Berlin Baby

 

I saw 2013 in dressed in Vintage attire at the grand Winter Gardens, Berlin courtesy of Bauheme Sauvage accompanied by the truly beautiful Ms Pol.

Played a few gigs already this year; in Portabella Market; when a train made a surprise visit half way through my first song and at Bar Solo at Camden; meeting a man with a Harmonica used by the Small Faces, who couldn’t stop playing it, even when it wasn’t his set!

I am looking to widen my eyes to everything this year, including my outlook on music. Unlike children we accept too much of what we see.  We must take over 99% for granted, maybe it’s time to regress?

Currently on the collaborator hunt, awaiting a call from a lap steel player, emailed a few acts looking for alt-country people and rehearsing with a lady with a sweet voice tonight.

Trying things, new things, if it don’t feel right Im off! You never know unless you try, eh?

Looking to make more videos, write more songs, and generally be lovelier to the World at large.

Next gig in Angel this Saturday

Zenith Bar Saturday 19th Jan 2013

Blair's Blues- A Diary: Christmas Review

Blair's Blues- A Diary: Christmas Review:   Without doubt 2012 has been the best year of my life to date. Took charge of what I wanted and took the plunge moving to London, to ...

Christmas Review

 

Without doubt 2012 has been the best year of my life to date.

Took charge of what I wanted and took the plunge moving to London, to sleep in a kitchen temporarily (still there 8 months on!) and play the bars, find the people and fill my head with wonder! Thats what Ive done.

I found my 12 month plan (laminated and stuck on a speaker). The plan ended with "December 2012 - Industry Interest", well I don't know if they are interested in me yet, but I'm still writing, gigging, meeting great people and enjoying it so I am still interested in them.

I have a new job within Aquaterra now as a community fundraiser for the Charity. Last Saturday was my the first event, I organised a music concert to raise money for children with learning disabilities and Autism. I sold out the Camden Head raising over £500 for Charity with awesome acts Kainee Boi Set, The Solace, The Nearly Man, Dr Napalm and his Infernal Ukulele and as I organised the event I even put myself on. The Camden Head was one of the first places I played when I came to London and also one of two places I played with Dexter Strangeways, so I seem to have some weird pull to the place.

Been a really great year; hard but beautiful. Meet some very special people and others that are not even worth mentioning so as someone said "Focus on the shards of Light"

Next gig Upstairs at the Brixton Ritzy 20th December here's the link....

Brixton - The Ritzy - December 20th


Merry Christmas to Y'All, looking forward to a rocking 2013!

The New Sound

After searching high and low, I found "The New Sound"...

A teaspoon of honesty.

Still sleeping in a kitchen in central London on a matress,

Still playing as much as I can all over zones one and two and occasionally three,

I got off the booze completely for a few weeks leading up to my 30th but have been 'wet' ever since,

Found a noir crooner called Dexter Stangeways, rehearsed on a Thursday played a gig at the Camden Head on the Saturday. Same night we went to Kilburn and ended up filling in for a band, playing our second gig at the Good Ship.


Im in the right place, but i still remember how good some things were.

This is Dexter Strangeways, im stage left and out of view, (I wore a really nice suit and everything!)

Post Jubilee

Been gigging crazy! Played a great bar in Chelsea called the Coopers Arms twice, a decent bar in Clapham called the Gigulum bar; which had an awesome sound rig when the music was going through the cd player, (sub woofers in the chairs, felt like being in a Jacuzzi!) but when the live music went on they switched the sound to go through two tiny speakers that just weren't strong enough, so you couldn’t hear a word anyone sang. Played a completely acoustic gig in Battersea (no electric just me and acoustic) which went really well and they have asked me back to play this friday and are giving me a few quid for the service. Chaos theory put on a great night at the Wilmington arms in mount pleasant, well advertised and attended, definitely want to work with those fellas again. I  did play a shocker at the library bar in Angel; it was the last day of the wet bank holiday, terrible pa, incredibly unreceptive crowd but on the plus made a friend in the sound man Les, who used to be neighbors with Elvis Costello, (he didn’t like him). I decided to go back the next night to play so as not to black list the bar in my head, the place had a great vibe this time but too many bloody musicians and i didn’t get to play. Did see some good acts though, the “yess mess” were great with a home-made drum kit (the snare was an upside down colander) and a man who i cant remember his name but who had a stand out voice, very Jeff Buckley esq. 

My plan is to get my electric guitar down from my parents when i pop up at the end of the month, and get my three piece rock band together in July. Thinking of an Elvis Costello, bluesy, smiths cross over thing, with words and punchy drums, YEAH! but this idea will surely change as all of mine do.

So all good in the big smoke, and some lovely old dear went down the river in a boat and made a lot of people very happy, so it’s not just me having a good time! Big kisses XXX

JAZZLAND

Its been a while since I’ve last blogged this have been partly due to my huge life change. Im now living in london with Pystol Pete in the heart of Covent Garden.

Since being here for about a month I’ve played two open mics in Camden, one in Leicester Square and had a half an hour set in Chelsea. My friend Slim recorded four of my songs at his Studio, that are now uploaded to my sound-cloud. 

I’ve meet Dave Elvis and the Cosmic Troubadour on the open mic circuit, felt lonely walking round leicester square (while pete was away in singapore on “business”) only to be cheered immensely just by walking past Gary Numan, saw Justin Lee Collins drinking down the end of the road in a wine bar, and got backstage for New order at Brixton Academy, who were brilliant even without Cookey. 

Funding all this is the internal transfer I got to head offices, where i have my own desk, free coffee, a window! and bank holidays!!!! 

As I expected London is full on with loads of very busy people being cutting and quick but also in this dirt there are gems and I’ve already meet some really cool people.

It’s intense, expensive and never stops but its also endless, fascinating and stepped in history and history being made all the time at a fast pace.

Much love on this rainy bank holiday monday , (and i’m not writing this from work).