News
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News
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News
Jonty, Steve, Rob, Martin and Degs were brilliant and all the work they have put in for my benefit is hugely, hugely appreciated. True friends. Thank you. * 15th July - David Duffin kindly did some editorial in the North West Evening Mail to publicise tomorrow night's gig:
* 1st July - A massive THANK YOU to everyone who ventured out on a hot Wednesday evening to Bootleggers to support Jonty, Rob, Steve, Martin and I. I was really pleased to see so many people and I hope you had a good night. We have rehearsed quite a bit of late and the nerves were jangling somewhat, but we had a great night. Personally, the biggest thank you of course goes to Jonty, Steve, Rob and Martin for a colossal amount of support and enthusiasm, along with many unpaid hours of slog, getting through my own stuff and all the covers. Chris Edgar very kindly did the sound for the evening and it was a relief to pass the buck with that job, so thanks very much Chris. (Website). I've worked with these fine musicians over many years and they have excelled themselves beyond anything I could wish for. Of course we're doing it all again on Friday 16th July at Barrow's Soccer Bar if anyone has £3 to spare (£5 for 2 tickets). * 18th June 2010 - Rob, Jonty, Steve and I (and Martin!) had another rehearsal last night in preparation for the Bootleggers and Soccer Bar gigs. All going according to plan and we're looking forward to playing the songs in front of an audience. I've chosen some covers based on some of the stuff that has influenced me over the years. So first is Bootleggers in Kendal, on Wednesday 30th June. Please come and support us. It's free entry too! Also, saw Butch Walker at Night & Day in Manchester on Tuesday - what can I say?! He played for 2 hours and was pretty amazing. He signed my many CDs which was worth waiting all those years for. What a guy. It made up for John Mayer's gig on the 5th being cancelled. * 15th May 2010 - So 7 songs laid down for the "difficult second album". Pleased really. I'm being a control freak and doing it all thus far. More country. Lighter. Cheesy rock ballad. Tribute to George H. Better sound thanks to new software. More experience generally. Claire's words and my music. She's happy (so far - old duffer's 30 something today) and there's a few more nearly ready. Toying with the idea of an EP ready for the Bootleggers and Soccer Bar gigs - don't know. Any thoughts? Saleable? How much? (be kind...) Oh and has anyone bought a bargain ticket for the Soccer Bar yet? £3 for one and £5 for two. But despite musical milestones and birthday frivolities and camping (don't ask...) the BEST news of all is we get to experience THE finest living young singer/songwriter ever - John Mayer; for the second time, MEN, 5th June. There IS a god. (the latter statement is in no way endorsed by Damp Cellar Productions, management or customers. We are impartial as to the existence of any higher being or network of beings and condone no single religious system above any other. Except maybe Butch Walker on the 15th June at Manchester.) * 21st March 2010 - 2 gigs to announce so I can play the new album plus a selection of my influences. Steve Roberts will play bass, Jonty will play guitar, and Rob Wallace and Si Kidson will take the drums for a gig each: Gig at Bootleggers on Wednesday 30th June 2010 - Free entry Gig at The Soccer Bar, Barrow on Friday 16th July 2010 - Tickets £3 or two for a fiver - available soon * 11th March 2010 - It's ready!!!! Finally, after much tinkering and faffing, UNBREAKABLE is done. Okay, I could still bugger about some more but there comes a time when you have to stop being so picky. The packaging is minimal but I hope the quality isn't...... For sale on Merchandise if your fancy is tickled. Al has added the video to Turn Around on YouTube. See it on Videos
Anyone interested in the choice of name and logo? Anyone interested in a gig to perform the album and some of my own favourite covers? I'm working on the next album and even the one after that. Fool. * 27th February 2010 - Well Al has done some filming in the cellar of all places for the single Turn Around, so I'll announce it when it's ready on YouTube. Can't wait to see what he's done with that!! Clever bugger. I'm doing the final (yes final) mixes for the album Unbreakable and Claire is trying to find a decent yet low cost way of packaging them. The artwork is ready. I'm going to add a "lyrics" page to the site too. * 3rd February 2010 - Sorry for the gap and lack of Happy New Year stuff but it's been a difficult time. Suffice to say, it's Mum's funeral tomorrow. So brother Al is over and boy I wish it was for different reasons. As he has around a month to fill and you can only look around the Abbot Hall Museum a limited number of times, he has kindly agreed to film a video for my new single Turn Around (which incidentally is my daughter's favourite from the album: not because of any innate talent of her father or songwriting prowess of her mother; but simply because it contains a rude word!). Bootleggers is probably the scene after the recent re-furb and probably the good old cellar, and the rest is up to Al. There'll be no six packs or scantily clad ladies (trust me, I've asked) but at least we don't need to find parking for the film crew's trailer. I've stopped making promises of timescale so it'll be ready when it's ready I'm afraid. In other news, I have left the Fabulous Picasso Brothers (again!!!) and Jez Procter has filled the post (again!!!). Anyone up for Jon Allen on Tuesday 9th at Bootleggers? Only £7.50 - I got my ticket today. I bought the album a while ago and it's fab. People do the Rod Stewart comparison but I think he's better (and younger) and it's a well put together, nicely rounded album. Bargain. So a belated Happy New Year and health, wealth, luck, love and good gigs to you all xx * 26th December 2009 - Happy Christmas to anyone reading this. Hopefully it was a pleasant experience. I did my back in last week (no really - not just glass back syndrome - I've now got enough painkillers to knock out a horse) so had to miss a few gigs. Apologies for things still unfinished. Hope you all have a good New Year and see you at gigs in 2010. * 22nd November 2009 - Disaster at the home of Damp Cellar Productions. The PC had a heart attack and died. Great. So to PC World (there are other PC retailers available) for good and bad news. Good: I can have my £24.99 for data transfer services refunded. Bad: the hard drive is some kind of shrink wrapped and must be sent away to some special laboratory on Mars to be opened in a sterile room costing a mere £700. Worse news - My name is Stuart and I haven't backed up lately. While this is not a forum for cursing...well you can fill in the rest. So although its not square one, its a lot to re-do. Still, some of the vocals were a bit ropey. I've totally lost the bonus track and one lot of Simon's drums. Thankfully I wrote down all the drum settings. * 19th September 2009 - Busy mixing the album between very late nights, very early mornings (3.30 a.m. - yes there are 2 lots of 3.30 in one day!), gigs and the school run (that's not 4.5 minutes in a Land Rover Discovery but a 2 mile walk each way...) and the occasional very short conversation with the woman I live with. If there's time... No more actual recording to do, just mxing and arguing with myself. * 27th August 2009 - More Simon - real drums on the title track - much better. Now for mixing. * 4th August 2009 - Pete has been to put his part of the bass on. Now up to me to tidy, mix and finish off. It's like pulling teeth. I'm a picky beggar; I can't help it! Maybe if I stopped listening to John Mayer and Butch Walker, I might ease up a bit. * 22nd July 2009 - Simon has been back so all drums done and dusted. Dave Kinley is coming next week to add the remaining bass. Tidying still to do and then maybe, just maybe, it might finally be fffffinished. * 23rd June 2009 - Her highness is 6. Her favourite mutt and Unbreakable single cover star is 23. I'm just old.
* 19th June 2009 - All vocals and guitars done. Lots of tweaking.
Drums and bass to be added next week. Pete is back from the rigs, so looking
forward to that. Gary Abbott has kindly and expertly added trumpet parts to 2
songs so far. Tight as a duck's you know what. He will be adding his skills to
another song hopefully. This time he won't have to come back to re-record the
lost parts..... * 16th May 2009 - Got the PC back and after major hiccups, i've managed to rescue most of what we've done so far. I've also totally altered 2 of the songs I wasn't happy with, and recorded 3 new ones, which Simon will hopefully be drumming on next week. * 30th April 2009 - All work ground to a halt because of technical issues - no really - technical problems. The mother board (I will resist the temptation for profanity) has gone to meet its maker so sorry for your wasted journey Simon, and thanks to Martin the computer doctor from Furness PCs.....in advance..... * 21st April 2009 - Steve Harris has agreed to add his bass talent to the album. So thank you for that Steve and I'm looking forward to hearing your interpretation. As a post script to the NWE Mail article, I was thinking off the cuff when asked for my top 5 influences - so difficult! Therefore apologies to Messers Bowie, Elton John, Prince, Buckley, Mayer, Waite et al. * 16th April 2009 - The North West Evening Mail have kindly put an article about my recent efforts in their Going Out Guide. Sorry about the photos..... Anyway, the link for now, until I scan it and all that stuff, is: LINK * 14th April 2009 - I was interviewed today by our local paper, the North West Evening Mail, and that should be going in over the next day or two. I will try to put a copy on the Gallery page when its available. Finally finished the brass arrangement for the new song Bring Me Down - over to Dad...
* 11th April 2009 - Spent a damn cold morning attempting photos for the album in Abbotswood. Hope its worth it. Abbotswood is above Furness Abbey and very atmospheric (and cold in April).
* 16th March 2009 - My new single is finally finished. Its on YouTube and is now available on iTunes, Amazon mp3 and Napster!. See Demos/Videos. My brother kindly made the video from material filmed during his visit in September 2008. I'm busy at home on the album, with a little help from my friends - particularly Mr Kidson! Cheers Simon...
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Copyright © 2010
Stuart Macfarlane
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