Ok another long one here folks, but I am spending a whole lot of time on trains... Enjoy!
SCOTLAND…
Whoops, I was reading back over that last blog and all of a sudden noticed my over-enthusiastic use of the exclamation mark as I neared my not-so-dramatic conclusion. I’ll try to be a bit more sparing this time… Incidentally, I am still trying to patent the “in-between” mark (I have mentioned this before) – that being half way between a full stop and an exclamation mark. Because there really needs to be a middle ground. (I could have used it here you see – by using the full stop it seems like I don’t really care too much about it, but if I used an exclamation mark then that would make me way too excited, or mad, or some other inappropriate emotional state).
I would show you what the “in between” mark looks like but, obviously, the symbol does not currently exist on the standard computer keyboard. Hence the constant full stop / exclamation mark conundrum that we all go through. Come on you know what I’m talking about. (Insert here again).
ANYWAY…
Where am I? Scotland. I like Scotland. In particular Edinburgh – such a great old city. The people are nice, and there is a strange sense of familiarity about it – almost like coming home, in a way. I’m not sure if I feel that way because I have been here before, or because of the welcome that we all received from the airport express bus driver which, from what I can remember, went something along the lines of:
“Good morning and welcome to Edinburgh. It’s wonderful to have you here with us. So glad you could come. This is the airport express bus, and I’ll be taking you into the middle of the city. If you need anything at all on our trip today, please do not hesitate to come up and ask and I’ll do my absolute best to help you out. For those of you who wish to get off at any point, please just press one of the many buttons you see throughout the bus and I’ll gladly pull over for you at the very next stop. If you have any other questions, again please feel free to come up and ask me. Ok then, I hope you have a fantastic stay in Edinburgh.”
“It really is wonderful to have you here”.
“Really really wonderful. Marvelous.”
(OK that last part was possibly a slight exaggeration).
All of this delivered with the warmest of warm Scottish accents. Like that cup of tea that you put your hands around on a cold rainy afternoon… that’s the type of comforting effect it was having on the airport express passengers that day. I may have even picked up a collective “Aaaahhhhh” as the driver finished what he had to say. This whilst I am smiling and thinking to myself:
“Thanks mate. You know what, I am glad to be here. Too right. And I think I really will have a fantastic stay”.
And it turns out I did.
THURS 14/8 – BLOC BAR, GLASGOW
The astute observers here may have picked up that this was the night after my final show in Dublin… which made for a pretty big day when you consider I had to wake up at 4am to catch a flight to Edinburgh. I think by the time I actually got to sleep after my show it was around 2am. That’s 22hrs if I remember correctly the addition/subtraction thing they taught me in my Commerce degree…
Arriving in Edinburgh, there was enough time to grab a coffee, dump my bags at the place I was staying for the next few days, and return to the “Royal Mile” (or the High Street as it was also called) to play my first busking spot. Several weeks earlier, I had managed to secure a busking “pitch” for 20mins each day on the Royal Mile, which is the main street performance area for the entire festival.
Now I’ve never been a huge busker, but I don’t mind doing it from time to time. Having said that, I could sense things would be difficult as I arrived and noticed two opera singers - in full costume - singing away to a fairly large crowd in the same spot I was about to play. Hmmm….. Then glancing up the street, I noticed the other busking pitches, which consisted of a Magician, an Illusionist duo, and a pair of Contortionists from Ghana. This is to say nothing of the Acrobats and Japanese drummers that were waiting to perform… Nor the selection of the worlds best street performers who were constantly rotating on the larger pitches in the middle of the street, performing to crowds numbering in the hundreds.
So you see I had my work cut out for me trying to compete with all that – bearing in mind I had just my songs and an acoustic guitar, and no real desire to paint my face or adopt any sort of ridiculous costume... That said, I thought I gave a pretty good account of myself, and managed to collect enough loose change in 20mins to pay for a sandwich, which I was fairly happy with. I am quite easily pleased.
(If you’re keen to see some busking footage, there is now a bit on Youtube – thanks Amanda – just do a search for “Renny Field” on www.youtube.com)
The Royal Mile is the central focal point for the entire festival, because that’s where everyone comes to check out the street performances, and it’s right in the middle of town. It’s also where all the other performers come to promote their shows (Comedy/Theatre/Dance/Music/Whatever!) that are running for the duration of the festival. At times it seemed like there were more people handing out flyers that there were members of the general public. Literally. (And the flyer-hander-outerers included myself for a few days… courtesy of my upcoming show). It’s practically impossible to make a choice – invariably you end up basing a decision on a friend’s recommendation, or taking a chance on something because it’s on at a time you happen to be free. I favoured the latter option for the main part, and saw a pretty diverse range of shows in the few days I was there. The scale of the event is quite amazing – hundreds of venues, thousands of artists and performers. They say the population of Edinburgh triples for the festival, and it wouldn’t be far off. From sun up till sun down and to sun up again. It basically runs right through the day and night. Madness, but great fun.
Anyway, I lost track there – I am meant to be discussing a show in Glasgow…
Glasgow is just under an hour from Edinburgh on the train, and is the bigger of the two cities. Turns out you actually head west to Glasgow, not North as I had originally thought on that first train journey. Which left my sense of direction completely askew. And I struggle with the North/South thing at the best of times. So understandably, I did the safest thing possible when I got in to Glasgow – sat down at the restaurant in the train station and ordered dinner. How very adventurous of me. As luck would have it, the waitress spoke a peculiar Glasweigan brand of English that I was more or less able to understand – hence I departed the restaurant with a full stomach and a rough idea of the directions to the Bloc Bar. 20mins and a few circles later, I was there. If there is one thing this tour has certainly taught me, it is to embrace “the backtrack”.
Despite arranging the gig at late notice, this was in fact my own headline show (a rare opportunity on this tour…) so it was nice to play for an hour or so and not have to stop after 5 songs. Bar Bloc is a great little underground bar. I say ‘underground’, but it’s more like ‘half underground’, as are several bars along the same street – sitting a few stairs below street level, almost like they don’t really want people to know about them… but people do of course know about them... Turns lots of the bars were pretty packed that night, which ends up giving the street a really cool atmosphere.
The Bloc Bar wasn’t exactly sold out for my show, but there were still a few people there to play to, and a few of them even seemed vaguely interested in what I was doing – bonus. I forget sometimes when I am playing the songs ALL the time that the people I am playing them to have NEVER heard them before. So I imagine it’s difficult to get through a full hour of original material…. Perhaps I should learn a few Elvis covers? (Or perhaps not).
A nice girl by the name of Paula opened up for me in Glasgow, and not only did she do a fine job of performing, but she also brought a friend who was able to give me a lift to the train station when I finished the show! A mad dash ensued (as per my usual method of being “on time”, and I bolted from the car to the train – sneaking through the closing doors just in time to get back to Edinburgh. Phew. After a day like that, I really didn’t need to be sleeping in the Queen Street train station for the night, as impressive as it may be… But I did quite like my first trip to Glasgow!
Zzzzzzzzzzz…. Taxi……… Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.
FRI 15/8 – THE 13TH NOTE, GLASGOW
A nice sleep in was followed by another stint of busking. I think my crowd numbered about 3 at its peak, but hey at least I can say I was there! Another trip to Glasgow on the train – this time heading West, not North… And voila! I was there again. Needed to find some guitar strings, and noticed a group of 14yo Emo teenagers on the street corner who, of course, knew exactly where the nearest guitar shop was. Excellent.
Time for a quick beer with a friend (who was also having me to stay that night – fortunately no midnight trains to Edinburgh…), then back to drop off the gear and onwards to the 13th note… What a cool venue! This one is underground (ie fully underground, not partially like the previous evening), and old, dirty, grungy, small – all those things you would expect of a really great old rock venue. Which is apparently the type of reputation the 13th note has in Glasgow. Sadly for me, there seemed to be a problem…
Upon walking down the stairs, guitar in hand, I was greeted by slightly bemused looks from the band that was already there. I had been in contact via myspace with one of the guys from the headline act, “Local Tour Guide”, and the last correspondence I had received was telling me to come along as I would be able to do a set to open up. Apparently I had failed to receive the following message, negating the previous one, which informed me that the support spot was no longer possible… Which made things slightly awkward as I strolled in to perform! Fortunately, a series of frenzied negotiations managed to persuade the powers that be to let me play a few songs anyway… on account of the fact that I had come all the way from Australia… and I am not the sort of person who usually arrives to play at places that aren’t expecting me… (Having said that, if I was that sort of person, then the tactic would have worked. Maybe we could all try it a few times and see if we end up getting a gig – we can call it the “Rock up unannounced with guitar in hand” project).
So a big thanks to Stevie and Local Tour Guide (www.myspace.com/localtourguide), and thanks to the venue for being kind enough to let me play – and kind enough to invite me back, but next time with a more definite booking please… if at all possible…
Went to a cool bar after the show called the Pig and Butterfly, or the Butterfly and Pig – I can’t remember. Another example of the British tendency to couple two unlikely animals / objects together and decide that they would make a good bar name. But it was a great bar, and plenty of 60’s/70’s swing music to dance to. (Or watch people dancing to if, like me, you are allergic to dancing yourself). Anyway worth a look – I recommend it if you’re ever in Glasgow. (However I do NOT recommend eating a MacDonalds chocolate brownie on the way home).
SAT 16/8 – EDINBURGH
Returned to Edinburgh early on the train, and got talking to a bloke who was playing guitar for a few different bands. Nice enough chap – keen to impress with his virtuosic guitar skills which he was displaying for most of the journey… Wasted on me of course, because I just write songs and play chords. Scales and arpeggios were never my thing…
More busking today. 3 down, 3 to go. Also tried busking on a street corner just off the Royal Mile for something different, but the crowd numbers were about the same. My biggest source of income was in fact from a bloke who wanted to play my guitar, just so his wife could take a photo of him “busking” at the Fringe Festival. This achieved, he promptly dropped my guitar onto the pavement. Cheers mate – great job. But I still will always try to allow people to play a song if they ask, because I remember what it was like to be that bloke asking to play… so in some ways now I feel a sense of responsibility… if that makes sense…
No show in the evening, instead went to see a dance performance by a Californian theatre company. Very interesting. The piece was mainly performed on stilts, and it was outdoors, which was quite a nice change from the small theatres in which you are watching most shows in at the fringe. Anyway it was a beautiful show – and something very unique. Glad I got to check it out. If only I cold remember the bloody name.
SUN 17/8 – THE VILLAGE, EDINBURGH
Well my time in Scotland had really been building towards this show, as I had booked this one first, and it was my only headline show in Edinburgh. I was not officially part of the fringe program but fortunately happened to be passing through at the same time of the year, which was a nice mistake on my part. (Whoops did I just say that? Ah no-one’s reading). Ahem, I meant perfectly arranged by myself to coincide with one of the largest arts festivals in the world! Incidentally, I had again taken part in the festival that day with another more-or-less undetected busking performance on the Royal Mile. I don’t think “flying under the radar” is really meant to be the idea, but sure enough I found a way. Anyway, again it was a good laugh – this time there was at least some assistance from the organisers, who were apparently doing their best to try and get the over-enthusiastic bongo / conga group next door to play softer on account of the “acoustic guitarist who is barely audible”. Ah thanks for trying fellas, but little did you know that I was kind of enjoying being barely audible… in a funny sort of way. Gave me something else to write about in the blog.
The Village is a beautiful little pub in the suburb of Leith, which as luck would have it was right where I was staying. Just around the corner in fact. How convenient. I thought walking to my gigs in Surry Hills was cool, but being able to walk to my gigs in Edinburgh? Well that’s just taking it to a new level entirely!
The performance room was everything you might expect from a “beautiful little pub” in Edinburgh – an old stone interior recently refurbished and beautifully appointed – just perfect for a solo acoustic show. Couldn’t have asked for anything better really, and I will definitely have to return one day. I will post some tour photos when I get a chance.
Opening up for the night were a duo from Aberdeen on Guitar/Harmonica – Nicky Powell and Neil Evans. Nicky being a boys’ name of course, not the girl version… I feel I should make this distinction because, after all, my own name is somewhat sexually ambivalent. The guys performed a great set to a small but appreciative audience.
What’s that I hear you ask? Why did I get people from Aberdeen to support me when I was in Edinburgh?? Well that’s easy – because I met someone on myspace of course… in one of my many late-night internet sessions whilst trying to book shows for the tour. A girl by the name of Amanda had been trying to help me get a show in Aberdeen in the North of Scotland (which was eventually achieved) – and it turns out Amanda was actually a poet, and was going to be in Edinburgh for a few days around the time of my show. Hence, Amanda was actually booked in to do a short set of poetry in between myself and the opening act… the opening act that had not yet been arranged due to my limited knowledge of musicians in Edinburgh…. And so Amanda asked Nicky and Neil if they would like to do it… and VOILA! So not only is Amanda a great poet, but it turns out she also doubles as a booking agent and part-time tour manager. Legend. And her set of poetry that night went down a treat too. I must try to do that sort of thing again – it was nice to hear something different.
(Did you follow that? I lost myself about half way through – I am too busy looking out the train window – I think I just entered France. Will be in Paris soon…)
As for my set, well I thought it went OK.
Actually bugger that – it was awesome!
I wouldn’t normally go to those extremes, but to be honest I think it was my favourite show of the whole tour. A lot to do with the room and in particular the crowd, who I must thank for making the trek out to Leith – not exactly in the middle of the city, and certainly a big call when there are several hundred venues which would have been a lot closer. So thanks for making it such a great night – hope you enjoyed it as much as I did.
Another few points to Edinburgh in the favourite city stakes…
MON 18/8 – EDINBURGH
20 more minutes of invisible busking negotiated after what was, as expected, a fairly lazy morning. I forget that the rest of the world goes to work on a Monday. But then again the rest of the world doesn’t work till 1am on a Sunday night, so I don’t have to feel so bad…
Took a trek up the hills that overlook Edinburgh – a great walk if you have the time. The view of the city from Arthur’s seat is spectacular. The view from the second peak, the higher of the two, would have been even more spectacular if it wasn’t for the thick Scottish fog that closed in just as I approached the summit, hence leaving me staring at what I assume would be a life-size version of the Cumulo Nimbis clouds I read about in my year 8 science text book. Another day of balmy summer weather – I guess people get used to it. Anyway my attempt to wait out the fog didn’t appear to work, and I had to be content with a slightly less impressive viewpoint when I had climbed back down a sufficient distance… Ah not to worry, at least I had given myself that sense of achievement that makes any traveller’s day worthwhile.
Saw a few shows later on – some free comedy, a musical, some drama, dance. Got lost a few times. Also noticed another several hundred venues and rooms which I never knew existed, and I was really only scratching the surface. I have said it before, but the festival, and what it does to the city, is really something to behold.
TUES 19/8 – THE TUNNELS, ABERDEEN
Well despite briefly contemplating retiring from the world of busking (at least from busking at the Fringe Festival anyway), I managed to keep my place each day – at 1.35pm on “Alcove 2”. That’s what they called my location. And even if the crowds weren’t 5-deep to hear my tunes, it was still a great experience. If for no other reason other than to say I was there. Along the way I met some interesting people, some even more interesting performers, and it gave me an opportunity to experience the festival in a very unique way. The last two days I was preceded by “The Rock Wizard”. No idea what the actual stage name was, but picture and old man with a very long beard dressed in a purple cape and a wizards hat whilst furiously strumming an acoustic guitar and singing in a barely audible manner. I briefly contemplated asking him if I could borrow the cape, but thought better of it… Hence I was able to finish the week off with my artistic integrity intact. For what it was worth. (Not a great deal, but enough for a few lunches).
The trip to Aberdeen was around 3hrs on the train – the East Coast Express or something similar. Turns out they have free wireless internet which is worth remembering if you’re ever touring in the UK – will save you a lot of cash in the internet cafes!
Aberdeen upon arrival was, how shall I put it…. Grey. Very grey in fact. The buildings were all grey you see, and the sky that afternoon appeared to be more or less the same colour, which made for a surreal other-worldy experience. Almost like I was wandering around in George Orwell’s 1984… if that makes sense. Anyway I did manage to find the venue and have a brief look around the town, but on account of the lack of colour and the imminent storm that was brewing (I assumed) I retreated to the nearest pub for dinner and – you guessed it – some grade-A Aberdeen Angus Beef. Turns out the Aberdeen Angus Beef isn’t as Aberdeen-Angus as you might expect. (A bit more like “Fell off the back of the truck driven by Angus somewhere near Aberdeen”). Can’t say it was a memorable meal (I was warned), but it was filling, so that at least ticks one box on the starving artist checklist.
Well it turns out that, as is often the case, first impressions count for little, because the show that night was a great way to finish my time in Scotland. The Tunnels is tucked away beneath the street somewhere (in a Tunnel – funny that), which made for a really good “rock” room. Fortunately for me, Tuesday nights are singer-songwriter nights, so the lack of an amplifier didn’t hurt me. Having said that, I must make a note that in future when I play these types of places, I think it would be worthwhile investing in a few more black T-shirts. The blue one seemed out of place – almost like I was a surfer who went to find the beach, but took a wrong turn somewhere near Cairns and ended up on the other side of the world. Still, I really enjoyed the gig, and my “colourful” attire didn’t seem to count against me. Actually the Aberdeenian Musos were very welcoming, and the next time I come to Scotland I will certainly be taking the train up North again because there are a few good opportunities to play your songs up there. Apparently the sun also comes out from time to time and you do actually feel like you are in the real world.
My thanks to Craig, whose help make the show possible. Also to Amanda who was generally helping me the whole time, and finally to Collette – who offered to put me up in her room whilst she stayed elsewhere. This on account of there being no available rooms in Aberdeen… on a Tuesday night… Something about the oil rig changeover day apparently… Good thing Collette was around, because otherwise I was heading back to the benches in the train station!
Managed to make my early train back to Edinburgh in the morning, then it was a one-way trip to the Airport for the flight to Amsterdam. (I did notice the bus driver on the way out of Edinburgh was no-where near as friendly as the one on the way in. If it was that guy, he might have been in tears at losing so many visitors all at the same time… ).
So farewell Scotland – I do really like you. Quite a lot actually. I’ll be back soon.
Next instalment – Amsterdam, Paris and Berlin. Good to be on the road!
Stay tuned…
News and updates from the musical adventures of Renny Field...
Wednesday, September 03, 2008
Friday, August 22, 2008
The Weekly... Volume IRELAND
WARNING – This is two weeks worth – so it’s a looooooong one….. might want to attempt it in several sittings!
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Ok so as I type this I am sitting on a Bus Eirann service from Dublin to Wexford in Ireland. “Eirann”, as I have recently discovered, is in fact pronounced “Airann”. If you pronounce it “Iran”, as I did this morning, then the taxi driver could well mistake you as a fundamental Islamic terrorist plotting to blow up the Capital. Fortunately for me some smooth negotiating skills (“Ah… Sorry mate”) got me to the bus station instead of the Garda depot. The “Garda” are the police you see – at least I am assuming that is the case because of the blue lights on top of the cars... they could potentially be something else entirely. I am quickly discovering over here that quite a lot of things in Ireland are, funnily enough, Irish. Perhaps this bus doesn’t even go to Wexford…. Well at the very least it’s a chance to give you all a bit of an update.
Tues 29/7 – RUBY SESSIONS, DUBLIN
Great songwriter night in the heart of Dublin. Something like this would never really exist in Sydney. The closest thing I can think of were the Woojam nights at Bar Me, but there were more performers there. The Ruby sessions showcase 4 songwriters every Tuesday night, and you could hear a pin drop for the whole time. Small room, but a nice crowd who are there to listen. A great gig first up, but also a pretty tough one when you’ve just had a monster weekend as best man at your mate’s wedding. A few more nerves than usual courtesy of the alcohol still trickling out of the system, but managed to negotiate the first gig in Ireland OK. Pint of Guiness to reflect – awesome.
Wed 30/7 – THE JOHN HEWITT, BELFAST
I had never been to Northern Ireland before, and I’m not really up-to-date on the history (this is something I have since rectified…). But I figured as long as I didn’t say anything remotely religious or political I would be OK. That plan seemed to work, as I am still here typing this blog. As fate would have it, my good friend and bass player from Sydney – Pat Savina – happened to be in Ireland at the same time and negotiated a role as the “tour manager” for my first week here. Good to have some company for the trip!
The drive up North from Dublin is unspectacular at best. Some friends in England had warned me that driving in Ireland will take you twice as long as you expect, mostly due to the tractors / slow-moving lorries that end up in front of you from time to time. And sure enough, we did in fact end up behind 2 tractors on the way to Belfast. Hence making “driving” a tourist activity in itself, before you even make it to any of the tourist “attractions”. Bearing in mind we were travelling between two Capitals. No-one seems to know how long any particular drive takes either. Estimates for Dublin to Belfast ranged from 2hrs to 5hrs. I think we allowed for something in the middle and were near enough to the mark.
We did manage a stop on the way up in the not-so-picturesque seaside town of Ballbriggen (I think that’s how it was spelt…). For future reference, this is better avoided. Unless you are looking for a terrible coffee (worse than the average over here, which is not great), possibly the world’s worst bagel, a poorly-stocked salvation army thrift store and groups of 12-yo kids in Adidas tracksuits smoking cigarettes to while away the summer vacation. There was also a large section of the main street which had been blocked off for road works, but which advertised “business as usual” nonetheless. This despite the fact that the businesses were completely inaccessible, even for the people working there! OK so maybe I am being harsh – we didn’t bother stopping at the “tourist centre” because the first impressions didn’t bode well. But Ballbriggians if there is something I have missed, then please by all means send recommendations to info@rennyfield.com. (I’ll even put you on the mailing list for your troubles).
Belfast seems to be a nice sort of place. An industrious town, harsh in places, but overall I got a decent vibe off it. (Not that my “vibes” are tremendously meaningful min you…). It’s always a bit difficult when you’re on tour, because invariably you end up spending your time either at the hotel or the venue, with maybe a restaurant or two in between if you’re lucky. Fortunately I did manage to run up a fairly large hill (forced exercise after a week of nothing….), and there was a pretty nice view of the town and the coastline. Also I saw a pretty cool school playground where the students were fortunate to have some football posts for their amusement… in the middle of the asphalt…
The John Hewitt was a great little pub. In fact it recently won the “best beer pub” award for the whole of Great Britain and Ireland. Which is no mean feat I tell you, because there is no shortage of pubs in these parts. At times it feels like there is one for every household (slight exaggeration sure, but not too much of an exaggeration!). Somehow in the midst of all that great beer though, we managed to find one that had been brewed with Coriander. (?!). Suffice it to say, there is a reason that beer is not normally brewed with Coriander.
The gig itself was great. Small crowd, but the tunes were well received. Mr Savina had managed to find himself a bass guitar at the local cash converters for 100Pounds, so we played as a two-piece for the evening, which was a nice change. Also this was our own show, so I was able to get through a couple of sets. Finished up around 1am, chocked full of Coriander, satisfied with the Northern Irish debut.
In case you were wondering, the owner’s name was Gerry. Not John Hewitt. I don’t know who John Hewitt is. Cousin of Lleyton?
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NEWFLASH – I am now on a different bus heading to Cork… the Blog was taking too long…. I really should be trying to write a song instead of these rambling travelogues… but they are a good way to pass the time.
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Thurs 31/7 – DRIVE TO GALWAY, BACK IN THE REPUBLIC
Again the time estimates varied greatly – from Belfast to Galway we were looking at anything in between 3 and 7 hours. How could you not narrow it down any more than that?! Anyway I think it took us around 5, with plenty of stops. Including one at a place called Sligo. I have no reason to include that, except for the fact that it’s the only place I can really remember.
If there was one thing that has never changed ever since I got here, it’s that EVERYONE in Ireland tells you to go to Galway. And sure enough, it didn’t disappoint. As luck would have it, I had timed my visit in the same week as the Galway Races. Aside from the horse racing each day, imagine a small town with pubs every 5m transformed into a massive outdoor beer garden for an entire week. Madness. Not quite as mad as running of the bulls in Pamplona, but getting pretty damn close. People from all over Ireland come for this week – one of the biggest festivals in the country. The first night we got there, it was raining, so the tiny little pubs were JAMMED – so much so that I think I remained in the same section of the same pub for about 4hrs. Purely because I couldn’t move anywhere else! Crazy stuff. Fortunately in Galway an old work mate offered to put us up for a few days, so it was good to have a local to show us around a bit. Not that we felt like doing much each day on account of the late finishes…. Anyway… Managed to also catch up with an old friend who I worked with in Mammoth Mountain California – a ski season I did way back in 2001! How about that. We’re both from Australia, met once in America, caught up again 7 years later in Ireland. Go figure. Gotta love travelling.
FRI 1/8 – CAFÉ LUNA, GALWAY
Tiny little café in the heart of Galway. Great sandwiches, good coffee, but probably the smallest place I have ever played. No amplification, just acoustic. Not sure if anyone was really listening, but I was chatting away in my usual rambling fashion that I tend to adopt when I have a guitar in my hand, so at the very least I was amusing myself…
The highlight of this show had to be the Jehovas Witness (what did they all witness?) who walked up to me in the middle of a song… Yes in the middle of a song…. and asked me if I’d “like to read something?”.
“Sure mate – as soon as I have finished playing my song here then sure…”
“But do you read?”.
“Um… errr…. Yes mate I read – but as I said I’m just in the middle of something”.
Eventually he got the message, and must have realised that I was in fact going to finish my set before I read any Jehovas Witness promotional material! So he left a flyer for me on the table next to where I was playing. Now I am not privy to the training techniques of the Jehovas Witness organisation, but surely if you are going to “sell” a religion, then this is not the way to go about it. Because not only did they lose my vote (so to speak), but I dare say they’ve probably lost the vote of anyone else who is reading this at the moment (if you made it this far…). One of the more ridiculous things I have ever witnessed. Possibly even more ridiculous than whatever has made all these people “witnesses” in the first place….. And he didn’t even buy a CD! Jackass.
Interestingly enough, the girl who was playing after me, Niceol Bleu, had helped me get this gig. She was on her way to a few more that night – all paid shows. Seems to be a fair few opportunities around to make a living as a musician here, as long as you’re happy to play the occasional café and do a spot of busking. (And as long as you don’t mind a Jehovas Witness flyer or two coming your way…). But I reckon that’s better than being chained to a desk in the city somewhere!
Caught up after the show with an old friend from Sydney, Siobhan, who used to work in Bar Me when I played a lot of my shows there last year. Some of you may remember her… Nice to see yet another familiar face on the other side of the world. Hadn’t lost any of her famous personality either. “Sound”, as they would say over here.
SAT 2/8 – THE ROISIN DUBH, GALWAY
A brief wander round Galway on the Saturday morning – this town has got character. I suppose it’s got a lot to do with the way the place is laid out. The narrow cobbled streets, the tiny old shopfronts, bars/cafes extending out over the footpaths. All of this accentuated by the increase in population as a result of race week. So the place has its own energy. There are buskers on every corner – something I should have been doing, but instead I had agreed to a highly competitive (?) game of squash against Mr Savina. Field victorious 3 sets to 1. I’d like to thank my fans….
Plenty of people had told me to try and get a show at the Roisin Dubh if I was going to Galway. The place was awesome. I guess the only thing I could compare it to back home is the Espy in Melbourne, mainly for it’s dedication to live music. The Roisin Dubh is a lot smaller however – very much a pub atmosphere with 2 performance spaces – one up and one down. Successive emails to the Roisin Dubh had produced very little response (these sent in my all-night email sessions when I was trying to book this tour…), but fortunately an Irish guy by the name of Peter Doran offered to let me do a short set to open up for him in the upstairs bar. A really nice little room that had a capacity of about 80 people (versus the downstairs room with a large stage that can hold around 300…). A Saturday night, and there was a healthy crowd in there to check out the music for the evening. This would not happen in Australia. I mean, I love my country I really do, but to think that a crowd of people would sit around drinking beer on a Saturday night listening to two acoustic acts they had never heard of before…? It just wouldn’t happen. At least I haven’t found those sorts of places otherwise I would be playing them more often. Yet over here, this is quite normal. People enjoy new music, and seem a lot more willing to take it on board.
A great note to finish on in Galway – I am hoping to get back over here in a year or so. Peter Doran is worth a look if you have the time – do a search on myspace and he’ll come up on that. My thanks also to Pat Savina who once again provided some bottom end (that’s the Bass guitar folks… minds out of the gutter please….). Back to Dublin we go…
SUN 3/8 – THE PURTY KITCHEN, DUB LEGHAIRE (DUBLIN)
Just in case you’re wondering, it’s pronounced “Dun Leary”. Not “Dun Legare” as I first thought. A subtle difference yes, but handy to know if you’re stopping to ask for directions and you want a helpful response rather than a look of confusion. Dun Leghaire is about 20min drive south of Dublin - a nice spot on the coast. The drive across from Galway was around 3-8hrs as per the usual Irish time frame – not so many tractors, but an enourmous number of roundabouts. For some reason, a highway in Ireland is not complete without a roundabout every 5km or so. Seems the traditional “intersection” (ie smaller road gives way to bigger road) is not so popular round these parts. So by the time I hit Dublin, I’m a little giddy, and it’s not only because I am excited about the show.
The Purty Kitchen is a great spot for dinner. Mind you, having the word “Kitchen” in their name, they really should know what they are doing… On that front, I am reminded of a wonderful little chain of Pizza Shops over here called “4-Star Pizza”. A very clever name indeed, as they are not claiming to have the best Pizza, just decent enough to be 4 stars. So really the customer will always be content – even if it’s not completely up to scratch, they wouldn’t dare complain because, after all, it’s not meant to be perfect. Genius.
(I have been challenged to write a song with “4-star Pizza” in it somewhere. It will happen!).
Pizzas aside, the gig itself was a good laugh, and I got to see a few other great local songwriters. Pretty rowdy sort of crowd as it was the Irish bank holiday the next day, so no-one had to work. As far as I am aware, a bank Holiday in Sydney is, as the name suggests, a holiday for the banks and not the rest of the working population. Seems the rest of the population in Ireland weren’t too happy about that arrangement, so they’ve all decided to take the day off anyway. This was the last show with Pat Savina, who departed for London the following morning. Was great to have him along for the trip (plus I looked like some sort of international rock star of course being able to afford to bring my bass player half way round the world with me! Ha ha…). Anyway thanks Pat!
Pat also made the necessary arrangements to enable us to stay in Dublin with an old family friend of his – very nice of her because they hadn’t seen each other in a few years, notwithstanding the fact that I was a “bonus” guest who more or less came unannounced. Fortunately there was a spare couch… Phew. Thanks Kim!
MON 4/8 – REST DAY – DUBLIN
Dropped Pat to the Airport, then took it easy. Decided to ditch the hire car in favour of public transport for the second week of the trip. Incidentally it seems to be going Ok to this point (I have made it to Cork, transferred buses, heading towards Limerick now. I am going to watch Paul Kelly and Holly Throsby tonight. It is my patriotic duty). Kim (Pat’s friend) proved to be a superb tour guide, taking me for a drive out to Sugar Loaf – a mountain (generous…?) peak just south of Dublin. Great view back up to the city and down the coast in the other direction. And I am a person who loves my great views! Worth a look if you can get there. Figured I didn’t really need to see the Guiness factory – I seem to be doing an autheintic personal Guiness tour of sorts anyway!
TUES 5/8 – WEXFORD SONG CLUB
Well the first leg of the bus trip went ok. Again however, those driving times are never set in stone over here. For example, the last 24km to Wexford took us 45min. That is no exaggeration… How does that happen on the highway? And why the traffic jam at 2pm on the way in to Wexford town? Where is everyone going? I don’t understand.
The Wexford song club had to be the highlight so far in Ireland. A really nice space, and a really nice crowd on hand who listened to just about every word. It’s worth remembering that this was a Tuesday night. On a Tuesday night in Sydney, there are very few places that would bother to do live music outside of Scruffy Murphy’s, featuring the best of Coldplay, U2 and Robbie Williams – being performed, funnily enough, to an audience of Irish backpackers… Anyway down in Wexford, about 3(?)hrs south of Dublin, it turns out there is a superb original music venue that runs every Tuesday night, and gets a good regular crowd each week. There was actually a couple of travelling Aussies in the audience – which meant someone could understand what I was saying! If ever you’re passing through, check out the Wexford Song Club at The Sky and Ground Pub. You’ll be guaranteed a selection of great original artists – both from Ireland and abroad.
Here are a couple of the guys that played last Tuesday:
www.myspace.com/jimicullen (Ireland)
www.myspace.com/felixsonnyboywilson (USA)
WED 6/8 – NEW MUSIC CLUB, BRAZIL’S CAFÉ, CLONMEL, TIPPERARY
Ok the buses are not too bad – as long as you’re not in a rush. I am getting used to them anyway. The most exciting thing about this show? It’s in Tipperary! Try telling me 5 years ago that I would be playing my own songs in Tipperary! Ha!! It’s funny the way life works… As the song suggests, it’s a long way to Tipperary my friends, especially if you are coming from Sydney, Australia. Fortunately for me on this particular occasion, it’s only 2hrs on the Bus Eirann from Wexford.
On first impression, Clonmel seems like a nice little old town – nestled in amongst the surrounding hills. This was until I was greeted at the bus stop by a 30-something year old mother with no teeth telling her 13-14yo daughter (who was smoking) that she was going to “Smack her in the head” because they’d just missed the bus. Hmmmm.
There’s something that I am starting to realise here… ALL the Irish towns can be classed as “Nice little old towns”. The features of Clonmel are characteristic of all the towns I have visited so far this trip. The same narrow cobbled streets, the same old style pubs, the same stone walls, clocks, churches, and not forgetting those one way streets! (Not that there’s often enough room for 2 directions of traffic mind you, but even the locals seem bemused by the number of one way streets…). Anyway, I suppose a lot of the towns in Australia are similar to each other as well. As are the smaller towns around America. I think I notice the cobbled streets more though, as I am pulling a wheelie suitcase, so my entire trip has been accompanied by a fairly annoying series of “click, clack, click, clack” noises as the bag makes it’s way across the uneven surfaces. Fortunately no blow-outs yet – if one of those wheels dies then I am stuffed! The backpack / wheelie suitcase dilemma was a tough one… but I have no regrets! At least that’s what I keep telling myself when I am dragging it over the cobblestones.
Brazil’s was a fairly small bar, but again filled with a good crowd of people all interested in hearing new music. It’s enjoyable playing to these sorts of crowds. Sure it wasn’t The Colosseum, but it was still a lot better than the Fairfield RSL! Interestingly enough, Jimmy Cullen (who also played the night before in Wexford – see above) had also made the trip across for this show, so we had become brief touring companions of sorts – random, but cool. I am starting to feel like a local!
More random and more cool – an Irish girl called Lou who used to live upstairs at the Excelsior in Sydney but had recently moved home (due to her Visa running out) drove 100 Miles with a friend of hers just to see the show! (On account of her promising that she’d come see me play if I ever made it to Ireland). Full Credit to her for being mad enough to follow through on the promise! Plus the two of them took me on a nice drive through the Irish countryside the following morning. No doubt about it, this country is blessed with some beautiful scenery.
Thanks to Liam at the New Music Club and Brazil’s for another enjoyable night. Can you tell I am warming to Ireland? (Not that it’s warming to me much – still haven’t seen a lot of sun…but that’s OK).
THURS 7/8 – REST DAY- CLONMEL/WATERFORD
In case you’re ever in the area, there is a decent Gym in Clonmel right next to the Bus/Train station. The body needed some physical activity… Travelled by bus to Waterford, and checked in to the most bizarre place I have ever stayed. Ask me about it, I’ll tell you so you can avoid it on your next trip to Ireland. For future reference though, best not to check into a hotel that looks like it is falling apart. And certainly not one where the hotel “sign” has detached from it’s mounting and sits at a 45 degree angle – lights out.
Waterford was a lively little town by night, but I decided to take it easy. Ate the biggest Irish Stew I could find. Put on 10kg. Barely made it back to the hotel. If you can call it that…
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NEWSFLASH AGAIN - Location Update – I am now in Scotland…. Typing on the train from Aberdeen to Edinburgh… nearly done with Ireland. This blog is as much for my amusement as yours!
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FRI 8/8 – McCARTHY’S (THE INVISIBLE PUB), YOUGHAL
A spot of busking in Waterford to start the day, followed by the obligatory couple of hours in the Internet café trying to book more shows. The joys of the solo tour... Anyone know a good booking agent?! Actually the busking wasn’t too bad – I managed to pay for my lunch, the Internet, and the bus fare to Youghal! It could have been so much better if it wasn’t for the French brass band that started up just around the corner…
Youghal (pronounced Yaawwwl”, not U-gal as I originally thought…) was a nice sort of place. Another one of these historic Irish towns with nice old buildings and churches and quiet little streets. This one felt a bit nicer than the rest though – probably something to do with it being right on the coast. Checked in to a B&B and had a wander round – found a “Field Printers” which I thought was pretty cool. Also saw some of the smallest fishing “trawlers” I have ever seen. I don’t know what they are catching, but quite obviously they are just trying to feed a family of 4. There wouldn’t have been room for anything else!
The “Invisible” pub got its nickname due to the layout. There is a front bar right near the entrance, but there is a larger bar/room “hidden” in the back of the pub – actually I had to ask where it was when I walked in, so they had in fact done a pretty good job of hiding it. As it turned out, the “Invisible” pub appeared to be, as the name suggested, pretty hard to find for the residents and visitors of Youghal on this particular Friday night. I think the average crowd size was about 4 people. At times I was even playing to nobody at all – as the people who were there had all gone outside to have a cigarette! Funnily enough though, I didn’t really mind to much – because after all, it’s all part of the story isn’t it?! And in the end I did meet a few other decent folks that night – including a couple of local musicians.
“McCarthys” is run by a guy called Tom…. McCarthy! How about that. There are about 25 other shops run by “McCarthys” in Youghal – so either it’s a very common name or there’s something else going on that is better not spoken of… But Tom McCarthy was a great bloke, and if any of you are ever looking for a gig in Youghal as you are passing through, he’d be more than happy to have you. In fact, it’s not always as quiet as that – turns out I just got a bad night. Not to worry, I still enjoyed myself.
SAT 9/8 – PAUL KELLY LIVE AT DOLANS, LIMERICK
I had noticed Paul Kelly was on tour when I was first planning this trip, and whilst my appeals for a support slot had fallen on deaf ears (or at least ears that were more attracted to Holly Throsby… fair enough….), I decided nonetheless to jump on a bus for 3 hours and head to Limerick to see the great man himself.
Limerick was, to be fair, a fairly industrious sort of town. Nothing immediately appealing upon exiting the bus station – aside from the “Station Hotel”, which did me Bed and Breakfast for 35 Euro. And not so far to walk the next day! Again it’s a bit hard to get a good idea of what it’s like when you’re only there one night, but I wasn’t there for a city tour, I was there to see Paul Kelly! The gig was held upstairs at Dolans – a great little room – and it was one of the highlights of my two weeks in Ireland. The last time I saw Paul Kelly it was with about 10,000 other people at the Sydney festival. In Limerick, there were about 80. So to see him in such an intimate setting was a great opportunity and, as you can imagine, pretty inspiring stuff. Here is a man who has dedicated his life to being a songwriter – and here was proof that if you remain committed to the path you choose, then good things can happen.
He was joined on stage for the set by his nephew Dan, who was actually a superb guitarist himself. Hadn’t ever seen him play before, but I will definitely go and check out a show next time he is in Sydney. All in all a great night – helped along of course by the Pints of Guiness I was being fed (and I use the word “Fed” deliberately…) by the Irish couple I was sitting with. Thanks!
Drinking Pints of Guiness watching Paul Kelly at Dolans in Limerick. There might be a song in that somewhere… A drunken Irish shanty perhaps…
SUN 10/8 – THE SLATE BAR, CORK
Back on the bus again in the morning, and spent a fairly uneventful day in Cork… One of the interesting things when you’re on tour is the fact that you quickly develop the ability to find a great number of mundane ways to pass the time. For instance, going on a wild goose chase for a Gym in Cork…. What I can tell you is that if you are looking for a Gym, it is impossible to find one in the city centre. Actually I lie – there is one in the bottom of a hotel, but they only offer a 1-month temporary membership for 120 Euro. Which I thought was a bit much even for rock stars on European tours like myself… I would have gone to a park to play my guitar, but you can never be too sure how far away the rain is. So it’s safer to stay indoors.
I did manage to watch the hurling semi-final between Cork and Kilkenny – which I thought was a very Irish thing to do! That hurling is a mad sport, but oddly enough quite entertaining. Still one thing puzzles me… Hurling is an amateur sport, yet they have 60,000 people watching a match in Dublin. So I don’t understand what happens to the money… Irish people can you help me out? I tried to ask the audience at the gig about that, but I think they were still a bit pissed off about Cork losing the match, and on account of them having been drinking all day, I figured it was best not to pursue the line of questioning in favour of keeping my teeth for my next meal.
The “Cheeky Sunday Social” runs each Sunday night at The Slate, and was another great night for songwriters. Really enjoyed it. Funnily enough, it was run by a New Zealand bloke (Mike) who had relocated to Cork some time ago. I have to confess – I am having thoughts about doing a similar thing. Maybe not to Cork, but to somewhere in Ireland for sure… There is more live music, and the distances between places are shorter – hence making touring to earn a living a more realistic possibility. Certainly a lot more cost-effective than back home. Anyway, I will figure that out in time – have to finish recording the new album first. This tour is turning out to be another grade-A stalling tactic, but at least it’s giving me a few places to go when the thing is finally finished. I am going into lock-down when I get back to Sydney!
There is a good hostel in Cork which will take you at late notice if you fail in your bid to find a couch for the night – The Bru.
MON 11/8 – BLARNEY STONE, RING OF KERRY.
Big day in the car, but the first time I have had the chance to do anything really “touristy”. Definitely worth the trip! Apparently kissing the Blarney Stone was meant to make me more eloquent… I’ll let you judge whether or not it worked. Certainly it must have had some effect, because the two Spanish girls who decided to come with me on the trip seemed to understand most of what I was saying despite not really speaking English. At least I am assuming they understood some of what I was saying – either that or they were just very good at laughing and nodding. Hmmmm….. The Ring of Kerry was one of the nicest drives I have been on. Small travel tip however – the distance / time thing is again all over the shop. This is on account of the caravans and buses, and the narrow one-lane roads. Not to mention the constant overwhelming urge to stop and take photos every 10mins… Also, exercise caution when deciding whether or not to check out the Ring of Beara (next to the ring of Kerry). Smaller roads, and a greater chance of getting lost (hey the Spanish girls were navigating…), but a spectacular drive nonetheless. Wound up back in Cork at 10pm after driving 750km at an average speed of … not much…. Certainly wouldn’t have made Craig Lowndes all that proud. But hey it was worth it!
TUES 12/8 – CORK
Another gig-free day – and a big thank you to my old Rugby mate Eoin and his wife Aideen who were kind enough to let me stay an extra night. The coastline south of Cork is also worth a look if you’re in the area – Ireland is certainly blessed with some beautiful stretches of road.
(WOW! I just went past a cool old Scottish Fort on the train… no idea where I am mind you… maybe getting close to Edinburgh now….anyway that was a random “on-the-go” observation…)
WED 13/8 – THE SONGROOM @ THE GLOBE, DUBLIN
And so after two weeks travelling around Ireland, it was time to bid farewell. The bus from Cork to Dublin was fairly uneventful, but at least no crying kids to deal with. The Songroom is run by a bloke called Hamlet Sweeney. (Real name!). A nice sort of night that runs every Wednesday at The Globe – right at the bottom of George Street, a stone’s throw from Temple Bar. Usually there are around 4-5 different acts each week – about 30mins each.
As luck would have it, several days earlier I had met a girl (Rachel was her name… not Venus… I don’t know why I just put that….the Blarney Stone was full of sh….!) at the bus stop in Clonmel (of all places!) who was actually from Dublin… are you following? Turns out she was a classically trained violinist, and upon hearing this, I promptly suggested that she should come and play a few tunes with me at The Globe – this whilst hurriedly passing her a copy of my CD as she ran to get on her bus! To her Credit though, Rachel did in fact show up to play with me for my last show in Ireland, and it was an absolute pleasure sharing the stage with her. I really enjoy collaborating with other musicians in Sydney, and it was great to do it with someone in another country. Rachel if you’re reading this – great meeting you and hopefully we’ll get the chance to play together again in the future. Thanks for being mad enough to give it a go!
It was a shame that the crowd for the final show was fairly well loaded by the time we hit the stage, and therefore making a pretty good racket… but still a good gig to finish the tour of Ireland. Actually had a few people come and watch the show who’d seen me in Galway the week before – thought that was mighty nice of them!
A big thanks to Kim again – who I didn’t know prior to arriving in Ireland – but who didn’t mind me occupying the couch for several nights whilst I was in and out of Dublin throughout the course of my trip. Much appreciated!
My final thoughts on Ireland? Well, I’ll leave it in the capable hands of their favourite national phrase – it was GREAT CRAIC!! (Pronounced, perhaps unfortunately depending on the way your mind works, “Crack”). Anyway “Craic”, I have decided, is a bloody great word – generally referring to a damn good time. And that, my friends, is what it was – looking forward to doing it again soon!
And so with Ireland out of the way, it was time to head to Scotland and the Edinburgh Fringe Festival – and to the next Blog. Finally!
Still can’t promise a regular “weekly” for the time being, but hopefully the next one won’t be as long coming….
Must make tracks – I am off to Amsterdam. See you again soon. Well done if you made it this far!
Renny
PS – Keep an eye on the gigs because there will probably be a few more added before I am finished in Europe…
PPS – Sydneysiders – looking forward to seeing you all in a few weeks. I’m doing a final “tour” show back in Sydney at The Fringe Bar on Sunday 14th September. From around 6pm. Would be great to see you there!
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Ok so as I type this I am sitting on a Bus Eirann service from Dublin to Wexford in Ireland. “Eirann”, as I have recently discovered, is in fact pronounced “Airann”. If you pronounce it “Iran”, as I did this morning, then the taxi driver could well mistake you as a fundamental Islamic terrorist plotting to blow up the Capital. Fortunately for me some smooth negotiating skills (“Ah… Sorry mate”) got me to the bus station instead of the Garda depot. The “Garda” are the police you see – at least I am assuming that is the case because of the blue lights on top of the cars... they could potentially be something else entirely. I am quickly discovering over here that quite a lot of things in Ireland are, funnily enough, Irish. Perhaps this bus doesn’t even go to Wexford…. Well at the very least it’s a chance to give you all a bit of an update.
Tues 29/7 – RUBY SESSIONS, DUBLIN
Great songwriter night in the heart of Dublin. Something like this would never really exist in Sydney. The closest thing I can think of were the Woojam nights at Bar Me, but there were more performers there. The Ruby sessions showcase 4 songwriters every Tuesday night, and you could hear a pin drop for the whole time. Small room, but a nice crowd who are there to listen. A great gig first up, but also a pretty tough one when you’ve just had a monster weekend as best man at your mate’s wedding. A few more nerves than usual courtesy of the alcohol still trickling out of the system, but managed to negotiate the first gig in Ireland OK. Pint of Guiness to reflect – awesome.
Wed 30/7 – THE JOHN HEWITT, BELFAST
I had never been to Northern Ireland before, and I’m not really up-to-date on the history (this is something I have since rectified…). But I figured as long as I didn’t say anything remotely religious or political I would be OK. That plan seemed to work, as I am still here typing this blog. As fate would have it, my good friend and bass player from Sydney – Pat Savina – happened to be in Ireland at the same time and negotiated a role as the “tour manager” for my first week here. Good to have some company for the trip!
The drive up North from Dublin is unspectacular at best. Some friends in England had warned me that driving in Ireland will take you twice as long as you expect, mostly due to the tractors / slow-moving lorries that end up in front of you from time to time. And sure enough, we did in fact end up behind 2 tractors on the way to Belfast. Hence making “driving” a tourist activity in itself, before you even make it to any of the tourist “attractions”. Bearing in mind we were travelling between two Capitals. No-one seems to know how long any particular drive takes either. Estimates for Dublin to Belfast ranged from 2hrs to 5hrs. I think we allowed for something in the middle and were near enough to the mark.
We did manage a stop on the way up in the not-so-picturesque seaside town of Ballbriggen (I think that’s how it was spelt…). For future reference, this is better avoided. Unless you are looking for a terrible coffee (worse than the average over here, which is not great), possibly the world’s worst bagel, a poorly-stocked salvation army thrift store and groups of 12-yo kids in Adidas tracksuits smoking cigarettes to while away the summer vacation. There was also a large section of the main street which had been blocked off for road works, but which advertised “business as usual” nonetheless. This despite the fact that the businesses were completely inaccessible, even for the people working there! OK so maybe I am being harsh – we didn’t bother stopping at the “tourist centre” because the first impressions didn’t bode well. But Ballbriggians if there is something I have missed, then please by all means send recommendations to info@rennyfield.com. (I’ll even put you on the mailing list for your troubles).
Belfast seems to be a nice sort of place. An industrious town, harsh in places, but overall I got a decent vibe off it. (Not that my “vibes” are tremendously meaningful min you…). It’s always a bit difficult when you’re on tour, because invariably you end up spending your time either at the hotel or the venue, with maybe a restaurant or two in between if you’re lucky. Fortunately I did manage to run up a fairly large hill (forced exercise after a week of nothing….), and there was a pretty nice view of the town and the coastline. Also I saw a pretty cool school playground where the students were fortunate to have some football posts for their amusement… in the middle of the asphalt…
The John Hewitt was a great little pub. In fact it recently won the “best beer pub” award for the whole of Great Britain and Ireland. Which is no mean feat I tell you, because there is no shortage of pubs in these parts. At times it feels like there is one for every household (slight exaggeration sure, but not too much of an exaggeration!). Somehow in the midst of all that great beer though, we managed to find one that had been brewed with Coriander. (?!). Suffice it to say, there is a reason that beer is not normally brewed with Coriander.
The gig itself was great. Small crowd, but the tunes were well received. Mr Savina had managed to find himself a bass guitar at the local cash converters for 100Pounds, so we played as a two-piece for the evening, which was a nice change. Also this was our own show, so I was able to get through a couple of sets. Finished up around 1am, chocked full of Coriander, satisfied with the Northern Irish debut.
In case you were wondering, the owner’s name was Gerry. Not John Hewitt. I don’t know who John Hewitt is. Cousin of Lleyton?
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NEWFLASH – I am now on a different bus heading to Cork… the Blog was taking too long…. I really should be trying to write a song instead of these rambling travelogues… but they are a good way to pass the time.
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Thurs 31/7 – DRIVE TO GALWAY, BACK IN THE REPUBLIC
Again the time estimates varied greatly – from Belfast to Galway we were looking at anything in between 3 and 7 hours. How could you not narrow it down any more than that?! Anyway I think it took us around 5, with plenty of stops. Including one at a place called Sligo. I have no reason to include that, except for the fact that it’s the only place I can really remember.
If there was one thing that has never changed ever since I got here, it’s that EVERYONE in Ireland tells you to go to Galway. And sure enough, it didn’t disappoint. As luck would have it, I had timed my visit in the same week as the Galway Races. Aside from the horse racing each day, imagine a small town with pubs every 5m transformed into a massive outdoor beer garden for an entire week. Madness. Not quite as mad as running of the bulls in Pamplona, but getting pretty damn close. People from all over Ireland come for this week – one of the biggest festivals in the country. The first night we got there, it was raining, so the tiny little pubs were JAMMED – so much so that I think I remained in the same section of the same pub for about 4hrs. Purely because I couldn’t move anywhere else! Crazy stuff. Fortunately in Galway an old work mate offered to put us up for a few days, so it was good to have a local to show us around a bit. Not that we felt like doing much each day on account of the late finishes…. Anyway… Managed to also catch up with an old friend who I worked with in Mammoth Mountain California – a ski season I did way back in 2001! How about that. We’re both from Australia, met once in America, caught up again 7 years later in Ireland. Go figure. Gotta love travelling.
FRI 1/8 – CAFÉ LUNA, GALWAY
Tiny little café in the heart of Galway. Great sandwiches, good coffee, but probably the smallest place I have ever played. No amplification, just acoustic. Not sure if anyone was really listening, but I was chatting away in my usual rambling fashion that I tend to adopt when I have a guitar in my hand, so at the very least I was amusing myself…
The highlight of this show had to be the Jehovas Witness (what did they all witness?) who walked up to me in the middle of a song… Yes in the middle of a song…. and asked me if I’d “like to read something?”.
“Sure mate – as soon as I have finished playing my song here then sure…”
“But do you read?”.
“Um… errr…. Yes mate I read – but as I said I’m just in the middle of something”.
Eventually he got the message, and must have realised that I was in fact going to finish my set before I read any Jehovas Witness promotional material! So he left a flyer for me on the table next to where I was playing. Now I am not privy to the training techniques of the Jehovas Witness organisation, but surely if you are going to “sell” a religion, then this is not the way to go about it. Because not only did they lose my vote (so to speak), but I dare say they’ve probably lost the vote of anyone else who is reading this at the moment (if you made it this far…). One of the more ridiculous things I have ever witnessed. Possibly even more ridiculous than whatever has made all these people “witnesses” in the first place….. And he didn’t even buy a CD! Jackass.
Interestingly enough, the girl who was playing after me, Niceol Bleu, had helped me get this gig. She was on her way to a few more that night – all paid shows. Seems to be a fair few opportunities around to make a living as a musician here, as long as you’re happy to play the occasional café and do a spot of busking. (And as long as you don’t mind a Jehovas Witness flyer or two coming your way…). But I reckon that’s better than being chained to a desk in the city somewhere!
Caught up after the show with an old friend from Sydney, Siobhan, who used to work in Bar Me when I played a lot of my shows there last year. Some of you may remember her… Nice to see yet another familiar face on the other side of the world. Hadn’t lost any of her famous personality either. “Sound”, as they would say over here.
SAT 2/8 – THE ROISIN DUBH, GALWAY
A brief wander round Galway on the Saturday morning – this town has got character. I suppose it’s got a lot to do with the way the place is laid out. The narrow cobbled streets, the tiny old shopfronts, bars/cafes extending out over the footpaths. All of this accentuated by the increase in population as a result of race week. So the place has its own energy. There are buskers on every corner – something I should have been doing, but instead I had agreed to a highly competitive (?) game of squash against Mr Savina. Field victorious 3 sets to 1. I’d like to thank my fans….
Plenty of people had told me to try and get a show at the Roisin Dubh if I was going to Galway. The place was awesome. I guess the only thing I could compare it to back home is the Espy in Melbourne, mainly for it’s dedication to live music. The Roisin Dubh is a lot smaller however – very much a pub atmosphere with 2 performance spaces – one up and one down. Successive emails to the Roisin Dubh had produced very little response (these sent in my all-night email sessions when I was trying to book this tour…), but fortunately an Irish guy by the name of Peter Doran offered to let me do a short set to open up for him in the upstairs bar. A really nice little room that had a capacity of about 80 people (versus the downstairs room with a large stage that can hold around 300…). A Saturday night, and there was a healthy crowd in there to check out the music for the evening. This would not happen in Australia. I mean, I love my country I really do, but to think that a crowd of people would sit around drinking beer on a Saturday night listening to two acoustic acts they had never heard of before…? It just wouldn’t happen. At least I haven’t found those sorts of places otherwise I would be playing them more often. Yet over here, this is quite normal. People enjoy new music, and seem a lot more willing to take it on board.
A great note to finish on in Galway – I am hoping to get back over here in a year or so. Peter Doran is worth a look if you have the time – do a search on myspace and he’ll come up on that. My thanks also to Pat Savina who once again provided some bottom end (that’s the Bass guitar folks… minds out of the gutter please….). Back to Dublin we go…
SUN 3/8 – THE PURTY KITCHEN, DUB LEGHAIRE (DUBLIN)
Just in case you’re wondering, it’s pronounced “Dun Leary”. Not “Dun Legare” as I first thought. A subtle difference yes, but handy to know if you’re stopping to ask for directions and you want a helpful response rather than a look of confusion. Dun Leghaire is about 20min drive south of Dublin - a nice spot on the coast. The drive across from Galway was around 3-8hrs as per the usual Irish time frame – not so many tractors, but an enourmous number of roundabouts. For some reason, a highway in Ireland is not complete without a roundabout every 5km or so. Seems the traditional “intersection” (ie smaller road gives way to bigger road) is not so popular round these parts. So by the time I hit Dublin, I’m a little giddy, and it’s not only because I am excited about the show.
The Purty Kitchen is a great spot for dinner. Mind you, having the word “Kitchen” in their name, they really should know what they are doing… On that front, I am reminded of a wonderful little chain of Pizza Shops over here called “4-Star Pizza”. A very clever name indeed, as they are not claiming to have the best Pizza, just decent enough to be 4 stars. So really the customer will always be content – even if it’s not completely up to scratch, they wouldn’t dare complain because, after all, it’s not meant to be perfect. Genius.
(I have been challenged to write a song with “4-star Pizza” in it somewhere. It will happen!).
Pizzas aside, the gig itself was a good laugh, and I got to see a few other great local songwriters. Pretty rowdy sort of crowd as it was the Irish bank holiday the next day, so no-one had to work. As far as I am aware, a bank Holiday in Sydney is, as the name suggests, a holiday for the banks and not the rest of the working population. Seems the rest of the population in Ireland weren’t too happy about that arrangement, so they’ve all decided to take the day off anyway. This was the last show with Pat Savina, who departed for London the following morning. Was great to have him along for the trip (plus I looked like some sort of international rock star of course being able to afford to bring my bass player half way round the world with me! Ha ha…). Anyway thanks Pat!
Pat also made the necessary arrangements to enable us to stay in Dublin with an old family friend of his – very nice of her because they hadn’t seen each other in a few years, notwithstanding the fact that I was a “bonus” guest who more or less came unannounced. Fortunately there was a spare couch… Phew. Thanks Kim!
MON 4/8 – REST DAY – DUBLIN
Dropped Pat to the Airport, then took it easy. Decided to ditch the hire car in favour of public transport for the second week of the trip. Incidentally it seems to be going Ok to this point (I have made it to Cork, transferred buses, heading towards Limerick now. I am going to watch Paul Kelly and Holly Throsby tonight. It is my patriotic duty). Kim (Pat’s friend) proved to be a superb tour guide, taking me for a drive out to Sugar Loaf – a mountain (generous…?) peak just south of Dublin. Great view back up to the city and down the coast in the other direction. And I am a person who loves my great views! Worth a look if you can get there. Figured I didn’t really need to see the Guiness factory – I seem to be doing an autheintic personal Guiness tour of sorts anyway!
TUES 5/8 – WEXFORD SONG CLUB
Well the first leg of the bus trip went ok. Again however, those driving times are never set in stone over here. For example, the last 24km to Wexford took us 45min. That is no exaggeration… How does that happen on the highway? And why the traffic jam at 2pm on the way in to Wexford town? Where is everyone going? I don’t understand.
The Wexford song club had to be the highlight so far in Ireland. A really nice space, and a really nice crowd on hand who listened to just about every word. It’s worth remembering that this was a Tuesday night. On a Tuesday night in Sydney, there are very few places that would bother to do live music outside of Scruffy Murphy’s, featuring the best of Coldplay, U2 and Robbie Williams – being performed, funnily enough, to an audience of Irish backpackers… Anyway down in Wexford, about 3(?)hrs south of Dublin, it turns out there is a superb original music venue that runs every Tuesday night, and gets a good regular crowd each week. There was actually a couple of travelling Aussies in the audience – which meant someone could understand what I was saying! If ever you’re passing through, check out the Wexford Song Club at The Sky and Ground Pub. You’ll be guaranteed a selection of great original artists – both from Ireland and abroad.
Here are a couple of the guys that played last Tuesday:
www.myspace.com/jimicullen (Ireland)
www.myspace.com/felixsonnyboywilson (USA)
WED 6/8 – NEW MUSIC CLUB, BRAZIL’S CAFÉ, CLONMEL, TIPPERARY
Ok the buses are not too bad – as long as you’re not in a rush. I am getting used to them anyway. The most exciting thing about this show? It’s in Tipperary! Try telling me 5 years ago that I would be playing my own songs in Tipperary! Ha!! It’s funny the way life works… As the song suggests, it’s a long way to Tipperary my friends, especially if you are coming from Sydney, Australia. Fortunately for me on this particular occasion, it’s only 2hrs on the Bus Eirann from Wexford.
On first impression, Clonmel seems like a nice little old town – nestled in amongst the surrounding hills. This was until I was greeted at the bus stop by a 30-something year old mother with no teeth telling her 13-14yo daughter (who was smoking) that she was going to “Smack her in the head” because they’d just missed the bus. Hmmmm.
There’s something that I am starting to realise here… ALL the Irish towns can be classed as “Nice little old towns”. The features of Clonmel are characteristic of all the towns I have visited so far this trip. The same narrow cobbled streets, the same old style pubs, the same stone walls, clocks, churches, and not forgetting those one way streets! (Not that there’s often enough room for 2 directions of traffic mind you, but even the locals seem bemused by the number of one way streets…). Anyway, I suppose a lot of the towns in Australia are similar to each other as well. As are the smaller towns around America. I think I notice the cobbled streets more though, as I am pulling a wheelie suitcase, so my entire trip has been accompanied by a fairly annoying series of “click, clack, click, clack” noises as the bag makes it’s way across the uneven surfaces. Fortunately no blow-outs yet – if one of those wheels dies then I am stuffed! The backpack / wheelie suitcase dilemma was a tough one… but I have no regrets! At least that’s what I keep telling myself when I am dragging it over the cobblestones.
Brazil’s was a fairly small bar, but again filled with a good crowd of people all interested in hearing new music. It’s enjoyable playing to these sorts of crowds. Sure it wasn’t The Colosseum, but it was still a lot better than the Fairfield RSL! Interestingly enough, Jimmy Cullen (who also played the night before in Wexford – see above) had also made the trip across for this show, so we had become brief touring companions of sorts – random, but cool. I am starting to feel like a local!
More random and more cool – an Irish girl called Lou who used to live upstairs at the Excelsior in Sydney but had recently moved home (due to her Visa running out) drove 100 Miles with a friend of hers just to see the show! (On account of her promising that she’d come see me play if I ever made it to Ireland). Full Credit to her for being mad enough to follow through on the promise! Plus the two of them took me on a nice drive through the Irish countryside the following morning. No doubt about it, this country is blessed with some beautiful scenery.
Thanks to Liam at the New Music Club and Brazil’s for another enjoyable night. Can you tell I am warming to Ireland? (Not that it’s warming to me much – still haven’t seen a lot of sun…but that’s OK).
THURS 7/8 – REST DAY- CLONMEL/WATERFORD
In case you’re ever in the area, there is a decent Gym in Clonmel right next to the Bus/Train station. The body needed some physical activity… Travelled by bus to Waterford, and checked in to the most bizarre place I have ever stayed. Ask me about it, I’ll tell you so you can avoid it on your next trip to Ireland. For future reference though, best not to check into a hotel that looks like it is falling apart. And certainly not one where the hotel “sign” has detached from it’s mounting and sits at a 45 degree angle – lights out.
Waterford was a lively little town by night, but I decided to take it easy. Ate the biggest Irish Stew I could find. Put on 10kg. Barely made it back to the hotel. If you can call it that…
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NEWSFLASH AGAIN - Location Update – I am now in Scotland…. Typing on the train from Aberdeen to Edinburgh… nearly done with Ireland. This blog is as much for my amusement as yours!
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FRI 8/8 – McCARTHY’S (THE INVISIBLE PUB), YOUGHAL
A spot of busking in Waterford to start the day, followed by the obligatory couple of hours in the Internet café trying to book more shows. The joys of the solo tour... Anyone know a good booking agent?! Actually the busking wasn’t too bad – I managed to pay for my lunch, the Internet, and the bus fare to Youghal! It could have been so much better if it wasn’t for the French brass band that started up just around the corner…
Youghal (pronounced Yaawwwl”, not U-gal as I originally thought…) was a nice sort of place. Another one of these historic Irish towns with nice old buildings and churches and quiet little streets. This one felt a bit nicer than the rest though – probably something to do with it being right on the coast. Checked in to a B&B and had a wander round – found a “Field Printers” which I thought was pretty cool. Also saw some of the smallest fishing “trawlers” I have ever seen. I don’t know what they are catching, but quite obviously they are just trying to feed a family of 4. There wouldn’t have been room for anything else!
The “Invisible” pub got its nickname due to the layout. There is a front bar right near the entrance, but there is a larger bar/room “hidden” in the back of the pub – actually I had to ask where it was when I walked in, so they had in fact done a pretty good job of hiding it. As it turned out, the “Invisible” pub appeared to be, as the name suggested, pretty hard to find for the residents and visitors of Youghal on this particular Friday night. I think the average crowd size was about 4 people. At times I was even playing to nobody at all – as the people who were there had all gone outside to have a cigarette! Funnily enough though, I didn’t really mind to much – because after all, it’s all part of the story isn’t it?! And in the end I did meet a few other decent folks that night – including a couple of local musicians.
“McCarthys” is run by a guy called Tom…. McCarthy! How about that. There are about 25 other shops run by “McCarthys” in Youghal – so either it’s a very common name or there’s something else going on that is better not spoken of… But Tom McCarthy was a great bloke, and if any of you are ever looking for a gig in Youghal as you are passing through, he’d be more than happy to have you. In fact, it’s not always as quiet as that – turns out I just got a bad night. Not to worry, I still enjoyed myself.
SAT 9/8 – PAUL KELLY LIVE AT DOLANS, LIMERICK
I had noticed Paul Kelly was on tour when I was first planning this trip, and whilst my appeals for a support slot had fallen on deaf ears (or at least ears that were more attracted to Holly Throsby… fair enough….), I decided nonetheless to jump on a bus for 3 hours and head to Limerick to see the great man himself.
Limerick was, to be fair, a fairly industrious sort of town. Nothing immediately appealing upon exiting the bus station – aside from the “Station Hotel”, which did me Bed and Breakfast for 35 Euro. And not so far to walk the next day! Again it’s a bit hard to get a good idea of what it’s like when you’re only there one night, but I wasn’t there for a city tour, I was there to see Paul Kelly! The gig was held upstairs at Dolans – a great little room – and it was one of the highlights of my two weeks in Ireland. The last time I saw Paul Kelly it was with about 10,000 other people at the Sydney festival. In Limerick, there were about 80. So to see him in such an intimate setting was a great opportunity and, as you can imagine, pretty inspiring stuff. Here is a man who has dedicated his life to being a songwriter – and here was proof that if you remain committed to the path you choose, then good things can happen.
He was joined on stage for the set by his nephew Dan, who was actually a superb guitarist himself. Hadn’t ever seen him play before, but I will definitely go and check out a show next time he is in Sydney. All in all a great night – helped along of course by the Pints of Guiness I was being fed (and I use the word “Fed” deliberately…) by the Irish couple I was sitting with. Thanks!
Drinking Pints of Guiness watching Paul Kelly at Dolans in Limerick. There might be a song in that somewhere… A drunken Irish shanty perhaps…
SUN 10/8 – THE SLATE BAR, CORK
Back on the bus again in the morning, and spent a fairly uneventful day in Cork… One of the interesting things when you’re on tour is the fact that you quickly develop the ability to find a great number of mundane ways to pass the time. For instance, going on a wild goose chase for a Gym in Cork…. What I can tell you is that if you are looking for a Gym, it is impossible to find one in the city centre. Actually I lie – there is one in the bottom of a hotel, but they only offer a 1-month temporary membership for 120 Euro. Which I thought was a bit much even for rock stars on European tours like myself… I would have gone to a park to play my guitar, but you can never be too sure how far away the rain is. So it’s safer to stay indoors.
I did manage to watch the hurling semi-final between Cork and Kilkenny – which I thought was a very Irish thing to do! That hurling is a mad sport, but oddly enough quite entertaining. Still one thing puzzles me… Hurling is an amateur sport, yet they have 60,000 people watching a match in Dublin. So I don’t understand what happens to the money… Irish people can you help me out? I tried to ask the audience at the gig about that, but I think they were still a bit pissed off about Cork losing the match, and on account of them having been drinking all day, I figured it was best not to pursue the line of questioning in favour of keeping my teeth for my next meal.
The “Cheeky Sunday Social” runs each Sunday night at The Slate, and was another great night for songwriters. Really enjoyed it. Funnily enough, it was run by a New Zealand bloke (Mike) who had relocated to Cork some time ago. I have to confess – I am having thoughts about doing a similar thing. Maybe not to Cork, but to somewhere in Ireland for sure… There is more live music, and the distances between places are shorter – hence making touring to earn a living a more realistic possibility. Certainly a lot more cost-effective than back home. Anyway, I will figure that out in time – have to finish recording the new album first. This tour is turning out to be another grade-A stalling tactic, but at least it’s giving me a few places to go when the thing is finally finished. I am going into lock-down when I get back to Sydney!
There is a good hostel in Cork which will take you at late notice if you fail in your bid to find a couch for the night – The Bru.
MON 11/8 – BLARNEY STONE, RING OF KERRY.
Big day in the car, but the first time I have had the chance to do anything really “touristy”. Definitely worth the trip! Apparently kissing the Blarney Stone was meant to make me more eloquent… I’ll let you judge whether or not it worked. Certainly it must have had some effect, because the two Spanish girls who decided to come with me on the trip seemed to understand most of what I was saying despite not really speaking English. At least I am assuming they understood some of what I was saying – either that or they were just very good at laughing and nodding. Hmmmm….. The Ring of Kerry was one of the nicest drives I have been on. Small travel tip however – the distance / time thing is again all over the shop. This is on account of the caravans and buses, and the narrow one-lane roads. Not to mention the constant overwhelming urge to stop and take photos every 10mins… Also, exercise caution when deciding whether or not to check out the Ring of Beara (next to the ring of Kerry). Smaller roads, and a greater chance of getting lost (hey the Spanish girls were navigating…), but a spectacular drive nonetheless. Wound up back in Cork at 10pm after driving 750km at an average speed of … not much…. Certainly wouldn’t have made Craig Lowndes all that proud. But hey it was worth it!
TUES 12/8 – CORK
Another gig-free day – and a big thank you to my old Rugby mate Eoin and his wife Aideen who were kind enough to let me stay an extra night. The coastline south of Cork is also worth a look if you’re in the area – Ireland is certainly blessed with some beautiful stretches of road.
(WOW! I just went past a cool old Scottish Fort on the train… no idea where I am mind you… maybe getting close to Edinburgh now….anyway that was a random “on-the-go” observation…)
WED 13/8 – THE SONGROOM @ THE GLOBE, DUBLIN
And so after two weeks travelling around Ireland, it was time to bid farewell. The bus from Cork to Dublin was fairly uneventful, but at least no crying kids to deal with. The Songroom is run by a bloke called Hamlet Sweeney. (Real name!). A nice sort of night that runs every Wednesday at The Globe – right at the bottom of George Street, a stone’s throw from Temple Bar. Usually there are around 4-5 different acts each week – about 30mins each.
As luck would have it, several days earlier I had met a girl (Rachel was her name… not Venus… I don’t know why I just put that….the Blarney Stone was full of sh….!) at the bus stop in Clonmel (of all places!) who was actually from Dublin… are you following? Turns out she was a classically trained violinist, and upon hearing this, I promptly suggested that she should come and play a few tunes with me at The Globe – this whilst hurriedly passing her a copy of my CD as she ran to get on her bus! To her Credit though, Rachel did in fact show up to play with me for my last show in Ireland, and it was an absolute pleasure sharing the stage with her. I really enjoy collaborating with other musicians in Sydney, and it was great to do it with someone in another country. Rachel if you’re reading this – great meeting you and hopefully we’ll get the chance to play together again in the future. Thanks for being mad enough to give it a go!
It was a shame that the crowd for the final show was fairly well loaded by the time we hit the stage, and therefore making a pretty good racket… but still a good gig to finish the tour of Ireland. Actually had a few people come and watch the show who’d seen me in Galway the week before – thought that was mighty nice of them!
A big thanks to Kim again – who I didn’t know prior to arriving in Ireland – but who didn’t mind me occupying the couch for several nights whilst I was in and out of Dublin throughout the course of my trip. Much appreciated!
My final thoughts on Ireland? Well, I’ll leave it in the capable hands of their favourite national phrase – it was GREAT CRAIC!! (Pronounced, perhaps unfortunately depending on the way your mind works, “Crack”). Anyway “Craic”, I have decided, is a bloody great word – generally referring to a damn good time. And that, my friends, is what it was – looking forward to doing it again soon!
And so with Ireland out of the way, it was time to head to Scotland and the Edinburgh Fringe Festival – and to the next Blog. Finally!
Still can’t promise a regular “weekly” for the time being, but hopefully the next one won’t be as long coming….
Must make tracks – I am off to Amsterdam. See you again soon. Well done if you made it this far!
Renny
PS – Keep an eye on the gigs because there will probably be a few more added before I am finished in Europe…
PPS – Sydneysiders – looking forward to seeing you all in a few weeks. I’m doing a final “tour” show back in Sydney at The Fringe Bar on Sunday 14th September. From around 6pm. Would be great to see you there!
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
The Weekly... Volume 15
Welcome back to the weekly... where once again you correctly point out that 2 weeks have elapsed since the last posting... Punctuality has never been a strong point folks. On more than one occasion I have been asked how I manage to get to gigs on time, and it is a question that I can't really answer with any degree of certainty. In any case, it is rather fortunate that the words "efficient" and "punctual" appear to be missing from the Rock'n'Roll dictionary... much the same as the corresponding dictionary that is used by the City Rail network in Sydney.
Now where did I leave you...? Ah that's right, Hong Kong. A rather efficient city in fact. At least that's until you make it to the international airport and board your Finnair flight to London via Helsinki. (Musicians travel on cheap flights that rarely follow the most direct route). Turns out on this particular occasion there happens to be a storm north of Hong Kong which means our flight is delayed by 2 hours - all of which has to be spent on the tarmac... in the plane... This is something I have never understood - why couldn't we spend the time in the departure lounge? At least then I could spend money on food and drinks that I don't really need to keep myself amused. That would help the airport a lot more wouldn't it?!
The ten-hour flight to Helsinki was fine once we were in the air. They had reasonable movies, and made a reasonable attempt at creating something I might recognise as "food". Helsinki it seems is also a rather efficient sort of place. So efficient in fact that the passengers, upon alighting from the plane, are put through the same security check that everyone went through before getting on the plane in Hong Kong. Just in case the items which were safe enough to carry on the plane in the first place are not safe enough to bring into the airport (because a large concrete airport is so much more vulnerable than a plane hurtling through the air at 800km/h). It turns out I was in possession of 3 of these such items - a small can of deodorant, and 2 x 600mL bottles of still mineral water. That mineral water can be nasty stuff when it gets in the wrong hands.
Well I won't harp on that stuff too much, because after all I am travelling, and these are the sorts of things that we invariably all have to put up with when we load up a suit-case and head OS. Suffice it to say - I did eventually make it to London, albeit a few hours behind schedule. As expected, the UK was putting on a show for my arrival in the middle of summer - rain, fog, 11 degrees. Welcome back old chap.
GIG 1 - The Hare and Hounds, Brighton. Friday 11/7/08.
The start of my first UK "Tour". I had played in London once before a few years ago, but it was just a one-off performance, and therefore not a "tour" as such. This time around however I've got 15-20 gigs already booked and Brighton is the first port of call.
Armed with my guitar and a fairly enthusiastic demeanour, I arrived at the Hare and Hounds pub (around a 20min walk from Brighton train station) raring to go. Unfortunately, not all seemed to be going to plan. The headline band had not heard that I would be arriving for their Friday night extravaganza, as they had already booked a full line-up... Slightly discouraged, but all hope was not lost as there was also a band room upstairs - I must have been playing there. Only one problem - Upstairs was locked. Upon asking the man behind the bar, he politely informed me that there was no music upstairs that night, therefore I was stuck. In Brighton. In a pub that didn't expect me. With a band that really didn't want me to play, else I would be eating into their set time.
Now I have never claimed to be a rock star of any description, but at the other end of the Spectrum it would be nice to think that when you book a gig on the other side of the world, the pub would at least be ready to have you play when you got there. Possibly even give you a free beer if you were lucky...
Fortunately after a period of confusion, the entertainment booker arrived, and following an email check - yes, it turns out that I had actually booked the gig, and I was able to officially kick off the tour with a 30-min set in Brighton. The headline band were actually pretty cool, and didn't seem to mind a great deal once they realised I was in fact someone who was meant to be there. As opposed to someone who had come all the way from Australia with a guitar and just happened to make the 20min walk from the Station to the Hare and Hounds, avoiding all the main tourist areas in Brighton in the process, because he had heard that was the place to go if you didn't have a gig and you wanted to get one by walking in the door and pretending you were meant to be there...
All in all, a good night in the end. And it's all about the story anyway. Imagine if none of that had happened - would have been a fairly uneventful first gig wouldn't it. Good to see some old friends, although I'm not entirely sure they could hear much of what I was playing as the speaker was facing the other direction, and a hen's night sat down beside them just as I was about to start.
GIG 2 - Open Mic, Islington. Tues 15/7/08
I have decided I will include open mics in the tour diary - quite often they make for an interesting evening. As I am trying to do this tour independently, they can also be a good chance to meet a few new people doing a similar thing. And maybe if someone actually reads this blog, they might choose to head along to it themselves next time they are in the area...
So in fact I found out about this night, at The Embassy Pub, whilst I was doing some research in the internet cafe in Brighton. It's worth heading up if you're in town and you want to play a few tunes - generally I found the crowd pretty supportive, and it was a pretty relaxed environment despite the bongo drums making an appearance once too often. (I have not been able to appreciate the Bongo drums ever since my trip to the Woodford Folk festival 3 years ago when I had to listen to them on every single stage for 3 days running...). Bongo drums aside, the 3 songs I got to play were a nice enough warm-up for my show the following night at the hundred club.
Missed the last tube. Had to catch the night bus home. At least I didn't fall asleep and miss my stop.
GIG 3 - The Hundred Club, London. Wed 16/7/08.
This one is the first one I booked for the trip - several months ago. I did play the hundred club once before about 3 years ago, and fortunately the venue has decided that I am not too bad, and also that I have a large group of friends currently in London who don't mind a drink in the middle of the week.
A big thanks must go to Helen Greenham who opened up the night at short notice and played a really nice set. It's a shame that, as the beers flowed freely, so to did the conversation in the room. A little discouraging for Helen, but nothing to do with the way she played...
www.myspace.com/pearceleneh
This was pretty much the only show I had booked, aside from one in Edinburgh, which was specifically my own headline show, so I enjoyed the opportunity to play a full set - probably close on 90mins by the time I was done. Unlike the gig in Brighton, the venue was actually expecting my arrival, and had even tuned the Piano that morning - it sounded amazing. Like Helen, I struggled with the background noise throughout, which was a bit of a shame.... But there was 120 people in the room, and most of them hadn't seen each other for a while, so really it was a chance for a great catch-up for a lot of them. Nothing much I could do about it, and in any case I have to remind myself that I got the chance to play a show on the other side of the world to a room full of people - a really great opportunity. Thanks to everyone who came along - many of you who have supported me since I first began playing my own songs several years ago, some who even saw me play the odd covers show near the rugby club when I lived in London - way back in 2002!
Thanks also to the Hundred Club, and finally to Catie who agreed to do Merch for me with 24hrs notice - you are a trooper.
GIG 4 - Tipperary Racecourse, Stag Weekend, Sat 19/7/08.
OK so this is not really a proper gig as such, but worth a mention... I will try to include any public performance. Following the show London, a group of 12 departed Friday afternoon bound for Cork, Ireland, for a Stag weekend that was sure to give us all a headache come Monday morning (it certainly did that...).
(I refer to it as the "Stag" weekend, as opposed to the "Bucks" weekend, because we are in the UK. Any idea what they call it in America? Cananda? The Czech republic?? Anyway...)
At the Stag's request, a trip to the races was organised - turns out the only races being run nearby were up in Tipperary, about an hour north of Cork by Train. (It's a long way to Tipperary, but no so far from Cork...). At some point late in the race program, an old guy started up on the guitar in the tent we were in. By this stage I think the majority of the general public who had been in the tent had decided that they didn't want to stay too close to the stag party - which was probably a wise decision.
Following some negotiations, it was agreed that I would be able to play one song - that being the Men at Work Classic "Land Down Under". It was also agreed that for the duration of the song the backing track would be switched OFF - backing tracks are on par with the Bongo drums as far as I am concerned.... Whether or not I was hitting the right notes is a topic for debate at a later stage, but the reason for mentioning the one-song performance is that I was joined on stage by the Stag/Buck, dressed in a beautiful pink dress with fishnet stockings, who changed the words to something like...
"Pizza
Lasagne
Vegemite Sandwich
Athlete's Foot..
Watch out for that one...."
Men at Work couldn't have said it better themselves. I had wisely stopped singing by this stage.
Anyway that was a random insertion, because quite obviously the blog entry wasn't long enough already. As I type this, I am back in London - fortunately in one piece. Much of the first couple of weeks of my trip has been devoted to catching up with old friends, and preparing for a wedding that is due to take place this weekend.
This Wednesday I am heading up to Birmingham for a gig at the "Secret Music Club". I am hoping that it is not too secret, or else that could be a bit detrimental for the audience numbers... I have however received several confirmation emails, which tends to suggest that they are expecting me (bonus), so I think it'll be an enjoyable evening.
More to report next week, when I'll be about to head back to Ireland - Dublin in fact - for a few more shows over there. Can't wait.
I have also been booked in to perform on the Royal Mile at the Edinburgh Fringe festival in August. Just a busking spot, but exciting to be there at the same time as the festival, and a great chance to play a small part in the event.
Well done if you made it to here!
Cheers,
Renny
PS - Will be making regular gig updates on my page as more are confirmed - stay tuned...
Now where did I leave you...? Ah that's right, Hong Kong. A rather efficient city in fact. At least that's until you make it to the international airport and board your Finnair flight to London via Helsinki. (Musicians travel on cheap flights that rarely follow the most direct route). Turns out on this particular occasion there happens to be a storm north of Hong Kong which means our flight is delayed by 2 hours - all of which has to be spent on the tarmac... in the plane... This is something I have never understood - why couldn't we spend the time in the departure lounge? At least then I could spend money on food and drinks that I don't really need to keep myself amused. That would help the airport a lot more wouldn't it?!
The ten-hour flight to Helsinki was fine once we were in the air. They had reasonable movies, and made a reasonable attempt at creating something I might recognise as "food". Helsinki it seems is also a rather efficient sort of place. So efficient in fact that the passengers, upon alighting from the plane, are put through the same security check that everyone went through before getting on the plane in Hong Kong. Just in case the items which were safe enough to carry on the plane in the first place are not safe enough to bring into the airport (because a large concrete airport is so much more vulnerable than a plane hurtling through the air at 800km/h). It turns out I was in possession of 3 of these such items - a small can of deodorant, and 2 x 600mL bottles of still mineral water. That mineral water can be nasty stuff when it gets in the wrong hands.
Well I won't harp on that stuff too much, because after all I am travelling, and these are the sorts of things that we invariably all have to put up with when we load up a suit-case and head OS. Suffice it to say - I did eventually make it to London, albeit a few hours behind schedule. As expected, the UK was putting on a show for my arrival in the middle of summer - rain, fog, 11 degrees. Welcome back old chap.
GIG 1 - The Hare and Hounds, Brighton. Friday 11/7/08.
The start of my first UK "Tour". I had played in London once before a few years ago, but it was just a one-off performance, and therefore not a "tour" as such. This time around however I've got 15-20 gigs already booked and Brighton is the first port of call.
Armed with my guitar and a fairly enthusiastic demeanour, I arrived at the Hare and Hounds pub (around a 20min walk from Brighton train station) raring to go. Unfortunately, not all seemed to be going to plan. The headline band had not heard that I would be arriving for their Friday night extravaganza, as they had already booked a full line-up... Slightly discouraged, but all hope was not lost as there was also a band room upstairs - I must have been playing there. Only one problem - Upstairs was locked. Upon asking the man behind the bar, he politely informed me that there was no music upstairs that night, therefore I was stuck. In Brighton. In a pub that didn't expect me. With a band that really didn't want me to play, else I would be eating into their set time.
Now I have never claimed to be a rock star of any description, but at the other end of the Spectrum it would be nice to think that when you book a gig on the other side of the world, the pub would at least be ready to have you play when you got there. Possibly even give you a free beer if you were lucky...
Fortunately after a period of confusion, the entertainment booker arrived, and following an email check - yes, it turns out that I had actually booked the gig, and I was able to officially kick off the tour with a 30-min set in Brighton. The headline band were actually pretty cool, and didn't seem to mind a great deal once they realised I was in fact someone who was meant to be there. As opposed to someone who had come all the way from Australia with a guitar and just happened to make the 20min walk from the Station to the Hare and Hounds, avoiding all the main tourist areas in Brighton in the process, because he had heard that was the place to go if you didn't have a gig and you wanted to get one by walking in the door and pretending you were meant to be there...
All in all, a good night in the end. And it's all about the story anyway. Imagine if none of that had happened - would have been a fairly uneventful first gig wouldn't it. Good to see some old friends, although I'm not entirely sure they could hear much of what I was playing as the speaker was facing the other direction, and a hen's night sat down beside them just as I was about to start.
GIG 2 - Open Mic, Islington. Tues 15/7/08
I have decided I will include open mics in the tour diary - quite often they make for an interesting evening. As I am trying to do this tour independently, they can also be a good chance to meet a few new people doing a similar thing. And maybe if someone actually reads this blog, they might choose to head along to it themselves next time they are in the area...
So in fact I found out about this night, at The Embassy Pub, whilst I was doing some research in the internet cafe in Brighton. It's worth heading up if you're in town and you want to play a few tunes - generally I found the crowd pretty supportive, and it was a pretty relaxed environment despite the bongo drums making an appearance once too often. (I have not been able to appreciate the Bongo drums ever since my trip to the Woodford Folk festival 3 years ago when I had to listen to them on every single stage for 3 days running...). Bongo drums aside, the 3 songs I got to play were a nice enough warm-up for my show the following night at the hundred club.
Missed the last tube. Had to catch the night bus home. At least I didn't fall asleep and miss my stop.
GIG 3 - The Hundred Club, London. Wed 16/7/08.
This one is the first one I booked for the trip - several months ago. I did play the hundred club once before about 3 years ago, and fortunately the venue has decided that I am not too bad, and also that I have a large group of friends currently in London who don't mind a drink in the middle of the week.
A big thanks must go to Helen Greenham who opened up the night at short notice and played a really nice set. It's a shame that, as the beers flowed freely, so to did the conversation in the room. A little discouraging for Helen, but nothing to do with the way she played...
www.myspace.com/pearceleneh
This was pretty much the only show I had booked, aside from one in Edinburgh, which was specifically my own headline show, so I enjoyed the opportunity to play a full set - probably close on 90mins by the time I was done. Unlike the gig in Brighton, the venue was actually expecting my arrival, and had even tuned the Piano that morning - it sounded amazing. Like Helen, I struggled with the background noise throughout, which was a bit of a shame.... But there was 120 people in the room, and most of them hadn't seen each other for a while, so really it was a chance for a great catch-up for a lot of them. Nothing much I could do about it, and in any case I have to remind myself that I got the chance to play a show on the other side of the world to a room full of people - a really great opportunity. Thanks to everyone who came along - many of you who have supported me since I first began playing my own songs several years ago, some who even saw me play the odd covers show near the rugby club when I lived in London - way back in 2002!
Thanks also to the Hundred Club, and finally to Catie who agreed to do Merch for me with 24hrs notice - you are a trooper.
GIG 4 - Tipperary Racecourse, Stag Weekend, Sat 19/7/08.
OK so this is not really a proper gig as such, but worth a mention... I will try to include any public performance. Following the show London, a group of 12 departed Friday afternoon bound for Cork, Ireland, for a Stag weekend that was sure to give us all a headache come Monday morning (it certainly did that...).
(I refer to it as the "Stag" weekend, as opposed to the "Bucks" weekend, because we are in the UK. Any idea what they call it in America? Cananda? The Czech republic?? Anyway...)
At the Stag's request, a trip to the races was organised - turns out the only races being run nearby were up in Tipperary, about an hour north of Cork by Train. (It's a long way to Tipperary, but no so far from Cork...). At some point late in the race program, an old guy started up on the guitar in the tent we were in. By this stage I think the majority of the general public who had been in the tent had decided that they didn't want to stay too close to the stag party - which was probably a wise decision.
Following some negotiations, it was agreed that I would be able to play one song - that being the Men at Work Classic "Land Down Under". It was also agreed that for the duration of the song the backing track would be switched OFF - backing tracks are on par with the Bongo drums as far as I am concerned.... Whether or not I was hitting the right notes is a topic for debate at a later stage, but the reason for mentioning the one-song performance is that I was joined on stage by the Stag/Buck, dressed in a beautiful pink dress with fishnet stockings, who changed the words to something like...
"Pizza
Lasagne
Vegemite Sandwich
Athlete's Foot..
Watch out for that one...."
Men at Work couldn't have said it better themselves. I had wisely stopped singing by this stage.
Anyway that was a random insertion, because quite obviously the blog entry wasn't long enough already. As I type this, I am back in London - fortunately in one piece. Much of the first couple of weeks of my trip has been devoted to catching up with old friends, and preparing for a wedding that is due to take place this weekend.
This Wednesday I am heading up to Birmingham for a gig at the "Secret Music Club". I am hoping that it is not too secret, or else that could be a bit detrimental for the audience numbers... I have however received several confirmation emails, which tends to suggest that they are expecting me (bonus), so I think it'll be an enjoyable evening.
More to report next week, when I'll be about to head back to Ireland - Dublin in fact - for a few more shows over there. Can't wait.
I have also been booked in to perform on the Royal Mile at the Edinburgh Fringe festival in August. Just a busking spot, but exciting to be there at the same time as the festival, and a great chance to play a small part in the event.
Well done if you made it to here!
Cheers,
Renny
PS - Will be making regular gig updates on my page as more are confirmed - stay tuned...
Wednesday, July 09, 2008
The Weekly... Volume 14
Oi! The weekly is again a couple of days late - I do apologise - but again there is a legitimate excuse... I have been in transit you see - and now I am in Hong Kong. So you get a weekly typed in Asia.. how about that.
Not too much new to report this week - I leave Hong Kong for London tomorrow. Very excited about the trip to Europe and whatever that brings... It'll be nice to be just doing music for a couple of months - should be plenty of time to write as well, so might come home with a few new tunes!
Hong Kong is a nice place, but don't think I could live here... Not enough open space. Also as a muso I'd probably have to get used to playing Brown Eyed Girl 5 nights a week... and that is not something I need to be getting used to just at the moment thanks very much..
Anyway I'll do the skedaddle (if that's how you spell it....), there are ferries to catch, dim sims to eat... I'll be back in a weeks time with some news from the UK.
Cheers for now, Renny
Wednesday, July 02, 2008
The Weekly... Volume 13
Hello again - less than a week left here in Sydney... Hard to say how I feel about it all at this stage, but Excited is perhaps a reasonable summation. Innit.
I have put some new songs up on my page which are part of a Live Tour CD I will have with me in Europe... The CD features tracks recorded at Bar Me and The Excelsior Hotel in Sydney, as well as Ruby's Lounge in Belgrave VIC. (And a couple from my Bedroom... just for laughs...)
It's been a good week with the Final Show at The Excelsior (thanks again to everyone who made an appearance), and some great performances by Cookie Baker, Sarah Humphreys and The Falls. I feel very fortunate to know so many amazing local artists - all of whom inspire me in different ways. I have enjoyed sharing the stage with them throughout this past month.
Also this week my brother's band (The Mischief) launched their 2nd EP at Candy's Apartment. Sounds great, and the guys are TOIGHT! Check it...
www.myspace.com/themischiefmusic
They have a new Tarago... I used to have a Tarago, but someone ran into it....
Tonight I am off to watch a mini-doco that I wrote some music for. It's a sports doco, so I'm not exactly sure how the song I wrote is going to sound as accompaniment to a game of footy, but we'll see. In any case, it was a good challenge, and I'd like to do more of that sort of thing as I continue on this little path here...
Finally I should mention my good friend Kent Eastwood (who is playing the Piano accordion on my song "The Birds" on my page...) - Kent did a superb job on said accordion the other night with Clare Bowditch at the Basement. He's also about to release a brand new album of his own - worth a listen.
www.myspace.com/kenteastwood
I think that'll do me for now. See you soon.
Renny
I have put some new songs up on my page which are part of a Live Tour CD I will have with me in Europe... The CD features tracks recorded at Bar Me and The Excelsior Hotel in Sydney, as well as Ruby's Lounge in Belgrave VIC. (And a couple from my Bedroom... just for laughs...)
It's been a good week with the Final Show at The Excelsior (thanks again to everyone who made an appearance), and some great performances by Cookie Baker, Sarah Humphreys and The Falls. I feel very fortunate to know so many amazing local artists - all of whom inspire me in different ways. I have enjoyed sharing the stage with them throughout this past month.
Also this week my brother's band (The Mischief) launched their 2nd EP at Candy's Apartment. Sounds great, and the guys are TOIGHT! Check it...
www.myspace.com/themischiefmusic
They have a new Tarago... I used to have a Tarago, but someone ran into it....
Tonight I am off to watch a mini-doco that I wrote some music for. It's a sports doco, so I'm not exactly sure how the song I wrote is going to sound as accompaniment to a game of footy, but we'll see. In any case, it was a good challenge, and I'd like to do more of that sort of thing as I continue on this little path here...
Finally I should mention my good friend Kent Eastwood (who is playing the Piano accordion on my song "The Birds" on my page...) - Kent did a superb job on said accordion the other night with Clare Bowditch at the Basement. He's also about to release a brand new album of his own - worth a listen.
www.myspace.com/kenteastwood
I think that'll do me for now. See you soon.
Renny
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
The Weekly... Volume 12
Well Sunday came and went and there was no blog... but I can't tell you how busy I was last weekend. Actually I could tell you, but I won't tell you because it'll probably sound like one of those boring travel emails where your friend goes here and there and wasn't that amazing and wasn't that beautiful and I never realised they did that and this is such an amazing experience I can't tell you... I think you know the ones I am talking about.
Anyway, the only amazing experience I can remember from the weekend was playing a gig on Saturday night (ahem... covers gig.... you didn't hear that...) and from my vast collection of obscure cover songs that no-one would ever know were cover songs because they never really garnered all that much attention from the General Public, i picked one that was more obscure than most - and lo and behold some drunk fella wearing a scarf stood beside the stage and sung along word for word. And anyway I thought that was cool. Perhaps "amazing" is slightly overstating, but cool nonetheless.
Now if you'll allow me to slip into semi-diary-entry mode, I am really looking forward to getting over to Europe! Just 2 weeks to go... It's not that I haven't enjoyed being back home (although I have lost my hard-earned Phuket tan...), but I've got a good feeling about getting over there and playing to some new audiences. The other night I sat up for 6 hours watching the US Open Golf 18-hole playoff between Tiger Woods and Rocco Mediate.... which has no relevance to independent music tours in Europe, except for the fact that during this time I was sending emails to 500,000 people trying to book more shows for my trip. And wouldn't you know it, I managed to get a couple more - including one in Brighton 2 days after I arrive. So thanks to Mr Woods for that one - couldn't have done it without you mate.
I am keeping the gigs updated as they come in. A fairly time-consuming process, but it keeps ticking away. So keep an eye out - I might be coming to your neck of the woods! (Your neck of the Tiger Woods perhaps... oh dear I am sorry. I could have deleted that, but I wanted you to experience my brilliant sense of the pun...). I will also have with me a limited edition Live Album, which features songs recorded at a few different venues whilst touring over the past 6 months. Nice to have a new product, even if it's not an "official" one... What is official anyway?
Before I go, there is one last show at The Excelsior in Surry Hills - and that's tomorrow night (25th June) with The Falls, Sarah Humphreys and Cookie Baker (SA). May even be the best one of the month, plus it's like the European tour farewell gig, so come on down if you can! Dare I say it, we'll probably have a beer or two afterwards...Check the Gigs on my page for more info...
And on that note, I will bid you farewell. (If you made it this far that is...). Hope you are well, and I might catch you at a show sometime soon.
Cheers for now,
Renny
Anyway, the only amazing experience I can remember from the weekend was playing a gig on Saturday night (ahem... covers gig.... you didn't hear that...) and from my vast collection of obscure cover songs that no-one would ever know were cover songs because they never really garnered all that much attention from the General Public, i picked one that was more obscure than most - and lo and behold some drunk fella wearing a scarf stood beside the stage and sung along word for word. And anyway I thought that was cool. Perhaps "amazing" is slightly overstating, but cool nonetheless.
Now if you'll allow me to slip into semi-diary-entry mode, I am really looking forward to getting over to Europe! Just 2 weeks to go... It's not that I haven't enjoyed being back home (although I have lost my hard-earned Phuket tan...), but I've got a good feeling about getting over there and playing to some new audiences. The other night I sat up for 6 hours watching the US Open Golf 18-hole playoff between Tiger Woods and Rocco Mediate.... which has no relevance to independent music tours in Europe, except for the fact that during this time I was sending emails to 500,000 people trying to book more shows for my trip. And wouldn't you know it, I managed to get a couple more - including one in Brighton 2 days after I arrive. So thanks to Mr Woods for that one - couldn't have done it without you mate.
I am keeping the gigs updated as they come in. A fairly time-consuming process, but it keeps ticking away. So keep an eye out - I might be coming to your neck of the woods! (Your neck of the Tiger Woods perhaps... oh dear I am sorry. I could have deleted that, but I wanted you to experience my brilliant sense of the pun...). I will also have with me a limited edition Live Album, which features songs recorded at a few different venues whilst touring over the past 6 months. Nice to have a new product, even if it's not an "official" one... What is official anyway?
Before I go, there is one last show at The Excelsior in Surry Hills - and that's tomorrow night (25th June) with The Falls, Sarah Humphreys and Cookie Baker (SA). May even be the best one of the month, plus it's like the European tour farewell gig, so come on down if you can! Dare I say it, we'll probably have a beer or two afterwards...Check the Gigs on my page for more info...
And on that note, I will bid you farewell. (If you made it this far that is...). Hope you are well, and I might catch you at a show sometime soon.
Cheers for now,
Renny
Monday, June 16, 2008
The Weekly... Volume 11
And the Weekly returns! I think I am far more excited about this than anyone else would be, but only because it represents a return to some sort of discipline in my life now that I am back home instead of riding round Thailand trying to dodge potholes on my Moped...
Moving on, a big thanks to everyone who has been coming along to The Excelsior. We've been getting some pretty nice turnouts all things considered. (By "All things" I obviously mean the fact that it is FREEZING and wet). Good thing I am going to London soon! Ha. Anyway, we've had a couple of great nights, and we've got two more to go, so if you're in the Sydney area and feel like stopping by then I reckon you could do worse. This week (Wed 18th) is a solo show. I am playing with Fergus Brown, Rubi & Jude and Justine Martin. Tix are $10 at the door. Bonza.
Where did Bonza come from? Someone used to say it on the TV... Peter Russell Clarke? No that was Come and Get it... But maybe he said Bonza as well. Where was I?
Last night was a late notice show at one of the newest venues in town (3 days old in fact!) - The Kings Cross Hotel. You know that old place opposite the Coke sign... scary place... nasty place... Anyway things have changed. Go and check it out - 5 levels, fully refurbished! Get in before the cover charge... You know there'll be a cover charge... that's what happens these days.... Not that I can say for sure of course, but i did see a significant number of blokes standing round in trench-coats eying off clipboards full of guest lists. Who are the people on those guest lists anyway? Certainly not me - good thing I learned how to sing and play guitar....
Today some friends of mine had a Spaghettata. This is an Italian tradition where everyone gathers to eat Pasta for a few hours in the house / back yard. The fact that sleet was falling was no deterrent - it was a famous Spaghettata! (Possibly helped by the fact that one of these aforementioned friends owns an Italian restaurant). Personally I think I'll stick to the old fashioned Aussie BBQ for the time being, but you know one day I might be brave enough to attempt a Spaghettata. I just won't invite anyone I am trying to impress. (Although I do fancy myself in the Bolognaise stakes....).
Did I mention the Excelsior this Wednesday? They serve Spaghetti.
In other music news, more recording to be done this week - including a very special guest on lap steel for the song "Exploring". Can't wait to see how it turns out.
AND... That'll do me for now... The Weekly did return yes, but once again it is being typed after midnight on a Sunday night... Which is not the best time for ideas. At least not this particular Sunday night anyway.
Cheers for now,
Renny
PS - For all the latest European tour dates, check out the GiGS section on my home page.
PPS - A great friend of mine Bridget A'Beckett is playing a show at The Basement in Sydney this Tuesday night (17th June). Well worth a look if you're free - will be a great night. Beautiful voice, beautiful songs. Tix available at www.thebasement.com.au
PPPS - Go the Socceroos!
Moving on, a big thanks to everyone who has been coming along to The Excelsior. We've been getting some pretty nice turnouts all things considered. (By "All things" I obviously mean the fact that it is FREEZING and wet). Good thing I am going to London soon! Ha. Anyway, we've had a couple of great nights, and we've got two more to go, so if you're in the Sydney area and feel like stopping by then I reckon you could do worse. This week (Wed 18th) is a solo show. I am playing with Fergus Brown, Rubi & Jude and Justine Martin. Tix are $10 at the door. Bonza.
Where did Bonza come from? Someone used to say it on the TV... Peter Russell Clarke? No that was Come and Get it... But maybe he said Bonza as well. Where was I?
Last night was a late notice show at one of the newest venues in town (3 days old in fact!) - The Kings Cross Hotel. You know that old place opposite the Coke sign... scary place... nasty place... Anyway things have changed. Go and check it out - 5 levels, fully refurbished! Get in before the cover charge... You know there'll be a cover charge... that's what happens these days.... Not that I can say for sure of course, but i did see a significant number of blokes standing round in trench-coats eying off clipboards full of guest lists. Who are the people on those guest lists anyway? Certainly not me - good thing I learned how to sing and play guitar....
Today some friends of mine had a Spaghettata. This is an Italian tradition where everyone gathers to eat Pasta for a few hours in the house / back yard. The fact that sleet was falling was no deterrent - it was a famous Spaghettata! (Possibly helped by the fact that one of these aforementioned friends owns an Italian restaurant). Personally I think I'll stick to the old fashioned Aussie BBQ for the time being, but you know one day I might be brave enough to attempt a Spaghettata. I just won't invite anyone I am trying to impress. (Although I do fancy myself in the Bolognaise stakes....).
Did I mention the Excelsior this Wednesday? They serve Spaghetti.
In other music news, more recording to be done this week - including a very special guest on lap steel for the song "Exploring". Can't wait to see how it turns out.
AND... That'll do me for now... The Weekly did return yes, but once again it is being typed after midnight on a Sunday night... Which is not the best time for ideas. At least not this particular Sunday night anyway.
Cheers for now,
Renny
PS - For all the latest European tour dates, check out the GiGS section on my home page.
PPS - A great friend of mine Bridget A'Beckett is playing a show at The Basement in Sydney this Tuesday night (17th June). Well worth a look if you're free - will be a great night. Beautiful voice, beautiful songs. Tix available at www.thebasement.com.au
PPPS - Go the Socceroos!
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
The not-so-Weekly... Volume 10
Well hello again. It seems the "not so weekly" has remained just that, but alas my attempt to write last week's blog on the way home from Thailand was thwarted by an over-zealous hostess who decided that the computer would interfere with the navigational equipment... "Exactly!" I said. "I was hoping we could get lost so I can stay on holiday a bit longer... ".
Hostess - 1
Renny - 0.
And so I have made it home feeling rather refreshed after a month in Thailand. The stomach bug seemed to disappear after a few days (thanks for your concern), and the minor injuries sustained in the moped mishap seem to be fading away (although not as fast as my hard-earned tan...). Overall thoughts? Hey I had a great month, and it was worth it to head over for the experience. It was, after all, an all expenses paid trip to a resort hotel, and they don't come up all that often! And Phuket?, well that was, as Yolanda Thomas might say, a beautiful disaster. If that makes sense...
Would I do it again? Sure, but not on a regular basis. Because as good as it was to have a rest from the "real world" (as I like to refer to Sydney), there is certainly a limit to how many 4 hour gigs you can play to average crowds of around 6-10 people. And when, after having played a song to the best of your ability, you are greeted by a wall of silence, well that can be somewhat disappointing. Fortunately I had figured out a way to remove myself from the gig "experience", and play through the songs in my on little world. A world which needs no acknowledgement and no encouragement. A world which exists only for the duration of the gig before instantly becoming a distant memory. But despite acquiring the skill to find this "world" when I needed it, it is not a place that bodes all that well for a successful career as an independent singer-songwriter. A lucrative career as a covers artist perhaps, but that's not really what I am trying to achieve here... Not yet anyway.
Having made it home safely, I can't tell you how nice it was to be back at The Excelsior last Wednesday night - playing a show to people who wanted to be there, wanted to hear some good music. And it was also a real treat to share the stage with some of my favourite local artists - Kitch, and the guys from Move Trees. Just a great night, and reason enough to be back home. As I have mentioned before, we've got great lineups every Wednesday this month, and I'm looking forward to the rest. Ruby for Lucy, Sarah Bird and The Mules coming up this week (11 June).
The other great thing about being back home is that I can get to work on this album. To be honest, I really underestimated the size of the task - to self-produce, and do the bulk of the tracking at home by myself. It's as much a discipline issue as anything else, because it's all in my hands. Not that I need to be disciplined by other people, but it's been difficult to switch over to that slightly obsessive mindset - which is where I really need to be to get it finished. Fortunately I have moved back up to the northern beaches, which means I don't have motorbikes and garbage trucks waking me up 5 nights out of 7... And whilst I miss the proximity to the "action" (if that's the way to describe city living...), I am enjoying the peace and quiet up here. It's a beautiful part of the world - something I am reminded of whenever I go away and come back. We've got it pretty good here.
And finally - because I feel I should leave you with one more bit of useless information to add to the large quantity of useless information you have just read - I joined Fitness First. No, I can't believe I did it either... No I don't really know why... Yes i know I have signed a pact with the devil, but there was no choice. I knew I would be travelling... Needed to join something I could use in different places... For years, I have taken a stance against such establishments. And now I am just one of the crowd. Is all hope lost?! What have I become?!
Having said all that, listen up all you independent musicians, because there is certainly a benefit, and that benefit is this:
(I borrowed that style of speech from Kevin Rudd)
If you are on tour and you can't be bothered paying for accommodation, then you can crash in your car/van, wake up in the morning, go to fitness first, do a bit of a workout (if you're that way inclined), have a shower and a shave, get changed and VOILA! You are ready to take on the new day. Rejuvenated. Refreshed. No hotel necessary! You see I am full of ideas.
And I am also full of crap.
But I thought the fitness first thing was a good idea... At least till I sell enough CD's to pay for a hotel room... But I have to finish the CD first don't I.
See you next time.
Renny
PS - Did you know you can book tickets to the Hundred Club in London?!
www.wegottickets.com/event/29580
Not long to go now!!!
Hostess - 1
Renny - 0.
And so I have made it home feeling rather refreshed after a month in Thailand. The stomach bug seemed to disappear after a few days (thanks for your concern), and the minor injuries sustained in the moped mishap seem to be fading away (although not as fast as my hard-earned tan...). Overall thoughts? Hey I had a great month, and it was worth it to head over for the experience. It was, after all, an all expenses paid trip to a resort hotel, and they don't come up all that often! And Phuket?, well that was, as Yolanda Thomas might say, a beautiful disaster. If that makes sense...
Would I do it again? Sure, but not on a regular basis. Because as good as it was to have a rest from the "real world" (as I like to refer to Sydney), there is certainly a limit to how many 4 hour gigs you can play to average crowds of around 6-10 people. And when, after having played a song to the best of your ability, you are greeted by a wall of silence, well that can be somewhat disappointing. Fortunately I had figured out a way to remove myself from the gig "experience", and play through the songs in my on little world. A world which needs no acknowledgement and no encouragement. A world which exists only for the duration of the gig before instantly becoming a distant memory. But despite acquiring the skill to find this "world" when I needed it, it is not a place that bodes all that well for a successful career as an independent singer-songwriter. A lucrative career as a covers artist perhaps, but that's not really what I am trying to achieve here... Not yet anyway.
Having made it home safely, I can't tell you how nice it was to be back at The Excelsior last Wednesday night - playing a show to people who wanted to be there, wanted to hear some good music. And it was also a real treat to share the stage with some of my favourite local artists - Kitch, and the guys from Move Trees. Just a great night, and reason enough to be back home. As I have mentioned before, we've got great lineups every Wednesday this month, and I'm looking forward to the rest. Ruby for Lucy, Sarah Bird and The Mules coming up this week (11 June).
The other great thing about being back home is that I can get to work on this album. To be honest, I really underestimated the size of the task - to self-produce, and do the bulk of the tracking at home by myself. It's as much a discipline issue as anything else, because it's all in my hands. Not that I need to be disciplined by other people, but it's been difficult to switch over to that slightly obsessive mindset - which is where I really need to be to get it finished. Fortunately I have moved back up to the northern beaches, which means I don't have motorbikes and garbage trucks waking me up 5 nights out of 7... And whilst I miss the proximity to the "action" (if that's the way to describe city living...), I am enjoying the peace and quiet up here. It's a beautiful part of the world - something I am reminded of whenever I go away and come back. We've got it pretty good here.
And finally - because I feel I should leave you with one more bit of useless information to add to the large quantity of useless information you have just read - I joined Fitness First. No, I can't believe I did it either... No I don't really know why... Yes i know I have signed a pact with the devil, but there was no choice. I knew I would be travelling... Needed to join something I could use in different places... For years, I have taken a stance against such establishments. And now I am just one of the crowd. Is all hope lost?! What have I become?!
Having said all that, listen up all you independent musicians, because there is certainly a benefit, and that benefit is this:
(I borrowed that style of speech from Kevin Rudd)
If you are on tour and you can't be bothered paying for accommodation, then you can crash in your car/van, wake up in the morning, go to fitness first, do a bit of a workout (if you're that way inclined), have a shower and a shave, get changed and VOILA! You are ready to take on the new day. Rejuvenated. Refreshed. No hotel necessary! You see I am full of ideas.
And I am also full of crap.
But I thought the fitness first thing was a good idea... At least till I sell enough CD's to pay for a hotel room... But I have to finish the CD first don't I.
See you next time.
Renny
PS - Did you know you can book tickets to the Hundred Club in London?!
www.wegottickets.com/event/29580
Not long to go now!!!
Monday, May 26, 2008
The not-so-Weekly... Volume 9
Greetings from Thailand, where there is one week left in my solo residency at the Twin Palms Hotel. At least there should have been one week left, but the hotel has decided that with the installation of a new sound system in the Catch Club (the venue where I was playing...), I would no longer be required. Ordinarily this may have been somewhat disappointing, however in this case the hotel has kindly offered to have me stay on for the full duration of my contract - which as far as I can tell means a free week in Phuket! So I suppose it's like a redundancy payment of sorts... works for me....
BEFORE I GO ON, CHECK THIS OUT
EVERY WEDNESDAY IN JUNE -
RENNY FIELD BAND RESIDENCY @ THE EXCELSIOR HOTEL, SURRY HILLS
Wed 4/6 - With Move Trees and Kitch
Wed 11/6 - With The Mules, Sarah Bird and Ruby for Lucy
Wed 18/6 - Special Acoustic Show With Fergus Brown and Rubi & Jude
Wed 25/6 - With The Falls, Sarah Humphreys and Cookie Baker.
Music from 8pm each week - Tix just $10 at the door. And great food at the pub!
The Excelsior - 64 Foveaux Street, Surry Hills
--------------------------------------
So those of you who noticed the absence of "the weekly" last week will understand when I tell you that my brother was visiting... and a holiday at his pace leaves very little time for blogs on myspace. Talk about hitting it with full steam! Interestingly enough, full steam also included a full-on case of the Delhi Belly, or as we will refer to it in this case - the Pewk-et. Which was a shame for him, but more of a shame for his older brother who must have caught the damn thing just before he left. The last two days here have been far less exciting than the previous week I can tell you. A knock-out punch - haven't been able to move. The typing of this blog is about as active as I can be right now... bugger me! Signs are good for tomorrow though - I can feel a recovery of sorts coming on.
But Blogs are for stories my friends, and the stories of the "Pewk-ets" don't really count. So why don't I tell you about a world famous Ping Pong show which we chanced upon the other night. You see this is the type of thing you do when you have a night off... if you're in Thailand, it's one of the boxes you have to tick - consider it the Thai version of Niagra Falls, or Ayers Rock, or the Eiffel Tower for that matter. And I had been warned about these shows, but it turns out Ping Pong balls are just the tip of the iceberg - we had darts, trumpets, and a live chicken. Yes, a live chicken. I'll leave that one to your imagination, but suffice it to say when you see the woman in question walking round the main street the next day with her one year-old child slung over her shoulder, one wonders what sort of childhood is in store for the little tyke. Hmmm..... Won't be able to get that trumpet solo out of my head for a good while either... Spectacular.
Other highlights in the past week have been a pretty impressive Canoe Trip to Phang-nga, a wild goose chase in the middle of the night which involved a trip down the worst road imaginable to a private beach party which did not exist (long story...), and BARGAINS! Yep - took me a while to get through the incredible amounts of imitation diesel t-shirts, but I've found the hot spots, and I have no idea what I am going to do on the way home because I had already exceeded the excess baggage limit on the way here. Time for the cull!
In other news, the European tour is ticking along nicely - a few shows keep popping up each week, so things are looking good. Looking forward to getting over there!! Won't say much more, just keep an eye on the gigs, and send me an email if you're over there somewhere and you want me to try and stop in.. Cool.
See you next week - where the weekly will once again re-appear as the weekly.
Signing off for now.
Renny
BEFORE I GO ON, CHECK THIS OUT
EVERY WEDNESDAY IN JUNE -
RENNY FIELD BAND RESIDENCY @ THE EXCELSIOR HOTEL, SURRY HILLS
Wed 4/6 - With Move Trees and Kitch
Wed 11/6 - With The Mules, Sarah Bird and Ruby for Lucy
Wed 18/6 - Special Acoustic Show With Fergus Brown and Rubi & Jude
Wed 25/6 - With The Falls, Sarah Humphreys and Cookie Baker.
Music from 8pm each week - Tix just $10 at the door. And great food at the pub!
The Excelsior - 64 Foveaux Street, Surry Hills
--------------------------------------
So those of you who noticed the absence of "the weekly" last week will understand when I tell you that my brother was visiting... and a holiday at his pace leaves very little time for blogs on myspace. Talk about hitting it with full steam! Interestingly enough, full steam also included a full-on case of the Delhi Belly, or as we will refer to it in this case - the Pewk-et. Which was a shame for him, but more of a shame for his older brother who must have caught the damn thing just before he left. The last two days here have been far less exciting than the previous week I can tell you. A knock-out punch - haven't been able to move. The typing of this blog is about as active as I can be right now... bugger me! Signs are good for tomorrow though - I can feel a recovery of sorts coming on.
But Blogs are for stories my friends, and the stories of the "Pewk-ets" don't really count. So why don't I tell you about a world famous Ping Pong show which we chanced upon the other night. You see this is the type of thing you do when you have a night off... if you're in Thailand, it's one of the boxes you have to tick - consider it the Thai version of Niagra Falls, or Ayers Rock, or the Eiffel Tower for that matter. And I had been warned about these shows, but it turns out Ping Pong balls are just the tip of the iceberg - we had darts, trumpets, and a live chicken. Yes, a live chicken. I'll leave that one to your imagination, but suffice it to say when you see the woman in question walking round the main street the next day with her one year-old child slung over her shoulder, one wonders what sort of childhood is in store for the little tyke. Hmmm..... Won't be able to get that trumpet solo out of my head for a good while either... Spectacular.
Other highlights in the past week have been a pretty impressive Canoe Trip to Phang-nga, a wild goose chase in the middle of the night which involved a trip down the worst road imaginable to a private beach party which did not exist (long story...), and BARGAINS! Yep - took me a while to get through the incredible amounts of imitation diesel t-shirts, but I've found the hot spots, and I have no idea what I am going to do on the way home because I had already exceeded the excess baggage limit on the way here. Time for the cull!
In other news, the European tour is ticking along nicely - a few shows keep popping up each week, so things are looking good. Looking forward to getting over there!! Won't say much more, just keep an eye on the gigs, and send me an email if you're over there somewhere and you want me to try and stop in.. Cool.
See you next week - where the weekly will once again re-appear as the weekly.
Signing off for now.
Renny
Monday, May 12, 2008
The Weekly... Volume 8
Well as fate would have it, Shane Warne just walked in to bat for the Rajasthan Royals cricket team in the Indian Premier League. Not that this has anything to do with the blog, but you see each night here in Thailand I get home from my gig and put the TV on to see what's happening in the world. And more often than not, there is a cricket match finishing in India. So there you go - a snapshot of my life at the moment... At this very second in fact.... By the time I finish this, the match will be over... I'll let you know who won.
Right now I am about a third of the way through my contract here in Phuket... Starting to get in the groove a bit more now. The 4-hour sets are pretty tough going, but the voice is coping a bit better. In fact, tonight was my last of 6 nights in a row. I get tomorrow off, then back into another 6 straight. I think on average I am playing to around 4-6 people at the bar (Notwithstanding the occasional busy night where there are 30-40). Can be a bit tragic, but I am getting to meet some cool people which is great. I was saying to someone the other day - that is my favourite part about travelling - meeting new people. Especially when you are travelling alone. Because you're forced into a situation where you have to make an effort, and I think we forget to make an effort when we are in our familiar surrounds. Will this change the way I do things when I get home? I hope so...
Phuket itself is an interesting sort of place. My trusty moped (a lot more "trusty" now that I have upgraded to a newer model) has taken me back and forth around the Island. A trip on a Moped around Phuket is not without it's hair-raising moments I might add, but I am cautious you see... very cautious...
I have lost count of the number of times I have seen a balding overweight 65yo man with a giggling 18-yo Thai girl. There is something very wrong with that picture yes. There is something worse about seeing it in real life. But that sort of thing is very normal here. And the 18yo's are not always girls either. Bizarre...
The weather has been a bit suspect, but I am getting used to that. And I think I have discovered a pattern - it only ever rains if I am thinking about going somewhere on the moped, or if I am about to walk down to the beach club for my gig. I can't tell you the number of times I have been 20-30mins away from the hotel and had the heavens open just as I begin to make my way back. If only there was a way of getting some footage on youtube - I really must look stupid heading into the teeth of a howling gale with my hand trying to create some mock visor on the front of my helmet in a pathetic attempt to keep the rain out of my eyes...
In other news, a few more dates being booked in for Europe which is great. It's a slow process, but I'm getting there. I say again, if anyone has any ideas for me, feel free to let me know. I am quickly discovering how difficult it can be to book a tour independently from the other side of the world. But it'll be worth the trouble! Can't wait.
Wouldn't you know it, Shane Warne and his team just won the match.
And I am rambling. Yes this has been a good ramble.
Adios
Right now I am about a third of the way through my contract here in Phuket... Starting to get in the groove a bit more now. The 4-hour sets are pretty tough going, but the voice is coping a bit better. In fact, tonight was my last of 6 nights in a row. I get tomorrow off, then back into another 6 straight. I think on average I am playing to around 4-6 people at the bar (Notwithstanding the occasional busy night where there are 30-40). Can be a bit tragic, but I am getting to meet some cool people which is great. I was saying to someone the other day - that is my favourite part about travelling - meeting new people. Especially when you are travelling alone. Because you're forced into a situation where you have to make an effort, and I think we forget to make an effort when we are in our familiar surrounds. Will this change the way I do things when I get home? I hope so...
Phuket itself is an interesting sort of place. My trusty moped (a lot more "trusty" now that I have upgraded to a newer model) has taken me back and forth around the Island. A trip on a Moped around Phuket is not without it's hair-raising moments I might add, but I am cautious you see... very cautious...
I have lost count of the number of times I have seen a balding overweight 65yo man with a giggling 18-yo Thai girl. There is something very wrong with that picture yes. There is something worse about seeing it in real life. But that sort of thing is very normal here. And the 18yo's are not always girls either. Bizarre...
The weather has been a bit suspect, but I am getting used to that. And I think I have discovered a pattern - it only ever rains if I am thinking about going somewhere on the moped, or if I am about to walk down to the beach club for my gig. I can't tell you the number of times I have been 20-30mins away from the hotel and had the heavens open just as I begin to make my way back. If only there was a way of getting some footage on youtube - I really must look stupid heading into the teeth of a howling gale with my hand trying to create some mock visor on the front of my helmet in a pathetic attempt to keep the rain out of my eyes...
In other news, a few more dates being booked in for Europe which is great. It's a slow process, but I'm getting there. I say again, if anyone has any ideas for me, feel free to let me know. I am quickly discovering how difficult it can be to book a tour independently from the other side of the world. But it'll be worth the trouble! Can't wait.
Wouldn't you know it, Shane Warne and his team just won the match.
And I am rambling. Yes this has been a good ramble.
Adios
Monday, May 05, 2008
The Weekly... Volume 7
The weekly strikes again.... (apologies to those on the email list, I figure the monthly mailout was a good place to start the weekly....if that makes sense....)
Hello from Thailand, where it must be the future. Or it is the present, and we have been misled in Australia.... Because in Thailand you see it is the year 2551. Apparently they are 543 years ahead of the rest of the world. What were we doing for 543 years I wonder whilst these Thai people were building their nation of beaches and mopeds? Evidently, the 543 years head start has not necessarily lent itself to half a millenium's worth of technological advances. Indeed, on my way to the visa office yesterday I stepped over a dying dog at the foot of the staircase. The staircase inside the building that is. And the office itself, well that was an experience. I think I spotted the old IBM I used to own in 1989. Everyone told me to watch out for ladyboys.... One of whom I have not seen yet. Aside from the visa office, where one of the Visa "officials" was an overweight man proudly dressed in a bright pink collared t-shirt, wearing makeup, and donning a hat/bonnet that would make your great grandmother proud (wide bream, straw, decorated with flowers....). Not that there's anything wrong with that.
In other news, I just negotiated the hire of a moped for the entire month - only $100. I have not ventured too far just yet. I figure tomorrow I can spend a day practicing my bail-out techniques for when I am being set upon by an old lorry or bus. That way I will be ready to tackle the road to Phuket town.
For those of you who missed it, I have just begun my month-long residency at the Twin Palms Resort in Phuket (which is about 30mins south of Phuket town itself). That's 4hrs of music, 6 nights a week, and nothing to do all day aside from lie on the beach (and practice bail-out maneuvers on my moped). If you're interested in checking it out, here is the link - www.twinpalms-phuket.com . They have erected a large billboard of me at the front entrance of the hotel. Very funny stuff.
---------------------------
Moving on, those first few paragraphs I wrote just after I arrived... I am a few days in now. With a few more stories to tell...
There are, in fact, several Billboards. Not only the double-sided one at the front entrance, but another equally large sign at the front of the "Catch Club", which is the bar I am playing at. It's all very disconcerting I must say. Bearing in mind it took me 4 years to summon up the courage to put my face on a poster... And now there I am sitting on my old van (Rest in Peace 1984 Tarago...) for all the world to see. Well maybe not all the world, but half of Phuket. Anyway, there you go. (if you didn't get the part about the Van, it's one of the photos on my press photos section of the website - www.rennyfield.com - an old machine I used to own....).
The gig itself is not so bad. The catch club is a "beach club' for the hotel. So where the hotel is set back from the beach, the Catch Club is pretty much on the beach. It's not a typical "show" as is the norm in Sydney. Really I am providing background music more than anything whist people have dinner and drinks. Already I have been asked if it is hard work playing when people aren't really listening. And sure in one sense that is hard work, because I always have imagined my songs being "heard" in that sense. As any songwriter would I suppose. It's also a 4-hour gig - ie 4 x 45min sets. Which isn't a walk in the park, although I am quickly getting used to it...
Having said all that, this trip is as much about having a break as it is about playing shows. And as far as I can see, it's a perfect opportunity to do that. I have learned over time to appreciate these types of gigs for what they are, rather than getting upset because they don't live up to my idea of what the ultimate "setting" is for a performance - some people listen, some people don't. So I am working my way through a whole bunch of songs I rarely get a chance to play any more - both mine and other peoples. And i am enjoying it so far. Watch this space of course, because I am less than a week in... But it's great to be in another part of the world. And without wanting to sound too sentimental about the whole thing, the fact that music has brought me here is a real blessing. In some ways, it gives me faith that music will take me to other places. And I think I lost that for a while.
Now back to that Moped, which has been getting a bit of a workover... Following on from my tentative first trip over the hill and back again, I decided to head a bit further into the yonder the second time around. Little did I know that I was destined for a fall. Not a bad one mind you, but a fall nonetheless... And what do you think caused this fall?? A Chicken! A Chicken! Damn thing was making a beeline for the front of the bike, and as I applied the brakes and swerved in the one fluent motion, so the motion continued until I was off the bike, and the bike was skidding along the ground. And what of the Chicken? Fine of course. In fact I think it went and hid on the other side of the road so it could have some fun with the next dumb tourist that went past.
Ah but the moped stories continue.... because yesterday I was invited to a 4th birthday party. An invitation I might normally politely decline, but being in a foreign land on my ownsome, better to go and meet some new people, even if I did have to listen to the wiggles for 4 hours non stop. Lyrical genius I tell you. The way they intertwine fish, birds, monsters and hokey pokey all in the one song - I was hooked. Anyway, notwithstanding my latest musical inspiration, the time eventually came to say goodbye to the 4 year-olds and the treasure hunts and return to the hotel. Around about 20mins on the moped.
Enter Cyclone Tracey.
OK - slight use of artistic license, but it was RAINING cats, dogs, and everything else the wiggles have ever mentioned. And here was I - stranded in shorts and a t-shirt - attempting to push back into the breeze, face stinging from being pelted by the over-size drops of rain, bike wobbling around every turn... All of this after I was told on good authority (by locals that is...) that the rain would soon pass, and it was only really "heavy" for a few minutes at a time. Hmmmmm.....
You will be pleased to know that I did in fact make it back to the hotel. Straight into my room and under the hot shower for about 30mins. I can't imagine what people must have been thinking watching me ride past in those conditions. Much the same as I was probably thinking about myself - you idiot! And after all that, I don't even think I'll get a song out of it. Unless I make a play for the kids market, but that is for another time...
The hotel itself, I must mention, is quite amazing. It's an interesting transition from my last "tour" in Australia. One which saw me sleeping in the back of my car for several nights to save on expenses. Not that I minded of course, I am cool with stuff like that. But now I have travelled thousands of kilometres - into a different hemisphere in fact - and I find myself sitting in the comfort of a 5-star hotel suite. Free food, drinks, free gym, free everything really. And personal billboards. How bizarre. Better make the most of it, because I'm sure I'll be back in the station wagon before I can say "Ping Pong Balls".
Still yet to see any of those by the way... which I think might be a good thing...
But I am here for a month, and apparently they are hard to avoid....
Signing off - back in a week
Hello from Thailand, where it must be the future. Or it is the present, and we have been misled in Australia.... Because in Thailand you see it is the year 2551. Apparently they are 543 years ahead of the rest of the world. What were we doing for 543 years I wonder whilst these Thai people were building their nation of beaches and mopeds? Evidently, the 543 years head start has not necessarily lent itself to half a millenium's worth of technological advances. Indeed, on my way to the visa office yesterday I stepped over a dying dog at the foot of the staircase. The staircase inside the building that is. And the office itself, well that was an experience. I think I spotted the old IBM I used to own in 1989. Everyone told me to watch out for ladyboys.... One of whom I have not seen yet. Aside from the visa office, where one of the Visa "officials" was an overweight man proudly dressed in a bright pink collared t-shirt, wearing makeup, and donning a hat/bonnet that would make your great grandmother proud (wide bream, straw, decorated with flowers....). Not that there's anything wrong with that.
In other news, I just negotiated the hire of a moped for the entire month - only $100. I have not ventured too far just yet. I figure tomorrow I can spend a day practicing my bail-out techniques for when I am being set upon by an old lorry or bus. That way I will be ready to tackle the road to Phuket town.
For those of you who missed it, I have just begun my month-long residency at the Twin Palms Resort in Phuket (which is about 30mins south of Phuket town itself). That's 4hrs of music, 6 nights a week, and nothing to do all day aside from lie on the beach (and practice bail-out maneuvers on my moped). If you're interested in checking it out, here is the link - www.twinpalms-phuket.com . They have erected a large billboard of me at the front entrance of the hotel. Very funny stuff.
---------------------------
Moving on, those first few paragraphs I wrote just after I arrived... I am a few days in now. With a few more stories to tell...
There are, in fact, several Billboards. Not only the double-sided one at the front entrance, but another equally large sign at the front of the "Catch Club", which is the bar I am playing at. It's all very disconcerting I must say. Bearing in mind it took me 4 years to summon up the courage to put my face on a poster... And now there I am sitting on my old van (Rest in Peace 1984 Tarago...) for all the world to see. Well maybe not all the world, but half of Phuket. Anyway, there you go. (if you didn't get the part about the Van, it's one of the photos on my press photos section of the website - www.rennyfield.com - an old machine I used to own....).
The gig itself is not so bad. The catch club is a "beach club' for the hotel. So where the hotel is set back from the beach, the Catch Club is pretty much on the beach. It's not a typical "show" as is the norm in Sydney. Really I am providing background music more than anything whist people have dinner and drinks. Already I have been asked if it is hard work playing when people aren't really listening. And sure in one sense that is hard work, because I always have imagined my songs being "heard" in that sense. As any songwriter would I suppose. It's also a 4-hour gig - ie 4 x 45min sets. Which isn't a walk in the park, although I am quickly getting used to it...
Having said all that, this trip is as much about having a break as it is about playing shows. And as far as I can see, it's a perfect opportunity to do that. I have learned over time to appreciate these types of gigs for what they are, rather than getting upset because they don't live up to my idea of what the ultimate "setting" is for a performance - some people listen, some people don't. So I am working my way through a whole bunch of songs I rarely get a chance to play any more - both mine and other peoples. And i am enjoying it so far. Watch this space of course, because I am less than a week in... But it's great to be in another part of the world. And without wanting to sound too sentimental about the whole thing, the fact that music has brought me here is a real blessing. In some ways, it gives me faith that music will take me to other places. And I think I lost that for a while.
Now back to that Moped, which has been getting a bit of a workover... Following on from my tentative first trip over the hill and back again, I decided to head a bit further into the yonder the second time around. Little did I know that I was destined for a fall. Not a bad one mind you, but a fall nonetheless... And what do you think caused this fall?? A Chicken! A Chicken! Damn thing was making a beeline for the front of the bike, and as I applied the brakes and swerved in the one fluent motion, so the motion continued until I was off the bike, and the bike was skidding along the ground. And what of the Chicken? Fine of course. In fact I think it went and hid on the other side of the road so it could have some fun with the next dumb tourist that went past.
Ah but the moped stories continue.... because yesterday I was invited to a 4th birthday party. An invitation I might normally politely decline, but being in a foreign land on my ownsome, better to go and meet some new people, even if I did have to listen to the wiggles for 4 hours non stop. Lyrical genius I tell you. The way they intertwine fish, birds, monsters and hokey pokey all in the one song - I was hooked. Anyway, notwithstanding my latest musical inspiration, the time eventually came to say goodbye to the 4 year-olds and the treasure hunts and return to the hotel. Around about 20mins on the moped.
Enter Cyclone Tracey.
OK - slight use of artistic license, but it was RAINING cats, dogs, and everything else the wiggles have ever mentioned. And here was I - stranded in shorts and a t-shirt - attempting to push back into the breeze, face stinging from being pelted by the over-size drops of rain, bike wobbling around every turn... All of this after I was told on good authority (by locals that is...) that the rain would soon pass, and it was only really "heavy" for a few minutes at a time. Hmmmmm.....
You will be pleased to know that I did in fact make it back to the hotel. Straight into my room and under the hot shower for about 30mins. I can't imagine what people must have been thinking watching me ride past in those conditions. Much the same as I was probably thinking about myself - you idiot! And after all that, I don't even think I'll get a song out of it. Unless I make a play for the kids market, but that is for another time...
The hotel itself, I must mention, is quite amazing. It's an interesting transition from my last "tour" in Australia. One which saw me sleeping in the back of my car for several nights to save on expenses. Not that I minded of course, I am cool with stuff like that. But now I have travelled thousands of kilometres - into a different hemisphere in fact - and I find myself sitting in the comfort of a 5-star hotel suite. Free food, drinks, free gym, free everything really. And personal billboards. How bizarre. Better make the most of it, because I'm sure I'll be back in the station wagon before I can say "Ping Pong Balls".
Still yet to see any of those by the way... which I think might be a good thing...
But I am here for a month, and apparently they are hard to avoid....
Signing off - back in a week
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
The Weekly... Volume 6
Apologies weekly fans... This has been a hectic few days. Moving house, preparing to go overseas, road trips, camping, gigs. Well you know how it goes. Some things get missed... As I type this, I am still yet to finish packing my things for Phuket (see gigs...), and it is after midnight. Again this comes as no surprise, because although I made a plan some time this afternoon to be in bed before midnight, I kind of knew that I would figure out a way to be up a lot longer than that. That's just the way it's always been. I have learned to live with it.
So...
I haved move out of the city. Yes. And although I will miss the convenience, I certainly won't miss Fitzroy Street a great deal. Not the cars, nor the trucks, nor the buses, nor the tow trucks that used to pull up outside my bedroom window at 5.30 in the morning to move cars from the clearway zone. Ah yes the joys of inner city living. And that's just the traffic. Make no mention of the neighbour who asks for garbage bags in the middle of the night dressed only in a pair of Y-fronts. Not something anybody needs to experience let me tell you.
Anyway there is a point to this. That is to say farewell!! This time in 2 days I will be belting out a few of the classics in Thailand. Either that or I will be lying on the beach somewhere... Depending on what time of day it is... So if you're in the area, why don't you stop by www.twinpalms-phuket.com and say hi. And if you're not in the area, why don't you drop me a line and say hi anyway. I'll be by myself you see. So chances are I'll get back to you. Because in between gigs I'll be on the computer - trying to plan the assault on Europe. But that's another story altogether.
Don't forget - Wednesdays in June we'll be at The Excelsior Hotel in Surry Hills. Every week in fact! Check out the gig list for full details. And speaking of the Excelsior, why don't you check this out why you're at it:
WED 30TH APRIL - Excelsior Hotel Surry Hills
LONG LIVE THE GIRLS..
Sara Storer
Sarah Humphreys
Bec Willis.
Music from 8PM. Tix $15 on the door.
I've been a few times... It's great! And I have it on good authority that there might be a few guest appearances from people who would not normally be playing the Excelsior... That's all I'll say.
OK then, I'll be signing off. Next week you get Thailand stories - assuming I get there in one piece, and I remain in one piece for long enough to make it to the next weekly. Which happens to be a lot less than a week away....
Cheers for now.
Renny
PS - I can't think of a PS. I like them is all. But I just don't have one right now. Next time you get a PS and a PPS.
PPS - I got one - I just booked a gig in Cork! Cool.
PPPS - Ooooh now I am on a roll. Last night I saw Lior at The Basement. Such a great show. Great singer. Great songs. Great band. All the ingredients. And all independent! Gotta love it. You go man.
www.lior.com.au
So...
I haved move out of the city. Yes. And although I will miss the convenience, I certainly won't miss Fitzroy Street a great deal. Not the cars, nor the trucks, nor the buses, nor the tow trucks that used to pull up outside my bedroom window at 5.30 in the morning to move cars from the clearway zone. Ah yes the joys of inner city living. And that's just the traffic. Make no mention of the neighbour who asks for garbage bags in the middle of the night dressed only in a pair of Y-fronts. Not something anybody needs to experience let me tell you.
Anyway there is a point to this. That is to say farewell!! This time in 2 days I will be belting out a few of the classics in Thailand. Either that or I will be lying on the beach somewhere... Depending on what time of day it is... So if you're in the area, why don't you stop by www.twinpalms-phuket.com and say hi. And if you're not in the area, why don't you drop me a line and say hi anyway. I'll be by myself you see. So chances are I'll get back to you. Because in between gigs I'll be on the computer - trying to plan the assault on Europe. But that's another story altogether.
Don't forget - Wednesdays in June we'll be at The Excelsior Hotel in Surry Hills. Every week in fact! Check out the gig list for full details. And speaking of the Excelsior, why don't you check this out why you're at it:
WED 30TH APRIL - Excelsior Hotel Surry Hills
LONG LIVE THE GIRLS..
Sara Storer
Sarah Humphreys
Bec Willis.
Music from 8PM. Tix $15 on the door.
I've been a few times... It's great! And I have it on good authority that there might be a few guest appearances from people who would not normally be playing the Excelsior... That's all I'll say.
OK then, I'll be signing off. Next week you get Thailand stories - assuming I get there in one piece, and I remain in one piece for long enough to make it to the next weekly. Which happens to be a lot less than a week away....
Cheers for now.
Renny
PS - I can't think of a PS. I like them is all. But I just don't have one right now. Next time you get a PS and a PPS.
PPS - I got one - I just booked a gig in Cork! Cool.
PPPS - Ooooh now I am on a roll. Last night I saw Lior at The Basement. Such a great show. Great singer. Great songs. Great band. All the ingredients. And all independent! Gotta love it. You go man.
www.lior.com.au
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