st - Robin 2, Bilston, Wolverhampton
October 22nd - The Maltings, Ely, Cambridgeshire
October 28th - The Borderline, London
October 29th - Milkwood Jam, Swansea
November 5th - The Flower Pot, Derby
December 10th - Band on the Wall, Manchester
December 11th - Brewery Arts Centre, Kendal
3rd September 2010
I've put together a film of our recent full band rehearsals to whet your appetite!
See the Music page...
++++++++++
Ik heb een film samengesteld van onze recente bandrepetitie. Dit als voorproefje voor wat er komen gaat!
Zie de Muziek pagina ...
++++++++++
Ich habe einen Film zusammengeschnitten von den kürzlichen Proben mit der vollständigen Band,
um ihren Appetit anzuregen.
Sehen Sie das Video auf der Musik Seite ...
++++++++++
Je viens de finir de monter une vidéo des dernières répétitions effectuées avec tous les membres du groupe pour satisfaire votre curiosité!
Voir la page Musique ...
++++++++++
He creado una película de nuestros ensayos recientes banda completa para abrir el apetito!
Vea la página de Música ...
++++++++++
5th August 2010
I got to see, and jam with my old friend Chick Willis a couple of weeks ago. Chick is the cousin of Chuck Willis who wrote the Ray Charles classic 'Feel So Bad', and he was in town for the Birmingham International Jazz Festival. Chris Lomas from Parker's Alibi was playing bass for him, and he gave me a call to let me know what was going down, so I went along with a telecaster for a jam. It was so nice to see Chick again. His stories are hilarious, and the music was completely free and spontaneous which is always interesting!
My good mate Morg Morgan is retiring from full time playing to become a music teacher. I'm sure he'll do really well in his new career given his varied life experience and musical ability. I'll definitely miss having 'The Mole' around, but I still intend to play duo shows with him from time to time, so there's a chance you'll get to hear him again at some point.
I've been busy this last couple of weeks in rehearsals with the band for our tour later in the year. The band is sounding great and it's really nice to play in that format again after all these months. My long time rhythm section of Steve Amadeo and Wayne Proctor are of course still around, and Chris Eaton, who many of you (in the UK at least) will have heard in my acoustic trio, has now joined on a permanent basis. I'm really enjoying playing with another guitarist, and he's a mind blowing player. The world famous Mick the Dog filmed the first rehearsals last week, and I'll get together with him over the next few days to put the footage together to give you a taster of how things are coming together.
I'll also be taking the duo with Wayne to Germany in November which will be cool. We had a great time on our Benelux tour in June, and the audience response was overwhelming considering the show only involves the two of us, so it will be nice to tour it again. I've missed being in Germany, it's been a while. Please check out the tour page for details.
Alternatively, the independently run German fansite (www.ianparkermusic.de.tl) will have lots of information on the tour over the coming weeks.
I've been in the studio for the last few days recording two new songs. I'm very happy with the way it's working out, and there'll be more on that soon no doubt. I've got more than enough material for a new album, and I can't wait to get it all down...
18th June 2010
Just returned from a tour of the Benelux countries this last couple of weeks. I went out there with Wayne Proctor, for what is a rough and ready little duo of guitars and percussion and my last experimental line-up before I start up again properly with the full band at the end of the year.
On the eve of our departure we got a call asking if we wanted to open for Jimmie Vaughan at Shepherds Bush Empire. That seemed like a suitably risky first gig for the duo, so we agreed. I've not played there since I opened two shows for Jeff Beck in 1999, and it was nice to go back. Jimmie Vaughan is one of my favourite blues players, traditional but not clichéd, great tone, cool guy, an honour to be involved.
I had previously considered the acoustic trio, with its absence of drums to be a fairly radical concept in the context of my music, but I think having only drums (well percussion in the form of a cajon actually) is probably another giant step "out there". It was actually great fun and enthusiastically received by the audiences. Wayne also plays acoustic guitar here and there in the show, so I get to pick up my electric, which I've been missing of late, so we were able to keep it pretty varied.
It was nice to be back on the continent - always cool at this time of the year, and we had a lot of laughs. It was definitely another good learning experience. That seems to happen every time I try something new, I suppose that's what creativity is all about. I'm ready to start playing with the band again though now. We'll be rehearsing over the coming weeks and months, and shows are now being booked for the end of the year…
p.s. Here's the link to a fan video from Youtube of a new song called 'Humanity Blues' at The Spirit of 66 in Verviers last week.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ITq38uUU3k
31st May 2010
Great couple of shows last weekend …really enjoyable …fantastic audiences. My solo gig in Hampshire started out badly when the jack plug on my beloved Martin failed. With no time (or aptitude) to do anything about it, I re-strung a couple of spares and got on with it. It was a really intimate atmosphere, perfect for a solo gig…
The next night I was in Bouchain, France with the acoustic trio. This was possibly the most demonstrative audience we've had yet for this show. We played 5 songs in two encores after a 90-minute set, super crowd. Afterwards the organisers treated us to a wonderfully convivial meal - tres francais, merci tout le monde.
Benelux tour next, great fun on the continent at this time of the year, I can't wait. New dates have been added for the summer and autumn, check out the gig guide for details.
Bye for now…
20th May 2010
Just about to leave for a solo gig in Hampshire, then it's off to France with the trio. It will be so good to be out there playing again. Great audience last time in the Salle des Fetes in Bouchain, so we're all looking forward to it. The rootsie acoustic sound of the trio is particularly suited to a theatre environment, and it is very rewarding to be able to play so quietly and draw the audience in.
Rehearsing for the duo tour from Monday. All new - which is exciting and horrifying in equal measure! Got to work out which three songs will work best for TROS Radio in Amsterdam with acoustic guitar and cajon - not sure if I'm becoming artistically braver with age, or just going nuts. It's going to be fun either way!
We're just finalising a series of full band shows for later in the year and the new band sound is coming together really well. The two-guitar approach makes the whole thing rawer than before which I'm enjoying a lot, and the new and old material is sitting well together. It's going to be a buzz to have the energy of the band behind me again…
19th May 2010
Hi Folks,
I've been wanting to blog more frequently of late, but it's been a while since my last one, due in part to my recent sporting effort, but more so because of the fact that I came down with election fever. As such I've been locked away at home, fixated on the rolling news channels every waking hour of the day!
I won't be as vulgar and presumptuous as to impose any of my views on you, but I will say that I think the election contest here in the UK this last few weeks was the most exciting and engaging we've had for some time. In fact, I've been inspired to trawl the internet and even visit my local library for the first time in years to advance my understanding of all things political. Those of you who perhaps quite rightly only care about my musical pursuits may be pleased to know that I'm coming back to life and work at last now, hence this little hello!
I've been writing again and have plenty of new ideas to develop which is always exciting. I'm also itching to play live again and I can't wait to get back out on the road. I'm especially looking forward to going back to Belgium and The Netherlands in June, where 'Demons and Doubters' has been getting some great reviews. I'm in France with the trio at the weekend which will be cool too I'm sure.
Dates are coming in thick and fast at the moment for the summer, so stay in touch with the tour page for that. I'm expecting to be touring in continental Europe again in the autumn and early winter, and I also have UK dates planned for September and October.
I don't know what it is about life on the road, it's often lonely, always exhausting, never healthy, and yet its draw is enormous, especially when you haven't been out there much for a while. Thank you so much to you guys in the US who stay in touch with your kind emails to the website. At this point, I have nothing scheduled for this year, but it's not out of the question, and I'd certainly love to come back in the summer if I can.
That's all for now!
Take care,
Ian
29th April 2010
Hi Folks,
Well we made it, 13 miles of sheer hell, but the whole team completed the course! Our training really paid off actually, we'd punished ourselves with some horrific hills and gruelling courses during the sixteen weeks of preparation, and I felt that the actual racecourse was pretty reasonable. Right now I'm enjoying not having to do any running for a while, but I do intend to keep it up long term, and I may well enter another race at some point.
Thank you so much to all of you who sponsored us, we appreciate your kindness very much. There are still a few donations coming in, but we are well over the £2000 mark. The money is going to Motor Neurone Disease Scotland. There's still time to make a donation, the link is http://www.justgiving.com/HSNC-does-Stratford-Upon-Avon.
Thank you also to those of you who turned up on the day, it was really encouraging to hear you shouting me on at the finish line!!
Take care,
Ian
22nd April 2010
Chris Eaton got some good footage from the gig the other night of a new song - you can watch it on the music page
15th April 2010
Hi Folks,
I've just returned from New Zealand and 2000 miles of driving, swimming in the pacific with dolphins, seeing Killer Whales up close, climbing glaciers, and bathing in the natural hot water of a geothermal creek amongst other things. The south island is absolutely stunning, and the National Museum in Auckland, along with the wealth of Mauri places of cultural and historical interest elsewhere, make the north island a fascinating place too. As ever the jetlag has been a nightmare for me. My body has been home for a week and my mind is due in some time this weekend I expect!
The time off has really done me a lot of good in the sense that having not actually been out on tour properly for a few months, I'm really hungry for it again now, I cannot wait to play. Whilst I have, hand on heart, always enjoyed playing, like any other profession, being a musician involves routines and stresses which reduce its appeal from time to time. At the moment however, I feel the way I did when I was a teenager playing in my bedroom and dreaming of being on tour! It's nice to get that feeling back.
My first chance to get out there will be this Saturday at Wightwick Manor, Wightwick Bank, Wolverhampton, UK. We're going to be playing old and new material, and there are still a few tickets left if you want to be there. Wightwick Manor is a National Trust location, which is well worth a visit. Ticket hotline: 01902 760100. Tour dates are coming in for later in the year and will be announced soon!
In addition to gig withdrawal and jetlag, my third ailment is a knee injury sustained in training for the half marathon run, which takes place next weekend (April 25th). I'm battling back from the injury Rooney style (delusions of grandeur again there, it's clearly not on the same scale of importance!), and I'm hoping all will be well on the day. Injuries are actually plaguing the squad in general at the moment, but everyone is getting there. If you want to sponsor the team, we are raising money for Motor Neurone Disease, and we'd all really appreciate your support. We're aiming to raise £1000 and we're currently at just under £680. Please click on the following link for our Just Giving page if you feel you can spare a few quid. http://www.justgiving.com/HSNC-does-Stratford-Upon-Avon
Take care,
IP
24th Feb 2010
Hi Folks,
My mate 'Mick the Dog' has compiled many things in his time - a collection of bus and train tickets, emergency food rations in case those strange foreign countries don't have anything a dog of his breed can eat, a catalogue of amusing driving noises, and some other unspeakable things.
More recently he has compiled some of his bootleg footage from last October's acoustic trio tour of the UK. The footage can be seen on the 'Music' page. That tour was a lot of fun and very musically satisfying, and I'm grateful to 'the Dog' for capturing those moments. We'll be doing another trio show on May 2nd in Guisborough, Cleveland.
I'll also be playing several solo gigs in the UK in the coming months, as well as some more with Morg Morgan on keys. Talking of which, the second show at Ripley Town Hall on Sunday 7th March has now sold out. Sorry to those of you who were not able to get tickets, I hope to come back again before long.
Also, I'll be back on the continent in June with a new show featuring Wayne Proctor on percussion. Throughout the 'Up Close and Intimate' series, with the solo, piano duo, and acoustic trio gigs I've explored lots of interesting avenues, but rhythm/percussion is an area I have not really touched upon yet.
The duo with Wayne is actually very varied. We plan to kind of rock it up at times in a Seasick Steve kind of a way, but it also works surprisingly well with the more sensitive material. I've written lots of new songs recently, and I expect to be trying those out on this tour too, which will make it all the more interesting and challenging for us.
I pre-recorded an interview and live session with Paul Franks for BBC WM this week. It goes out on Paul's show on Monday 1st March, at 6:45pm and you can listen to it on BBC iPlayer, by clicking on 'listen again' and selecting 'Drivetime with Paul Franks'. http://www.bbc.co.uk/wm
The running is going from strength to strength, although my knees are proving to be a weakness at this stage. We're running about half the distance now and the entire seven-strong team is doing very well. The half marathon takes place on 25th April in Stratford, and we'll be raising money for Motor Neurone Disease. If you would like to sponsor us, we'd be very grateful. The link below will take you to the fund-raising website which features a very unflattering, very non-music biz kind of a photograph of the team!
http://www.justgiving.com/HSNC-does-Stratford-Upon-Avon
That's all for now.
Take care,
IP
1st Feb 2010
Hi Folks,
I played a solo gig at Koo Japanese restaurant in Ludlow, Shropshire last Wednesday. I realise that this opening sentence alone is enough to suggest that I'm going insane, but in fact the whole thing worked out really well. It had a kind of Greenwich Village café feel to it. It reminded me of the great time I had in 'the village' during my US trip in the summer of 2008, and made me wonder whether it would be possible to re-establish a kind of beatnik coffee house scene over here?
I put that to Lord Byron Pryce and his girlfriend Mari who run the place. Lord Byron, was actually the forerunner to the now world famous 'Mick the Dog' who many of you will have met at gigs over the years. Lord Byron used to come on tour with me back in the Parker's Alibi days, but he hung up his tour manager's pint glass and turned in his badge, in favour of a quiet life in the Shropshire hills - an extraordinary fellow.
The audience dined first (great food there actually) and I played when the eating was all done, so it felt like a really intimate and attentive gig. My set lasted about an hour and fifteen minutes, and I tried out some more new songs. I'm really enjoying the freedom that solo gigs afford in terms of trying out new material and experimenting with new ideas and approaches.
The first month of my marathon training was completed yesterday with a thirty minute run along the local canal. This month is going to be a lot harder with more lengthy sessions on the cards. The after-run roast with the six-strong team, (including Morg Morgan incidentally) was fantastic as ever, but I think the wine drinking may have to be curtailed a bit if the training is going to actually benefit any of us. I woke up slightly hung over today, lacking the clarity that might have prevented me writing some of the banal stuff above about Lord Byron - he is an extraordinary fellow though.
Anyway, I'm off to set up my home studio again, lots of new songs to work on. Hope to get them out to you as soon a possible.
Take care,
Ian
15th January 2010
Hi Folks,
I've just got back from a couple of days in The Netherlands, where I played a solo acoustic set at EuroSonic in Groningen. EuroSonic is an industry event where the guys and gals who organise Europe's festivals and other live events get together to discuss business and check out new acts.
It was unusual and a little daunting to play a solo set under the microscope like that, a situation which was greatly helped by the unexpected presence of several fans, friends, and familiar faces who showed up for the event to join the industry folk - thanks guys, it was great to see you there.
I really enjoyed it actually, I played a set consisting of a couple of old songs from 'Where I Belong', most of the songs from the new EP, 'Demons and Doubters', and two new songs 'Half Way Home' and 'Your Basket Has Never Been So Full'. I'm having so much fun with music at the moment, which is very rewarding, lots of new songs coming and a healthy sense of abandon emerging in my sometimes overly self-restrained personality, which I think is a good thing for creativity.
We (my manager Ralph and I) nearly missed the plane home this morning due to the length of time it took for me to explain the wealth of bizarre electrical devices stashed in my hand luggage, but we made it and I got home in time to go out running. Oh yes - the half marathon idea is coming to fruition, I'm officially in training!
Take care,
Ian
|
