Band: Flaming June
Venue: Oxjam @ Esquires, Bedford
Date: 27/10/12
Audience: Hardly any at first, but plenty by the end, some big applause too
Set: Rejoice,
Stop The Ride, Rumplestiltskin, Those Were The Days, Nerves Of Steel,
Little Love In A Cruel World, Pyscho, Wednesdays & Weekends
Notes: Our third and final Oxjam gig of the month - having now done Bury, Cambridge and Bedford, I've enjoyed them all - mostly because each gig has been so different. This was our third gig with Alyssa on violin and you can just see her confidence growing, perhaps helped by the fact we've played an identical set for three shows in a row now which is virtually unheard of for FJ gigs but this one works and we're relaxing into it nicely. This was my second gig of the day, having played with Dowsing For Sound in Cambridge earlier that day, and I left in plenty of time. Esquires in Bedford, although a nice enough venue when you actually get there, is a real bugger to find. I was literally driving around for ages...about half an hour on the street the venue is supposed to be on, only to realise it's just a bit hidden away. On arrival it all looked a bit empty, it didn't look like being a great gig - but then it turned into one, audiences trickled in until we had a reasonable crowd who seemed really into it and by the end we were really flying. Saturday was a strange day - I played two gigs, but was home having done both of them by 5.30pm. As much as I really, really enjoyed the party I went to in the evening (dressed as a skeleton wearing a cape...slightly concerned about the many pictures which were taken, especially any shots of me 'dancing'), I can't help but feel I could have done a third gig on Saturday. Two just doesn't seem enough somehow, I was just hitting my stride.
Sunday 28 October 2012
Gig report: Dowsing For Sound @ Outside Senate House, Cambridge
Band: Dowsing For Sound
Venue: Outside Senate House, Cambridge
Date: 27/10/12
Audience: More than a handful of passers-by who seemed to really enjoy it
Set: Empty Room, Take Me Home, Alive, Fake Empire, Take Your Mama Out, Sweet Disposition, Tonight We Fly, Every Teardrop Is A Waterfall, Beautiful Child, One Day Like This
Notes: A last minute and slightly strange gig this one. Okay, no slightly about it. As part of a gloriously inventive festival in Cambridge where they've put a load of pianos around the city for people to play, Dowsing were asked to perform outside Senate House in Cambridge. Lovely central location, and there's nothing wrong with an outdoor performance - when it's sunny at least. It wasn't, it was drizzly but the full blast of rain held off until after the gig, which was nice of it. Such is the short notice this all came together, the choir was down to about 25 members, and band-wise it was just Andrea (piano) and myself, so a very stripped down performance. Completely unamplified and with the sound struggling thanks to the wind, desperately holding onto the audience who were fighting against the bitter cold, the spirit of Dowsing came to the fore once again and it although a toughie nobody could deny the entertainment we offered the lucky locals. Arrangements had to be tweaked as a bit considering there was just the two of us musicians, the odd moment had to be ad-libbed (the ending of 'Every Tear...' for example - my fault, that one), but that choir love what they're doing - they reminded me of Christmas carol singers at times with their relentless optimism - smiling despite throughout being absolutely freezing. This was never going to be the big-scale, ambitious gig that only Dowsing For Sound are capable of, but not a bad way to spend an hour on a Saturday morning to say the least.
Venue: Outside Senate House, Cambridge
Date: 27/10/12
Audience: More than a handful of passers-by who seemed to really enjoy it
Set: Empty Room, Take Me Home, Alive, Fake Empire, Take Your Mama Out, Sweet Disposition, Tonight We Fly, Every Teardrop Is A Waterfall, Beautiful Child, One Day Like This
Notes: A last minute and slightly strange gig this one. Okay, no slightly about it. As part of a gloriously inventive festival in Cambridge where they've put a load of pianos around the city for people to play, Dowsing were asked to perform outside Senate House in Cambridge. Lovely central location, and there's nothing wrong with an outdoor performance - when it's sunny at least. It wasn't, it was drizzly but the full blast of rain held off until after the gig, which was nice of it. Such is the short notice this all came together, the choir was down to about 25 members, and band-wise it was just Andrea (piano) and myself, so a very stripped down performance. Completely unamplified and with the sound struggling thanks to the wind, desperately holding onto the audience who were fighting against the bitter cold, the spirit of Dowsing came to the fore once again and it although a toughie nobody could deny the entertainment we offered the lucky locals. Arrangements had to be tweaked as a bit considering there was just the two of us musicians, the odd moment had to be ad-libbed (the ending of 'Every Tear...' for example - my fault, that one), but that choir love what they're doing - they reminded me of Christmas carol singers at times with their relentless optimism - smiling despite throughout being absolutely freezing. This was never going to be the big-scale, ambitious gig that only Dowsing For Sound are capable of, but not a bad way to spend an hour on a Saturday morning to say the least.
Friday 26 October 2012
Gig report: The British IBM @ Cafe Bruxelles, Leicester
Band: The British IBM
Venue: Cafe Bruxelles, Leicester
Date: 26/10/12
Audience: Small, handful of them paying attention
Set: Make It Happen, Pain In My Heart, Animal, Down Like That, Three Years, Guns, The British IBM
Notes: A re-booking from the tour, another chance to perform at the beautiful looking Cafe Bruxelles in Leicester. Leicester itself is a very confusing city to navigate around, both by foot and car, and although it was our second time at the venue it was also our second time getting lost finding the place. Aidy and I played this as an acoustic duo as Dave wasn't available, the acoustic guitar/congas format is a safe and easy one and it was a very comfortable show. Not much of a crowd, but sold a few CD's afterwards, had some beers and stayed in a lovely hotel, not a bad way to spend a Thursday evening.
Venue: Cafe Bruxelles, Leicester
Date: 26/10/12
Audience: Small, handful of them paying attention
Set: Make It Happen, Pain In My Heart, Animal, Down Like That, Three Years, Guns, The British IBM
Notes: A re-booking from the tour, another chance to perform at the beautiful looking Cafe Bruxelles in Leicester. Leicester itself is a very confusing city to navigate around, both by foot and car, and although it was our second time at the venue it was also our second time getting lost finding the place. Aidy and I played this as an acoustic duo as Dave wasn't available, the acoustic guitar/congas format is a safe and easy one and it was a very comfortable show. Not much of a crowd, but sold a few CD's afterwards, had some beers and stayed in a lovely hotel, not a bad way to spend a Thursday evening.
Sunday 21 October 2012
Gig report: Flaming June/Trevor Jones @ Oxjam Festival, Cambridge
Bands: Flaming June and Trevor Jones
Venues: Oxjam Cambridge Takeover - Flaming June at The Emperor, Trevor Jones at The Avery
Date: 20/10/12
Audience: Enthusiastic, charitable
Sets: Flaming June - Rejoice, Stop The Ride, Rumplestiltskin, Those Were The Days, Nerves Of Steel, Little Love In A Cruel World, Pyscho, Wednesdays & Weekends; Trevor Jones - Falling, Alive, Roll On The Rain, Badman, Old Fashioned Woman, Shine A Light, All I Am, Can't Take This Anymore
Notes: The Oxjam Takeover events are such a simple idea - and for a very worthy cause (Oxfam, obviously) yet such hard work goes into making these shows happen. Not from us lazy musicians, of course, we just turn up and play - but from the organisers, who have once again put on a cracking event in Cambridge this year. Their hard work makes it very easy for us performing types, because their organisation is rigorous - and as a result we just turn up and play without any fuss whatsoever, it's the perfect gig. I was playing it this year with two bands - Flaming June at The Emperor at 4.20pm and then Trevor Jones at 9pm just down the road at The Avery. Well, it was supposed to be just down the road, but the road was closed, and I got confused with the diversion, so it took the best part of half an hour for me to make the three minute trip, but that's pretty irrelevant to the gigs themselves. It was always going to be a long day - 2 gigs and a bit of a gap in the middle, and this wasn't helped by a very unplanned drinking session the night before with friends Alister, Richard and Michael just after my British IBM rehearsal. The Flaming June gig at the Emperor was a real cracker - my conga was still a little annoyingly out of tune (something I have rectified today, finally - conga tuning isn't an easy task, mind) but the vibe in that room - especially for an afternoon - was phenomenal, the audience were just so up for it. It was fiery, fast Flaming June, more punk folk than ever, hot and sweaty and leaving us out of breath after each song - the energy levels on stage were frightening and the crowd took to us with great enthusiasm. Just one of those gigs where things worked out - there is no logic to why these things happen sometimes, just the right audience, the right band and right vibe in the room at the same time. After us were Jacqui & Geoff, a band I seem to see a lot of recently, and they also (deservedly) went down a storm - it was just something about those couple of hours in that venue where things seemed great for everyone. I then popped down to The Avery to play a set with Trevor Jones. This time it was full drums and we played it as a trio (myself and Tony Page (bass) as Trevor's rhythm section), another busy crowd - not quite as enthusiastic as the audience earlier on but I think that may have been the nature of these things, the further the day goes the more drunk people are the less attention they have towards the band on stage as they just want to chat, but we still had a lively and healthy audience applauding us. We played well, we should play well considering we've been playing this set for a while now, but it's good to know we're confident with what we're doing - I felt very comfortable up there, despite our makeshift stage being next to the ladies toilets so the occasional distraction of the hand dryer going was a minor issue. A really good day that, ending with me arguing with somebody about hip-hop. Good friends turned up to see stuff during the day (Jack, Heather, Vicky, Duncan) and I appreciate that, the Oxjam series of events across the UK all seem to flourishing and rightly so - they're so good. Playing one more with Flaming June next week in Bedford, looking forward to it.
Venues: Oxjam Cambridge Takeover - Flaming June at The Emperor, Trevor Jones at The Avery
Date: 20/10/12
Audience: Enthusiastic, charitable
Sets: Flaming June - Rejoice, Stop The Ride, Rumplestiltskin, Those Were The Days, Nerves Of Steel, Little Love In A Cruel World, Pyscho, Wednesdays & Weekends; Trevor Jones - Falling, Alive, Roll On The Rain, Badman, Old Fashioned Woman, Shine A Light, All I Am, Can't Take This Anymore
Notes: The Oxjam Takeover events are such a simple idea - and for a very worthy cause (Oxfam, obviously) yet such hard work goes into making these shows happen. Not from us lazy musicians, of course, we just turn up and play - but from the organisers, who have once again put on a cracking event in Cambridge this year. Their hard work makes it very easy for us performing types, because their organisation is rigorous - and as a result we just turn up and play without any fuss whatsoever, it's the perfect gig. I was playing it this year with two bands - Flaming June at The Emperor at 4.20pm and then Trevor Jones at 9pm just down the road at The Avery. Well, it was supposed to be just down the road, but the road was closed, and I got confused with the diversion, so it took the best part of half an hour for me to make the three minute trip, but that's pretty irrelevant to the gigs themselves. It was always going to be a long day - 2 gigs and a bit of a gap in the middle, and this wasn't helped by a very unplanned drinking session the night before with friends Alister, Richard and Michael just after my British IBM rehearsal. The Flaming June gig at the Emperor was a real cracker - my conga was still a little annoyingly out of tune (something I have rectified today, finally - conga tuning isn't an easy task, mind) but the vibe in that room - especially for an afternoon - was phenomenal, the audience were just so up for it. It was fiery, fast Flaming June, more punk folk than ever, hot and sweaty and leaving us out of breath after each song - the energy levels on stage were frightening and the crowd took to us with great enthusiasm. Just one of those gigs where things worked out - there is no logic to why these things happen sometimes, just the right audience, the right band and right vibe in the room at the same time. After us were Jacqui & Geoff, a band I seem to see a lot of recently, and they also (deservedly) went down a storm - it was just something about those couple of hours in that venue where things seemed great for everyone. I then popped down to The Avery to play a set with Trevor Jones. This time it was full drums and we played it as a trio (myself and Tony Page (bass) as Trevor's rhythm section), another busy crowd - not quite as enthusiastic as the audience earlier on but I think that may have been the nature of these things, the further the day goes the more drunk people are the less attention they have towards the band on stage as they just want to chat, but we still had a lively and healthy audience applauding us. We played well, we should play well considering we've been playing this set for a while now, but it's good to know we're confident with what we're doing - I felt very comfortable up there, despite our makeshift stage being next to the ladies toilets so the occasional distraction of the hand dryer going was a minor issue. A really good day that, ending with me arguing with somebody about hip-hop. Good friends turned up to see stuff during the day (Jack, Heather, Vicky, Duncan) and I appreciate that, the Oxjam series of events across the UK all seem to flourishing and rightly so - they're so good. Playing one more with Flaming June next week in Bedford, looking forward to it.
Thursday 18 October 2012
New material evening
We finally launched the Fat Fox Productions new material evening tonight - a month later than planned due to a previous double booking, I'd been looking forward to this one for a while. As always for such events it was hit and miss - we had a really friendly little crowd with some good friends there, so I don't know why I was so nervous performing 'The Wallet' in front of them. It's probably because I know it's heading off on tour soon, and if it didn't work it would make things quite tricky. I was so nervous tonight - it was alarming, I don't know quite what was up with me, considering I was doing it with a script in hand. As a result the first half of it was pretty shaky, until I calmed down a bit and as a result the audience seemed to relax more as well. They generally laughed at the right places, I have no doubt this script is one of my best, but I need to really learn how to be a performer and quick or else the tour will be pretty horrible. The guest stand-up (Tomson Titus) was great and showed plenty of promise, and the performance of our radio sitcom pilot, Technically Single was perhaps a little slow but does work - structurally I'm really happy with it, Hind then did my new short piece, '6 Dead Animals' with so much charm it would be impossible to not enjoy it, and the evening concluded with guest band - Cudby-Calder who absolutely stormed it - highlight of the evening in my opinion, outstanding band and although I knew Steve and Clare really well I really had no idea what this new band of theirs would be like - awesome. Drinks afterwards, and the horrible realisation that perhaps the recording of our radio sitcom can't be done this year (well, it can be but to do it properly takes time, we're running out of that) but we are doing this properly and it should be worthwhile. I just want to do everything, now, but I think as tonight's show demonstrated perhaps I need to take a step back and calm down a bit - I'm mature enough to know that not everything I do is going to work the way I want it to, but I'm still childish enough to get stroppy about that fact.
Gig report: Flaming June @ The Cornerhouse, Camnbridge
Band: Flaming June
Venue: The Cornerhouse, Cambridge
Date: 17/10/12
Audience: Busy enough, enthusiastic
Set: Rejoice, Stop The Ride, Rumplestiltskin, Those Were The Days, Nerves Of Steel, Little Love In A Cruel World, Pyscho, Wednesdays & Weekends
Notes: What looked like it was going to be a fairly run of the mill local Wednesday night gig turned into a real goodun. We were headlining - something I'm never keen on because not only do the audience tend to drift, but you have to spend the best part of 5 hours in the venue in between soundchecking first and going on last. But this really worked - it was our first gig with Alyssa on violin and she slotted in straight away, and as a whole the evening worked a treat - the two continental opening acts followed by the brilliant Jacqui & Geoff (probably my favourite Cambridge band at the moment) kept the crowd happy and we actually kept the crowd ourselves and played quite well I think. Good to see regular gig-going friends (Jack, Ken) there, as well as non-regular gig-going friends Hind and Nadine who really seemed up for a party night - I stayed and had a drink with them afterwards making for quite a late evening, but a really nice one all the same.
Venue: The Cornerhouse, Cambridge
Date: 17/10/12
Audience: Busy enough, enthusiastic
Set: Rejoice, Stop The Ride, Rumplestiltskin, Those Were The Days, Nerves Of Steel, Little Love In A Cruel World, Pyscho, Wednesdays & Weekends
Notes: What looked like it was going to be a fairly run of the mill local Wednesday night gig turned into a real goodun. We were headlining - something I'm never keen on because not only do the audience tend to drift, but you have to spend the best part of 5 hours in the venue in between soundchecking first and going on last. But this really worked - it was our first gig with Alyssa on violin and she slotted in straight away, and as a whole the evening worked a treat - the two continental opening acts followed by the brilliant Jacqui & Geoff (probably my favourite Cambridge band at the moment) kept the crowd happy and we actually kept the crowd ourselves and played quite well I think. Good to see regular gig-going friends (Jack, Ken) there, as well as non-regular gig-going friends Hind and Nadine who really seemed up for a party night - I stayed and had a drink with them afterwards making for quite a late evening, but a really nice one all the same.
Wednesday 17 October 2012
Gig report: Trevor Jones @ The Royal Oak, St Ives
Band: Trevor Jones
Venue: The Royal Oak, St Ives
Date: 14/10/12
Audience: Merry
Set: Not sure
Notes: Early evening Sunday gigs are often a bit strange but this one felt friendly enough. Not too much to say about this one to be honest, played it as a duo with Trevor and it was his first gig in a while after the chest infection, he seemed in fine voice and it felt good to be playing these songs. Not a huge turnout but people were dancing, felt like we played well – these songs were written acoustically so they suited this environment very nicely.
Venue: The Royal Oak, St Ives
Date: 14/10/12
Audience: Merry
Set: Not sure
Notes: Early evening Sunday gigs are often a bit strange but this one felt friendly enough. Not too much to say about this one to be honest, played it as a duo with Trevor and it was his first gig in a while after the chest infection, he seemed in fine voice and it felt good to be playing these songs. Not a huge turnout but people were dancing, felt like we played well – these songs were written acoustically so they suited this environment very nicely.
Saturday 13 October 2012
Gig report: Flaming June @ Oxjam Charity Gig, Bury St Edmunds
Band: Flaming June
Venue: Oxjam Folk Weekender @ All Saints Church And Hall, Bury St Edmunds
Date:13/10/12
Audience: Of the older nature, folky types, all very friendly
Set: Rejoice, Under My Skin, Rumplestiltskin, Those Were The Days, The Infidel, Nerves Of Steel, I Know What It's Like, The Devil's Daughter, Wednesday's & Weekends
Notes: Although I've been recording recently with Louise for the new FJ release (Rumplestiltskin EP), it feels like it's been a while since I've gigged with her but this starts the first of three gigs in a row - all as part of the Oxjam charity series of events in aid of Oxfam. Played this one as a trio and it's the first time I've been on stage with Diane, the band's new violinist. Louise and Diane had rehearsed and played together before so they knew their stuff and I know a majority of these songs so it gelled together pretty quickly - it's quite nice meeting somebody and then 20 minutes later going on stage with them. The set included two songs I don't know at all - Those Were The Days and The Infidel (the first of which I was perhaps rhythmically a little shaky on) but we bashed through them with enthusiasm and relative ease. Big-ish audience in the hall, and just like last year when I played this event I came away thinking this is very much the definition of the word 'nice'.
Venue: Oxjam Folk Weekender @ All Saints Church And Hall, Bury St Edmunds
Date:13/10/12
Audience: Of the older nature, folky types, all very friendly
Set: Rejoice, Under My Skin, Rumplestiltskin, Those Were The Days, The Infidel, Nerves Of Steel, I Know What It's Like, The Devil's Daughter, Wednesday's & Weekends
Notes: Although I've been recording recently with Louise for the new FJ release (Rumplestiltskin EP), it feels like it's been a while since I've gigged with her but this starts the first of three gigs in a row - all as part of the Oxjam charity series of events in aid of Oxfam. Played this one as a trio and it's the first time I've been on stage with Diane, the band's new violinist. Louise and Diane had rehearsed and played together before so they knew their stuff and I know a majority of these songs so it gelled together pretty quickly - it's quite nice meeting somebody and then 20 minutes later going on stage with them. The set included two songs I don't know at all - Those Were The Days and The Infidel (the first of which I was perhaps rhythmically a little shaky on) but we bashed through them with enthusiasm and relative ease. Big-ish audience in the hall, and just like last year when I played this event I came away thinking this is very much the definition of the word 'nice'.
Monday 8 October 2012
Gig report: The British IBM @ Rock Your Mind Festival, Middlesbrough
Band: The British IBM
Venue: Rock Your Minds Festival @ Westgarth Social Centre, Middlesbrough
Date: 07/10/12
Audience: Plenty of them, enthusiastic
Set: Cannibal, 3 Years, Animal, Sugar Water, The British IBM, Down Like That, Guns, Washing Machine
Notes: Back up north, and back on form - I'm sure this isn't a coincidence. We always like playing in Middlesbrough and this festival - organised by our manager Matt, was a charity event in aid of Rock Your Mind (a mental health awareness charity). Two indoor spaces, big old building, lovely vibe throughout the whole thing - going on at 5.30pm was perfect for us (event started at 1pm), we switched the set around a bit and seemed fresh because of it. Lovely audience, we always feel welcome at that end of the country, 9 hour round trip for a 30 minute gig but completely worth it.
Venue: Rock Your Minds Festival @ Westgarth Social Centre, Middlesbrough
Date: 07/10/12
Audience: Plenty of them, enthusiastic
Set: Cannibal, 3 Years, Animal, Sugar Water, The British IBM, Down Like That, Guns, Washing Machine
Notes: Back up north, and back on form - I'm sure this isn't a coincidence. We always like playing in Middlesbrough and this festival - organised by our manager Matt, was a charity event in aid of Rock Your Mind (a mental health awareness charity). Two indoor spaces, big old building, lovely vibe throughout the whole thing - going on at 5.30pm was perfect for us (event started at 1pm), we switched the set around a bit and seemed fresh because of it. Lovely audience, we always feel welcome at that end of the country, 9 hour round trip for a 30 minute gig but completely worth it.
Friday 5 October 2012
New projects, Christmas, and the first glimpse of 2013 from a distance
I've had a heavy cold all week, and today a strange irritation in my right eye, which is why I'm feeling a bit grumpy and unsociable and not at the pub with my friends tonight. Instead on this Friday evening I'm working on scripts, getting frustrated by them, so writing this blog post instead whilst drinking lager that is so weak and has some citrus lime thing going on with it, no wonder Tesco had a massive offer on to try and clear it, it's horrible.
And besides, I've not updated this properly for a while now, so I was a due a ramble. It feels like it's been a strange couple of weeks, I think I'm still on a post-tour-post-fringe-post-Lodestar comedown and for a brief while I was a bit concerned about not being busy. You know that fear - suddenly it's October and there really isn't time to do much else before Christmas so you might as well write the year off and think about plans for the next 12 months instead? Well that's probably why I've suddenly over-committed myself. I don't fear time off from stuff, I've got so many books I need to read, films to watch and friends I don't see enough of. But when I look back on 2012, will it be considered a success? I'm not ready to think like that yet, I'm going to do a few more things just in case before assessing it.
There's some nice little projects - the music we recorded with Alister, Steve and Clare for the Christmas story album sounds great, and this weekend I'm going to finish the actual story words to go with it, and then we can get recording and releasing and it'll all be lovely. A story/music album can really go either way, but I think this should end up modestly beautiful, which is what we all strive for, yeah? And we need to re-record last year's Christmas audio offering, 'The 12 Monologues Of Christmas' using a proper microphone, not the mp3 recorder I purchased off my mate Bryan for a fiver. Doing a lot of stuff under the Fat Fox Productions tag now - Fat Fox is awesome, it's the production company I've formed with Izzy, and it's so nice to be working with somebody who is completely on the same page as me, somebody who is not only a wonderful actress but also a great editor of my work to cut out all the crap bits (let's face it, I do go on a bit) and perhaps most amazingly; somebody who, after knowing me for over a year now, isn't that annoyed by my scatterbrain, messy and confusing ways. And she's wicked at spreadsheets. We've got Fat Fox t-shirts, and business cards and everything, and next year's Edinburgh show is already being plotted. Before that though we have our radio sitcom, 'Technically Single' being recorded for a podcast series, 6 x 20 minute episodes ending on a Christmas special - I'm really proud of the pilot/first episode, which is why I'm being so careful writing the other five instalments...although they all need to be written within the next couple of weeks. And we've got our two Christmas shows too, both on the same bill for a four night run at Christmas, and our regular new material nights (the first one of which didn't happen because of the venue being double booked, but that's cool - it just means I have more new material for the next one). And then there's the, well, the slightly strange project...
At the end of a complicated few days, in which I got my wallet 'stolen' (okay, I dropped it outside a supermarket but it was gone a couple hours later) and then went momentarily anxious about something that shouldn't really be explained on this blog, I've somehow ended up touring a solo show called, 'Some Plays By Paul Richards'. Look, just don't ask, okay? And besides, it's not completely solo, the lovely Claudia McKenzie (joining me on the road for these performances) has some lines in there, just not that many. It features two plays, 'The Wallet' and 'Man Versus Ants', I wrote them both last week on my week off work for writing time. I really feel 'The Wallet' is the strongest piece I've written in a long while, years perhaps, and 'Man Versus Ants' is completely heartbreaking if we get the timing right with the song at the end. Izzy is directing, and Chris from Distant Cloud has taken some wonderful promo pictures. It's a very wordy show, I'm a very wordy man. I've got a lot of words to learn. Tour opens on 7th November.
Inspiration is good, isn't it? Went to a really lovely classical/world music/folk concert thing on Saturday with Heather and on stage was Nicky and Gav from the Dowsing For Sound band - the music they were making was just lovely. And then last night, although still as snotty as anything, I went with Heather, Kevin and Elisa to see Piff The Magic Dragon in Bury St Edmunds. Piff was my favourite show at the fringe, and last night it was just as enjoyable - it's such a great act, a glorious mix of comedy, magic, Chihuahuas...everyone deserves to see Piff, he deserves a bigger audience. Pappy's are coming to Cambridge soon, and I'm off to see Ben Folds Five next month, ever get the feeling there's so much creative brilliance in the world you can't keep up? I need to keep on writing, keep on getting my work out there (my work is starting to be performed all over the world these days thanks to a couple indie publishing deals), need to finally get my debut novel out there (both people who I've sent it to to proof read haven't actually looked at it yet/hate it so much they can't work out how to tell me), and need to be drumming more...
Talking of which, some nice gigs coming up with Flaming June - a little run of charity shows for Oxjam (all in aid of Oxfam) in Cambridge, Bedford and Bury, some Christmassy shows with Trevor Jones (note we're not called 'The Trevor Jones Band' these days due to a contractual thingy) and the British IBM continues to be the subject of some wonderful media coverage (everywhere from Retro Gamer magazine to a review in The Sunday Sport) - we've got a few gigs left this year, all out of town, I like that a lot, I like to stretch my musical legs and play in new places. And there's talk of a very special Christmassy project too, but I can't say anything just yet, not because I'm all secretive and trying to big something up that you probably don't care about, but because I've been asked to keep it quiet until things are confirmed and besides, I was only asked yesterday, it shall be awesome though.
So looks like there's enough to keep me going for the rest of the year and I shall endeavour to report back if anything interesting comes of this. Or, if like tonight, I've got a cold and I'm killing time before the good programmes kick in on BBC3 at 11pm.
Currently reading: The Last Party (by John Harris), just finished reading Where Do Comedians Go When They Die? (by Milton Jones)
Currently watching: Cuckoo, Family Guy, Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em, Match Of The Day
Currently listening to: Ben Folds Five - The Sound Of The Life And Mind, Straylight Run - The Needles The Space, Guillemots - Hello Land
Currently eating: the unpredictable results of my attempts at cooking
And besides, I've not updated this properly for a while now, so I was a due a ramble. It feels like it's been a strange couple of weeks, I think I'm still on a post-tour-post-fringe-post-Lodestar comedown and for a brief while I was a bit concerned about not being busy. You know that fear - suddenly it's October and there really isn't time to do much else before Christmas so you might as well write the year off and think about plans for the next 12 months instead? Well that's probably why I've suddenly over-committed myself. I don't fear time off from stuff, I've got so many books I need to read, films to watch and friends I don't see enough of. But when I look back on 2012, will it be considered a success? I'm not ready to think like that yet, I'm going to do a few more things just in case before assessing it.
There's some nice little projects - the music we recorded with Alister, Steve and Clare for the Christmas story album sounds great, and this weekend I'm going to finish the actual story words to go with it, and then we can get recording and releasing and it'll all be lovely. A story/music album can really go either way, but I think this should end up modestly beautiful, which is what we all strive for, yeah? And we need to re-record last year's Christmas audio offering, 'The 12 Monologues Of Christmas' using a proper microphone, not the mp3 recorder I purchased off my mate Bryan for a fiver. Doing a lot of stuff under the Fat Fox Productions tag now - Fat Fox is awesome, it's the production company I've formed with Izzy, and it's so nice to be working with somebody who is completely on the same page as me, somebody who is not only a wonderful actress but also a great editor of my work to cut out all the crap bits (let's face it, I do go on a bit) and perhaps most amazingly; somebody who, after knowing me for over a year now, isn't that annoyed by my scatterbrain, messy and confusing ways. And she's wicked at spreadsheets. We've got Fat Fox t-shirts, and business cards and everything, and next year's Edinburgh show is already being plotted. Before that though we have our radio sitcom, 'Technically Single' being recorded for a podcast series, 6 x 20 minute episodes ending on a Christmas special - I'm really proud of the pilot/first episode, which is why I'm being so careful writing the other five instalments...although they all need to be written within the next couple of weeks. And we've got our two Christmas shows too, both on the same bill for a four night run at Christmas, and our regular new material nights (the first one of which didn't happen because of the venue being double booked, but that's cool - it just means I have more new material for the next one). And then there's the, well, the slightly strange project...
At the end of a complicated few days, in which I got my wallet 'stolen' (okay, I dropped it outside a supermarket but it was gone a couple hours later) and then went momentarily anxious about something that shouldn't really be explained on this blog, I've somehow ended up touring a solo show called, 'Some Plays By Paul Richards'. Look, just don't ask, okay? And besides, it's not completely solo, the lovely Claudia McKenzie (joining me on the road for these performances) has some lines in there, just not that many. It features two plays, 'The Wallet' and 'Man Versus Ants', I wrote them both last week on my week off work for writing time. I really feel 'The Wallet' is the strongest piece I've written in a long while, years perhaps, and 'Man Versus Ants' is completely heartbreaking if we get the timing right with the song at the end. Izzy is directing, and Chris from Distant Cloud has taken some wonderful promo pictures. It's a very wordy show, I'm a very wordy man. I've got a lot of words to learn. Tour opens on 7th November.
Inspiration is good, isn't it? Went to a really lovely classical/world music/folk concert thing on Saturday with Heather and on stage was Nicky and Gav from the Dowsing For Sound band - the music they were making was just lovely. And then last night, although still as snotty as anything, I went with Heather, Kevin and Elisa to see Piff The Magic Dragon in Bury St Edmunds. Piff was my favourite show at the fringe, and last night it was just as enjoyable - it's such a great act, a glorious mix of comedy, magic, Chihuahuas...everyone deserves to see Piff, he deserves a bigger audience. Pappy's are coming to Cambridge soon, and I'm off to see Ben Folds Five next month, ever get the feeling there's so much creative brilliance in the world you can't keep up? I need to keep on writing, keep on getting my work out there (my work is starting to be performed all over the world these days thanks to a couple indie publishing deals), need to finally get my debut novel out there (both people who I've sent it to to proof read haven't actually looked at it yet/hate it so much they can't work out how to tell me), and need to be drumming more...
Talking of which, some nice gigs coming up with Flaming June - a little run of charity shows for Oxjam (all in aid of Oxfam) in Cambridge, Bedford and Bury, some Christmassy shows with Trevor Jones (note we're not called 'The Trevor Jones Band' these days due to a contractual thingy) and the British IBM continues to be the subject of some wonderful media coverage (everywhere from Retro Gamer magazine to a review in The Sunday Sport) - we've got a few gigs left this year, all out of town, I like that a lot, I like to stretch my musical legs and play in new places. And there's talk of a very special Christmassy project too, but I can't say anything just yet, not because I'm all secretive and trying to big something up that you probably don't care about, but because I've been asked to keep it quiet until things are confirmed and besides, I was only asked yesterday, it shall be awesome though.
So looks like there's enough to keep me going for the rest of the year and I shall endeavour to report back if anything interesting comes of this. Or, if like tonight, I've got a cold and I'm killing time before the good programmes kick in on BBC3 at 11pm.
Currently reading: The Last Party (by John Harris), just finished reading Where Do Comedians Go When They Die? (by Milton Jones)
Currently watching: Cuckoo, Family Guy, Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em, Match Of The Day
Currently listening to: Ben Folds Five - The Sound Of The Life And Mind, Straylight Run - The Needles The Space, Guillemots - Hello Land
Currently eating: the unpredictable results of my attempts at cooking
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