BEFORE I hit the studio I order a load of laser materials – some that I need for Manson Glass packaging stickers and a few other things I wanna try out.
I call the supplier to make sure all the stuff I want is in stock – the company website is great, but never shows if something is out of stock. In the past I’ve made an order only to get a call the next day to say some/all the items are out of stock and might take a few weeks!
There’s a few server issues to sort out for the Black Bull website – I’m having to move the website from Wix to the company the Black Bull’s domain name is registered with and put up a holding page while I revamp things. I need to change some nameservers and install an SSL certificate…and doing it myself due to awful customer service from the (inherited) hosting company. The lcn.com hosting packages are good, but I wouldn’t be recommending them to anyone given my experience with the support team.
There’s also some ticketing and event info to be sorted for an upcoming show at the Black Bull.
I’m watching Black Friday deals like a hawk and spent the last two or three months researching options for adding another laser to my merch production. There’s so much conflicting information on everything…so after assessing responses to my questions on some specialist forums and taking YouTube and other posts from (probably paid) influencers with a large pinch of salt I find an unmissable Black Friday deal, pull the trigger and max out the credit card (again!). Watch this space…
Next I sort the pizza dough for later then head for a walk up the lochside.
Back in the studio I run through a few songs and new ideas then create some poster art for my March show in Brecon for the Mid-Wales Rhythm & Blues Club with my Estonian pl Andres Roots.
It’s after 9pm when I get back to the house and fore up the pizza oven….
Great show from Jill Jackson at the Black Bull, Gartmore…
AFTER my guitar student heads off I hit the studio and start a claim for a missing pack of foreign currency I sent off to TravelFX – the folks we use for foreign currency buy back.
The special delivery, guaranteed delivery by 1pm next day enevelope with a significant amount of currency was sent on 8 November. Tracking stopped on 10 November at a local delivery office down south. The claim process is a pain in the ass, but hopefully I’ve supplied all the stuff Royal Mail requires.
I have some Manson Glass stickers to finish off for Will then I head out for a quick walk up the lochside.
We’re now half full for the January guitar workshop – just four places left and I make up some ‘you’re in’ acrylic cards so folks booked on at least have ‘a thing’…I’ll post them off tomorrow…
We have an early dinner then head to Gartmore to see my pal Jill Jackson…and other pals Duncan and Cy. We have a great night 🙂
Duncan and Cy play a cracking set opening for Jill…
Chinatown lunch with a bunch of pals including Jill Jackson and John Cavanagh….
AFTER some video editing and other routine stuff I head into Glasgow.
First stop is an optician appointment where I find I don’t need a new prescription…it’s cataracts that are messing up my vision. I have an appointment with a consultant at the eye hospital next month so I’ll discuss with them.
Next stop is the Chinatown restaurant for lunch with a bunch of pals – an annual get-together originally organised by our mutual pal, the late, great Rab Noakes and continued in his memory. Great to catch up with everyone – and great dim sum to boot.
Margaret had planned to drop me and get some shopping while I have lunch – but the heat pump installation engineer is there so she’s stayed home. Good news is the heat pump install is set for next week!
I go first to Costco, then Tesco before getting stuck in a. traffic jam for an hour or so. It’s dark when I get home – and Margaret’s not only dealt with the heat pump stuff and booked a couple of gigs but also managed to clear the pipes and drains out front. Our shower’s not been draining very well and an unwelcome swamp (don’t ask!) has appeared in the front garden – some fine roots had found their way onto he pipe and caused a blockage.
In the studio I finish editing another promo for January’s guitar workshop then head back to the house and make dinner.
AS USUAL a busy day full of in-person and online guitar lessons…no sourdough, tho’ – I was late sorting the starter yesterday so it’ll get prepped this morning and baked tomorrow (Tuesday).
I need to make a shorter, snappier promo video for the upcoming guitar workshop so in between Zoom sessions I tidy the live room at the studio and start setting up for some filming.
WOKEN UP full of the cold – no time to wallow in it tho’…lots to get done today!
A West Highland Way Gifts’ order for earrings that I don’t have leads me to search the office for the right colour of acrylic to make some up. Luckily I find some and get busy.
I hit the studio while Margaret starts fitting a patch of carpet into the space where the new stove is getting installed tomorrow (Monday).
While the video from the Czech trip is being ingested into the editor I take some pix of old camera gear that I’m keen to sell then get it listed on Facebook Marketplace.
Back in the house I help Margaret with the carpet cutting. It’s a difficult job and probably best left to an experienced carpet fitter but we have no time – or money…so it’s a DIY job.
We take a break from the carpet and I go back to the studio to record some guitar ideas for the co-write Elaine and I are working on.
Then it’s back to the carpet, dinner ..then more carpet….
I’M KNACKERED despite a good night’s sleep…and head straight in to the office to sort out some West Highland Way Gifts’ stuff to take along to Anna’s.
The office is a bit of a bomb site with music merch and stuff from the Czech trip but I get some stuff sorted and head along to Anna’s a couple of villages away. Anna sells Tropic stuff and is hosting an open house/drop-in Christmas gift event and has invited me along.
We have a grand few hours drinking coffee, eating cake and chatting in between visits from locals and pals.
It’s 6pm when I get home and Margaret’s busy cleaning the carpets having done some prep on the space where the new stove is to be installed on Monday.
Found this photo from the stage at last n night’s show…
UP EARLY to get a shower, finish packing and breakfast before our driver comes to pick us up at 8.45am.
A three-and-a-half hour drive to Prague airport – the longest part of our journey between home and Czech!
Our flight is delayed by half an hour or so but we have plenty of time for our changeover at Heathrow…enough, even, to allow us to stop at Wagamama for an early dinner.
The flight to Edinburgh is full and it appears there’s not enough space for everyone’s hand luggage. Margaret has to check hers at the gate and explains she has glass item that are fragile. She’s (extremely) rudely told she needs to take them out and carry them (they won’t fit in her handbag). Interestingly a. number of folks boarding after us seem to be allowed to take their even larger bags on board!
We’re clear of the airport just after 9pm, pick up the car and head for home, stopping off at the supermarket in Stirling for some shopping….
HAVING arrived at the hotel so late last night and everything closed we’re starving when we head down to breakfast.
It’s a bit of an adventure as the three or four main buildings that make up the hotel are connected via a maze of underground passages and corridors.
Breakfast is good tho’ and we chat with Florida-based Albert Castiglia and his band. Nice guys and they’re playing right after me tonight.
We spend the day chillin’ and dealing with some online stuff before being picked up at 5pm and taken to the festival venue.
Load in is quick and easy and I have 45 minutes or so before the band in before me finishes and I do my line checks behind the scrims.
We go to the merch area and leave all my stuff there with the BluesAlive folks and grab a drink and a quick bite in the VIP area
Line check and all the tech goes smoothly. I get changed in my dressing room which has enough beer, drinks and snacks for a ten piece band then hit the stage.
The huge venue is packed and the crowd is mad for it….and I have a blast for my 50-minute set.
As soon as I’ve cleared the stage I head to the merch area and hang out chatting and signing stuff then we ‘re sent to the restaurant for dinner.
We finish in time to catch Albert Castiglia and chat with more folks before our driver takes us back to the hotel where we get some packing done ready of an early start in the morning….
UP early so we can be packed and on the road to Edinburgh airport by 9.30am.
Check in is smooth and we’re in Heathrow by lunchtime. We have a couple of hours so go for some grub….it’s gonna be late when we get to our hotel and everything is likely to be closed.
There’s the usual queues at non-EU passport control – and none at EU (thank you Brexit) – but at least all the bags and gear arrived safe.
Our driver Adam meets us at arrivals and we have a three hour drive to our hotel in Sumperk.
We arrive after midnight – the place is very grand but looks deserted. I check the guitars but am too tired to do much else….
