The News... May '09

Hey everyone - here is the run-down. See you out there!

GIGS:

SUN MAY 3 - THE BRASS MONKEY, Cronulla
Supporting The Badloves.
Yes - that's the band that you can remember from the 1820's. (Minor exaggeration to achieve effect...)
Solo show - on stage 8pm.
Bookings and info - www.brassmonkey.com.au

WED MAY 6 - THE OLD MANLY BOATSHED
The Corso, Manly.
Solo show - on stage 9pm.
With Ruby for Lucy.
www.myspace.com/rubyforlucy
Info at www.songwriterslive.com.au

SUN MAY 10 - SUNSETS @ THE FRINGE BAR
106 Oxford Street, Paddington
Solo show - on stage 7pm.
With Ruby for Lucy.
Yes it's mothers day, but Mum would love it!
And it's only $8, which includes a Free Drink.

FRI MAY 15 - SUN MAY 17
WAGGA TOUR (To find the second Wagga).
Come along if you dare. Or just stop by and say g'day if you're in Wagga. Or Wagga.
In the final stages of confirming Venues and playing times.
Stay tuned to www.myspace.com/rennyfield

WED MAY 20 - BAR ME, KINGS CROSS
Solo Show, supporting Annaliese Szota's EP Launch.
I recorded a couple of tracks with Annaliese a while back which have made it on to her Debut EP.
Launches are always a good time, this one should be no different.
Solo show - on stage 9pm. Tix $10 at the Door.

SAT JUNE 13 - ACOUSTIC AND UNPLUGGED
BAR ME, KINGS CROSS.
WITH AMY VEE. www.amyvee.com
Note re this gig:
Amy is a friend of mine from Newcastle (also the Winner of the Music Oz Awards 2 years ago!), and we have decided to do this show WITHOUT the PA. It's a rare opportunity to bring the songs back to their rawest form - the way they were first created. Just the voice and the instrument. A bit like being in our living room or bedroom I suppose (although I promise I'll wear more clothing than my bedroom, especially after all the Easter Eggs I just got through....). Bar Me is a great space for this type of thing, and just about the only room in Sydney you could get away with doing it. It'll be a pretty special night, with Dinner available for advance bookings. We'll probably play a few together as well.
Phone (02) 9368 0894


FOR REGULAR GIG UPDATES and further info, Please keep an eye on www.myspace.com/rennyfield

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THE ALBUM:

Well I can reveal that the new album will be called THE ARENA, but I can also reveal that in the past two months I managed to pick up a killer throat infection, followed by the whooping cough (yes really), and a lingering flu thingy on the back of that. So there's been a slight hold up with applying the finish, but it's pretty close. And the hours and hours locked up in my little home studio appears to have produced something which might even be worth listening to. And for my first effort as a producer, that's all I was really hoping for. Stay tuned for release dates etc.

There are a few samplers up on myspace, and I am trying to rotate the songs on a regular basis.

www.myspace.com/rennyfield

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NOTICEBOARD:

*JENNI ALPERT - Touring from The USA
Last week I was contacted by a singer-songwriter from America who will be out here over the next 2 weeks or so. During my time in Europe last year, MOST of my shows were booked thanks to some very helpful artists in the areas I was visiting, so it's nice to be able to offer some help in return.
If you have time, you should certainly drop by to check out a show. Really nice tunes, and a great person too.
www.jennialpert.com

*THE GREEN MOHAIR SUITS - Album Launch.
The Green Mohair Suits is made up of a few friends, and they put on a killer show. They actually played at "For Peats Sake" a couple of years back, but since then have gone on to bigger and better things. I was at their launch last Sunday at the Fringe Bar, and the new album is well worth a listen if you are passing them in your travels.
www.myspace.com/thegreenmohairsuits

*CHRIS ARNOTT - "Conversations" Single Launch.
Chris has been a regular on the Sydney live circuit for some time, but also books the Fringe Bar AND plays bass with The Bakery.
Head on down this Sunday night to the Fringe Bar if you're free. He'll be launching a brand new single.
(That's if you're not going to Cronulla to see the Badloves of course..... )
www.myspace.com/christopherarnott

*CONGRATULATIONS
To Sydney band The Glass Ceiling, who recently scored a few support dates with You Am I! Good for them!
www.myspace.com/theglassceilingsydney

And Finally...

*SEE LIVE MUSIC!

It's good for you.

Cheers for now, and thanks for taking an interest.

Renny


"26 Reasons" and "Make Believe" available at www.rennyfield.com

"Renny Field Live" Album available at shows, or by email - renny@rennyfield.com

The Weekly... Volume 37

So there has been a bit of a break there... I apologise. I'll admit it - I gave myself a short holiday. Did I deserve it? Probably not. Could I afford it? Only because someone else was renting the house. Thanks to the Family! Would have been a perfect little getaway if it wasn't for the rocks that decided to attack my feet on my last day there. Not pretty, but I can still walk. Life's little way of reminding me that I am not Kelly Slater...

I was suprised to find, on my way out of Sydney, an old Wurlitzer Organ on the side of the Pacific Highway. One of the old things with the two keyboards, sound banks, bass pedals and volume pedal for the speaker. A D4030 I think is the model. I thought as I was driving past that it might be worth something... Which, as it turns out, it is not. Actually it seems to be a piece of crap, but i might be fun to use on a recording in the future some time (with a bit of restoration). I figure it must have looked amusing - strange bald bloke on the side of the highway wrestling with an old beaten-up organ trying to get it in the back of his old station wagon. Not to mention the 100m or so I had to drive the wrong way down the Pacific Highway against the flow of peak hour traffic. That was an interesting challenge.

I have hit the studio again - slowly working through the mixing of the Album, and it's going pretty well. All very time-consuming, but it'll only ever get faster I suppose. The lingering Flu is lifting, althought it doesn't seem to be in a great rush. I don't know how to accelerate the process, but I am trying to rest (which I am not very good at, as a rule).

A few good shows coming up with a trip to Wagga in the mix as well. Check out the gig list and pop on down if you can. Badloves this Sunday night at the Brass Monkey! Will they send a Green Limousine to pick me up? I think not... but it should be good fun.

See you all soon,

Renny

The Weekly... Volume 36

So on Sunday I drove out to Picton for a gig at the George IV Inn. I always find it sort of strange when pubs are named after departed Monarchs. I mean i can sort of get where they are coming from, but why did they pick George IV I wonder? What was wrong with the first 3? Was there more than 4? Did the 4th one cut off his wive's heads? No that was Henry. There was 8 of him. That's a lot of Henrys.

Anyway - the 90min drive was fairly uneventful as far as drives go, but I wasn't expecitng to find a biker pub awaiting my arrival. Yes a biker pub. Not bad bikies necessarily, just a popular motorbike touring stop.But you know the bikes - they have been in the news for the wrong reasons. So wrongly or rightly, there was a touch of apprehension when I pulled up in my 86 Toyota Corona and started to unload my gear wearing Thongs, Jeans, a T-Shirt and a Japanese Baseball Cap.

As it turned out, the gig wasn't really too bad. At least once I learned to deal with the sound of Harleys pulling in and out for the whole time I was there. Fortunately they made the most noise at the parts of the songs i have the most trouble singing. Which was fairly convenient. And you know what, apart from the racket I really didn't think I was playing too badly until, about half way through my 2nd set, there was a big commotion outside the entrance to the pub and everyone started running towards a ute.

As I was singing away, I managed to figure out what the problem was. A small dog had decided to jump off the back of the ute when he was still tied to it by his collar, hence tempoarily leaving himself suspended in mid-air, struggling to draw breath. I have had my knockers folks, but never before has any living creature decided that what I had to offer was SO bad, they would rather die than listen to the rest of my set. I do believe that's world first. If anyone else can claim to have had a dog attempt suicide at their gig, then please let me know. Maybe we can swap stories over a beer at the George IV Inn sometime.

After contemplating retirement the entire way home, I have decided to press on, knowing that the chances of running into my friend Fido from Picton are fairly slim from this point onwards. You may be interested to know, on a more positive note, that the humans at the pub didn't seem to mind what I was doing. Although I may have had to call on Crowded House once or twice...

Album News:
The Whooping Cough is gone, the Vocals are starting to come. Things are looking up folks. Things are looking up. Would you believe I may actually finish this thing at some point. Really!

Catch you soon,

Renny

The Weekly... Volume 35

Just a short one this week folks to say thanks to everyone who came along last Friday night to the Supper Club. We had a great time, and it was good to have Kent Eastwood joining the band on Keys for a change. Not forgetting the beautiful Sam Buckingham on backing vocals, and Liz on the Viola. We are calling her "Eleventh Hour Liz", because she is always happy to play with very little notice. Liz, if you're reading this, I promise you'll get at least a week next time. You see I am trying to progress to a reasonable notice period, but as with my life in general it is a work in progress. "The Beautiful Shambles" would not be worthy of it's name unless it involved some sort of organisational challenges. in the week of the show We end up getting it together in the end - sort of.

Big ups to Peregrine - you guys rock. You've really gotta check them out. One of Sydney's best live bands. And I am a sucker for a good song - they've got a fair few of those. They'll be doing a late set at the Supper Club each Friday from now on (Thurs this week for the Easter Weekend).

Signing off for another week. The Album inches closer each day. Just applying the last few bits and pieces. I feel my voice is just about back to normal. This is exciting. Finally...

Catch you next time,

Renny

The Supper Club - This Friday 3rd April

Full band show from 8pm . Don't miss out!

Check the gig guide for info...

See you there.

Maybe.

If you come.

Which you should.

That's why I am writing this blog.

In the hope that I snare you at the last minute.

Which I probably won't.

But I decided to write it anyway.

Cheers!