Diana Stones SongsDiana Stones Songs

So lots going on and I am doing live gigs again. At present its still all very much an experiment to see what works and what doesn’t though.
I played 2 gigs on last Saturday and that was a bit of an effort but it was OK. I was worried that my voice would not hold up, but much to my amazement it did.
A very late finish and a lot of driving was involved though.

Well, I can honestly say I feel totally knackered. Aching legs perhaps due to standing up and singing plus a 315 mile round trip drive to the gigs and back. I think I did about 70% of the vocals on both gigs but the voice held out OK. I played Keyboards and Violin and even did a bit of electric guitar on two numbers. So I am now outed as a guitar player. I sang a song solo too as Jans back was having a wobble. I now know how it is that I have ended up feeling so out of condition these days. When we were gigging back in the day I would have worked my body quite hard, loading and out plus the gig it self. That must be why I used to weigh a stone less or more on average. The pains I have are the typical aches one gets after strenuous exercises, rather than stabby or burning or bruised types of Arthritis ones.

I did wake up with cramp in my foot. 2 hours driving continuously may be the reason for that, as I was in 5th for nearly 80 miles worth of the trip on the way back. I like Jan, she is like having a talented but somewhat loopy younger sister.

Here is a recent music effort for you all. A bit of cosmic ambient whimsy with Violin.

Diana Stones Glasscage

Warning Bouy

Mental health is stil an issue, all those little voices that constantly whisper doom and destruction in my ears as soon as I try to do anything. they don’t really go away. They can be quieter at times though.

So who are you really. That’s the question? And its a very hard one to answer too.

Diana Stones Glasscage

Diamonds In The Rough

So where to start, as perhaps who am I today and was that different to who I was yesterday. I think the answer is actually yes in this case.

Its OK you will be forgiven according to the new Testament, I expect they just pick out the bits they want. I used to find their very “white” leaflets the JW’s left amusing. I think they may have lost the Nordic blonde Jesus by now. I swear if they turned up here I would answer the door scantily clad and say “hello boys do you want to party”.

You have to laugh. I have just had a FB friend request from someone that used to go to Transliving in Chelmsford 25 years ago. They sent me a message which says “Hope you are keeping well and still getting out and about” Difficult to avoid any reply sounding sarcastic “Not much, Played about 4000 gigs with my various bands” A bit of clue as there is a picture of me on stage at on my profile. An interesting week having spent time socialising on 4 consecutive day’s which has been pleasant. However today as a not “going out” day is welcome too. BTW the thought of my pension arriving in just over 6 months time as made for a slight outbreak of “Bollocks to it, who cares” in regard to a lot of things. I seem to be having fun with music but the notion of “winning or loosing ” at it now seems quite irrelevant….

Slowly getting my sea legs back in terms of living a post lock down life. There is no doubt that aches and pains are a bit worse than they used to be but in part that may be due to getting used to a bit more activity. Blimey, 4 hours playing in the pub today on the fiddle. Quite good fun, but very tiring.
Here is a clip of Fisherman’s Blues, with me and a bunch who go by the name of the “Also Rans” at the “The White Horse.” In Bedford.

sneakily recorded a few bits to see what it sounded like. Not bad actually. I think my strategy may well pay off longer term in regards to recruiting musical co-conspirators.

Its all going quite mad at present the Prog band that I was asked if I might also work with by yet another bass player is also going to happen it seems ad he now has personnel. It will only be about 5 or 6 gigs a year if it does at most rehearsal will be done remotely, but the gigs will all be theatres/Festivals if it works. Also lots of improvised stuff Hopefully some stuff will stick out of all of this or perhaps I will end up like the real pros that I know that play with a different act every week and are in about 10 different bands. Funny old world.

Here’s a thought. As Putin’s supposedly religious perhaps an angel of the lord could nip round and give him the chance to stop all this silliness or else give him a jolly good smiting. He obviously does not care about wrecking the economy and that will happen, people are already cannibalising cars to keep them on the road. Planes can’t fly due to lack of replacement tyres which can only do a certain number of take offs and landings and so on… Bits to repair your washing machine and all sorts. Almost everything has imported electronics including much of the newer military hardware. So yes it will go on and turn in to a war of attrition.

I now have had the revelation that actually on the whole I like people rather more than I dislike them in general. Extraordinary. Wow, 28 years since my referral to Springfield’s mental hospital for anxiety, don’t time fly when you are having fun Just found some old letters.
Yesterday was A day when your body just says no but your brain just wants to say yes. Last week I had a much busier week than I have had since well before lockdown. Its been good to be doing stuff again. Unfortunately my musculoskeletal pains have kicked off big time. I may have over exerted myself a bit and I am suffering for it today.

Its always difficult to get the balance right between sufficient activity. Too little and its bad news too much and its bad news. You cant win at times and it gets a bit depressing. Usually days like this pass but it means you just can’t do what you planned which is very frustrating. Also it does mean on bad days you think maybe I should just give up. But for some strange reason you never do….

Romans 8:28

And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to His purpose.