musings

just had a glance back at the past few months’ posts, as an old pal commented on the way they read. sorry if they seemed too downbeat or negative, things have actually been a little better than they read, I suppose I tend to focus on the problems and tasks rather than the joys and achievements. so I’ll be mindful of that from now on.

had an odd gig on friday, one of those private clubs that doesn’t seem to understand why they’ve booked live music, as most of the management clearly are against the idea. but it was a good chance to have something of a no-pressure live rehearsal with linda, as her first gig is coming up next weekend.

the sets are looking better now, it’s an eclectic mix of old, new & obscure. it seems that in her previous bands, she’d always been pushed into musical directions by the others. this is probably the first time in her career where she has the opportunity to take her time and find her focus, what her mind and heart really want and need to do. we’re finding a middle ground between the folky jewel-meets-carole king songs that she’s been writing and the aretha / dusty / nina simone bluesy soul style that she grew up on. it’s starting to emerge, gradually, the way it needs to. I know there’s no demo clips on her myspace page yet, but then again, there’s no rush.they’ll be there when they’re ready.

got the trio demos, one-sheet and other promo done. there’s now a myspace page for the band as well, figured it’d be needed for future gigs and festivals.

busy weekend ahead, rehearsals thursday, linda’s gig on friday, the trio appear at an animal shelter fundraiser saturday, then a spot at the blue mountains jazz festival on sunday, followed by me in the kitchens for another function sunday eve, trading guitars for aprons and knives.

no, I really can’t complain.

been recording demos with the blues trio. there’s a chance we could sneak in as a late add to a major festival, I won’t jinx it by saying which one. but they needed to see a pr kit, which, as a working bar band, we hadn’t had. so it’s photo and demo time, which is bringing its own surprises, mainly in how we thought we’d structured the harmonies. heh.

first show with linda is friday week. we haven’t had enough time to fully rehearse, so we’ll be cramming in whatever free time she can manage before then. we’ll be playing with a percussionist, which will be a nice vibe.

and just as I’ve settled into the new digs, there’s word of management changes at the guesthouse that I sublet from. uncertain as to how it’ll affect my situation as yet, but I need to keep a plan b handy - as always, it would seem. I’d so dearly love to stay put for a little while. every time I have to move, the recordings alter. the room sounds change, mic positions yield differing results. I really need to get this album done.

today is remembrance day in australia. we honour the war dead at the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month. or so most of the country did. I was busy cleaning out the old cafe kitchen, a task I’d been uncharacteristically putting off til the very last day. and I’m not entirely sure just why.

perhaps it’s because the first two fooderies came to a somewhat sudden halt, differing disputes over lease terms that resulted in hurried decisions. but it’s been nearly four months since we closed the door on this one, and as I still had the house lease, it’s lingered there, like a ghostly mausoleum that I would wander thru from time to time, listening for echoes of the past, remembering the good days, the bad days, the stress, the laughter, the uncertainty, the music.

at the end of the day today I sat in the dining room and reflected. it’s hard to say exactly why this one didn’t work. we knew it was to be a huge risk, understood the history and shortcomings of the site and location. we didn’t of course foresee the bottom end dropping out of the world economy as we readied to open. nor did we know the sorry state the building and equipment were in. but even when I look at clear facts, I feel as if I’m making excuses.

perhaps deep down I didn’t want to commit so wholeheartedly. perhaps my former partner and I were a bad fit for a team. I’m sure she would have done better with someone else in the kitchen and vice-versa for myself. maybe I just wanted it to happen so badly that when it became more of a struggle than anyone anticipated, my drive slipped away. maybe something else was ahead on the horizon, yet I had no tangible idea.

I’ve interrupted my usual dinnertime activity to put these thoughts into text. some watch tv or read the newspapers while eating. I read online. blogs, forums, social networking sites. this becomes my glimpse into the world of others on an almost daily basis. I find that’s when I turn on the chat facility in facebook, not that I want to chat with someone or the opposite. in fact, I usually don’t. it’s just a glance at who’s online, who’s available for contact or contacting others.

it reminds me of the halcyon days of the net, just over a decade ago when aol instant messenger was the only such service, aside from icq (does that even exist anymore?) or irc. you could add someone if you knew their screen name without their approval or even knowledge. I’d been told the screen name of joey ramone, added it and was always a little bemused when I’d hear the creak of the opening door sfx that aol used, and saw heynojoe appear. I’d try to imagine this guy that I admired, the godfather of new york punk, sitting in front of his computer screen with a mouse and keyboard. it seemed so surreal.

so it’s nice to know that some of you are out there. if I see you online, I don’t need to ask how you are. I know that you have enough money to afford a computer/iphone, connection etc, and that you’re well enough to be using it, either with a roof over your head, or somewhere safe. I know you’re okay, in a fundamental sense. and that’s fine.