New material, facial hair

Well, it's been a long time in coming but my facial hair is starting to look like a beard. In fact, Claudia McKenzie (bassist) even called it a beard in rehearsals at the weekend (in the context of me 'getting salad in my beard' because I forgot to bring a fork). Hurrah, finally. It's got a way to go yet, but it's even beginning to look like it was intentional. I must be growing into a proper man, I couldn't have done this a year ago.

Anyway, been a busy time. The charity gig takes place this Sunday, an 11 hour gig with 15 bands playing, but it has been by far the easiest thing I've ever organised - bands just want to play, the press need something to write about, the whole thing is just rather lovely and the poor chaps in Haiti will benefit from it too. It's gonna be a decent night. I'll be playing in a few bands that day/night myself, hence why I found myself rehearsing with 3 bands for nearly 11 hours on Sunday - I thoroughly enjoyed it and am confident that Losers, Matt Corrall Band and Under The Streetlamp will all perform admirably. Had another rehearsal with 'Streetlamp last night (my gig with Eureka Stockade was cancelled, so I was very happy to still be drumming) and I'm buzzing from it all, probably more than ever. I'm really wary of the band because we've tried two times before and fizzled out, expectations rise too quickly and then it's painfully frustrating when things don't happen. But as long as, in my head, it's a band that I can play with and be happy with - with no expectation - then I should be fine. We reformed 2 weeks ago, have had 2 rehearsals in the last 4 days, a couple drinking sessions, a gig this Sunday and next Sunday we start recording the album. If the album, which will largely be recorded live, sounds like our rehearsal last night I'll be a happy chap. The problem is, and probably always will be, is that we're all such busy people. But if the album takes off, you never know. Last night's rehearsal was just wonderful, musically it was challenging and the whole process of playing those songs is physically demanding at times, but the laughter, honesty and joy to be back in a rehearsal room with these incredible human beings is something I've missed.

I took a days leave on Tuesday to finish the Brighton material - that's 3 short plays and 1 full-length piece now to be workshopped next weekend by my carefully chosen team of actors. This latest piece is called 'Cat Food', it's the silliest thing I've ever written but I needed to write something cheery like this because the other material I've been churning out this year has been a little too dark at times. I'm really happy with 'Cat Food', as far as first drafts go at least. 4 plays in a month - that's a lot of writing, but I really wanted to write 5. That elusive number 5, 'Totally From The Heart' keeps getting nudged aside, which is weird because it has the potential to be the best thing I've ever done. I don't understand myself, sometimes.

Yet, despite all this oozing of creativity, both in the rehearsal room and at my desk, it's the simple, normal things which drive me to frustration. This week it's the turn of a slow puncture, which has gradually turned into a much quicker puncture than I would have liked. Why do garages only open during office hours? Can't they understand that most of their customers work the same hours as them so can't actually get in to get their vehicles looked at? Eventually I managed to work through a bit of my lunchbreak, left the office early and dashed down to the nearest tyre store to get mine sorted, only to be told by the idiot there that I've left it too late in the day and he wouldn't have time to fix it. Kwik Fit my arse.

Currently listening to: Electric Soft Parade - No Need To Be Downhearted, Elvis Costello - Live At The El Macombo, Okkervil River - Black Sheep Boy (lets be honest, I've not stopped listening to this since last August)

Currently watching: Citizen Smith - series 2 DVD, endless clips of the Ben Folds Five reunion gig on YouTube

Currently reading: The instruction manual of my new camera, which all seems a bit complex.