AFTER breakfast I get busy in the office finishing off some merch for Saturday’s gig at the local village hall.
The hall has been re-decorated since last year’s show and although it’s nice and fresh, the walls are all white – even round the stage area. Doesn’t make for a great gig setting!
We have some old blacks and, of course, my own backdrop, but the pole we used to hang them on has ‘disappeared’. Chucked out, I suspect, by some of the more enthusiastic clearer uppers.
Anyway, Margaret ordered a coupe of potential replacements online and also picked up some thin gauge metal tubing so we go along to the hall to see what might work.
The metal tubing suffers a bit of sag in the middle so we try the extending pole form Amazon which is much more rigid. We can use the shorter lengths of metal pole to hang blacks at the sides of the stage.
I get some tidying up done in the studio then head for a walk up the lochside and do a couple of livestream updates to my socials.
When I get back it’s time to go to the dump where I get rid of a lot of crap form the studio.
Betty joins us for dinner – beef, ancho and butternut squash chilli – and we have a nice chilled evening before I run her home.
AN ONLINE guitar session first thing immediately followed by an in-person lesson.
As soon as I’m clear I take the acoustasonic guitar body up to a pal in Rowardennan to drill new holes in the neck pocket. He has an industrial-grade taper drill which should be pretty accurate.
We get three of the four holes done perfectly then the drill bit gets stuck and breaks in the fourth hole. Fuck.
Rather than risk damaging the guitar body by trying to drill it out or whatever I decide to call it a day and see if the carbon fiber neck with mount with just three holes.
Back home I have lunch then put the neck on the guitar. Fits perfectly and feels fine, but when the strings are on it’s a little unstable. Useable, but unstable. It really needs the fourth bolt.
A search online and I find a used version of same guitar that ‘should’ take the new neck without drilling or any other mods. I order it and, all being well, will have one solid guitar and another that I can afford to risk working on to sort.
I start the studio tidy-up and break down some old cupboards to take to the dump tomorrow.
AFTER a morning Zoom guitar student I open up two boxes containing shelving units for the studio.
There’s a zillion bits in each – and one of the joining brackets is bizarrely bent completely out of shape. I manage to sort it with the help of a vice.
In the office I find the drill stand I bought and ‘thought’ fitted my drill doesn’t fit. The box and stuff long since discarded so it’s a bit of a white elephant.
I attempt to drill some holes in the neck pocket of a guitar and make a right royal fuck up of it. Mmmm…back to the drawing board.
I fill the holes and decide to see of anyone has a drill that might fit my press.
Back to the studio and shelf building which takes the rest of the day until Margaret comes home with the shopping.
AFTER my usual Monday morning bread-making routine I hit the studio for an online session with a guitar student.
It’s not great weather, but it’s dry and not too windy so I grab the wee drone and the banjo and make a quick video for my socials. A Kickstarter update saying that although the campaign is now funded there’s still 17 days to go and further backers will be supporting promotion of the new album.
The studio is a complete mess and a courier drops off some shelving units. No time to make them up now, but hopefully I’ll get a start later. I have video to edit to spin into tonight’s Wildcats’ livestream.
My afternoon guitar student arrives with her mum and we have a good session and blether. Then it’s back to the studio to edit the videos.
I manage to get one of the shelving units unboxed….but there’s a million pieces to put together so I don’t get very far.
Freya’s got ice skating in Stirling at midday so they all head off soon after we finish eating.
I have someone coming for a triple guitar session after lunch then I spend some time working on stuff in the studio.
We take a run to the village hall to see what we might need to do to hang up the backdrop and black at Saturday’s show.
The place was re-decorated last year and while it’s nice and fresh, the stage area is now white and all looking a bit stark and sterile. Not so gig friendly!!
WE have a long lie, deal with emails/socials and watch Saturday Kitchen in bed with coffee.
After breakfast Margaret puts her pressure washer to test and seems to have fun cleaning the patio slabs and the front path. I go to the village to get some milk and rolls for tomorrow – Catriona and the kids are coming to stay tonight.
I’m not long back when they roll up and after a coffee and cake we take the kids a walk up Conic Hill…a new adventure for them.
It’s the first time I’ve been up the hill since the path works and it’s made a bit of a difference underfoot. The kids are getting tired and it’s starting to get dark so we only go up as far as the ridge then pick our way down toward Manse Bay. It’s dark before we’re down and there’s some tricky bits. We’re thankful for the lights on our phones.
I get a little work done while the kids are fed and get ready for bed then go back to the house to say goodnight and knock up chicken enchiladas for dinner.
A couple of pro type acoustic guitar pins – solid brass (right) and solid brass with epoxy (left)
VALENTINE’S Day. We don’t pay too much attention but we do swap cards.
We also both ignored our ‘no gifts’ rule. Margaret’s got me a nice gig shirt…and I’ve got her a….erm…power washer! She’s been wanting one for ages.
I do a little work on some prototype brass guitar pins. The first sound hole goes right through the brass so I fill it with black epoxy. The next one is more like I intend. I quite like both versions.
In the studio I try to tidy up a bit and start setting up the space to begin recording sessions for the new album…it’s looking like the Kickstarter is gonna reach it’s target 🙂
Late afternoon the wind’s died down a bit – I haven’t had a paddle in a month and decide to head out on the loch for half-an-hour.
Back in the studio I do a video Kickstarter update, post it around my socials then head back to the house to make dinner.
After our black pepper beef noodles we watch a little telly and I find an email from Kickstarter telling me that Creative Scotland has supported the campaign through its Forward Funder scheme.
That, along with a couple more generous pledges this evening, means I just need £78 more in pledges to reach the £4,000 target. Happy days!
A still from Meet me in the City video footage at the Voodoo Rooms, Edinburgh
WE SLEEP in and I’m not feeling 100%…there does seem to be some kind of lurgy hangin’ around me.
After doing some Kickstarter promo to my mail list using the live Still Friends video from Saturday as a hook I deal with my socials.
Next job is pulling some stills from the footage of Meet me in the City with me playing the guitar Geoff Peck put together for me. He’s asked for some pix.
I sneak into the office to make a Valentine’s card for Maragret. I don’t agree with all the hype and commercial crap so refuse to spend money on Valentine-specific stuff (although I have ordered a surprise gift for her)…but wanna have a card for her. For as long as I remember I’ve made my own Valentine’s, birthdays etc cards.
I go and pick up Betty and bring her along for dinner and we have a grand night catching up before I drive her home.
AN EARLY start to get the old PA from the studio to the house before my morning guitar lessons. Someone has bought via Facebook and is coming to collect later.
The first guitar session is online in the studio and followed immediately with one of my weekly in-person students at the house.
All go good and there’s a few minutes after the in-person session before the buyer arrives to pick up the PA.
Margaret’s away with the car all day so I need to get the bus to Balloch for my session at the school. The service isn’t;t that regular so I get to Balloch a good hour and a bit early.
It’s colder than I expect when I get off the bus and I’m starting to need a piss so go to a coffee shop, meet my needs and stray warm with a coffee and WiFi.
The school session is good but West Dunbartonshire Council is completely useless in sorting out my PVG/disclosure and still haven’t even responded to repeated requests form both myself and the school.
The scheme requires ‘the employer’ to start the process but while it’s a requirement the council still hasn’t bothered.
Back home I investigate and find I can join the PVG scheme via the Musicians’ Union (MU). I start the ball rolling. Fuck the council folks.
Fiona’s coming for dinner and I’m making fresh pasta…by the time she arrives I’m covered in flour 🙂
FREYA has us awake and up at the crack of dawn and I get my sourdough in the oven.
I have a lot of stuff to get done in the studio and Margaret takes Freya swimming. They get the bus to the village and I’ll go and pick them up later.
Meantime, I pack the car with stuff to go to the dump later. Shoulda gone ages ago but opening times and the availability of ‘appointments’ have made it awkward. While I completely disagree with folks dumping stuff, I can see how frustration might tempt them to do just that!
I bring Margaret and Freya home, we have lunch then I get back to work until it’s time to head to the dump. Catriona’s meeting us in the car park nearby to collect Freya.
