Recording 'It's Going To Be An Awkward Christmas, Darling'

Well, that was a manic three days. For the others at least, for me it was very much a case of working hard on the first day, and then sitting in the corner eating Pringles for the other two and watching the magic unfold. And some of it was actually proper magic - Christmassy magic, that is. It's very strange - I've been working on the writing of this album with the ridiculously talented Helen Arney for a couple months now after I saw her set at the Cambridge Comedy Festival and realised that any comedy songwriter who sings songs about Ben Folds and The Divine Comedy is somebody I have to collaborate with. It's very strange because here we are, just a few months later, after writing sessions in Helen's home of London and here in Cambridge, alongside the odd phone conversation and simply loads of emails, and now the project is actually coming to life. My role in this has been a bit different - I'm no songwriter, see, but from a playwright perspective the plots and concepts of the whole piece have then been built upon by Helen and together with the odd scribbling from yours truly she's built them into big, proper, amazing songs, which I'm thrilled and frankly flattered to be given a co-writers credit of. It's being promoted as a collaboration between the new Victoria Wood (Arney) and the new Alan Bennett (Richards). But for every Wood and Bennett there needs to be a Phil Spector - and in my old chum Martin Randle we've had that for the last 3 days. I've known Martin for years, he was my bandmate in Glowsticks going way back to 2002, and more recently he mixed my radio sitcom (which launches at the end of the month, by the way), whilst constantly being a very close friend. He's built a new studio and I just fancied recording this one there - I'm really glad we did. Without him, it would have been an acoustic-ish session, probably with ukulele and congas. But all of Helen's massive ideas for arrangements have not only been realised by Martin, but encouraged and built upon. Our album, 'It's Going To Be An Awkward Christmas, Darling', is sounding huge - every arrangement carefully built upon, it goes from the beautiful 'Too Scared To Build A Snowman' (which reminds me of something from the Divine Comedy's 'Absent Friends' album), to the tango of 'Christmas 1994', the jazz of 'Only Monopoly', the Ben Folds-esque stomp of 'Microwave Christmas Dinner For One', the subtle acoustic 'Office Party' and then theres the single - 'Traditional Family Christmas Argument' which is the most Christmassy thing you can possibly imagine, it's very Slade, it's very Wizard, there's a hint of Mariah Carey in there...it's got a fake kids choir and everything! And there's more too - this wasn't supposed to be an advert, but I'm buzzing, the title track (which comes in 3 parts, ending in a good old fashioned family singalong around a piano) has been stuck in my head all day, and the bounciness of 'Only Way To Spend Christmas Day' not only trickles along delightfully in the same way that Simon & Garfunkel did with 'Cecilia' but it also manages to (potentially) offend major airlines in the process. Helen is a genius, Martin is a genius, I'm a scruff bag with the odd idea and a caffeine habit, together I think we've created something big and special. Not just us, of course, Terry Saunders guest vocal on 'Office Party' is a treat, Tom McDonnell's vocal on 'Only Monopoly' has enough clarity to make him the next Neil Hannon but with enough soul and spirit to suggest he's a modern-day Shane McGowan, Kat Arney's guest harp playing is shivers down the spine stuff. My brief vocal moments (including my high-pitched stuff for the kids choir) may need a bit of fixing. Of course it's been stressful, try recording 11 songs in 3 days with these arrangements, and of course there's been tension and points when people need space, and times when the playwright/drummer guy feels like he's in the way, but the result will be worth it. I'm back in the studio next week to add sleigh bells, and then sit around as the mixing begins. The album is released on the 29th November, I can honestly say that we've worked very, very hard on this one...

It's got me all festive, this has, and has reminded me that I have a Christmas play being performed on the 17th and 19th December in Cambridge. It's a typical Richards affair following in the decent success of the last two years ('On the 12th Day Of Alex' from 2008 is still the best thing I've ever written, last year's went down a storm but I still feel it was slightly below par) so in between watching vocal takes today I've been working on the scripts, and pity the poor actors who won't have long to learn them. But I really think 'The Day The Carol Singers Stole Christmas' is a shambolic comedy winner, I'm excited already, especially in casting Kevin Wright as Jesus as he SO looks the part. Before that though I need to have my record label cap on, with the Under The Streetlamp album, the Eureka Stockade album, the Helen Arney & Paul Richards Christmas album, the Ethan Ash EP and the Trip 35's single all being released on Cracking Tunes before the end of the year. It's going to be an awkward Christmas? It's going to be hectic Christmas...

Currently watching: Whites (best BBC2 sitcom in years), Reggie Perrin (top-class 2nd series of the remake, after a concerning first, I always knew Martin Clunes could pull it off)
Currently reading: first drafts of scripts in a state of panic
Currently listening to: David Ford - Let The Hard Times Roll, Malcolm Middleton - A Brighter Beat

Gig report: Aidy @ Internet broadcast gig

Band: Aidy (with full band)
Venue: Internet live broadcast gig - in Aidy's house
Date: 30/10/10
Audience: According to the online statistics, we peaked at 10 people, but the average was 8 loyal supporters watching online
Set: Not sure, 10 tracks - 9 original and then a request (from one of the 8 audience members) for a cover of Novocaine For The Soul (by Eels) which we bashed through
Notes: Our big Halloween gig was cancelled a couple days ago, and with a lack of alternative venue to play we decided to play a show in Aidy's house - and broadcast it live to the entire world. Which in theory, could be the biggest audience ever, as the world is massive. Statistics show that we played to 10 people, and I was happy enough with this - those 10 people are sat at home on a Saturday night and have decided to give up half an hour of their time to login and watch us play some tunes. And 10 people is more of an audience than the Windsor gig last month, and we didn't have to travel or anything for this one (okay, Aidy didn't have to travel, the rest of us had to make the short distance to the street across the road from the Portland Arms). Performance-wise it was the first time I've played drums for Aidy, having previously played congas for him. I hadn't rehearsed, but I'm familiar with the songs anyway and I thoroughly enjoyed myself, especially as it came after a stressful studio session so it was great to let loose. 'Prettyish' is a really good song by the way, I realised that tonight, not sure what our Internet 'fans' thought, but the four of us in the room had a great time at least and I think that showed.

Gig report: Lu @ Troubadour Club, London

Band: Lu
Venue: The Troubadour Club, Earls Court, London
Date: 28/10/10
Audience: Lovely, lots of them too
Set: The Epic, You, Twinkle Twinkle, Beyond, Ain't Dancing, My Love
Notes: With all things family illness looking like they're on the right track (as of Tuesday, to be precise) I've thrown myself back into gig and recording commitments. Sadly last night's La Raza show with my mate Neil was cancelled at the last minute due to a double booking, but tonight it was good to get back on stage after a couple weeks out and play to a lovely audience. I had issues finding the venue - I was walking around for a very long time (although my thanks must go to the lovely newsagent who not only pointed me in the right direction, but then realised I was going the wrong way so ran down the street shouting "no, the other way you idiot!" several times before making sure I found the right street - although being called an idiot by a total stranger is never nice, his heart was clearly in the right place) and carrying a snare, cymbals, sticks and bass pedal around everywhere - including the tube, is never ideal and my arms now ache considerably. Any frustration though was soon forgotten as soon as I entered the venue, as the Troubadour is a lovely place, with lovely people, big enough to feel like it's 'somewhere' but small enough to feel intimate. Although due to being an hour later I missed the soundcheck, the soundman was good enough to make everything feel seamless, and the rest of the drum kit that was lent to me for half an hour by the support act was a decent Mapex offering so all in all very comfortable. It felt really busy tonight but the good thing was a lot of people weren't there for a specific band - they just turn up expecting good music, and I'd like to think we contributed well to that. We weren't that tight - lets be honest about that, one rehearsal in a few months is going to mean we're a little rusty, and the first track was a bit awkward. But by the time we hit 'Beyond' we had locked in and were flying. I might also add that Lu, despite recent throat problems (hence the lack of shows recently) was in exceptional voice tonight, and her stage presence is top-notch too. Good fun, exhausting trips there and back, but this is a review of the gig, not my evening in general, and the gig itself was lovely. It was also recorded, possibly for a live EP, but I'll have to hear how many mistakes I made first before seeing if it should go public...

Tomorrow (well, today I guess) we start the intense recording of the Christmas album. We're recording it in a studio that was only finished being built this week, and I'm still not sure if our engineer knows about the brass, strings and guest vocalists that we have booked in. Still, it's a challenge I guess.

Tough week, this

I was expecting to be writing a review of the second Cornerhouse Comedy Collective show this evening, instead I'm sat back at my parents' house reflecting on what has been a tough week. For the sake of my family privacy I can't go into details, but a member of my immediate family has been in hospital all week - having had a big operation a couple weeks ago which has gone horribly wrong, so this week the surgeons have been trying to fix things. It's difficult not to feel angry; that person goes in for an op, and two weeks later they have to go back in for a much bigger, serious op just to repair the damage from the first one. Human error - it can happen any time, in any profession, but when I cock up at work (which let's be honest, is plenty of times) it can't cause physical damage to somebody. That's probably why I'm not a doctor, I'm not brainy enough and certainly not brave enough, but human error scares me when one of the people I am most closest to in the world, if not the closest, has to suffer very badly when somebody gets it wrong. It's been a tough week. I've pulled out of every commitment, be it theatre or music, and if anything all this has reminded me that I probably have too much on - I've had to pull out of a lot, which ultimately just gets stacked up to next week, and I doubt I'll be at my best for much of it. Every thing I've pulled out of though has been met with great friendship from those who know the situation - people are lovely, people do understand I'm stressing a bit. Have no idea how the Cornerhouse comedy went tonight, although I must mention Michelle Golder who I called at 5pm realising we were both an act and a host down, she stepped in and took control for me - I owe her beer, lots of it, not many people could do that. A friend, who went to the show, text me "dude, you forgot to hire the audience", which suggested it was an awkward night for the comedians who have generously travelled a fair distance to do a gig in front of what is most likely to be (judging by the Facebook page) 3 people - I've promoted the comedy show a great deal, if people don't want a comedy night in Cambridge they won't turn up, it's as simple as that, so let's not bother in the future, it's just a waste of everybodies time. I got that text whilst visiting in hospital. The person I was visiting had come out of the major operation successfully and was even a bit chatty, next week we may even have them back home with us. I'm relieved, nothing else feels anywhere near as important right now.

Gig report: Flaming June @ High Barn, Great Bardfield

Band: Flaming June
Venue: High Barn, Great Bardfield, Essex
Date: 14/10/10
Audience: Folkie types, lots of them, lovely
Set: Rejoice, Stop The Ride, The Insane Ex-Girlfriend Parade, You Do Moody So Well, Wednesdays And Weekends, The Wizard, Under My Skin
Notes: A really good gig this one, one of those proper good gigs that are fairly infrequent but are an absolute treat when they do pop up. I sensed it would be though because High Barn is simply the most beautiful venue I've ever been to, let alone played. It's not massive, but it's got a lovely big stage size, the whole barn thing they've got going on not only looks special but enables it to have great acoustics, and the whole vibe of the place is artistically inspiring. The sound quality on stage was great too, partly thanks to the venue but also thanks to the excellent soundman who was patient and worked with us to create the best sound possible. The gig itself was part of the folk evening - we were the guest band, before (and I assume after us but I left shortly after our set) everybody sat off stage and sang a song or two, it was joyfully gentle and good spirited. Then we took to the stage area for our invited guest slot and it really worked tonight - we're well rehearsed which helps, and on a personal level with it being my second gig with the band I'm now really comfortable with the set and can start to throw in the odd artistic flourish. The more I start to understand the songs Louise has written the more I like them, they've really grown on me - they're a tad eccentric, often quite narky, but always littered with a full-on sense of energy, at times it's like being part of some dark cabaret show. I love it, anyway, and tonight on a big stage in front of a receptive, large-ish audience, it all came together nicely. Drive home less fun - why can I never get myself home from somewhere which is apparently 32 miles away from my home? Well obviously I did get home eventually, but it took nearly an hour and a half and the route my Sat Nav took me on was just crazy, and I swear that wasn't an 'exit' I came off to get onto the M11...anyway, mustn't let those niggly things mar what was a top class show.

Gig report: The Trip 35's @ The Boot Inn, Histon

Band: The Trip 35's
Venue: The back room of The Boot Inn, Histon
Date: 12/10/10
Audience: Sparse, far too polite
Set: A Good Storm, Free Parking, 4.59pm, Jim's Routine, The Simplest Of Things, Missing Each Other, Teddy Sheringham
Notes: Our first ever gig as 'The Trip 35's', and by 'we' I mean Rich Conway (vocals, guitar), Chris Lilley (fiddle, vocals) and me (congas, spoken word stuff). Having recorded the album in the summer we've been besieged by various problems, such as family illnesses and all of us being far too busy, so went into this gig with merely one rehearsal. It showed. We were certainly more than a bit rough around the edges, and the spoken word stuff I do on two tracks only confirms that some things are best left as audio projects as those bits didn't work at all. Saying that, the songs are nice, and little glimmers of real energy (such as when Chris went into a fiddle tangent at the end of 'Teddy Sheringham' and raised the tempo considerably) suggests that with 3 or 4 rehearsals we could be a really good live act. On Tuesday, sadly, we weren't, but the audience were still lovely. All 7 of them.

Slow Puncture @ WriteOn/ADC Theatre

It's been a while since I've submitted any new material to WriteOn, the Cambridge theatre group who do lovely things for new writers such as give their work performances. The main reason behind this was because I'm keen to avoid routine, I am getting routine at the moment - and I think this could be dangerous for my creativity. At the last minute before the submission deadline though I couldn't help myself and sent over my very latest short script, I think just to keep my name out there, just to see this piece performed and - perhaps more truthfully, I just love the nervous tension of watching my own work on stage. The piece itself was a monologue called 'Slow Puncture', it's about a slow puncture (oddly enough), and a man who can't change a tyre and accidently gets himself into a bit of a tangle by thinking that the girl driving in front him think's he's following her. He's awkward, thinking far too much, spirals off into brief moments of fantasy and panic, before there's a polite modest conclusion. Typical Paul Richards play really, and perhaps my fears of writing with a sense of routine are fully justified, but I've certainly nailed that akward young man character totally now, having written for 'him' about 15 times in the last couple of years. And the audience all seemed to love it, one person even said it was the best thing I've ever written. I asbolutely don't agree at all, but I'll happily take the compliment anyway.

First ever 'Cornerhouse Comedy Collective' show

I didn't really want to be the producer of these shows, I say that in all honesty - I commit to a lot by accident, and this one suddenly ended up being something I've ended up doing. But the need for a new regular run of comedy in Cambridge is needed, I think, after the demise of the excellent 'Lol-a-thon', organised by my mate Andy which was always something I enjoyed. Tonight was the first ever proper comedy show at the Cornerhouse, and due to the fact that I've been wrapped up in a family serious operation thingy all week I've not had time to promote, so it's a miracle anybody turned up at all. A couple of the comedians looked at the stage, and then looked at the function room around the back and suggested we do the show there instead; it's a tiny space, with no PA, but it worked. It really worked tonight. We had acts from East London, Yorkshire, Portsmouth, and a few more local people performing in front of an audience of 11 people. But it worked. Tiny space, friendliness all around, a really good vibe in the air, all 6 acts were amazing so those who did turn up were treated especially well. It shouldn't have worked at all, tiny audience, venue probably not suitable, but sometimes if people want to have a good evening, they will, and tonight both the audience and acts were on the same side and it was a lovely thing. Looking forward to the next one now, this could be the start of something both special, and time consuming.

Gig report: Aidy @ Oxjam, Cambridge

Band: Aidy (duo set)
Venue: Oxjam @ The Haymakers, Chesterton, Cambridge
Date: 01/10/10
Audience: Good crowd for an early set, enthusiastic enough
Set: Not sure
Notes: A very quick 20 minute gig to open at the very worthy Oxjam event at the Haymakers, raising money for Oxfam. Playing as a duo, with Aidy on acoustic guitar/vocals and me on a single conga, we briskly bashed out a few songs to kick things off. Nice easy gig, that one.

Gig report: Aidy @ BBC Radio Cambridgeshire

Band: Aidy
Venue: BBC Radio Cambridgeshire (studio 1)
Date: 31/09/10
Audience: Probably thousands (on FM radio)
Set: Pain In My Heart, Prettyish, 3 Years
Notes: Confused by the fact the BBC moved studios, I was a bit late for this and was lucky that I still ended up playing despite turning up as the radio show started. It was the last ever 'Audio Files' show to be broadcast on a Thursday, it's a show which has been great for the Cambridge music scene and one which I've had the privilege of playing with both Under The Streetlamp and The Damsons in the past. This one seemed far more informal than previous events, the atmosphere was nice and because of this we played pretty well I think. 3 songs, good vibe, much enjoyed.