rubes

Wake up, fool!

Odd dreams last night. I dreamed I had just become a new father and was immensely happy changing a diaper. That was nice. I also dreamed I had returned to my old job at Guitar Solo in SF, with very perplexed coworkers wondering where the hell I had been for eight years. Not so nice. And then, I guess in an effort by my brain to amuse itself and make fun of me, I had the recurring one of wandering around some crowded area with no pants on and not caring much, telling myself, "Aw, not this stupid dream again." This time I wasn't wearing a pink thong though. Read into that what you will, 'cause I'm stumped.

Huzzah!

As the song says, what a month it has been.

First, I'm happy to report that rock and/or roll is alive and well. IPO Liverpool was something truly amazing, with 179 bands from all over the world descending onto the Cavern Quarter. The Swedes stole the show by leaps and bounds, as they will. Due to a couple cancellations we were able to play a couple extra shows, and we made some great new friends. Thanks much to Mats from Beatback for sitting in on drums with us. You're truly a stud, you big Swede you.

Bands you should definitely investigate:

Beatback (Sweden)
Clark (Sweden)
Peter and the Penguins (Norway)
Red Kid (Ireland)
The Runarounds (Spain)
Karen Nash (US)
Blackout 101 (US)

We'll be doing IPO in San Francisco in August at the Rockit Room, exact dates TBA.

Also, I am no longer a resident of Los Angeles. The ill-conceived high-fallutin' experiment has come to an end, and that's a big fat good thing. I'm now floating about on a houseboat in Sausalito, with harbor seals and pelicans as local wildlife instead of 24-7 screeching roosters and yappy dogs. Smells a little fishy at low tide, but it's nice to breathe actual air again. Do email me if you want all the sordid bitching and/or moaning details.

A year and a bit
Suffice it to say
We did not see eye to eye
So fare thee well, LA

Works too hard for the rhyme, but you get the idea. It's just so good to be home-ish.

Wow

Yep, wow. That's the big little word coursing through my brain right now. Tomorrow, delightfully early in the morning, I board a plane flight for merry ol' England again to play at the Cavern Club and Cavern Pub in Liverpool for the IPO Festival. A very microscopic tour in duration to be sure. But, as Mr. Bassman "Get The Fucking Night Bus Home" Russell Pickett said so well, sometimes a musical pilgrimage just has to happen. A rock and roll haj, if you will. He smart boy. We'll be sharing the bills with bands from Sweden, Norway, Switzerland, Holland, and some stagnant backwater called Texas. I'm looking forward to making new Scandahoovian friends.

And it was very nice to be invited. Thanks so very much to those who buy the CDs and download the tunes. I'm very grateful, and I hope it all holds up OK.