Songs from Ireland, Part 3

Greetings again from me cottage. Whilst I'm on a bit of a roll, why not keep them coming... The more the merrier and all that.

This is a little song about life on the road. I could explain it to you here, but then that would defeat the purpose of another trademark ramble. Hey at least I am consistent.

Enjoy!

http://www.youtube.com/user/rennyfield?feature=mhum

Be back with more soon...

Cheers,

Renny

Songs from Ireland, Part 2

Hey folks,

Thought I'd get into the habit of posting the links to my songs here as well... I tried to log on to myspace but they lost me at hello. Could anyone explain what on earth is going on over there? I am confused. Very confused...

In other news, I just went for a run along the bay. The view is beautiful, but it's not the kind of weather you'd normally go running in - I certainly won't be making a habit of it. Still thawing out here. Ouch.

Ah yes, I was posting a link wasn't I. Here you go:


http://www.youtube.com/rennyfield


It's a song about cricket!

But let's not talk about cricket...

See you again soon,

Renny

To bus or to boat... Tales from the Irish Sea.

It should have been so easy. The overnight bus to Dublin was scheduled to depart Victoria coach station at 6.30pm, whisking me off through the night, across the Irish Sea and arriving in Dublin just in time for me to catch my connecting bus to Cork. “Connecting Bus” sounds a bit funny doesn’t it… Well let me tell you folks – it’s not funny. It’s not even remotely amusing… It’s the type of privilege reserved for a select few starving artists, and it’s there to be endured, not enjoyed. For me, the real kicker is the 1am trip through customs at Holyhead Ferry Port when your body is screaming “get me on the f…ing boat so I can lie down!”. Unfortunately this is not in the range of recommended responses when the customs officer begins his polite line of enquiry, which more or less translates to “What are you doing here and have you been working because if you have you’ll be in all sorts of trouble and you won’t be allowed back and I am being paid to ask these questions and if you’re illegal I might get a bonus so I’m going to ask a few more just so you have to wait a bit longer to get on the boat and all the couches will be taken by the time we’ve finished so you won’t be able to lie down but that’s just bad luck for you”.

Anyway, the “easy” part I referred to above is really the “catching” of the bus. Because once you’re at Victoria Coach Station, the sea of humanity that it is, you really just have to check in, get on the bus and take a seat right? Well yes in theory this is correct, except on this particular occasion the “checking in” was successful, but the other two steps associated with “catching” the bus never quite eventuated. This despite several discussions with the helpful staff that evening, all of whom assured me the bus to Dublin had not yet arrived and that it would be departing behind schedule. Well, almost all of them told me that. At least the first three did, then the last guy (the same guy who checked me in) just glared straight back at me and said

“The Dubin bus? It’s gone. It went 15 mins ago”.

“What?!”

(Cue homeless guy laughing at me – I still have no idea where he came from or why he was listening to this conversation – perhaps that’s just what he does for kicks? Waits for people to miss the bus then laughs at them in their most vulnerable state….)

“Yeah it’s left. Sorry”.

“But I’ve been sitting here the whole time!”

(Homeless guy laughs again.)

“Well we announced it, and everyone else got on.”

(Homeless guy laughs some more).

And try as I might, though I pursued the line of questioning/reasoning/pleading, it quickly descended into one of those pointless conversations where you realise there is absolutely NOTHING that can be done about the situation. But still, this being the “denial” phase of missed-bus denial syndrome (MBDS), you continue the conversation in the hope that:

(i) they will radio the driver and he will put the bus in reverse for 15mins to return for the only passenger who managed to miss the bus

(ii) the bus will drive into a vortex of some sort, bringing it back to Victoria Coach station, from where it will recommence the trip to Dublin.

(iii) You will wake up from a deep sleep just as the bus is boarding.

Slowly realising that none of these events will take place, you then proceed to phase 2 of MBDS, which I like to call the “I can still catch it” phase. That wonderful 5-10min period where you briefly (but seriously) contemplate forking out three times the price of the original bus ticket to catch a taxi to rendezvous with the bus further along the way. And although this would be practically impossible, because the taxi would have to deal with exactly the same peak hour traffic as the bus you just missed, it still seems a completely logical and viable option. At least until the homeless bloke laughs at you again…

I can’t say exactly how long it took for the “acceptance” phase of MBDS to kick in, but rest assured it did… And I did what all normal people do in this situation:

(i) I cried
(ii) I walked to burger king

A special thanks here to my girlfriend Kate, who stood by me throughout the crisis, helped me through the various phases of MBDS, then shared a romantic dinner for two on the Bakerloo line platform of Victoria Underground Station. I wonder how many bites in to the Chicken Royale she started questioning her decision to go out with an independent Australian singer-songwriter…. Perhaps this had already happened whilst witnessing phase 2 of the MBDS… Or perhaps she had progressed to an “Acceptance” phase of her own – that more commonly associated with DSADS (Dating a Starving Artist Denial Syndrome). In which case I was in luck, because the thought of spending a night in Victoria Coach station was even less appealing than the bus trip itself!

-----

So what to do? There had to be a plan B, and being someone who was used to dealing with similar calamities (there being frequent and determined attempts from the man upstairs to steer me towards a new career), I was going to figure out a different course of action. Sure to re-book the bus would have been the simplest option, but something told me there would be a better way, and a few google-searches later I had discovered the overnight boat from Swansea to Cork, departing the following evening! A ten-hour sea voyage directly to my final destination, meaning (in theory) I would at least be a chance of getting a full nights sleep, without being rudely interrupted by the Guantanamo Bay hopefuls at Holyhead Ferry Port. There was still a bus trip to negotiate from Victoria Coach Station in the morning, but by comparison, the drive from London to Swansea was a breeze, and from that point onwards I just had to settle in for a night on the Irish Sea. (Slightly easier said than done, especially into a headwind… as I was about to discover…).

As fate would have it, my good friend and fellow Aussie touring partner Kent Eastwood was also booked to catch the boat across on the same night, so not only had I stumbled across a much better alternative to the original plan, but I also had some company for the journey. Things were looking up. I’d even got to Swansea with plenty of time to spare – a fortunate accident shall we say given I received a text message that afternoon (the Irish apparently don’t do notice periods very well) to let me know the boat would be departing one hour early. Something about adverse weather conditions, but I didn’t read the fine print... It was just a good thing I had some extra time up my sleeve, otherwise I might have been in trouble. And if the MBDS in London was hard to deal with, I imagine the MFDS in Swansea would have been a whole lot worse. (F=Ferry in case you were wondering…).

Checking in for the boat trip you become acutely aware that the glory days of ferry travel are certainly long gone. The “waiting room”, if I can call it that, was designed in the 1950’s, and I suspect beyond a coat of paint every now and then it hasn’t changed much since. I was reminded of the old RSL clubs in Australia that still seem to exist out the back of nowhere, and are now visited solely by the people who helped build them in the first place, all of whom are now retired and all of whom apparently carry a deep sentimental attachment to the interior design trends at the time of construction. The only difference being – an RSL club has a bar and some television screens; the Swansea ferry terminal has neither of these modern conveniences. In fact, they haven’t even bought the elevator music greatest hits collection, which often seems to pop up in these types of places… It was a prelude of things to come, and a subtle reminder that if we were going to fully appreciate the “voyage” that evening, we were going to have to take matters into our own hands.

If the waiting room was old-school, boarding the ship (The “Julia”) was a bit like entering a time warp... With a curious yet strangely comforting blend of fascination and trepidation, we made our way around the vessel, taking in our surroundings and soaking up the experience in the process. The glory days might well be over, but you can’t help but feel some sense of stateliness when you board one of these old ships - the wood panels, the brass finishing, the leather upholstery - it’s as though they set out to build the Titanic, but couldn’t quite afford to go the whole hog and settled for an Irish car ferry instead. Still, it all lends itself to a real “voyage” in the truest sense of the word, and the expected battering we were about to receive from the Irish Sea was momentarily forgotten as we made our way from the luxuriously appointed cabin* to the white linen and fine china of the dining room.

(*Slight exaggeration, but I feel a necessary one as some mark of respect to Mr Eastwood, who allowed me to park myself on his top bunk rather than the “Pullman Seat” I had originally booked. Let’s not get started on how Pullman seats got their name. Sometimes it’s better not to ask questions…).

It was a quiet night on the old Julia my friends, and the poor folks in the restaurant couldn’t wait to show us the type of hospitality they had been trained to deliver. I couldn’t help but wonder if their enthusiasm was at least partly attributable to faint hope that one day Leo and Kate would stroll in for a romantic candlelit meal. Sadly on this particular night, Di Caprio and Winslet were replaced by Field and Eastwood, and although the latter had managed to find a shirt and tie for the occasion, there was (fortunately) a distinct lack of romance on offer, and neither would be able to afford the type of tip dished out by your average Hollywood movie star. That said, we were still treated like royalty, even if the evening fare didn’t quite live up to the price tag…

Buoyed by the type of satisfaction that only an over-priced steak on the Irish sea can provide, we made our way to upstairs to the main bar to join the other 10 or so people travelling that night, ready to indulge in a quiet ale or two before retreating for the aforementioned “full nights sleep”. It is whilst ordering our drinks that I notice none of the staff here appear to be from England or Ireland, but rather from a landlocked country somewhere deep in the heart of Eastern Europe. How did they get here and what are they doing on the Irish Sea? It’s the kind of question best considered but never asked, and in any case there were far more pressing issues at hand, like trying to keep our drinks from spilling all over the floor. We were less than two hours into the trip, and already the boat was going through a range of motion the likes of which I had not experienced since jumping from a bridge in New Zealand with a bungee rope tied to my feet. Little did I know it was about to get a whole lot worse…

Now whether it was during the first beer or the third it’s hard to say exactly, but at some stage myself and the brother Eastwood decided an impromptu performance might be in order. The “full nights sleep” didn’t seem quite as achievable or for that matter appealing with the boat doing cartwheels every ten seconds, and the prospect of a wee gig at sea brought with it a level of excitement that the wee bunk bed could not offer.

These things are always difficult – do you ask the Eastern European bar staff directly, do you try to garner support from your fellow passengers, or do you get your guitars regardless and set up round the corner in the hope that someone encourages you to join them in the main bar? As it turns out, we discovered that a combination of options two and three was the best course of action, thus circumnavigating the bar staff completely and rendering them helpless to put a stop to the show once the fist round of applause had been given. Even the most unsympathetic bar manager would have to agree that three hours of drunken sing-a-longs would do wonders for his mid-week revenue!

And so with a small yet enthusiastic audience in attendance (the level of enthusiasm increasing dramatically with each pint of Guinness consumed), as the sea bared it’s teeth in the fiercest way possible, the brothers Field and Eastwood played through the back-catalogue, the front-catalogue, the hits, the misses and a selection of the finest drunk karaoke classics currently doing the rounds on the cruise boat circuit. It was shambolic; it was magnificent; it was a chance to experience first hand “The Craic” for which Ireland is famous the world over. Stories were shared, nations were united, and two blokes from Australia played their hearts out till they could play no more, the spirit of song transcending all else, as a group of weary travellers were swept up in a collective wave of emotion so powerful that it might have changed the world….

Ok so I got a bit carried away there, but it was a famous night, to be sure, and one that will live long in the memory. The highlight coming when the bar had long since closed but the music had refused to die. When the sea was at it’s most ferocious and the drinks were being flung from the table at an alarmingly rapid rate. When Kent Eastwood wrote what is perhaps the greatest song of all time and sung it with the type of gusto that can only be mustered when you’re rolling drunk on a rolling boat in the middle of the night:

If the glass is moving and I’m not drunk it’s just the ship that’s moving.
If the glass is moving and I’m not drunk it’s just the ship that’s moving.

Repeat.

Repeat.

Repeat.

I think it’s that last repeat that gets me every time.

I could post a video, but I think it wouldn’t do justice to the magic of the moment. You just had to be there.

And so with approximately 4 hours left to our destination, we retreated to the cabin to try to catch what little sleep we could. All I can remember from that point onwards was clinging to the side of the bed, desperately trying to remain on the top bunk as the ship launched itself off what appeared to be a series of Irish Tsunamis. But to be honest, sleep was the last thing on my mind. I couldn’t stop singing Kent’s fucking song.

London, Germany, Ireland

Hello again!

Is it already October? According to the weather here in London, I'm afraid it is. My collection of canvas slip-on footwear is being put to the test, and coming up well short of the mark. Fortunately it was dry enough in the Regal Room last night - a quiet night of acoustic tunes, and a nice way to finish the month of September. Someone even filmed it! (Although I'd recommend skipping forward to about 1:40 because before that you just get silence and an empty stage...)

http://www.justin.tv/theregalroomlive/b/271034422

On the road again this month, and there's a few good things happening. Will just list the dates here so I'll be finished in time for dinner... For more details, booking info etc etc best to log onto the websites... Also the best place to check for new shows and meaningless status updates. Because we all love a meaningless status update.... What other type is there?!

www.rennyfield.com
www.myspace.com/rennyfield
www.twitter.com/rennyfield
www.facebook.com

"Renny Field has had enough of looking at his computer screen"
Sample meaningless status update...

----------------------

LONDON:

SAT 2ND OCT
The Troubadour, Earl's Court

SUN 3RD OCT
8 Station Terrace Acoustic Sessions, Kensal Rise
**Recommended**

MON 4TH OCT
Halfmoon Unplugged, Putney

TUE 5TH OCT
Cuban Bar, Camden

WED 6TH OCT
Cobden Club, Kensal Rd

----------------------

MELODICA FESTIVAL, GERMANY...

SAT 9TH - SUN 10TH OCT
Hubertus Lounge, Kreuzberg, Berlin
For more info:
http://www.melodicafestival.org/where/melodica-berlin/

FESTIVAL TOUR, with Mijo Biscan, Jona Byron, Jonas Dahl and Mari Mana:

MON 11TH OCT
Kuze, Potsdam

TUE 12TH OCT
Moritzhof, Magdeburg

THUR 14TH OCT
Warmehalle Sud, Leipzig

FRI 15TH OCT
Grunowski, Jena

SAT 16TH OCT
Klanggerust Villa, Erfrut

SUN 17TH OCT
SIN Bar, Berlin

----------------------

LONDON:

WED 20TH OCT
Cuban Bar, Camden

----------------------

IRELAND:

SAT 23RD OCT
Carbery Cottage, Durrus, Cork
"Craic and Crunch!"

WED 27TH OCT
De Barras, Clonakilty, Cork

FRI 29TH OCT
Ma Murphy's, Bantry, Cork

And maybe a couple more, but that'll do me for now...

Might catch you out there somewhere! I sure hope so.

Cheers,

Renny

-----------------------

CD's available on line and via iTunes:

http://www.rennyfield.com/shop.html

Easy Celtic Tiger...

Hello again folks!

Thanks to everyone who caught a show, said hello, clapped a bit or generally made an attempt to seem interested in the month of August. I played some great gigs all over Ireland, got to see a whole lot of the countryside, slept in a haunted house, and also managed to get my Honda Civic up to 150km/h on the motorway between Cork and Dublin. It got the death wobbles at about 137, but I pressed on so I had something really cool to tell you about.

Also, I played a song on a Balcony and someone filmed it!

http://www.balconytv.com/v/renny-field

What to say about September? Well, after the best part of 10 months on the road, I've decided to stop Renny's relocation adventures for the time being. And for the next little while I'll be camped out in London, hanging out, taking some time to reflect and recharge. A slight change of plans it must be said, but a good change of plans too. There are no rules after all. Unfortunately that means no shows in Helsinki, but I will be doing a handful of gigs in London, which I should mention here:

SAT 4th SEP - The Troubadour, Earl's Court. 8.30pm
www.troubadour.co.uk

THU 16th SEP - The Blag Club, Notting Hill. 8.30pm
http://www.blagclub.com/nottinghillgate.htm

SAT 2nd OCT - The Troubadour, Earl's Court. 8.30pm
www.troubadour.co.uk

The Troubadour is one of the most famous acoustic venues in the UK, and it's a real honour for me to be invited back. Well worth a look if you're in town, and it's always a great night of music whoever's playing. The Blag Club is a nice little acoustic night in Notting Hill, and if you're a tourist like me, you could spend the afternoon wandering around in search of Julia Roberts and Hugh Grant.

Looking ahead, I'll be back on the road in October. Best to keep an eye on the websites below - I'll be updating them as more news comes to hand.

www.rennyfield.com
www.myspace.com/rennyfield
www.twitter.com/rennyfield
http://www.facebook.com/thelinkistoolongbutyoucansearch...
http://rennyfield.blogspot.com/

Finally, just to let you know, all 3 of my albums are now available on iTunes, so if you feel like taking a punt on some of the older stuff, you know where to go! And if I've done this correctly, then this might help:

http://itunes.apple.com/au/artist/renny-field/id205939767

Thanks for hanging in there with me.

Cheers for now,

Renny

-----------------------------------------------------------

NOTICEBOARD:

A bit of news to report from friends around the world...

**PEREGRINE (Sydney) are about to commence a German Tour, and have just finished a brand new EP. I reckon this is the pick of the tracks - what a beautiful song. http://peregrine-music.bandcamp.com/track/the-usual-thing

**SAM BUCKINGHAM (Speaking of beautiful songs/people) is running a competition to name her new song. I'm not going to enter, because she generally doesn't take my advice (ha ha sorry Sam but you don't), however maybe you'd like to give it a go?
http://www.facebook.com/find-friends/index.php#!/event.php?eid=149858955038394&ref=mf

**THE OLD BOYS RUGBY CHOIR
Ah this is a great story. You've gotta check it out on the weekend... Brilliant stuff.
http://www.facebook.com/rugbychoir?ref=ts

The Emerald Isle, Take 2...

Hello again! Hoping this missive finds you well and happy, wherever you are.

Well I'm still here in Ireland, chipping away at it, kicking some goals and missing the mark completely on occasions. Much like life in general I suppose, only when you're living out of the back of a '95 Honda Civic, the range of emotions can be somewhat amplified. Not that I'm complaining of course, because somewhere in the middle of it all is a story worth telling. And I will one day folks, just not when I'm about to leave for Dublin...

For those of you who are interested, here's a nice little review I got when I played the Zodiac Sessions last week. They gave me 4 out of 6, which is fine, but could someone please explain why they rate it out of 6?!

http://www.musicreviewunsigned.com/zodiacsessions.html

Also I found a pub with my name on it... But they don't do live music. Crap.

AND... of course... there are some shows to tell you about... For more details, please head over to www.rennyfield.com/gigs.html

TOUR DATES 2010:

Mon 9 Aug Sweeney Mongrol, Dublin

Tues 10 Aug Ruby Sessions, Dublin

Wed 11 Aug The John Hewitt, Belfast

Thurs 12 Aug Near FM Sessions, Dublin.

Sun 15 Aug Balcony TV, Dublin

Tue 17 Aug Cellar Sessions, Kilenny

Wed 18 Aug Fireside Sessions, Cork

Thurs 19 Aug Locke Bar, Limerick

Sat 21 Aug Johnston's Hall, Kinvara

Thurs 26 Aug PF McCarthy's Bar, Kenmare (Tbc)

And... Back to London!
Sat 28 Aug The Troubadour, London. Gideeup.

Wed 1 Sep The Globe, Dublin

Wed 3 Sep Sweeney Mongrol, Dublin

Wed 15 Sep Aussie Bar, Helsinki

Thurs 16 Sep Aussie Bar, Helsinki

Thurs 7 Oct Radio Netherlands, Amsterdam

Sat/Sun 9-10 Oct Melodica Festival, Berlin

Who would have thought when I was bunkered down recording my album last year that it would afford me the opportunity to see so many different parts of the world and meet so many great people along the way. Not to mention leading me to some wonderful surprises that I never could have imagined. And whilst at times the journey has been overwhelming, I guess in reality I've got a lot to be thankful for. Sometimes we just have to remind ourselves...

Thanks as always for your continued support. It's the thing that keeps me going.

Keep an eye on the websites (below) for regular updates etc.....

Hope to see you out there some time soon!

Cheers,

Renny

www.rennyfield.com
www.myspace.com/rennyfield
www.twitter.com/rennyfield
www.facebook.com/ineverknowthelink...

To be sure, to be sure...

Hello from Ireland!

To be sure, I haven't actually heard anyone say "To be sure, to be sure" since I got here. Not even just the one "to be sure" in fact, which is rather disappointing.... Almost as disappointing as the Jacket Potato I was served on my first night in Dublin - a very poor introduction to Ireland's most popular vegetable. Still, I can't complain. I've just spent the last week hurtling around the countryside, playing some shows, seeing some sights, and trying to find myself a wee castle to live in (castles seem to be slightly out of the price range unfortunately). Incidentally, I've also discovered that asking for directions in the middle of nowhere will lead you further into the middle of nowhere, regardless of what country you are in... BUT the middle of nowhere can be great fun if you give it a chance!

As always, there's a few more gigs coming up - not that most of you will be able to make it, but here's the link just in case:

http://www.rennyfield.com/gigs.html

And if you'd like a quick squiz, to be sure:

Mon 12/7 Peadar Keaney's, Dublin
Tues 13/7 The Ruby Sessions, Dublin
Wed 14/7 The Globe, Dublin
Wed 28/7 The Zodiac Sessions, Dublin
Wed 11/8 The John Hewitt, Belfast
Wed 18/8 The Fireside Sessions, Cork
Thurs 19/8 The Locke Bar, Limerick
Thurs 7/10 Radio Netherlands, Amsterdam

I've also got trips pending to Berlin and Helsinki (back to the Aussie Bar), and possibly some other places in Europe... But more on that soon. For once in my life I'm gonna keep this email brief - there's a new country to explore, and the sun is out! And if there's one thing I remember about Ireland, you gotta make a good day count, because even in the summer there ain't a whole lot of 'em!

Drop us a line if you've got the time. Would love to hear the news.

Cheers for now,

Renny

Who's that man...? June 2010

Spotted at a small bar in Amsterdam last Tuesday night. Maybe you know him? He seems familiar...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uk1HcONMqMc

------------------

Hello again! Welcome back to the land of the RF mailout (as always, inspired by the famous handbook "Exercises in Procrastination for the starving artist"). How's it going wherever you are? I'd love to hear the news... In case you couldn't click on the link, yes that was me! Singing at an open mic night in Amsterdam. Some time after I had completed the following tasks:

- Taking the BUS to Amsterdam from London for about $25.

- Buying old bicycle from crazed junkie in the red light district and unsuccessfully attempting a wheelie to celebrate.

- Cruising around town looking every bit the tourist I was trying to avoid looking like (Riding on the wrong side of the street is always a dead giveaway. The wheelie didn't help...).

- Did I say red light district? I meant middle of town. I wouldn't go to the red light district. Of course.

- Visiting the Van Gogh museum and trying to work out why on earth someone who paints like that would ever want to cut off his ear.

- Playing at Bo Terry's CD launch party in Zaandam. Congratulations Bo! www.myspace.com/anotherbo . AND

- Tragically, discovering I would need to take out a mortgage to take my beautiful bike with me to Ireland.

So my friends, that leaves me, bikeless, in London again, about to embark on a little road trip to Scotland. I say little, because that's of course how it feels when compared to a 10hr odyssey from Sydney to Tenterfield on a hot summers day. The '86 Corona has been replaced by the '95 Honda Civic. Low mileage. Looks like crap. Cheap as chips. May or may not reach intended destination. Same type of thing I've always driven really - I'm right at home!

Home.

Where is home?

I can't remember...

Anyway for the time being, I have lots of "homes". And you are all more than welcome to come and visit me if you should happen to be in the vicinity of one of them. In fact, I encourage you to drop in and say hi. Pull up a chair. Get comfortable. Here's a little list.... If you can't make it, maybe you'd like to tell your friends? And if they can't make it, well there's always next year. Or the year after.


UPCOMING TOUR DATES - EUROPE 2010

SUN 13 JUN
Lost & Found, Aberdeen, UK.
With Amy Vee. From 8pm
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100001051206279#!/event.php?eid=120202288016098&ref=ts

TUES 15 JUN
Bloc Bar, Glasgow, UK
Solo from 8pm.
www.myspace.com/blocglasgow

THURS 17 JUN
The Village, Edinburgh, UK.
Solo from 8pm.
http://www.leithfestival.com

MON 21 JUN
Fete de la Musique, Potsdam, GER
Solo from 8pm.
http://www.fete-potsdam.de/

SAT 26 JUN
Sydney & Melbourne meet Berlin
Street Festival, Schroderstrasse 14, Berlin GER

TUES 29 JUN
Cafe Mascot, Helsinki, FIN
Solo from 8pm.
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=7533967197&v=info

THU 1 JUL
Aussie Bar, Helsinki, FIN
Solo from 9pm.
(Yes I am playing at the Aussie Bar!)

SUN 4 JUL
The Cheeky Sunday Social, The Slate, Cork, IRE
Solo from 9pm
http://www.myspace.com/cheekysundaysocial

WED 7 JUL
New Music Club, Brazil's, Clonmel, IRE
Solo from 8pm.
http://www.myspace.com/newmusicclub

TUES 13 JUL
The Ruby Sessions, Doyles, Dublin, IRE
Solo from 8pm.
http://www.myspace.com/rubysessions

WED 14 JUL
The Song Room, The Globe, Dublin, IRE
Solo from 8pm.
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100001051206279#!/group.php?gid=31145025423&ref=ts

WED 11 AUG
The John Hewitt, Belfast, UK
Solo from 8pm
http://www.thejohnhewitt.com/

+ MORE TO BE ADDED.

For all the latest updates, info, news, musings, etc etc etc:

www.rennyfield.com

www.myspace.com/rennyfield

www.twitter.com/rennyfield

www.facebook.com/pages/RENNY-FIELD/82293007072?ref=ts
(That facebook link really is a messy one isn't it...)

CD's available via Waterfront records:

http://www.waterfrontrecords.com/

Digital downloads via iTunes (all 3 albums now on line!)

http://ax.itunes.apple.com/au/artist/renny-field/id205939767

Thanks for your support. Hope you are doing well wherever you are. I'm off to watch the Cricket - Andrew Symonds is being paid extraordinary amounts of money to drink beer in the UK, just one year after he was sacked for drinking beer in the UK. You gotta love professional sport!

Cheers for now,

Renny

PS - A big thanks to everyone who came along to The Troubadour in London. A great way to start the tour!

2nd London Show Added

Hi everyone,

Just a quick note to let you know that we've added a 2nd London show - again at the Troubadour - on Thursday 20th May. A wonderful opportunity to play another set in this famous old room...

Renny Field @ The Troubadour.
Thurs 20th May.
Solo show.
On stage 8.30pm.
Entry 6GBP.

Details: www.troubadour.co.uk

Cheers,

Renny

European tour 2010 - Part 1

Europe 2010!

Greetings from London!

(The English one, not the one in Canada, nor any of the 8 in America....).

The bags have been packed, the plane has been caught, the passport has been stamped, and somewhere along the way I managed to stop by Everest Base Camp.... A bit of a crazy adventure, but worth the effort.

I must apologise for long break here, but my final weeks in Australia were a bit of a blur as you can imagine. In the 5 months since "The Arena" was released, I travelled to every state bar the Northern Territory and played close on 100 shows in pubs, clubs, bars, restaurants, cafes, hotels, you name it. (Pretty much anywhere they'd let me!). By the time April rolled around, it's fair to say I had just about run out of steam.... (I won't say I fell onto the plane, but when they paged me at the airport I had just enough gas left for the mad dash to the departure gate).

This seems like a good opportunity to say thanks to the the people I met along the way, the artists I performed with, the wonderful musicians who have been a part of the band, the venues that gave me a chance (and had me back!), and anyone else who has offered their support and encouragement in the past year. Even though the majority of my shows are now solo, I owe a debt of gratitude to a huge network of people who have enabled me to do what I do. Thanks and thanks again.

So, it's been good to take a break for a few weeks, but I'm gearing up to hit the road again in Europe prior to settling in Ireland from July onwards. The '86 Corona may have been left behind, but the budget airlines will do me just fine! A few shows to announce, so here goes...


UPCOMING TOUR DATES, EUROPE 2010:

THURS 13TH MAY - THE TROUBADOUR, LONDON.
"THE ARENA" EUROPEAN LAUNCH
With Special guest Vicki Clarke
The Troubadour, 263 Old Brompton Rd, London SW5 9JA
Nearest tube: Earl's Court
Doors 8pm, show stars 8.30.
Dinner and show available. For more info, visit: www.troubadour.co.uk
For advance bookings, visit http://www.wegottickets.co..m/event/78603

Note re this show:
The Troubadour has played host to the likes of Bob Dylan, Jimi Hendrix, Joni Mitchell and Paul Simon. It's hard to believe I'll be playing on the same stage, and as you can imagine I am pretty excited! Really hoping to generate a bit of interest through word of mouth, so if you've got any friends in London who might be keen to stop by, please feel free to pass on the details. A great chance to check out one of the most famous old venues in Europe.


SUN 6TH JUNE - KOFFIESHOPPE DE KADE, AMSTERDAM, ND
Solo show, with Bo Terry.
Free Entry. From 8pm.

SUN 13TH JUNE - LOST & FOUND, ABERDEEN, UK
Cellar 35, Rosemount Viaduct, Aberdeen, Scotland
Solo show, with Amy Vee. Starts 8pm.

THURS 17TH JUNE - LEITH FESTIVAL, EDINBURGH, UK
The Village Pub, 16 South Fort St, Leith
Solo show. Tix 10GBP. From 8pm.

SAT 26TH JUNE - BERLIN, GERMANY
More info to come.

TUES 29TH JUNE - HELSINKI, FINLAND
More info to come.

WED 7TH JULY - NEW MUSIC CLUB, CLONMEL, IRE
Brazil's Cafe Bar, Clonmel, Tipperary.
Free Entry. From 8pm.

TUES 13TH JULY - RUBY SESSIONS, DUBLIN, IRE
Doyles Pub, 9 College St, Dublin 1, Ireland
Entry Tbc. From 8pm.

WED 14TH JULY - THE GLOBE, DUBLIN, IRE
The Songroom @ The Globe
11 South Great George St, Dublin
Free Entry. From 8pm.

++ MORE TO BE ANNOUNCED...

Note on Europe shows:
A lot of my bookings in Europe happen at shorter notice than back home, so best to keep an eye on the websites for new shows / venue info etc. I'll do my best to keep things up-to-date. If you've got any ideas for places to visit, things to do etc then by all means drop me a line!

Saying goodbye through March

Hi again everyone,

Slowly counting down the days here until I jump on the Etihad express to Europe. Yes it's true - I've finally booked my ticket. I passed up the opportunity to fly Air China with a 10-hr layover in Shanghai. Call me spendthrift, but I figured it was worth an extra few bucks to get some middle-eastern comforts. Whatever they are...

Before I move on, thought I'd give you the option of checking out some photos from the tour. It's been a crazy few months!
http://viewmorepics.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.editAlbumPhotos&albumID=3191908

Anyway, I am missing the point of course, which is to tell you about all the shows coming up in March. Basically the plan was to get to as many places as I could - I guess to say goodbye to Australia before I take off to the other side of the world. To that end, there's a fairly decent run of dates happening over the next month. If you'd like to see it all neatly aligned, with the full details of each show, you might want to click here:

www.rennyfield.com/gigs.html

Otherwise you can scroll down.... As I always say, worth a trip to the bush one weekend if the city life is getting you down...

NB. The shows marked **Round Robin** are part of a tour I am doing through March with my good friends Sam Buckingham and Kent Eastwood, featuring special guests in each of the places we are visiting. These shows are a lot of fun - we all perform songs together as mini folk-band of sorts. Think backing vocals, percussion, piano, guitar, melodica and more! Well worth a look, even if it's just to see the D&M Cowboy in action! (That's an in-joke... we can explain it at the show...)

Hope to see you out there somewhere!!!

Cheers,

Renny

www.rennyfield.com
www.myspace.com/rennyfield
www.twitter.com/rennyfield
www.facebook.com/addme!

Music available on iTunes or by visiting www.rennyfield.com/shop.html

-----------------------------------------------


UPCOMING SHOWS. MARCH 2010

Wed 3rd March (Tonight!)
The Excelsior Hotel, Surry Hills.
Wednesday Residency.
With Ten Thumb Tom, Lanie Lane and Jo Caseley
Tix $10. From 8pm.

Fri 5th March
Cooma Ex-Services Club
Solo show from 8.30pm

Sat 6th March
Bridge Tavern, Wagga Wagga
Solo show from 8.30pm

Sun 7th March
Tourist Hotel, Wagga Wagga
Solo show from 7pm

Wed 10th March
The Excelsior Hotel, Surry Hills
Wednesday Residency.
With Amy Vee, Mick Garnett and Under the Purple Tree
Tix $10. From 8pm.

Thurs 11th March **Round Robin**
Lizottes, Kincumber
With Sam Buckingham, Kent Eastwood & Sarah Humphreys
Dinner and show from 7.30pm.
www.lizottes.com.au

Fri 12th March **Round Robin**
Merry Muse Folk Club, Canberra, ACT
With Sam Buckingham, Kent Eastwood & Ashleigh Mannix
From 7.30pm.

Sat 13th March
Locomotive Hotel, Junee
With Kent Eastwood
Duo show. From 8.30pm.

Sun 14th March **Round Robin**
Bar 303, Melbourne, VIC
With Sam Buckingham, Kent Eastwood & Dave Anderson
Tix $10. From 8pm.

Wed 17th March
Excelsior Hotel, Surry Hills
Wednesday Residency.
With Dean O'Leary, Alana Glover and Rob Clarkson
Tix $10. From 8pm.

Thurs 18th March
Port Macquarie Hotel
With Amy Vee
From 8pm.

Fri 19th March
Town Green Inn, Port Macquarie.
Solo show. From 8pm.

Wed 24th March **Round Robin**
Excelsior Hotel, Surry Hills
Wednesday Residency.
With Sam Buckingham, Kent Eastwood & Sarah Humphreys
Tix $10. From 8pm.

Fri 26th March **Round Robin**
The Manly Fig
With Sam Buckingham, Kent Eastwood & Sarah Humphreys
Tix $10. From 7.30pm.
www.themanlyfig.org

Sat 27th March
Willunga Hotel, Willunga, SA
Solo show. From 8.30pm.

Sat 28th March **Round Robin**
The Wheatsheaf, Adelaide, SA
With Sam Buckingham, Kent Eastwood & Cookie Baker
From 4pm. Free Entry.

Wed 31st March
The Excelsior Hotel, Surry Hills
Wednesday Residency.
With Surprise guests and more!!
Tix $10. From 8pm.
**LAST SHOW IN SYDNEY**

And a couple more which have been added to the list in the last week...

APRIL 2010

Fri 2nd April
Cooma Ex-Services Club
With Kent Eastwood.
Duo show. From 7pm.

Sun 4th April
Tathra Bowling Club.
With Kent Eastwood.
Duo show. From 4pm.
**LAST SHOW IN AUSTRALIA**


**REQUESTS
If you've got a show in mind, and a song you'd like to hear, then by all means drop me a line and I'll throw it in the set!
(No I can't play Brown Eyed Girl by Van Morrison.....I'm better at the Renny Field stuff...)


--------------------------------------------------


EUROPE 2010

A few dates starting to come in for Europe. I'll send through some more info in due course, but for now we can start with these:

Thurs 13th May - London
Sun 13th June - Aberdeen
Thurs 17th June - Edinburgh

Expect a few more in the UK, and probably some mainland Europe as well. The longer term plan, as I have said before, is to wind up in Ireland. I expect to be there from late June onwards, and will no doubt be playing a run of shows to celebrate my arrival, before retreating to a cottage in the hills somewhere to do some writing. And whilst I have your attention - does anyone know anybody in Ireland wanting to sell an old mini? I need a replacement for the '86 Corona - a mini would seem a suitable match for the Northern Hemisphere, but I am open to suggestions!

The Basement Feb 10 & Tour News

Hi everyone, and welcome as always to the new readers...

Just got back from a great week on the road, visiting Tathra, Port Macquarie, Wauchope and Laurieton. Beaches and music - it's not a bad way to make a living hey. (We'll forget about the part where I suffered a humiliating defeat in the Australia Day lawn bowls challenge....)

Getting in early for the month of Feb - there's a real beauty comin' up! I'll get to the point for a change...

WED 10TH FEB - THE BASEMENT, SYDNEY
FULL BAND SHOW. *LIVE DVD FILMING
With KENT EASTWOOD and SAVANNAH JO LACK
Dinner and Show options available. Doors 7PM.
For bookings and info, visit the link below:
http://www.moshtix.com.au/Event.aspx?id=33329&pLock=&vip=&skin=&ref=CAL

About this show:
It's fair to say I have been building towards this one for a while. I tried to do The Basement last year for the album launch, but the timing wasn't quite right. Fortunately it's ended up working out for the best, because the full 10-piece band is back in action for one night only and this time around it's going to be filmed for a DVD! That means lots of cameras and important-looking people in headsets, and hopefully a lot of friends there to be a part of it. As an added bonus, Kent Eastwood will be doing the main support ahead of the release of his new album "The Corktown Sessions". Written and recorded in 4 days in New York city, it's quite an amazing achievement, and with a band of guitars, keyboards and plastic bags - you've just gotta hear it live. Savannah Jo is a late addition to the lineup - based in the US, but currently Australia to promote her brand new album. Check her out on the link below.

This will be the last time I perform with the full band before relocating to Europe in April - a great chance to see so many wonderful local musicians on the stage at the same time. I can't wait! Triple exclamation mark!!!

www.myspace.com/rennyfield
www.myspace.com/kenteastwood
www.savannahjolack.com


----------------------------------------


TOUR NEWS IN FEB:

Lots more shows all over the place through Feb. Here's the list, but for more details best to visit the Website

FRI 5TH FEB - LOCOMOTIVE HOTEL, JUNEE

SUN 7TH FEB - GRACE EMILY HOTEL, ADELAIDE

WED 10TH FEB - THE BASEMENT, SYDNEY. FULL BAND.

FRI 12TH FEB - TENTERFIELD TAVERN, TENTERFIELD

SAT 13TH FEB - WAXING LYRICAL, BRISBANE POWERHOUSE

THURS 18TH FEB - BON AMICI CAFE, TOOWOOMBA

SAT 20TH FEB - GURU FOOD CAFE, BELLINGEN

SUN 21ST FEB - BAGO TAVERN, WAUCHOPE

WED 24TH FEB - LIZOTTES, KINCUMBER

++ More to be added. Keep an eye on the website for updates.


----------------------------------------


LOOKING AHEAD:

Will be carrying on with plenty of shows through March, including a Round-Robin tour with two of my best friends - Kent Eastwood and Sam Buckingham. Think songs, stories, and a mini-band with harmonies, percussion and more. Should be a lot of fun, so best to check the website for updates as they come to hand.

As I mentioned earlier, I'll be heading to Europe in April. I am currently in the process of putting together a little run of dates throughout May and June. If you've got any ideas / suggestions, feel free to send them through and I'll see what I can manage. Would love to come and visit you if you're over in that part of the world.

That'll do me for now. Hope to see you at a show some time soon!

Cheers, and thanks for the support.

Renny

www.rennyfield.com
www.myspace.com/rennyfield
www.twitter.com/rennyfield
www.facebook.com/I am not sure of the link but you can find me there somewhere....