NO SOURDOUGH to go in the oven as we weren’t back in time yesterday for the dough to be made. Instead, Margaret prepped some overnight oats.
After a weekly session with one of my online guitar students I get some stuff together for the folks behind the Rock.Scot radio station – I’ll be presenting an alt.blues show when it goes live on FM, DAB and online towards the end of next month (April).
We’re both still suffering with the remains of the lurgy so go for a swim and visit to the steam room and sauna in the hope it might help.
After lunch I get busy editing some video from last week’s gigs to spin into tonight’s Wildcats’ livestream on Facebook, taking a break for my late afternoon guitar students.
Suddenly it’s 8pm and time to go live…all goes to plan after I sort out some sound issues then it’s back home for some dinner.
Playing to a small. It perfectly-formed crowd at Komedia, Brighton.
THE lurgy’s still lurking around us both when we wake up…not as bad as it’s been tho’.
We have a lazy morning at the Premier Inn. I edit some video clips and share videos, posts and links round socials as my ‘day of show’ promo for tonight’s gig at Komedia in Brighton.
It’s only 60 or 70 miles to Brighton and we take the on-motorway route which allows us to stop at a nice wee pub for lunch. Our first proper meal since Wednesday, The travelling and schedule has made it difficult to have anything other than sandwiches, snacks and stuff.
After checking in to out Travelodge and short drive into Brighton we load in and soundcheck. It’s a nice venue – but an expensive hire for a self promo show – and engineer Steve is good and helpful. Despite good local and regional press and a heap of both organic and paid socials ticket sales have been slow both via my own Eventbrite ticket and venue box office. Nevertheless, the small crowd, none of whom have seen me before, is appreciative and enthusiastic and we have a grand evening.
NEITHER of us wake up before 10am….and still full of lurgy. Jeez. Tonight’s show ain’t gonna be easy!
At lease we have a completely chilled day and I spend some of it Fiona tuning my (this!) website on it’s new server.
Turns out the West End Centre is just five minutes’ drive from our hotel and we’re greeted by Corrina who welcomes us with coffee while we await sound engineer Julie and lighting tech Allan.
Set up is a breeze and the folks here couldn’t b nicer or more efficient.
We’re pleasantly surprised by both ticket sales and walk ups and despite feeling crap I think I manage to pull off a decent performance. Certainly the feedback form the audience indicates all’s good 🙂
After a stop off for some supplies at the supermarket close by the hotel we’re back and settled before midnight.
AN EARLY start to get the gear and merch sorted and the car packed for our trip south.
The first show is tomorrow (Friday) but it’s a fair drive to Aldershot and we’re both full of the lurgy so better to get there tonight and be able to relax a bit tomorrow.
Before we leave I see my website migration to the new host is complete so I change the DNS (domain name servers) and hope the propagation goes quick and there’s minimum downtime.
Our journey is uneventful and we swap driving duties more often than usual as we’re both feeling shit. Halfway to Aldershot I see the website stuff is all sorted….yay – looks like weeks’ of messing about coulda been avoided if I’d just bitten the bullet and done this first!
There’s a supermarket beside our Premier Inn and we pick up some supplies and get checked in by 10.30pm. Been a long day…
FIRST, a 9am session with one of my online guitar students….then, just as I finish, an in-person guitar student arrives.
Once the morning lessons are all out the way I decide to try and move my website (davearcari.com) to a new hosting company to see if that helps my no/slow loading. I’m hoping it will decrease the load on the current server and allow all my other websites to ‘breathe’ and, if there’s a problem with the davearcari.com website maybe I’ll have enough server resources to do soem proper troubleshooting etc.
I start the migration process. It may take some time!
There’s video reels and other stuff to post round my socials to try and keep building traction for the Aldershot and Brighton shows on Friday and Saturday respectively then I make up set lists and prep some other stuff for the trip. We’re heading south tomorrow (Thursday).
I have two young guitar students for lesson late afternoon then we head to Doune to see Catriona and the kids – it’s Aaron’s sixth birthday. We have a grand couple of hours with them all – Carolyn, Joe and Karl are there too – then head for a late dinner.
DEFFO got the lurgy. Margaret had a restless night and although I slept OK I’ve woken up feeling shit.
Once the daily routine stuff is out the way I spend some more time back on the web server issues that are dragging things down. Today’s tasks are trying to Fiona some ways to reduce the load on the server.
Still feeling crap and decide to head out for a swim,,,and maybe a stint in the steam room and sauna will help. I enjoy the ‘me time’ but still don’t feel any better when I get home for a late lunch.
There’s some merch needing sorted in the office the the first of two in-person guitar students arrives.
By 7pm I’m done with the guitar lessons and get out to the office to finish off the merch..then into the studio tp set up for Fiona and her pal Mhairi coming to record some fiddle music for Barbara and Thorsten’s wedding on Saturday.
The session goes fine and by 10pm I’m back in the house for dinner…then an early night.
I’M STILL pretty burst – beginning to think we’ve got some kind of lurgy in addition to being knackered.
My online guitar session is a little earlier today as I have a meeting about presenting a blues show on a new radio station at 11am.
I head into Glasgow, have an interesting and productive meeting and it looks likes the new station will begin broadcasting on DAB, FM and online at the end of April.
Lunch is ready when I get back home then I get busy with mailing lists and other online stuff to promote this weekend’s gigs in Aldershot and Brighton.
Next tidy up some gear in the studio and start working on some video clips for tonight’s Wildcats’ livestream on Facebook before my afternoon guitar student rocks up.
Then it’s back to the studio for video editing and livestream prep…then the livestream….
Our French visitors – Mireille and Isabelle missing!
I’M UP at 7am to get the smoker going and three slabs of pork belly in the pit…then back to bed for a couple of hours.
We have breakfast then Jon and Maggi pack up and head off. I unload the gear we brought back last night then Margaret and I go back to the hall for the rest of the stuff.
The pork belly is all doing good on the smoker and we have time to chill for a while before prepping the rest of the food for our French pals – and Betty – who’re coming around 5pm.
We have a fantastic evening and manage to get to bed by midnight. Knackered.
UP EARLY to get the pork belly trimmed and rubbed ready for the smoker tomorrow – then we get the guitars, sound gear and cameras along to the hall. Glad we sorted the stage blacks, backdrop and most of the lighting yesterday.
While I set up the sound Margaret nips to the post office and stops at the pharmacy to pick up my prescription – pre-filled syringes with some stuff that, we hope, might help alleviate the mystery vomitting thing when it starts next.
We manage to get everything set up and soundchecked in tiem to get back to the house by 3pm. Our pals James and Alison are passing by and had asked if were gonna be around for a quick catch up…we ave a coffee and a blether then head back to the hall to in time for JonZip – my guest for tonight’s show – and Maggi arriving.
There’s a few merch-related things and some ambient lighting to sort then I get Jon soundchecked before going back to the house for an early dinner.
We’re back at the hall just after 7pm and have everything ready by the time doors open at 7.30pm. A full house by the time Jon takes the stage for a half-hour opening set then it’s my turn. I’m not exactly match fit – I’ll blame the hospital visits – but still have a grand time…and overall we have an excellent night.
A bit of a tidy up and we’re back at the house before midnight. Pizzas, drinks and chat ‘til 3am…think I’ll be sore in the morning – and glad to be off the drink ‘cos I need to get the smoker on the go before 8am for our French guests’ dinner….
