UP EARLY to get some media calls in before I go for a paddle with Fiona.
Margaret has Maggi and Julie coming up to chat through ideas for the local place plan..I hit the studio and call the BBC in Belfast to see if I can get onto any of their Friday night or Saturday morning shows to play a few songs and promote the Out to Lunch festival show (which is sold out, but still no harm one extra exposure!).
When Fiona and I head out onto the loch there’s a layer of cloud/mist/whatever. It’s eerie, but very cool…eventually we get through it and the sun breaks through.
It’s a beautiful day and water is pretty flat. Although we’d only planned an hour or so’s paddle it’s so nice we decide to carry open across the loch to Luss. I call Margaret to see if she’d come and get us and she’s happy to do so.
We have a couple of rest stops the let out feet come back to life. The second is on Inchconanchan where we wander ups he hill in the hope of spotting some wallabies but to no avail.
At Luss we leave our board on the beach and wander up to the shop and grab some lunch while we wait for Margaret.
Back home I wash down my board, have a shower then have a nap not he couch in front off the fire. A bit of. skive, but it’s worth it.
I get back onto my emails and have a message from the BBC suggesting a session and interview on Saturday morning. Success 🙂
It dawns on me that few musicians bother doing any press/media promo, especially if a show is already sold out…they don’t see the point. That amazes me – it’s not all about the fee…or getting folks through the door. Any newspaper, magazine, TV or radio stuff helps maintain raise profile in a. wider sense. And if there’s live playing involved – ie: radio or TV session – then there’s a good chance it’ll generate some income int he form of PRS royalties.
I know I’ve debated the role of traditional media recently and I stand by my views – BUT even if such exposure doesn’t have a direct or short-term benefit, it does provide content for socials, social proof and, as a good pal often says, at least “…dae sumthin’…”!
..and as the sun breaks through paddle across to Luss
THE morning is spent – reluctantly – working on my accounts which are horribly behind.
There’s also loads more video footage from Monday’s garden gig that needs the frame rate adjusted so I set that to churn away on the background while I get on with the accounts.
In between times I have a Zoom guitar session with one of my occasional students who drops in and out every so often., masters the topic in question then comes back for more. Works well for some folks.
Two upcoming gigs are now sold out! Belfast next Saturday (13 January) and The Muse in Brecon next month. That’s good, but I still need to do some ‘traditional’ (ie: newspapers and radio) PR for Belfast.
One of the longer-term effects of covid and lockdown is that many newspapers have shut down/merged with other titles…and many of them have laid off their staffers. My media contacts database is therefore as much use as a chocolate teapot. I start a it of research into what radio and papers are still worth contacting and who the relevant folks are.
After breakfast Margaret takes Freya swimming and I get busy with some of the video from New Year’s Day.
The cameras were recording at different frame rates and I finally get my head round the fact that the audio pitch mismatch is not anything to do with audio sample rates, it’s the frame rate that’s causing the issue when the video clips are pulled onto a project timeline.
The workaround is simple if a little time consuming – covert the video from one of the sources outwith the Final Cut timeline. I use Compressor to convert the GoPro footage from 23.98fps to the 25fps frame rate of the master video from the main camera. It works!
Will comes to pick up Freya at 5pm then Maragret and I have a coffee and chill for a wee while. Then I finish up a couple of tracks from David and Fiona’s set and stick them on Dropbox for them to grab.
There’s still a load of cold ham in the fridge. In a bid to have something different for dinner I rustle up a ham fried rice which works out really good 🙂
DESPITE an early night we don’t wake up ’til midday! Still aching all over and feeling crap 🙁
We have coffee in bed and a lazy few hours responding to comments and stuff on yesterday’s livestream.
It’s 3pm before we have breakfast then I finish the cleanup outside and start shifting stuff back to the studio.
Catriona brings Freya over – she’s staying the night – and we have a coffee. Catriona heads off, Margaret gives Freya some dinner and I try to get the studio tidied up and ready for an online lesson with one of my Zoom guitar students.
I also dump video from the camera that was live-streaming and start the GoPro footage download. The files are huge though and even after the guitar lesson I end up having to leave the computer churning away while I lock up the studio.
HAPPY New Year. No hangover for me…and up and out early doors to finish the smoker shelter roof, tidy the garden and start setting up for the garden concert.
Thankfully it’s nice weather and I;ve cleared up by midday. Margaret’s busy in the kitchen making soup and stoves for later and comes out to give me hand putting up the gazebos.
Next I start getting the PA and other gear over from the studio and set up.
Once we’re happy with the sound I move onto set up for the live-streaming –camera, lights, switchers, computer etc.
Finally we sort the seating and lights then Fiona and David arrive. They help finish getting the lights up then they soundcheck and we’re pretty much ready when folks start arriving just before 4pm.
I get the livestream underway then David and Fiona kick things off with a grand half-hour set. then it’s yours truly. It’s kinda nerve-wracking playing a load of covers that I’ve not played in years. My aim isn’t to ‘play’ the songs – more to give folks an idea of my influences and how I started playing guitar and performing…and how my style ‘evolved’.
All goes well and we have a good crowd. The livestream goes to plan too.
Once everyone’s away Fiona, David and his brother Stuart help clear up. They had off and I go indoors for dinner. Margaret’s got steak pie in the oven and we’re both starving.
Post bowling meal at the Torbex Inn for Mikey’s 40th…
WE’RE off to celebrate Mikey’s 40th birthday…but before we go I need to try and get some more work done on the smoker shelter roof. Don’t wanna leave it all too tomorrow (Monday) – I’ll have enough to sort out!
I make progress then we head for the Hollywood Bowl in Stirling, stopping at Catriona’s to drop off Mikey’s birthday cake and balloons. We’ll go back there for coffee and cake after the bowling nd Mikey’s birthday meal.
We have two lanes at the bowling alley and everyone has great fun. Then, mid-afternoon, we have lunch at the Torbex Inn.
Back to Catriona’s for a couple of hours then we head home.
We watch our pal Bill’s livestream from Wisconsin – they’re normally in Florida, but at their son’s for New Year – bring in the bells, watch a bit of Jools Holland’s Hootenanny and head to bed.
Looks like a wise decision to postpone the garden concert and livestream ’til Monday…
WE WAKE up to snow which gets steadily heavier over the morning…and is a good few inches thick before it dies down.
There’s lots of roads closed too, so we definitely made the right decision postponing the garden concert and livestream for a couple of days ’til Monday (1 January – New Year’s Day).
No point even trying to getany proper work done outside on the shelter…so I clear some snow instead.
Fiona and David B come round and we work on some sounds and mixes for the garden show.
I’m feeling a bit crap – a combination of the trail end of the lurgy which is still hanging around a bit and aching form the last few days of DIY roofing! I settle in front of the fire, have dinner then we watch the latest Indiana Jones film….
An extra pair of hands makes the roofing felt job a LOT easier!
AFTER checking the weather it looks like we might have to re-schedule tomorrow’s (Saturday) garden concert and livestream for a few days. I really don’t want to but…
It puts me in a bit of a stinker of a mood as virtually everything I’ve been busy with the last couple of weeks has been related to the garden show.
David B’s coming round in a bit to help me with roofing felt on the new smoker shelter roof, so we’ll have a blather about it and make a decision. Meantime, I get some other bits and bobs of the roof finished ready for our felting.
When David B arrives we have a coffee and – after speaking to Margaret, calling Fiona and checking weather/wind forecasts – we decide to re-schedule for Monday (1 January) – New Year’s Day.
It’s decent weather today, hence the felting job, and with a short lunch break we have it done before dark.
David heads off, Margaret arrives home with shopping and I spend the rest of the evening changing Facebook event and livestream info and trying to contact everyone to let them know the re-scheduled date.
WE HAVE a bit of a long lie…and once breakfast is done I venture outside to try and get some more work done on the smoker shelter roof.
Surprise, surprise it starts pishing rain and blowing a gale. Great. I really need to be able to move the tarp to get to the bits of work that need done. I head to the studio to get on with some other stuff until the weather improves a bit.
Back at the shelter, I manage to align and brace some stuff…then find the screws that I have are a few mm too short. Turns out the batons are all a few mm wider than specified. Fuck.
Into the car to Dumbarton to get screws and, of course, it’s shit weather again when I get back. By the time the wind and rain have eased off a little it’s dark, so I end up trying to do some work with a head torch before giving up and deciding an early start in the morning might be best.
In the studio I give up the mixer connection battle and instead concentrate on seeing up the Quad Cortex – it can take a few inputs and isn’t restricted to guitars. I plug in a mic and start building some scenes that include a vocal mic should push come to shove.
WE have a bit of a lazy morning then Matty heads off.
I spend most of the day in the studio battling with the mixer connections to no avail. I’m convinced it’s something to do with ethernet and static IP addresses but I can’t figure it out.
There’s a couple of new song ideas I mess with for a while then run through some stuff I plan to play at Saturday’s garden concert – lots of influences/covers in my proposed set.
I take some time out to set up a livestream for the event too.
Beautiful day for a paddle…but turned out a lot choppier than we expected!
TURNS out a nice day…and I’ve arran ged for Fiona and David to come up and go for a paddle.
Matty’s out for run when I get up, make breakfast and head out. It’s a nice morning, but it gets pretty choppy once we get out the bay and pretty scary at points out past the islands. Still good get out and a load of fun.
Fiona and David come in for a coffee and cake afterwards…Matty and Margaret join us, Lesley goes for a shower and Mikey sits by himself in a foul mood…no reason just, perhaps, some over indulgement last night 😉
Margaret and Les make a fantastic mid-afternoon roast then Mikey takes himself off and Lesley leaves a wee while later.
Margaret, Matty and I chill the rest of the evening.
Christmas dinner selfie…a fantastic day at Catriona and Will’s 🙂
MERRY Christmas! Margaret and I exchange presents over coffee in bed then we get up and all have breakfast.
We gather up all the presents and make our way to Catriona and Will’s. They – along with the kids and Will’s mum Joyce – are all acting and excited. We have a great day and wonderful meal before I drive Margaret, Les, Matty and Mikey back to ours.
We settle down and watch Tetris then all head to bed.
OUR eleventh anniversary. Can’t believe how fast time passes…if I was to guess, I’d have said maybe five or six years.
Matty’s off into Glasgow for a haircut and we get about our day-to-day business.
The washing machine has given up then ghost and Margaret has a load of washed washing that needs spun before it can go outside into the tumble dryer. She takes it along to a neighbour for a spin.
I spend an inordinate amount. of time trying to sort out networking connections and stuff for the mixer for next Saturday’s garden concert. it’s frustrating to say the least.
My credit card has a stop on it…something to do with ‘suspicious activity’ while trying to buy a mixer software plugin for the iPad…for some reason the App Store threw out my card. That might also be why the accounting software isn’t getting a feed from the credit card account.
I manage to add a different card for the App store and get the p[lug in downloaded. Then I call the bank and get my credit card reinstated.
Two hurdles out the way, the connection nightmare comes up. Not getting any consistent link either using wifi or a hard-wired ethernet connection.
After a few hours of frustration I among to get the wifi method working.
By this time Lesley and Mikey have arrived and we settle down for an evening of chat, food and drink…
WE have a long lie.Still raining and blowing a hooley outside 🙁
Our outside Christmas lights have broken again – the repaired USB plug is very fragile – and Maragrert picked up a new set in town yesterday. We venture outside with a ladder and I get the old ones down…and the new ones up. Lookin’ good.
It’s our 11th wedding anniversary tomorrow (Sunday) and I haven’t been anywhere to pick up a card for Margaret but I have an idea of how I would like to make one. I get busy in the relative privacy of the office!
Next job is to see if I can repair the USB plug on the lights we took down earlier. It’s a bit frustrating and fiddly but I get them working and they might be nice extra decor for the garden concert next Saturday (30 December).
In the studio I work on a set for the garden show – I’m planning a ‘no-slide’, ‘regular guitar set with a few influential covers. Lots of lyrics to try and re-learn!
Then I dip into my accounts. Not as much to do as I feared, but still need to get on top of things before the end of the year.
Matty arrives just after 8pm and I lock up the studio. We sit and blether for a while then I make pulled pork tacos…the tortillas from Masa Tortillas in Bristol are amazing!
Grand evening at the local carols evening at the village hall…
AMAZED once again that the smoker room and tarp are still intact after more incredibly high winds.
Margaret’s off into Glasgow for lunch with Catriona and I have ‘stuff to do’ in prep for Christmas.
In the studio I spend some time working on hardwired connections between iPhone/iPad and there mixer which will, hopefully, help make set up and soundcheck for the 30 December garden concert a little easier.
There’s quite a lot of planning to do for the garden thing…then I head out for a walk up lochside just as darkness starts to fall. A couple of windy livestreams along the way then back too the studio.
We head along to the village hall early for the carols event…they need my projector and I’m on push button duty for the words and we need two get everything set up and make sure it’s working.
Getting this new tarp on by myself in the wind was a challenge!
MARGARET’S off into town to get a load of shopping and I get busy making a ‘secret something’ in the office.
A courier delivers the new tarp for the smoker shelter roof…I need a dry day (or maybe even two) to get the adhesive and felt on and that ain’t happening anytime soon. The existing three-tarp improvisation was never gonna be anything but very temporary, so I start getting it down and set about putting the new one on. Int he wind. In monster wind.
It’s a huge challenge trying to get to on and secured on my tod, but after a few tree retrievals and other setbacks I finally get it done.
Duncan and Irene are coming tonight so I get seek prep done on the chicken enchiladas then Margaret comes home with a mo tbh; s-worth of shopping to put away.
We have a grand night with our pals..and when they leave just after midnight it’s windier than ever. I’m glad I got the one-piece tarp on and relatively secure.
AN earlier than usual guitar student at the house then I get some work done.
Lots of admin-y kinda shit to catch up on…then we head into Glasgow. I’ve a meeting with musician pals Fraser Speirs and Dave Pringle and Margaret’s got some stuff to post and some makeup to take back tot he shop for a refund.
We’re back home just in time for my 4pm guitar student. We work On a Nirvana song – Smells lIke Teen Spirit – then once we’re done I get on with some prep work on remote mixer control for the upcoming garden show.
The X-Air app for controlling the stage box-style digital mixer has been flaky the last few times we used it and I can’t be arsed with the headache – I consider getting a small hardware mixer but eventually realise that spending money on something sonically inferior to that we already have is a bit nuts. nbBetter if I can fin either a more reliable remote…or a hard-wired way to control the mix.
Eventually I discover Mixing Station – a £5 app that’ll work on both iPhone and iPad and can be hard wired via a lightning to ethernet adaptor if push comes to shove. Let’s see if it’s a viable fix….
New beams and roof boards on…too wet to get the felt down tho’…
AFTER my first Zoom guitar lesson of the day I head back to the house and get on with the smoker shelter roof.
It’s grey, wet and windy but I need to get the final two roof boards cut to size and nailed down.
That in itself isn’t too onerous, but trying to get some cover on the bare boards is a pain as there’s not much room to spare. Get there eventually and then it’s time for lunch.
Just as we sit down to eat we get a wood delivery. I guide the driver to dump the bag as close to the woodshed door as possible.
We get the wood stacked just in time for my afternoon guitar student arriving. once we’re done it’s way too dark to do anything outside. I can’t do any more work ont he roof as it needs to be dry when I get the felt down/
There’s no sign of decent weather for the foreseeable, so I get own Amazon and order a big tarp so we can keep everything reasonably watertight until the time is right.
We’re having garden concert on Saturday 30 December (4-6pm) and I suspect we’ll still have a temporary cover!
FREYA has us awake around 7am…Aaron was up in the middle of the night and came through to us for a wee while before Margaret got him back to his own bed.
I manage a little work before we get the kids ready to head for the Santa train at Bo’ness. Catriona and Will are meeting us there.
En route we stop at James’ Coffee Bar – an airstream with a purpose built surround – for some breakfast. I go in to get a roll and sausage for Margaret, cake and drinks for the kids, a ‘posh porker’ bagel for myself and coffee. By coincidence Judy Murray’s in too!
We arrive at Bo’ness and Kinneil railway in plenty time to take the kids on a the miniature train and get them something in the cafe before Catriona and Will arrive then we jump on the Santa train. The kids love it all.
After a stop back in Doune to pick up our car we make for home and I get a bunch of work done….
A surprise to see Judy Murray when I stop into James’ coffee bar to get some breakfast.
CRAP weather but I need to get at least some work done on the smoker shelter roof.
Now the old roof is off, I need to do a fair bit of measuring and working out as there some structural additions before I can start putting on the roof boards.
I’m in and out the house with bits of paper and a tape measure ’til I have it all worked out.
I get the first board on before the rain gets too much and I retire to the office. There’s one final ‘free plus postage’ badge order that attracted another few hundred quid’s-worth of merch – most of which I have had to make especially to fulfil the order.
Once everything’s finished and put together to my satisfaction I pack it all up and print the postage and other documents. It’s going overseas and there’s a lot of individual weighing and identification of customs codes.
We wander along to Betty’s for dinner and have a lovely evening. Back home I get some stuff ready for tomorrow morning’s Santa paddle at Linlithgow …although tthe wind forecast isn’t looking good. I’ll make a judgement call in the morning.
AN EARLY start to get to Doune for Freya’s primary 1 nativity play.
We find a parking spot and arrive in good time. The short play is fantastic and all the kids do great…the production and organisation is really good too thanks to the teachers efforts and attention ion to detail.
Next stop the post office then into Stirling to pick up an angle grinder. Although he cordless Dremel is going through the nails as I remove the old roof form the smoker shelter it’s a bit slow and laborious and the cut off wheels need replaced every couple of cuts.
Back home I get some admin and stuff done then tackle the rest off the roof. The angle grinder makes short work and the roof is off in a decent time. Thirty quid well spent. The rain’s on how tho’, so work is if put on hold and I get some merch made up in the office.
MY guitar student arrives first thing..and just as she rolls up a delivery of materials for the new smoker shelter roof arrives. Typical!
Once the lesson is done I get busy with some orders for merch orders that have come in via the ‘free plus postage’ badge offer. I also need to get a bunch of personalised magnetic bookmarks finished that have been ordered via West Highland Way Gifts.
It’s a nice day and I postpone my planned paddle so I can get some work done trying to remove the old roof from the smoker shelter. Harder than I anticipated. The nails ain’t coming out! I resort to a Dremel and metal cut off discs but go through them at a rate of knots…then my battery runs out.
I decide to go for a paddle while it’s charging and do a couple of livestreams form the loch and film some footage that I might be able to edit into a wee video for (Looks like you’re) Walkin’ on Water.
Back home I have a quick shower and (a late) lunch then get back onto the shelter roof. I don’t get much done before dark and decide that an angle grinder might be quicker and easier…I can pick one up for about thirty quid tomorrow morning after we’ve been to see Freya in her primary one nativity play.
After dinner I print cChristmas card lists and labels and we manage to get the overseas cards done…probably too late for Christmas but hey, ho…the thought’s there!
UP early to get sourdough in the oven. it’s not windy, but it’s dark, cold and wet out there and I’m still feeling a. it under the weather so I give going for an early morning. paddle a miss this week.
Margaret’s off to meet some pals for lunch and I hit the studio for my first Zoom guitar student.
The ‘free plus postage’ badge offer has worked well and there’s a load of orders…most of which include other merch items. Interesting how this always seems to work. Much better than last week’s free CD with vinyl offer.
I have some other merch to make up in the office then start working out what materials I need to replace the roof on the smoker/pizza oven/bar shelter. This has become urgent.
It’s not gonna be cheap either, but I bite the bullet and order the stuff I need.
After lunch I work on the merch orders, do some work on a web plan for a musician pal then put the Christmas lights up along the front of the house. When I plug ’em in tho’….nada. The wires have come adrift from the wee USB plug. I put it aside in the hope that I can maybe solder it back together when I have time. Not today.
After. alit prep for tonight’s Wildcats’ livestream on Facebook I haver a good session with another Zoom student the go into the livestream which goes pretty smoothly.
After dinner I pack more merch orders and print postage labels so we can drop ’em at the post office in Glasgow tomorrow morning.
UP early and off to meet Martyn for a walk. We take wee Orla but she cries non-stop so Louise comes to take her home.
A couple of hours and about 9k later we get back and I head home.
The lurgy seems to have resurfaced and as well as being soaked through, I’m subbed. I fall asleep for two hours then heat up an extra pizza.I made last night for a late lunch. Air fryer is perfect for reheating pizza!
After working on a web proposal/plan for a music pal I start prepping a big lump of pork shoulder. I reserve some for carnitas then cut up the rest separating it into lean cubes for a prior, butter bean and chorizo casserole and the fattier bits to be used to make Andouille sausage.
The casserole takes a good few hours ands is ready just in time for us watching our pal Billy’s monthly livestream from Florida. There’s enough left over for another couple of meals 🙂
New package design for my signature strings from Newtone Strings…
UP EARLY, showered and car packed to take some of my West Highland Way Gifts‘ stuff – and a batch of newly baked brownies – along to Anna’s a couple of villages away. She’s having an open house/coffee and cake day with her Tropic stuff for sale and invited me to join her with my stuff 🙂
We have a grand few hours chatting with each other and a small but steady stream of visitors..and we both sell some our stuff. Job done.
I’m home soon after 4pm. Catriona and the kids are still here…they’ve been icing Christmas cakes, been to feed the ducks and dropped in to see Betty. We hang out for a while and Margaret gives the kids their tea before they head off.
I get a little work done then fire up the Ooni for pizza…we watch a little telly then head to bed….
FIRST job of the day is to finish a custom leather keyfob – a gift for a pal. It’s his birthday today and I promised a key fob based on his favourite guitar – a cherry red Gibson ES335.
After doing a little work on a single release plan for another pal…then I make up a batch of pizza dough with the poolish I made yesterday. Dough will be ready for pizza tomorrow (Saturday) night 🙂
The rest of the day is spent finishing of a few items for the for tomorrow…my pal Anna has invited me too take some West Highland Way Gifts’ stuff to her open house coffee morning/afternoon.
There’s an order in for some signed gig posters which I prepare and pack ready for the postie to pick up in the morning.
GLAD I had the foresight to call the school yesterday and call off this morning’s session – feeling a bit better, but still not really up to it.
Margaret’s still feeling lousy too and we have a rest up…then a late breakfast before Margaret heads to the optician.
I get busy with some West Highland Way Gifts’ stuff for Saturday’s event at Anna’s..and do some work in the studio.
One of my young guitar students arrives and we have good session in the studio then I go back to the house and start prep for tonight’s enchiladas…Betty’s coming for dinner 🙂
Feed a cold, starve a fever…these short ribs should do the trick!
JEEZ – the lurgy’s back with a vengeance. Thought its was long gone.
I call the dentist to let them know incase they don’t want me to go for my filling later this morning but they’/re happy for me too. Fair enough. Feeling crap tho’ and Margaret’s got it too so I let the folks at the Scottish Music Centre we won’t make their social event in Glasgow this evening. I doubt folks would appreciate our germs.
I also call the school in Balloch to give them a heads up that I probably shouldn’t go tomorrow (Thursday).
After my filling I head up the lochside to sort out a computer/email issue for someone…they’re desperate, so I don’t cancel, but keep my distance. Luckily I have things sorted in just a few minutes.
Back home I get the smoker fired up and put some b beef short ribs in the pit – they’ll likely take around seven hours. I’m pretty gubbed and crash for a few hours.
I feel mildly better when I wake up and head out to the office to cast some items for Saturday’s open house/coffee morning at Anna’s where we’ll both have stuff for sale…Anna’s Tropic range and my West Highland Way Gifts‘ stuff.
The ribs are ready by 8pm and we enjoy them with some mash and homemade BBQ sauce.
I launch a time-limited Christmas offer…click the pic to claim it!
THE alarm goes off and I go through my usual ‘wake up’ routine. Coffee, emails, socials and post some reels and a TikTok short.
After breakfast I have a guitar student at the house then I get some work done in the studio.
Back in the house for lunch I decide to launch a Christmas offer – a free CD copy of Devil May Care with every vinyl order.
I spend the afternoon with my pal Kevin discussing ideas for his upcoming single release. Once we’re done Margaret and I head to the village hall for a community trust meeting.
It’s well after 9pm when we have dinner then I spend some time planning a drop-in coffee morning for the weekend at my pal Anna’s featuring her Tropic gifts and some of my creations.
THE lurgy has struck. A shite night’s sleep and I’m feeling crap. Need to get it to-gather tho’ – a busy day ahead.
After my first Zoom guitar student I work through the photos from yesterday’s Christmas tree switch on and festive fair. I’m surprised at how the pix turned out given the lack of light. I make some of the shots into a wee slideshow for the local community trust’s social media and post it around.
I have a few online orders to make and pack up – some for Dave Arcari stuff…and one for West Highland Way Gifts. I take a break when my usual Monday afternoon student arrives with her dad.
Then it’s back to the studio to prep for tonight’s Wildcats’ livestream on Facebook, another Zoom guitar session…then the livestream.
Back in the office I finish the merch orders and print postage labels then we have Margaret’s excellent lasagne…and some more work ’til after midnight.
DESPITE having loads to do we still have a long lie!
Once we get up I get busy with finishing off some more West Highland Way Gifts‘ stuff to replenish what I sold in Drymen yesterday…
We need to be at the village hall mid-afternoon to set up so everything’s a little frantic. I wanna grab some pix of the whole event for the community trust that’s behind the event.
When we arrive I start by putting my banner up…the pole goes through the bottom of the stand, the banner recoils and rips itself to pieces. Fuck sake. Not a great start!
I manage to get everything set up by the time the Christmas tree light’s go on and I manage to capture events on film despite the very low light.
Despite the dodgy start, I sell a decent amount of stuff and have a grand evening…the whole event is a success 🙂
UP EARLY to finish off packing West Highland Way Gifts’ stuff for Drymen Primary School’s festive fair at Drymen Village Hall. Need to be there by 9.15am to set up for 10am doors opening.
I have a good morning, enjoy seeing other folks’ stuff, chatting and making some sales. Margaret’s away all morning babysitting in Doune and picks me – and all my stuff up – after the event finishes at 2pm.
We stop off at our local village hall and I drop Maragret to help get things set up for tomorrow’s Christmas tree lights switch on and family festive fair. I head home and finish off some more West Highland Way Gifts products – I have a table at tomorrow’s event too!
I also need to try and make stuff to replenish stock sold today…and a couple of new ideas/one-off items!
We have a grand evening at the Hard Rock Cafe, Glasgow with Lynette, Evie, Owen, April, Andy and Paul…
WE SLEEP in a bit then I have a panic getting set up for a Teams meeting with one of the Help Musicians folks. I prefer Zoom to Teams, but for once I manage to get it all working in time.
Then it’s another ‘production; session for West Highland Way Gifts’ stock before it’s time to head into Glasgow…first stop, T Shirt Cat to pick up some t-shirts from Kenny. An emergency additional order!
The weather is terrible driving into Glasgow – really foggy and freezing. And to cap it all neither of our mobiles are working. Something strange going on with the network I reckon.
Next stop, city centre to meet Paul, Lynette, Owner and Evie…Paul’s invited us to join them for dinner at the Hard Rock Cafe as a surprise for US-based musician Andy Lindquist and his wife April who’re on holiday in Scotland.
We have a grand evening, drop Andy and April off at their hotel and make for home. Our mobiles are working again and after check online I find that Three has indeed had a nationwide-outage.
OFF to the school in Balloch first thing…nice sunny day, but cold and frosty.
When I get back home late morning I head straight in to the office to carry on West Highland Way Gifts‘ production for this weekend’s events.
A lot o the sanding and finishing has to be done outside as I have no space or dust extraction in the office..and it’s fucking freezing!!
A message tells mew the rechargeable 9v batteries and charger I ordered on Amazon for the Acoustasonic guitar have been delivered. No they haven’t – no delivery vans been anywhere close. Online tracking says ‘left in a safe place’….order itself says ‘handed to resident and signed for by Dave Arcari’. Hermes are clearly shite.
Further delving into Evri finds a map and picture of the package left on a nearly doorstep (hardly a ‘safe place’!). Ah well, at least I have ’em.
Merch production carries on into the mid-evening until the cold forces me back tot he house..and dinner.
Great lunchtime paddle with Fiona…pic by Thorsten from his canoe…
STRAIGHT into the office to get some Christmas ornaments on the go…then off to the dentist in the village.
I need to go back next week for a filling. A quick stop at the chemist to pick up a prescription then back home.
In the office I keep production running then make a sandwich and get ready for a paddle. Fiona and Thorsten rock up and off we go – Fiona and I on SUP and Thorsten in his inflatable kayak.
We head up to Port Bawn at the far end of Inchcailloch and have lunch and coffee then paddle back. Windy and choppy in places, but a great paddle all the same.
In between product production in the office I jump in the shower and get things ready for the local hydro society AGM tonight.
I realise I need to check stock of West Highland Way Gifts’ stuff so I can work out what I might need for the weekend’s events. That’s a bit of a job!
Matragret’s off to Betty’s for a ‘ladies’ dinner and I have the hydro AGM. All good…then back home for dinner and chill for a while before Margaret gets back.
UP EARLY to get sourdough in the oven – when it’s done I go out for a paddle while it cools!
I’m not out too long and make a couple of reels to post one my socials to thanks everyone who came out and supported the Scottish shows last week.
I spend the whole day on a production run for West Highland Way Gifts – two events coming ups this weekend….Drymen village hall on Saturday and Buchan Christmas tree switch on at the Memorial Hall in Milton of Buchanan.
I close the weekly livestream into Dave Arcari’s Wildcats with Loch Lomond Home (acoustic)
ISMO’s still asleep when Margaret and I have breakfast before I hit the studio for my first Zoom guitar session of the day.
When I go back to the house I help Ismo with some logistical stuff then Margaret drives him into Glasgow to get the airport bus…the goes on to get some shopping,
I have two ‘market’ events this weekend and need to make some West Highland Way Gifts’ stock. Apart from a break for a young guitar student’s in-person lesson at the house I spend the afternoon casting pendants, pins and earrings.
My usual Monday evening Zoom guitar student is away this week so I spend the time tidying the studio and getting stuff prepped for my Wildcats’ livestream. Despite the prep, there’s still some techie issues but the livestream goes fine in the end.
BREAKFAST finishes at 10am in the hotel, so we’re up at a decent time to partake.
We’re on the road by 11am and stop off in Dundee for some shopping before rolling up at home just after 2pm.
Ismo goes for a sleep – Margaret and I unload everything and start getting stuff put away.
I spend the rest of the afternoon in the studio sorting out some video for Ismo and Margaret prepares roast beef, Yorkshire pudding and all the trimmings for dinner 🙂
That’s a wrap…Ismo joins me on an encore at Aberdeen – last show of the tour
WE need to leave for Aberdeen about 1pm….we’re up late tho’ and ai have a bit of a mad dash to offload last night’s video footage and restring my guitars.
There’s also the ‘day of show’ promo to be done.
We leave on time and get to Aberdeen with time to check into our hotel then on your way the venue to load in.
The Blue Lamp is a cool space – the PA is good albeit self op – but we have problems keeping the iPad linked to the mixer. We muddle though too’ and everything goes well.
There’s a great turnout and we all have a grand time….and it’s good not to have a big drive post-gig.
Three Villages Hall, Arrochar..fantastic place, fantastic people 🙂
TODAY it’s my turn for a long lie…Margaret has a meeting with one of our MPs.
I do a load of online stuff and drink coffee before getting up then make breakfast for Ismo and I.
Margaret told me we’d sold out of leather bracelets, so I get busy making a few for the merch table. While they’re cutting I get some last minute promo done for tonight’s show in Arrochar.
After a late lunch we hit the road and get to Arrochar late afternoon. Hall manager Tom and soundman Col are ready and waiting when we get there and we have a relaxed set up and soundcheck before doors open at 7.30pm.
There’s a good crowd – there’s a good few walk-ups as well as our advance sales and we have a fantastic time.
We’re home and having some pizza soon after midnight.
I’M Up early, showered, had breakfast, out the door and on my way to Balloch for a music session with the kids at school by 9am…everyone else is still fast asleep!
Margret and Ismo are having ‘breakfast’ when I get back…I have a coffee then hit the studio and download all the video footage and stuff form last night’s show, do my daily blog and then some ‘day of show’ promo for tonight’s gig in Edinburgh.
We have a late lunch hen head for Leith Depot. There’s nowhere to park on Leith Walk so we pull up on the pavement to load in and get grief from a traffic warden. No parking on the pavement. It’s illegal. Immediate £100 fine.
I apologise and explain. We skip the fine and Margaret moves off… when I enquire how we’re meant to load gear into the venue (there’s no back entrance or other access) she just keeps repeating “no cars on the pavement. Immediate fine.” At that she slaps a fine on the beer lorry stopped behind us to off load kegs and pick up empties. Even they are not exempt!
I get the no parking on the pavement, but I don’t understand how all the pubs, restaurants, shops etc on Leith Walk are meant to get deliveries, let alone stay in business. Sound like a right fucking mess to me.
Anyway, we get set up and sound engineer – who’s doing my sound before – is fantastic. The venue has moved downstairs and is a better space than the last time I was there.
There’s a reasonable turnout for week night and both Ismo and I have have a blast.
Hope before 1am for a snack and gig debrief before bed. Just two more shows on this run – Three Villages Hall in Arrochar tomorrow (Friday), then The Blue Lamp, Aberdeen on Saturday…
Great job by Maggi and Margaret organising the local place plan drop-in event…
AFTER my guitar student arrived for her session I get busy with some online promo for the forthcoming run of Scottish shows.
Then I head into Glasgow to pick up our pal Ismo who’s come over from Finland especially to be my special guest and open all the shows.
When we get back Margaret and I have a quick turnaround to get down to the village hall and set up for a local place plan drop-in section. All goes well and we get back soon after 8pm and I knock up some pizzas for dinner….
Damp and grey…but still good to get out for a paddle…
IT’S DAMP and grey, but not too windy so I push through the desert to stay tucked up in bed and go out for a paddle. It’s a good excuse to do some livestreams and promo for this week’s upcoming shows.
Margaret has breakfast ready when I get back…and the new lens for the laser cutter has arrived. I install after breakfast and…no difference!
There’s deffo something funny with the focus on then machine. When I decrease the ‘proper’ focus length I manage to get it to work after a fashion but I can’t work out how to properly solve the problem…or what’s wrong.
I spend more time than I like on trying to make a wee tool to reset the focus into a range that has a chance of working. I’ve wasted soo much time and material on trying to sort this I’m almost ready to ditch the whole fucking thing!
We’ve folks coming tonight and before they come I need to test out some lighting and camera flash stuff. Catriona’s asked if I could take some pix of the kids tomorrow (Sunday)….
OFF to the school in Balloch first thing and have a good session with some of the kids. A couple of them are really getting into the music stuff 🙂
After a quick stop at the post office to send a duplicate order back to Amazon – an airbrush…the first one was delayed then ‘lost’, a replacement sent, then the initial one arrived along with an email asking for it back! – then on to Glasgow.
I need some distilled water to for the laser…hoping a water change ion the tube might help solve the problems..then Costco. The car park is mobbed and I have to drive round for a good ten minuted to get a space. it’s not much better in the warehouse which if full of folks just dodging around…and I’m in a hurry!
I’m home in time for a late lunch then a guitar student arrives for his weekly lesson.
In the office I go through the tedious and rather laborious job of draining the laser and refilling it with new distilled water. The ensuing tests show that it’s made no difference and it’s still not working properly. FFS!
Back to the drawing board tomorrow and hopefully my supplier can help.
UP EARLY and into the shower…I have a specialist medical appointment in Killearn at 9am.
When I get there, though, they’re a bit short with me and grumble about me being late. Turns out the appointment was 8.50am. Anyway, I apologise profusely and the demeanour improves.
Back home I continue troubleshooting with the laser cutter and try all sorts of stuff. There’s no answer on the phone from the supplier so I email a bunch of images and explain the dilemma.
This still rating too take an awful loot of time and I’m nervous about getting products made for later in the month.
The final thing I think could be a problem is air bubbles in the laser tube. I take everything to bits and try and dislodge any airbubbles int eh hope ti might help.
I run out fo time though, and Dave arrives to take us to Stirling council’s ‘big conversation’ event in Balfron…
NOT long woken up and dealing with emails over a coffee in bed when the phone rings. Wood delivery guy saying he’ll be with us in five minutes!
Margaret ordered the wood the other day and was told it would be next week. I quickly get myself sorted,. moved the car and the lorry arrives. The price has gone up nearly 40% since our last order a month or so ago. The driver tells me the supplier had a fire and lost all their stock. Ooooffft.
We decide to get the wood into the woodshed before the rain gets any worse…then breakfast.
I cast some more West Highland Way Gifts’ items so I have some stock for the Christmas able sales and events in a couple of weeks’ time.
In the office the laser still isn’t playing ball. I run a load more tests and stuff to no avail. Time’s moved on and it’s after 5pm so I’ll get onto my supplier tomorrow and see if they can shed some light on the problem.
I have an online sync music seminar that kicks off at 6.30pm. It’s an interesting session then I head back to the house and cook some Asian-style salmon, green beans and soba noodles.
Then it’s back onto the Facebook event invites for the upcoming shows.
A cover version closes the week’s Wildcats’ livestream..House of the Rising Sun…
AFTER my regular Monday morning Zoom guitar student I finish off a wee online plan/strategy for y pal Kevin and fire it off. There’s a few ideas/suggestions in there that he can follow up…and if he needs to he can enlist me, or someone else, to execute.
I spend the rest of the morning and early afternoon working oil promo for the upcoming Scottish shows º– Glasgow, Edinburgh, Arrochar and Aberdeen. In that order.
At last I manage to find time to get out for a walk up the lochside, albeit in the pissing rain. It’s so wet and cold I don the Dryrobe – normally reserved for paddleboard activity. I don’t care if I look like a twat…I’m warm and dry 🙂
Next, some prep for tonight’s livestream into my Wildcats’ group on Facebook. There were os many technical and camera issues last week that I ended up using a crappy old webcam. I get everything checked and set up to try and make sure this week goers smoothly/
I have another online guitar session then it’s straight into the livestream.
After dinner I start targeting and sending Facebook event invitations to the Glasgow show. The laptop won’t let me so I resort to using my phone. Slow progress until I give in and go to bed at 1am…
WE sleep in a bit – then after breakfast I run some laser tests to check the new tube. The cutting isn’t working very well which is odd as I cleaned the mirrors and lens, checked the bed was laying flat, checked mirror alignment as well as swapping out the atet and replacing the laser tube.
Not much more I can do about it today so I finish off a custom leather AirTag holder ordered by an Etsy customer then set about breaking up some pallets that have been kicking around outside.
One of the pallets is particularly hard to break up, but after a good effort with a big chisel, hammer and punch bar I get through the lot. Then we chop it all up and chuck it in the woodshed. there’s still a pile of old decking and other crap to deal with. Not today tho’!
I need to start building some stock for a couple of Christmas events coming up soon. the laser is out of action for the time being so I concentrate on casting some jewellery and pins…and set ups. camera to start filming the production process so folks can see how I do it…and why the items ain’tcheap!
After dinner I get busy with an online and social media plan for my pal Kevin – he’s asked me for some help to promote his upcoming album.
Armistice wreath-laying at Roawrdennan – piper Willie Park and Arthur Hannan…
WE’RE late getting our shit together to get up to Rowardennan for the community trust-orgnaised wreath laying.
Things are exacerbated by the thick layer of ice on the car windscreen and then lack of parking. We get there just wont ’em to grab some pix – but despite making it for 10.57am we miss Arthur’s speech and the actual wreath laying…Arthur jumped the gun a bit and kicked things of three or four minutes early! Ah well…
We chat with folks for a while then back home and finish breakfast.
Margaret’s off to Doune to m make Christmas cake with Catriona… I’ve too much to do here to go too.
I edit some more video for the promo/ads for the upcoming. shows then set up Facebook and Instagram video ads for the Edinburgh and Aberdeen shows…I got the Arrochar and Glasgow ones done yesterday.
In the office I cut some test pieces on the laser to test the new tube then Margaret gets back and we wander down too pal Liz’s for dinner….
I replace the laser tube in may Flux machine…not a job for the faint-hearted!
THERE’S a custom leather air tag holder to be made up. I’m planning on switching the laser tube in the Flux machine later so I get the leather cut now…just in case everything goes south later.
Next job is to get a couple of social media ads running for the upcoming shows. I don’t have much cash to spend, so I throw a small daily budget (for just the next four days top see how they perform) at video ads for the Arrochar and Glasgow shows.
Although I’d made square and vertical video promos for both shows, I’d forgotten some of the ad placements use widescreen video. More editing!
Hopefully I’ll have time over the weekend not do similar for the Edinburgh and Aberdeen shows.
The vinyl orders that ave come in over night include a fairly local destination. I’ve missed to day’s last post (midday) so decide to give the bike some fresh air and cycle up the lochs die to deliver in person 🙂 The others will have to wait until tomorrow’s pickup.
Some more work in the studio then I hit the office and start the rather scary procedure of replacing the laser tube in the laser cutter. I also do some general maintenance like cleaning mirrors and lenses. Hopefully we’ll be back to full power on the machine now.
By the time I’ve finished Betty’s arrive and Margaret’s got dinner underway….
Great lunch in memory of our pal Rab Noakes – Joh. Cavanagh, Jill Jackson, Fraser Speirs, Kevin McDermott, Duncan McCrone and yours truly
A BUSY day today. Off to Balloch early for a session with some kids at the school…then a quick stop at the post office to drop off a load of Kickstarter rewards.
Next stop, Costco, then on to the Chinatown restaurant to meet a bunch of pals to celebrate our mutual friend – the late great Rab Noakes. This was one of his favourite lunchtime spots and some – or all – of us often met up there. It’s almost a year to the since we lost Rab.
It’s great to see everyone and reminisce as well as catch up on everyone’s goings-on.
Back home I have a guitar student coming then it’s straight into an online meeting with Help Musicians’…
SOME more online orders and some Kickstarter ‘stragglers’ to be packed up, postage applied and labelled.
The Royal Mail website still isn’t allowing me to book collections, so looks like I’m gonna be taking a huge bag of stuff to the post office tomorrow (Thursday)!
A courier drops off the new laser tube. As well as replacing the tube there’s a fair bit of other maintenance required, including replacing the camera cable – which is quite a complex job.
Not gonna have time to get that done today as there’s a load of promo still to be done on the upcoming shows…and promo videos in vertical and square formats for each show to be edited up for online ads.
I get the smoker fired up for a bacon-wrapped pork loin and hope it’s ready for a not too late dinner.
In between times I manage to identify the remaining Kickstarter backers that haven’t responded to the ‘surveys’ or requesting mailing details. Hoping to get the whole thing put to bed by the end of the week!
There’s a fair bit of comms stuff needing done for the local community trust…I get that done, some planning for the next couple days…then bed.
THE final batch of Kickstarter reward packages with the red vinyl need to be packed up and postage applied/labels printed. There’s still one or two folks who haven’t responded to the Kickstarter ‘survey’ emailed out to get mailing info but at least that’s it largely done now.
Have a guitar session with one of my in-person students mid-morning then get back to the studio.
The tube in the laser machine I use as part of my merch production seems to be dying, albeit slowly. It’s had a good innings – often folks only get a year out a tube and I’ve manage three, so I can’t really complain. I call my supplier and order a replacement.
Between that and the postage for the Kickstarter rewards the credit card takes a big hit. I know I had the postage cash for the Kickstarter rewards, but it’s long gone on other bills that came in between the campaign ending and the vinyl being delivered. Such is life.
The summer wetsuit needs cleaned and hung to dry before being put away for the winter…it’s been sitting waiting to be done for. day or two. I get it out the way.
I spend a good few hours on PR/media promo for the Scottish shows later in the month and use the forthcoming. single release (Younger Days – Friday!) and new vinyl as news hooks.
Before I know it’s time to go to the local village hall AGM. It trundles on ’til nearly 10pm then home for dinner and a little more work before bed.
THE ALARM goes off before 7am to remind me to get the oven on for the sourdough. A little time to heat up to max temperature then the sourdough goes in a Dutch oven and into the oven for 40 minutes. Then another ten minutes with the lid off the Dutch oven.
Once it’s cooked the bread needs to cool for at least an hour so I head out for paddle. Been a while since any time I had and relative calm have co-incided, so it’s good to get out for a wee while.
Back home I have a quick shower, breakfast featuring freshly baked multigrain sourdough then hit the studio for my first Zoom guitar student of the day.
After the session I fire through the remaining video edits for The Zips and start work own an online strategy for my pal Kevin.
I have an in-person guitar lesson late afternoon then a courier drops off more vinyl mailers.
After getting some more online postage labels sorted out and printed I have another Zoom guitar session hen my weekly livestream into my Facebook group. There’s a load of techie issues and I end up doing the livestream with just a crappy webcam. Goes OK tho’… 🙂
AFTER breakfast I doing some pizza dough out the freezer and put it in proving tray to defrost for tonight’s dinner.
In the studio I trundle through some more video edits for the Zips then take a break for lunch.
Thankfully there’s been a bunch of vinyl and other orders in that let me pay the invoice from our t-shirt guy. Once I’ve paid my debts I pack up the orders and buy/print postage.
I also get another batch of Kickstarter rewards sorted. Just a few left to go now…and they’re the folks that haven’t responded to the ‘survey’ that asks for their mailing info.
There’s also a lot of other stuff needing done…then dinner. the pizzas are good and I make a ‘spare’ for tomorrow’s lunch.
MARGARET and Jennifer are working on a community project today.
After unloading all the gear/merch and tidying up a bit, I get busy organising the remaining Kickstarter reward packs to go out. I’ve run out of vinyl mailers tho’. Hopefully the batch I ordered the other day will be here by Monday.
Now that the red vinyls have started to go out and hit folks doorsteps I get them listed in my online store. need to try and shift some so I can pay some bills!
I edit up a video from last night’s show and start splitting it up into sections for TikTok, social reels etc through the week.
We take a walk along to Betty’s for dinner along with Rachel, Greta and Karen and have a lovely evening…
Berwick’s Radio rooms is a crackin’ wee venue…but….
THERE’S set lists to be printed, merch to be sorted and gear to be packed for tonight’s show at The Radio Rooms in Berwick,
I’ve just finished packing the car when Betty drops by and hangs out for a bowl of soup before we need to get on the road.
We’re impressed when we roll up at The Radio Rooms – owner Brian and his wife Karen are waiting for us and make us welcome. It’s a great wee room and a first class PA.
But…there’s not many tickets gone in advance via the Eventbrite ticketing I set up…and no walk ups. I hang out and chat with ‘all’ the folks before I kick off the show – none of them had heard of me or my music before they saw one of my Facebook ads. When they ‘clicked through’ they were happy to take a punt and buy tickets for a show from someone they previously hadn’t been aware of?
What becomes apparent is that the venue hasn’t really done anything to indicate there was a show on or that I was visiting. Nothing on their website, nothing on venue’s Facebook page…a couple of posters up but given that the venue is only open for the gigs and private hire there hasn’t been much opportunity for ‘visibility’. For grass-roots level shows to work they need everyone to pull their weight – venue, promoter, artist everyone needs to put in graft and work together.
As it’s a self-promo show one could argue that responsibility lies squarely on my lap – and I don’t shirk that responsibility…nor am I trying to play any kind of blame game. I’m just trying to get my head round the current climate and perhaps validate some of my growing thoughts and theories,
The low turnout and feedback from the folks that have come out confirms my theory of late…none of the ‘traditional’ press/media really seems to get noticed these days. I don’t want to diss the support of traditional media but it’s really looking like the best you can do is get the coverage then spread it online as extra content and social proof.
The fact of the matter is, that if I hadn’t done some paid advertising on my socials we would have had a zero turnout.
It crosses my mind that perhaps I have no audience in the area and while that no doubt plays a part in the situation along with our (necessary) ticket price (the gig is a self-promo). In conversation owner Brian tells me that they had a zero turnout for a well-known artist (who I shan’t name) recently…and attendance has been low across the board.
Maybe my PR/promotion is shite? Possible, but unlikely given my track record and the amount of work and effort I put in.
The town is of a reasonable size and there’s not much else to offer venue/live music wise so I don’t think folks have too much choice. perhaps The Radio Rooms is a bit off the beaten track not being bang in the town centre…but it’s still in easy walking distance and is a really good venue for both performers and audiences.
What’s the problem here…me? My music? No profile in this area? Lack of teamwork? Wrong venue? Economic climate? Poor promotion? Something else? One, some or all of the above?
Ultimately, these things happen and sometimes defy logical explanation. But still…the more we understand, the better we can do….
Anyway, the ‘Berwick Four’ as they will be known thoroughly enjoyed the gig – as did the owner, Margaret and myself. They were great company, good craik and bought merch. We all had a nice time.
Margaret and I with ‘the Berwick Four’ after my show at the Radio Rooms 🙂
OFF first thing for a couple hours with some of the kids at the school in Balloch.
We have a good session and they’re pretty engaged. Then it’s off to the post office to drop off a big batch of Kickstarter rewards then onward into Glasgow to pick up some more hoodies and t-shirts from our merch printer Kenny.
From there I head to Costco, Tesco, Chinese supermarket and get home just in time for my 4pm guitar student arriving.
it doesn’t end there, though – more Kickstarter rewards to be packed, labelled and postage applied to go out tomorrow…and there’s some t-shirt orders to go too 🙂
MARGARET’s off early to a rural housing conference…she’s been invited to moderate a session because of her work in furthering our local affordable housing project.
I have a few things on my list today. First up, I get some video editing on The Zips live video. A huge file that needs split up, colour graded and the sound sorted out.
After lunch – steamed bar buns with air fried avocado, pickled red onion and sriracha mayo – I pull together some ideas for my pal Kevin’s new album project then get back to the video editing.
I have a break mid-afternoon when Fiona drops in to discuss some stuff for the local village hall and its website.
There’s various other bits and bobs to be done, so I leave the video editing for now and get on with the other stuff.
After dinner I get back on packing the vinyls and other rewards for buy Kickstarter backers…a much more involved job than I expected!
I HAVE a Zoom guitar student first thing then I get the studio sorted for tonight’s Wildcats’ livestream on Facebook.
I decide to keep my backdrop down as we’ll likely take to to Berwick for Friday’s show at The Radio Rooms – so I spend some time seeing the scene with a curtain and various lights.
Next job is to start editing the video footage from the last few days’ shows – I wanna get it finished so I can spin it into tonight’s Wildcats’ livestream.
Just as my Monday afternoon guitar student arrives I get a call from a delivery guy – he can’t find us…a couple of minutes later he’s off-loading a pallet with the Devil May Care vinyl. Yay!
I leave it all outside the studio until the guitar lesson is done then get all the boxes shifted into the studio. Gonna be a busy time packing, labelling and shipping all the Kickstarter rewards!
The video edit is done just before my evening Zoom guitar student then I go straight into the livestream, phew…!
AN EXTRA hour in bed thanks to the clocks going back…so we’re up at a decent time. Loads to get done.
I’m in the studio trying to get gear tidied up and put away as well as dump the video footage from the last few days when Mikey turns up. He’s staying tonight and Margaret’s helping;ping him get his accounts in some kind of order.
In between transferring video files I get some stuff done in the office…then make dinner.
Very cool gift from my guitar student and pal Neil in Hull…made with his own fair hands…
WE have until midday too get our the hotel room which is just as well 0- for although here’s no gig tonight, there’s lots of bits and bobs of work that need dealt with.
My pal and Zoom guitar student Neil was at last night’s show and we’ve arranged to meet for a coffee. Margaret goes to the shops and Neil and I have a good catch up…as we’re going back to our respective cars he surprises me with an amazing gift – one off his “Dead Bod Guitars’ four-string cigar box guitars. I’m kinda speechless…he sent me a three-string as a gift a while back and I love it. I can feel a CBG album coming soon!
We split the drive home stopping in Glasgow for some shopping.
We’re both pretty goosed when we get back. After putting all the gear away and unpacking all our other stuff we have a late dinner then collapse into bed…
DAY OF show promo on my socials is becoming more and more involved and time consuming…between that and other stuff we need to get done we’re right on our midday checkout deadline at the hotel.
The GoPro isn’t working without a battery…even on USB powered…some kind of system glitch and, of course, I didn’t bring a battery!
We stop at a huge Curry’s/PC World in Darlington to pick one up – no joy. They’re advertised at Argos but when we get there you can only order them online! Seems like shopfronts are now just physical fronts for online ordering.
We hit the road to Sheffield and I call ahead to a Jessops. Success at last. We stop off, pick up the battery, an extra memory card and have some lunch.
There’s time to chill at the hotel for a while before loading at The Lescar – a really nice venue we’ve not been to before.
The gig – and merch – goes well and we have a blast.
A late stop at a Tesco for some supplies on the way back to the hotel then time to relax a bit…big gig jn Hull tomorrow (Friday)….
Kicking off the UK dates with show at Darlington’s Forum
THERE’S still a lot to get done before we hit the road for Darlington and the first of a three night run of shows down south.
I have one guitar still to be re-strung and the guitar patches on the Quad Cortex need organised for the tour set lists.
We’re on the road soon after midday and share the drive to the Travelodge in Darlington, drop off our bags then go to load in and soundcheck at The Forum.
It’s a great venue and engineers Matt and Phil have me sorted in no-time…and Phil’s specially devised system for hanging my backdrop on the lighting gantry makes stage set a breeze 🙂
I play two 45-minute sets to a great crowd and we hang out and chat for a while before loading out. A good start to the tour 🙂
As well as finishing and boxing up some extra merch for the shows I decide to take a couple of new products from my West Highland Way Gifts’ inventory too!
AFTER breakfast we get busy with merch for the upcoming shows. The guitar pendants need leather necklaces added and there’s a lot of stuff needing boxed up. T-shirts and hoodies need to be bagged too.
There’s a couple of ‘prototype’ music-related pendants I’ve made for West Highland Way Gifts – they’re quite cool and Margaret suggests we take ’em with us for the merch table.
I get a message from the chemist saying my prescription is ready. I need some fresh air – getting cabin fever here – so I get Margaret to drive me there and I walk back.
In the studio I run through some of the material for this week’s live shows then I start sorting gear and re-stringing the guitars. I only get one guitar done before we have top nip along to help Betty with some stuff…a screw and cog on the back of one of the tuners comes adrift on the last string of the first guitar. I find the cog on the floor but it takes me half an hour to find the tiny wee screw. It’s a right ass pain…but just as well it happened now – if this happened during a show or ion a carpeted hotel room I’d be fucked!
It’s nearly ten o’clock when we get back from Betty’s and Margaret starts the dinner…too late to go back to the studio so we eat, chill a little while and have a relatively early night.
MONDAY kicks off a usual with an early start to get a wholemeal sourdough in the oven.
Right after breakfast it’s into my first Zoom guitar student of the day…then there’s some more orders for new t-shirts and hoodies to be packed up and sent. Margaret’s off for her covid and flu jabs and will drop them at the post office.
In the studio I make up some set lists for this week’s upcoming shows in Darlington, Sheffield and Hull before my afternoon guitar student arrives.
There’s one prep for tonight’s Wildcats’ livestream – the studio was set up for the green screen filming for Younger Days and needs re-set for livestreaming.
I have another Zoom guitar student before the livestream..then it’s back to the house to make dinner….
A weird snarly looking; selfie on the paddle board!
I MANAGE to drag myself out of bed at a decent time and avoid the ‘coffee-email-social media’ vicious circle that can keep in there for longer than I ever plan. It’s reasonable weather and I need to get out for a paddle.
Not quite as calm as it appeared when I set off but I still enjoy a three-mile or so paddle round the islands, stopping at Port Bawn for my fruit and yogurt…and what’s left of my coffee. The insulated cup wasn’t;t closed properly, so most of the coffee is in my dry bag!
Back home I set about packing up all the pre-order shirts and hoodies…then print out postage for them, all and arrange collection for tomorrow (Monday) morning. Once they’re all sorted, and the ‘reserved’ stock put aside I see how many are left of each size to put in the online store.
A local pop in just as we finish and we chat until it’s time to head along to Betty’s for dinner…
I pick up the first batch of new hoodies and Ts…a few in the online store here
MARGARET’S just getting breakfast on the go when Jennifer pops in to pick up some stuff..we have a coffee then, just as she’s leaving, David and Sheldon arrive to knock down our old deck and move the steps up to the door.
They’d given us a quote for new deck but we’re skint, so this is a stop gap until we’ve got some realise to pay them to do a proper job. This is a good compromise meantime, especially as the old deck is so rotten. When it comes down we’re all surprised no-one had gone through it! It only takes them half an hour.
We load the car with some of the crap that’s been lying around under the old deck and I head into Glasgow where I take it to the dump then carry on to pick up the first batch of new t-shirts and hoodies. Lookin’ good. You can order them here.
Next stop, the garden centre for some ericacious soil. Margaret’s replanting out blueberry bushes and called to ask me to pick up some extra soil.
Final stop, the optician in Milngavie. I’ve been struggling to read the dash and all the steering wheel icons etc in the car…can’t really use reading glasses while I’m driving so I’ve taken a notion to try out some bifocals. And I’d like photochromic lenses too.
I’d found some online, but I don’t wanna spend a load of dosh on glasses with frames I haven’t tried on…the optician is a little more expensive, but I’d rather give them the money, especially ‘cos of the great service they’ve given us. It’s a good choice too, as the staff are really helpful and have some good advice…plus they can use Transitions XTRActive photochromic lenses which will darken in the car if it’s bright outside!
They help me choose some suitable frames and I put in an order. A load more cash than I’d planned, but hopefully a wise purchase.
A still from the edit after yesterday’s greenscreen video efforts…video and song drops on 10 November but you can get the song NOW here!
I SPEND the morning messing with the edit for the Younger Days video…even after using all my tricks, I still look a bit superimposed…but hey, that might add to the appeal!
The video and song drops on 10 November but you can get the song NOW here!
After lunch I knock up another prototype music note pendant idea for West Highland Way Gifts…and am pretty pleased with the way it turns out.
Back in the studio I mess with more guitar sounds. The new desktop software to control the Quad Cortex is amazing and makes it fun and addictive to mess with guitar sounds. I disappear down a rabbit hole for a couple of hours!
Betty’s coming for dinner tonight and I;m on pork, chorizo and butterbean stew. I get it all going in good time…
AFTER another few hours on media/promo for the upcoming shows I spend some more time on the ‘difficult’ guitar piece I’m trying to master (more for my own personal development rather than a new song or for performance!).
I further tweak the new guitar sound which is inspiring some now ideas too.
After re-setting the studio from my livestream set-up to green screen filming I do a little test piece to camera to see if the idea I have for a video for Younger Days. Looks like it might just work, but gonna need some refinement..
After lunch I get back on it and a couple of hours later I have a rough edit. It’s getting there but gonna need some more post-production ‘fairy dust’ to try and disguise the green screen effect!
Finally got round to setting a up a more lo-fi sound for regular tuning guitar stuff…
MY normally Thursday guitar student is coming this morning…and I also offered to change her guitar strings.
After the lesson I work on a particularly challenging guitar piece I’m trying to put together but may never see the light of day. Good finger exercise tho’!
After doing all the PRS/MCPS and PPL registrations for the forthcoming single (here it here now!) I get busy with some press/radio/media promo for same.
I work on some guitar sounds. I love the Quad Cortex I’m using for the guitar but sometimes I want a more ‘lo-fi’ guitar sound.
After updating the firmware I have a look online and find some ‘captures’ for amps like the Pignose and old Peavey Delta Blues (wish I’d never sold the one I had years ago!). I make a quick patch using the Pignose amp ‘capture’ in the chain and am really pleased with the result 🙂
There’s time for a walk through the woods before dark. When I get back Margaret’s’ home – she’s been getting the car services and picking up some shopping in Stirling.
After dinner we chill and enjoy a documentary about Mississippi Fred McDowell – Shake ‘Em on Down – brought to my attention by my pal Neil…
Almost finished…latest batch of castings with epoxy…
AFTER breakfast I hit the studio and work on some guitar stuff and also experiment with different sounds for an updated version of Come With Me.
The new single – Younger Days – is ‘processing’ on Spotify and other platforms so I need to get it submitted for Release Radar and also to the editorial playlists. While in the artists’ area on Spotify I realise I need to update my ‘artist pick’ but live dates are not available.
Normally they’re ported in from Songkick but Spotify is telling me there are no shows. I get on the online chat with Spotify to try and resolve things. Seems to be an issue living concerts at the moment. Hopefully sorted soon.
After lunch I do some more finishing the batch of items for both my own merch and West Highland Way Gifts then pack and post out some CD orders.
I’m out of promo postcards so I spend some time in. the studio designing some new ones and get an order of to the printer.
Margaret has a local place plan meeting with Maggi and Lynn in the house..I go back and start prep for dinner. Butternut squash, ancho and beef chilli….
Been a while – good to get out for a paddle before breakfast…
THE ALARM goes off soon after 6am. I get up and put on the oven for the wholemeal sourdough I prepared on Saturday.
By the time the oven heats up and the bread’s in for it’s covered and uncovered time I’m ready to go out for a paddle. It’s the first calm day in ages and although I have a busy day I can get out for a paddle while the bread cools. It needs at least an hour between coming out the oven and eating!
On the water I do a livestream to remind folks about tonight’s Wildcats’ livestream, stop off on Clairinch then paddle back home for breakfast.
After may first Zoom guitar student I work on finishing some prototype West Highland Way Gifts’ products which all turn out pretty good. Watch this space!
Next I prep for tonight’s Wildcats’ livestream and decide to include a performance of Come With Me…the title track from my debut solo album released 16 (yup, 16!!!) years ago…haven’t played it in a long time.
Another Zoom lesson then it’s pretty much straight into the livestream,. Goes grand… 🙂
WE’RE up at 7am to say cheerio to Wil and Mia then back to bed for an hour or so where we drink coffee and check email, socials etc.
Most of the day is spent working on some new product ideas for West Highland Way Gifts and making some stock of existing designs for both my own merchandise and West Highland Way Gifts.
I manage a walk up the lochside before dark.
After dinner I spend some time notating a guitar piece for one of my guitar students. I tend to try and avoid ‘writing things down’ but this is a particularly complex piece.
Grand afternoon talking Wil and Kia around some of Glasgow’s sights…
EVERYONE’S still in bed when I take my guitar student to the studio for her session.
When I get back to the house the others are all having breakfast – I have a coffee with them and get some work done before we head into Glasgow.
We stop off to pick my cousin Fred who is taking us all for ‘afternoon tea’ which turns out to be a mega spread of cakes, sandwiches and other snacks at Bargacree Cafe in Bellahouston Park. Another cousin, Sharon, and her husband Gordon join us and we have a great afternoon.
Margaret takes Fred home and I take Wil and Mia round Glasgow University and down to Kelvingrove Art Gallery & Museum before walking over to great Western road where Margaret picks us up.
Back home I ball up the pizza dough for later then we wander along to Betty’s for a drink before what turns out to be a late dinner and pizzas in the garden.
I take Wil and Mia a walk up the lochside in the dark!
OFF to the school in Balloch first thing for a session with some of the kids. Goes really well 🙂
On the way home I drop off a Kickstarter reward and have a blether then back home in time for lunch.
I’ve quite a lot of work to get done before my (third) cousin Wil and his wife Mia arrive…they’re on a Scotland trip from the USA and spending a few nights with us.
I have another guitar student coming at 4pm then I get some pizza dough made. Margaret’s taken Freya back to Doune.
The pizza dough is just done when Wil and Mia arrive. Once we’ve had a bother I take them for a walk up the lochside and by the time we’re at Milarrochy it’s dark and Margaret comes to get us!
DESPITE a 2am bedtime we’re up bright and early at Jon and Maggi’s. I have an eye hospital appointment we need to get to.
Margaret drops me at the hospital and goes to pick up some shopping. There’s been a bit of a flare up in one which means upping my steroids to six times a day in one eye and reducing to twice a day over the weeks til my next appointment.
Once I’m through, we had to Costco and Tesco…then onto Ikea to get mattress for Betty.
After dropping of the mattress and manhandling it upstairs we get home and unload the shopping before I get my gear back into the studio.
I’m just sorted when Will arrives with Freya – she’s staying the night and Margaret’s looking after her tomorrow.
I play a short live set after the live music discussion panel for the Musicans’ Union at Mono
WE’re short of bottle openers for the merch table at tonight’s Musicians’ Union (MU) event in Glasgow.
I’m part of a live music discussion panel then playing a live show at the event at Mono.
After getting some stuff going in the office I get my gear ready and prepare a set list for later.
We head into Glasgow mid-afternoon and drop off some posters for the Glad Cafe show end November then load in at Mono.
The panel session goes well as do the live sets from Kapil Seshasayee and myself.
There’s quite a few pals at the audience including JonZip who were staying with tonight.
Good to chat with folks afterward then we head back to JonZip’s where Maggi has a big pot of chilli on the go. We eat, drink and chat….then head for bed about 2am….
I make up a banner for Tuesday’s show for my socials and stuff…free tickets available here– or click the pic!
WE HAVE a lazy morning drinking coffee and watching Saturday Kitchen in bed…been a long time since we’ve done that!
We’re meant to be takin g a trip to the dump after breakfast but there’s been torrential rain all night and all the roads are flooded and many closed. Instead I create some images and videos to push the new design t-shirt pre-orders. I wanna get an order I. to our t-shirt guy on Monday
I don’t even wanna tackle the rain and go to the studio so I stay indoors and make some banners to promote my panel and live show at the Musicians’ Union’s ‘Fair Play on Tour’ event at Mono in Glasgow on Tuesday. Free to attend for members and non-members…and complimentary refreshments – but pre-booking is essential.
Next up, I decide to start an email list for West Highland Way Gifts and offer past customers a 10% discount on their next order. Takes a while and while not exactly priority in the grand scheme of things I have time today to do these kinda things!
FIRST job is finishing off a pewter and epoxy open dent with a brown/gold inlay…it was ordered online a couple days ago but the one I had in stock was bought by an in-person customer!
I get it finished and in the post then work on another couple of orders and a tiny wee music note pendant. The music note is by far the hardest thing I’ve tried to make so far but worked out pretty good 🙂
The other two pendants look a wee bit rough in photos but in reality they’re pretty smooth round the edges. We’ll see if they pass the ‘Margaret test‘!
After lunch I get some work done in the studio then we head off to Gartmore for dinner at Duncan and Irene’s. Can’t believe it’s six months since we’ve seen them…lots to catch up on.
OFF to the school in Balloch to spend the morning doing music with some kids.
I’m not long back when our new neighbours pop in to say hello and we have a coffee and a good ol’ blether.
After lunch I get some work done before my guitar student arrives.
Next job is working on some West Highland Way Gifts‘ orders…I posted a prototype men’s pendant on my socials the other day and it sparked a lot of interest,
Betty’s coming for dinner and Margaret’s on cooking duties…we have a grand time then I drive Betty home and we have a relatively early night 🙂
I get social media banners/covers prepared for the release of Yonger Days…coming 10 November!
I’M UP at 6am to get a sourdough loaf int he oven…once it’s done Margaret makes Charlie and I scrambled egg and smoked salmon on sourdough toast.
My Thursday morning guitar student is coming today (Wednesday) as I’m not around tomorrow morning….once we’re done with the lesson I go back to the house and have coffee with Charlie and his three buddies before they leave.
I have a haircut at the village then after lunch I mess with art ideas for the release of Younger Days, create cover arts and banner/cover art for my socials then get things uploaded for a 10 November release on all services – Spotify, Apple Music, Deezer, Tidal, AmazonMP3 etc. I’ll likely put it on Bandcamp much sooner than that 😉
By the time I’m done it’s after 9pm and I head back to the house and make tofu with lemongrass and basil for dinner…
Nice to take our pals from Michigan’s UP a wander up the lochside
AFTER listening to what was meant to be the final version of the new song – Younger Days – Margaret points out that the first word is a bit weak and weird. I agree, but it’s gonna be a real hassle trying to re-set the mics and stuff as they were for the original recording.
I spend some time messing around and manage to drop in a replacement phrase addressing the problem
Our pal Charley is over from Michigan’s Upper Peninsula (UP) touring Scotland with three pals…he’s the owner and promoter at the Nahma Inn and the company store venue next door where I’ve played a good few times.
His three travelling companions are staying at the Oak Tree Inn and Charley’s staying with us.
They arrive early afternoon. Charley and Jan come a walk up the lochside while the other two chill…later on we’re treated to dinner then we go back up the road for a drink and blether.
I close the Wildcats’ livestream with a version of Muddy Waters’ Can’t Be Satisfied
ON the ball this morning and get quite a lot of stuff done before my first Zoom guitar session….and I get an email from Reverb telling me the collapsible electric guitar has sold. Thank fuck – the bank account and credit cards are in a poor state.
When packing the guitar up, though, I spot a wee ding in the finish. I can’t send it off like tat without warning the buyer so I take a photo and send it off along with an offer to knock a few quid off. Thankfully he agrees 🙂
After the Zoom session I sort postage then take the parcel to the post office in Balloch. This is the nearest since the post office in the village closed a year or two ago…and a 25-mile round trip!
After lunch I work on the recording for the new song and make a wee video to spin into tonight’s Wildcats’ livestream on Facebook so folks can hear progress. It’s getting there!
I have a young guitar student at the house late afternoon then back to the studio work on the song before another Zoom guitar student.
Grand day out providing the live music at Cashel Forest’s annual autumn festival
BEFORE breakfast I get the gear packed and car loaded ready to head up to Cashel Forest where I’m providing he live music for the annual Cashel Bash autumn festival.
We’re a little tight for time but I manage to get everything set up, sound checked and ready to roll.
I play three sets throughout the event between 11am and 3pm then enjoy a pizza from our pals Base Pizza who are sent up right next to me.
We’ve just finished tidying up when Catriona and the kids show up. They come back to the house for a coffee then I have a nap on the couch!
All the gear was dumped in the studio when we came back so I head over there and sort everything out so I don’t have to deal with a mess before my first Zoom guitar student in the morning.
NOT feeling much like getting up, but I remember the wind is meant to be low…so I drag myself out my pit and go for a paddle round Inchcailloch and do a livestream as I go.
Really glad I made the effort and enjoy both the exercise and peace.
Back home a shower and a couple of rolls and square and I’m feeling good.
We visit a local pal’s MacMillan coffee morning and I walk back home then I hit the office to finish off a the prototype pendants. They come out good. I’ll get them in t he West Highland Way Gifts’ online store over the next day or two.
I make up set lists for tomorrow’s ‘appearance’ at the Cashel Bash up at the native woodland centre further up the lochside then I get the grill fired up for the lamb…and the pizza oven on for the flatbreads….
OFF into Glasgow early for my emergency appointment at the eye hospital. I drive there then Margaret takes the car to go shopping – no idea how long I’ll be.
As it turns out, my journey through the eye tests can, triage and doctor’s examination is less than hour. Quicker than when I have a ‘proper’ appointment!
Margret picks me up and we go to Costco to pick up some stuff, Love Music to drop off some more CD copies of Devil May Care then Chung Yang for some groceries before heading home.
It’ starting to get dark so I go for a quick walk up the lochside then meet Margaret at Betty’s where we have a drink and help out with some bits and bobs before wandering back home for dinner.
The test pressings for the red vinyl edition of Devil May Care arrive…
FREYA has us awake at 5am then we manage to get back for a little more sleep.
Margaret is taking Betty to an appointment in Stirling and Freya goes with them. I get busy in the office with some more West Highland Way Gifts’ prototype ideas.
JonZip’s coming to finalise a mix of a song I recorded for him. while back so I get the studio tidied up a bit in time for him arriving. The mix doesn’t take long then we back to the house for some lunch and a bother.
Margaret and Freya get back just as he’s leaving and I carry on with some work in the office.
Next, I get back to the studio and try another method of recording the new song which works pretty well. We’ll listen in the house later.
Meantime, Margaret takes Freya back to Catriona and I listen through the test pressings for the forthcoming red vinyl release of Devil May Care. Sounds good. I fire off an approval to the pressing folks.
Betty comes along for dinner and we have a grand evening…then a relatively early night – I’ve an emergency appointment at the eye hospital in Glasgow first thing in the morning…
I try and get some separation between the guitar and vocal mics with some spare foam panels…
STRAIGHT into the office too post some new and images online for the local hydro society.
Been waiting for the local press to run the story – and it may still appear – but we need to get the grant awardees info out sooner rather than later.
I also put together a very simple social media/online plan.
In the studio I carry on trying to get a decent recording go the new song. There’s couple of ‘issues’ – my yodelling is coming in, but it’s still a bit hit or miss, so I need to overdub them. That doesn’t sound great. But with three yodel sections it’s unlikely I’ll ever get them all right no matter how much I practice.
The other issue is guitar bleeding into the oval mic. A lot. it means that anything I do to tweak the vocal sound affects the guitar too..and the guitar bleed into the vocal mic is almost as loud as the main guitar mic but sounds weird and ‘distant’ as the vocal mic ain’t in good place for guitar sound.
I improvise a set up to try and cut down the bleed with some foam tiles that are clicking around but it doesn’t help much.
Other options are to use a directional mic on the vocal, but that compromises the sound and seems ridiculous when I have some great vocal mics. Or, I can record the guitar and vocal separately but that really messes up the feel, especially if I play to a click.
I take a break when Will brings Freya – we’ve to look after her tonight and tomorrow as the school’s shut. Will’s off work but wants to get on with his own stuff…we’re busy too and I need to go to the eye hospital but that’ll have to wait ’til Friday
Back in the studio I persevere with the recording but still don’t get anything I like…it’s 10pm when I get back to the house….
Posters up round Glasgow – including Love Music in Dundas Street…
THE morning is spent finish off one West Highland Way Gifts’ prototype items which all work out pretty good 🙂
After an ear
Early lunch I head to Glasgow and drop a bunch of posters off at the Glad Cafe for the November show…then I drop more off at the Scottish Music Centre and Love Music before making for the STUC Centre for the Musicians’ Union regional AGM.
The meeting ends on schedule and I stop off to pick up some odds and ends of shopping en route home….
UP early to get a wholemeal sourdough loaf in the oven and get some routine stuff done before a morning Zoom guitar session with one of my students.
I book a space at Drymen Primary School’s Christmas Fair for West Highland Way Gifts. Talking of which, the prototype gift products I started making yesterday progress well and should be finished in a. day or two.
Next job is to create Facebook events for the Berwick and Sheffield shows, ticketing for Berwick and add both to my landing page, social banners etc. Also need to get them on all the online listings.
Rather than trying again to record the new song – Younger Days – I spend some time running through it and trying to get into the swing of it and fine-tune the arrangement. I also rehearse some songs I havenb;lt played for a while so I’m match fit for Sunday’s sets at the Cashel Bash further up the lochside.
I have another Zoom guitar student at 7pm then it’s time for the livestream into my Wildcats’group on Facebook – it goes fine with no major technical clusterfucks…then it’s back to the house for dinner and some more work.
THE KIDS have us awake at 6am…I manage to doze off and on for another hour or so then Margaret gets them sorted with breakfast.
Once everyone’s sorted we drive over to EdenMill to meet Martyn and Louise with their kids Oran and Orla. Margaret and Louise take the kids into soft play – Martyn and I go for a walk round Burncrook reservoir.
Back home the kids have lunch and Margaret takes them back to Catriona and Will. I do some work on new product ideas in the office and cast some prototypes.
When Margaret comes back I’m in the studio working on promo for upcoming gigs and searching for an old video that I’m not sure even exists! Maybe a figment of my imagination, but I’m sure there’s video of Lucy Zirins and myself performing Girl From the North Country at the hall somewhere…
HAD hoped for a paddle after breakfast but there’s too much to be done…we need to take advantage of the lull in the rain to chop up all the oversized bit of wood that have been taking up space int he wood shed.
It’s good to get he job done and we finish just in one for Catriona dropping off the kids. They’re here for the weekend.
Next job is cutting the grass and trimming. Probably the last time before winter.
Margaret takes the kids to feed the ducks and I have a quick paddle to Clairinch then land at Betty’s where Margaret and the kids are…David and Lyndsey are there too.
I chat for a while then paddle back to the bay.
Back home I spend a little time in the studio but still don’t manage to get a decent take of the new song. I really need an uninterrupted spell to tackle i…everytime it’s been rushed and ‘last minute’.
Front row seats at the Communities Housing Trust AGM in Inverness…
AFTER checking out the hotel we stop for a quick coffee and croissant in Aviemore then one to the Leonardo Hotel in Inverness for the Communities Housing Trust AGM.
It’s an interesting and informative event and we come away with some more strategies for getting the affordable housing project in our village moving.
We share the drive back home, stopping off in Doune to see Catriona, Will and the kids.
I manage to get some work done in the studio before heading back to the house to make red beans and rice…
