Volcanic Freak-Out

I've yet to see the cloud of volcanic ash from iceland that has apparently closed most of our airports...

Spent a nervous hour worrying about a tingling pain in my arm, only to discover a live fly stuck inside my sleeve. Had to stop myself from publicly ripping off my shirt in a totally freaked out kind of way.

Just had an email from Simon in Australia. He's sending over the piano parts for two new songs for the album. Can't wait to hear them later.

Tonka-tastic

The road is being resurfaced outside my house at night. Sounds of constantly reversing lorries from 11pm to 5 am. And I feel like a kid looking out of my window on a magical Tonka toy world. 

Have worked on the guide tracks to the 14 songs I'm recording for new album. Doing a lot of recording at night to the backdrop of reversing lorries. 

Meanwhile the politicians have all gone into 'vote for me because I'm better than them' mode. Something very depressing about a build up to an election. 

Keep Music Live

Just came back from a good long run. Along the way I passed one mitten, a kid's jacket, a kagool, a small pair of leggings, a ladies shoe with a broken heel, a wellington boot and a pair of old knickers. That's almost a whole outfit. Which reminded me of a fancy dress party I once went to as a cowboy, only to find out when I got there that the fancy-dress aspect of the party had been cancelled and no-one had told me. I managed to lose the hat but there was no disguising the tassle waistcoat and the homemade spurs glued to the back of the boots for the rest of the evening.

Just set up a recording date next month to record the drums for a new album of songs I've been working on. Really looking forward to it already. I've recorded the guide backing tracks for Mark [the drummer] to play along to and will record the rest of the parts when the drums are done after the 19th May. Be much cheaper to use sampled drums, but desperately trying to adhere to the old 'Keep Music Live' sticker on the back of one of my guitar amps. I had to tear off the 'Home Taping Is Killing Music' because it's the only way I can afford to record songs these days. 

Just rediscovering my old lost Teenage Fanclub records [bought the CDs cheap in Fopp last week]. About to rediscover The Sundays too...

RIP Malcolm McLaren

Something quite shocking about the death of Malcolm McLaren... I preferred the new wave that came directly after punk, but can remember the amazing, terrifying effect that the sex pistols had at the time. And I loved pogo-ing to friggin' in the riggin' which was about as anarchic as it got at the local teenage village disco... He couldn't play an instrument but knew how to form a band..... Rest in Noise.

Just spent a fortune in Fopp records. Too many bargain CDs at £3 that I always really really wanted... Or did I?

Now cutting a fine dash wearing shorts and sandals indoors for the first time this year.

Song: Easter

Good old Friday

Just like old times. Spent a lovely day working on the next album. Recorded some guitar tracks and guide vocals on Sleep With You Tonight, Roundabout & Forgotten When You're Gone. Emailed a couple of guide tracks over to Simon in Australia because I think he'll play the piano parts much better than me. I used to spend most of my days just doing this. Lovely to get back to playing music again.

Also gone 4 days now without having any alcohol. Obviously that was more to do with going into spasms every time I opened my mouth than self discipline, but it still feels like an achievement.

When I get a track finished I'm going to upload it here for a couple of days in unmixed form as a kind of tease to the three of you out there who will buy it....

Hand-delivered culinary normality

Just emerging from the spectre of yesterday's bug and starting to fancy some food again that doesn't need to be eaten with a straw.

I expect we've all got our own journey back to culinary normality. My first 24 hours starts with water, slowly moves onto black tea, then heinz tomato soup and finally a hard-boiled egg on toast. Give it another couple of hours and it'll be dressed crab with riesling followed by a platter of red meat and a bottle of port.

Putting off a trip to the post office. I could hand-deliver most of the parcels in the time it takes to queue.