The Weekly... Volume 34

logees - how are you? Nice to have all two of you with me again. I am assuming there that "Blogee" is the Oxford-English-Dictionary-Approved term for the reader of a Blog, but I haven't checked...

Here in the land of RHF, I am currently counting down the days till the commencement of the next decade of my existence. Those of you smart enough to join the dots will therefore be able to figure out how old I am, but that's cool by me. I dare say you might have been able to take a reasonable guess by looking at my hairline, which sadly decided to go into an early retirement several years ago. Well I say sadly, but it's saved me a hell of a lot of cash on hairdressers. And in a round-a-bout sort of way, I guess that has helped me afford to put together this next album. Which, by the way, is almost finished.... never thought I would see the day, but I am closing in...

For those of you who are interested, I have been posting another few sample songs this week. As with the prevous versions, these are Demo's of the new album before it goes into the final stages of production. This week, I decided to put a couple of favourites up - Molly Mae and the Birds. Both pretty different to the solo versions that have been in circulation to this point. You might be (a) Intrigued, (b) Surprised, (c) Confused. I am a combination of all those things myself, and I suppose a little bit proud too. Anyway see what you think.


THE SHOWS:

THIS FRIDAY 3RD APRIL - FULL BAND SHOW
THE SUPPER CLUB, 134 Oxford Street, Darlinghurst
Tickets available in advance on Moshtix - www.moshtix.com.au
Or at the door - $15.00.
This will be our last full band show before the album launch in the middle of the year.
Supported by James Blow from the Mischief in solo mode.
Music starts 8pm.

Note re this show:
This is also the first of Peregrine's "Late Sets" through April. They are one of my favourite local bands, and more importantly, a great bunch of blokes too. Peregrine will be hitting the stage after us at around 11pm. So it's a BIG Friday night of music for you all - come and be a part of it.
Check out Peregrine at www.myspace.com/playthings


SUNDAY 10TH MAY - SUNSETS AT THE FRINGE (Solo)
Fringe Bar, 106 Oxford Street, Paddington.
Supported by the Beautiful folk duo Ruby for Lucy.
www.myspace.com/rubyforlucy
Music from 6pm. Tix $8 at the door which includes a drink.


There may be a few more shows to add. As always, keep an eye on myspace for updates as they occur.


VIDEO CLIP:

We are in the early stages of putting together a film clip to accompany the release of the new album. It will be a fun sort of affair involving a pub and a crowd of some description.... Not really a gig, but sort of... Hard to explain. Anyway, without giving too much away, I thought I would check to see who would be interested in being a part of the crowd for the shoot. As I said, it's just in the early stages of production at the moment, but if you're keen to be involved it would be great to hear from you. Being independent an all, I can't offer any K-Rudd fiscal-stimulusesque cash handouts, just a chance to be a part of this little adventure, and probably a beer or two at the end of the day. Anyway please reply to this email if you think that's something that might interest you. More info to come.


NOTICEBOARD:

I am aware the noticeboard section has been missing for a while, but I am bringing it BACK. Just a small note this week about a show I went to last night at The Basement in Sydney. An Irish Singer-songwriter called Declan O'Rourke. A wonderful performer, and a really amazing songwriter - one of the best solo shows I have seen in quite some time. There is an intangible quality to Irish musicians that makes them real and engaging. A lack of pretence, a willingness to give themselves completely to their audience. He is big enough already, so I'm sure he doesn't need my help, but I reckon he's worth a listen if you're after some good new music for when you want to sit back, relax, and wind down:

www.declanorourke.com

TWITTER:

I have completed the final step towards online dependency. It is a sad day, but what can I do.....?

www.twitter.com/rennyfield

I'll try to post an update each day.


TALES FROM THE WEEKEND.
Bathurst and the Lost Tuxedo:

Friday night myself and my brother Matt (drums) went out for one of our Duo shows in Bathurst, which we play once every month or so. According to form, and in keeping with Field family tradition, we were late leaving the city and once again attempting to defy the Friday peak hour traffic gods in order to arrive on time for the show. As has been the case for all our gigs in Bathurst, the trip across the blue mountains was punctuated by a thick descending mist and a fairly decent amount of rain, not ideal for a 1986 Corona with severe traction problems and a missing headlight. Two thirds of the trip was also accompanied by a mysterious odour, something like the smell of coolant, being emitted from the engine of my car. Not fogetting the occaional burst of smoke, which I can't quite understand. This has been occuring for quite some time, but I continue to follow the "Ignore it and it will go away" theory for engine problems. To this point, it seems to be working. The going away part anyway, only it keeps coming back....

So anyway, we made it with 10min to spare. Which isn't really 10min to spare when you still have to unload the car and set up the PA and a drum kit, but the owner is an understanding sort of chap, and for that reason we love him, and we keep driving throught the rain once a month. As fate would have it, for some reason the microphone cable was missing. Not my microphone cable, the one belonging to the pub's PA system. And so ensued a wild goose chase round the streets of Bathurst to find a microphone cable, which we eventually borrowed from a pub up the road. Incidentally, I have accidentally returned to Sydney with said cable, and one of my tasks for this afternoon is to go to the post office and mail it back Express Post. Apparently the Sunday afternoon Bingo host was not a happy camper.

So the gig - when we eventually got away - was pretty cool. At least it started that way when the people were there... And slowly one by one through the course of the night they each departed. Until around 1am, when there was one person left, and we were still delivering the performance of a lifetime but at the same time wondering where it all went wrong...? It was halfway through the final song - to one person - that our audience member told us he thought the pub was closed. Not to worry, we finished the song anyway, only to discover that he was a friend of the bar staff, and in fact the pub had been closed for the last 15mins. Which roughly equates to 3 songs. I could spend I lifetime wondering why no-one bothered to inform the band that they could stop playing, but I'll just content myself with the fact that I have another great story to tell at my shows in the future (when they are attended by more that one person that is....). Was this the most tragic gig ever? No that would go to last year's solo show in Youghal on the South-east coast of Ireland, where for a period of 20mins I performed to an empty room. And I mean EMPTY. Not even the bar staff - they were serving people in at the other bar. Did I stop? No way. That was the best 20mins I have EVER played. Really. If only I had a way of proving it....

I should mention that my mother and grandparents attended the show in Bathurst, which was a nice surprise, and a nice opportunity to give them a rousing send-off when they left after the first few songs. There is something stangely fulfilling about watching your mother and grandparents waving to a pub full of wasted 20-somethings all going crazy for them.

So the gig finished, there was time for a few hours sleep at the Kings Hotel before a quick bite to eat in the morning and the trek back to Sydney across the mountains. The whole way back I was trying to think up a name for the new album (actually the whole way across I was doing that as well....) but to this point, I still haven't got it. Not to worry, it will come to me eventually.Taking suggestions...

So the lost Tuxedo... Well I didn't realise it was lost until 2.50pm when, after dropping my brother off and running a few errands in town, I arrived back at my house in Manly only to discover that it was not where I thought it would be. This was a problem, because the black tie wedding was due to start at 4pm. In the city.

It's funny, I had some sense that it would be missing on the drive home, but also some vague self-assurance from deep within that, even if it was missing, I would be able to get my hands on one somehow. This is another personality trait of the Field brothers - the ablility to make good in a seemingly helpless and chaotic situation. Most people would just avoid getting themselves into the helpless and chaootic situation in the first place, but that's not the way we work...

Anyway, I made a record of the sequence of events prior to getting to the wedding (in a Tuxedo). This might give you an interesting snapshot into a day in the life of Renny Field (it reads better if I describe it in the third person...).

2.50 Arrives in Manly and realises there is no Tux
2.55 Finds black pants
2.56 Miraculously discovers a formal shirt
2.57 Realises (tragically) that the shirt need cufflinks, but remembers that he used them at Shane's wedding and they might be in the same bag
2.58 Finds cufflinks in the last pocket of bag
2.59 Calls lifeline thrift store in Balgowlah who have black jackets
3.00 Shower, shave, change, including iron shirt.
3.10 Leave home in Manly
3.20 Find and purchase decent fitting jacket from the appropriately named "Lifeline" store amidst a sea of confused pensioners who think I have no chance of making the wedding.
3.21 Depart Balgowlah bound for the city for what should be a 30min drive on a good day.
3.21 - 3.44. Mark Webber is sighted on Military Road, Cremorne, attempting to attach cufflinks whilst speeding down the parking lane.
3.45 Arrive in city and get the last space in a cheap car park
3.55 Arrive at wedding in the Rocks with 5mins to spare.
3.56 Come to the realisation that I am an absolute legend.
3.56.02 Come to the realisation that I need to change the way I live my life
3.56.04 Come to the realisation that this is probably not possible.
4.00 - 12.00. Enjoy a great wedding. Looking like a millon bucks (or at least my version of a million bucks).

Sunday: ZZZZZZzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Well done if you made it to here.

See you next week. Thanks for your continued support.

Renny

The Weekly... Volume 33

Volume 33. All the 3's. You know I was at a bingo night the other night, but I didn't play. Based on the look on everyone's faces, it didn't seem like I was missing out on a great deal. That said, I have played Bingo before and I have to admit I kinda liked. In a "I shouldn't really be liking this but I can't help be excited by the mind-numbing simplicity and why the hell can't you just draw my numbers already" kind of way.

Yesterday I bought a 10kg BUCKET of Acai. It's a Brazilian Fruit that you can only store frozen, so I have had to remove two of the shelves in the freezer just to fit it in. Why did I buy a 10kg bucket you ask? Because it's AWESOME. When I was in Brazil, I bought an Acai every morning for breakfast and never felt better. Then I didn't see it for years, and all of a sudden it showed up in Oz. So I found the wholesaler, and went and bought a bucket. And now I can whip it up each day for breakfast with a bit of Banana and Granola. Once you've tried it, nothing else compares. Seriously. It's that good. Try it for yourself. Or come round and join me one morning.

It would be nice if the Brazilian fruit also gave me a Brazilian sense of rhythm so I could dance, but somehow I don't think that's going to happen. I don't just have two left feet, I have about ten of them.

Album News - progress! Progress progress progress. Nothing but progress. Fast? Slow? I can't ever tell, but listening now it is getting pretty close. Aside from the Vocals of course which are all scratch efforts sung with the mother of all throat bugs. It had me for a while, but it's just about GONE. Which is a relief.

I am disappointed that my $900 bonus is under threat from a mad legal professor who has watched one too many episodes of the castle. But I am hoping that common sense prevails and the Hig Court will realise that paying for my CD's to be pressed is a sure-fire way to stave of the Australian recession.

Finally, if you're bored, you might want to log on to Mosthix, do a search for my name, and grab yourself a few tickets to our full band show on Friday 3rd April.

www.moshtix.com.au

And if you're not bored, you might want to do it anyway. Or you might not. Which is fine too.

Last full band show before the Album launch methinks.

See you soon.

Renny

PS - A new track up this week - "Jigsaw". If you listen at the start, you will hear that I do in fact throw a Jigsaw on the kitchen floor on the recording. And I really hope you like how it sounds, because after throwing all 1000 pieces in front of the microphone, it took me fricking ages to pick them up again.

The Weekly... Volume 32

Hello!

So I have put another couple of songs up this week. I have decided not to leave them up for any longer than a week - just a bit of a sample for the time being. I'll leave the tracks up there once they are released properly with the album. Anyway these are not "new" songs in the truest sense of the word. They are probably a couple of years old in fact, but they are new recordings of these songs for the new album. Because they've never been released you see - and that is sort of the point isn't it....?

Played a wonderful show on the "Woojam" stage at the Blue Mountains Folk Festival on the weekend. They really are a fantastic bunch of people those Woojammers. I am lucky to know them. One of those "right place at the right time" situations - who would have thought a tiny little underground bar in Kings Cross on a Monday night would be the source of so many hidden treasures.

The only problem with my show on Saturday night was that I had to drive from Sydney to Newcastle and back to Katoomba before hitting the stage. Not so much a problem perhaps but a minor inconvenience I think it would be fair to say... Anyway it was a friend's wedding so what could I do. It's not every day your friend get's married in Newcastle on the same day you have a show in Katoomba. I think I can safely say that was probably a one-off (fingers crossed...). Great wedding, great gig, not-so-great drive. To amuse myself in the car, I changed some of my old albums into brand new Jewel Cases. As I asked a friend earlier tonight, why do they call them Jewel Cases? Which part of the case is a Jewel? And why if they are such "Jewels" do they damage so easily? Anyway that is beside the point - I have new merch! Although that's a bit like the songs isn't it. Not "new" really. Just old stuff dressed up as new.

Alas, that appears to be the direction my life is headed.... Better find myself a decent fashion consultant.

Cheers for now,

Renny "Bringing back the ramble" Field.

x

The Weekly... Volume 31

Hello again everyone - not much new to report this past week, but plenty more done on the album, and I have posted a couple of rough mixes up for you. One of them you will recognise (Crossfire) as I have had it on my profile for about the last 2 years.... This version is with the full band.

The other one (The Edge) is pretty new - never been recorded before, but we have been playing it live for about a year or so. Anyway as I said they are just rough mixes, but a bit of variation there, and both fairly different to the song I posted last week. See what you think...

Sadly the throat bug is still lingering which is holding up the process a bit, but I am assuming it will eventually disappear. Probably would go quicker if I wasn't up late writing blogs on myspace... And on that note, I might keep this brief and hit the hay.

Thanks to those who came along and had a listen at the Sando - a quiet night, but really enjoyed it. Manly and the Blue Mountains this week. Might see you there...

Cheers for now,

Renny

The Weekly... Volume 30. New Songs!

(Wow the internet connection just froze, and I managed to copy the text a split second before the screen went blank... Good thing too because there is NO WAY I was re-typing this... Phew that was close).



Well hello again peoples... How you doing out there? My slow descent
into the world of madness appears to be gathering momentum up here in
recording land. I would say it's worrying, but I kind of enjoyed it.
You might remember a couple of weeks ago I set the "Volume 28
Challenge". Well I am pleased to announce that a song has been finished
for you myspace faithful who bothered to reply to the blog. And instead
of there being a "winner", I decided that you all deserved a place for
being the type of people who would respond to my bizarre ramblings in
the first instance. Muchos creditos to you all.



So, the song is called "If it takes all night". I've managed to do a
rough recording in between the album tracking - just acoustic guitar
and vocals. It began as a song about a busker (let's say his name is
Neil Diamond), then somehow progressed into a song about the creative
process, about writing a song in fact, and the good that comes out of
that - how the music can keep you heading in the right direction.
Coincidentally I also managed to finish the song in the first person -
not exactly sure how that happened, but when you're trying to
incorporate a cramped trip to Eastbourne into a rock song you have to
accept that the art is going to take you where it takes you. I do
remember someone asking me to write a song about writing a song about
Neil Diamond... Well I suppose this is sort of it... In a round-a-bout
sort of way. And for that person who asked for "A touch of random" (I
think that was it), well you could say this is exactly what you asked
for... Anyway here are the lyrics - see if you can pick up where your
suggestion came into play. (My apologies to the Vegan butcher - he had
to be left out. But then again he never really existed in the first
place, so I guess that makes perfect sense....).



"If it takes all night". Renny Field. March 2009.



Down on the corner, on the wrong side of town

you're singing the spare change blues for your next pair of shoes

making it work somehow

Up on the high road, they never look down

But you can play those fools, you can bend their rules

just by making your own sound



CHORUS

If it takes all night, we can make this right

With a little bit of hope and a little bit of love on our side.



Working the corner of some cheap-ass hotel

you're wearing your heart on your sleeve and the folks never leave

cause you got 'em under your spell

Yeah I've seen the fakes come and go, but if there's one thing I know

You'll never be worried about the Diamonds

when you're harnessing the gold



If it takes all night, we can make this right

With a little bit of hope and a little bit of love on our side.



Yeah I know the road is long, but you can see the world with just one song

It's a funny sort of beast that you're taming,

But the beast won't do you wrong.



Yeah you know the stars still shine

even when you're standing in the bread line

And that Eastbourne Express sounds like a hell of a mess

But I'm sure it was worth the ride



(Cool guitar solo)



Yeah I know the road is long, but that road is gonna make us strong

Through the wind and the rain, I'll drive all the same

Cause that shit keeps me keeping on.



If it takes all night, we can make this right

With a little bit of hope and the occasional bit of luck on our side

If it takes all night, we can makes this right

With a little bit of hope and a little bit of love on our side

On our side.



---------



And there you go - I suppose "we" refers to you and me. You being the
people who helped me write the song in the first place. Random it might
bem but who knows with some drums, bass and a few backing vocals we
could be on to something here.... If you need a more detailed
explanation of what's going on with the lyrics, please don't hesitate
to ask. I've got buckley's of being able to explain it to you, but I'll
try!



----------



IN OTHER NEWS....



Well after much deliberation, I have decided to start putting some of
the rough mixes from the album up between now and when it is released.
Seeing as we're on the subject of new songs, I thought I would start
this week. So that means 2 NEW SONGS in the one week! Sounds crazy I
know, but hey I'm a crazy sort of guy.



So this first sampler from the new album is called "Love Potion".



Stay tuned for some more samples in coming weeks. I won't say how
regular they'll be or otherwise. I'll just try to put a new one up for
a few days every now and then. If you stay tuned, then you won't miss
'em!



(And that way you'll be able to check out the upcoming shows as well... If you want to of course....).



See you soon,



Renny