mad with Billy

So it's nearly time for Billy's birthday and another cracking night out with the Mad pride squad. I always look forward to Mad pride gigs. Always interesting and entertaining. This one is free so be there and give your head a proper treat.
I'm playing the The Borderline on Friday so if you were at the last postponed gig or if you were not but you plan to make it on Friday then, I shall look forward to seeing you and hopefully we can out the demons from last time when poor old Mick Farren passed on.

I had a delightful time a week or so ago with a Fair Days Pay gig in Walsall and a private party in Lincoln. They were both birthday parties. The Walsall gig was at the very wonderfully appointed Black Country Arms which is a lovely old pub with real beer and a lovely atmosphere. Big ups to Chloe Anderton and family for putting it all together for dad John. Also a big up to The 58's Blues band who were ace. The second gig was in Lincoln for Kaz who was completely unaware of the plan to get her to a little church hall on a cold November night to meet and listen to me. It was the same in Walsall where John Anderton was also completely in the dark about arrangements for his 60th party. I love to see the surprise on folks faces when they realise I have come to play the minstrel for them.
I so enjoyed the Lincoln gig. The wooden floor and stone walls of the little church hall provided perfect acoustics for a completely unplugged gig. I was relaxed enough to run a few new ideas out and I was very satisfied with the results. I was fortunate to get the chance to chat with Terry Wellbourne, T.C. Lethbridge biographer and musician. Terry arranged the gig for his partners mum Kaz. Terry and I have said we would make some sounds together for a long time now and I hope it happens.

I am currently playing around with various pedals and gadgets to enhance the 2014 electric/acoustic show I am developing. I feel a little bit more of an electric vibe is imminent.

in the vibey Travel Lodge underground car park at 
Fort Dunlop in Birmingham

I had a very interesting evening on Friday past when I went to Rick Mantovani's studio to drop some pretty strange electric guitar utterances over some of his mega drone material. I had a great time but I suspect poor Rick will be ages sifting through and editing to pick out the parts that worked.

With out boring you with the wrinkly detail, I have been experiencing some of the not unexpected out comes of growing older. My ethos around growing old disgracefully has more than a little truth to it and probably more than you might expect. I am not sure this is of help. A sign of my times, and those of friends and colleagues, is that often when we meet we are almost biting our lips so that we shall not descend into a fully detailed litany of of our various ailments. I seem to have begun to visit hospital and my lovely doctor as often as I get into a fishing tackle or music shop these days. Still I fare quite well considering and so far, apart from a heart attack earlier this year, I am not doing so badly. Most recent episode and visit to A and E via 111, was a suspected detached retina in my left eye but it's not actually that. Oops! You see I am beginning to talk about the boring detail. Nothing too worrying though. 
The Internet plays a part in this. It is so easy to establish that ones inevitable demise is now imminent because digital doctor says so and that all the answers to desperate questions around my health always seem to point to the worst case scenario possible. I have scared myself stupid wading through reams of on line medical question and answer pages. Today I feel good and in good spirit. I am getting through a few important tasks which always makes me feel quite worthy. 
In London today the skies are grey. I fear it is about to get much colder out there so enjoy the relatively mild temperatures while you can. My bicycle leaning against the wall for days on end mocks me and my poverty stricken assertions that I will go for a ride soon.

That most despicable and plastic arcane ritual is about to descend on us all so I shall try to enjoy the days leading up to the woeful holiday of darkness and I shall ignore the ludicrous free market attempts to coerce me into joining in.


peace