Renny Field

Happy 28th December!!

2011-12-27T23:11:00.001-08:00

Remembering 2011....

Hello again folks, thought I'd hit you with a quick update before time runs out in 2011. I've missed the Xmas deadlines, and it's a bit too early to start singing Auld Lang Syne, hence the subject of the email.... But why shouldn't we celebrate December 28?! It was, after all, on this day in 1912 that the first municipally-owned streetcars began service in San Francisco! Fans of useless pub trivia take note....

Alas my passion for the history of Californian transportation has had to take a back seat to the musical misadventures of 2011 which, as always, have been both rewarding and exhausting in equal parts but have left me feeling fortunate for the path I have been able to follow. Aided in no small way by good folks such as yourselves who have taken a moment to tune in from time to time - thanks so much for the support and encouragement you have offerered along the way.

Just as a frame of reference, I took a moment earlier today to list the various places I've played throughout the year (basically wherever they let me!) - I've copied and pasted the list to the bottom of the email in case you're interested...

Recording:

Some of you might remember I spent a couple of weeks with my good mate Kent Eastwood laying some tracks down in Glen Innes earlier this year. Whilst the final product is still yet to be completed (owing partly to the distance between artist and producer...!), I have uploaded one of the new tracks on my soundcloud page. It's a song called "Perfect", and I guess it's about taking time appreciate the things we have.

www.soundcloud.com/rennyfield/perfect

Movember:

A big thanks to everyone who made a donation to Movember in support of the "no-mo", and all of the folks who donated their time to either appear in the videos or help me film them . For those of you who missed it, in order to compensate for my follically-challenged upper lip I uploaded a different cover song each day to youtube. In total we raised a little over 300 pounds in the name of mens' health which I thought was a great effort. The videos all still online if you'd like to take a look (although a few may disappear in the coming weeks....). Here's a link to part 3 - "Trouble" by Ray LaMontagne, performed with my brother Matt Field in Barcelona.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cx0kRy0GXYE

Finally:

Whilst we're on the subject of thankyous, just a big shout-out to everyone I've met this year, all the musicians I've had the opportunity to perform with, those of you who have taken the time to lend a hand, and anyone else who has been a part of this little journey over the past 12 months. I've had some wonderful opportunities but I couldn't have achieved a fraction of it all if it weren't for the people around me, so cheers to the lot of ya.

I'll be taking a bit of time out heading into the new year, so for once there are no shows to tell you about.... But no doubt that will change in the not too distant future. For the time being, here's hoping you've all had a great Xmas, and wishing you every success in 2012. If you're short a resolution or two, perhaps you could head to San Francisco? Those trams are pretty cool...

See you next year folks.

Cheers,

Renny

www.rennyfield.com
www.twitter.com/rennyfield
www.youtube.com/rennyfield
www.facebook.com/rennyfield
www.soundcloud.com/rennyfield

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

Live in 2011...
1/1 Esher Rugby Club, UK
8/1 Bandon Markets, IRE
9/1 Cosy Cabin, Bantry
15/1 Bandon Markets
16/1 Cosy Cabin, Bantry
14/1 Ma Murphy's, Bantry
23/1 Cosy Cabin, Bantry
2/2 Fireside Sessions, Cork
4/2 Ma Murphy's, Bantry
20/2 Round Robin @ Raval, Sydney, AUS
21/2 Opera Bar, Sydney
23/2 Lizottes, Newcastle
24/2 HIgh Tea, Sydney
25/2 Bondi FM, Sydney
25/2 Round Robin @ Manly Fig, Sydney
27/2 Round Robin @ Brisbane Powerhouse
28/2 The Cavern, Nobbys Beach, Gold Coast
3/3 Port Macquarie Hotel
4/3 Port Macquarie Hotel
5/3 Lambton Food & Wine Fair, Newcastle
5/3 Stag & Hunter, Mayfield
6/3 Tacking Point Tavern, Port Macquarie
7/3 Bondi FM, Sydney
8/3 Cafe Lounge, Surry Hills
9/3 Hollywood Hotel, Surry Hills
13/3 Rozelle Markets, Sydney
13/3 Landsdowne Hotel, Sydney
18/3 Locomotive Hotel, Junee
19/3 Tathra Hotel
20/3 Cobargo Hotel
25/3 Commercial Hotel, Gulgong
26/3 Oriental Hotel, Mudgee
27/3 Tarana Hotel
28/3 Bondi FM, Sydney
2/4 Golden Slipper Carnival, Rosehill
4-17/4 Recording with Kent Eastwood, Glen Innes
18/4 Opera Bar, Sydney
20/4 Sugar Lounge, Manly
24/4 Kings Hotel, Bathurst
25/4 Tarana Hotel
30/4 Brass Monkey, Cronulla
4/5 Lizottes, Dee Why
8/5 Tarana Hotel
11/5 Lizottes, Kincumber
30/5 Opera Bar, Sydney
9/6 Lockside Lounge, Camden, UK
15/6 Castle Hotel, Notting Hill
16/6 Fluid Lounge, Farringdon
19/6 Brixton Windmill
20/6 Lock 17 Bar, Camden
21/6 Cuban Bar, Camden
23/6 Relentless Garage, Islington
27/6 Half Moon, Putney
28/6 Cuban Bar, Camden
29/6 Castle Hotel, Notting Hill
3/6 All stripped down, Archway
5/7 Cuban Bar, Camden
7/7 The Troubadour, London
10/7 The Hobgoblin, Angel
13/7 Castle Hotel, Notting Hill
16/7 Castle Hotel, Notting Hill
17/7 Corner Shop Bar, Shoreditch
18/7 Vibe Bar, Brick Lane
20/7 Queens Head, Brixton
21/7 Worlds End, Finsbury Park
24/7 Corner Shop Bar, Shoreditch
25/7 Lock 17 bar, Camden
26/7 The Troubadour, London
27/7 Miss Q's, Earls Court
27/7 Castle Hotel, Notting Hill
29/7 Vintage Festival, Southbank
30/7 Vintage Festival, Southbank
31/7 Corner Shop Bar, Shoreditch
2/8 Bar Vinyl, Camden
4/8 Arc Bar, Angel
7/8 Corner Shop Bar, Shoreditch
9/8 Lock 17 Bar, Camden
10/8 The Regal Room, Hammersmith
16/8 Balcony TV, Brighton
17/8 Cuban Bar, Camden
19/8 Lockstock festival, Camden
21/8 Corner Shop Bar, Shoreditch
23/8 Boogaloo, Highgate
24/8 Luxe Bar, Spitalfields
25/8 The Troubadour, London
27/8 Hereford Arms, Gloucester Rd
28/8 Corner Shop Bar, Shoreditch
31/8 Cavendish Arms, Stockwell
12/9 Vibe Bar, Brick Lane
13/9 The Troubadour, London
30/9 Esher Rugby Club
4/10 The Good Ship, Kilburn
8/10 Great Railway Tavern, Hornsey
10/10 The Bedford, Balham
12/10 Esher Rugby Club
13/10 The Troubadour, Earls Court
14/10 Hereford Arms, Gloucester Road
15/10 Esher Rugby Club
17/10 Vibe Bar, Brick Lane
18/10 Kings Head, Angel
24/10 Half Moon, Putney
25/10 Cuban Bar, Camden
26/10 Regal Room, Hammersmith
27/10 Worlds End, Finsbury Park
28/10 Castle Hotel, Battersea
29/10 Esher Rugby Club
30/10 Babel, Clapham Junction
4/11 Hereford Arms, Gloucester Road
5/11 Prince of Wales, Battersea
9/11 Lock 17, Camden
9/11 Motherlive, Hoxton
10/11 The Troubadour, London
11/11 Lamb and Flag, Covent Garden
12/11 Prince of Wales, Battersea
13/11 Corner Shop Bar, Shoreditch
16/11 The Wheatsheaf, Tooting Bec
18/11 Hereford Arms, Gloucester Road
20/11 Corner Shop Bar, Shoreditch
21/11 Vibe Bar, Brick Lane
22/11 Cuban Bar, Camden
23/11 The Wheatsheaf, Tooting Bec
24/11 Kings Head, Angel
26/11 Prince of Wales, Battersea
1/12 Lockstock Festival, Camden
2/12 Hereford Arms, Gloucester Road
3/12 Prince of Wales, Battersea
4/12 The Roundhouse, Covent Garden
7/12 The Troubadour, London
9/12 Larrick Inn, Putney
10/12 Prince of Wales, Battersea
12/12 Vibe Bar, Brick Lane
16/12 Hereford Arms, Gloucester Road
18/12 The Roundhouse, Covent Garden

UnderCOVER in Movember

2011-10-31T17:07:00.000-07:00

UnderCOVER in Movember
November 2011
Hellooo again!!

First of all, the news from the mailing list HQ is not good. People are dropping like flies! I feel it has something to do with the Spanish Bicyboatslide, which evidently was not everyone's cup of tea. Nonetheless, I will perservere for the stayers of the group (namely yourselves) in the hope that one day I might be able to reward you with somethink like...

30 Free Songs!

What?!

Well sort of.... Let me explain...

Several years ago, I decided to participate in Movember and proceeded to grow one of the most disappointing Mo's ever known to man. This is for three reasons:

(i) I can't grow a Mo

(ii) Whatever it is I CAN grow is of a fair colour, thus rendering it practically impossible to see.

(iii) I can't grow a Mo

After this humiliating 30-day period in the life and times of Renny Field, I vowed I would never again partake in Movember, and instead would donate to others more worthy of a contribution (ie people who can actually grow a Mo). Alas, it is not uncommon for decisions to undergo some sort of rethink along the way, and in this case the "rethink" hit me today in London when I was trying come up with some ingeneous ways to amuse myelf as the darkness sets in...

So, I've decided to give this Movember business another crack, for better or worse. But rather than just growing a Mo (or not growing one as the case may be), I've decided to post a new cover song each day on youtube so you can all follow my appauling lack of progress along the way:

www.youtube.com/rennyfield

I've played a lot of pub gigs over the past few years (and still do!), and in that time I've learned a whole bunch of cover songs, some of which have saved my life, some of which have nearly killed me. I thought I'd share with you 30 of my favourites in support of Movember. As usual, there will be a bit of a running commentary along the way, and maybe a few tales from the road... But let's face it it wouldn't be RF without the ramble would it.

You are welcome to make requests, but as I often say at my gigs - the chances of me knowing what you're talking about are not great. Thus the "taking" of the request does not always lead to the "playing" of request, but fire away by all means!

If you like what you hear, then at some point along the way you can visit the donation page I've set up. Hopefully we can build a little on the current total, which is nothing.

http://mobro.co/rennyfield

Alright! It's late, and I need to be up at sparrows...

SO... Keep in touch you hear! Would be great to hear from you along the way as the Invisi-Mo takes shape.

Cheers for now,

Renny

www.rennyfield.com
www.soundcloud.com/rennyfield
www.youtube.com/rennyfield
www.facebook.com/rennyfield
www.twitter.com/rennyfield

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

TOUR DATES 2011

Some great shows coming up, with the monthly spot at the Troubadour continuing and a couple of gigs with my good friend Mijo Biscan as part of his European tour.

Not forgetting of course a guest appearance by my brother Matt Field on drums - Nov 22!

WED 9TH NOVEMBER
The Troubadour, London
263 Old Brompton Rd, Earls Court
Entry 5. From 8pm.
www.troubadour.co.uk

WED 16TH NOVEMBER
The Wheatsheaf, Tooting Bec
2 Upper Tooting Rd, London
Free Entry, from 8pm
http://www.wheatsheaftootingbec.com/

MON 21ST NOVEMBER
THE VIBE BAR, BRICK LANE
91 Brick Lane
Solo show. Free Entry. 8pm
Supporting Mijo Biscan
http://www.vibe-bar.co.uk/

TUES 22ND NOVEMBER
The Cuban Bar, Camden
Duo with Matt Field on drums!
Free Entry. 8pm.
Supporting Mijo Biscan

Check out Mijo's European Tour Page here:
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=167802653304191

PLUS
More to be announced...

www.rennyfield.com/gigs.html

Life's a Beach - October 2011

2011-10-07T06:41:00.000-07:00

Hello again peoples, just back from a couple of weeks in Spain - great to see my brother again, although I could have used a few more victories on the ping pong table...

First things first - I make no apologies for the random photo, but I should apologise to the woman in the background, who probably doesn't appreciate having a rear view of herself in a swimsuit posted on the world wide web. Having said that, the monthly mailout of a little-known Australian singer-songwriter based in London isn't about to catapault her into "latest internet sensation" status, nor is the average web user likely to go in search of old Spanish women in swimsuits... On that basis I decided to hit you with the "Bicyboatslide!"

Is that it's actual name? I think not, but I think you would agree with me - the Spanish have got it nailed with this one. It's a bicycle and a boat AND a slippery slide rolled into one. I briefly contemplated cycling myself back to Sydney, but I got tired and went down the slide instead. Hours of entertainment folks, hours of entertainment. Notwithstanding the fact that there are also WHEELS! So if you were inclined to push the bicyboatslide to the top of a hill, you could have all sorts of fun on the way down. Even moreso because you'd have absolutely no way of steering or stopping the thing OR (assuming you don't speak Spanish) explaining to the local authorities why you pushed a boat with a slippery slide up a hill in the first place... (Actually even if you did speak Spanish you might have a bit of trouble with that one...).

Random observations aside, the beaches of September have been replaced by the gigs of October... And if I'm being fair to the reader here I should really tell you about the gigs (see below), seeing as you've signed up to a music mailout and everything. I realise the old RF emails don't always follow the script on that front, but I think I gave up following the script a while back... And that's sort of the point...

(Having said that, here's a little bit of music for you before I go - a live recording of "Crossfire" a few weeks back in London):

http://www.pluggedinswitchedon.com/#/best-recent-recordings/4545792552

Thanks for hanging in there! Catch you soon.

Cheers,

Renny

www.rennyfield.com
www.facebook.com/rennyfield
www.youtube.com/rennyfield
www.twitter.com/rennyfield
www.soundcloud.com/rennyfield
www.someonetoldmeaboutanotheroneofthesetheotherdaybutiforgot.com

Cross-promotion stuff....

A couple of little things to tell you about here... Cool people doing cool things:

First of all, the talented Belinda Cairelli (the artist behind "The Arena" artwork and my brother's now fiance) has set up a brand new blog with fashion designs, works in progress and all sorts of cool stuff. Well worth a look if you've got a spare few minutes:

http://www.lorenzoandcatalina.blogspot.com/

Secondly, my very good friend Sam Buckingham is trying to raise money to record her next album. You can pay for it in advance, and purchase a whole bunch of other cool things - I think it's gonna sound amazing. Check it out:

http://www.pozible.com/index.php/archive/index/3289/description/0/0

TOUR DATES 2011

MON 10TH OCTOBER
The Bedford, London
77 Bedford Hill, Balham
Free entry. From 8pm.
www.thebedford.co.uk

THURS 13TH OCTOBER
The Troubadour, Earls Court
263 Old Brompton Road
Entry 6, from 8pm
www.thetroubadour.co.uk

MON 24TH OCTOBER
The Half Moon, Putney
93 Lower Richmond Rd
Entry 2, From 8pm.
www.halfmoon.co.uk

WED 26TH OCTOBER
The Regal Room, London
Distillers Pub, Hammersmith
Free Entry, from 8pm
www.theregalroom.com

More to be announced...

www.rennyfield.com/gigs.html

Scaling the Dizzy Heights... September 2011

2011-09-14T02:28:00.000-07:00

Hello again from London, where the dizzy heights aren't quite as dizzy as the photo may suggest... In fact, this picture was taken in Frankfurt by my good mate Brett Winterford when I made a flying visit to see the first show of his German tour. By all reports, the rest of the his trip was a smashing success!* Shame I didn't get to see the other shows, but most likely I was lost in transit in a tunnel somewhere far below the surface of the earth.

*I just used the word smashing. Is that cool?
Maybe not, but Brett's music certianly is! (Cool, not smashing. Although it's smashing too... if you like to use that word...)
http://soundcloud.com/peregrine-1

Anyway where was I? Ah yes, in a tunnel. Or "on the tube" as the locals like to say... Love it or hate it, the tube is just about impossible to avoid, but you can't deny that it gets you where you need to be in quick time. (Provided there are no engineering works in place...). It's also one of the best places in the world to people watch. I'm always amazed by the array of folks that are busy shuffling themselves around hundreds of feet below the surface of the earth. I wonder what people think of me sometimes, sitting there with my guitar, scoping out the carriage. Maybe they are thinking to themselves - look at that guy, he has a guitar. Or they could be thinking - look at that guitar, he has a guy. Or they could have far more important things to think about. Which is good for them!

FESTIVALS AND STREET CORNERS

Well I've been here a few months now, and I've played all sorts of places - festivals, street corners and everything in between. There are no shortage of venues here in the big smoke. Some big, some small. Some cool, some not so much. Sometimes people clap, sometimes they don't. And sometimes, if I'm lucky, old drunk people shout weird stuff at me. I would say I'd prefer they didn't do this, but then the part of me that finds it amusing would be disappointed... So if you're old and drunk and thinking of coming to a show some time soon, then I encourage you to do what you have to do. Respekt. In any case, you'd have a hard time topping this woman in Sydney a while back:

Woman: "Excuse me love?!"

Renny (whilst in the middle of a song): "Yes?"

W: "Do you take REQUESTS?!"

R: "Ah yeah but I'm in the middle of a song at the moment... what would you like to hear"

W: "Anything but THIS!!!"

R: "Censored"

As for the street corners, I haven't quite managed to save up for a new house but my brief forays into the world of busking in London have been met with moderate approval by onlookers and passers by. And really that's all you can hope for when you set up on a street corner - moderate approval. Anything more is a bonus, and anything less is probably telling you something... Either that or there's a dude juggling fire across the way. And who am I to compete with that!

Anyway - the upcoming shows should be down the bottom here... Along with a link to a new tune if you're interested. Still playing regularly at The Troubadour in Earls Court, and also looking forward to my first gig at the Bedford in early October. Plus more to be added as always. Hopefully see you out there somewhere...

AND... ONE MORE THING...

My brother just got engaged!! No way?! WAY!! Remember my brother Matt? Faithful drummer of many years for the Renny Field band? (And still the drummer when I can afford to fly him over here....). Well hats off and a big congratulations to him and Belinda on the big big news. Belinda, you may or may not know, also happens to be the creative genius behind the artwork for "The Arena". You see it's a family affair...

Bye for now. It's been real. And a bit ridiculous if I'm being honest. But I'm sure you'd reached that conclusion a few paragraphs ago...

Cheers,

Renny

www.rennyfield.com
www.facebook.com/rennyfield
www.youtube.com/rennyfield
www.twitter.com/rennyfield
www.myspace.com/rennyfield
http://rennyfield.blogspot.com
www.yesiamonreverbnationtoobutihaventsetitupyetsorry.com

UPCOMING TOUR DATES 2011

MON 10TH OCTOBER
THE BEDFORD, BALHAM
Solo show. From 8pm. Free Entry.
www.thebedford.co.uk

THURS 13TH OCTOBER
THE TROUBADOUR, EARLS COURT
Solo show. From 8pm. Entry 6.
www.troubadour.co.uk

MON 24TH OCTOBER
THE HALF MOON, PUTNEY
Solo show. From 8pm. Free Entry.
www.halfmoon.co.uk

WED 26TH OCTOBER
THE REGAL ROOM
Solo show. From 8pm. Free Entry.
www.theregalroom.com

More to be announced...

www.rennyfield.com/gigs.html

NEW DEMO!

For those of you who are interested, I've put another demo up from my recording earlier this year with Kent Eastwood. The final product is still being mixed, but thought it was time for another little sample track... This one is called "If my love returns to me".

www.soundlcoud.com/rennyfield

(Featuring brother Eastwood on the keys and RF on the tambo...)

The news from London - July 2011

2011-06-29T10:30:00.000-07:00

London 2011...

Hello again, I'm back... Lost in transit last month unfortuantely, but a fair bit going on over here in July so worth sending through a little update. Summer is still proving elusive, but I'm keeping myself occupied with shows around town. Have played a bunch of different venues, and I learn a little bit more each day. I've even bought myself one of those guitar backpack thingys so I can take my guitar on my bicycle. It's just a shame I don't have a bicycle...

New album is still in the works - songs are recorded, just a few more steps and then I'll have more news for you on all that. For the time being, just so you know I'm not telling you lies... I've put up a rough recording on my soundcloud site - the song is called "Doin' the time I bought". It's a song from me Irish cottage, will leave it up for the next week or two.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r-Noe31m-p4

Plenty of gigs to choose from over the next few months, be great to see if you can make it along. And if you've got friends in London that might be intrerested, then by all means drop them a line or tell them to get in touch with me. Always enjoy meeting new folks in my travels, especially folks who know folks I know and like folk music...

Anyway that's all from me. I'm off to ride a red bus and take photos of tourists taking photos.

Cheers for now,

Renny

www.rennyfield.com
www.facebook.com/rennyfield
www.youtube.com/rennyfield
www.twitter.com/rennyfield
www.soundcloud.com/rennyfield
www.myspaceisdeadIhavegivenup.com

PS - The photo is not from London, but it's the best I could find today... If you want the Big Ben then try this. Alright.

http://www.google.co.uk/search?q=big+ben&hl=en&client=firefox-a&hs=zKx&sa=X&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&biw=1429&bih=714&prmd=ivnsum&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&ei=YEALTu7LE8WbhQeJzo3LDw&ved=0CDkQsAQ

TOUR DATES 2011:

SUN 3RD JULY
All Stripped Down.
Dusk till Dawn.
1 Archway Close, Archway
On stage 7.30pm. Free entry.
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=136574436419424

TUES 5TH JULY
Cuban Bar
Chalk Farm Rd, Camden
On stage 8pm. Free Entry.
http://www.thecuban.co.uk/

THURS 7TH JULY
Lock Stock Festival
Camden Lock Markets
West Yard Stage. Free entry.
On stage 4pm
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=215768851775502

THURS 7TH JULY
The Troubadour
263 Old Brompton Rd, Earls Court
Show starts 8pm. Entry 5.
www.troubadour.co.uk

SUN 10TH JULY
Powers Bar
332 Kilburn HIgh Rd, London
On stage 8pm. Free entry.

SAT 16TH JULY
The Castle, Notting Hill
225 Portobello Rd, London
From 8pm. Free Entry

WED 20TH JULY
Queen's Head, Brixton
144 Stockwell Rd, London
From 8pm. Free Entry

THURS 21ST JULY
Worlds End Bar, Finsbury Park
21 Stroud Green Rd, London
From 8pm. Free Entry.

TUES 26TH JULY
The Troubadour
263 Old Brompton Rd, Earls Court
From 8pm. Entry 5.

WED 27TH JULY
Miss Q's, Earl's Court
184 Earls Court Rd
From 8pm. Free Entry.

More show to be added.
For updates, please visit:

www.rennyfield.com/gigs.html

Refuelling...

2011-05-06T03:15:00.000-07:00

Hello again out there, it's been a busy few months of touring in Oz, not to mention a couple of weeks in April spent recording in far northern NSW - Glen Innes to be exact. Do you know where Glen Innes is? Well I don't really know either, but somehow I found my way there and with the help of my good mate (and producer) Kent Eastwood managed to track a whole bunch of the songs I wrote in me Irish cottage, plus a few new ones fresh out of the oven. Still a bit of work to do before we get to releasing anything, but hoping to finish that off in the next little while, as well as taking a bit of a break from the road to put some petrol back in the tank (a skill I have yet to fully master...)

Touring can be exciting, exhausting, exhilarating, exasperating, extraodinary and excructiating all at the same time. And that's just the "ex"-based adjectives... If you spend long enough living out of a suitase then eventually, as I have discovered, it catches up with you somewhere along the way. This is not to say I wouldn't do it all again (and I will), but spending time in the one place also gives you time to reflect, and after years of back and forth, to and fro, here and there, I'm starting to see that being in the one place has it's advantages too... So with that in mind, I thought I'd post a link to one of the songs I wrote in Ireland called "The Mission" which deals with a few of these types of issues - it'll be the first track on the new album. (Apologies for the ramble, but some things never change... )

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

A big welcome to those of you who are new to the list. That either means you've caught a show somewhere and you liked it enough to risk writing your name on a clipboard, or you thought you were entering a draw to win a new BMW. Sadly the luxury car market is a bit out of reach at the moment, but who needs a BMW when you've got a '97 Starlet Hatch?! Speaking of which, anyone looking for a cheap set of wheels? Turns out air China won't let me take it to Europe with me.

A yes Europe... London to start with, but more on that later. A few shows to get through before I take off. (Should be on the right somewhere....).

What was that I was saying about being in the one place?

I can't remember...

Till next time, thanks for the support.

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

PS...

*Here's a link to Glen Innes in case you were wondering. Sky full of stars every night up there. Pretty awesome. (Ok just the clear nights...)
http://maps.google.com.au/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=glen+innes&aq=&sll=-25.335448,135.745076&sspn=43.719032,90.263672&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Glen+Innes+New+South+Wales&ll=-29.736955,151.745224&spn=0.334481,0.705185&z=11&iwloc=A

UPCOMING SHOWS 2011

SUN 8TH MAY
TARANA HOTEL
Main Street, Tarana
The main street being the only street.
Solo show. 2 sets. 1-3, 5-7pm.
Free Entry

WED 11TH MAY
LIZOTTES KINCUMBER
Avoca Drive, Kincumber
Solo show. From 7.30pm.
With AMY VEE.
Tickets www.lizottes.com.au

SUN 29TH MAY
OPERA BAR, SYDNEY
Beneath the Opera House... nice view!
Duo show. From 6pm.
Free Entry

Renny vs The Big Merino - April 2011

2011-03-31T21:27:00.001-07:00

Well folks sorry to hit you with a giant sheep here, but it's a testament to the longevity of the thing that I've now had 4 different old Toyotas, and each one of them has driven past this magnificent eyesore on countless occasions over the past few decades. That's not counting the road trips with Mum and Dad when I was knee-high to a grasshopper. Did you know you can look out the eyes of the Big Merino? Yes yes - true - there are stairs that take you to the top! The only problem being, when you get to the top, the best you can hope for is a panoramic vista of the freeway to canberra. Which, as exciting as it may sound, is not exaclty inspirational viewing. Then again, spare a thought for the poor people filling up their cars at the petrol station - they've got a massive Merino brown-eye staring them straight in the face. If that's not a reason to get back on the road quick smart, I don't know what is!

Speaking of Brown Eyes...

Having played in my fair share of big old rural pubs in recent years, you can pretty much guarantee that at around 11.30pm on a Friday or Saturday night you are going to be confronted with the following two options:

(i) play Brown Eyed Girl and make yourself a local hero for 5mins
(ii) maintain artistic integrity, and pretend you've never heard the song

For years, despite the best efforts of the local farming community to convince me otherwise, I always went with option 2. This gave me great satisfaction via some flawed logic that said if I could hold off playing Brown-Eyed girl, I was still doing ok (this despite having no apparent problem with Run to Paradise or The Horses by Daryl Braithwaite). Needless to say, the requests never seem to end, and after a while you start to wonder why exactly you're denying people their god-given right to get drunk and sing along to Van Morrison on a Friday night. So finally, I've relented. Sad but true. Which means if you happen to catch me out bush at some point, chances are you're going to be able to join me in singing what I'm sure you'll agree is one of the world's finest song lyrics....

Sha la la la la la la la la la la te doe

La te doe

Hero status 1
Artistic Integrity 0

Ah heck - if you can't beat 'em, join 'em. Rock and roll.

(And it's kind of fun being a hero for 5mins every once in a while... even if your microphone stand gets knocked over in the process).

By for now, see you soon,

Renny

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

TOUR DATES 2011:

SAT 2ND APRIL
Golden Slipper, Rosehill
Private Function

MON 18TH APRIL
Opera Bar, Sydney
Free Entry, from 8pm
Duo with Kent Eastwood

FRI 22ND APRIL
Tarana Hotel, NSW
Solo show. Free Entry. 6pm.

SAT 23RD APRIL
Kings Hotel, Bathurst, NSW
Solo show. Free Entry. 8pm.

WED 4TH MAY
Lizottes, Dee Why
Solo show. $15. From 8pm.
www.lizottes.com.au

WED 11TH MAY
Lizottes, Kincumber
Solo show. $15. From 8pm.
With Amy Vee
www.lizottes.com.au

More to be announced...

Europe dates Tbc...

www.rennyfield.com/gigs.html

Hot Coffee. March 2011.

2011-03-04T14:09:00.000-08:00

Greeting music lovers and welcome if you're new to the el mailo listo, wealth of not entirely relevant information that it is....

First things first - I have encountered some brilliant displays of marketing on my travels around Australia. The "Best steak sandwich in NSW" and the "Best coffee outside Italy" spring to mind. (Both of which were put to the test and didn't quite live up to the billing...). But if you're after an understated approach, then I think I've found the place for you (see attached pic) - just off Merewether Beach in Newastle. A simple but brilliant strategy you would have to agree - "Hot" coffee. I particularly like the way they have highlighted the word "Hot", because let's face it that really is the most important part of the coffee. Say nothing of the flavour, the aroma, the beans, the quality of the coffee itself.... Let's just go with "hot". People pay millions for top ad execs to sit up all night pontificating round the boardroom table, and yet the folks at swell espresso bar have figured it all out in 2mins on a fold-up chalkboard. Outstanding!

Anyway would you believe it, I somehow managed to resist the temptation to sample the local brew, and I'm now sending you this email from the peaceful surrounds of Port Macquarie. Well, peaceful enough by day perhaps, but not always so peaceful at night.... It was this time last year that a friendly local chap offered me what was perhaps the greatest compliment of my not-so-illustrious career, and I quote:

"You are the worst f....ing entertainer I have ever seen!!"

Dare I say it, I think that's what happens when you drink too much hot coffee....

Plenty of shows coming up, so might catch you there!

Cheers,

Renny

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

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

UPCOMING SHOWS 2011:

FRI 4 MAR - Port Macquarie Hotel. 9pm

SAT 5 MAR - Newcastle Food & Wine Fair. Lambton Park. 2pm

SAT 5 MAR - Stag & Hunter, Mayfield. 9pm.

SUN 6 MAR - Tacking Point Tavern. 3pm.

MON 7 MAR - Bondi FM Cafe. 8pm. On air 88.0FM Sydney.

TUE 8 MAR - Cafe Lounge, Surry Hills. 8pm.

WED 9 MAR - Hollywood Hotel Sydney, with The Falls. 8pm.

SUN 13 MAR - Landsdowne Hotel, Sydney. 5pm.

FRI 18 MAR - Locomotive Hotel, Junee. 9pm. (Who's coming with me?!?!)

SUN 20 MAR - Tathra Hotel. 2pm.

FRI 25 MAR - Commercial Hotel, Gulgong. 8pm

SAT 26 MAR - Oriental Hotel, Mudgee. 8pm

MON 18 APR - Opera Bar, Sydney. 8pm.

FRI 29 APR - Brass Monkey, Cronulla. Supporting Ian Moss. 8pm.

WED 4 MAY - Lizottes, Kincumber. 8pm

WED 11 MAY - Lizottes, Dee Why. 8pm

PLUS more to be announced. Best to keep an eye on the website:

www.rennyfield.com/gigs.html

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

IRISH TELEVISION:

You might remember I was doing a video blog / new song testing thingy on youtube for a couple of months. Turns out someone was actually watching those things (really?!), and the good people at An Lar TV have turned my "Songs from Ireland" into a 4-part series which is currently on rotation on the channel. It's an online TV station in Ireland, so some time adjustment required... But check it out some time if you feel like it. Nice of them to take an interest.

http://www.anlar.tv/

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

ROUND ROBINS:

A big thanks to my friends Sam, Kent and Sarah. Nice to be a part of our little "band" again, albeit briefly, after my time in the wilderness. They are all doing some pretty cool things, so here are their links for you:

www.sambuckingham.com
www.kenteastwood.com
www.sarahhumphreys.com

And here are a few vids if you're interested:

http://www.youtube.com/user/TheManlyFig

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

EUROPE:

Will be heading back for the summer, so stay tuned for dates to be announced.

I left my guitar in Ireland you see, so I'll have to go and get it....

See you soon!

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

Finally - Is anyone in Sydney selling a cheap car? Just on the off chance...

Ok that's all.

Walkabout

2011-02-16T17:22:00.001-08:00

Hello again from sunny Sydney! At least that's what it was meant to be when I got here... Sunny... But for some reason this is not the case. Probably not the worst thing based on the colour of my skin, which now sits somewhere between "milky" and "snowy" courtesy of three months in the Irish winter. If only I still had the hair to match! Those were the days...

Anyway you'll be pleased to know that sun or no sun I still haven't lost my ability to spit out the most inane rubbish for your reading pleasure. Here are some of the brief highlights of my trip so far:

* My first trip on an A380, and my window seat was hijacked by screaming kids... Tragedy.
* I got an eagle on the 7th hole at Avalon Golf Course. That's a 2 on a par 4. Really. But nobody saw it... Tragedy.
* I spent one hour on a surfboard yesterday without catching a single wave... Tragedy.

Fortunately things can only go up from here, especially if I manage to find a cheap set of wheels. Ideally something slightly better than the one fitting this description, which I came across on gumtree:

"Needs a new motor, but runs great".

If I didn't know any better, I'd say I was still in Ireland!

Good thing there are a few gigs to look forward to.... Provided I can get to them...

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

Incidentally, the sun just came out. Bonus!

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

SUN 20TH FEB
RAVAL, Sydney
Round Robin with Sam Buckingham, Sarah Humphreys and Kent Eastwood
One of my favourite shows, and a chance for us all to pretend we are in a band.
A set of solo songs, intermission, then all four of us together - harmonies, different instruments, stories, laughs and more.
Would recommend booking in advance - tix are selling fast.
Show starts 8pm. This should be the link:
http://www.moshtix.com.au/event.aspx?id=43268&caller=CAL&noadd=true&skin=

And here's a video from the last one we did:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JKqz4tQuYFU

WED 23RD FEB
LIZOTTES, Newcastle
Live'n'local. Solo show, with Chelsea Reed and more.
Bookings and info:
http://www.newcastle.lizottes.com.au/live/

THURS 24TH FEB
HIGH TEA, Sydney
Beautiful intimate warehouse apartment show, by invitation only.
Tickets now available, you need to join the facebook group and RSVP:
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=111006348977375#!/group.php?gid=236831155074
Doors open 8pm.

FRI 25TH FEB
THE MANLY FIG
Round Robin with Sam, Sarah and Kent
Just like the first one, only in Manly.
Northsieeeeda. BYO. Tix at the door.
http://www.themanlyfig.org/

SUN 27TH FEB
BRISBANE POWERHOUSE
Round Robin with Sam and Kent.
Just like the first two, but without Sarah. :(
Still, more time for Kent and I to make fun of Sam. Or vice versa. Or verse vicea.
FREE ENTRY. From 3pm.
http://www.brisbanepowerhouse.org/events/

MON 28TH FEB
The Cavern, Nobby's Beach.
Free Entry. Solo show. Acoustic Tunes from 7pm.
http://www.myspace.com/_the_cavern

THURS 3RD, FRI 4TH MARCH
Port Macquarie Hotel
Solo show. From 8pm.
Free Entry.
http://www.macquariehotel.com.au/

SAT 5TH MARCH
Newcastle Wine and Food Festival, Lambton Park
With Amy Vee and More.
Solo show. On stage 1pm.
http://www.wineandfoodfestival.com.au/

SUN 6TH MARCH
Tacking Point Tavern, Port Pacquarie
Solo show. From 3pm. Free Entry.
Cruisy Sunday avo acoustic tunes...
http://www.tackingpointtavern.com.au/

TUES 8TH MARCH
Sin e at Cafe Lounge, Surry Hills.
The e is meant to have one of those French things on it...
Solo show. Free Entry. From 8pm.
http://www.cafelounge.com.au/

WED 9TH MARCH
Hollywood Hotel, with The Falls.
http://musicfromthefalls.com/
Lost of cool stuff will happen.
Free Entry. From 8pm
http://www.hotelhollywood.com.au/

PLUS - More to be announced... www.rennyfield.com

PLUS - Europe summer tour dates coming soon...

PLUS - My grandfather was 83 Yesterday. Awesome!!!

Hope to see you out there somewhere. Will be back with more news soon.

Cheers,

Renny

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

Irish songs, Australian Tour

2011-01-20T15:45:00.000-08:00

Greetings to one and all, and a big belated HAPPY NEW YEAR from the south coast of Ireland. "Where exactly?" I hear you ask.... Well, that is for me to know and you to find out my friends. BUT - you could get a pretty decent idea by clicking on this link:

http://www.carbery-cottage-guest-lodge.net/

Carbery Cottage
Durrus
Cork
Ireland

That is in fact my address. Notice there are no numbers? The Irish are great the way they simplify things for everyone. And let's face it, round these parts nobody even has HOUSE numbers, so they're not exactly going to be bothered about post codes too much. As far as I am aware, I think the only "post codes" in Ireland are in Dublin. And they are Dublin 1 and Dublin 2. Incredibly detailed wouldn't you say, compared to perhaps my last address in London - SW17 8UE. I suppose it's one thing to wonder how they condense 1 million people in Dublin into 2 postcodes, but at the other end of the spectrum you have to wonder how anyone came up with "SW17 8UE". Give me 4 numbers a la Australia and I'm a happy man.

Anyway I digress of course, but I've become extremely good at doing just that down here in Durrus. Digressing. What with all the spare time on my hands, I can't help but digress. I digress in the morning, think about doing something at lunch, digress all afternoon, then have dinner and digress myself to sleep. In between the digressing I occasionally sit in front of a supermarket with my guitar on the off chance the kind people of West Cork would like to contribute to my weekly rental payments, and very occasionally I also get booked to play INDOORS. This is most exciting - this indoor performance business... Sitting outside in minus 4 degrees just before Christmas, I'd almost forgotten what it was like to play a gig where you could get through more than two songs without feeling the rapid onset of frostbite. A big thanks to Paul at McCarthy's bar in Kenmare for helping me rediscover the whole indoor performance phenomenon (this after I had been told to leave the supermarket car park because apparently an acoustic guitarist from Australia was far too terrifying for the average Kenmarian to handle).

That's Kenmare by the way. No postcode.
http://maps.google.ie/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=kenmare&aq=&sll=53.401034,-8.307638&sspn=6.565867,19.753418&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Kenmare,+County+Kerry&ll=51.875537,-9.56686&spn=0.053095,0.154324&z=13

Of course, it's all part of the experience my friends, and I'd be lying if I told you it wasn't all strangely exciting as well (in a "f... I'm freezing" kind of way). And in between the digressing and the busking I've actually been putting my spare time to good use - trying to come up with a few new tunes for my next album. Carbery Cottage, as it turns out, has a small self contained cottage ("Swallow's Roost") which I was able to rent for a few months, not to mention a hand-built timber studio on the same block of land. Lucky for me, both these buildings are pretty perfect for whiling away your days strumming on an acoustic guitar and trying to ensure the song you're writing doesn't sound anything like Brown Eyed Girl by Van Morrison. But in all honesty, I feel really blessed to have found my way here, and you might say I have well and truly scratched the "Cottage in the Hills" itch... In case you're interested, I've actually created a channel on youtube where I've been posting a whole bunch of these new songs. You could watch them all from the start on a rainy day, or you might like to simply check out a couple and wonder why I always seem to be wearing the same trousers. Well folks, I just ain't made enough bones for a new pair yet, although I'm getting close!

www.youtube.com/rennyfield

Please drop us a line if there are any in particular that take your fancy - feedback always welcome! Perhaps you could tell me which ones you'd like to hear when I make it to Australia.... Ah yes, I'll be heading back home for a visit very shortly, and I can't wait! And as luck would have it, most of my gigs appear to be indoors. Which is, as they'd say over here, SAVAGE!

Anyway I might leave you there, and hand over to... erm.... myself.... to type out the upcoming gigs.

Feel free to send a reply if you've got a spare minute or two. Anything to limit the daily digressathon here in Durrus! Would love to hear the news from your part of the world, wherever that might be.....

Thanks for the support, hope to see you all soon.

Cheers,

Renny

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

TOUR DATES:

Here we go, starting with a few in Ireland before I go. (OK they are indoors too.... but I wasn't lying about the frostbite before Christmas!)

IRELAND:

Wed 2nd Feb
Fireside Sessions, Bradley's Bar, Cork
Free Entry, from 9pm.
With guest Polly Barrett

Sundays from 7-9pm till 5th Feb
Cosy Cabin, Bantry
Free Entry.

AUSTRALIAN TOUR, 2011
All dates solo unless stated:

Sun 20th Feb
Raval Sydney
Round robin with Sam Buckingham, Kent Eastwood and Sarah Humphreys.
Tix at www.raval.com.au
Advanced bookings recommended.

Wed 23rd Feb
Lizottes, Newcastle
Live'n'Local
http://www.newcastle.lizottes.com.au/live/

Thurs 24th Feb
High Tea, Sydney
Great warehouse space in Surry Hills.
You must join the Facebook group for tickets:
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=236831155074

Fri 25th Feb
The Manly Fig
Round Robin with Sam Buckingham, Kent Eastwood and Sarah Humphreys.
Info: http://www.themanlyfig.org/

Sun 27th Feb
Brisbane Powerhouse (yep still on, it survived the floods)
Round Robin with Sam Buckingham and Kent Eastwood
Free Entry from 3pm.
http://www.brisbanepowerhouse.org/

Mon 28th Feb
The Cavern, Nobby's Beach
Entry by donation, from 7pm.
http://www.myspace.com/_the_cavern

Thurs 3rd March
Port Macquarie Hotel
Free Entry, from 8pm.

Fri 4th March
Port Macquarie Hotel
Free Entry, from 9pm

Sun 6th March
Tacking Point Tavern, Port Macquarie
Free Entry, 3pm

Tues 8th March
Sin e, Cafe Lounge, Surry Hills
Free entry, from 8pm

A few more to be added, then it's back to Europe to do it all again....

But more on that later...

Wanna keep track?

www.rennyfield.com
www.myspace.com/rennyfield
www.youtube.com/rennyfield
www.twitter.com/rennyfield
http://rennyfield.blogspot.com
www.facebook.com/areallyannoyinglonglinkwhycan'ttheyjustgivemerennyfieldinonewordbutyou'llfinditifyoudoasearchcheers

Songs from Ireland, Part 3

2010-12-08T07:12:00.000-08:00

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

2010-12-07T06:06:00.000-08:00

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.

2010-12-04T03:33:00.000-08:00

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

2010-10-01T09:01:00.000-07:00

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...

2010-09-02T06:30:00.000-07:00

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...

2010-08-09T04:50:00.000-07:00

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...

2010-07-20T13:47:00.000-07:00

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

2010-06-10T16:40:00.000-07:00

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

2010-05-17T05:16:00.000-07:00

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

2010-05-05T05:14:00.000-07:00

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

2010-03-01T05:19:00.000-08:00

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

2010-02-05T16:55:00.000-08:00

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....

THE ARENA Tour Diary Part 4

2009-11-19T05:47:00.000-08:00

Welcome back folks…. I am slowly getting through the backlog of tour tales here. So many memories, so little time to share them with you. Nonetheless, the tour diary continues.

TUES 17TH NOVEMBER – REPUBLIC BAR, HOBART

The loyal followers will note here that this show was scheduled 2 days after my last show in Melbourne (the last of 8 in the first week of the tour). Most normal people might have elected to give themselves a day off in Melbourne as some sort of reward for making it through a week such as the one I had just endured. Alas, I needed to drive my car back to Sydney on Monday (10hrs) so I could catch the flight to Hobart – from Sydney – on Tuesday morning. If you’re wondering why…. well I’ll get to that. In keeping with the spirit of the tour, the reason is too difficult to explain right now, but it involves 4 towns in 2 states on different sides of the country.... It’s fair to say that when it comes to scheduling, there are a few things I will reconsider next time round!

Anyway – Hobart – is a nice sort of town. I find it quite similar to the UK in many ways – perhaps a combination of the climate and the old buildings scattered up and down the hills surrounding the harbour. If I am ever there for longer than a night, I will no doubt be able to give Hobart the type of appraisal it deserves. For now, I’ll just leave it at nice. Safe, reliable, quaint, homely, welcoming and all those other things you might associate with the word “nice”.

After a brief stop at the Edge FM for a short interview and a song on air, I had a few hours to kill before the show. Time enough to find some new guitar strings, take a gentle saunter round the Capital of Taswegia and even head off for a light jog up the road to the Cascade brewery. I don’t know about you, but I really love a town where you can run for 20mins and be in the hills – there’s a certain freedom to that. The ability to escape into the wilderness whenever you feel like it.

The show itself was 3 sets over 3 hours, played to an average crowd of about 5 people (including the bar staff), one of whom happened to be a member of the Hobart Amateur Opera Society. I would never have known this of course, but for the fact that every 10 or 15mins he would stroll round the room belting out attempted harmonies whilst I was in the middle of a song. The full opera vibrato with the hand gestures and everything – this bloke wasn’t doing things by half measures. What do you do in that situation? The guy was evidently having a great old time – I didn’t feel like it was my place to say anything… Sure it threw me a bit at first, but then I kind of got used to it. In a way, it sort of made the show. And in any case, it was obviously keeping him pretty happy, judging by the way he kept clapping at the end of each song (not sure if it was for him or me) and throwing money on stage. $5 notes mainly, with the occasional 10 for good measure.

I have tried to make sense of it ever since, but I still don’t understand…. A generous spirit, a misguided soul, a window to my life in 30 years time perhaps… Maybe it’s better not to ask questions. In any case, by the end of the night I had made back at least half my airfare, and I figured that was reason enough to play a gig to 5 people on a Tuesday night in Hobart. Not the most exciting gig I have ever played, but certainly one of the more memorable…

WED 18TH NOVEMBER – IRISH MURPHY’S, LAUNCESTON

The morning of Wed 18th was devoted to an investigation of the local rental car market. Starving artists don’t typically like to hire rental cars, but in this case it was necessary. There are several buses daily from Hobart to Launceston, but none of them left early enough for me to make the radio interview OR the songwriting workshop I had agreed to host. I assumed there would be an hourly shuttle bus or something similar ferrying people between the busiest cities in Tasmania…. Negative! (As it happens, the starving artist 2-door hatch wasn’t available, so I had to pay for the far more glamorous 4-door Corolla. A fine ride indeed for a guy who was yet to reach triple figures on album sales… but to be fair, the blow was somewhat softened by my friend the opera singer from the night before!

Having negotiated the 200km to Launceston, it was time for my radio interview with LCFM, a local station run (for the main part) by students at Launceston College. My thanks to Steve Tully, the head of media studies, for his kind assistance in the weeks leading up to my trip, and for offering me an interview in the first place. When I released “Molly Mae” (September ’09) I sent a bunch of emails to community radio stations right across the country, and Steve was one of the kind people who actually took the time to reply. It was nice to have a show in Launceston so I had the opportunity to meet him in person, and sure enough there he was as I drove into town – standing on the corner, waving, ready to jump in the passenger seat and guide me straight into studio one.

(As the story goes, Steve moved to Launceston after seeing a picture of a beautiful woman, conducting a school orchestra, on the front of a newsletter for the Tasmanian Department of Education. Overcome by a sudden desire to meet the woman in the photo, Steve asked the department to transfer him to the school in question, and just a few years later they were married! Apparently she wasn’t too keen at first, but he got her to come around… Nice work Steve. Well played.)

The interview itself wasn’t so bad… I think I avoided any major embarrassment, which is generally my primary aim on radio. The spot was pre-recorded then played bi-hourly for the rest of the day. That’s a lot of Renny Field for the poor people of Launceston to have to endure! But even so, I must thank LCFM for the support and the exposure. As a general rule, I have found community radio stations to be extremely supportive, and a great way of getting some help locally when you are on tour. For that reason, I always try to contact the local community station(s) whenever I head to a new town, and more often than not it’s worth the effort.

As for the songwriting workshop, I am sitting here trying to recall what I said and I can’t really remember… But I am hoping the ramble did turn into something interesting/informative at some point, and that the people in attendance were able to take something from the hour-long session. Worst case scenario – they thought I was a weirdo with no idea. Well, there are worse problems to have. (And let’s face it I am a little strange…).

To round off another fairly eventful day, I played a 45-min spot at Irish Murphy’s – one of the main pubs in town, a small but lively old-style tavern with a hostel upstairs – supporting a local band called The Stoics. Despite its size, Launceston I discovered has a nice little music community, and the Stoics were a great advertisement for it – good songwriting, good arrangements, and a pleasure to watch. And the way I felt, I needed some good music to keep me going. Because by the time I finished my set (a fairly good effort despite the drunk blokes shouting at me every 10mins) I was running on empty. And my flight to Adelaide was leaving at 8.30 in the morning… Time to return to the mainland….

(I should say a final thanks to local singer-songwriter Sara Jane for her advice on booking shows in Launceston. For those of you who’d like to check out some of her music, or maybe even play a show with her sometime, you can visit www.myspace.com/sarajanemusic).

THURS 19TH NOVEMBER – THE GRACE EMILY, ADELAIDE

Adelaide was about a 2-hr flight from Launceston via Melbourne, and waiting for me at the other end was one of the best gigs of the tour. I have said enough about the Grace in the past, so I won’t bore you with too many specifics... But I will say that it was a real treat to perform with my good mates Sam Buckingham and Cookie Baker, and the Grace Emily once again proved itself to be a cut above the rest. I hope it never changes. Here’s some footage from the gig – thanks very much to Jaan.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fkwxaE0jnKw

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n3_P5b8IA28&feature=related

On another note, I could live in Adelaide. I’m not saying I will. I’m just saying I could. Sometimes I like to think about stuff. Hmmmm….

Ok that’s enough. Time to head West. Back soon.

THE ARENA Tour Diary Part 3

2009-11-15T04:37:00.000-08:00

Hi Guys,

A bit of a delay with these, but I am chipping away.... It's been a busy few months!

Stand by for more.

Cheers.

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

SUN 15TH NOVEMBER – THE MELBOURNE DOUBLE

Little do I need to tell you, despite the lack of alcohol the night before, there was a hangover of sorts taking effect when I awoke at 7.45am in the Locomotive Hotel Junee. My body was crying out for rest, and instead I was about to endure another 5hrs in the red oven (my car), followed by two shows in the Victorian Capital. Say nothing of the drive to Sydney that was awaiting me the following morning. Bearing in mind at this point I was still locked in the Hotel by myself, hoping that Karen had remembered her promise to come and let me out…

Fortunately, by the time I emerged from the shower (“Dusty, but clean” as promised – see previous blog), Karen had opened up the doors to the main bar, and had a cup of tea waiting for me when I descended from the presidential suite. I tried to relax a little before the drive, but it was hard to ignore the heat pouring in through the front doors of the pub (even at this hour), and the resulting knowledge that in roughly 30mins time I would be enjoying a sensation something akin to 100 women standing at my car window with their hair dryers set to “Extreme”.

The good thing about this level of discomfort of course is that it makes it extremely hard to go to sleep when you have been chasing stolen cars, running into animals, playing gigs to nobody, that sort of thing… So despite my exhaustion, there was still no need to take a “powernap” as regularly advised by the Victorian government on the side of the freeway. I imagine my body was taking all sorts of powernaps on the inside, but that wasn’t going to stop the wind keeping my eyes WIDE open.

And so it was that I arrived in Melbourne, drenched in sweat (those Rexona folks are full of crap), and with about an hour to kill before the show at Pure Pop Records. Not that there was any real opportunity to rest mind you. Because funnily enough, calling your mate to tell him you have arrived, double parking outside his apartment, loading all your gear into his apartment (up the lift to the 2nd floor), getting back into your car, finding a parking space somewhere within a 10km radius, and walking back to the venue – well all of that takes roughly about an hour.

So, once again, I imagine I probably hit the stage the polar opposite to what, say, Bruce Springsteen might feel like when he saunters out to the microphone at Madison Square Garden. Nonetheless, this didn’t deter me from putting it out there for the decent crew of punters who had turned out to watch my set. And damn it, some of them even bought a CD – can you believe it. My thanks to Dave for having me (as he does whenever I am in Melbourne), and for naming “The Arena” in Pure Pop’s Top 20 Albums of 2009! That’s quite an accolade for someone like me so I was stoked. If you haven’t been to pure pop then you should definitely check it out next time you’re in St Kilda. So much great music at that place I couldn’t begin to tell you – the type of venue where you can say “I saw this person play to 20 people…..”.

For instance, just after I finished, The Basics jumped on stage after playing to 8-900 the night before. Not a bad deal for free on a Sunday afternoon…

www.purepop.com.au

After saying my goodbyes, it was back in the car (yes I had to find it and re-load it…) for another mad dash across town to one of my most anticipated shows on the first week of the tour. A couple of months earlier, I’d played a gig with Bianca Fenn & the September Knights at the Espy. Not only did they completely blow me away, but Bianca was also kind enough to invite me to come and open up for her EP Launch at the Evelyn in Fitzroy – one of Melbourne’s iconic venues.

For once in my life, I made it to the gig with a bit of time up my sleeve. The problem being, when you are used to falling into the venue, out of breath from another frantic traffic-weaving episode, possibly also a sprint from several blocks away, you don’t quite know how to appreciate being “on time”, let alone what to do with all those extra minutes at your disposal. And so it was, as if guided by a hand from above, 30 mins before I was due to go on stage I decided it might be a good idea to jump in the car and duck round the corner to see if I could find a cheap hotel room. Of course, there was no cheap hotel room round the corner, nor round the next corner, or the next, or the next and so on…. Before I knew it I was back in familiar territory – ducking and weaving like a man possessed, trying to find my way back to Fitzroy, exploring short-cuts that led to nowhere, flying down lanes that didn’t exist, and of course (as I always do in this situation) cursing myself for ever getting in this ridiculous predicament in the first place, perhaps punching the steering wheel with my right hand, and swearing to god it will never happen again. I don’t know how many times it has happened since, but my guess is I couldn’t count it on one hand. Maybe not even two…

As fate would have it, a yet-to-be-confirmed offer of accommodation came through just as I made it back to The Evelyn, so the rush to the stage was a little less stressful than it might have been. And as an added bonus, the start time had been pushed back by 20mins, which gave me a chance to briefly collect my thoughts and grab a glass of water before hitting the stage.

I can’t vouch for my own performance, which was executed with minimal fanfare after another exhausting day on the road, but Bianca and The September Knights were just as impressive as I remember. Not only that, but a great bunch of people. And when I say that – I mean really great. With some cool tunes as well from Tom Tuena (the other support act), by the end of the night my troubles had all but disappeared. I think the same could be said for everyone in the room – it was quite a show.

www.myspace.com/biancafenn

And, my friends, that’s one of the best things about what I do. The ability to be transported, knocked off your feet, inspired by new places, new people, new songs, new sounds – no matter what sort of day you might have had. I am constantly amazed by the depth and variety of talent I come across in my travels – both in Australia and overseas. Just when you think you have seen it all – BANG – a spark, a note, a voice, a chord, and sometimes it comes from the most unlikely of sources. In essence, we are all doing the same thing, but oh how incredibly diverse and uplifting that same thing can be. I’m looking forward to seeing what Bianca can achieve. She deserves every success.

Seems a shame to spoil my moment there. So I’ll just say I slept well that night. On my friends couch (thanks Bridget). For every last second of the 6.5hrs before my alarm went off to tell me I needed to wake up and drive to Sydney.

Plenty more touring to come – we’ve only just got started. Next stop Hobart!

Bye for now.

THE ARENA Tour Diary Part 2

2009-11-14T16:47:00.000-08:00

FRI 13TH NOV - WILLIAM FARRER, WAGGA WAGGA.

It was a nice relaxing morning in Melbourne - a big breakfast and a chance to reflect on a tour that had nearly been derailed at the first hurdle, but nonetheless was still on track, albeit with a fairly significant detour ahead courtesy of a stolen station wagon which needed to be collected from Canberra. Or Queanbeyan specifically, but more on that later...

Wagga wagga has always treated me kindly. To be fair, it's not exactly spitting distance from anywhere in particular but I've always found the locals to be a pretty welcoming bunch, and although the shows are generally pretty low key they are always good fun. I still have no idea where the second Wagga is, or perhaps it's the first, but popular opinion is divided on whether the town should be referred to as one or two Waggas. One is easier; two may or may not get you into trouble, depending on who you talk to.

The show went off without a hitch, including a god-awful but strangely well-received version of Sinatra's classic "New York, New York". Years ago, long before I ever started writing music myself, this song was my never-fail drunk Karaoke show-stopper. Any sight of a microphone and a cheesy backing track and I was Frank for a night! That said however, it's just not the same without that terrible yet eerily familiar backing music and the little karaoke screen, and I'll be damned if I know how to play it on an acoustic guitar. Obviously something I am going to have to work on in the future, although even my rough (rough!) attempt got by far the biggest cheer of the night. And for just a few short minutes, it's fair to say those little town blues did really melt away....

SAT 14TH NOV - LOCOMOTIVE HOTEL, JUNEE, AND OTHER CALAMITIES...

Deep breath....

Well it ended up being a pretty late night in Wagga (Wagga), and not exactly what I needed given the day I had ahead of me. There was a show to play in Junee, but prior to that I had to get to Canberra to retrieve a stolen car, pay for the towing, return a rental car, swap my gear between vehicles, and visit the Australian Federal Police to file some sort of incident report. There was enough time to complete these tasks of course, but even so I was coming up to my 7th gig on the trot and the miles were starting to take their toll. The entire operation would have to be handled smoothly and efficiently. There was little margin for error.

I should point out here that if it wasn't for the help of my good friends Jayson and Lyn I would have been completely stuffed. The job ahead was far too great for one man - I needed backup. First of all, there was the small problem of my stolen car being conveniently located in Queanbeyan, not Canberra itself. This meant a guided trip to Queanbeyan in the rental car to pick up the stolen car, at which point there would be two cars in my possession, hence the need for a second driver (Lyn) to help get one of the cars back to the Budget rentals depot in Canberra City, before changing back to the stolen car for the trip home. Already sounds confusing doesn't it. My friends, the saga has barely even started...

(If you are wondering where Jayson comes into it, he is Lyn’s husband and my old boss from Sydney. Also the poor bloke who answered the phone when I called the only people knew in Canberra to explain my predicament. Fortunately he was kind enough to lend me his wife for a few hours, despite the family gathering that had been planned for that day).

When my car was initially stolen, the police had asked me if I was happy to use their list of "preferred towing companies". Of course, that's something one is happy to agree to at midnight on a Monday night on 3hrs sleep, but on reflection you have to wonder why the "preferred companies" in Canberra are in fact based in Queanbeyan. Little do I need to tell you - this is not a "preferred" scenario when you are traveling from Wagga to pick up a stolen car and your mate's wife is having to drive around with you to facilitate this process.

Anyway, Queanbeyan it was, and after following the various circles, loops, curves, round-abouts and u-turns that make up the Canberra road network, we finally stumbled on the towing company's garage - a small lot down a long narrow street in the middle of nowhere, in between the picturesque villages of anywhere, somewhere and neitherhernorthere. Why my car had to be towed in the first place is beyond me. It was being driven when it was found, why could they not have driven it somewhere (in Canberra perhaps) to be kept until I arrived to pick it up? Is the point of a tow truck company not to help move a car when it cannot move itself? Apparently not in Canberra, or Queanbeyan for that matter, where they like to tow perfectly good, functional vehicles, just for the hell of it. Therefore the owner, who is already dealing with the with the inconvenience of a stolen car, also has to fork out his hard earned cash for an additional towing expense, not forgetting the extra km's travelled to get to Quean-be-f...ing-an!

I wasn't sure what to expect when I saw my car. In some sense, it was like recovering a lost artifact from a previous life. The police had told me on the phone that they needed to fingerprint the vehicle (this despite apprehending the thief when they found the car being driven around Canberra... another anomaly in this improbable chain of events), but they certainly didn’t explain the specifics of the fingerprinting process, which had turned my beautiful little red car into a sad sight indeed. Have you ever seen fingerprinting dust? It's like a thick white powder that sticks to everything, and it had been generously applied to both the inside and the outside of my vehicle. As you can imagine, that made it look pretty stupid, and this is before I noticed the little stickers that had been carefully applied alongside each of the “prints” that had been found. It’s not a fossil guys, it’s a f….ing fingerprint. The police make no attempt to remove the dust or the stickers, they just leave it all there for the owner to discover when he goes to collect his vehicle. (From Queanbeyan...)

A quick check of the contents of the vehicle revealed that, thankfully, the members of the Canberra underworld had decided (no doubt employing a similar process of logic which resulted in them stealing my 23-yo station wagon in the first place) that a box of Renny Field's latest album was useless to them. So instead of stealing some $3000 worth of my CD's, they decided to run off with (i) a sleeping bag, (ii) a microphone stand, and (iii) a book called "Round Ireland with a Fridge". No doubt they are enjoying that last one in Goulburn Prison at the moment, or at the very least getting lessons on how to read it. Sure enough, the inside of the car looked like a bomb had gone off, but fortunately most of my music gear had been in a motel room the night the car was stolen, so there wasn't much for them to find. I imagine they would have been pretty disappointed really, driving round in rusting old Toyota with no air conditioning, a minor oil leak and a box of Renny Field CD's in the boot. Why they continued driving it till they were arrested is beyond me. But it's a good thing they did.

Dropping the rental car off should have been one of the easiest parts of this operation, but alas we missed the 12.00 Saturday closing time (of course - we are in Canberra) by all of 5 minutes! I am guessing the woman probably knocked off at 11.45, but in any case it meant a trip back out to the airport (the alternative rental depot), thus pushing Lyn (the 2nd driver - remember her...?) to breaking point. The temperature was increasing by the second, and what was meant to be a one-hour operation had instead turned into a 3-hr odyssey.

Funnily enough, even after all this driving round Canberra, I was still no closer to appreciating the oft-lauded town planning skills of the late Walter Burleigh Griffin. A man apparently loved by those who have taken up residence in his fine creation of a city, but loathed by anyone who should accidentally pass through... A harsher man than me might suggest that the town's current population of 350,000 is made up of roughly 100,000 public servants and 250,000 other folks who stopped for petrol one day and never found their way back out.

Anyway having finally returned the rental car, and Lyn, time was improbably still on my side. Time enough to visit the police station to file a report which was apparently not required (this despite 3 phone conversations to the contrary), then get myself to the nearest drive-thru car wash to remove some of this fingerprinting dust, which had turned my red station wagon into a kind of poor-man’s mobile winter-wonderland Christmas decoration. Sadly, as I soon discovered, the old federal police fingerprinting dust is in fact pretty sticky stuff - far too sticky for the average $20 Caltex drive-thru mega-wax "buff & coat" special. Thus with the temperature still soaring and my energy levels suffering the type of decline usually reserved for retiring Australian cricket Captains, I was forced to relocate to the service station car park, load up on the free paper towel, and continue the polishing assault by hand. Inside and out. Including those stupid fingerprint stickers I was describing earlier (which I am still finding in my car to this day - how many prints to you need you muppets?!). Sure it was hot, sure I was bothered, but I gave that little car one of the greatest "shimmy-shams" you've ever seen. By the time I had finished, I could see my reflection on at least 35% of the vehicle. It was as close to new as a 23 year-old station wagon can be!

And so, filled with the sense of achievement that only polishing a stolen car in a service station car park can give you, I set off towards my next port of call - The Locomotive Hotel, Junee. All I needed was a nice smooth run to the show. If only life were that simple...

The drive from Canberra to Junee is relatively straight-forward. Back out to the Hume Highway, turn right towards Junee just North of Gundagai. Duration - approx 2hrs. After circumnavigating Canberra 5 times, it should have been a piece of cake. For some reason however I mustn't have been paying attention just north of Gundagai (perhaps I was trying to remove one of those stickers…), and before I knew it I had gone too far. Not that this was a great problem mind you - I had an old NSW road map, and this clearly indicated another road (albeit a smaller road) south of Gundagai which I could use instead. A "short cut" if you like... Another person might have accepted the mistake, turned around and driven the 5 minutes back to the main road, but in keeping with the spirit of the day, and after all I had been through, I wasn't about to start to taking the easy option. And besides, the "short cut" was a no-brainer. Any old hack could have figured it out.

I sensed there was a problem when, after about 30mins on the "short cut" (roughly the time I calculated it should have taken me to get to Junee) I came across an intersection with several signs, one of which said "Junee" and pointed straight back in the direction I just came from. I can remember this being quite a disappointing discovery. Upsetting even. Deflating perhaps. Notwithstanding the fact that the short cut had now turned into a dirt road, hence undoing my hours of hard work in the aforementioned service station car park. So after a brief period of reflection, I turned around and headed back in the direction I came from, with my only two points of comfort being:

(i) I knew I was closer to Junee than I had been in Canberra.

(ii) At least the dirt road wouldn't leave fingerprinting stickers on my car.

With my eyes peeled, I carefully retraced my steps, desperately searching for the turn-off that would put me back on the required course. I have always thought of myself as a fairly handy navigator, so needless to say when I saw the main highway looming up again I was somewhat dismayed. I had come full circle and was still no closer to the gig, which by this stage I was running late for. My last remaining hope was an old timber house across the road with a couple of tattooed bikers enjoying a quiet Saturday evening beer on the deck out front. Fortunately they were of the helpful biker variety, and not the type inclined to shoot first when a red '86 Corona turned into their driveway. But then again, in their assessment of the threat level, I can see that my car would have caused them no great alarm.

Sure enough, a mildly amusing and often confusing conversation ensued, at the end of which I was given a hand-drawn map, supposedly leading me straight to the foot of the rainbow. I use the rainbow analogy because if you could imagine a map to the foot of a rainbow, that's about how it looked - a series of black lines scrawled roughly across an old faded strip of paper with a a small box indicating a corner store at about the half-way point. (No I don't know why he put the corner store there either). The true beauty of the hand-scribbled map of course being that you always run out of paper before the directions have actually finished, hence forcing you to cram the final 30% of the journey into a space not much larger than the average fingernail. No doubt my friend's powers of illustration (and speech for that matter) had been ably assisted by 22 stubbies of VB that afternoon. It was a rough guide at best, and by no means a sure fix for my current predicament, but it was all I had. Off I went then, in search of a bridge on my right...

By this stage of course, there was a growing sense of urgency accompanying my journey, and with it a growing danger that I would fall victim to an assault from the local wildlife. Kangaroos are known to be attracted to cars on country roads, particularly at dusk (when driving is better avoided), so whilst hurtling round each bend on two wheels I was also having to keep a watchful eye out for any potential attacks. I could never have imagined that, rather than a Kangaroo, an innocuous farm animal would nearly bring about my undoing.

Having sped through a series of sharp turns near the riverbank (a stretch of road I had now become quite familiar with), I was aware that the turn-off would soon be looming up on my right hand side, along with an old wooden bridge - a key reference point for my trip according to my friends back near the highway. I may have been in a rural area, but even so I was surprised to see an emaciated old sheep looking lovingly at my vehicle as I approached the critical junction. I say lovingly, because as the sheep caught my eye I had a real sense that it wanted to get to know me and my car A LOT better. So you can imagine the type of mental conversation that transpired, as I locked eyes with the sheep, and it returned my gaze with the type of confused fascination that only a sheep is capable of:

Sheep: I like the look of your car. I think I might run towards it.

Renny: I can see you like the look of my car. And I can also see you would like to run towards it. But I am going to speed up slightly so as to avoid hitting you and causing damage to you and/or my vehicle.

Sheep: I can see you are speeding up to avoid me, but I really really want to get to know your car. So I am going to speed up as well, and increase the chance of making physical contact with your beautiful red wagon.

Renny: I appreciate your fascination, but I am running late for a show, and I really don't need a collision with a sheep right now. You leave me no option but to swerve further to the other side of the road, and apply slightly more pressure to the accelerator.

Sheep: I can see you are speeding up again, quite obviously you don't understand my willingness to cause injury to myself and the car. And the more you try to avoid me, the faster I will run, so there is no way you can get past me, you are just going to have to accept that I am a talking sheep, and the will of the world is on my side, and therefore......

BANG!!!!!!

For f..... sake.

Sometimes in life, we must accept that once a certain chain of events has been set in motion, there is absolutely nothing we can do to alter its course. And so it was, that despite my best efforts to avoid the inevitable, my friend the sheep had managed to head-butt my left-hand rear view mirror and smash it to smithereens before tumbling underneath the car and ripping the rear bumper bar clean off. (It was at about this point of the day that I seem to remember having some trouble holding myself together). Stepping out to survey the damage, I expected to see a mangled old sheep lying flat on the ground somewhere, but aside from my rear bumper, the road was bare. I looked left and right in astonishment as I slowly trudged back to retrieve the missing piece of my car, but there was still no sign of the sheep that had run head-first jungle-warrior style towards my left passenger door. Vanished into thin air. Incredible.

It's a lonely old job I tells ya - putting your dusty rear bumper bar it the boot of your beat-up station wagon, having just crashed into a sheep somewhere on a back road to Junee at 8pm on a Saturday night. The real kicker here being that, once I eventually reached the crucial turn-off (alongside the bridge as described), it became apparent that the earlier navigational blunders could NEVER have been avoided. Why? Because the key road sign - the one that clearly said "Junee" - the one I had been unsuccessfully searching for all this time - had been bent back in the WRONG direction. So in my several trips past this particular intersection, I would never have known to take the turn-off, because the one true indicator of my whereabouts had been sabotaged! And as you might expect, after making this discovery, the remaining 20mins of my journey (strangely uneventful and somehow accurately depicted on my hand-drawn map) was filled with the most glorious barrage of obscenities you can possibly imagine. All of them perfectly articulated, exquisitely delivered, and heard by the only person in the world who could truly appreciate them - me.

Despite everything that had happened, I pulled up outside the Locomotive Hotel a fairly respectable 10 minutes late for the show. This was a minor miracle. I could have explained the story to Karen the bar manager, but in all honesty who would believe a story like that?! I figured it was safer to just apologise, briefly mention the stolen car in Canberra, and set up my gear as quickly as possible. That way, my legions of adoring fans (who were no doubt eagerly anticipating my arrival) would not have to wait any longer than necessary to see their acoustic folk hero take the stage (read: starving artist set up on the floor in front of the TAB screens).

Now by this stage of my little adventure, it's fair to say I had built up a certain immunity to the range of emotions that fall between disappointment and heartbreak. This was fortunate, because on any other day I would probably have been crestfallen when I walked into the Locomotive Hotel to be greeted by a crowd of 2 people, including the bar manager.

1 customer.

On a Saturday night.

Karen: "Looks like you'll be playing to me tonight Renny. Ha ha ha!"

It would have been tempting to pull the pin right then and there; head back to Sydney, stop the tour, retire, sell my guitars, get a real job. I’d be lying if I told you I didn’t question the point of what I had just put myself through, and the point of what I was about to do. But clinging to the positives like I have never clung to positives before, I figured one person was still better than none... And seeing as I had actually beaten the odds to get here in the first place, I was damned if I wasn't going to set my gear up and belt out a few of the old classics - just to say I did. Surely it couldn't get any worse?

Alas, it seemed my improbable run of good fortune was still one step away from its spectacular conclusion. For just as I plugged in my guitar, ready to deliver the performance of a lifetime, there was a call from the bar:

Karen: "Hey Renny"

Renny: "Yep?"

Karen: "Do you mind watching the bar for 15 minutes? I've just gotta run this bloke home - he's wasted and he can't drive"

Renny: "Sure, no problems".

Karen: "If anyone comes, just tell them I'll be back soon".

Renny: “Ah, no worries”.

And as Karen took off with the only audience member in sight, the final stage of my incredible demise was complete. Less than a week earlier I had been playing to a room full of people with a ten-pice band. Now, here I was, standing in an empty pub in at 9pm on a Saturday night, with only my guitar and the gentle hum of the TAB screens to keep me company. In the name of rock & roll, I had fought through one of the most calamitous and exasperating days you could possibly imagine, and this was my reward at the end of it all. The dizzy heights of fame, it appeared, would have to wait.

People who experience major trauma often say they can’t really recall the precise moment of the incident. And as I think back to that 15mins alone in the Locomotive Hotel (aptly nicknamed “The Loco”), it’s fair to say I have a hazy memory at best. I imagine I was going through something akin to shock, at least on an emotional level, but in spite of it all I do remember there was this strange sense of calm that had come over me. It’s hard to describe, other than to say I was comforted by some sort of deeper understanding. An acceptance if you like. A knowledge that for the rest of my life I would have this story to tell. And if the truth be known, that’s probably the one thing that keeps me going a lot of the time – the story. The long drives in the searing heat, the late nights and the early starts, the shows to people who couldn’t care less if I was there or not, the occasional collision with a farm animal… All of it would seem pointless, but for this innate sense of purpose that seems to prevail. Sure I hope for a greater stage, sure I hope for a smoother passage, sure I hope that one day I can play in towns that know I am coming. But no matter where the road leads, no matter what happens along the way, the true victory will always be in the journey itself. And that’s the one real achievement worth striving for – the ability to look back and say you did.

And so it was, with this same sense of purpose, I was able to strum away for the required 3 sets in the lonely old Locomotive Hotel in Junee (once Karen had returned of course). Sure it wasn’t my finest performance, but funnily enough it wasn’t my worst either. And the crowd did in fact swell to at least 4 or 5 people at one point, which I can remember thinking was pretty cool at the time. They even clapped on the odd occasion!

By the time midnight rolled around, it was all I could do to pack up my gear and trudge up the staircase to my bed for the night. The Locomotive hotel no longer has rooms for the public, so it’s a good thing Karen was happy to let me crash in an old spare room usually reserved for the staff. I vaguely remember her apologising for the dusty shower (“It’s clean, it’s just a bit dusty”), but by that stage I was oblivious to that type of information. I didn’t even care that I would have to be locked in the hotel, again by myself, until Karen came to collect me in the morning. And calling on my last remaining drop of energy, I somehow managed to summon the required concentration to set my alarm for the morning. The sleep-in would have to wait - there were 2 shows to play in Melbourne the next day, and a 5hr drive to get to there.

To be continued…

PS - I do have a photo from the night at “The Loco” – I just have to find the cord so I can get it off my phone… stand by…

PPS – And would you believe I am heading back there on Friday 5th Feb, but I might actually have a crowd this time... Playing the night before the “Junee Poker Run”, which as far as I can gather is a day-long pub-crawl culminating with a night of music at the Locomotive Hotel. Apparently you get a card at each pub, and the winner is the person with the best hand at the end of the day, with the money raised going towards Can Assist (a charity for Cancer patients in rural NSW). One of the bigger local events of the year Karen tells me, and pretty wild the night before. Methinks I better start learning The Gambler by Kenny Rogers…. Anyone game to tag along?!

THE ARENA Tour Diary Part 1

2009-11-12T18:28:00.000-08:00

It'd hard to know where to start with this update. Depending on which way you look at it, the tour so far has either been chaotic, inspiring, exhausting, uplifting, a train wreck or a screaming success. In reality, it's probably a combination of those things all wrapped up into one beautiful package that is otherwise known as the life and times of Renny Field. It's hard to imagine a crazier start to the release of a new album. Is it a sign of things to come? I hope so. At least I'll be able to say it was interesting! Not that I expected anything else of course...

SUN 8TH NOVEMBER - OXFORD ART FACTORY

After a couple of smaller shows north of Sydney (including one with my good friend Amy Vee in Newcastle - cheers to you), it was time for the big album launch at the Oxford Art Factory in Darlinghurst. I didn't want to get too carried away with the launch, but it was in many ways the culmination of the previous 12 months of my life, most of it spent sitting in a little room for hours on end trying to figure out what on earth I was doing. For a while there I wasn't really sure if I'd ever release anything again, so to get to that point was an achievement in itself. The night itself was a bit of a blur, but I think it's safe to say it was a pretty fitting celebration. A great turnout, the band sounded amazing (to my ears anyway!), and I was really happy that so many of the people who helped put the album together were able to be a part of the show. A couple missing but certainly not forgotten - and there will be more shows with them in the future. A big thanks to everyone who came along and made it such a memorable night!

And, in case you were wondering, here was the band:

Matt Field - Drums
Pat Savina - Bass
Simon Rudston-Brown - Electric Guitar
Scott Aplin - Keys
Sam Buckingham - BVs
Lanie Lane - BVs
Liz D'Olier - Viola
Adrian K - Violin
Michael Carney - Accordion
And Me - Vox and Guitar

Thanks also to Ten Thumb Tom and Lanie Lane for the wonderful tunes to kick things off.

MON 9TH NOVEMBER - PHOENIX BAR, CANBERRA

Monday morning it's fair to say I awoke with a real sense of achievement, but also a feeling of complete exhaustion. I wasn't going home early after the launch, but even so there was still another 8 gigs to play in the next 7 days and 3 hours sleep wasn't the best way to start the week! Add to that a very busy period leading up to the release, and you can imagine I wasn't exactly as fresh as a daisy. Little did I know that the wheels were about to fall off spectacularly that night in the nation's capital.

Somehow I managed to get away from Sydney with JUST enough time to get to Canberra (allowing for a good run...) and sure enough I made it to the venue by the barest of margins. How I continue to live my life in 5-minute windows I will never understand. I might have been ok, but of course I got lost on the way. Every time I go to Canberra I get lost. All the roads go in circles. You think you're in the right place and then there will be a one way street that takes you back to where you came from. Last time I went there I even managed to get lost in a fricking car park! Same deal - arrows point one way, road goes the other.... Anyway, I estimate I needed to perform at least 6 illegal U-turns within a 500m radius of the venue. This despite several attempts to get directions, but it appears the taxi drivers don't know where they are either!

I had imagined it would be a bit of a "come back to earth" show after playing to 180-200 people with a 10-piece band the night before, and sure enough it was a far quieter affair. I suppose there were about 10-15 people listening to me at the Phoenix Bar, but I still enjoyed it and in any case I had played to far less than that before. The gig itself wasn't so bad, it's just that when I emerged from the venue around midnight (ready to drive straight to the motel and sleep) my car was nowhere to be seen! The first night of the tour proper, and my car had been stolen. Can you believe it? On a Monday night!! Why would anyone want to steal a car like mine on a Monday night? It's not the type of vehicle you use to cruise down the main street and pick up chicks. An old red 1986 Toyota Corona with a boot that falls on your head when you want to put stuff in the back, a passenger-side window winder that has to be reattached each time you need some air, a coat hanger for an aerial, rust on both sides and no air conditioning (this last part an important detail....). Even that I could have lived with, but adding to the pain - I had left a box of my brand new CD's in the car! 125 Copies gone. The fact that I had hidden them under a few blankets was irrelevant, because the blankets were gone as well. And the microphone stands. And my sleeping bag. And a present from my friend Kim who had made the trip to Canberra with me. So instead of heading straight back to the hotel, it was off to the police station to report a stolen vehicle. Yes it was locked. Yes I am sure I checked the right car park....

Apparently, said the policeman, the young kids of Canberra steal cars to get home because there is no public transport. So whilst my car was missing, there was a chance it would be found sitting in one of the outer suburbs. This was little consolation given the next day I had to drive to Belgrave (about an hour East of Melbourne), and now had no car to make the trip. Can you imagine a better way to start a tour? I would have cried if it wasn't so ridiculous. Hey at least I still had my guitar, and a great story to tell for the rest of the tour! Rest of my life even. (And you know how I love to tell stories....) Caught a cab home to the hotel, got to bed at 1.30am, set the alarm for 7.30 knowing there would be a lot of running around to do in the morning. Despite this fairly significant setback, and despite the fact that I was now completely exhausted, I was determined to make the next show.

(I must also say a big thanks to Kim who was with me the whole time, and managed to prevent herself from laughing at my helpless situation. In reality, it was probably the company that helped me hold it together!).

TUES 10TH NOVEMBER - RUBY'S LOUNGE, BELGRAVE.

Awoke first thing in the morning to discover that no it wasn't all a dream. I really had no car, and I really needed to get to a gig which was about 9 hours drive from Canberra.

Dear.

Me.

After eating some breakfast and placing a call to the insurance company, I was delighted to discover that I had comprehensive insurance on my little red wagon, and whilst the "market value" would probably be too small for you to see in this email, the policy included free car hire in case of theft! If I was to make the gig that night, several things were going to have to go in my favour, and this was an encouraging start to the day! A few more calls and I had secured myself a much newer Toyota, a Camry in fact, with air conditioning! And as fate would have it, Victoria was bracing itself for one of the hottest days of the year. So instead of driving in a pool of sweat in my '86 Corona, I got to travel in the air-conditioned comfort of a new model Toyota Camry, with cruise control and a much better stereo system. There was the minor problem of my car and box of CD's being in the hands of some young hoodlum cruising the streets of Canberra trying unsuccessfully to get himself laid, but the rental car helped me put that information to one side and enjoy the fact that the tour was still on!

As you an imagine, there were plenty of rest stops on the way, but I managed to reach Belgrave with enough time to spare to grab myself a bit of food before I hit the stage. I think there might have been about 5 people in the crowd, one of them who managed to dance to my whole set (yes really - even to Crossfire), but after the chain of events in the previous 24hrs, it was a minor miracle that I had made the gig at all. I was that exhausted, I don't think I would have cared if I was playing to nobody.... Managed to sell a CD to the wasted dancer too! Checked in to the motel about 12, was asleep before my head hit the pillow.

WED 11TH NOVEMBER - THE ESPY, ST KILDA

Well, my car was still missing, but for the first time in ages I was able to sleep in, and I think I'd earned the rest. Took a cruise into the Dandenongs, found a nice spot for breakfast and enjoyed a pretty relaxing morning. The Dandenong Ranges (just outside of Melbourne) are just beautiful. The landscape is somewhere between pine forest and rain forest - but very different to the bushland in other parts of the country. It's amazing that it's less than an hour from the centre of Melbourne - well worth a look if you have a day to kill. The perfect environment for a good old fashioned wind-down. I wish I'd been able to stay for longer.

Upon my arrival in Melbourne that afternoon, I was greeted with some great news - my car had been found in Canberra! Apparently the guys who took it were still cruising the streets a few days later and the police had simply pulled them over and arrested them right there on the spot. You have to wonder don't you - why would they have kept driving the car all that time? Were they still on the cruise for chicks? Did they think I wouldn't report it stolen? Did they enjoy the sweltering heat in the red oven? The mind boggles... There wasn't much information on what was actually in the car, but the police were able to tell me that there was a box of "Benny Field" CD's in the boot! (I figured they were talking about my CD's and not some other bloke with an extraordinarily similar name to mine). All of this was great of course, except for the fact that now I needed to get back to Canberra to pick my car up. Whichever way I decided to do it, there would be a lot of extra miles involved, but hey at least it had been found. Apparently in one piece. (Or as "one piece" as that car gets...). So with that slightly encouraging news, it was off to the gig we went....

The Esplanade Hotel (The Espy) has a great $10 Lasagne night on Wednesday's - always a good way to re-fuel. The servings are HUGE. Joining me on stage to sing a few BV's was my good friend Rianna Gates, who did a beautiful job. She's welcome any time! A lot more people on hand than the previous 2 nights, and after another warm day in Melbourne there was a great walk-up crowd that had come down to the pub. The Espy is always a cool gig, and it's really nice to be able to play a stage like that whenever I am in town. Was also able to check out a very impressive set by Georgia Potter and her band from Brisbane. Really great stuff. It's one of the best things about being on the road - the chance to be inspired by brand new music you have never heard before. It's amazing to think back just 5 or 6 years to a time when I had only seen a handful of live gigs, and now I am fortunate enough to see them most nights of the week. Certainly something I can handle.

(By the way - my stolen car story went down a treat...)

THURS 12TH NOVEMBER - WESLEY ANNE, NORTHCOTE, With Sam Buckingham.

Well we'll keep this one brief. It was a nice day with Sam cruising the streets of Melbourne, and one of the rare occasions on this tour that I was actually able to relax for a few hours. The highlight of the day was certainly the purchase of a plain grey t-shirt from an op-shop in Windsor. Why would you buy a second hand grey t-shirt for $5? I don't know, but I have worn it twice now. I might even wear it tonight in fact. Cool.

The gig that night was really enjoyable - the Wesley Anne is a beautiful old room, and there were just enough people to make it feel pretty cosy. I am happy to play to small, even tiny crowds, if it's a nice space and they are giving me the time of day. Nice to have a few old friends come down to check it out too. I'll ignore the part where the sound engineer felt it was necessary to scream at the top of his voice any time he needed to communicate.... (WHATS THAT YOU WANT MORE GUITAR?!??!!?!) It's not like he had to yell over the top of everyone else, because nobody was talking. Maybe he just liked the sound of his own voice... Anyway in between his ramblings, I got to join Sam for a couple of songs and vice versa - it's one of the great things about doing shows with friends who know your music. And it's always a lot of fun singing with Sam.

So after two pretty cool gigs in Melbourne, it's fair to say I was feeling a lot better than a few nights earlier in Canberra. And it was just as well really, because there was more chaos just around the corner.... Wagga Wagga and Junee were the next in line, and somewhere in the middle of it all I had to collect a beaten up old station wagon in Canberra.

Might be a good time for a break here. The next part of the tour deserves it's own billing!

To be continued....

THE ARENA Part 14 - Flying

2009-11-10T20:23:00.001-08:00

Well you'll have to forgive me - I am a couple of days late with this update. There was an album launch on Sunday from memory, then my car was stolen in Canberra on Monday night, and now I am in a cafe in the Dandenong Ranges just outside of Melbourne having played a show to approximately 5 people last night (not including the sound guy). But more on all that later.

So .... Flying....

This was a song I wrote when I first bought the studio equipment that would eventually record the bulk of the album. When I first bought it, I'll be honest, I had absolutely no idea how it worked... It was a bunch of buttons and knobs and cables and really the enormity of what I was trying to achieve really hit home. Right from the start, I bought the gear with the intention of making an album, but for the first few months I really wasn't sure that would ever happen. Most of the time it sat there gathering dust whilst I created excuses and found a whole bunch of other things to do with my time. On one of the few occasions I did get it up and running, I wrote "Flying".

Perhaps I owe the biggest thanks for this song to my flatmate at the time, who often bugged me about trying to write a "soft" song. Wind the clock back a couple of years, and I really hadn't developed the art of singing softly. A lot of my songs were built around a performance element, and therefore most of the time I was singing louder that I probably needed to. Trying too hard. Flying was perhaps the first time I had consciously made a decision to try and sing within myself. In fact, I HAD to sing within myself because every time I tried to sing louder the microphone would distort! (I really had no idea what I was doing....). So by a combination of choice and necessity, Flying came together on a rainy afternoon when I had a few hours to kill in my house in Surry Hills. I didn't know it at the time, but the end result was a song that fits perfectly at the end of the album - there is a real sense of closure about it. At least there is for me anyway. And after the amount of time and effort it took to put this thing together, I think a bit of quiet reflection was needed...

Hope you have enjoyed the album preview series. It's now officially released, so you can grab yourself a copy if you're feeling crazy!!

You could even buy one off that bloke in Canberra that stole my car. He has a box of my albums too.... Shame.

Cheers,

Renny

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FLYING

We’re all waiting for something else, but the best of what we need’s already here.

We’re all standing beneath the shelter, but that don’t make the rain disappear.

Oh my Lord I’m flying, so high up above the sea.

Oh the sun is shining, shining down over me.

We’re all waiting for something else,

but we got all the bells and whistles that we need here.

We can hide out underneath the shelter, but it sure won’t make the rain ease.

No it won’t make the rain disappear.

Oh my lord I’m flying, so high up above the sea.

Oh the sun is shining, shining down over me.

Oh my lord I’m flying, so far up above the sea.

Oh the sun is watching, watching down over me.

Vocals, Acoustic Guitar, Whistling, Glock – Renny.

THE ARENA out this Friday 6th November

2009-11-02T04:26:00.000-08:00

Well folks would you believe it... after all this time.... my third studio album is being released this Friday 6th November through MGM distribution. It seems an age since we did the last one. It IS an age since we did the last one - 26 Reasons - way back in 2005. Can you remember 2005? I can't... I took some time out, paid off some debts, thought about being an accountant, thought about being a sports reporter, and even contemplated a life as a highly paid male model (only that last part was in a dream where I was living in a spaceship....). The point being - you learn a lot about yourself when you are on a spaceship, and though I tried to get away, the music kept on bringing me back you see. Back to earth. In a good way. So I am going to resist the urge to put a triple exclamation point in the subject line of this email and just say instead - thanks for being a part of the journey. Really it's through the support of people such as yourselves that I am even typing this email in the first place. So cheers to you!

(If you want all the other stuff that appears in a music mailout, then read on...)

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

Right! Hello! Who was that guy up there? He was a bit ..erm... sentimental and stuff wouldn't you say? And I know that you know that we all know that the point of these things is is information like this:

ALBUM LAUNCH!!! (There's my triple exclamation point)

The not-to-be-missed one-off mega-spectacular spectacular.... How often do you get to see a 10-piece band?!

THE ARENA ALBUM LAUNCH
SUNDAY 8TH NOVEMBER
OXFORD ART FACTORY, SYDNEY
38 Oxford St, Darlinghurst
With Special Guests Ten Thumb Tom and Lanie Lane

TICKETS:
Advance tix still available via MOSHTIX
Should still be a few available at the door for $15, but you never know...
Doors open 7.30pm. Music from 8pm.

And if you can, be sure to get there early to see the support acts. Two of my favourite local artists - I am really stoked they are on the bill for the launch.

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

TOUR DATES:

After years of being consistently ranked in the world's top ten worst websites, rennyfield.com has undergone a resurgence of sorts. It's still near the bottom, but nowhere near as close. And all the tour dates are now here:

www.rennyfield.com/gigs.html

It's a pretty big tour - taking in Sydney, Newcastle, Canberra, Melbourne, Hobart, Adelaide, Perth, Brisbane, Byron and a whole lot more.. If you know anyone in the areas I am visiting, then feel free to drop them a line and let them know I'm coming. I promise not to talk about spaceships.

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

ALBUM RELEASE INFO:

Here's the nitty gritty... The Album will be available on iTunes from this Friday 6th November. It's an independent release, so I don't have a whole bunch of important people making sure every record store in the country has ten copies. If you'd like to get your hands on the physical product, then you have a few options:

(i) Come to one of the shows on the album launch tour! (I am putting this option first because it's the best by far! But I would say that...)

(ii) Order a copy online from Waterfront Records (you can even do that now if you like...)

(iii) Take a stroll to your local record store and order a copy there. They'll be able to get it for you no probs. It just might take a few days...

A big thanks to Belinda Cairelli for doing such an amazing job on the artwork - way better than the stick figures I would have come up with.... And my good friend Anthony Pearse for taking the cover photograph. Someone told me the other day it looks like Kelly Slater. Ha! Hello Ladies!

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REQUEST:

Hows about we concentrate on these guys... If you get the sudden urge....

Not saying that you will of course, but just in case....

www.abc.net.au/triplej

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NOTICEBOARD:

It would be rude of me not to give these folks a plug. They have been great friends and great supporters of mine for many years. If you're in Sydney, then you should definitely check out the latest production from the supremely talented Holly Austin and Adriano Cappelletta - CUBBYHOUSE. I am heading along to see it myself this week - by all reports it's an absolute riot, and well worth seeing if you're up for a bit of live theatre and something different from the norm... (Very "Live-theatre-novice" friendly too!). There are special Beer/Laksa/Show offers on offer - check it out:

www.rocksurfers.org/cubbyhouse

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SEE YOU SOON:

I hope....

Thanks again for your support,

Renny

www.rennyfield.com

www.myspace.com/rennyfield

THE ARENA Part 13 - Our Time

2009-11-01T19:50:00.000-08:00

Hard to believe it, but we are at the 2nd last track... How about that.

Our Time is a really important part of this album, because in many ways it's the song that got the whole thing started. There are a couple of songs on the album that were written before this one, but Our Time gave way to a big group of songs that all feature heavily. I hadn't written a song for quite a long time before this one came along (probably over a year), and I remember it being a real conscious decision to force myself to sit down and get it finished. As I have mentioned previously in these blogs, writing is rarely ever an easy process for me, so more often than not there does have to be some element of "forcing" involved, at least in the sense of making myself take the time out to sit down with the song and really give it the required attention.

In many ways, I have my bass player Pat Savina to thank for this song. I was filling in for him one afternoon teaching a few of his guitar students, and he asked me to teach one particular guy a "drop D" tuning. I knew what that was, but I had never played a song with a drop D tuning (for the non-guitarist - it's where the bottom E string is tuned down a note to D). As fate would have it, the student never turned up, and there I was with my drop D tuning and half an hour to kill before the next kid came in the room. In that time, just by a process of trial and error really, I managed to come up with the initial ideas for a song that would eventually become "Our Time". The "drop D" tuning in turn led to me trying an Open D tuning, and this ended up being a favourite of mine for the album (Sarah, Love Potion, The Edge, Lonely Man, Set in Stone, Flying). I don't actually think I realised how many there were until I just typed them!

At this time in my life, I wasn't really feeling extremely creative to be honest, so for "Our Time" I really tried to put an emphasis on the story within the song. Like most of my songs, it's still autobiographical, but for this song I shifted the focus onto my Dad rather than me. It's s story about the Christmas dinners we used to have when I was growing up, and the history behind those special once-a-year meetings in the city. I saw my Dad a lot more than that, but there was always a sense of occasion about those Christmas Dinners, and this song is I guess a tribute of sorts. A memory of those times we shared whilst I was growing up. Not to say that it's finished mind you - I'm sure there are a few more Christmas dinners to come...

For the recording - a lot of the usual suspects - my brother on Drums, Pat Savina on Bass, Carl St Jaques on the Viola and myself on whatever else I could think of to make it sound respectable. The most enjoyable part of this song however was the big crowd sing-a-long we organised for the end of the song. I was lucky enough have a bunch of people stay back after one of my shows in town, and together we laid down a big chorus for the outro. It's an effect I tried for a live recording at Bar me a while back, but this time we used some nice microphones and got a whole bunch more people to join in. I reckon the end result sounds pretty cool. But hey I am biased - better check it out for yourself...

Hope you enjoy "Our Time". Just the one track to go now. And one more week till the launch...

Cheers,

Renny

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

OUR TIME

Sitting around this old table, faces washed in from the storm

Spinning your folk tales and fables,

You’ve been perfecting each day since you were born

Some people may judge this here setting,

Some folk may cast their condescending eye

I’ll let them have their opinion,

Cause from where I’m sitting, something just feels right.

For every year I remember, we’ve gathered at this symbol of some previous life

And I know it don’t give you an answer

To why the currency changed when you were still in your prime.

But closure is not why you come here,

That sort of thing couldn’t be further from your mind

We seldom get to spend a night together

But right here and now, this is our time

Our very own moment in time

She’s a cruel old town that held you down

And threw you away, far away from here.

But you held your neve, you made the changes

That have kept you running, kept you in the clear.

Still we return to the scene of the crime.

But everything is different now, you’ve left this world behind

So spare me your explaining, cause I’ll never be complaining.

Sitting around this old table with the chandeliers and the million dollar views

It’s a silver-plated land that you’re no longer made for

But you still live the life you choose.

No this memory won’t fade, I’ll keep it with me for the rest of my days.

No this memory won’t die, I can see it so clearly

This is our time.

Vocals, Acoustic Guitar, Harmonica, Organ, Keyboards, Percussion – Renny

Drums – Matt Field

Bass – Pat Savina

Violas – Carl St Jaques

AND THANKS TO THE OUR TIME CHOIR!!!

THE ARENA Part 12 - The Edge

2009-10-25T22:08:00.000-07:00

THE EDGE

The Edge arose out of a need for something a little more "rock" in the set of songs I was playing. I don't often refer specifically to the places I get my inspiration (that's because most of the time I am not really sure myself...) but in this case, I have to give credit to an Irish band I saw in Sydney called The Frames. Sometimes you come across music that really resonates with you at a particular time in your life, and this was the case with the Frames when I saw them at The Metro in 2007. In short, they were breathtaking. The energy of the band on stage was really something to behold - unlike anything I had seen before in Sydney. I have since discovered (through listening to more music from Ireland) that a lot of Irish music seems to carry a similar dynamic - not just in terms of style, but in terms of the place it comes from. There's something real about it.

On this particular occasion, The Frames seemed to be having such a ball on stage it seemed like they could play forever. And when you see songs delivered with that type of passion, you realise the amount of power a song can have. It made me want to write just for the sake of it. To write so I could say I did. I don't think The Edge was the first song I wrote after I saw the gig, but I can say that the song in some respects was a throw-back to the "rockier" aspects of the Frames set. In any case, I owe Mr Hansard and co. a debt of gratitude for stoking the fire again. Because for a while there I thought the flame was gone for good.

It's funny how songs often reflect your mood at the time. The Edge was written during a period where I was doing a lot of writing, and enjoying the feeling of being inspired again. As a result, the song is about the types of things I was discussing above - the willingness to do things just for the sake of it, just so you can say you did, just because it feels good at the time. It wasn't an easy song to write, some of the lines took an eternity to finalise, and structurally it took a long time to figure out the exact form, but in the end I like to think that I managed to get the point across.

"The Edge" is a metaphor of sorts - you're standing at the cliff, and you're not sure if you want to jump, not sure if you'll remember how to fly. But you've always got to try, for better or worse, because that's the only way you'll know where it might take you. As I am typing this, I am realising that the themes are somewhat similar to "The Birds" (the song from last week). I guess in that period of my life, it was a time of rediscovery, so there is an element of hope that comes through in a lot of the songs on the album. Perhaps this is the line that best sums it up:

"The promise of this beginning could all turn to shit in the end, but I'll do it again and again and again".

Whenever you take a leap into the unknown there's always a risk it could go wrong, whatever it is you might be doing. But at the end of the day, I reckon it's worth taking that chance every time.

Two weeks to the launch, and two more songs on the album. Hope you've been enjoying the preview series. Next week - "Our Time".

Cheers,

Renny

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

THE EDGE

I’ve seen the edge, but I’ve never been this close before.

I’ve hedged my bets just to make it through this crooked war.

It’s tried to hold me down.

But I won’t be chained to the ground any more.

I’ve seen the edge, but I’ve never been this close.

Jump with me from this ledge, we’ll go further than we’ve been before.

Listen can you hear now, the old school bells

Ringing through the hallway,

It’s the end of the lesson, the start of the hard sell

Lay down what you know here, and take in what you see

Cause when the clock ticks down to zero, you won’t be needing me any more.

Any more.
The promise of this beginning could all turn to shit in the end,

But I’ll do it again, and again, and again.

Hope will take you, hope will break your fall.

So come with me, I’m leaving for us all. Don’t try to keep me safe.

Run like the wind my child, we’ll leap from this mountainside.

Into a place without concern.

Where the sun will rise and continue to burn.

Away from this angry world that wants you to turn, turn, turn.

It’s tried to hold me down.

But I’ve been here before and I won’t surrender buried neath the ground.

I just need a song to sing as I’m flying through the air

Cause when the clock ticks down to zero, I won’t be standing there any more.

Any more.

I’ve seen the edge, but I’ve never been this close before.

Vocals, Electric Guitars, Organ, Percussion – Renny

Drums – Matt Field

Bass – Pat Savina

THE ARENA Part 11 - The Birds

2009-10-19T18:25:00.000-07:00

Hi folks,

Not long now till the tour kicks off. Looking forward to heading off around the country - hope to catch you somewhere along the way!

THE BIRDS

A few years back, I went to India for an extended holiday and borrowed a little half-sized guitar for the trip. I think I had hoped I might have some sort of Beatles-esque moment and suddenly write the 5 best albums of all time whilst doing Yoga for 10 hours a day at an Ashram in Rishikesh. Alas, I only managed ONE song the entire 9 weeks I was travelling (yes, just the one.. really... ), and that song has rarely ever seen the light of day since, courtesy of it being a little bit, um how should I put this...., rubbish! It's a bit of a comment on spiritual healing you see, but sadly nothing worth carrying a guitar round India for... The Indian public transport system is typically very user-UNfriendly, so the less baggage the better. Guitars (half-sized or otherwise...) not recommended!

Having said that, it wasn't all a lost cause, because in the middle of the trip I did manage to come up with a few bars of a song that would become The Birds. I can even remember where in fact - it was in a small room at the foothills of the Himalayas in a town called Mcleod Ganj, the home of the Dalai Llama. It was just an idea at the time, a few chords and a few words, nothing more, and to be honest I never thought it would turn into anything much because it didn't really seem like the type of thing I would play. So as with many of my ideas, I put it to one side for a few months, and it was only after returning to Australia that I decided to work on it a little bit more. Thus "The Birds" was born.

Whilst I often say this song is about working in office buildings (based on my own experience at the time), in a broader sense it's about comfort zones. It's about the places we put ourselves that feel "safe", and having the courage to step outside that "safe" place if you feel it's not right for you, or you need a change. That decision is not always an easy one, but I have always found it invariably leads you to where you need to be.

In my case, I was working as a book-keeper in the city and staring out my window each day at the maze of office blocks surrounding me. In a way, all those people at their desks reminded me of a whole bunch of birds sitting in a tree. Perched safely out of harms way, but at the same time missing out on the rest of the world outside. It wasn't that I was extremely unhappy at that time in my life, but I was acutely aware that I needed to move on - and the song came to me whilst that process of realisation was taking place. I am not a poster-boy for bold career moves by any means, but I am glad I was able to write something about the experience, because I think a lot of us are often faced with that type of decision. And, for me, the long-term benefits of stepping out of your comfort zone will always outweigh the short-term feelings of fear or uncertainty. (This is not something I am always able to put in to practice mind you, but I like to think I am improving).

And so you can hear at the end of the song - the lone bird has left the tree, has escaped from the madness, and can now look ahead to the future. It's an uncertain future, but at the same time a future filled with the promise of something new. A future to look forward to, because the journey is only just beginning...

Production-wise you will hear a lot of things on this track. From dancing violas to fluttering ukeleles to screeching recorders, meandering accordions and plenty more. Essentially, I tried to build the song based on the image of birds sitting (or playing) in a tree. So the different instruments I guess are different types of birds - all with their unique form of song or dance (personalities if you like) - hopping and singing around the tree as the song progresses. The sense of theatre/drama was also important to me, because the song has always had a cabaret element when I have played it live. I was incredibly frustrated at times with how long the album actually took to put together, but it was nice to have the time to work on a song like this and take it somewhere near the place I had imagined it might sound. It wasn't the easiest song to record, but I had a lot of fun with it.

A big thanks to the guys in the band, all of whom got right into the spirit of being "a bird in a tree" (as I asked them to before we tracked the song). Call me biased, but I reckon there's a lot of that energy in the final recording.

Thanks for tuning in. Next week - The Edge. A very different song to this one!

Cheers,

Renny

THE BIRDS

Look at all the birds, sitting in their favourite tree
Peering down at strangers, clinging to the branches in the ever-changing breeze
And everyone that’s come and gone
Has heard them sing the same old song year after year.
I could climb the highest branch, learn their little nesting dance.
But I still won’t belong here.

So don’t shed a tear for me, Cause I’ll drift with the falling leaves.
And I’ll float down till I touch the ground, find a place to settle down
Till whenever the wind sets me free.

Look at all the birds, sitting in their favourite tree.
Oh tell me please.
Do you think they’d care if I made them all aware
Of the beauty they never will see.
Everyone that’s come and gone
Has heard them sing the same old song year after year.
I could learn the same lines, chirp away in the confines
But I wanna say no, I wanna let go, I wanna keep breaking the rules.

So don’t shed a tear for me, cause I’ll drift with the falling leaves.
And I’ll float down till I touch the ground, find a place to settle down
Till whenever the wind sets me free.
Till whenever the wind sets me free.

Oh I know it’s never always easy, oh I know it’s never always fair.
But I’ll take my chances on fleeting romances.
Oh I know it’s never always easy, oh I know it’s never always fair
But the top of the tree, is never what it seems to be.

So don’t shed a tear for me, cause I’ll drift with the falling leaves.
And I’ll float down till I touch the ground, find a place to settle down soon
Please don’t shed a tear for me, cause I’ll drift with the falling leaves
And I’ll float down through the canopies with the butterflies and the centipedes
Till whenever the wind takes me.
Even if it breaks me.
What ever the wind makes me I’ll be. I’ll be.
Oh so don’t shed a tear for me.

Vocals, Acoustic Guitar, Piano, Glock, Keyboards, Ukelele, Clarinets, Recorders – Renny
Drums – Matt Field
Bass – Pat Savina
Violas – Carl St Jaques
Accordion and additional Piano – Kent Eastwood

THE ARENA Part 10 - Lonely Man

2009-10-12T18:22:00.000-07:00

Hello again,

Lonely Man was a song I wrote a couple of years ago when I was doing a weekly myspace "challenge". (Actually a few of the songs on this album were from that same period). Basically I was trying to write a song each week and put it on myspace - not too much of a "challenge" for some I guess, but plenty hard enough for me considering the length of time it can take me to finish a song. In the end, I compromised a bit and posted the songs as they were, knowing I would probably have to revisit them at some point. In fact, I compromised a lot in some cases - some of them were not worth revisiting!

Funnily enough Lonely Man was one of the few songs I was actually able to post as a finished product, and it has never changed from that original form. I think that's because I never really expected to do anything with it. I have lots of songs like that - seemed like a good idea at the time, but on reflection... So it was a bit of a line ball decision as to whether or not this would make it on the album in the first place. In the end, I decided to go with it because I think it's a little bit different to the rest (at least not as obvious a choice), and I thought it deserved a place because it came from that same period of writing.

Production-wise then I wasn't really sure at all what I wanted to do with it. I can remember even the bass and drums being a little tricky to figure out when we tracked them. Essentially I didn't see a need to depart too far from the raw acoustic version, because the energy of the song seemed to stem from that context. Having said that, there was a natural build through the middle of the song that I had to capture, so it took a little bit of time to figure out what I was trying to do.

In the end, my big idea for this song came at the most unlikely time - when I was sick as a dog, suffering from the whooping cough. I decided to see what it would be like to layer some Tenor voices through the second half of the song (sort of a male choir singing in unison). Fortuitously, the fact that I was sick meant that I was able to produce a big deep tenor voice (which I wouldn't normally be able to do), and I ended up singing the same part 9 or 10 times to achieve the effect. Considering the song is called "Lonely Man", I can't be sure that having 10 tenor voices singing along was a good idea, but the concept seemed to work so I decided to run with it.

And you have to remember - it was me doing all the singing, and all the production, just on my ownsome. So really, I was a very lonely man at times. But that was sort of the point.

You'll also be able to hear a few Clarinet parts in this song. That's the instrument I learned (or was supposed to be learning) at school. It's a lonely sort of instrument the Clarinet, I think I used to get bored because I could only play one note at a time.... But I figured if it was going to feature on this album at all, then it would be on this track. It was a surprise to me that I was still able to play it at all, but strangely enough the keys etc all seemed vaguely familiar. A few off notes perhaps, but I think it worked out Ok in the end. And I must have been feeling the love for the Clarinet at that particular moment, because it has somehow found it's way on to Molly Mae as well!

Lyrics below. Next week - The Birds.

See you then,

Renny

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

LONELY MAN
.. .. .. .. .. .. ....

Take me in your arms now, cause I’m dying to accept this fate

Spin me while I’m hanging by this thread of yours

Cause there’s always one more twist that I can take.

And though we stand together now, we’re never on the level ground you see.

When it’s all said and done, when this two becomes one, will you remember me.

Will you remember me.

....

In your heart I’ll be a lonely man.

But I’ll come running every chance I can.

Every chance I can.

....

So the time has come again for you, I can just about predict the hour.

The days and nights escape me, another page is torn.

I guess I’ll make them up somehow.

Oh I never went to Paris with you girl, we never got to cruise the Nile

But over all the rapids, we held each other’s hands,

And it was good there for a while.

....

In your heart I’ll be a lonely man.

But I’ll come running every chance I can.

In your heart I’ll be a lonely man,

But I’m gonna stick it out here for as long as I can.

For as long as I can.

....

So come into my arms now, cause this could be our final squeeze.
So can we soak it up, can we take a minute

Please

....

Vocals, Acoustic Guitars, Clarinets, Tenor voices – Renny

Drums – Matt Field

Bass – Pat Savina

The best steak sandwich and the worst cofffee in NSW

2009-10-08T18:22:00.000-07:00

Hi folks, time for the October newsletter....

If you are visiting for the first time, Welcome and thanks for stopping by! If you’ve been here before, thanks for hanging in there. You know I love you.

If you'd like to know more about the best steak sandwich and the worst coffee, then scroll down. If you are after the latest music news (sort of the point of these things really...), then here it comes:

Only a month to go now till we are launching ALBUM NUMBER 3! There’s a great 10-piece band all ready to go, and it’s shaping up to be a big big night of music. Why not grab yourself a ticket to the launch party so you don’t miss out – they are going like McDonalds hotcakes at 10.29am…

“THE ARENA” ALBUM LAUNCH. SUN 8TH NOVEMBER.
OXFORD ART FACTORY, SYDNEY
38 Oxford Street, Darlinghurst.
With special guests Ten Thumb Tom and Lanie Lane.
Doors open 7.30, Music from 8pm.
Tickets on sale now!
http://www.moshtix.com.au/Event.aspx?id=30239&pLock=&vip=&skin=&ref

The Album will be officially released in stores and online on Fri 6th November. If you can’t make it to the big launch party, then there are a plenty of other shows to choose from. I am travelling right round the country in fact – Sydney, Melbourne, Hobart, Adelaide, Perth, Brisbane and a whole bunch of places in between. If you’ve got friends anywhere nearby, then feel free to drop them a line to let them know I am coming through. (And while you’re at it, if you wouldn’t mind asking if I they had a spare bed…..). For detailed information on the upcoming dates, then best to check online:

www.myspace.com/rennyfield

www.rennyfield.com

For those of you who don't like to click on links, here is the rough guide. Plenty more to come:

Wed 4/11 Lizottes, Kincumber, NSW
Fri 6/11 Red Bar, Cambridge Hotel, Newcastle, NSW
Sun 8/11 Oxford Art Factory, Sydney, NSW
Mon 9/11 Phoenix Bar, Canberra, ACT
Tues 10/11 Ruby’s Lounge, Belgrave, VIC
Thurs 12/11 The Wesley Anne, Melbourne, VIC
Fri 13/11 William Farrer Hotel, Wagga, NSW
Sat 14/11 Locomotive Hotel, Junee, NSW
Sun 15/11 Pure Pop Records, St Kilda (3pm), VIC
Sun 15/11 The Evelyn, Fitzroy (8pm), VIC
Tues 17/11 Republic Bar, Hobart, TAS
Wed 18/11 Irish Murphy’s, Launceston, TAS
Thurs 19/11 Grace Emily, Adelaide, SA
Fri 20/11 Swan Lounge, Fremantle, WA
Sun 22/11 Velvet Lounge, Flying Scotsman, Perth, WA
Fri 27/11 Kings Hotel, Bathurst, NSW
Sat 28/11 Oriental Hotel, Mudgee, NSW
Sun 29/11 Hotel Orange, Orange, NSW
Wed 2/12 Brass Monkey, Cronulla NSW
Fri 4/12 The Loft, Chevron Island, Gold Coast, QLD
Sun 6/12 The Troubadour, Brisbane, QLD
Mon 7/12 The Rails, Byron Bay, NSW
Wed 9/12 Guru Food Café, Bellingen, NSW
Thurs 10/12 Raval, Sydney, NSW
Fri 11/12 The Baroque Room, Carrington Inn, Katoomba, NSW

A nice little road trip for Sydney-siders in the last week of November which might be worth considering - Bathurst/Mudgee/Orange - always a lot of fun out West of the Blue Mountains. The outback is good for the soul.

I am still posting a track each week from the new album, plus a little blog about the song. This week I am up to No. 9 – Exploring – it’s an old favourite and a few of you have probably heard it before…

www.myspace.com/rennyfield

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

AUSTRALIAN STORY

You may be interested to know that some of my music (the track "Flying") was used on last week’s episode of Australian story. I have no idea how it got there – I am guessing probably an administrative error of some description – but hey I checked it out online and sure enough there it was. A moving piece of television about the aftermath of the black saturday bush fires which is worth a look (with or without my music).

http://www.abc.net.au/austory/specials/herbeauty/default.htm

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

MOLLY MAE:

As I mentioned last month, the first single from the new album is now available on iTunes. There's also a bit of a review that someone was kind enough to write - apparently they didn't mind the song. Jump online and check it out if you so desire, and you could even try hitting the "buy" button if you're feeling adventurous. I like to think it's worth at least $1.69, considering it took me the best part of a year to record it...

Of course, if you can't figure out how to buy it online, you could always ring your local radio station (or a national one with a fondness for the letter J) and see if they'd play it for you. That way you'd get to hear it for FREE! Now that would be a good deal.

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

THE BEST STEAK SANDWICH AND THE WORST COFFEE IN NSW

“What’s this all about?” I hear you ask. Well, I used “Rocktober” as the subject line for my newsletter this time last year (and probably the two before that) – I figured “The best steak sandwich…” was probably a little more interesting. And would you believe it, I actually did have the best steak sandwich AND the worst coffee all in the one day. Last Saturday in fact, really it was quite a treat.

The Steak Sandwich – well you could argue for and against it being the “best”, but on account of the fact that the diner (if you could call it that) in Stroud Road* (that’s the name of the town, not the street) is the only place in the State brave enough to advertise (on a big sign out the front) “The Best Steak Sandwich in NSW!”, then you’d have to give them the prize. Sure I have tasted better I suppose, but this was a fresh-cooked home made classic – a true Steak Sandwich in every sense of the word. Right down to the thick-diced steak, the lightly toasted tip-top white bread, the greasy onions that were cooked in a pan that has never really been cleaned properly, the black-and-gold BBQ sauce AND, most importantly, the little Aussie flag on a toothpick holding the whole thing together. Because let's be honest, that's the key to an authentic country-made steak sandwich - the little Aussie Flag - it wouldn't have been the same without it. Plus I asked for some fresh lettuce and tomato on mine, and the lady in the shop was more than happy to add the extras free of charge! In fact, the Stroud Road Steak Sambo is SO GOOD that they have even placed ANOTHER sign about 150m further down the road that reads:

“GO BACK! For the best steak sandwich in NSW”.

That’s the one that got me, I’ll admit it. I have managed to ignore it in the past, but on this occasion the pressure was simply too great. And the curiosity for that matter – it was worth a U-turn – that tiny little building in Stroud Road, how on earth could it have the best Steak sambo in NSW? Well folks, it just does. Because it says so.

*NB – You may be interested to know that “Stroud Road” is about 10 mins away from another town called “Stroud”. Sometimes it’s best not to ask questions.

As for the Coffee, well that wasn't in Stroud Road. I won't bore you with too many details (I've already done a pretty good job of that I think...), but let’s just say that it involved a late-night drive back to Sydney from Newcaslte, a 24-hr Mobil service station in Charlestown, a dodgy instant Cappuccino machine which only managed to fill half of my cup, and an over-zealous service station attendant who decided to charge me for TWO coffees because I hit the button again so I could leave the shop with a full coffee rather than just half a cup.

“That will be $5.90 sir”

“But it’s says $2.95"

“Yes, but you pressed the button TWICE.”

Sort of reminded me of that old Seinfeld sketch:

“You dipped the chip, you took a bite, and you dipped again!”

Suffice it to say, it was an argument I could not win. The evidence was on Camera you see. And at $5.90, it was truly the WORST coffee in NSW. Possibly the whole of Australia, but I’ll get to test that theory on the upcoming tour. And maybe you can help me out somewhere along the way! (Although I'd be just as happy for you to recommend a good coffee as well...).

Cheers for now, and as always thanks for your support.

See you out there somewhere soon.

Renny

THE ARENA Part 9 - Exploring

2009-10-05T18:21:00.000-07:00

Hello again.... nearly forgot this week. I have been away for a few days taking a bit of a break from the real world. Currently putting together a little story from the road, which I might try to post this week. I like to write travel stories you see - but you might have already picked that up.

Anyway - Exploring - this week's little number. For a long time there, Exploring was the only real "new" song I had. I had tried to write others, but they just wouldn't come. At least not in a way that made me want to finish them. As far as songs go, this was one of the quicker ones I have written. Normally the process for me is fairly painful, but I managed to get this one out in about a day. I think I had a gig that I was trying to finish it for. Often my songs have been created because of a perceived lack of a certain type of song in my live set - in this case I felt I was missing a bit of an up-beat toe-tapping number (for want of a better description). I certainly went for the "up-beat" vibe for that first show, but it has since mellowed a fair bit, and the energy on the album recording is pretty much how I imagined it should sound. A cruisy country number? Perhaps...

I can't say the lyrics are among my finest, but the point of the song was not to be complicated (as you might have guessed from the chorus). The point was to write something simple, easy to understand, easy to identify with. And when you are writing a simple song, it certainly helps if you know you only have a day to finish it!

My favourite memory from this song - and I often tell this story at my gigs - was when I played it in India one year on a hotel balcony. Travelling with my girlfriend at the time, we were both sitting on our balcony surveying the town of Agra (site of the Taj Mahal) and I decided it might be nice to get the guitar out. I had borrowed a half-sized guitar for the trip, essentially in the hope that I would have some sort of Beatles-esque moment and write 5 of the greatest albums of all time. In the end, I think I wrote one song, and it's not on this album.... nor is it likely to make an appearance on any of my future albums.

Anyway where was I - Exploring - that's right. So I pulled out my little half-size guitar and started to play Exploring, and as we looked down on the various rooftops about town, we noticed that the kids started to dance and clap their hands. As I continued, more and more kids joined in until the scene before us was pretty surreal. Dotted around the town of Agra, a series of rooftops with children laughing and dancing whilst their parents watched on smiling and clapping as well. I was a beautiful cross-cultural moment (if you could call it that - probably a slightly grander description than what I was after...), and a wonderful example of the power of music. I can't remember if I played the song twice or just did a super-extended chorus, but all the while I was thinking this was a pretty special moment. They had no idea what the song was about, no idea what I was saying, but the beauty of Indian kids is that they can find happiness in the simplest things, and on this occasion it was some weird white bloke playing his guitar on a hotel balcony. One of my fondest memories from my time in India that's for sure, almost out-weighing my disappointment that I wasn't able to write the 5 best albums of all time on my half-sized guitar.

The funniest part of that story was in fact the next day when I emerged from my hotel, and every second kid that I walked past pointed at me and went "Whiiiiyiyiyiyiyiyiyiyiyiyiyiyiyiyiyi" before laughing and running away (have a listen to the chorus of the song and you will understand...). All of a sudden, I was an overnight celebrity in Agra. Madness. I can't imagine if I played on a balcony in Sydney it would have the same effect. Most probably someone would just call the police.

If you are ever travelling in India with a half-size guitar (or even a full one for that matter...), you are more than welcome to play this song and give the hotel balcony experiment a try!

My thanks to Bill Chambers for agreeing to play the lap steel guitar on this recording. Also to the other people that helped put the song together (see below).

Next week - Lonely Man - 9 down, 5 to go - see you then.

Cheers,

Renny

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

EXPLORING
.. .. .. .. .. .. ....

No-one ever told me things could be this way

No-one ever told me what to do or what to say

Oh I woke up cold this morning, thinking of your smile

And thinking of you yawning, made me cry inside

....

No-one ever told me, things could be like this

No-one ever let me know about the things that I would miss

Oh I woke up cold this morning, thinking of your smile

Do you think that we can go exploring for a while

....

For a while. For a while.

Oh don’t let this be the end of you and me, can we try

....

No-one ever told me I could feel these things

No-one ever told me ‘bout the songs my heart could sing

Oh I woke up cold this morning, thinking of your smile

And thinking of you yawning made me cry inside

Oh I woke up cold this morning thinking of your smile

Do you think that we can go exploring for a while

....

For a while. For a while.

Oh don’t let this be the end of you and me, can we try.

Can we try. Can we try. Can we try.

....

Vocals, Acoustic Guitars, Piano, Keyboards, Ukelele, Glock – Renny

Drums, Percussion – Matt Field

Bass – Pat Savina

Backing Vocals – Sarah Humphreys, Sam Buckingham.

Lap Steel – Bill Chambers

THE ARENA Part 8 - Jigsaw

2009-09-28T18:20:00.000-07:00

Greetings, I have returned from Mudgee. Good thing too, because there's something very important I had to do today that I completely forgot about. And I couldn't have done it in Mudgee.... Anyway, moving on...

There's a rumour going round about this song. People will tell you that I only put it on the album so I could write down a credit for playing a Jigsaw Puzzle. I can't pass comment on this type of speculation, but I will say that recording a 1000-piece jigsaw puzzle was a lot of fun. At least until the part where I had to pick it up...

If you're wondering why I decided to record a Jigsaw puzzle in the first place, look no further than the first line of the song:

"Threw my Jigsaw on the Kitchen Floor".

I would like to think I am the only person in recording history to ever record the sound of a 1000-piece Jigsaw Puzzle hitting the kitchen floor and use it on an album, but I stand to be corrected!

As is the case with a number of my songs, the title comes in the first line rather than the chorus. Often that's how the song comes to me - first line first. So the verses before the chorus. Don't ask me why that happens, but it seems to work so I don't try to think about it too much. I guess when you do it that way, then you're never quite sure where the song is going to go. Whereas if you write the chorus first, then it's always going to return to that point (unless you only do one chorus.... which you could... .if you wanted to....).

What is the song about? Well nothing to do with Jigsaw's I can assure you. Let's call it a light-hearted love song. Of sorts...

Some other FAQ's about "Jigsaw" answered:

Yes - I put a mic next to the kitchen floor, and hurled all 1000 pieces of the puzzle in that general direction.
Yes - It's a ridiculous thing to do, but it seemed like a good idea at the time.
Yes - I think I probably lost one or two pieces in the process, which will really give someone the shits if they ever try to complete the puzzle.
Yes - My brother finds the sound of a Jigsaw puzzle annoying. As do a number of other people who have listened to this song.
Yes - I was convinced to reduce the number of occurrances of the "Puzzle" sound in the final mix (because it apparently sounded annoying), but on account of the effort that went in to recording it in the first place, I couldn't leave it out completely.
Yes - I also used the sound of the Jigsaw Box hitting the ground as a percussion "instrument" (more like a loop).
Yes - that sounds a bit weird too, as does the strange distorted Viola part....

And finally...

Yes - That is a saxophone you can hear. Even though it doesn't sound like a saxophone probably should... But I had never recorded a saxophone before, so that's the way it came out. And in the end if I had managed to record a perfect saxophone, it wouldn't really have fitted in with the overall feel of the recording. Which is, as this blog suggests, a little bit weird, a little bit wacky, and a little bit experimental.

But I like to think it gives the album a little bit of character.

And let's be honest here, I am a little bit weird and wacky myself.

My thanks to the beautiful Bo Terry, who was able to play the sax for me whilst she was visiting Australia from Amsterdam. Bo is a great songwriter herself too... Why don't you check her out if you get a chance:

www.myspace.com/anotherbo

See you next week with "Exploring".

Cheers,

Renny

PS - Tickets now on sale for the Album Launch - November 8th. Last full band show for a few months...

http://www.moshtix.com.au/event.aspx?id=30239&ref=moshtix

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

JIGSAW
.. .. .. .. .. .. ....

Threw my jigsaw on the kitchen floor,

Now I’m staring at the pieces cause I don’t want them any more

Cause in these puzzling times we’re living in,

Oh I can’t begin to understand what everything is for.

But you walk in the room and that all goes away

Nothing matters when you say my name.

I’ll give you all that I can offer and I’ll give it up cause that’s the only way.

....

I can sit and read a book or two,

Or sit and watch the television just shivering at the news

Everybody seems to run around,

And I’m just confounded every day by the silly things they do.

But I can lie with you and dream the world away.

Forget about the fucking ozone rays.

I’ll give you all that I can offer and I’ll give it up cause that’s the only way.

I’ll give you all that I can offer and I hope it is enough to make you stay.

....

Oh I’ll give you everything I can, I wanna be a giving man.

Won’t you take my outstretched hand, and hold it tight, cause girl I’ll make you glad.

....

I wanna walk until the sun goes down, I wanna dance under the moon.

I wanna take you to the edge of town, sit on a hilltop eating shitty Chinese food.

And as that breeze blows, we’ll giggle as we chew.

Knowing that the stars are there to stay.

I’ll give you all that I can offer, and I’ll give it up cause that’s the only way.

....

I’ll give you all that I can offer, please don’t throw it away.

I’ll give you everything I’ve got, be it love or lemonade.

I’ll give you all that I can offer and I’ll give it to you every single day.

Every single day.

....

Vocals, Guitars, Keyboards, Backing Vox, Jigsaw, Percussion – Renny

Drums – Matt Field

Bass – Pat Savina

Saxophone – Bo Terry

Viola – Carl St Jacques

THE ARENA Part 7 - Wheel of Fortune

2009-09-20T18:19:00.000-07:00

Greetings folks. I have just been witness to one of the more inspirational displays of songwriting I have seen this year - Charles Jenkins solo at Pure Pop records in Melbourne. How on earth I have not really come across this guy before I am not sure, but if I was to sum up the show in the simplest terms - it's the type of gig you watch that makes you want to be a songwriter. Makes you want to be a better songwriter. And makes you want to keep writing just for the sake of it. Apparently he was in a band called Ice Cream Hands - I feel ashamed I didn't know this before, but at least I do now.

It was purely by chance that I was there in the first place - having been booked to play the slot before him in the record shop. Anyway, what an awesome show he put on. Out the back of a tiny record store in St Kilda - who would have thought it. This is one of the best things about music - the chance to be inspired when you least expect it. And what a great little joint. PURE POP RECORDS, St Kilda - definitely worth a visit.

On to this week's song - Wheel of Fortune

This one is the newest song on the record, and the one that kept it a guitar-only album. Prior to writing this song, I had 13 tracks that I wanted to include, and another one I had been messing about with on Piano. In one sense, I wanted to have a piano song on this record as a bit of a reference to what I had done previously. But what I came to realise over time was that I was trying to fit the piano in somehow when it didn't really have a place. I can sit and play the piano for hours on end, but I had to settle for using it as a "band" instrument this time round. Music shouldn't be forced, and there was no need to put a stand-alone piano track on the CD just for the sake of it. Most of these songs have been born out of playing solo gigs on my acoustic - feeling the need to have a set of material that would work with just voice and guitar - knowing that if I was to travel, which I wanted to do, I would often have just that instrument to rely on (The piano is notoriously difficult to fit under the excess baggage limit...). Once I had written Wheel of Fortune, I knew it was the extra song I needed for the album. The piano will have to wait for another time.

If you asked me what the song was about, I couldn't tell you off the top of my head. Not exactly anyway. I guess it's a reflective song, a tale of the "been there, done that" intertwined with a sense of hope about the future. "The Wheel of fortune always spins, you just gotta take your chance when the luck rolls in." It's a bit of a comment on life itself - the need to put yourself out there, stay afloat, survive the tough times so you can appreciate the good times when they come along. At least that's what I was trying to say - hopefully I've done a reasonable enough job of it for you to understand where I am coming from. Just a solo track this one - no need to over-complicate the situation... Have a listen and see what you think. Lyrics below if you're interested.

And with that, we've reached the half way point! Still a few more to go...

Next week - Jigsaw.

Cheers,

Renny

PS - Thanks to everyone who came along to the Metro on Friday night for the show with Peregrine (including the 7 other people in the band!) We had a great night, and good hit-out prior to the album launch in November.

PPS - At the risk of repeating myself, you gotta check out Charles Jenkins if you get a chance. Really.

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

WHEEL OF FORTUNE

Yeah I’ve done some crying, been shaken to the core

I’ve cried myself a river and been swept right off the shore

It’s a question of survival, you always gotta swim

For the drowning to stop and the breathing to begin

Yeah I’ve done some bleeding, been stripped right to the bone

Been battered bruised and beaten from my head down to my toes

But the wounds are superficial, the scars they lie within

You gotta search your soul for the healing to begin

I had it coming, way back when

The things that I know now, I wish I knew them then

The wheel of fortune always spins

You just gotta take your chance when the luck rolls in

You know I’ve done my share of digging for the gold

But I looked so god damn hard I only dug myself a hole
Yeah the ending isn’t pretty when you live your life in sin

Trouble takes hold just like tonic in the gin

I had it coming, way back when

The things I don't know now, thought I knew them then

The wheel of fortune always spins

You just gotta take your chance when the luck rolls in

This here ain’t the gospel, it’s just some things that I know

From feeling the highest highs and living the lowest lows

And I won’t be finished till I’ve taken all the blood from all the stones.

Oh no.

And I ain’t no preacher but I’ll tell you what I’ve learned

Is that time will heal you, it’ll fix up all your burns

And the thing about hope is that it lives in every corner of this earth.

Yeah I’ve done some crying, burst open at the seams

Been thrown out on the railroad with the engine at full steam

These are just the hazards of a journey unfulfilled

Slowly but surely, I’m curing all my ills.

I had coming way back when,

The things that I know now, I didn't know back then

The wheel of fortune always spins

You just gotta take your chance when the luck rolls in

Suppose I had it coming to me way back when.

The things that I know now, I never knew them then.

The Wheel of Fortune always spins.
You just gotta take your chance when the luck rolls in.

When the luck rolls in. When the luck rolls in.

When it rolls in.

Vocals, Acoustic Guitar, Shaker – Renny

THE ARENA Part 6 - Set in Stone

2009-09-14T18:00:00.000-07:00

Hello again - what a fine weekend it was! If you discount the fact I was sitting in a small room watching cars go round and round in circles... But enough about the day job.

Molly Mae out on iTunes today! If you want to part with $1.69 that is....

SET IN STONE

There is a funny story to this song that goes something like this....

I was in Adelaide about 18 months ago for a couple of shows. As you may have picked up, I don't mind the odd touring excursion and on this occasion I had a day to kill in the city of churches. Is that what it's called? I think so... Anyway I like Adelaide, it's a great town. I could happily live there.

After taking myself for a morning trot, I decided it wouldn't be a bad idea to maybe go to a park and write some music. A pretty sound plan you would have to agree - write for a few hours, hang about, show up to play my gig in the evening. I didn't have a particular destination in mind, so I figured I would stroll through the centre of town and see what I could find. There is me - walking through the Rundle Street mall on a warm summers day in Rads - suitcase and guitar in tow - and I suddenly have this great idea that I should, here and now, conquer my fear of busking!

Well not so much a fear, more a misconception on my part that there was something wrong with busking, and I probably wasn't going to enjoy it, and why would you bother etc etc etc... Anyway, I picked my spot, parked my suitcase, opened up the guitar case and away I went. A sparkling rendition of Sarah to kick it off (if I do say so myself). There was even some degree of passing interest by way of the occasional "slow-down" from Adelaide shoppers. I can't say if they were old enough to understand anything I was singing about...

Song No. 2 - I am two bars in, and this short annoying looking man in a shirt and tie walks up to me. I am sensing there could be trouble, so slow down, gently, stop singing, stop playing guitar, the man now 2 feet away...

"Do you have a permit?!"

You have to understand - if you could picture a short annoying looking man in a shirt and tie, and imagine he had small man syndrome, and then imagine what that type of person might sound like if he was about to tell someone to stop busking - that's EXACTLY what he sounded like. Really. It was amazing.

R: "Excuse me?" (As if I needed him to repeat it - play dumb Renny, that'll work...)

SALM: "Do you have a permit"

R: "Errr... no"

SALM: "Well you need a permit"

Apparently.

About here you can imagine the scene, and people are starting to look at me funny...

R: "Right, well I didn't realise. I am just here from Sydney for the day, and I thought I'd just play some songs for a little bit here. Won't really be here that long.

SALM: "Well you need a permit"

Yes. As you mentioned.

SALM: "And if you want to play, you need to go and get one from our permit office"

R: "Right, I see. How much are the permits? As I said, I'm only here for a day"

SALM: "Nine dollars"

Silence...

Still he waits for my next move. I am speechless. So the great busking experiment is rapidly imploding. Can I really not just play a few song on the acoustic guitar?

SALM: "If you want a permit, you'll have to go to the office like everyone else"

His voice is getting higher now. But not louder, just higher. More shrill. More grating. More annoying. More determined. This is an argument I cannot win.

R: "Ok well I guess I'll just have to pack up then, seeing as I am only here a day."

He looks. Nods. Waits for me to pack up my belongings.

At this point a lot of people have stopped to watch the Sydney-sider being run out of town, and I must confess even though I really didn't mind much about the permit-thing, I did trudge off in a somewhat dejected manner, as my little friend stood proudly in the centre of the mall and waited to make sure I made it right to the end and I didn't set up anywhere else.

Bureaucracy 1 - Art 0.

Not to be deterred, there was still half a day to kill and still enough time to pen my song, all though I have to say I was wondering how I would find the energy. It was getting a lot hotter, and walking around with my suitcase was starting to wear a little thin. Nonetheless, after another 20min, I had found a park with a nice seat, and I was strumming away.

Not that it was a great park mind you - I managed to set up adjacent to a fairly busy road, so there was quite a bit of traffic noise to content with. If you have been to Adelaide, you will know that busy roads are not all that common, so the fact that this was the best park I could find was somewhat indicative of the type of day I was having.

Finally - a line, and a melody....

"I'm not in love for the first time, and it won't be the last"

As is often the case, I get a line and a melody first then try and figure it out from there. At least I was away, but it wasn't going to be easy. The words were coming painfully slowly, I didn't really have any sort of "chorus", and the afternoon sun was increasing in temperature as the hours ticked by. After getting myself through about a verse and a half, I figured it was time to change location. The sun was giving me a headache, and the road (if you could believe it) was starting to get even busier than when I started.

As it happens, it was about this time that I needed to go to the toilet. And somewhat fortuitously, being a man and not needing a "toilet" in the truest sense of the word, I noticed a nice clump of trees not so far away from where I had been playing the guitar. That would have to do.

I won't describe the next minute or so, but I'll skip forward to the part when I was doing up my fly, only to turn around and see, directly behind me

A Police Car!

In the park, in the trees, miles away from anything that might even remotely resemble a road. Just there to see me take a piss.

P: "How's it going mate"

You can't be f... serious

R:" Ah yeah good thanks"

What could I say. I had been caught in the act. Defenseless.

P: "What are you doing back here"

I can understand his suspicion. I had walked over to the "toilet" with my guitar and my suitcase, it probably looked a bit weird. I couldn't lie.

R: "Ah mate I was just playing my guitar in the park, and then ... errrr... look I'l be honest with you I just really needed to go to the toilet and there were these trees and I thought no-one would notice and.... um....."

P: "I think you'd better move on mate".

R: "Sure"

And for the second time in the day, I was left to trudge off into the distance whilst the Adelaide protectionist forces watched me to make sure I did as I was told. At this point, you would think I was ready to give up.

Ha!

Another park - this time in a quieter street, but still the sun was getting hotter. Fortunately there was a big big BIG tree in the distance, and that, my friends, was where I was going to finish this song. Or at least get a lot closer to finishing...

About 30mins later, things are looking up. I've pretty much knocked out the rest of the second verse, and I've even got a bit of a chorus going on - At least a decent melody and a couple of words. Despite my series of setbacks, things were finally coming together.

Enter drunk aboriginal man with beer in Paper bag.

(I have nothing against Aborigines, I am part Aboriginal myself (true), but I am just setting the scene so you have the complete picture....)

DAM: "Heerrrloooo Mate"

For f... sake.

R: "Hi mate how are you?"

DAM: "Yeeerrrrrrp. Yerrr like... playin the guitar and stuff...."

Brilliant.

R:"Yes, that's right mate"

Dehydration heading really starting to kick in now.

DAM: "Rrrrriight. Yeah me mate... Errrr... me mate got the beers mate.... Over there.... Yeeeaah. Owe me money man. Guitar and errrr.... play meself man...."

Anyway as you can imagine the conversation went from strength, and my friend sort of kept coming and going for the next half hour or so. In between trips to find his mate with the beer I suppose... But somewhere in the middle of it all, someHOW in the middle of it all, I managed to finish off my new song. At least the important parts, and the structure. I am a big one for setting the structure you see.

There was some refinement to be done, sure, but the crux of a song was there. It had taken me a whole day, 2 near arrests, a conversation with a drunk aboriginal, and a mild dose of heatstroke, but I had created something worth keeping. I even sampled a few bars of it at the gig that night, although when I told the story I'm not sure if anyone really believed me.

And looking at it now it's hard to believe myself... But it's all true. Every single word.

And even after all that, I still like Adelaide. I think the redeeming feature was the $2 breakfast I had at Ikea on my next visit. But that's another story altogether.

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

About the recording:

Set in stone was a really difficult song to record, because I was essentially trying to create a "Rock" track in a home studio. And having barely even done an acoustic track before this album, to try and create something with the power and energy that I'd imagined this song should have was a real tough ask. It has always been one of the stronger tracks live, so it was a matter of trying to translate that to the recording as best as possible.

In the end I followed my familiar trial and error policy until it started to take shape, and then continued to add instrumentation in the louder sections to try to give it more "meat" (for want of a better word). I am sure there are more efficient ways to go about it, and if I had my time over I could probably think of a whole series of things I could have done differently. But at the end of the day, I like to think the point of the song is still there, and let's be honest - after the amount of effort it took to write the thing in the first place, I should have known that the recording part probably wouldn't come easy. Still, I got there in the end. Sort of...

Special thanks to Simon Rudston-Brown on Electric Guitar.

Next week a solo song - "Wheel of Fortune". The newest one on the album.

See you then,

Renny

PS - Did I mention - Molly Mae is now on iTunes! Ah yes - I did... Sorry....

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

.. .. .. .. .. .. ....

SET IN STONE....

....

I’m not in love for the first time, and it won’t be the last.

I used to think we’d be just fine

Now those days they have well and truly passed.

....

It’s not the end of the road yet, but we’re damn fucking close.

We’ll never outrun the sunset

And I’m tired of crossing my fingers and toes.

....

Cause what we set in stone were borrowed thoughts we did not own

Oh how were we ever meant to see, or ever meant to know.

Cause what we set in stone, we never thought we’d be alone

Oh How were we ever meant to see or ever meant to know.

....

And I’ve looks to the heavens, and I’ve called out your name

I could walk to till the day’s end, but what’s the point when the night is just the same.

Never wanted to judge you, but you gave me no choice

I got nowhere to run to, I got nowhere to fall.

Cause what we set in stone were borrowed thoughts we did not own

Oh How were we ever meant to see, or ever meant to know

Cause what we set in stone, it took us miles away from home

Oh how were we ever meant to see, or ever meant to know

Oh how were we ever meant to see what we never could have known.

....

All I ever wanted was to take this world and make it yours.

All we ever needed was a ship to take us through that storm.

All those things we set in stone, those borrowed thoughts we did not own.

All those thoughts you take them home

But it never makes it, never makes it easier to go.

No it never, never makes it easier to go. ....

....

Vocals, Acoustic Guitars, Electric Guitars, Keyboards – Renny Field

Drums – Matt Field

Bass – Pat Savina

Electric Guitar – Simon Rudston-Brown

MOLLY MAE - Single Launch

2009-09-07T17:59:00.001-07:00

MOLLY MAE - Single Launch

Hi Everyone, how are you?

Here at camp Field, it's all action. Well as much action as you can cram into a one-bedroom apartment in Manly anyway. Oh dear, that really doesn't sound all that appropriate for a music mailout does it.... How about I stop there and give you the info:

Prior to the release of the Album, we've got a big show coming up in Sydney with our good friends Peregrine. It's the launch of the first single "Molly Mae". Who really did look like a simple girl... The single will be out mid-September on i-tunes, and there are wild rumours circulating that you will receive some sort of annoying email asking you to request it on the radio, but I cannot confirm or deny these reports.

FRI 18TH SEPTEMBER - "MOLLY MAE" Single Launch
METRO THEATRE (THE LAIR)
George Street, Sydney.
Full Band Show, with Peregrine and Iron Bar Hotel.
Advance tix now available on line:
http://www.metrotheatre.com.au/events/2009/09/18/peregrine-in-the-lair-the-metro
Music from 8pm!

Also, a mini-single-launch-toury-thingy booked in for September:

TUE 15/11 WOLLONGONG UNI BAR

WED 16/11 THE OLD MANLY BOATSHED

SUN 20/11 PURE POP RECORDS, ST KILDA

TUE 22/11 THE ESPY, ST KILDA

SAT 26/11 ORIENTAL HOTEL, MUDGEE

Stay tuned to myspace for more info on the above shows, and also if you want to have a listen to "Molly Mae" herself.

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

THE ARENA - ALBUM NEWS:

Well I am steadily working my way through the weekly album previews on myspace. This week I am up to Track 5 - Crossfire - which seems to be a popular one at the live shows. I am never quite sure why people enjoy a song which ends with the word "killed", but there you go.... (Ok, so I don't mind it either, and I was very fortunate to have some good friends work with me on the recording. I think the end result is almost as good as The Look by Roxette).

Plenty of news on the tour front as well - check out the gig guide for all the dates we have locked in so far, plus more to be confirmed.

Anywhere else you can recommend? Please feel free to drop me a line.

renny@rennyfield.com

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

NOTICEBOARD:

A couple of my friends are doing very cool things in the next month. Both these girls sang on my album, and I love 'em!

SARAH HUMPHREYS is launching her latest EP "Autumn" on 2 October at The Entrance Leagues Club.
www.myspace.com/sarahhumphreys

SAM BUCKINGHAM also has a rocking EP which will be released a few days later. With a big launch at The Vanguard on 15th October.
And would you believe - she even asked me to sing on it!
(Apparently the guy from Roxette turned her down... )
www.myspace.com/sambuckinghammusic
Na na na na na - she's got the look!

OK that's it from me. Enough is enough.

See you soon.

Somewhere.

Cheers,

Renny

MOLLY MAE - Single Launch

2009-09-07T17:59:00.000-07:00

MOLLY MAE - Single Launch

THE ARENA Part 5 - Crossfire

2009-09-07T17:58:00.000-07:00

Hello again folks, does anyone actually read these things? I doubt it. But it's important for my therapy you see - I am slowly starting to believe that the album is actually finished! I even put it in to get pressed last Thursday. How about that.

Crossfire:

Well I'll be perfectly honest with you, I don't have a whole lot to say about this song. It is what it is I suppose. I can tell you that it's one of the older songs on the album, and that I wrote it at a time of uncertainty in my life, where a lot of things weren't really making sense to me. Hence the "Caught in the Crossfire" line that keeps returning. That's a bit how it felt. As a general rule, I am not usually able to write much when I am in those periods - the songs tend to come afterwards via a process of reflection. A lot of songwriters will tell you that their best work often comes from the more difficult times in their lives, and whilst I would agree with that to an extent, I rarely seem to get the music out until after the event. Crossfire I guess is a bit of an exception to that rule.

The emotions in this song are pretty raw, and I didn't want to lose that from a production point of view. As such, it remains fairly sparse throughout aside from a slight build through the second verse. There was a really strong energy with the band on this recording, which made it one of the easier songs to work with when I took it back to my home studio. Fortunately I had a nice old upright piano at my disposal (thanks to my grandmother who no longer uses it), and that would become a really important part of how the song took shape.

A big shout-out again to the viola skills of Carl St Jacques, who seems to have an amazing ability to capture the mood of a song when he plays. It was purely a stroke of good fortune that I was able to work with him on this record, as most of the time he is based in the USA. I can't imagine what he must have been thinking when I set up the mic in my brother's living room (in a place called "The Purple Palace" of all things...) and told him to "Jam", but to his credit he remained as professional as ever, and ended up giving me some really beautiful parts to work with.

Thanks also to Kent Eastwood, whose accordion drones added a nice bit of energy to the track through the middle section. A curious decision you would have to say, as we had never used the accordion on this song before, but I think it really made a difference. And last but not least, the beautiful voice of Sarah Humphreys, which would not be out of place on any recording. www.myspace.com/sarahhumphreys - please check her out if you haven't done so before.

As for the rest, well that's just me doodling on a few different things, but no-one really needs to know about that...

Next week, Set in Stone.

See you then,

Renny

PS - National tour dates taking shape... Check out the gig guide for all the info.

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

CROSSFIRE

I left my heart in the open again

Now I’m running out of breath in the land of no man

Will I be caught in the Crossfire, caught in the rainstorm

I got myself in a bad place again,

Now I’m running in the dark, down a street with no end
Don’t wanna be caught in the Crossfire, caught in the rainstorm

C’mon courage, tell me your name, come and make friends with me

C’mon courage, come and feed me again, cause this could be the end of me

The end of me

I left my soul in the spotlight again

Now I’m lit up in a field where I can no longer pretend

Will I be caught in the Crossfire, caught in the rainstorm

Show me a way I can make this all a dream,

Show me a way I can live here, show me a way I can breathe

Don’t wanna be caught in the Crossfire, caught in the rain storm

C’mon courage, tell me your name, come and make friends with me

C’mon courage, come and feed me again, cause this could be the end of me.

My body breathes, but my mind cuts off the air

Honey I wish I didn’t love you, I wish I didn’t care

Looks like I’m caught in the Crossfire, caught in the rainstorm

Looks like I’m caught in the Crossfire, caught in the rain

Don’t wanna be killed by the Crossfire, killed by the rainstorm.

Don’t wanna be killed.

Vocals, Guitars, Piano, Synth, Percussion – Renny

Drums – Matt Field

Bass – Pat Savina

Viola – Carl St Jaques

Accordion – Kent Eastwood

Backing Vocals – Sarah Humphreys

The ARENA Part 4 - Love Potion

2009-08-31T17:52:00.000-07:00

Hello folks, back again with some Love Potion - sit back, take a sip, enjoy...

The chorus of this song actually came to me in a dream last year when I was performing a one-month solo residency at a hotel in Thailand. Not that I was falling asleep on stage of course.....in case you were wondering... but in between performances, they gave me this beautiful room with an enourmous double bed, very conducive to dreaming about choruses in fact. Especially after playing a gig for 4 hours in a bar by the beach.

I say the "chorus", but all I got was the line "You make me wanna drink that Love Potion". Where did it come from? Who knows, but there it was. At another time and place, I may have ignored that sort of thing and never really done anything with it, but free from distractions and with a day to kill on the coast of Phuket, I figured it was worth trying to turn it into a song... A few hours later, and after yet another outrageously good all-you-can-eat buffet breakfast, I had the basic gist of where it was going, then it was a matter of refining the song over the next week or so. I wouldn't say there was a whole lot of "refining" going on mind you - just enough to make it sound listenable. This was a song I had started in a dream after all, so I didn't want to be over-complicating it too much. Essentially, I was trying to make it feel like I was almost still asleep - I guess as some representation of where the song first started.

The lyrics themselves I wouldn't say required too much attention - have a listen and you will see what I mean there. In keeping with the overall feel of the song, I tried not to agonise too much over the words, just ran with whatever came to me first (and seemed to fit in). Sometimes I can think for days and even weeks about a word or a phrase in one line of a song. I would do it quicker if I could believe me, but it's purely a personal thing, and I am prepared to play the same line over and over again in my head until the right words come to me. It's always worth it when you get the one you were looking for.

In keeping with the "dreamy" feel of the song itself, I tried not to over-think things with the recording, so it didn't really depart too far from the original acoustic version. I have a special attachment to this song because I started from scratch and created the whole thing myself - not an incredible feat by any means in the overall history of self-produced records, but significant because I was trusting myself to play all the instruments for the first time. In the end, this song probably also gave me the confidence to play more different instruments on other tracks as the recording progressed.

Having said all that, there wasn't really too much to do - once the acoustic guitar was down then I layered a few different percussion tracks (nearly said "Drums" there, although technically not a drum credit because I wasn't playing a "kit"... one day I'll figure that one out...), then the bass, and finally a couple of electric guitar parts that drift in and out in a sort of mock relationship throughout the song. (You might be interested to know that I used one of my mother's old lipstick canisters for the "slide" guitar part - that was the best thing I could find in the house... it really doesn't sound great, but it works... ). I think there is a keyboard in there as well, but it's so low in the mix that I can't remember what I played. As for the harmonies, they are all me too - a Renny overkill perhaps? Well probably, but that's why I got the girls in for the other songs!

Anyway that's it for this week. Next week Crossfire.

Cheers,

Renny

PS - If you listen really closely in the quiet parts, you can here the crickets outside the window of my studio.

PPS - Album Launch is booked in. Check the gig guide for all the info. Would love to see you there.

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

.. .. .. .. .. .. ....

LOVE POTION....

....

I’m not a soldier, I’m not a saint

And just some combination of these things I’d like to think I ain’t

I’ve spent a lifetime trying to get to know myself

Now I’ve gone and put that person on the shelf

....

Cause you make me wanna drink that love potion

Like it was going out of style

I’d come for you across the greatest ocean

Just to hold you one more time

....

I’m not a loser, I’m not a star

I guess I’m somewhere in between those two but I ain’t ever sure how far

I’ve spent a lifetime trying to work these damn things out

But I could learn to love the middle ground with you about

....

Cause you make me wanna drink that love potion….

One more time.

....

Now nothing can hold me down, cause this feeling just hangs around

And I’ve had this dream before, but I don’t wanna sleep no more.

....

Cause you make me wanna drink that love potion…

One more time.

....

Vocals, Guitars, Bass, Percussion, Keyboard - Renny

THE ARENA Part 3 - Molly Mae

2009-08-24T17:40:00.000-07:00

THE ARENA Part Three - Molly Mae

Well look at that – two songs with girls' names, and I’ve stuck them right next to each other. It seemed only fair that they got to enjoy each other’s company for the rest of time – I’m sure in real life they would be great mates. In comparison to Sarah, Molly Mae was a little less of a metaphor and a little more based on a real person to begin with, although in the final analysis it’s not as specific as I sometimes make it out to be. Really, it’s about that mysterious person that catches your eye – be it on the bus, on the train, at the supermarket, at the bar, or perhaps working at the café down the road – you know what I mean – the type that you never really meet, but who nonetheless warrants a little more attention than the rest. We’ve all had someone like that cross our path from time to time – I guess this is my way of explaining the situation through music.

There is, therefore, an element of fantasy in this song – the thought of “what if you and me could get together one day” - but at the same time there is the inherent realisation that the “fantasy” can exist only as a result of a corresponding defeatist mentality, whereby you are acutely aware that it would never actually happen. I’ve had this discussion with people in the past – the common view is that if your “Molly Mae” (whoever it might be) ever progressed beyond that initial point of admiration, it would ruin the whole experience.

Recording Molly Mae was a real sticking point at first, because I never really knew what I wanted to do with it. The pre-production sessions were basically concentrated on getting the bass and drums right, and not much else. But whereas with the other songs, I had some idea in my mind of how I wanted them to sound in the end, Molly Mae for a long time never progressed passed the point of being a good little ditty – fun to play live, a song people seemed to like, but lacking something production-wise.

In a solo setting, I always found the dynamic of song seemed to work, so I knew I probably didn’t have to change too much when the band came into the equation – it was just a matter of adding something interesting that gave it a bit of “pizzazz” (for want of better term). Enter the organ…

I had borrowed Kent Eastwood’s (fellow Sydney artist) Nord 2 keyboard for a couple of weeks, and I decided to dig up a dirty organ sound and run it through my old Traynor guitar amp. I couldn’t tell you why I made either decision, but once I started jamming the fun began. And the frustration I might add, because I had never really tried to play an “organ” part before, and if the truth be known I had little or no idea what I was doing. But as the hours ticked by, the part began to make sense, and the whole song began to take on a bit of a “novelty” feel. There was a chance I was going too far, but this organ-through-the-amp thing was sounding just crazy enough to be kind of cool, and in any case I was having a great old time getting the part together. As for the next door neighbours, I can’t be sure if they were feeling the love, but in my defence I did go and apologise when I was done.

The backing singers (or the “oooh bop bop” girls as I like to call them) were almost a matter of course once the organ was in there doing its thing. Again, I’m not sure where the idea came from, but in the spirit of trial and error I was all of a sudden running back and forth to the microphone, trying to produce the best “ooh bop” girl I could come up with, and layering up a three-part harmony to run throughout the song. When I had settled on all the parts, I was stoked. It was a bit wacky sure, but even though the ideas were from left field, I was happy that it seemed to have changed the song for the better. In my mind anyway, I’d captured the type of mood that the song evoked when I was first writing it – that playful aspect of the relationship I described above – and I suppose that’s what was missing up to this point. Judging by other people’s first reactions (pretty much everyone I played it to), it could be argued that I had lost the plot slightly, but then again sitting in a little room by yourself for days on end can do that to you. And slowly but surely, they are all coming around to it… Just as I did!

To add the finishing touches, Sarah Humphreys and Sam Buckingham came in to help me re-do the backing vocals (there is still one “Renny” in the Ooooh bob bob girls….), and I dug up my old mate – the Clarinet – to add a final little melody to the last chorus. I may not have lived up to the school’s expectations on the old clarinet, but as it turns out I had learned to play it well enough to put a wacky little part at the back end of Molly Mae, so I suppose I must have been paying attention at some point. Finally, a bit of tambourine seemed to be in order so I've done my best "Oooh Bop bop" girl impersonation with that too... Rumours still circulate that it was on this song that I broke my “clap free zone” rule for this album, but I cannot confirm or deny these reports. No comment.

Anyway, enjoy “Molly Mae”.

And guess what – it’s the first single! (See below for details of the launch).

See you next week for some Love Potion.

Cheers,

Renny

(Against my prediction, it tuns out this was longer than last week. Typical...)

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

MOLLY MAE

Oh Molly Mae, you look like a simple girl

I like the way you talk and the way you move

But I hate what you’ve done to my world

I gotta tell you, oh listen babe,

You got me licking all my wounds

Oh what I’d give, if I could put the same spell on you

....

Baby I could use you around, but man I’m such a hopeless clown

If you build me a bridge I’ll probably burn it down

....

Oh Molly Mae, you know I’m just a simple man

Yeah I ain’t that rich and I ain’t that flash,

But I promise that I’d love you just the best that I can

Believe me, I only need a fighting chance,

But please forgive me sweet, I got two left feet

So don’t you try making me dance

....

Baby I could use you around, Oh Molly I could use you know

So build me a bridge and I’ll try not to burn it down

....

Oh Molly Mae I will not do you wrong

Cause girl you know your sweetness wrote this song

I’ll stand in line forever if that’ll take me to the head of the queue.

It’s a damn small price to pay to get to you.

....

Oh Molly Mae, maybe I’m headed for a fall

Yeah but I’m fine with that, I’ll just keep on coming

My heads never been shy of that big brick wall, oh baby

I’m gonna keep banging away

Till that wall starts breaking, the earth starts shaking

And maybe you’ll stop and hear what I’m saying

....

Baby I’ve figured it out, just as soon as that wall comes down,

I’ll build us a bridge we can follow it right out of town

Baby I could use you around, oh Molly I could use you now

So let’s build us a bridge, we can follow it right out of town

I’ll build us a bridge, we can follow it right out of town

Yeah I’ll build us a bridge we can follow

Right out of town.

....

Vocals, Acoustic Guitar, Organ, Percussion, Clarinet - Renny

Drums – Matt Field

Bass – Pat Savina

Backing Vocals – Sarah Humphreys, Sam Buckingham

THE ARENA Part 2 - Sarah

2009-08-17T17:39:00.000-07:00

Hi again, time for another new song. If the first one didn't scare you off... I certainly hope not, there are still 12 more to go after this. Anyway...

Everyone always asks me the same question about this song. "Who is Sarah"? Well believe it or not, it's actually not about a girl, but about contentment and happiness. I sometimes liken "contentment" in this case (mostly when I am trying to explain it at my shows) to sitting on your balcony when you are 85 years old, smoking a cigar on your rocking chair, staring off into the distance, looking back on your life and thinking "F.... that was good". It's a rough analogy sure, but it's the best I can do, and it's the one that came to me first. And you've got to admit, if you were in that situation, it would feel pretty good!

The song could have been called anything really, it's just that - for whatever reason - "Sarah" was the first word that came out of my mouth when I started writing it. I wondered at the time if there was a reason for that, but I can't say there was. Only problem being - "Sarah, shine your little light on me" seemed to be such a good fit for the opening line, that I didn't want to change that part. And lots of people have songs called Sarah - why should I miss out on the fun?! She seems to be a popular choice...

In one sense then I made the song a bit of a metaphor. I like to think if you listen in the context of Sarah being happiness/contentment that it makes some sense. On another level I suppose it's a bit of a love song - at least based on my idea of love, and the place it comes from. The beauty, and ultimately the simplicity of that emotion. I have often thought of love and happiness as going hand in hand, and maybe that's the best explanation I can give about how this song came together.

Like most of the tracks on this album, I really had no idea how I would make it sound something like I had imagined it should. Being the first time I had produced anything, this feeling of hopelessness was something I was coming to terms with. Fortunately Matt and Pat had laid down some great drum and bass tracks to start with (the same process I used for all the band songs), and the maestro himself Carl St Jaques had given me some beautiful Viola takes to work with. Over time, through a process of trial and error, the music started to make a bit more sense, the arrangements started to come to life, and the whole thing slowly (very slowly) started to sound like something worth listening to. Which is a fairly important part of the equation you would have to say... By the time Sarah and Sam came over to sing the BV's, I was confident I was on the right track.

In the final analysis, there are still some things I could have done better, but the end result was an improvement on what I had expected. And whatever imperfections there may be, they are all worth it for the final chorus - which I think is my favourite section of any song on the whole album. A big call maybe, but it was the first time I had a "yes yes yes - there it is, there it is!! (fist punches the air)" moment in my studio, and maybe for that reason I will always have a special attachement to it...

Lyrics below. Have a listen and see what you think.

Next week - Track 3 - Molly Mae. (I can't imagine the description will be as long as this....)

Cheers,

Renny

(In case you're wondering, I will leave the songs up for two weeks at a time. So they'll still be there if you miss a week. Cheers!).

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

SARAH

Sarah, shine your little light on me
I’m waiting in the garden, I’m wandering through the trees so aimlessly
Can we lay down just you and me so I never have to leave

Sarah, come speak your sweet language to me
Come and whisper in my ear so the words you say are clearer than my dictionary
Can we lay down just you and me underneath the willow tree
If I found you here with me, you know I’d never have to leave

If you sing by yourself I won’t hear you
I can live by myself, but it’s better to be near you.
Oh Sarah can we walk, through the fields, by the stream
Sarah can we walk, just the two of us
The way it was meant to be

Sarah, shine your little light on me
Come find me in the garden, you’d fit here in the trees so perfectly
Can we lay down just you and me so I never have to leave

If you sing by yourself, I won’t hear you.
I can live by myself, but it’s better to be near you.
Oh Sarah can we walk, through the fields, by the stream

If you sing by yourself, I won’t hear you
I can live by myself, but it’s so much better with you
Oh Sarah can we walk, through the fields, by the stream
Sarah can we walk, just the two of us

The way it was meant to be

You know I’d never have to leave

Vocals, Acoustic Guitars, Piano, Keyboards, Percussion, Glock – Renny
Drums – Matt Field
Bass – Pat Savina
Backing Vocals – Sarah Humphreys, Sam Buckingham
Violas – Carl St Jaques
Violas arranged by Renny Field and Carl St Jaques

THE ARENA Part 1 - Iron Will

2009-08-13T17:37:00.001-07:00

If you've logged on for the first time and you are wondering what this is all about, then best to check out the previous blog and that will give you a bit more info.

As mentioned, I'll be posting a track each week from the new album "The Arena". A bit of a preview before the record is released in October.

IRON WILL:

Iron Will, the first song on the album, is also the oldest song on the album. I wrote it 5 years ago in fact - at a very different time in my life, but it still remains one of my favourites. Unfortunately I came up with some obscure tuning for this song, so I don't often play it live because I figure people don't really need to hear me tuning the guitar for ten minutes every show... And it's the only song I ever really play in that tuning. Those of you interested, its D-F#-D-E-A-C#. How it works, I am not exactly sure...

I wanted to start with a solo track on this album because essentially that's how all the songs started off - just voice and guitar. Me in the bedroom. In recent years I have really tried to make a point of writing songs that work on their own, because often I am touring around just solo with my guitar. Whereas a lot of the other songs however have really come to life with the band, this one is a little unique - every time we have ever tried playing it with the band it hasn't really worked. I am not sure why that is, perhaps it will one day. But for the time being, I am happy playing it by myself, and it was a nice fit for the opening track.

As an aside, I figured out just the other day that when I was recording this song my guitar was not actually IN tune. Relative to itself yes, but relative to the rest of the world of tuning not really... An odd mistake on my part you would have to say... I must have picked up the guitar at home and figured it sounded ok, so I ran with it. Hey it was very late at night, and I didn't want to take too long in case I woke up the next door neighbours. For those of you with perfect pitch, this might be annoying to listen to... For the other 99.9% of the population (myself included), I think it still works.

Thanks to my brother, who pretty much insisted that I put this song on the album. It didn't make the cut for the last CD - funny how things work out...

Next week - "Sarah".

See you then.

Renny

-------

IRON WILL:

Iron will, you think that’ll get you through

Drink your fill, there’s no more that you can do

Rest your frame on me.

Make the most of someone else’s company.

No-one’s gonna judge you.

....

Will of steel, staring at the ocean in front of you

How does it feel when you’re camped out on the rocks

Watching the tide come in to get you

If you don’t articulate what you’re thinking

How you gonna stop yourself from sinking

Let it all go. No-one’s gonna judge you.

....

Why would you settle for this, like it was meant to happen

You should be shaking your fists, not pretending it doesn’t matter

I know it feels safer inside, but what’s the use in living with something to hide

....

How can you keep that same face, like you have no emotion

I want you to feel my embrace, but you’re numb from your magic potion

You don’t need to hurt any more

So do yourself a favour, let someone in the door

No-one’s gonna judge you.

....

Iron will, you think that’ll make things better

Quiet still, not happy with discussing the state of the weather

But this cloud will rain like any other

And an iron will won’t give you any better cover

....

Let it all go, no-one’s gonna judge you

Let it all go, no one’s gonna judge you.

....

Vocals and Guitar – Renny

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

Random Touring Story - As promised...

The Locomotive Hotel, Junee. Sat 25th July 2009.

(This is true. No I did not make it up. It really happened...)

After a mad dash up the Olympic Highway to Junee (the game of golf in Albury took a little longer than expected), I arrived in Junee for my second show at the Locomotive Hotel. Aptly named - it is right beside the train tracks. But then again, everything is right beside the tracks in Junee - that's was the main industry in the town for many years. Railroads.

Anyway, as I enter the pub, it's quite clear that trains are the last things on anyone's mind. The local rugby league team has returned from their match in the afternoon - a draw against Narrandera. So there's not the celebratory "get wasted" vibe that accompanies a victory, there's not the down-hearted "get wasted" vibe that accompanies a loss, instead there is the "get wasted for the hell of it just because it's a Saturday night and what else would we do anyway" vibe that accompanies a draw. If you hadn't figured it out, they don't mind a beer in Junee. But I suppose that's not so different from most small towns.

The country pub gigs are interesting, but I love them because there's always some amusing tales that you end up with at the end of the night. Each venue has it's own "magic" about it. In Junee, I set up below 4 TAB screens (actually 3 TAB and a Fox Sports TV), which get turned down to a low volume whilst I am playing, but they are not COMPLETELY off. So there is just enough noise to remind you that certain patrons are probably more interested in the greyhounds. But that's cool - they are paying me.

The last time I played in Junee, every 5 minutes someone would request "Flame Trees" by Jimmy Barnes. This is a great song, but I didn't know it. Which I kept telling them of course, it's just that they REALLY wanted to hear it. So on this occasion, I had prepared "Flame Trees", and gave it my best effort. Twice at the pub, and 5 times at the house part I went to afterwards (I am getting to that - that's the good bit).

You've always got to be careful at the "Loco" (by name, by nature?), because there is no "Stage" so to speak - you are on ground level with everyone else. So when I am playing a particularly well known cover song, and various Juneeans decide they would like to dance, I always have to keep an eye out for the odd stray arm or leg that flies into my microphone stand, thus thrusting the microphone itself straight towards my mouth. If it weren't for my lightning reflexes, it's very possible I may have left Junee without any teeth. But hey that's all part of the fun.

So, if you're up for a character-building exercise, and a good laugh, then I thoroughly recommend going to play a show at The Loco in Junee. They even put your name on the big poster out the front. It's awesome.

On this particular night, the fans of Flame Trees apparently wanted to hear more when it came to closing time, so they invited me back to their house to play for a few more hours at the after-party. Having given up the alcohol, this is an interesting proposition. I am stone cold sober, and I have been asked to go to a house at 12.30am to play cover songs for a few more hours to a room full of wasted people. However, there is a cash incentive on offer, and I figure I haven't got much to lose - at the very least it's another story to tell. And really the people in Junee, wasted or otherwise, are a pretty good crew - it was worth giving it a go.

Half an hour later, I had packed up my things, found the house, and I was sitting in front of the fire with the aforementioned room full of wasted people playing a whole bunch of requests - songs I don't really know but I can do a good enough job of figuring out. Including Flame Trees of course. It's a really great song - did I mention that?

At some stage of the night, and I can't remember when exactly, it became apparent to me that most of the people in the room had stepped outside for a cigarette. An interesting observation, because we weren't in the pub any more, so there was no real need for anyone to go outside, but they did anyway. A polite gesture for a wasted rugby player you would have to agree... But I digress...

So yes - most of the people were outside. In fact, there were just 4 audience members remaining. And me playing one of the classics. A one hit wonder of some sort I am assuming - I can't really remember. I wish I could, but perhaps I have erased it from memory on account of the circumstances that unfolded.

Anyway I am about half way through the song, and one of these blokes decides, in all his wisdom, that to simply dance and sing along is not enough, and the experience would be so much better with his pants around his ankles. Not the full monty fortunately - just the jeans.

So there I am - playing a cheesy cover song to 4 blokes dancing and singing along - one of whom has his jeans around his ankles... In itself, probably the most bizarre gig experience I have ever had. What I wasn't prepared for was the next part.

The other 3 followed suit!

You

have

kidding

me...

So now - if you can picture it - I am singing a song in a random house in Junee. In the wee hours of the morning. In a room with 4 blokes dancing and singing along with beer in hand. All with their pants around their ankles. This is surely something that could only happen in Australia. Come on.

I would say I was speechless, but somehow I managed to finish the song, at which point the jeans were pulled back up and the four of them all left the room like nothing had ever happened. And shortly after, the rest of the party returned, and everything was back to "normal". I played for another hour or so, threw in a triple encore of flame trees, said my thankyous, then took off back to Wagga where I was staying.

I remember looking around whilst "the incident" (shall we say) was taking place, just to check if there was anyone else around who was witnessing the situation. But I never saw another soul. It's like everyone else at the house had vacated the room just so me and the four dudes with their jeans around their ankles could have our special moment together. On reflection, I am not exactly sure why I kept playing. Was it the old "Show must go on" mentality that kept me going? It's hard to say. In any case, I don't imagine I will ever have another gig experience quite like it.

Well here's hoping anyway. I think once is enough...

Then again, if they were the Miss Australia contestants....

OK that'll do me.

Anyone for a trip to Junee next time round?

Introducing THE ARENA

2009-08-13T17:37:00.000-07:00

Hi Everyone. I am still alive.

Well I honestly wasn't sure if I'd ever make it to this point but my third Album, "The Arena" is pretty much ready to go. A few bits and pieces to sort out before it gets pressed up, but as far as the music is concerned, my work is done! It's a big relief after what has been an extremely challenging year trying to self-produce for the first time. Holed up in my home studio at Avalon, I did often wonder if I would ever emerge... What's it like? Well I reckon it's ok. Here's the first review in fact:

"Enough highs to make it interesting. Not enough lows to make it crap."

Renny Field.

In truth, there are moments where I can't believe how good it sounds, and there are moments where it hasn't quite ended up the way I intended it to, but it all comes together to create something I am proud of. And I suppose that's the most important part.

"The Arena" will be out through MGM distribution in October, and to promote the release I will be putting up one new track each week on myspace. There are 14 tracks in total - that will take us through to the start of the launch tour in November (dates to be announced soon). I suppose it's like a sneak preview, although that always sounds a lot grander than it actually is.... In any case, it's a chance for you to have a listen to some songs you have never heard. And some others you might have heard, but which now sound a lot different to the solo versions that have been in circulation to this point.

Together with the music, each week I will post the lyrics, along with a bit of information about the song, where it came from and how it was recorded. It might give you some idea of how the album came together, and what it's all about. Something to look forward to at the start of each week? Well I guess that depends on what you think of it...

Hope you enjoy "The Arena".

Stay tuned for more updates and info in the coming weeks.

And a few stories... It's been a while since my last touring tale...

Cheers,

Renny

July and Beyond...

2009-07-02T17:35:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone, just me again. I'll be quick... Or my version of quick... which is not usually all that quick. But hey I am trying.

A big thanks to all those who have come along to a show in the past month. Out little "unplugged" experiment at Bar Me was an interesting night - some great peformances from Amy Vee and Peregrine (Brett and Felix). It was a promising little idea and worth trying - I may re-visit it at some stage in the future, but for the time being I'll continue to enjoy the assistance of a PA system....

Still time to get to a few of the upcoming shows. If you're that way inclined:

SAT 4TH JULY
The Independence Day Spectacular*
The Kings Hotel
60 George St, Bathurst
Free Entry - From 9pm
(*Deliberate exaggeration to achieve effect).

SUN 5TH JULY
The Oxford Arts Factory, Sydney
Supporting Carus and Loren.
These guys are two of the great Troubadours of the Australian music scene. I last played with them way back in '04-05. Looking forward to it.
Tix $15 at the door.
Or follow the link to book in advance:
http://www.moshtix.com.au/Event.aspx?id=27850&pLock=&vip=&skin=&ref=

SUN 12TH JULY
Michael Jackson tribute night.
The El Rocco Room, Bar Me
Cnr William & Brougham st, Kings Cross.
Featuring some great local artists, including Ray Mann, Sam Buckingham, and Sarah Humphreys.
And as an added incentive - no I will not be trying to dance.
Tickets $15 at the door. Or book in advance:
http://www.moshtix.com.au/Event.aspx?id=27850&pLock=&vip=&skin=&ref=

I am good with the links this week aren't I? Very professional stuff.

You may be interested to know that it is about this point of the email each week I redirect my attention to myspace to remember my upcoming shows. Such is the organised chaos otherwise known as my life.

You might also like to do the same - that way you don't have to read any more of my "quick" email:

www.myspace.com/rennyfield

Moving on:

SAT 25TH JULY
Locomotive Hotel
5 Hill Street, Junee
Free Entry - from 9pm.

SUN 26TH JULY
The Tourist Hotel
91 Fitzmaurice St, Wagga Wagga
Still can't find the 2nd Wagga...
Free Entry - from 6pm.

Note re the above 2 Shows:
The Rural trips I do are a lot of fun. I wouldn't say the gig settings are always spectacular but any chance to get out of the city is great. I'd be lying if I told you I didn't have to throw in the occasional Aussie Pub classic to keep the locals at bay, but that's a part of the experience. And at the very least there's always a few interesting characters to meet along the way. I am trying to add one more show to this trip for Friday 24th July. Somewhere in the same region. Keep an eye on myspace. There will be a lot more regional shows with the Album release later in the year. Worth a trip some time if you feel like coming "on tour" - albeit a little more low-key than your average pop star...

AND FINALLY:

SUN 2ND AUGUST
The Fringe Bar
Oxford Street, Darlinghurst
Sunsets 1st Birthday Party!
Entry $8 which includes a drink.
Featuring The Green Mohair Suits, Brian Campeau, Chris Arnott and more.

I've run out on myspace...

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

THE ARENA - ALBUM RELEASE UPDATE.

One day I will write some sort of blog about "The recording of" this album, because it's probably a tale worth telling. Then again, assuming people would prefer not to be pulling their hair out and experiencing chronic back and shoulder problems from staring at a screen whilst simultaneously having no idea what they are looking at, maybe I'll just keep the whole thing to myself. In short, it's been a battle. I wouldn't say I have won the war, but the conflict has just about reached a resolution. To that end, I'll have a product to release for you in a few months time - OCTOBER to be exact.

Stay tuned as there will probably be a single floating about in the lead-up, and most likely I'll send some sort of annoying email asking you to vote somewhere. Which you could just ignore if you wish. That would be fine by me. But I'll still have to send it of course, just so I can say I did. Really the only vote I'll need you to make is with your feet - to come along to the album launch party! Which will also be in October - I will confirm the details in the next email. It's gonna be one hell of a bash. A lot of people have helped me put this thing together - they deserve a celebration just as much as I do.

Also, as I mentioned earlier, there will be a tour. Both here and overseas. And as I always say, if you'd like me to stop by your neck of the woods, by all means drop me a line. I'll do my best.

And don't worry, even if i do manage to sell 10-15 copies of my record, I won't start writing emails in the 3rd person.

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

NOTICEBOARD:

*My car is alive again! It cost me lots of money. (I am still finishing off a story about this - to be posted soon on myspace).

*If you're looking for a good cause to support, why not the heart foundation?! A good mate of mine, Anthony Peridis, is running the New York marathon in November and raising some money in the process. Check it out. There is a great picture of him playing AFL against girls - perhaps you could ask him to explain that to you?! http://my.artezpacific.com/personalPage.aspx?SID=102505

*I just had some great photos done for the new album. Thoroughly recommend you enlist the help of this lad if you need some shots done yourself. Family, Weddings, Promo, Sports, Ice Dancing. You name it. And at great rates $$. www.pearsephotography.com.au
Another Anthony in fact. How about that.

*And for something musical, why not check out these guys if you're looking for a cruisy Sunday afternoon of chilled Jazz/funk.
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=672021526#/event.php?eid=117375263474

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

Thanks for tuning in. See you soon.

Renny

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

www.keepitbrief.com/thatisquiteevidentlyimpossibleformetodo

Hey June, Don't make it bad

2009-06-03T17:24:00.000-07:00

A big thanks to JP for title of this month's update - certainly an improvement on "Music Maylout" I'm sure you'll agree. I'll take suggestions now for July, because evidently I am finding it difficult to think of things myself. If I had a record deal someone would be doing this for me, but where's the fun in that?!

Is it June already?! Have I really just spent the last 6 months working on an album?! And the rest?! Yes yes yes. (But I can't imagine City Ford is saying that more often at the moment.... ). Ok giving up with the jokes now:

FRIDAY 5 JUNE - KINGS HOTEL, BATHURST
60 George Street.
Solo show from 9pm. Free Entry.
Run to Paradise anyone?

SAT 13TH JUNE - "THE LIVING ROOM" @ BAR ME WITH AMY VEE
Bar Me - Cnr William & Brougham St, Kings Cross.
This is the pick of the next month folks - a special unplugged acoustic show. We are not going to be using the PA - the idea is to give you a sense of the songs in their rawest possible form, to take you back to the moment they were first created (in the living room perhaps...). Amy is coming down from Newcastle to join me, and Brett Winterford (Peregrine) will be doing a special guest set set to kick things off. A very relaxed evening, so come on down and join us. A bit of a change from the usual Saturday night madness in the Cross...
Tickets $12 on the door.
Book in advance for Dinner & Show - (02) 9368 0894

SAT 21 JUN - FETE DE LA MUSIQUE
Parramatta Park, Sydney.
Riverside Stage.
Free Entry. On Stage 12pm.

FRI 26 JUN - HEART FOUNDATION CHARITY DINNER.
Anthony Peridis' New York Marathon Journey.
A good friend of mine is competing in this year's New York Marathon, and is raising money along the way for the heart foundation.
A limited number of table bookings are still available. For details, follow the link below:
http://www.facebook.com/inbox/?ref=mb#/event.php?eid=75518668343

SAT 4 JULY - KINGS HOTEL, BATHURST
60 George Street.
Solo Show from 9pm. Free Entry.

SUN 5 JULY - OXFORD ARTS FACTORY
Oxford St, Sydney
Supporting CARUS and LOREN
Solo show. On Stage 8pm. Tix $15 at the door.

And looking further ahead......

SAT 25 JULY - LOCOMOTIVE HOTEL, JUNEE
Solo show, 9pm. Free Entry.
All aboard...

SUN 26 JULY - TOURIST HOTEL, WAGGA
Solo show. 6pm. Free Entry.
Still trying to find the other Wagga...

SUN 2 AUGUST - SUNSETS @ THE FRINGE BAR
Sunsets 1 Year Birthday Party!
With Chris Arnott, the Green Mohair Suits and many many more!!
$8 Entry which includes a drink.

For regular news and updates on upcoming shows, please visit www.myspace.com/rennyfield

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

THE ALBUM:

I did mention that yes... And I have mentioned it for god knows how long, but each day I get a little bit closer. Hopefully by the time it is released, the whole thing will make a bit more sense. For the time being, I've put a few of the songs up on MYSPACE - one of which is "Our Time". I think a few of you might have come and help me out with that one a while back...

www.myspace.com/rennyfield

THE VIDEO CLIP:

The dream is not over, just on hold for the time being... :)
Stay tuned.

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

SHOULD I COME TO YOU?!

In the course of the past few years, I have played shows all over the place - both in Australia and overseas. If you've got some ideas about where you'd like me to travel, or if you've been on the mailing list for a few years and you can't understand why I never made it back to your part of the world - please feel free to send me an email and I'll try to stop by again. I am currently looking at options for the album launch tour later this year, so open to suggestions from the fans!** I can do pubs, clubs, bars, cafes, concert halls, opera houses, arenas, stadiums, ... ah whoops I went the wrong direction there didn't I.... After "Cafes", it should have read Restaurants, Bookshops, Living Rooms, Back Yards. It's not that I wouldn't like to play in those other places, but it's about realistic objectives folks! Bearing in mind - I played in a squatters house in Amsterdam last year, so really I am not all that picky.

(**"Fan" = Generous assessment of dunk person who mistakenly signed the email list several years ago because they thought they were going into the draw to win a new home.)

Now I just need to get my car fixed so I can actually get out of Sydney... Ah yes the old Corona Wagon - a tragic but amusing tale from my recent trip to Wagga and Junee. I will be posting a blog on myspace shortly - it's a story worth telling.

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

NOTICEBOARD:

* A Shout out to my good mate and Accordion / Piano superstar in the Renny Field band (The Beautiful Shambles) - Happy Birthday mate! www.myspace.com/kenteastwood

* Congratulations to Annaliese Szota on her debut EP. www.myspace.com/annaliesemarie

* THANKS to everyone who came along to last Saturday's secret show with the Falls. They have some new songs up too: www.myspace.com/musicfromthefalls

* And FERGUS BROWN - Just released his debut album. Currently on tour. Check it out: www.myspace.com/fergusbrown

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

IT'S REALLY RAINING HERE:

And it's loud on the roof. Which means I can't record any vocals at the moment, but there's still a bit of mixing left to do, so I'd better be off...

Hope to see you at a show some time soon.

Cheers,

Renny

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

And now on Facebook too:
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=75518668343#/pages/RENNY-FIELD/82293007072?sid=c70a1d4d0bc5af342921737bd4435a36&ref=search

Could someone explain the point of twitter. So I signed up, but I still don't understand....

The News... May '09

2009-04-30T17:17:00.000-07:00

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

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

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

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

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

2009-04-28T17:17:00.000-07:00

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

2009-04-14T17:16:00.000-07:00

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

2009-04-07T17:15:00.000-07:00

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

2009-04-02T17:14:00.000-07:00

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!

The Weekly... Volume 34

2009-03-30T17:13:00.000-07:00

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

2009-03-25T17:12:00.000-07:00

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

2009-03-18T17:12:00.000-07:00

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

2009-03-08T17:11:00.000-07:00

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!

2009-03-03T17:10:00.000-08:00

(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

The Weekly... Volume 29

2009-02-24T17:09:00.000-08:00

The Weekly... Volume 29

So I continue to battle away up here in recording land. I can't figure out why it takes so long sometimes to complete the most inane tasks. Little doodling guitar parts, the takes, the retakes, the rethinks, the retrys... It's a bit crazy. I figure if you ever want to get someone committed, just send them off to a house in the country by themselves with a bunch of recording gear and tell them to make an album. There's a better than even chance they'll drive themselves insane. Fortuantely my slip into the land of madness is currently being tempered as a result of me being heavily sedated by antibiotics. This must be the first time in years that I have actually had two weeks "off", and then lo and behold I manage to get a throat infection. I don't need to tell you that this makes the recording of an album fairly problematic at best. Unless I was trying to do a Louis Armstrong tribute record of course. But unfortunately I am not. I am trying to do a Renny Field record. And I don't think I sound like Louis Armstrong. At least not yet anyway.

In more positive news, it looks like I will be receiving a cheque for $900 some time in the near future. And whilst I completely disagree with the concept of handing out cash to fix the economy, I would like to thank Kevin Rudd for paying for the first run of copies of the new album. Who needs a recording contract when you've got the Australian goverment.

So that's the buzz. Word out.

PS. Assuming I have recovered in time, there is a show this Wednesday which is worth checking out. Have a look at the gig guide.

PPS. Cough cough cough

The Weekly... Volume 28

2009-02-16T17:08:00.000-08:00

**The Volume 28 Challenge**

I will be taking suggestions for the topic of a new song, and I need your ideas. The winner will be announced with the song in 2 weeks time. So all you need to do is comment on this blog with your suggestion, and I will post the new tune along with The Weekly Volume 30. Hey it might be terrible, but it will be good fun. Which is sort of the point. I am not sure if anyone will actually read this in time, but in that case I will write the song about a musician who posts blogs on myspace that no-one ever reads. That will almost definitely be terrible, but it will still be fun. Possibly...

Random ideas more than welcome.

OK moving on...

A story for you all...

The other day I was catching a bus into the city, and there were THREE cameras on the thing. Three! Plus there was a TV screen rotating between the three cameras just to remind everyone they were being filmed. Could someone please explain to me why it is necessary to film a bus-load of pensioners and out of work musicians at lunchtime on a Tuesday? It felt like a scene out of the movie "Speed" - you know the one where the bus has to stay at 50 miles per hour. Only there was no Sandra Bullock for me to save. Which was a shame really, because it was one of those rare situations where the out of work musician may have stood a chance. But yeah - three cameras. How about that. I suppose this is the sort of society we live in. Bugger.

Might mention a gig coming up at the end of the month - you should come along if you're free. It'll be great:

Wed 25 Feb. The Excelsior Hotel. 64 Foveaux Street, Surry Hills.
Supporting Sam Buckingham and Sarah Humphreys.
Solo show. Doors open 8pm. Tix $12.
Renny on stage at 10pm.
Sam and Sarah have been doing a residency each Wednesday in February. I went last week and it was a cracker. It's really nice of them to ask me to play the final spot of the month. Can't wait.

Not a whole lot to report this week (as you may have been able to tell). Recording is still ticking along pretty nicely. I'll start to put a few rough mixes up soon.

In summing up, it's been emotional.

I'll do my best to raise the bar for Volume 29. Promise.

Cheerio

The Weekly... Volume 27

2009-02-10T17:01:00.000-08:00

Hola.

Again not so much of a weekly when it takes 3 weeks between entries, but there you go... It is now 2.30am and I have just finished a marathon day of recording. It feels good to be making progress, but I am not sure how effective I am at this time of night. And I don't have a clue why I thought it was a good idea to write a blog at 2.30 in the morning. But then again a lot of my ideas are like that - completely against the laws of common sense. That's just the way I fly sometimes. Take it or leave it.

It's been a fairly productive last few weeks. There was a trip to Tamworth for some shows with Sam Buckingham and Sarah Humphreys. Only Sarah got sick at the last minute, so it was just me and Sam.Which wasn't so bad was it Sam? (I have it on good authority that Sarah is now back to full voice!).

As it turned out, there were a bunch of other people we knew floating around in Tamworth so a few of them were able to join us on stage as well. Which was great. I managed to drive up through the night after a very important game of ultimate frisbee (of course they are all important that's why they call it "Ultimate"). As I was approaching Tamworth, it turned out that Barack Obama was being sworn in, so that was a little moment in history that I was able to enjoy at 4am in the morning somewhere on the New England highway whilst looking for the next 24hr servo with a coffee machine. I think that's one of those "Can you remember where you were" moments. The first black president of the US of A. Well Baz (that's what we'd call you here in Oz), I was with ya. You kept me awake through the lonely miles en route to the golden guitar. So already you have done me a great service, and that was before you got the green light on your financial stimlus package. Good on you.

Speaking of stimulus packages, seeing as I mentioned you on my blog, do you think out of the 1 Trillion dollars that you might be able to throw me a spare $20,000 to go on a world tour once I've finished this album? I'll let you think that one over Baz, I know that times are tough.

So why have I started writing this directly to the US President anyway? Because it's 2.30 in the morning folks. Now where was I?

Yeah - Tamworth. I rather like the Country Music Scene. If you can get over the apparent fascination with backing tracks (which mostly sound like the Karaoke machine at the Pickled Possum) then it's a really great environment for music. I find the country music crowd is more inclined to find something to like about you before they start tearing strips out of you. Contrast that with a few other music scenes (sneaker rock perhaps), and it's pretty refreshing. Makes for a nice environment to play your tunes. Even though Sam and I are not really country, people appreciated what we had to offer. Just as they did last year. So whenever I can, I'll make the pilgrimage to Tamworth - that's the point I was trying to make. And if you haven't been, then I would recommend it. Even just once to say you did.

After Tamworth we played one of the more inspiring shows I have played in a long long while. A good friend of ours Kent Eastwood had set up a gig at the Chapel Theatre in Glen Innes - about 2 hours further north. Along the same highway, but without Barack Obama's encouragement this time. The Chapel theatre was, as the name suggests, an old Chapel that head been converted (into a theatre.... but I guess you got that already....), and it was just magic. Kent, Sam and myself all played a few songs each, then joined each other for a full set after the interval. Yes that's right there was an interval. How good is that. And in true country-style, there were home made cakes and biscuits to eat with our Tea and Coffee. Now that sort of stuff doesn't happen at the hopetoun. Say nothing of the feast that the Eastwoods prepared for lunch that day. Or the bullsh... accomodation that we were provided with. Too good for words. Soul food. Soul food. Certainly made the 8hr drive back to Sydney a lot easier. Gold Jerry.

So it's now 2.43 .And that's about all from me. The shows have died down a little whilst I try to concentrate on getting this record finished off. I can tell you that it's going to be 14 tracks. If you're interested that is. It's slowly starting to sound like something you would listen to. Which is I sort of the point I suppose. It's just that for a while there, I wondered if it ever would....

Goodnight. Adieu. See you soon.

Renny

The Weekly... Volume 26

2009-01-12T17:00:00.000-08:00

Hello Blogees... I am assuming that's what you call the reader of a blog. Not a blogger, but a blogee. But I assume a lot of things. And you know what they say about assumptions, so I wouldn't be using that in your next thesis.

Friday night's show at Bar Me was a great night - probably the most I have enjoyed playing in a few months to be honest. Big thanks to Edoardo and Megan as well. It was my first show there in about a year, and it's great to see the venue back in familiar hands again. I really think it's an important room for the local songwriter scene. It's certainly got the opportunity to push different styles of music, and encourage a different type of audience to go and see live shows. One of the few places in the city that is promoting a music in a cultural sense, rather than a fashion sense. Works for me, because I always seem to be years behind the fashion trends anyway. Did I mention I found a great truckers hat the other day?

This is the part where I'd like to tell you how well the recording is going, and when it is due to be released. But unfortunately it is proving to be a difficult beast to conquer. I am learning to remove the obstructions, but it is taking time. When I decided to self-produce my album, I had no real comprehension of the challenges it would create. The concept of self-producing is beautiful to me, because it is the opportunity to create something that is truly your own. But acquiring the necessary amount of "Creative bravery" is proving difficult. I am not sure if this blog is the correct forum to be spitting out this type of stuff, but I always try to be positive so I figure it can't hurt once in a while to give you all a snapshot into the other side of the artistic process. The darker side. The "I can't do this" side. I wish it was easier to cast aside the doubt, but then I suppose that's what makes the light at the end of the tunnel so much more inspiring when you get there.

On a more positive note, i did manage to write a song the other day. It's the first one I have written on the piano for about 2 years. Hard to believe it's been that long when so much of my early music was driven by the keyboard stuff. Anyway I kind of like it. Feels good to be back on the horse.

I hope you find somebody's hand
To guide you to that sacred promised land.
Where the hour glass is chocked full up of sand.
And it won't run out.

Who's coming to Tamworth? Go on. You'll love it.

See you soon,

Renny

The Weekly... Volume 25

2009-01-02T16:58:00.000-08:00

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

So it's 2009 - Two thousand and Divine I have heard some people say. We'll wait and see about that.

Just got back from a few days at the Peats Ridge Festival. It was great to see so many local artists doing so well. As a festival, it's as good as any going round. Maybe I'm showing my age, but it's nice to be able to walk around and enjoy yourself rather than having to edge your way through 5000 wasted teenagers so you might, if your lucky, be able to catch a glimpse of a band you wanted to see. There is always a front row seat at Peats Ridge - that's the best part. And the music was world class. A big thank you to Kent Eastwood who joined me on stage for my set on New Years Eve - mate it is always a pleasure. Not to forget the Mischief of course on the Kazoos, and Richie Cuthbert deserves a mention for adding a touch of Choas to proceedings. What a good laugh.

Before Peats Ridge, we had time for a mad dash to Tathra on the South Coast of NSW. What a beautiful spot. Untouched when compared to travelling a similar distance north. If only I was able to stay down there a bit longer. The show was great fun, and once again thanks to Mort and Sue for your support, and helping us get down there to play from time to time.

So this one is a short one - I am about to pack my bags and head off to the studio. Plenty to be done.

Wishing you all every success in 2009.

Much love from me

The Weekly... Volume 24

2008-12-23T16:55:00.000-08:00

Hello subscribers. All three of you. How are you? Good to hear! (I am guessing there, but hey it’s Christmas so I figure you’re probably doing pretty well. Being silly season and all…). A few days late courtesy of the show on Sunday night, but you know what they say about late vs never. And I am a big believer in that theory. This may have something to do with the fact that I am often slightly behind schedule... Not always in a "fashionable" way either. But I am working on it...

Coming at you from the Internet Cafe in Manly. I am yet to get the internet connected in my new place here. I am wondering if I really need it? Maybe I can just get by on wireless hot spots and internet cafes. That would be a lot cheaper... And you get to meet more backpackers. AND they give you free frisbees. Seriously - I got one the other day.

First things first – a huge thanks to everyone who came along on Sunday night to the Christmas spectacular spectacular. We had a great time, and there were moments in the set where I thought the band sounded as good as we have together all year. So hats off to everyone who was involved – a nice one for the last band show of 2008. Special thanks also to Liz on the Viola, who my brother recruited the night before whilst slightly intoxicated – turns out she could really play!

Not to be forgotten – Brett, Felix and the Stringettes – wonderful to do another show with you.

And Holly Austin you are a genius.

Happy to report also that we had a nice little collection of goodies to give to the Smith Family yesterday. I managed to find the “Base Camp” in Homebush, which is not the nicest drive from Manly it has to be said, but compared to what some people are up against at Christmas, I suppose a few cars on Military Road is hardly something to complain about. Thanks to all of you who put presents under our little tree at the Excelsior - it was a wonderful display of generosity. In case you were wondering, by Grandparents raised over $500 by selling raffle tickets for one of my grandfather’s paintings. That money also goes to the Smith Family, so it’s nice to know we’ve all played a small part in helping a few less fortunate folks. I spent some time with the Volunteers yesterday out at Homebush and seeing the amount of presents that had been donated around NSW was quite amazing. It seems the spirit of giving is well and truly in the air.

A bit of a break for me on the run-in to Christmas, but then I am down the South Coast for a couple of shows before heading up to the Peats Ridge Festival. Such a great lineup – can’t wait to settle in there for a few days and take it all in.

It's an interesting little period I am going through at the moment – the word “transition” springs to mind, but I won’t bore you with clichés. It hasn't been easy to settle back in here after my travelling this year, but I was reminded on Sunday night about the healing powers of music. I hit the stage feeling pretty stressed and left it feeling more or less at ease. A bit more than just the post-gig glow, more a feeling of contentment that at the end of the day, no matter what is going on in my life, I'll always have my songs. And I am not one to get all spiritual and touchy-feely on you, but I do believe that the creative process can be a very powerful thing as long as it's not neglected. Mental note taken...

Anyway after a very busy year of tours, tours and more tours, it might be time to take a little breather so I can actually get this new album finished. Rest assured however, there’ll still be enough going on to operate this rambling blog of mine for a while yet.

Merry Christmas to you all. Make sure you eat a lot. That is the whole point. You can worry about the spare tyre next year… On your way to the Peats Ridge Festival. Then you can add to it with some home made Gozleme. That's what I'll be doing.

Cheers for now.

Renny

The Ultimate Christmas Spectacular Spectacular. Sun 21 Dec

2008-12-18T16:54:00.000-08:00

WAY more spectacular than your average spectacular.... I promise!

THE RENNY FIELD BAND - FINAL SHOW OF 2008

At the moment, we have 8 people playing with the band on Sunday. This number could grow depending on who I manage to round up in the next few days. We also have a suggestion for the band name - "Renny Field and the Beautiful Shambles". Because I like to have lots of different people playing with us. Makes things interesting. What do you think?

Like the Baby Shambles, but without the crack habit.

SUN 21 ..HE EXCELSIOR HOTEL
64 Foveaux Street, Surry Hills
Doors open 5pm. Music from 6pm sharp.

With Brett Winterford (Peregrine).

and a Special Mystery Guest!!

No I'm not telling you who he is... Or she... You'll have to come and see for yourselves.

Tix $10 at the Door. Food available at the venue. And drinks of course. Pubs usually sell drinks.

CHRISTMAS PRESENT APPEAL:
We will be setting up a Christmas Tree at the venue, and we are asking people to bring a Christmas present for a small child to put beneath the tree. The presents will then be given to the Smith Family for their annual Christmas present appeal. It's not much, but it might help Santa get to a few more homes in time for the big day. The Smith Family have asked that each present be labeled with Male/Female and a rough age group. This will assist with the distribution. Doesn't have to be a big present, but anything you could manage would be great. Thanks!
(And thanks to my brother for that great idea).

ARTWORK RAFFLE:
Just when you thought it couldn't get any more spectacular, my Grandfather has decided to run a raffle for one of his famous paintings (well they should be famous). How good is that? I reckon you'll love it. And all the proceeds from the raffle will be going straight to the Smith Family. That was mighty nice of him I thought, so if you don't particularly like my music you could at least stop by to have a chat with Gramps and buy a ticket in the raffle. You might even get a new painting on the wall for Christmas!

I am excited!!

But I will stop using exclamation marks now...

Hope to see you there.

Cheers,

Renny

The Weekly... Volume 23

2008-12-15T16:51:00.000-08:00

OK so I counted back - we have returned to the Numerical system. This means that I am going to write one of these things once a week again - that was sort of the point when I started it up (hence the title...).

Anyway the week that was - another trip out to Bathurst for a show at the Kings Hotel. I really must thank Angus and the team out there for making us feel so welcome each time we go out. Normally I do a little Drums / Acoustic show with my brother, but this time around it was Han Solo. For some reason, the last three trips to Bathurst I have had to drive through the Central West version of Cyclone Tracy just to get there. Let me tell you - by yourself in a 1986 Toyota Corona, this is NOT cool. Even if you have 2 new tyres. Good thing it doesn't leak like my Old Dual sun-roof Tarago touring van. Is someone trying to test me? Trying to see if I REALLY want to be a musician? Do I REALLY want to put up with a 3hr drive to Bathurst through a Monsoon on a Friday night? (you see it changed from a Cyclone - I am working on my storytelling...). Well the answer to all those questions is YES - and whoever is testing me can keep doing it, because I ain't giving up that easily.

Closer to home, I had a couple of shows in Manly this week. My first 2 shows in Manly as a Manly resident! This is exciting. If I could get 5 gigs a week in Manly, then I'd never have to go anywhere. (But I'd still go to Bathurst of course... ).

I am keeping this Blog brief, because it's my "Get started again" blog, so it'll take a few weeks to get back my full blog fitness. I'll leave you with this one little story / rant.

Earlier this week, I was moving some more of my things to my new place. It was Monday, it was getting late, and I still hadn't had any dinner. So against my better judgment I stopped at the old faithful late night Indian diner on Oxford Street. God knows if the food is actually "Food" as we know it, but a bit of Rice and Naan bread is at least enough to keep the hunger pains at bay. I noticed a guy about 10m up the street doing some busking - in fact he was playing some old Elton john tunes on the piano, which I thought was pretty cool. Doing a great job of it to.

Well that's what I thought anyway - it turns out it wasn't cool at all. I had only just sat down outside to eat my dinner when the local rangers turned up to tell the guy to pack up and move on.

Why? Who was he bothering?

I couldn't quite believe it. Sure it was a Monday, but this guy was playing pleasant piano music. Nothing offensive, and certainly not as loud as the Buses that kept gong past every 2 or 3 minutes. Yes for some reason, the Rangers had to come and shut him up. Apparently someone had made a complaint... More likely it was a Monday, they were bored, so they decided to pick on someone. Just because they could. And they seem to like easy targets.

Oxford street is meant to be one of the all night "Strips" in Sydney. Even on a Monday, there are bars open most of the night. What on earth is wrong with a guy playing Piano on the footpath? The problem here is that it wouldn't have mattered where this bloke set up, he would have been cut off anywhere in the city... It's seems such a trivial thing to get upset about, but I was pissed off. If art and music is not allowed to exist at that most basic grass roots level, then what hope is there of it ever gaining a reasonable footing?

On my way to Bathurst I heard a guy call in on talkback radio to suggest that people go and check out some live music on a Friday night. The host, a fairly prominent media personality, asked the caller "Is there still live music in Sydney?".

It might have been said in jest, but it's hardly a laughing matter...

Sorry to drag that one down like that, but occasionally I think a mini-rant is in order.

Why not check out a gig somewhere this week - you might just enjoy it. I can think of at least one option...

SUN 21 DECEMBER.
THE CHRISTMAS SPECTACULAR SPECTACULAR.
More Spectacular than your avergage Spectacular.
RENNY FIELD BAND
Supported by Brett Winterford.
Plus a Mystery Guest!
Bring a kids present for the Smith Family!
Plus raffles and more!
The Excelsior Surry Hills.
64 Foveax Street.
Doors open 5pm. Tix $10.

But hey - there are plenty of venues, and plenty of bands.

Get amongst it folks. It's Christmas.

And if you see a guy playing Elton John on Piano, give him a few bucks!

See you soon

The Weekly... Volume..... Um.... December

2008-12-08T16:47:00.000-08:00

Well this is the monthly group email - I will work out exactly which weekly I am up to next time round. For now, I'll leave you with the following show updates:

WED 10 & THURS 11 ..THE MANLY DOUBLE!
No I don't mean two blokes - I mean the suburb of Manly. And a manly suburb it is! (Sort of, depending on how you look at it).

WED 10/12 - The Old Manly Boatshed
Solo show - On stage 9pm.
www.songwriterslive.com.au
Free Entry

THURS 11/12 - In Situ, Manly
18 Sydney Road (Just off the Corso).
Solo show 7.30 - 10.30pm.
Three hours of power - can you handle it?!
Free Entry. Great tapas menu.

FRI 12 DEC - BATHURST - THE KINGS HOTEL
Solo Show from 10pm.
Another 3 hours of power!
60 George Street, Bathurst.
You might want to do a road trip and check out Mt Panorama. It's cool.
The last two trips to Bathurst, there has been a brawl in the pub on both occasions. To this point I have resisted the urge to enclose the stage area in chicken wire a la the Good Old Boys / Blues Brothers, but I might get a few quotes from the local Bunnings this time round just in case...

If anyone makes it to both In Situ AND Bathurst (that would be 6 Hours of Power), I will pay for your appointment with a therapist the next week.

SUN 21 DECEMBER - THE INAUGURAL RENNY FIELD BAND CHRISTMAS SPECTACULAR SPECTACULAR!
Yes I did use the word Spectacular twice. And no it still doesn't even come close to describing how Spectacular this will be. I will be trying to feature a whole host of people who have played with the band over the past year. That means a lot of people on a fairly small stage, but it'll be fun.
Celebrating the year that was, and ushering in the better year that will be. (Or just chilling out after a big Saturday night - it's up to you).
Early show, so you'll all be able to get your beauty sleep.

THE EXCELSIOR HOTEL
64 Foveaux Street, Surry Hills.
Doors Open 5pm. Music from 6pm.
With Special Guest Brett Winterford (Peregrine).
And another... but you'll have to wait and see..
Tickets $10 at the Door.
Food available at the pub.

31 DECEMBER - NEW YEARS EVE
I'll be performing at the Peats Ridge Festival.
On stage 10pm at the Chai Tea Temple.
(Yes there is a Chai Tea Temple, and yes I am playing at it).
Mainly solo, but with a few to help out. Should be fun.
A great lineup of local and international artists - just over an hour from Sydney.
You could do worse!
www.peatsridgefestival.com.au

2009.....

BACK TO BAR ME
FRI 9 JAN - SOLO HEADLINE SHOW
Looking forward to returning to one of my favourite venues in Sydney.
Nice grand piano, and a great little room.
Book for Dinner and a Show - www.barme.com.au

TAMWORTH TOUR:

WED 21 JAN, THURS 22 JAN, FRI 23 JAN
THE LONGYARD, TAMWORTH
Round Robin Show with Sam Buckingham and Sarah Humphreys.
Singing songs, sharing stories.
10am - 1pm Each Day.
Next to the Golden Guitar.
FREE ENTRY

SUN 25 JAN - JUST CONFIRMED..
GLEN INNES!
With Kent Eastwood, Sam Buckingham, Sarah Humphreys.
More info to come.

FOR REGULAR UPDATES (and there will be a few), log on to www.myspace.com/rennyfield

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THANKS THANKS THANKS!

To everyone who has been to see a show in 2008, offered their encouragement, bought a CD, helped me out in a distant land, told a friend, signed the mailing list, or did something that made my little journey here more enjoyable. That goes out to all of you who ignored me whilst I was busking at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival (because now there is a great little video on youtube which I find very amusing), and in particular it goes out to the Jehovas Witness dude who tried to give me a flyer whilst I was in the middle of a song at a show in Ireland. My friend, you may think I had the sh..... s at the time, but I will be using that story for the rest of my life. So really, I can't thank you enough.

It has been a pretty crazy sort to year (in a good way), and I am looking forward to more of the same in 2009.

Best wishes to everyone for Christmas and the New Year, and I look forward to seeing you again soon.

Much love,

Renny

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PS.

The astute observers will remember that I was recording an album. That is still happening - in between all of the above. A bit crazy, but we're getting there.

But the plan is for a release early next year, so hang in there... Thanks for bearing with me.

In the mean time, grab yourself a great deal on some Christmas Presents:

www.rennyfield.com

(Hey you can't blame a guy for trying).