Author: stone2013

My first week-ender with Elephant Shelf at Hayling Island of all places.  It went well despite a few litle problems.
When we got there as soon as we strated to unload it pored with rain. Better yet I took a Chair for the Piano which was soaking wet and ended up doing the sound check sitting on it so I was soaked right through. The rest of band turned up late so Vicky and I had to do all the unloading from the van. Because they were late we did not get much of a sound check. So it was a bit rushed and the onstage sound was not quite as I would have liked.  Having got soaked I had to wear a completly diferent outfit than the one I was expecting to wear for the gig. I hope it looked alright, but who knows. Terrys snare drum broke as well. Seconds in to the first number the Piano went silent. possible due to a lead affected by the damp. then two numbers in Vicky broke a string!  That never happens. Still a not bad reception and sold a few CD’s.  We did a 90 minute and then went off for a drink and watched the Spikedrivers who were headlineing that night.
They did a good rootsy show and had the audience with them from the start. There was a late night Jam which bands are expected to attend where you mix with the punters quite a few of which are players at every level.
It was an interesting experience, as we were landed with a very drunk slide guitarist…  We escaped at about 02:00 am had a very rock & roll cup of tea and went to sleep. 

Up at about 09:00 tea & bickys and a dash of to breakfast and a quick post-mortem on the days events, then get the gear off the stage area and back in the van.  We were doing an unplugged set in the early afternoon which was as well received as the main set the night before and we manged to sell a couple more CD’s and got some good feedback from the punters too. On this set my Violin A string snapped mid song and so I managed on 3 strings ish.
We watched the next act had half a Guiness and went home.  Had a quick snack then off to Sta Albans to veiw the second night of the Blues room venue which was very good with a very happy crowd. 

Details of the event below: 

A fab weekend of blues and R&B in the friendly atmosphere of Lakeside, Hayling Island.   Headlined by Eugene ‘Hideaway’ Bridges with the fabulous King King featuring superb guitarist Alan Nimmo, plus the ever-popular Spikedrivers,the all-danceable Swamp Cats, new to Boogaloo the extremely entertaining and lively Elephant Shelf, plus up-and-coming young and talented guitarist Ben Poole and his band.   Sadly Son Henry has been taken ill so is not allowed to fly BUT we have been fortunate to book Trafficker in their place with guitar supremo Tommy Allen. Boogaloo Promotions Blues Bonanza weekend 

Am-I-Dumb.com – How Smart Are You?

Quite worrying really 😉

Impossible-Quiz.com – Impossible Test

Wearing my Elephant Shelf Blues Hat for a change this is let you know about this little shindig:

If you fancy a weekend out of London then why not

The Blues Bonanza at Lakeside, Hayling Island, Hants

Friday 22 Jan – 25 Jan 2010, £139 pp half board.  Code RNB10

A fab weekend of blues and R&B in the friendly atmosphere of Lakeside, Hayling Island.   Headlined by Eugene ‘Hideaway’ Bridges with the fabulous King King featuring superb guitarist Alan Nimmo, plus the ever-popular Spikedrivers,the all-danceable Swamp Cats, new to Boogaloo the extremely entertaining and lively Elephant Shelf, plus up-and-coming young and talented guitarist Ben Poole and his band.   Sadly Son Henry has been taken ill so is not allowed to fly BUT we have been fortunate to book Trafficker in their place with guitar supremo Tommy Allen.

More details to follow soon!  Live bands every night, acoustic blues session on Saturday and late night jams led by Five Field Holler.  Tony Farinha is MC and DJ for the weekend. 

 Details on the link below.

Boogaloo Promotions Blues Bonanza weekend http://www.boogaloopromotions.com/documents/17046LAKBonanzalealfet.pdf

 

The Pink Hippo will be getting its own blog soon:

Song Lyric! From a dream

I met you in the street by chance, I nearly walked in too a lamppost I just been playing the Piano, but I didn’t get the gig. The others got the Taxi, they didn’t really want to wait.
they said ‘who’s that’ I said your name, was Cathy. Your hair was still so red.

In my dream you held me so tight we didn’t want to let each other go. You said I moved to Chicargo, i said;

“When I get successfull I will go there too” and you said “yes”

It was so real but then i woke up, I had just been dreaming Angels again…

Chorus

The pink Hippo was sitting at the bar stool he said let me give you some advice, if you have a chance of living your dreams don’t ever think twice

Nothing was stirring not even a mouse.  It’s very quite indeed here. I have just been watching Blade Runner on the BBC Iplayer but the film is beginning to disturb me so I stopped watching it. Its in silent moments that you know your really not playing with a full deck. You see who’s on their own as they tend to be logged into facebook trying to find something to say apart from I’m here. I have  been writing some code and starting to play with the face book API to see what glorious opportunity it provides for self-promotion. I am sure it will come in useful for something along the way.
Also having my CV tuned, not that I expect it to do any good as I think even if I did land a job I am pretty close to barking mad most of the time now. I have a festive knees up of a gig tomorrow at the Farmers Boy in St Albans, which will provide some distraction for a while. Everything about St Albans makes me think of the lord of the rings: on the road there one passes an Inn called the Green Dragon though its not at Byewater its actually by the M25 and when you get there everyone is drinking real ale they all jolly and a lot of them are quite short in stature. I haven’t checked for hairy feet yet though! It may well be time for bed now, sort of.  So goodnight from me and the Pink Hippo, it keeps winking at me,  I am not sure why…

Gatekeepers, well you know who you are and the game is now afoot as Sherlock Holmes might have said though to be honest as I have not read the books I can’t  really be sure.  Gatekeepers are related to jobsworths, but the difference is that jobsworths are more easily circumvented. Gatekeepers often have great confidence and will fix you with a steely eye and calmly repeat that black is white until you  start to believe it yourself.  There influence is often far reaching and there egos are immense. You will find them in every walk of life waiting somewhere down the road to stop you getting your fair share whilst waving there cronies on with a welcoming flick of the wrist. Yes you have just realized it you are an outsider an dup to now you didn’t have a clue, but your really do have the mark of Cain on you. What was it you did to deserve this sorry fate, well actually you need not have done anything, your not on the list your and your not coming in.  Perhaps your idea was just to original, perhaps you executed it a little too well, but some one sees you as s threat and the way is barred.  Its no good arguing with them or engaging in any form of logical debate either as the whole ethos is designed to maintain the status quo.  You will not pass and as it says on the Monopoly board do not pass go,  go directly to jail.  Better  to stand outside the glass looking in and bemoaning fate.

Not always….

To be continued.

Well let me see, I have now applied for about 50 jobs in the last month. Ocasionally I get a call back on the phone which is nice, though no interviews of course. I am somewhat concerned that references are not being given at my old work place.

I hope this is not the case, but I can think of  no other reason for going from the of top of  a list of CV’s straight to the bottom.

Perhaps I ought to try the mystery shopper approach and see what the response is when my name is mentioned?