Category Archives: history

Spectrum Picnic 18th July 2009

history
Saturday, July 18, 2009

Went along to the Spectrum Picnic and blagged a couple of free drinks today in the delightful company of Lucy Coleman, Dawn, Helena Love, (which is a great name BTW, sort of like a porn star from the 70’s ) Jenny Treacle & Ash & co from Dance Macabre and a cast of thousands. A very good turnout and it didn’t rain either, though I could feel the wet grass and it gave me a slightly soggy arse … Noticed many pictures being taken but couldn’t be bothered to take any myself I as I was too busy talking. Looked like every one was having a really good day out too.

It took me a while to find out where everyone was as I wandered off in the wrong direction and did a couple of circuits around the Diana Memorial which is a little strange as it puts me in mind of a run off from a storm drain but then what do I know about art? By the way that was retorical so please don’t start a debate on it’s artistic merit or otherwise as I am a philistine where the visual arts are concerned though I have never owned a print of the ‘Green Lady’. Younger folks will have to look that up on Wikipedia.
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Just me

Things are not quite going the way I expected on the whole.It’s coming up to 2 year’s  since I left the Civil Service and nothing has gone as I planed. I have learned a lot and mostly I feel less stressed and apart from a few minor lows I have not had any re-occurrence of serious depression but the plans I hoped to put in to action to support myself have flopped quite badly.

I have achieved quite a few things that I am proud of including:

  • National Radio play for one of my Glass Cage songs
  • Local radio play for Elephant Shelf
  • Performing in a fringe festival
  • Performing regularly as an accompanist in a west end venue
  • Singing lead vocals live with a band regularly
  • Telling  jokes as part of the duo act
  • Recording and mastering a CD for Elephant Shelf  and getting 1100 pressed
  • Playing at some very well known and respected venues
  • Joining PRS

I could go on, its been quite a learning curve so on a personal level it’s been good and worth doing but financially its not going well.
I had hoped to do some IT freelancing but on the last project I got unwell and had to stop though ironically I seem to be functioning better than ever now. But I fall apart under any sort of pressure. There has to be something that I can do to make up the short fall financially without cracking up again.