Lodestar preview performances

Feels like a good while since I've updated this, but naturally that only means that I've been too busy to sign in, rather than it being nothing interesting is happening. Generally, things are in okay shape I think - a lot of the releases I've been drumming on this year have stared to emerge - Under The Streetlamp's album is very exciting and will be released on November 13th, Ethan Ash's new material is also sounding decent and that will be released on the same day, and the Eureka Stockade album isn't far off either and what a treat that sounds - that's set for a 6th December release, so much musically about to erupt I think. That, and some nice gigs coming up too including playing for Jon Orchard at Lodestar Festival next weekend, a festival in Windsor with Eureka Stockade and High Barn with Flaming June, plus the London stuff with Lu, mustn't grumble. Will though, can always do with more of this...

Anyway, tonight was the Lodestar preview performance of the 2 plays I'm putting on at the festival next weekend. I really had no idea what to think ahead of today - the music for Clowns had been rehearsed twice but without all the actors apart from the brilliant Kimberly Dobson who very kindly stepped in to play Clown-ette Miranda to perfection. Our other show, The Year Of The Rat, hadn't been touched at all. I arrived at midday today, with the worst hangover in history courtesy of a party at Rob-Eureka-Stockade's house last night, and then spent five hours in awe of how good these actors are. I had a feeling for a while that The Year Of The Rat was a bit of a return to form on the writing side of things, because I've written a lot of shite this year, and even in it's loosest first draft sense I could see the ideas come to life. But it was the cast who made it - Marto, Heather, Colin, Vaughan - it's their energy and willingness to make the show work. It was always supposed to be a 'fun' show, and they just shared my vision completely - in many respects it's the silliest thing I've ever written, and there's no denying bits of it don't work (like the 'Short Horror Play') but when performed with so much wit and passion it was generally always going to be a good evening. Heather's performance of a character called Hitler ("Hi, I'm Hitler but you can call me Judy") is up there with some of my highlights of the year. After 5 hours of rehearsing that show, we moved onto Clowns in which Vaughan and Colin were joined by Kimberly and also the live backing band - Bryan, Marcus, Ali and myself. In what is an extremely ambitious project, we seemed to nail it in two quick run-throughs, I'm really relieved about this one and can sense the cast are too because spoken word musicals are a bit of a change of direction. Again, the energy was there, and although I'm not comfortable as the narrator (I have since made a move for another actor to do it), I'm pretty happy with how it all went tonight and am genuinely excited about Lodestar next weekend now. Tonight we barely promoted the show because I was a bit unsure of the material, we played to a small-ish audience (although always a pleasure to see those who come to every show I do support my work once again) in a venue which I love but we've worked at loads of times. It's not new territory, but my recent fatigue has gone straight out the window - creativity and the danger of live performance is a complex beast, but sometimes when it works it's a bit of a treat.

First 'Clowns' rehearsal...

...and what a relief that was, to know that the concept actually works. Musically at least. The show premieres officially at the Lodestar Festival on September 4th, but we've got a preview date coming up on 29th August. The cast themselves haven't been involved, but tonight myself and the musicians - Alister Bunclark, Bryan Shore and Marcus Hood pretty much nailed the music, now just need to tweek the script a little bit as I spotted one or two consistancy errors, and get the actors in for next week's session. Spoken word musical? Easy. Almost too easy. Plenty can go wrong yet though.

Currently listening to: Ethan Ash - new recordings, Elvis Costello - Imperial Bedroom, Chris TT's new album, Randy Newman - Harps & Angels

Currently watching: Shooting Stars, Gavin & Stacey, The Brittas Empire, Match Of The Day (welcome back, season, I've missed you)

Currently reading: Gary Lineker - Still Dreaming (an honest book about why England failed at the World Cup)

August 12th

August 12th 2000: picture the scene, if you'd be so kind. St. Ives: a small, reasonably friendly market town just outside of Cambridgeshire. 6 young lads have hired the Corn Exchange, the biggest public building in the town centre, they've hired bouncers and a bar, they've got a set of songs they've been nurturing in a nearby village hall for a good few months. There's been drunken chats of world domination, there's been sober chats of world domination. The world is there for the taking. Alighting; a 6 piece band, are playing their first ever gig, and instead of playing a support slot or crappy pub gig like you're supposed to for a debut, they've hired a big building and are headlining the thing. It takes remarkable courage, but the band don't ever consider this - it's a special night, it's a special time, the scale of it is fully understood but the daunting nature of the evening that was to follow is lost in adrenaline. On drums, a 19-year-old Paul Richards; scruffy, wearing a stupid hat, rubbish at office jobs, completely in love with drums. That night was the first gig any of us had ever played, thinking back now technically I doubt it wasn't much to offer, but sometimes technicalities don't mean a thing when the raw passion and energy of young men going out as a team for the first time comes into it. A special night indeed, including the after show party. 10 years later, a lot has changed, especially on a personal level. My writing aspirations have become more prominent with 4 Edinburgh Fringe shows and loads of other credits, musically I've played some amazing places and recorded in some great studios, I'm on a few albums and even as I type this it's been a week where I've been given the final masters of the Under The Streetlamp album, have rehearsed with a funk band, have rehearsed with a prog-rock band, have rehearsed with 'Streetlamp, and am currently listening to the mixes of the new Ethan Ash EP which I had great pleasure drumming on - and that boy has songs that can change lives, he's that good. But August 12th 2000 - one of those days that will forever stick in my memory, I was on stage for the first time, we were on stage for the first time. I needed the support of my friends to do this, we're all still friends, good friends, and I'm proud of this. 10 years later; when I look back, I'm not sure where I thought I'd be now. Part of me arrogantly always thought I'd be retired on royalties by now. A more down to earth part of me thought I'd be married with kids by now. I'm neither of those things, but I'm happy enough. But. 10 years later - a 29-year-old Paul Richards; scruffy, doesn't wear hats anymore, rubbish at office jobs, completely in love with drums. Ah bollocks. We've all changed, a lot. We've all been through a lot. But nothing has really changed that much. It doesn't mean I'm still not proud of that day 10 years ago though.

Deadlines, ideas and general lack of time

Exciting things are happening on the label side of things with one of my artists. And I actually mean exciting, not just the usual blind optimism which litters my existence. No, really exciting things, but I can't say anything until things are confirmed and it's such a shame because I'm such a blabbermouth I just want to blurt it all out. Hopefully in the next couple weeks or so though I can mention it, because it's a really exciting thing.

It suggests also that things may get busy soon musically, and admin-ee, and also Alister (Streetlamp) is now back so that means we can get gigging again soon, and Eureka Stockade are back in action too, and I've also just joined a folk band called Flaming June, and the Trip 35's will be mixing the album again in a few weeks time and...goodbye evenings, but I love it, and need it actually - too much time in front of a screen right now, not enough time in dark, smelly rehearsal rooms.

I have too many ideas, and too little patience at the moment. Currently working on the script for my show at the Lodestar Festival in early September - it's basically a month away tomorrow, so I need to nail the script sharpish. The production is called 'The Year Of The Rat', it will be performed rehearsed, but script-in-hand at the festival, but I want the cast to have as much time as possible with the material. It's basically a series of short plays, about people who were born in the Chinese Year Of The Rat - the definition of these people being ambitious, passionate but also thrifty and easily angered. Loads of material for that there. I've resisted the initial thought of re-hashing ideas from 'Some Plays...About Indie Rock' which was performed earlier this year at the Bury Fringe to a tiny audience, because I really like Lodestar and want to give them something totally new. At the moment, I want to cram 18 short plays into 45 minutes, and tick off as many genres as possible in doing so. We'll see how it turns out. I've also got my much delayed spoken-word musical, 'Clowns' being performed at the festival. Meeting my musician chums tomorrow night to work out how exactly we perform a spoken word improvised musical. Should be a doddle...

Have also agreed to help launch a brand new comedy night in Cambridge, starting in mid-September, after a meeting last night. We need a title more than anything, I like 'Rant & Banter Comedy', but nobody else does, any suggestions appreciated.