New Songs!

I got yer new songs right here!

Step It Up & Go has been our opener since the very beginning, but I think this is the first time I've been confident enough to upload a version of it. The yelps are a bit of an homage to Doug Macleod.

Vanilla Pudding gets more and more filthy the more I sing it. You'll definitely need a shower after this one, especially the third verse...

99 Secrets is probably over represented in our recordings, but its a song of mine that we do well and is well-liked. This version has a vocal, on the first verse in particular, that is very close to how I envisaged the song in the first place trying to be smooth and then rough to represent the passive-agressive sides of the original inspiration.

Dead Drunk & Naked is a brilliant song by the Drive-By Truckers that we've changed to make more of a sad ballad. I really like what I tried to do with my singing on this one and Hannes gives great Dobro on the solos.

Speaking of the music, it almost goes with out saying that the band are all playing wonderfully with fine soloing throughout.

Stuff

At some point I shall settle back in to a rhythm that will add a couple of full(ish) posts every week and hopefully a number of smaller ones (and perhaps a Short Shorts every so often). What I'm saying is, despite me seeming to abandon it for weeks at a time this blog is not yet giving up the ghost. I'm just v. busy and current I only seem to turn my laptop on at home to Skype, play Civ or look up tips on GameFaqs (Batman Arkham Asylum is fantastic and I thoroughly recommend it to everybody).

What with Mass Effect 2 coming out next week don't expect this to change much...

My mum, however, now has a blog. It's currently called Highwaywoman and although she seems to be posting even less frequently than me, there's a bit more to read there.

I Was Not Wrong

The Bluesberries were pretty much on fire. I have mp3s to prove it. Expect uploads soon.

The BluesBerries Were On Fire

I don't think I've done a gig report in ages.

The BBs were back in our second home of Café Adabei in Weyer. We'd cancelled a previous gig because of my near-death experience so this was almost a comeback gig.

After about three songs I told everybody in the audience to phone a friend and tell them to get over to the bar, not because the place was empty (it was pretty full, actually) but because we were playing up a storm and they'd be telling they're friends about what they'd missed for days after.

To be honest the end of the second set was a bit chaotic and, I think, we ran in to the problem of having too much material. We could have finished half an hour earlier and people would have gone home very happy indeed.

A great night though. I had more energy at this gig than I'd had for a while. I was almost bouncing off the walls. A good sign indeed.

Sir Mix A Lot Was Not Wrong

Fat Butts May Be Healthy. I cannot lie.

Happy New Year

As I said to a friend, if this year is as bad as last year I shall be asking for my money back.

Actually, last year wasn't so bad. My work and weight slowly got better, Steyr Cricket Club managed a few friendlies and my band got about one gig a month. I did, however, nearly die, which colours things somewhat. I still have to take pills, wear a compression stocking and be careful about what I eat and drink (on the plus side of that, I do seem to be sleeping better).

I've started this year with water damage in my apartment (not my fault), a passport that's nearly run out, a bank card that has run out (in that it is no longer valid, I money left in the account) and pills that are about to run out while my doctor is on holiday (I have a prescription for one lot, but not the other). I have a dry tickly cough and a cold -- not quite a flu but annoying never the less.

All of these problems will go away in the next week or so, though, so I can't complain...