Opening up Festival BAR…fantastic night in Beaumont en Veron 🙂
WE SPEND the morning and afternoon catching up on some work.
I edit up a reel of vertical video clips from last night’s show and post it around my socials then we make our way to the festival site to load in.
It’s not the best weather, but all the outdoor areas are pretty well covered and the rain has stopped by the time I take to the stage.
There’s lots of familiar faces amongst the crowd and Margaret does well on the merch.
Once I’ve cleared my gear off the stage we go to eat – Marie Claude is running all the artist and crew catering and the food is nothing short of amazing.
We watched another couple of bands then head back to the old mill. What a night!
Grand time playing a pre-festival show at Relais du Velors
ANOTHER long lie and relaxed morning at the old mill.
It’s also another nice sunny day so after breakfast I take a walk around some of the wee roads round about.
We get some work done int he afternoon then make our way into town to set up for tonight’s show at Relais du Velors – a pre-festival ‘inauguration’ show.
The place is mobbed and we have a great evening.After the show Dominque presents me with a photo from a similar pre-festival show at the same venue (in 2017!) by photographer Laurent Leduc.
After we get tidied up we go to the festival site for some dinner then back to the old mill.
…after the show I’m presented with a photo by Laurent Leduc – taken at the same pre-festival gig in the same venue back in 2017.
The old mill – our home for the next week or two…magical
WE HAVE a very long lie at the old mill then make some brunch before heading to the festival site in Beaumont for coffee with Dominique and all the festival volunteers who are working tirelessly to have everything ready for the weekend.
Dominique takes us to a wee venue nearby where I’m playing a special launch show for the festival tomorrow (Thursday) night . We have a wee recce, chat to the owner over another coffee then we go back to the mill.
I sit outside and noodle about on the guitar and come up with some wee bits that might make a future song then we do a livestream and have a wee wander around.
Later on we head back into town and join everyone at the festival site for dinner.
WE’RE WOKEN at 4.45am (UK time) by music piped into our cabin. Jeez. Think it’s meant to give us a heads up that we have an hour to go before docking at Caen.
By the time we’ve come to, got ourselves sorted and I’ve found coffee we’re pretty much ready to go down to the car deck.
Once we’re not he road we stop at the first service station we find and fall asleep int eh car for nearly two hours! Then we go in and have some breakfast.
Messages on both our phones from Three inform us that the £25 spending cap I set up on our phones before we left to ensure our £2-a-day charge to access our UK calls/data/text allowance would run smoothly has been exceeded. I get on the chat with Three to try and find out what the fuck is going on and they’re pretty unhelpful saying that there’s nothing they can do about considering a refund ‘til my next bill. I’m a little but tetchy about it to say the least.
It looks like we’ve been charged £25 each for data used during a six-hour ferry crossing while we were asleep. Fuck off. To add insult to injury, if I hadn’t increased the spend cap in advance of travelling (as recommended by Three!) things wouldn’t have been anywhere near as bad. Also, no warning or notice from Three or any other service provider that passing through some kinda ‘no-man’s land’ would incur a mega charge. I’ll deal with this when the time comes.
Anyway, onward to Avoine and Beaumont en Véron where we rock up tp the festival site. Work is already well under way and went catch up with some of our local pals and have a coffee before Dominique takes us to the old watermill which will be home for the next ten days or so.
We chill for a while then head back to the festival site for drinks and dinner with the main crew…gonna be an exciting few days ahead…
Our cabin for the night…well, next few hours, anyway
ALTHOUGH breakfast at the hotel finishes at 9.30am we don’t need to check out until midday. We’re in no huge hurry so have breakfast, get back to the room, get our stuff together and leave the hotel around 11am.
The drive to Portsmouth is uneventful with only a sandwich and toilet stop along the way.
The ferry is scheduled to leave at 11pm so we have some time to kill and end up visiting Nando’s for some dinner, then on to the ferry port where we sit in a queue for an hour or so before boarding.
Our wee cabin is fine and we chill for a while before some zzzz’s….the ferry gets into Caens at 5.45am so not gonna get much sleep!
BREAKFAST is on until 11am so we have a bit of a long lie then head downstairs. A good spread of stuff.
No plans or rush for anything today but I do have a few things I need to attend to. First up, remove The Met landing page form my website.
Next, there’s new cover images to be made for my socials to help start promoting November’s album launch shows.
The next single – and last one before the whole album drops – is released on 17 October and needs set up with my digital aggregator for timely distribution to all the streaming services. It’s a bit fiddly as I dealing with all the singles and subsequent album as a ‘waterfall release’ to see if it helps build streaming numbers.
I also take some of the video from last night’s show at The Met and manage to edit up a song from the set on the iPad.
We venture outside for a walk int he sunshine and grab snack before returning to the hotel to chill.
We’re not hugely hungry later on so have dinner in the hotel. Cheap and cheerful – although my chicken burger has, I am sure, seen better days!
The Met is a fantastic venue…and we have a great time
UP EARLY to get the gear sorted out and car parked for a 10am getaway…and we’re on the road bang on schedule.
With just one toilet/food stop we get our hotel in Rochdale where we drop our bags and chill for a while before the six-mile drive to The Met in Bury for load in.
Shaun opens the stage doors and helps us in with the gear…soundman Craig who worked my show in the same venue – way back in July 2009 – makes soundcheck quick and easy. The sound, and space, is brilliant.
We have time to nip out to a nearby Italian restaurant. Nice folks but the food is mediocre…Margret’s cannelloni isn’t hot all the way through and the pasta has a strange texture. My risotto tastes good but is a bit sludgy. The fact that the food arrived about five minutes after ordering doesn’t inspire much confidence in freshness.
We’re back at the venue in good time for doors. I have to go and ‘sit down’ three of four times before I take the stage. Not sure if it’s the food, nerves or both…it’s my first show like this in a while.
There’s a good crowd in albeit a few less folks than we’d hoped for – especially after throwing nearly £200 in socials advertising over the last two months. Amongst the audience is my old pal an bandmate Marsha who moved down here 23 years ago (gulp)…and Rachel…one of my predecessor student president’s at Kirkcaldy Tech, Haven’t seen her for 40 years (double gulp!). It’s great to catch up with both after the show.
RELEASE day for MacPherson’s Lament…and I realise that I haven’t set up the official video on Youtube or Facebook. I get right on it after breakfast!
There’s still a few songs needing rehearsed for tomorrow’s (Saturday) show at The Met in Bury. We’re unsure of my set length at Festival BAR and any other French shows so I make up a variety of set lists to cover, hopefully, any eventuality.
Next job is the edit for the next single from the album – Good Friend Blues. Drops on 17 October, so time is tight!
I take a break to clear the gutters both at the studio and the house then take a wander up the lochside.
When I get back I finish the Good Friend Blues video edit then make some vertical video of today’s release for my socials.
I’d hoped to get all the gear sorted and car packed tonight but there’s still guitar strings to be changed and a bunch of other stuff needing done so looks like I’m gonna need to get out my pit early in the morning!!
MARGARET has to go to the village for some stuff so I jump in the car and get a walk back, stopping to film some reels and stuff to promote tomorrow’s (Friday) release of MacPherson’s Lament.
In the office I make a brass pin – a surprise gift for a pal – and then pack up the old backdrop to end out to the winning bidder on eBay.
Next, rehearsals for Saturday’s show at The Met, Bury…and the subsequent shows in France.
I edit some video clips I filmed while walking earlier and get them posted round my socials.
Margaret’s busy in the kitchen when I get back from the studio. Fiona and Betty are coming for dinner.
We have a grand evening – I walk Betty home just after 11pm – then we sit chatting with Fiona until nearly 2am!
We have a grand evening at the BBC New Comedy Awards at Barrowlands…
AFTER the usual admin and stuff I have a session with one of my online guitar students.
Then it’s off to the school in Balloch for a music session with t he kids. Margaret drops me off and picks up some shopping And stuff before collecting me and we head into Glasgow via Braehead.
Next stop is our t-shirt guy to pick up a batch of shirts and hoodies then onto Barrowlands for the BBC New Comedy Awards which we enjoy more than we expect!
My first “I need a..” design and print solution! A tripod mount for the Osmo Pocket.
THE morning is taken up with promo for Friday’s release of McPherson’s Lament. It’s already available on Bandcamp prior to the ‘official’ release on all streaming services.
With the wee GoPro proving unreliable, I’m looking at ways of making use of the old Osmo Pocket camera to document gigs. It’s difficult to mount on a tripod when the WiFi module is clipped on the bottom so I set about designing a mount.
This is my first real attempt at 3D design and I get it started before ANita form the Black Bull in Gartmore comes for a meeting about the venue’s upcoming winter music season.
Once we’re done I get back on the 3D design and start a 3D print. It comes out OK but I made a small mistake measuring the hexaganol part of the connector. A small adjustment and version two works. I’m chuffed and amazed!
We spend the evening at Liz’s where we have a lovely dinner and good craic.
I make another wee promo for The Met show to post round my socials…
I SPEND AN hour before my first online guitar student trying to sort the wee GoPro I use as a close up/second camera for online lessons/sessions.
The camera’s been plague by power and battery issues for as long as I can remember and I’ve tried every combination of batteries, USB-C cables, resetting I can think of. And more. I finally get it to at least power up and get me through the session.
I usually use it to capture some video at live shows but its unreliability has made it impractical. I wonder if my DJI Osmo Pocket might be an option. I look it out and check its WiFi adaptor. Maybe give it a try at The Met on Saturday.
The sun’s out so I take the chance to do a little more tidying up in the garden then get some weed killer down – a job that’s long overdue!
I use the wee drone to make a another quick promo from Saturday’s show then take a walk up the lochside before my afternoon guitar student arrives.
Then it’s back to the studio to prep for this week’s Wildcats’’ livestream on Facebook. There’s time to send out a news release for the local hydro society before I go live and have a hassle free livestream 🙂
`LOVELY day outside – cold overnight but a clear blue sky.
After breakfast I hit the studio and run through some of my set for next weeken;s show at The Met in Bury. Must try and get myself match fit.
In the office I sort some more merch then tackle some of the stuff needing done in the garden. A bit too windy to spray weed killer so I start dismantling the fruit cage which isn’t very ‘winter-proof’.
Late afternoon Mikey leaves and I take a walk along to Betty’s to do a ‘quick fix’ on something….
AFTER breakfast burritos I leave Margaret helping Mikey with his accounts and I take the bus to the village and pick up a prescription from the chemist.
I stop in to the art studio and have a chat with Tessa then Walk home. It’s a nice, mostly off road five-mile or so wander listening to podcasts as I go.
There’s an event on at the nearly Tir na Nog that our neighbour Jess is involved with. We thought the kids might like it so we head off, taking Mikey, and meet Catriona, Freya and Aaron there. We have a fun few hours, the kids particularly liking the fire-breathing dragon.
Back home I grill some sausages and we all have hot dogs before Catriona and the kids go home.
In the office I engrave a batch of insulated cups with the new logotype and prep some other merch for our travels next week.
LOTS of social media stuff to do this morning – just a week to go ‘til my show at The Met in Bury.
In the office I get some bits and bobs of merch in production to make sure we have enough stuff – not only for The Met, but also our subsequent journey to France to play Festival B.A.R. and (hopefully!) some other shows. The booker/agent is, let’s say, a little laisssez-faire.
I manage to get a break for a wander up the lochside then when I get back I put the old backdrop up for auction.
There’s a decent harvest of wee tomatoes from the hydroponic – and forest of basil so I make some pasta dough and prep to make pasta with cherry tomatoes.
Later on Mikey arrives so he and Margaret can get a decent start on his accounts in the morning.
MARGARET’S off early to Edinburgh to pick up Les and go to get her hair done.
I get a message from the embroidery lady asking if she can drop off a batch of beanies so I get out my pit and have breakfast before she drops by.
Stephen Jardine has an optician on his BBC Radio Scotland show and is taking calls. I message and get a call back from one of the producers – they’ll call back in ten minutes so I can pitch my query live: how soon after my cataract op can I safely go out for a paddle? My op was three weeks ago and guidance is a loose three or four weeks – what does she think?
A careful answer recommends I wait ‘til after I’ve seen my optician which isn’t ‘til we get back from France. Ach well – the weather over the next week’s crap anyway, so unlikely I’d have a chance to go out anyway.
In the studio I finish off the hydro society news release and send it round my colleagues for fact checking before I fire it off to the local media.
Next job is to make another set of videos to promote next week’s show at The Met, Bury round my socials. The light is inconsistent with the sun coming in and out unpredictably but I get something done.
I also want to use the ads as the creative on a new set of Facebook and Instagram ads retargetting folks that have watched the videos in my other ads for the show.
My late afternoon guitar student arrives at the studio then I go back to the house for a nap before starting to prep dinner.
Another idea for some merch popped into my head…had to make it…!
I HAVE a couple of hours to catch up on some work after my 9am online session with one of my guitar students.
Margaret reminds me that we’re out of current design (‘the blues comes in many colours’) t-shirts and hoodies in some sizes so I call Kenny to see if he can do a rush order for next week. The new design shirts with screen printed backs and embroidery on the front are still some way off.
There’s also a news release to be written for the local hydro society but halfway through I have an irresistible urge to take a merch idea that’s popped into my head and make a prototype. So I do.
After an early lunch I head to Balloch for a music session at the school.
Back home when Margaret goes to a community trust meeting I take a wander upon the lochside.
After my walk and Margaret’s meeting we pick up Betty and go toot he next village for some dinner. Lovely.
THE TO-DO list is out the window after breakfast – Margaret needs photos urgently for our local place plan.
I trawl through my archives to see what I have and pull out a bunch of stuff, but she needs some specific stuff. Urgently.
We’re off into Glasgow – I have a Musicians’ Union meeting – but we leave early as it’s decent weather and we can stop en route to get the pix. I have the drone and ‘normal’ camera so manage to get a selection of shots in the bag.
Onward to Glasgow and Margaret drops me at the STUC centre for the meeting and goes for some shopping before coming back to collect me.
Back home we sort the pix and then spend some time wrestling with email accounts then outside for pizza.
MONDAY. That means an early alarm to get my sourdough in the oven then into the studio after breakfast for a session with one of my online guitar students.
Top of the to-do list, sorting new t-shirt artwork and production, is bumped down the list so I can do an interview for a local magazine.
After lunch I get back on schedule, sort the t-shirt/hoodie artwork and speak to Kenny, my screen printing buddy.
I’m just finished when Laura and Violet rock up for Violet’s guitar lesson after which I head back to the studio, edit some video and prep for tonight’s WIldcats’ livestream on Facebook.
AFTER a late breakfast I spend some time messing around with artwork and design ideas for new shirts and hoodies. Need to get ‘em sported quick as we’re off south then onto France soon for a bunch of shows.
I take a break and cut the grass while the rain’s off and manage to get some strumming done too. Maybe the last grass cut of the year?
The rest of the day is spent trying to sort out some website and e-commerce hassles. Nothing critical, but annoying stuff that shouldn’t be happening!
Margaret has dinner ready just in time for Bill’s livestream – the last one before he and Dorothy go back to Florida.
AFTER breakfast and chat at Billy and Dorothy’s we hook up with Mikey and go to his flat in Dundee where I install and set up a security camera for him.
Next stop, KFC then we drop into Perthshire Caravans to check out the camper vans and stuff but there’s nothing inspiring to see.
Onward to Doune where we stop off to see Catriona and the kids and drop off a birthday present for WIl’s big day tomorrow.
WE HAVE a bit of a late rise after a late night (erm..early morning!) then I go to the studio and pack a guitar for this evening.
Early afternoon we head to Bill and Dorothy’s ‘holiday home’ at Invergowrie just outside Dundee. We’re going to a special show Bill’s organised tonight – he’s invited me to play a few songs – and staying over.
We have an early dinner then make our way into the town and the Clep Bar where everything’s already set up for Bill and a splendid roster of musical pals are playing a kinda memorial show for some of the resident musicians who’ve passed on over the last few years. Quite humbled to have been invited to play too.
We have a grand night full of fun and colorful characters then have a nightcap before bed…another 3am job….
I manage to get the generator back up and running at the hydro scheme
FIRST job of the day is designing and ordering a new backdrop – a necessity now that I’ve updated my logo.
I go to the same supplier we used last time and go for a slightly wider format. A bit more expensive, but worth it.
An email comes back saying the order is processing and the backdrop has gone into production so I hit the studio to run through some songs – we’re off to Bill’s gig in Dundee tomorrow (Friday) and he’s asked me to plays a few songs.
There’s some other work to do too then an email comes in from the backdrop folks asking for an extra £30-odd for ‘Highlands and Islands’ delivery. Erm…we’re only 20 miles outside Glasgow and definitely not in ‘the Highlands’!
I call the company and explain and they respond by saying it’s down to their courier. I explain that we’ve never been classed as Highlands and Islands…and the last backdrop I ordered from them didn’t attract this ridiculous surcharge. I tell them to put the order on hold and I’ll send them some other potential delivery addresses to see of they fall within the courier’s ‘normal’ delivery area.
I send off some alternative addresses and awaiting a reply…when it comes in the company has decided that they don’t need me to pay extra and the order proceeds.
Duncan and Irene are coming for dinner later – the starter is Vietnamese summer rolls which are a bit of a faff so I get onto it early. The rolls made, I move onto the dipping sauce then spot an email from one of my fellow directors of the local hydro scheme…last night’s power cut has taken down the computer and it looks like the generator’s stopped.
No one else has replied so I volunteer to drive to the village, hike across the fields and see if I can get things back up and running. Mission accomplished 🙂
The unexpected task has eaten a up any spare time so I’ve only just finished the prep for our main course when Duncan and Irene rock up.
Amazingly the 3D printer picked up where it left off after a two hour power cut
WEDNESDAY. That means three back to back guitar sessions – one in-person sandwiched between two online lessons.
During the third one I get a message from the school saying they don’t need me today. I coulda done with the dish but there’s a lot needing done so it’s not the end of the world.
Margaret needs an iPad stand and orders one online – I revise I could maybe 3D printer one to use until it arrives. I find one on Bambu Makerworld and set it to print. Might take a while. U there’s no huge hurry.
So instead of school, I hit Glasgow for a load of shopping which gives us a bit of breathing space tomorrow by freeing us up on another busy day.
Margaret’s off to a community trust meeting when I get back and she’s only away ten minutes when the power goes off. No big deal, I ’spose – then I remember the 3D printer in the office which has (had!) almost finished the iPad stand. I power it off in case there’s a surge when the electricity comes back on.
I’m amazed when the power is restored and I switch the 3D printer back on it gives me the option to continue. It does!
Meantime, Margaret’s back and I make some pasta dough and smoke a salmon fillet for dinner…
I do some test filming for narrative for a new ‘intro’ video…
I’VE ARRANGED a 10am photoshoot outside the village hall with community hydro scheme grant awardees.
I’m frustrated that there’s three no-shows and call-offs but we get some good shots of the group of folks who have bothered to show up. Blotted copy books and so on 😉
Back home I pick a couple of shots, tidy them up and put them aside for when I have to time write up a news release.
There’s a new video ad to be made for the upcoming Met Theatre show in Bury. Once that’s done and scheduled for publication I get some more stuff done for Black Bull Gartmore’s wire music season.
The ‘intro to Dave Arcari’ video could do with an update and refresh so when I go a walk up the lochside I take the wee DJI Neo drone and film a little bit of ‘walking and talking’ to see how it could look. If it has promise we’ll try similar with a proper camera and gimbal.
I’m home in time to take a trip to the dump in Balfron. Out bins are all full since I cleared out the office a couple weeks ago.
Smash burgers for dinner – there’s some extra patties defrosted so I invite Betty along to join us…
MY WEEKLY sourdough routine seems to make Mondays come round awful quick!
Once the routine stuff is out the way I head to the studio for a session with one of my online guitar students.
Next job is promo stuff and ticketing for the Black Bull Gartmore’s winter music season. Once I have artwork finished and all the assets ready I send them off and start setting up the ticketing.
After lunch I nip out for a walk while the going’s good and get back just in time for my afternoon guitar student arriving.
I need to make a new set of videos for social media ads for the upcoming show at The Met in Bury(27 September)…then prep for my Wildcats livestream on Facebook.
QUITE a lot on today’s to-do list. After breakfast I pack up some merch orders that were waiting for the embroidered beanies, print postage and book a collection.
It boils ma piss that the post office close all the local post offices (nearest to us is now 12 miles away – a 24-mile round trip!) – and then have the audacity to charge for the postie to collect when they’re at the door anyway. Moreover we have to work out the postage ourselves and print the labels etc and pay for the privilege. Anyway…
There’s ameeting with a local group hoping to buy the recently closed church from Church of Scotland so we head along to get an update on the project. I’d planned to walk there and back but it’s pissing rain…and I don’t really have the time.
When we get back I spend some time on artwork and promo stuff for the Black Bull in Gartmore’s upcoming winter music season.
WE have a leisurely breakfast and morning with Alastair and Karen then they hit the road.
I have some stuff to do for the Black Bull Gartmore’s upcoming music season and spend some time in the studio getting some graphic ideas together an collating the artist info and photos.
Louise from The Unique Company messages to see if I’m around to drop off an order of embroidered beanies. She pops up and we have a blether. The hats are amazing 🙂
We’re both knackered and have a nap on the couch then I get stuff ready for tonight’s pizzas and ball up the dough I made the other day putting the extras in the freezer.
As well as the free-plus-postage stuff there’s the additional items most folks have ordered…and some of them need made. There’s also orders for embroidered beanies which I won’t have until tomorrow.
I make up some leather hat patches and print up various mugs then get the orders packed up and postage printed.
The other orders will need to wait for the embroidered beanies or other ‘blanks’ I’m waiting on.
Alastair and Karen are coming from the night and I wanna have as much food prep done as possible, starting with the Vietnamese rice paper wrapped summer rolls. It’s a bit of a fanny dance as the vermicelli noodles are cooked in coconut water with some bashed lemongrass stalks and then Wolle’s into the rice paper ‘wrappers’ with iceberg lettuce, prawns, coriander, mint and chives.
Once they’re done I make up the dipping sauce then move into the marinade for the salmon.
I have time for a very quick walk and am just back and shutting the studio when Alastair and Karen arrive. Next thing we know it’s nearly 3am….
WIPED this morning for some reason…so a bit a of late breakfast.
There’s a load of merch orders to be sorted out – all the ‘free-plus-postage’ stuff has been snapped up and most folks have ordered additional stuff.
There’s also been a bunch of orders from the same person – based overseas – and even more ‘failed orders’. It seems a wee bit suspicious to me. I don’t wanna blow out the orders – or take an undue amount of time to fulfil them – out in case they are genuine….but I don’t wanna send stuff out if someone’s being scammed. Dilemma.
I think I’ll sit tight and see what I think in a few days and consider refunding the orders…or look at what other actions might be best.
After lunch I have a couple folks coming from the Black Bull in Gartmore for a meeting. We’ve just finished when my late afternoon guitar student rocks up with his mum.
A BUSY day of guitar stuff today kicks off with an online session and then straight on to an in-person lesson.
A local pal needs help with some t-shirts and stuff so I bet that done then, after an early lunch, head off to the school in Balloch for my first music session of the academic year.
Back home I get a ‘free-plus-postage’ clearance sale set up in my online store. With the implementation of my revamped logo looming I wanna get rid of some odd bits of merch with the ‘old’ logo and this is a good way to do it.
By the tie Betty arrives for dinner I’ve managed to get everything live and fire out a few emails.
I close off the Wildcats’ livestream with Big River…complete with a clusterfuck 😉
SEPTEMBER already. Jeez. My right eye seems to recovering OK from Friday’s cataract op – still a few weeks before I can go for a paddle or ‘exert’ myself tho’.
After my Monday morning sourdough routine I get some admin out the way, have breakfast then hit the studio for a session with one of my online guitar students.
Next, onto radio promo for the next single – MacPherson’s Lament –which drops on 26 September.
That keeps me busy ‘til Violet arrives with her mum for her weekly guitar lesson.
Having had pretty much zero exercise or fresh air since Friday’s procedure I’m keen to get a walk. As soon as I step out the door it starts pouring so instead I do some prep for tonight’s Wildcats’ livestream on Facebook.
The rain eases a little so I grab a waterproof and get a bit of a walk before the livestream….
Post cataract op – not quite the pirate look I was hoping for!
WE’RE UP early and no time for breakfast before we head to Vale of Leven hospital day surgery to check in for my cataract op.
There’s five folks ahead of me so I have to wait a good couple hours before I’m taken – but the nurses are good craic.
The procedure itself only takes about 20 minutes and whilst it was a bit freaky it was pain-free and not traumatic in any way. The doc and all the theatre folks were very pleasant and efficient.
I’m having a cup of coffee and a couple biscuits whilst getting my post-op care instruction when Margaret comes to collect me.
Back home I swallow some paracetamol, have something to eat then have a sleep.
I’ve to keep the plastic eye thing on ‘til tomorrow and start my rigid regime of drops. A little more complex than the usual to minimise the potential for a uveitis flare up.
I’M STILL knackered when I wake up…no idea why…too much to do to laze about tho’.
Top of today’s list is to make a Spotify canvas – a short vertical looping video that displays when a track is played – for the upcoming MacPherson’s Lament release (26 September).
Once the canvas is uploaded I pitch the song to Spotify’;s editorial playlists.
I take a break and try and learn a little more about 3D sculpting and modelling on the iPad then get back onto promo stuff for the single.
Once the news release is written I add links for private streaming/download previews and also a link to an assets folder with .mp3 and .wav versions of the track, cover art, the news release and a lo-res preview version of the official video.
The rain’s off so I go for a walk, stopping in at Betty’s to help out with a couple wee things.
After dinner I try and have an early night. Eye surgery – cataract – at 8.30am in the morning….
THREE guitar students back to back this morning. The first online, next in-person then back online.
I have an hour or so to get through my routine stuff before an online insiders’ forum with Help Musicians then a late lunch.
My pal Duncan calls to see if I’d be available for a meeting at the Black Bull in Gartmore at 5pm to throw in one ideas for promotion of the venue’s winter music season. I’m playing their January show.
I get some more stuff done before it’s tie to head to Gartmore. When I get back home I write up my proposal then smoke some salmon for tonight’s pasta. Betty’s coming for dinner….
The obligatory ‘Benchy’ first 3D print test. It worked!
THERE’S some email accounts to be sorted for the local community trust which then need to be configured on various devices.
Then it’s back on to the office clear out and tidy. Sometimes you wish you hadn’t started something…
A message comes in from a pal whose website I revamped a while back. They can’t get logged in and want to drop by with their laptop.
I can’t find any problem and we get logged in successfully so helpfully problem solved. We’re just done when David arrives so I can set up his ‘treasurer’ email on his phone.
In the office I get to point where there’s a clean space for the 3D printer – a Bambu Labs 1 Mini – which has been waiting patiently in its box for a week.
The build and set up is pretty straightforward then I successfully mange to print the obligatory test ‘Benchy’. Everything seems to be working fine 🙂
An initial attempt to see if Still Friends could work on guitar…mmm…maybe needs a little work!
USUAL early start to get the sourdough in the oven and breakfast out the way before a session with my regular Monday morning Zoom guitar student.
I’m not lying finished when I get a call from the eye hospital…there’s been a cancellation and I can get my cataract op on Friday! Yippee. I was concerned that it would come before a gig/s and I’d have to play a mild mannered sit down show to avoid any ‘exersion’.
Main task of the day is editing the video for the next single from the album, MacPherson’s Lament. It doesn’t drop ‘til 26 September but I can’t start the advance press/radio/media promo until the video is finished.
I’m pretty much done when my afternoon guitar student arrives it’s her mum then I start prep for to night’s Wildcats’ livestream on Facebook.
There’s even time for a walk up the lochside before the livestream.
All goes fine when I go live and I take a notion to try playing Still Friends on the guitar rather than banjo…it kinda works…
Community picnic on Inchailloch with Louise and Ileana
UP EARLY to get everything ready for the community picnic Margaret has organised on behalf of the local community trust.
Boat rides have been arranged from the boatyard to take folks to the near side of Inchcailloch but the ‘picnic’ is at Port Bawn at the far end of the island.
David F has offered to take a boat over with all the food, charcoal, drinks and other supplies and ferry over the folks that would struggle with the walk over the island.
I go on the paddle board and am first on the scene closely followed by Margaret and the first boatful of folks who’ve walked over from the ferry stop.
It’s not long before David arrives and we help his passengers alight and carry all the stuff to the beach.
The weather is perfect and everything goes great other than David and Jamie getting a ticking off from the Park folks for mooring their boats.
I paddle back and amn’t long out the shower when Margaret, our pal Tom and his kids arrive with ice cream which we enjoy in the garden before they head off.
I do a little more work tidying the office then make dinner and chill.
MARGARET’s birthday today. We have breakfast then she has to go into Glasgow for extra shopping…and not for us either.
It’s the community picnic on Inchcailloch tomorrow (Sunday) and despite having put out a last call for numbers on Thursday there’s been umpteen people popping up and asking if they can come.
The boat bookings can no doubt be amended accordingly, but there’s now not enough burgers and other food for the number of folks!
I need to make room in the office for the 3D printer that’s been sitting in its box untouched all week. The place is a bit of a shitshow anyway so I bite the bullet.
First job is to flush out the cooling system and laser tune on the CO2 laser. A time-consuming and fiddly job that’s probably a year overdue. Then I need to clan the mirrors and lens, clean everything out and oil the rails.
With that job out the way I start pulling the place apart and chucking as much as I can in the bin.
Other stuff gets put in plastic tubs to go in the attic and other materials cut to go in the filing cabinet etc….and so it goes…
I get the back of it broken and hopefully get finished by the end of tomorrow.
AFTER breakfast I get the Love Balmaha insulated cups in the online store and spread the word at a local level.
Next job is to create another version of the video ad for my upcoming show at The Met in Bury (27 September). The existing ad ‘expired’ last week and had been running a while so I thought I’d run another with a different song behind it.
I’m out of Dave Arcari postcards which we use for upcoming gig listings and also put into online orders so I knock up some artwork using the revamped logotype and get an order off to the printer.
We’ve been dragging our heels a bit with the idea of embroidered shirts/hoodies and I haven’t got back to the folks that we spoke to a few weeks ago. I create a mockup to work out size and email it over so we can start getting quotes/budget/plan together.
Eventually I free up some time and go for a wander up the lochside, stopping in at our pal Liz’s on the way back to pick up Margaret and stopping for a quick drink,
THERE’S an order for some Love Balmaha tote bags so after breakfast I get busy printing them up in the office.
Annoyingly I fuck up a couple of them and throw them on the ‘botched jobs’ pile. It’s amazing how many things can go wrong or adversely affect a seemingly simple process!
Big job today, though, is finishing my tax return which – for various reasons – is frying my brain. A long call to HMRC is really helpful tho’ and puts me on the right track.
I take a break when one of my guitar students rocks up for a lesson then get back on the tax return…and get it finished and submitted, Phew!
Back in the office I parcel up a. Big vinyl order to go to Finland then prototype a Love Balmaha insulated cup. Works out nice.
Betty’s coming for dinner and has arrived when I get back to the house and make some chicken fajitas.
AFTER an early online lesson with one of my guitar students I get back on my accounts.
Actually, the ‘accounts’ part is largely done, there’s a bunch of other stuff on the tax return that I can’t quite get my head around. I look out some files and try and bring some order to my mess.
After lunch we head into Glasgow and Margaret’s drops me at the eye hospital and goes to the supermarket. I’ve an eye assessment for a (not too long in the, I hope) future cataract op.
Once I’m done I walk along Great Western Road and meet Margaret then we head to Costco for supplies for Sunday’s community picnic on the island.
It’s nearly 8pm when we get home and I make some smash burgers on the Ninja Woodfire for the first time. I realized that it was time-consuming – and unnecessarily wasteful – lighting a chimney full of charcoal and using the grill, especially when a big griddle plate on the top eliminates any fallout/benefits of using charcoal.
I found a flat plate for the Woodfire and ordered last week. It works a treat 🙂
WE’RE off for a day in Edinburgh today finishing up with Miriam Margolyes’ Fringe show. A joint birthday treat instead of buying each other presents…my birthday was last week and Margaret’s is on Saturday.
Rather than drive all the way and contend with traffic jams and parking we’ve decided to use our old folks’ bus passes and get the bus from the Park & Ride at Stirling. Free parking, free bus…what’s not to like?!?
The whole process goes to plan and the electric bus is comfy and efficient.
We alight at Haymarket and wander to Vietnam House restaurant for lunch. We share summer spring rolls then Margaret enjoys Co’m Su’o’n – grilled pork loin marinated with lemongrass, garlic and shallots served with salad and steamed rice. With an egg on top!
I have seafood Xao Sa O’t – squid, prawns and mussels stir fired with lemongrass and chilli. Delicious!
Next we have a wander about, stop off for a drink then make our way to Edinburgh International Conference Centre where Margaret has an Aperol spritz and I have a coffee before joining the huge queue to get into the ‘room’ for the show – more like a 1500-seater theatre with comfy seats and great sound. Could be an awesome venue for an acoustic-ish kinda show/festival.
Margolyes is good – my only annoyance was needing a piss and not being able to go during her 70-minute show.
Then it’s back to the bus, a drive home from Stirling and an early-ish night.
THE DAY starts off with a session with one of my regular online guitar students…then I get the next single – MacPherson’s Lament – delivered to my aggregator (digital distributor) ready for release on Friday 26 September.
Next job is to move on with my accounts. Yeuch. Determined not to be leaving my tax return ‘til the last minute this year and get things back on track.
Mid-afternoon I take a bus to the village, pick up my prescription at the pharmacy and walk back home in the sunshine. Listening to some podcast on BBC Sounds.
After a little more work on my accounts I start the edit on the official video for MacPherson’s Lament. It becomes clear I ain’t gettting anywhere close even to a first cut for tonight’s Wildcats’ livestream on Facebook so I scour some backup drives for some bits and bobs of archive video to spin into the livestream instead.
The livestream goes fine and Margaret’s got dinner ready when I get back to the house shortly after 9pm….
Fiona rocks up and we go for a paddle. The village and bay is busy and suspecting same up the lochside toward Milarrochy we head up past Inchcailloch.
On to Torrinch where we stop at the far end for break from paddling.
It’s windier and we head back and there’s a fair amount of wake from random boats and stuff. I’m having trouble keeping my board straight and on investigating I’ve lost my main fin. 🙁
That makes paddling home a bit of an ordeal but a ‘side by side’ paddling between us helps a lot. We’re both pretty knackered when we get back.
Back out in the garden I get some more work done then make some stuffed burgers (mozzarella inside!) which I grill on the Ninja Woodfire with a touch of smoke. The mince was too lean to make smash burgers so I decided to try something new and different….it worked 🙂
AFTER a relaxing morning I venture onto the loch for a paddle. It’s pretty busy with lot of speedboats and jetskis but I have a nice paddle up to Milarrochy and back regardless.
Margaret’s away to the village hall to set up for a local place plan community engagement event – I have a quick shower then take a walk to the village hall and join her.
I walk back home and set up a website for my Love Balmaha idea. Photos, e-commerce and a Facebook page. I’ll get more socials set up in due course.
I finally get my settings right to make these….on sale soon…
AFTER coffee and emails/socials etc in bed we get up and I spend some time getting Margaret’s new iPad set up so it will work best for her.
In the office I work on a couple more items for my new local gifts idea. I’m planning to launch a small range of standalone local items that I will slowly – and strategically – add to.
The office is a bit of a mess, partly because I attempted to engrave a big 40oz insulated tumbler a few weeks ago and failed miserably. I have some time today so work on my set up and get it locked in.
Before I do a proper engrave I spend some time messing with my new(-ish) logo and trying out different fonts and text for the logotype. Once I’m happy I get busy and am pretty pleased with the results. I’ll likely get ‘em on sale soon.
The sun’s splitting the sky so I take a wander up the lochside and chat to ranger Louise up at Milarrochy.
Matty’s arrived when I get back and we chill the rest of the evening.
CHILL day today…it’s my birthday. Fucking 61. Mental age about 14. Age in my head 22.
I do minor amounts of work to avoid a backlog and kick off some ideas for coming weeks. Mostly, though, I sit the garden, play guitar and sporadically go onto Facebook a nd ‘like’ all the birthday messages.
Betty comes round for dinner and we have a nice evening and then a relatively early night. Be fucking Ovaltine and early bed soon!
FUNNY – used to be Monday that was my busy guitar lesson/workshop day but it’s kinda moved to Wednesday.
I have an online session first thing and my next student arrives just as the online session is winding up.
There’s about 20 minutes between the next two sessions then I get on with some routine admin stuff.
I have to nip into Glasgow and decide to kill two birds with one stone and get one shopping too. I also wanna pick up an iPad for Margaret. Her 10+ year-old MacBook Air is still going but it’s starting to flag a bit – I’ve replaced my laptop with an iPad Pro and (Logitech) keyboard case and haven’t looked back. And iPad OS26 (still in beta) has brought it even closer to a laptop experience.
I reckon the new ‘basic’ iPad with keyboard/trackpad case would not only be a more productive tool for Margaret being faster and more intuitive to use…but also comes in about 40% of the cost of a new laptop!
She’s not been sold on the idea in past chats so I decide to bite the bullet and sort it out to see if it’ll work for her.
I pick up a Logitech keyboard case with trackpad at the Braehead Apple Store and subsequently an iPad A16 at Costco. Total cost is under £400.
I go about my business in Glasgow, pick up some charcoal at Rightway in Polmadie, Costco and Tesco shopping then home.
Fiona’s coming along for dinner later and we’d planned a paddle beforehand…but her B&B guests haven’t arrived and I’m puggled, so instead start configuring the new iPad for Margaret.
Fiona rocks up at dinner time and we have a nice night of food, wine and chat.
AFTER breakfast I spend some time working with Margaret on our bookings system which has lain dormant since the pandemic!
The first booking system I built was on FileMaker…then Apple brought out Bento which was easier to synchronise and more user friendly so I rebuilt for that.
For some reason Apple discontinued Bento and the only thing we could find that had similar functionality was an app called TapForms. It worked but was clunky and awkward to work with.
When I was booking the last USA tour pre-Covid I discovered AirTable and found it pretty good but then Covid hit and Margaret never really used it and it fell into the background. Now we wanna start using it again.
It’s lunchtime before I go out for my first paddle in a month or more ‘cos of a combination of an elbow injury and shite weather.
I do a livestream from the water then back home for a shower, lunch, then I get the smoker on…time’s tight to get the beef short ribs done so I decide to try the electric smoker instead of the kamado.
Late afternoon one of my guitar students rocks up for a session. We’re not long done when an alert on my phone tells me the ribs are almost done.
Later on when we eat we’re happily surprise that the meat is just as good as when done on the kamado. Seems some things still fare better on charcoal, but some stuff comes out just fine on the electric jobbie….
SIX-thirty and the kids are jumping all over me. Jeez! On the plus side it gets me up to put the sourdough in the oven nice and early!
After breakfast I hit the studio for an online guitar lesson and Maggie and Joel bring their dog, Rosie, for Freya to look after for a few hours.
Next I have a custom pewter pin to finish off and get ready for sending out.
I spend the first part of the afternoon editing up the ‘burrito’ video I shot yesterday morning so I can spin it into tonight’s Wildcats’ livestream on Facebook.
When I come to export the finished video there’s an issue referencing the original media files which takes me an age to sort.
There’s some updates to run on the Quad Cortex which I leave running when Catriona comes to pick up the kids then I get busy worth some prep for the livestream which, unusually, goes pretty much to plan with no technical clusterfucks!
I DECIDE to film the breakfast burrito process which I’ll edit later on and spin into tomorrow (Monday) night’s Wildcats’ livestream on Facebook.
Once we’ve eaten I go out to the office and cast a spurtle pin – one of the recipients of the fi9lm premier batch has lost hers and asked if I could make a replacement.
There’s also an order in from the ‘States for a couple of acrylic Loch Lomond keyrings so I get them made up and ready for the post to pick up.
Next job is some livestreams of Still Friends which we get done before Catriona rocks up with the kids…we’re looking after Freya and Aaron tonight and tomorrow.
I have a batch of pizza dough all ready to go so we all sit outside and eat pizza before Catriona heads back to Doune.
After the kids are in bed I get a little work done then we chill and watch Bill and Dorothy’s livestream.
Mushroom and ricotta ravioli with brown butter and crispy sage. From scratch.
RELEASE day for the new single, Still Friends, so lots of posting round my socials and other ‘release day’ promo before breakfast.
Then it’s into the studio to create artwork for my social media covers and update my website landing page.
Once that’s all out the way I sort a takedown notice for the last release with my digital aggregator – all part of the Spotify ‘waterfall’ release strategy.
The next single, MacPherson’s Lament, doesn’t drop ’til 26 September so there’s no immediate panic but I start prep by creating a lyric file ready to upload when I get onto it next week.
In the office I do some more work on my new prototype gift ideas then our pal Sheena drops in with her new spaniel pup, Floss.
I’m back in the studio when Betty comes by for a coffee so I take a break and join her and Margaret.
After some more work for my pal Kevin I make some mushroom and ricotta filling for tonight’s ravioli…then a batch of pasta dough.
The ravioli – whoch I toss in some brown butter and sage –turns out pretty good… 🙂
MARGARET’S off to Doune early to look after Freya…she’ll take a drive into Glasgow for some shopping so I make up a list and plan for the next week or so.
I mess about designing a local gift idea then start making some prototypes.
Looking ahead to the new year, I need to get tickets on sale for a show at Komedia, Brighton on 7 March…I get the show listed, ticket toting sorted and all related stuff.
A walk up the lochside then into the office to work on my local gift protoypes.
Before Margaret gets back I prep all the stuff for tonight’s chicken fajitas…
Still Friends – available on my Bandcamp page before general release on all streaming services on Friday…
A BUSY start to the day with a Zoom guitar student immediately followed by an in-person lesson.
There’s an order in for three Loch Lomond key rings – they’re made of black acrylic with an iridescent inlay and I’m not sure I have the materials.
After digging about a bit I find enough to get the order made and start knocking them together then get them in the post box.
I realised I haven’t made a vertical version of the official Still Friends video so get busy on that…then some more bits and bobs of video stuff for Kevin McD.
Our pal David drops by and helps me finish off the garage door repair. I replaced the mechanism and lock last week but neither of us could work out why the holes int eh steel frame were so off. My drill bit wouldn’t;t go through so David drills and cuts. Job done.
There’s only time for a short walk before I light a chimney-full of charcoal and cook our smash burgers.
For some reason I decide to try my hand at making ciambella. Success!
AFTER breakfast I have an urge to I try my hand at making ciambella – a kinda Italian cake flavoured with vanilla and lemon zest. My aunt Maria used to make it when I was a kid and it was one of my favourites.
I get the mix in the oven then venture outside to try and tidy up some of the wind damage. It’s still pretty blowy, tho’ – and it looks like it’s gonna be that way for at least a few more days.
In the studio I get some more promo done for Friday’s release of Still Friends (the single) then do some prep for a young guitar student coming later on.
Once out the oven and cooled, the ciambella is pretty good. The texture is a little ‘rough’ but it tastes good.
After the guitar lesson I spot a message from my pal Kevin asking if I’llbe available for a chat later on. He has a new single coming soon and needs some help.
We FaceTime and chat through some ideas and I put together a wee plan based around vertical video clips and socials.
I have a wander up the loch side. It’s still windy but not cold and I enjoy the fresh air.
Back home I make some pasta dough then do some video work for Kevin while it rests..then it’s pasta with tomatoes, garlic and basil for dinner.
AFTER a wee bit of a lie in I head to the studio for a session with a Zoom guitar student.
Next job it prepping Still Friends – the single coming on Friday – for Bandcamp so I can share in my WIldcats’ livestream later. It’s live on my Bandcamp page now.
The forecast wind is really picking up now and because of the leaves on the trees, bushes etc, it’s having a pretty devastating effect. We brave the elements and try and anchor down the fruit cage with paracord and same with the wee PVC greenhouse thing that houses my tomatillo plants.
Sadly two of the three have succumbed to the wind and despite being inside the greenhouse thing are broken beyond repair. There was gonna be a bumper crop but only two or three fruits have reached full-size/ripeness 🙁
Back in the studio I edit up video footage from both Upton Blues Festival and the ‘gig in the garden’ for tonight’s livestream and subsequent social content.
At livestream time we still have power, thank goodness…I was expecting the usual wind-induced power cuts…and the livestream all goes to plan.
THE KIDS have everyone up early and we have bacon and sausage rolls at Matty’s while we wait for the rain to pass.
As soon as it;s dry we make our way to the ‘den’ for the Turriff Show – the biggest annual event of its type in the local and regional calendar. As well as farm animals, machinery and the like, there’s stuff for all the family.
The kids have a whale of a time and we also catch some live music and a motorcycle stunt rider. There’s loads of food trucks around and the ‘ghillies meal’ – venison burger with brie and redcurrant jelly –I choose for lunch is amazing.
It’s after 6pm when we get back to Matty’s, say cheerio to everyone and drive back down the road stopping in Dundee for some shopping bits. Been a grand weekend.
THE KIDS, of course, have us up at the crack of dawn – no bad thing as we wanna get on the road from Doune to Turriff via Dundee early doors.
Will gets back from night shift just after 7am And we manage to get the cr packed with stuff and the kids to meet Catriona and Mikey in Dundee for a breakfast rendezvous. I wanna get Mikey’s new iPhone sorted for him.
We say cheerio to Mikey, head north and get to Matty’s in Turriff early afternoon.
It’s a beautiful sunny day. We take the kids to a nearby play park then rake a drive to Banff where we have a really good meal sitting outside at the Banff Springs Hotel.
Next, a wee drive further to Port Soy where the kids paddle in the sea and jump the waves, then ice cream, then back to Turriff.
WE HAVE a lazy start to the morning drinking coffee and dealing with emails and socials.
I have a couple of gifts I made for pals that I wanna get parcelled up and ready for the post office then hit the studio to start tackling my accounts.
After lunch I’m back on it and make some progress before we leave for Doune. We’re staying at Catriona’s and looking after the kids tonight then going to meet Catriona in Dundee in the morning before we all drive up to Turriff to see Matty.
Margaret stays in the house with Aaron and I take Freya to Fred the ducks.
Back at the house Margaret orders some Chinese food then puts the kids to bed while I go to Dunblane to pick up the grub.
MARGARET’s off to Edinburgh to meet Lesley for hair-dos…and I have a 9am online guitar student.
There’s a couple of items to be designed and made in the office. While the first one is ‘processing’ I get busy with some stuff for the local hydro society.
I take some time to sit down with a guitar and run through some songs…and mess with some ideas for some new ones.
There’s time for a walk in the sunshine before my in-person guitar student arrives then we sit outside and have some pizza for dinner.
MY 9am online guitar session has been moved to tomorrow (Thursday) so I have a little time before Dawn arrives for her lesson at 9.30am.
By the time I’ve got all the adminy stuff out the way it’s time to join a Help Musicians’ ‘insiders’ forum session where. Few of us give Help Musicians’ staff an insight into various aspects fo the music industry and discuss various topics.
An occasional in-person guitar student rocks up – he’s keen to explore some acoustic stuff and we spend a good hour-and-a-half covering a range of ideas.
The new lock for the garage door has been sitting siting to get fitted for weeks – the old one is attached to the struts with rivets and I’d been unsure how to remove them. A quick search on YouTube reveals some tricks of the trade and amazingly I get them removed without a hitch…and the new lock in place.
Betty joins us for dinner and we have a grand evening chatting, eating and a few glasses of red.
AFTER uploading the three videos I edited yesterday to my YouTube channel for scheduled release over the week I get busy with some more promo for the release of Still Friends – the fourth single and title track of the upcoming album on 8 August.
Most of the work has already been done with just a. few bits and bobs and loose ends to tie up…including a video canvas and pitch to Spotify.
An online ‘working with promoters, agents and venues’ workshop is next but really doesn’t bring anything new to the table…although at least it validates our approach. ironically I follow that up by doing some work on our housekeeping budget!
THE USUAL Monday morning routine is broken as I didn’t make my sourdough yesterday…but resumes with my regular Monday morning Zoom guitar student.
It’s dry and slightly breezy. which means I can get the gazebos from Saturday’s garden gig out from under the smoker shelter and let them dry properly before putting them away.
In the office I have some graphic work to do – a special gift I wanna make someone and also some t-shirt ideas to be knocked up.
After lunch it’s onto video edits for tonight’s Wildcats’ livestream and subsequent sharing on YouTube and my socials.
Once my afternoon guitar student has left I manage a little bit of a walk then it’s back to the studio for the weekly Wildcats’ livestream.
WE HAVE a relaxed breakfast and morning then Bill and Dorothy hit the road just after midday.
MIkey really needs a new phone so we spend a while looking at options and his budget then manage to strike a deal with EE that ticks all the boxes. There’s a lot of waiting to get through on the phone but it’s well worth the effort.
After Mikey goes we have a nap then I take the carful of gear back to the studio where I spend a couple of hours trying to troubleshoot the Quad Cortex. I do a couple of factory resets, check the firmware and trawl the online forums and help. No joy.
A little disheartened I email Neural DSP support and send a video clip showing the problem….
Bill opens up this year’s summer ‘gig in the garden’
WE’RE UP reasonably early and after breakfast venture outside to raise the gazebos for this afternoon’s ’gig in the garden’.
Margaret and Dorothy start getting the seating and stuff sorted out while Bill plays some guitar and I start bringing over my gear and the PA etc.
Everything goes pretty well to plan and I get Bill sound checked…but when I plug my guitar in there’s a problem. My Quad Cortex is goosed. I try various power options in case it’s a voltage issue but nothing works so I end up having to DI my guitars into the PA. Not great, but at least it makes a noise!
The event is advertised as 2.30pm gate for a 3pm start but of course folks start rolling up early…some as much as an hour which kinda stresses me out as any time I’d made up by being organised and making sure everything was well prepped in advance has been consumed with the Quad Cortex issue.
Regardless, we manage to stay on track and the garden’s full of folks when Bill kick things off at 3pm.
We take turns to play a few songs each and then do a couple together at the end – and apart from a few showers the weather’s pretty much on our side.
By the time everyone’s gone and we’re tidied up it’s nearly 8pm and Margaret gets dinner sorted. Mikey had been going to camp up the loch side but at nearly 30 quid to pitch a wee tent for the night we decided he couch was a better option.
After a few hours shovelling stones…the new ‘outdoor toilet area is ready for tomorrow’s (Saturday) garden concert…
AFTER breakfast I get straight to clearing the secluded back corner of our garden that we use as a (men’s) outdoor toiler area during garden gigs.
It’s a muddy, messy space with lots of old plant pots, garden bits and bobs…and the log splitter. I get bitten to death by midges!
Once cleared I put down some weed barrier then it’s a case of shovelling and barrowing the pile of gravel from our side door to the ‘toilet area’. I’m knackered pretty quick!
Margaret comes and helps spread the gravel and we put down a couple of slabs then the archway thing Margaret bought to put up a shower curtain for privacy.
Next job is getting the gazebos out and part erected then I make some sugo and pasta dough for tonight’s dinner.
I’m not long done when Bill and Dorthy arrive and we have a grand evening of chat, food and drinks…’til after 2am…
THE KIDS have us awake at the crack of dawn and I get some sourdough in the oven.
Just as well we’re up and around early as Margaret gets a message from AO saying they’ll be delivering our fridge freezer in 15 minutes.
After breakfast I get on with some work and Margret takes the kids to feed the ducks and a wee walk to see Betty.
Willie and Craig roll up in a wee tipper with a load of gravel from our pal Sandy and dump it at the side door. We’re gonna try and level out the wee area at the side of the office that we use as a (men’s) toilet area when we host garden gigs.
I take a walk to the next village to pick up some local hydro stuff from Julie then it’s time to get the kids in the car and drop them at Carolyn and Steve’s in Buchlyvie on our way to Gartmore for dinner at Duncan and Irene’s.
NO LONG lie today as I have a 9am online session with one of my guitar students.
The new fridge/freezer is due to be delivered tomorrow. After emptying the freezer into bags and taking it to Betty’s garage I clear a route out the merch store and office and we move it outside. Although the fridge stopped working, the freezer was still going.
There’s some bits and bobs to be done around a Brighton show at Komedia in March then I get busy with some other design work – need new shirts and a new backdrop soon.
I’m heading out for a walk up the lochside when Will drops off the kids for the night. When I get back my walk, Margaret has a meeting at the village hall so I have the kids for a couple hours. We feed the ducks and go for a walk, then I dig the old Wii out the studio and set it up in the house for Aaron to play.
WE HAVE A bit of a long lie then start the unpacking and putting away. Not just the music stuff, but all the camping gear too.
It’s not raining so I get the sleeping pad unfurled and out to make sure there’s no dampness and then spread the tent out – it was pretty wet when we packed up on Sunday morning. There’s a light breeze which helps things dry off pretty quick then we get it all repacked and put away.
Margaret decides to go on a shopping trip into Glasgow and I spend some time in the studio editing a wee reel of clips from Saturday’s set at Uptoon Blues Festival. Margaret managed to capture three or four songs on my phone – I did take the GoPro but stupidly left the memory card in the computer.
I get some much-needed fresh air and exercise with a walk up the lochside then get some prep done for dinner before Margaret gets back with the shopping.
Grand time playing Upton Blues Festival…despite the intense heat
IT’S RAINING when we wake up. I go to the toilet and get our coffee mugs out the car then make us a coffee inside the tent.
We have some croissants and then the rain goes off and we join our fellow campers and pals before taking the gear to load in at the acoustic roots stage. Christine and Tony from Blues in Britain magazine are set up at the entrance and are also helping with everyone’s merch.
I’m not on ‘til evening but enjoying hanging out and catching up with other folks playing and meeting some new folks too.
The backstage area has everything anyone could ask and the place is rammed with folks from the moment it opens.
It’s really, really muggy and warm tho’ – not just in the venue but everywhere – and I struggle with the heat during my set but all goes well and the sound is fantastic. And an amazing crowd. Trevor joins me on my final song, Loch Lomond Home.
There’s another r couple of acts after me – Trevor and his band and then Dom Martin who does a solo acoustic set, We all hang out and it’s great to have the chance to watch (and hear) some great performances.
We get to Upton in time to catch our pal Pat on the Riverside stage…
WE MANAGE to get away just after 8am and take it in turns to drive to Upton with a few stops along the way.
There’s a few delays and jams along the way but we mange to find our camping area just after 4pm, get the tent up and wander down to the riverside stage to catch our pal Pat playing.
After picking up some supplies at a shop in the town we drop off at the tent, stop in at the acoustic roots stage then hit the meadow and have some grub and drink.
Then back to the acoustic stage for the last act and then the tent. We stir with Trev, Emma and Trev’s brother Kev and have a couple glasses of wine then turn in for the night.
I NEED to get the WIldcats’ brass pins finished, packed and sent out today so get busy in the office.
I take a break when a guy from Glasgow comes to check out the camera gear I have for sale and, thankfully, takes it. Good to get rid of it not only to get some dosh, but also because it was taking up space in the studio.
Once the pins are finished I start packing to send off and realize I only have a couple jiffy bags left. Damn. I order some more and then spend some time ,making do with envelopes, bubble wrap and packing tape.
While dealing with that I engrave some bar blade bottle openers to have in the merch bag for the weekend.
Eventually I vacate the office and Margaret gets in to sort the merch. I hit the studio to rehearse then pack the gear and start loading the car ready for an early start in the morning.
As well as merch and music gear, we also need to sort and pack all the camping stuff. Oooffft.
THE COMPUTER is having a meltdown in the studio when I try and set up for an online guitar session. I start it off on my phone and when the computer finally plays ball we switch over.
Dawn arrives for her lesson just as I finish the online session then I have a half hour break before another student on Zoom.
In between times there’s a few orders in for the brass Wildcats’ pins so I nip in and out the office to do some work on them.
After lunch I start a batch of tote bags with the new logo. Is quite laborious but I get through our stock of blank bags then go for a walk up the lochside.
We have dinner at the local pub with Betty then go back to hers for a drink before wandering home.
The brass Wildcats’ pin gets a fair bit of interest 🙂
THE DAY starts with a relatively free diary -– only two major tasks on today’s to-do list.
Disruption doesn’t take long to cast its shadow and I end up having to spend the entire morning sorting out some website related problems. Ah well.
After lunch I get some promo done for Saturday’s appearance at Upton Blues Festival before sorting out the media assets for the imminent Still Friends PR and promo.
I put the limited edition brass Wildcats’ pins on sale in a special Wildcats-only section in my online store.
My late afternoon guitar student arrives for a session after which I see there’s a few orders in for the Wildcats’ pins. I get busy!
Our pal Tom stops by to chat through some local community stuff. It’s nearly 11pm when he leaves I m,are some steak tacos for a rather late dinner.
Final video clip from my recent show at The Glad Cafe, Glasgow
USUAL Monday early rise to get the sourdough in the oven – more important this week as Mikey found some chanterelles yesterday and we’re gonna have them for breakfast.
The mushrooms on fresh toasted sourdough make for a great breakfast then I get some work done before a mid-morning session with one of my online guitar students.
Before Mikey heads off I create a mock up image of a shed he hopes to put up in his garden in Dundee.
After lunch Margaret goes to get some shopping – we need milk and yogurt amongst other things as our ‘extra’ fridge in the merchant store has finally croaked and most stuff in it has gone off 🙁
She also posts off the customer spurtle earrings, pin and complimentary pendant.
I finish editing the official Still Friends video – the single drops 11 August – so I can give the Wildcats a preview in tonight’s Facebook livestream.
I also edit the last live clip from the recent show at The Glad Cafe to include in the livestream
The livestream goes smoothly and I manage to get out for a quick walk before dinner’s ready 🙂
ANOTHER scortchio day – I get to work finishing the custom spurt order then hit the studio.
Once I get a set list made up for next Saturday’s show at Upton Blues Festival I run through some of the songs.
I think I’ll just take one steel guitar plus the banjo and acoustasonic as space int eh air is gonna be tight with all the camping stuff.
There’s a message from someone on Facebook who, back in February, made an offer on the camera stuff I had for sale then promptly disappeared. I’m naturally cautious they’re back in touch and after a few messages and a phone call from his brother-in-law a provisional arrangement has been made for him to come and see the stuff on Thursday afternoon.
Mikey’s arrived and is staying the night. I make some fresh pasta with wild garlic and an Italian sausage sugo. Once we’ve eaten we chill and watch Billy’s monthly livestream. they’re over form Florida and staying at their ‘other’ house in Invergowrie for a few months…and coming here in a coupla weeks for the garden gig.
Spurtle earrings and pendant taking shape…still a bit of work to do!
MORE work to be done on the customer spurtle earrings, pendant and pin…I get busy.
In the studio I record some audio clips for a radio show whose host has asked me to pick four influential songs and two of my own and record some intros to each.
It’s another lovely day and I decide to experiment with a GoPro to see if I can livestream from it…my test is to play Walk the Walk in the garden. And it works
I do a little more editing on what will be the official video for Still Friends then we walk along to Barbara and Thortens. They’ve got the grill on and invited us along for dinner.
Fiona joins us and we have a grand evening eating, drinking and chatting outside despite me getting stung on the tongue by a wasp that had got inside my bottle of beer!
Still a bit of finishing to do – and I think I wanna make them a little bigger…
AN email came in last night form one of the stars of the Golden Spurtle film that premiered in Copenhagen a few months ago..she was given one of the spurtle pins I was commissioned to make and she’d like some earrings to match.
After breakfast I get busy and by the time my new Romanian guitar student is online at midday I’ve got some prototype castings done.
After the guitar session I do some work out eh castings to tidy them up a bit. This is the laborious and often difficult part. I think they’re maybe a little on the small side. But send the customer some photos to see if we’re on the right track.
Margaret and Nixie have gone across to the island and aren’t back when I get the bus to the village for a doctor’s appointment. I’ve a painful left elbow and it feels very similar to bursitis I had in the elbow ten years ago. There’s so swelling it ‘heat’ tho’.
The doc reckons it’s not a bursitis and I just need to take it easy and see if it sorts itself out.
I have a nice walk home from the village and we sit int he garden and blether for a while.
Margaret’s made up some pinchos skewers for dinner which I cook outside on the grill….suddenly it’s 1.30am and we all head off to bed.
Just chillin’ – when it gets choppy but the wind’s in your favor why fight it…just go with the flow and take a break!
NOT long finished breakfast and got the day’s routine tasks out the way when Fiona arrives…we’ve planned a paddle for this morning.
It’s a lovely day but we’re not long out the bay when the wind’s starts to pick up a little. When we stop on the beach at Port Bawn on the far end of Inchailloch we notice the wind getting stronger and white horses start to appear.
We decide to head for home and come down the other side of the island. The wind’s is kinda in our favor so after battling a while to stay upright we decided to sit down – or in my case, lie down – and let the wind take us homeward.
The sun’s still shining when we get back tot he house so we sit in the garden and have a coffee before Fiona heads off.
After lunch I get busy with some promo for Friday’s release of Walk the Walk then start the video edit for the next single – Still Friends –which drops 8 August.
FREYA has us awake at 6.30am – which means I get my sourdough in the oven at a decent time!
I’ve managed to get through a fair bit of work before my mid-morning Zoom guitar student.
Joel and Maggi stop by and drop off Rosie for Freya – she’s crazy about dogs – to look after for a few hours.
Margaret takes Freya and Rosie for a walk and a picnic while I get busy int eh studio.There a couple of videos I wanna get edited up which also gives me some extra content for tonight’s Wildcats’ livestream on Facebook.
There’s an order in for another leather bookmarks which I get busy with then Joel and Maggi come to collect Rosie and we have a coffee and a chat. Around the same time Will comes to get Freya.
I have time for a quick wander up the hill before the livestream…then dinner and some telly.
AFTER a lazy morning drinking coffee and dealing with emails and social media we have breakfast then I get busywith stuff.
First job is cleaning the grate from the smoker and some general tidying up outside.
With the release of Walk the Walk coming up on Friday (11 July) there’s another phase of work – website landing pages and a Spotify pre-save, prep for a preview release on Bandcamp, special media banners with links to the pre-save and a vertical edit of the video.
Then I create a teaser reel for all my socials.
Catriona arrives with Freya and we have a coffee then I finish off in the studio.
When the rain stops I take Freya or a walk then drop her at the house and wander a little more on my own.
ONCE the routine stuff’s done I get into the office and finishthe paperweight stands for Will. I bend the acrylic into shape with a heat gun – knowing when they’re reached optimum flexibility before melting is key.
There’s some other stuff I wanna do and need to try and get my head round 3D design tools – specifically Nomad Sculpture on the iPad. It’s complicated and daunting and I don’t; really know where to start.
I try and follow some ‘crash course’ tutorials but, as usual, there are some initial hurdles that go unexplained and make things difficult. Or maybe it’s just me!
The Stirling Observer has run the story and photo I sent from the community hydro society. I use the clipping to create graphic and share it on the hydro’s socials. At the same time I’m reminded that none of my fellow board members ever share or like the posts so I send a reminder round the group email and bump my gums about how the hydro socials need traction and if they can’t like and. Share how can they expect anyone else to do so.
A courier drops off some locking tuners and power pins from music supplier Thomann so I set about fitting out the ‘Frankencaster’ acoustasonic that I put together as a ‘house guitar’.
It’s been a miserable day outside and I’ve not managed to get out for a walk or anything before I light a chimney full of charcoal and prepare the grill for Vietnamese beef.
The leather bookmarks are now on general sale here
THERE’S a bunch of the Conic Hill bookmarks to be finished for various pick ups and online orders that need to go out today. I’ve been pleasantly surprised by the interest in them.
In between finishing stages I finish off some other orders and make progress on others.
I’m only just finished when a customer drops by to pick up a couple of the bookmarks and then I get a call to meet another customer in the village with a whole batch of them.
We need some shopping and I’d planned to go into Glasgow but by the time I have gig posters, album promo packs and various merch orders all packed up with postage labels I’m short of time so take them to Balloch and pick up the essentials.
Back home I finish off the promo work for next week’s release of Walk the Walk then Betty arrives to join us for dinner.
Packaging stickers and paper weight stands for Manson Glass…
A BIT of a rush to get over to the studio and set up for my first online session of the day.
We’re trying out an app called JackTrip to get around the audio latency using Zoom, A test at the weekend has both myself and my student optimistic that it’ll work.
It does, and we’re able to work much more closely.
As we finish the session my in-person guitar student rocks up. Right after she leaves I have another online session…then the lessons are done for the day.
I have a load of the bookmarks to get done and the positive has delivered some leather supplies so I get busy with that.
I also have an order in for a couple of sets of slate coasters and there’s a big batch of packaging stickers and paperweight stands to be done for son-in-law Will (Manson Glass). And, of course, everything’s urgent.
In between setting up machines and running jobs I get the smoker fired up and a bacon-wrapped pork loin on the go for tonight’s dinner…Barbara and Thorsten are coming along.
I make good progress on everything and even manage to get some radio promo done for next Friday’s release of Walk the Walk before our dinner guests arrive.
I’VE just finished a load of online stuff when a courier drops off an order of materials, including some clear acrylic.
Will needs a load of paperweight stands made up and I ran out of acrylic. After cutting the big sheets to size I set about making the stands.
In the studio I prepare a news release for next Friday’s (11 July) release of Walk the Walk. That also includes private streaming links and access to an assets folder with tagged .wav and .mp3 versions of the track, a lo-res preview version of the video, cover art and the news release. Phew.
My afternoon guitar student has brought this electric guitar so I take him to the studio for the lesson…tight for space, but I manage to squeeze him and his mum into the control room with me.
An email comes in from another Kickstarter backer in Germany…another package hasn’t shown up and sent it on 2 June. I check the tracking and – like the other one that has ‘gone missing’ – seems it hasn’t made it past our sorting office. I’ll send another package off tomorrow.
Finally I get ready for a paddle. Fiona rocks up and we spend a good hour or two on the loch.
The leather Conic Hill bookmark! Available to order here
A NEW trustee on the local community trust drops by to get a photo taken for the website then I get online for a session with a Zoom guitar student.
My OCD has me messing with potential finishes for the Conic Hill leather bookmark. I get a version I like and decide to make it available in the West Highland Way Gifts’ online store.
I have a load of other stuff to get through in the office and eventually get to the studio to prep for tonight’s Wildcats’ livestream on Facebook.
AFTER breakfast burritos in the garden I get busy with some work.
There’s some design and production considerations for a short run of bookmarks.
Before I start messing with artwork I need to known the format the customer would like…and also what kind of leather, faux leather etc he would like.
I outline some options and fire off an email then label up the replacement Kickstarter package to go to Germany.
In the studio I look out the window various ‘bits’ of the defunct acoustasonic and try matching things until I get a workable outcome.
It works and although the guitar couldn’t be sold with the drill mess at the neck joint it’s stable enough and everything works 🙂
I order a set of locking tuners and power points for the bridge.
A reply from the bookmark client gives me a heads up on design. I trawl through some photos I have of Conic Hill but none are suitable…it’s not windy so I stick the drone up and grab a snap to use as a reference for the graphics. I also snap an aerial pic of Balmaha bay.
Nice to catch up with Phyllis and a bunch of other folks at the village hall’s centenary event
AFTER our breakfast burritos– been a while since I made ’em – I get busy with emails and stuff.
A message from a Kickstarter backer in Germany tells me her reward package hasn’t shown up.
I investigate and see it was sent internationally tracked on 2 June…tracking shows it’s never made it past Glasgow! I can’t raise a claim until 20 days after latest promise delivery date (?!?!?) and experience tells me it can take 30 days more just to have the claim acknowledged.
It’s not the customer’s fault so I let them know what’s happened and get a replacement package sorted to go to the post office on Monday.
Our village hall has a 100th anniversary celebration event – not really my cup ’o tea but important to show some support – so I take a walk along. Margaret’s gonna drive so I’ll see her there.
I spend what turns out to be a nice hour or two catching up with folks then wander home.
In the studio I tackle the Still Friends compilation video that wouldn’t render yesterday. After a lot of trial and error I find one clip that’s causing the problem. A short 15-second clip from a show at Kilmaronock Old Kirk.
I reimported the video but the same thing happens so I end up having to replace it before re-doing the end credits sequence with lists all the venues in the video. I deleted it yesterday thinking that was what was causing the problem.
Upon done, I go back to the house light a chimney-full time touring musician, singer/songwriter of charcoal and prepared to make smash burgers for dinner. Nice.
A HYDRO Society board meeting first thing lasts the whole morning and is mostly productive.
After lunch I take the bus to the village to pick up a prescription and start walking back. I only get about 1/3-way home before the rain comes. Big style. I call Margaret and get a lift home.
There’s a few issues with Apple IDs, billing set up and family sharing so we spend a good while sorting it out with help from someone at Apple. The support is pretty good.
In the studio I carry on with my idea of compiling a load of live clips of Still Friends into one video. I wanna keep the original sound from each video rather than just use the images and edit to the studio version.
I get it pretty much done but for some reason there’s an issue trying to export the final movie.
No time to mess around any more tho’ as we’re going along to Betty’s to take down her kitchen curtains and pre-dinner aperitifs.
THE phone rings while I’m in the shower…it’s Forth Valley Hospital offering me a cancellation appointment at 11am.
My dentist referred me a few months ago ’cos they’ve been concerned about a ‘thing’ on my tongue for the last few years.
I have an online guitar student at 9am but nothing else in the diary for the rest of the morning. My usual in-person student can’t come this week.
Margaret drives to the hospital and I’m seen by a specialist who reckons all’s fine and nothing to worry about. Just keep an eye on it (my tongue, that is!).
The oil light’s coming on in the car just a month after a service and a very expensive oil leak fix. We call onto Arnold Clark in Stirling where they top up the oil and book the car in for a ‘software update’ next week.
Back home I cut the grass, do some trimming then continue video editing in the studio until an occasional student arrives for a session.
After the lesson I work on a new idea for a social media ad for live shows. I wanna get an ad up and running for September’s show at The Met in Bury.
AFTER breakfast I finish off a wee keyring I’ve made for Freya’s swimming locker.
In the studio I back up my daily blog posts and pix then start looking out live videos of Still Friends. I’ve had a notion to try editing together loadsa live clips and see how it looks.
A courier delivers an Anker (C1000X) solar generator that I ordered from Costco at a bargain price. It’ll be good for our summer festival camping…and indispensable during our frequent power cuts.
I’m keen to see if it’ll power our PA system and the Quad Cortex so I take it to the studio and try it out. No problem. And it looks like it could power the entire rig for 14 or 15 hours. And unlike a petroleum generator it’s silent.
I can see us getting hold of some solar panels to charge it!
After my late afternoon guitar student leaves I get out for a wander up the lochside.
Margaret comes home with some shopping which we put away then tackle some of the Still Friends video clips in the studio. It’s gonna be a bit of a fuddle but looks like it might work 🙂
