Renny Field

Monday, September 07, 2009

MOLLY MAE - Single Launch

Hi Everyone, how are you?

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

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

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

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

TUE 15/11 WOLLONGONG UNI BAR

WED 16/11 THE OLD MANLY BOATSHED

SUN 20/11 PURE POP RECORDS, ST KILDA

TUE 22/11 THE ESPY, ST KILDA

SAT 26/11 ORIENTAL HOTEL, MUDGEE

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

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THE ARENA - ALBUM NEWS:

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

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

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

renny@rennyfield.com

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NOTICEBOARD:

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

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

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

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

See you soon.

Somewhere.

Cheers,

Renny

MOLLY MAE - Single Launch

THE ARENA Part 5 - Crossfire

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

Crossfire:

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

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

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

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

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

Next week, Set in Stone.

See you then,

Renny

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

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CROSSFIRE

I left my heart in the open again

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

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

I got myself in a bad place again,

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

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

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

The end of me

I left my soul in the spotlight again

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

My body breathes, but my mind cuts off the air

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

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

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

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

Don’t wanna be killed.

Vocals, Guitars, Piano, Synth, Percussion – Renny

Drums – Matt Field

Bass – Pat Savina

Viola – Carl St Jaques

Accordion – Kent Eastwood

Backing Vocals – Sarah Humphreys

Monday, August 31, 2009

The ARENA Part 4 - Love Potion

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Cheers,

Renny

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

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

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

LOVE POTION....

....

I’m not a soldier, I’m not a saint

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

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

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

....

Cause you make me wanna drink that love potion

Like it was going out of style

I’d come for you across the greatest ocean

Just to hold you one more time

....

I’m not a loser, I’m not a star

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

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

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

....

Cause you make me wanna drink that love potion….

One more time.

....

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

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

....

Cause you make me wanna drink that love potion…

One more time.

....

Vocals, Guitars, Bass, Percussion, Keyboard - Renny

Monday, August 24, 2009

THE ARENA Part 3 - Molly Mae

THE ARENA Part Three - Molly Mae

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Anyway, enjoy “Molly Mae”.

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

See you next week for some Love Potion.

Cheers,

Renny

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

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MOLLY MAE

Oh Molly Mae, you look like a simple girl

I like the way you talk and the way you move

But I hate what you’ve done to my world

I gotta tell you, oh listen babe,

You got me licking all my wounds

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

....

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

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

....

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

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

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

Believe me, I only need a fighting chance,

But please forgive me sweet, I got two left feet

So don’t you try making me dance

....

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

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

....

Oh Molly Mae I will not do you wrong

Cause girl you know your sweetness wrote this song

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

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

....

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

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

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

I’m gonna keep banging away

Till that wall starts breaking, the earth starts shaking

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

....

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

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

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

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

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

Yeah I’ll build us a bridge we can follow

Right out of town.

....

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

Drums – Matt Field

Bass – Pat Savina

Backing Vocals – Sarah Humphreys, Sam Buckingham

Monday, August 17, 2009

THE ARENA Part 2 - Sarah

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Cheers,

Renny

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

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SARAH

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

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

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

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

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

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

The way it was meant to be

You know I’d never have to leave

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

Thursday, August 13, 2009

THE ARENA Part 1 - Iron Will

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

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

IRON WILL:

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

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

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

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

Next week - "Sarah".

See you then.

Renny

-------

IRON WILL:

Iron will, you think that’ll get you through

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

Rest your frame on me.

Make the most of someone else’s company.

No-one’s gonna judge you.

....

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

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

Watching the tide come in to get you

If you don’t articulate what you’re thinking

How you gonna stop yourself from sinking

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

....

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

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

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

....

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

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

You don’t need to hurt any more

So do yourself a favour, let someone in the door

No-one’s gonna judge you.

....

Iron will, you think that’ll make things better

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

But this cloud will rain like any other

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

....

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

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

....

Vocals and Guitar – Renny

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Random Touring Story - As promised...

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The other 3 followed suit!

You

have

kidding

me...

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

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

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

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

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

OK that'll do me.

Anyone for a trip to Junee next time round?

Introducing THE ARENA

Hi Everyone. I am still alive.

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

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

Renny Field.

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

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

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

Hope you enjoy "The Arena".

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

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

Cheers,

Renny

Thursday, July 02, 2009

July and Beyond...

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

www.myspace.com/rennyfield

Moving on:

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

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

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

AND FINALLY:

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

I've run out on myspace...

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

THE ARENA - ALBUM RELEASE UPDATE.

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

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

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

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

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

NOTICEBOARD:

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

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

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

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

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

Thanks for tuning in. See you soon.

Renny

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

www.keepitbrief.com/thatisquiteevidentlyimpossibleformetodo

Wednesday, June 03, 2009

Hey June, Don't make it bad

A big thanks to JP for title of this month's update - certainly an improvement on "Music Maylout" I'm sure you'll agree. I'll take suggestions now for July, because evidently I am finding it difficult to think of things myself. If I had a record deal someone would be doing this for me, but where's the fun in that?!

Is it June already?! Have I really just spent the last 6 months working on an album?! And the rest?! Yes yes yes. (But I can't imagine City Ford is saying that more often at the moment.... ). Ok giving up with the jokes now:

FRIDAY 5 JUNE - KINGS HOTEL, BATHURST
60 George Street.
Solo show from 9pm. Free Entry.
Run to Paradise anyone?

SAT 13TH JUNE - "THE LIVING ROOM" @ BAR ME WITH AMY VEE
Bar Me - Cnr William & Brougham St, Kings Cross.
This is the pick of the next month folks - a special unplugged acoustic show. We are not going to be using the PA - the idea is to give you a sense of the songs in their rawest possible form, to take you back to the moment they were first created (in the living room perhaps...). Amy is coming down from Newcastle to join me, and Brett Winterford (Peregrine) will be doing a special guest set set to kick things off. A very relaxed evening, so come on down and join us. A bit of a change from the usual Saturday night madness in the Cross...
Tickets $12 on the door.
Book in advance for Dinner & Show - (02) 9368 0894

SAT 21 JUN - FETE DE LA MUSIQUE
Parramatta Park, Sydney.
Riverside Stage.
Free Entry. On Stage 12pm.

FRI 26 JUN - HEART FOUNDATION CHARITY DINNER.
Anthony Peridis' New York Marathon Journey.
A good friend of mine is competing in this year's New York Marathon, and is raising money along the way for the heart foundation.
A limited number of table bookings are still available. For details, follow the link below:
http://www.facebook.com/inbox/?ref=mb#/event.php?eid=75518668343

SAT 4 JULY - KINGS HOTEL, BATHURST
60 George Street.
Solo Show from 9pm. Free Entry.

SUN 5 JULY - OXFORD ARTS FACTORY
Oxford St, Sydney
Supporting CARUS and LOREN
Solo show. On Stage 8pm. Tix $15 at the door.

And looking further ahead......

SAT 25 JULY - LOCOMOTIVE HOTEL, JUNEE
Solo show, 9pm. Free Entry.
All aboard...

SUN 26 JULY - TOURIST HOTEL, WAGGA
Solo show. 6pm. Free Entry.
Still trying to find the other Wagga...

SUN 2 AUGUST - SUNSETS @ THE FRINGE BAR
Sunsets 1 Year Birthday Party!
With Chris Arnott, the Green Mohair Suits and many many more!!
$8 Entry which includes a drink.

For regular news and updates on upcoming shows, please visit www.myspace.com/rennyfield

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

THE ALBUM:

I did mention that yes... And I have mentioned it for god knows how long, but each day I get a little bit closer. Hopefully by the time it is released, the whole thing will make a bit more sense. For the time being, I've put a few of the songs up on MYSPACE - one of which is "Our Time". I think a few of you might have come and help me out with that one a while back...

www.myspace.com/rennyfield

THE VIDEO CLIP:

The dream is not over, just on hold for the time being... :)
Stay tuned.

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

SHOULD I COME TO YOU?!

In the course of the past few years, I have played shows all over the place - both in Australia and overseas. If you've got some ideas about where you'd like me to travel, or if you've been on the mailing list for a few years and you can't understand why I never made it back to your part of the world - please feel free to send me an email and I'll try to stop by again. I am currently looking at options for the album launch tour later this year, so open to suggestions from the fans!** I can do pubs, clubs, bars, cafes, concert halls, opera houses, arenas, stadiums, ... ah whoops I went the wrong direction there didn't I.... After "Cafes", it should have read Restaurants, Bookshops, Living Rooms, Back Yards. It's not that I wouldn't like to play in those other places, but it's about realistic objectives folks! Bearing in mind - I played in a squatters house in Amsterdam last year, so really I am not all that picky.

(**"Fan" = Generous assessment of dunk person who mistakenly signed the email list several years ago because they thought they were going into the draw to win a new home.)

Now I just need to get my car fixed so I can actually get out of Sydney... Ah yes the old Corona Wagon - a tragic but amusing tale from my recent trip to Wagga and Junee. I will be posting a blog on myspace shortly - it's a story worth telling.

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

NOTICEBOARD:

* A Shout out to my good mate and Accordion / Piano superstar in the Renny Field band (The Beautiful Shambles) - Happy Birthday mate! www.myspace.com/kenteastwood

* Congratulations to Annaliese Szota on her debut EP. www.myspace.com/annaliesemarie

* THANKS to everyone who came along to last Saturday's secret show with the Falls. They have some new songs up too: www.myspace.com/musicfromthefalls

* And FERGUS BROWN - Just released his debut album. Currently on tour. Check it out: www.myspace.com/fergusbrown

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

IT'S REALLY RAINING HERE:

And it's loud on the roof. Which means I can't record any vocals at the moment, but there's still a bit of mixing left to do, so I'd better be off...

Hope to see you at a show some time soon.

Cheers,

Renny

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

And now on Facebook too:
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=75518668343#/pages/RENNY-FIELD/82293007072?sid=c70a1d4d0bc5af342921737bd4435a36&ref=search

Could someone explain the point of twitter. So I signed up, but I still don't understand....

Thursday, April 30, 2009

The News... May '09

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

GIGS:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

THE ALBUM:

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

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

www.myspace.com/rennyfield

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

NOTICEBOARD:

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

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

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

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

And Finally...

*SEE LIVE MUSIC!

It's good for you.

Cheers for now, and thanks for taking an interest.

Renny

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

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

Tuesday, April 28, 2009

The Weekly... Volume 37

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

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

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

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

See you all soon,

Renny

Tuesday, April 14, 2009

The Weekly... Volume 36

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

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

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

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

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

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

Catch you soon,

Renny

Tuesday, April 07, 2009

The Weekly... Volume 35

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

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

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

Catch you next time,

Renny

Thursday, April 02, 2009

The Supper Club - This Friday 3rd April

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

Check the gig guide for info...

See you there.

Maybe.

If you come.

Which you should.

That's why I am writing this blog.

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

Which I probably won't.

But I decided to write it anyway.

Cheers!

Monday, March 30, 2009

The Weekly... Volume 34

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

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

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

THE SHOWS:

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

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

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

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

VIDEO CLIP:

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

NOTICEBOARD:

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

www.declanorourke.com

TWITTER:

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

www.twitter.com/rennyfield

I'll try to post an update each day.

TALES FROM THE WEEKEND.
Bathurst and the Lost Tuxedo:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Sunday: ZZZZZZzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Well done if you made it to here.

See you next week. Thanks for your continued support.

Renny

Wednesday, March 25, 2009

The Weekly... Volume 33

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

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

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

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

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

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

www.moshtix.com.au

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

Last full band show before the Album launch methinks.

See you soon.

Renny

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

Wednesday, March 18, 2009

The Weekly... Volume 32

Hello!

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

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

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

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

Cheers for now,

Renny "Bringing back the ramble" Field.

x

Sunday, March 08, 2009

The Weekly... Volume 31

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

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

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

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

Cheers for now,

Renny

Tuesday, March 03, 2009

The Weekly... Volume 30. New Songs!

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

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

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

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

Down on the corner, on the wrong side of town

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

making it work somehow

Up on the high road, they never look down

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

just by making your own sound

CHORUS

If it takes all night, we can make this right

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

Working the corner of some cheap-ass hotel

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

cause you got 'em under your spell

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

You'll never be worried about the Diamonds

when you're harnessing the gold

If it takes all night, we can make this right

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

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

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

But the beast won't do you wrong.

Yeah you know the stars still shine

even when you're standing in the bread line

And that Eastbourne Express sounds like a hell of a mess

But I'm sure it was worth the ride

(Cool guitar solo)

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

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

Cause that shit keeps me keeping on.

If it takes all night, we can make this right

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

If it takes all night, we can makes this right

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

On our side.

---------

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

----------

IN OTHER NEWS....

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

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

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

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

See you soon,

Renny