Hello Its been a while since I updated this thing. Real life you know..... The Nightwires have done a few shows including last weekend at the Y Not Festival. It was not as good for us a the first time we played in 2009 but it went ok. Pity the couple of hundred people in the teant we were playing in, buggered off to the main stage before we started but, hey ho, their loss. Well not really it was my loss, but I have to put a brave face on it. We've just been confirmed to be playign at the wirksworth festival in derbyshire in September so that should be good. It does really fuck me off that Russell and I have got nowhere with all this. I guess I'm jealous of much lesser acts who "make it" or get the recognition O/we deserve. I mean we get loads of people coming upto us after shows saying how good we are, friends and family genuinely think we're very good, but, alas no one who can help us onto the next level seems to agree. Maybe the right people havent heard us but, how long does it fucking take? We've been playing for 10 years and we're still playing the same shitty venues we've been playing from the start. How much longer can you keep doing that before you say, no more? I dont know but I'm starting to feel that point will come soon. We need to freshen things up so we're going to start recording in the next few weeks, if we can find time! That doesnt get any easier either. All I want is some public recognition that we're bloody good. and not let myself be wound up when I see shit bands getting better gigs than us. They're, in realtiy getting noweher just as we are. I need to change things and hopefully big changes are coming that will massively improve my quality of life. Fingers and everything else are crossed. But you know my luck........

Nice ride today, felt quite good. Amazing what a decent nights sleep can do for you.

I'll update this more often if I can. Changes afoot........

Christmas been and gone....

...where did it go. New Year:

New MacBook Pro and Apogee duet 2

New songs, both electric and accoustic

New outlook and positivity??

Been busy!!

Not posted for a while. Russ and I have been gigging loads so I've not managed much riding. However, I have obtained the following:

Hope R4 riding light. Not used it yet so report to follow

Iphone 4s. Not actually got it yet so should be picking it up tomorrow. Looking forward to finally getting on the Iphone train. All appled up now: iphone, iPad, Ipod and Macbook Pro!

Now the gigs have finished, I'm hoping to get lots of riding in. I need to clear my head. I love playing with the Nightwires but I'm really not sure if I can go on anymore with it. For the effort, we're getting nowhere. We played in Derby last week and it was a nice venue but so much talking, I found it really offputting. Cant people shut up for 5 fucking minutes!!

I'll try and keep this thing updated. It helps me.

Fuck......

......it

Knackered

Did a 15 mile ride yesterday, even though I was really knackered after The Nightwire show on Friday.

That was a lot of fun and we played very well. The sound was excellent too but it's a good job the people I had asked to watch us had turned up. So even though the gig was great, I was left feeling a it disheartened as there were so few people there. I'm starting to get pissed off at playing empty rooms, we're too good for that. Those there enjoyed it but we deserve so much better.

I look around at other acts who are getting recognition and they are nowhere near as good as us. They don't have the songs, the singer or even the backing vocals for that matter or the stage craft. But they know which is the right arse to lick or they are getting the luck that we aren't. To be honest, I don't know how much longer I can go on without getting up to the next level. The only thing that keeps me going is the fact that we are still writing such great songs. The bullshit that I hear on the gigging scene is really starting to become a drag and I can't bear it for much longer. having to say to bands you were great when it's so far from the truth, is just fucking stupid. Why can't I say "your so fucking shit and I want to be playing with better bands"

And the lack of common courtesy within the gigging scene is astounding. I lend people bits of gear and get no thanks whatsoever. Or we thank a band from the stage and they can't bring themselve to extend the same thanks to us. Well you know what, fuck em, I can't be arsed to even speak to people like that anymore. If that makes them think I arrogant the so be it. I haven't got time or the energy to deal with people like that any longer.

And it's some of the established artists who are the worst for having no manners whatsoever. We supported a singer who was in a good band and is now playing acoustic (think about the size of bovine animals and singing with a comedy double act) who ignored us basically when we tried to chat with him and couldn't be arsed to watch us or even thank us for playing. Ignorant bastard. Or the Seattle band we supported who couldn't be bothered to watch us because "3 bands is too much music for us to listen to" they were idols of ours, but you should never meet your idols!

We've met a few great people during our time, Friday night being a case in point with the ever supportive Ted and Andie and the lovely Ann Duggan who we supported. But it's always the wankers who stick in my mind and bug me. Thats probably just my problem and I should forget about them, but as you get older, that gets more difficult.

Just take a deep breath.........

No fucking time

No fucking time to do anything really*

No bike riding, hardly used the new camera, no recording going on. Mainly because work is really fucking hard at the moment.

The Nightwires have quite a few gigs booked which is great, but my energy levels are low so its hard trying to sort rehearsals for these shows. I'm sure we will be great but I feel I'm getting worn down.

*Sorry for the swearing