Year: 2006

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RIP Gizmo

I mentioned that TSP had to rush back to London – when she got there, The furry ginger one wasn’t well at all. He’d started to behave bizarrely the day before, and by now was showing signs of some kind of real problem with his brain – almost certainly a tumor pressing on it.

She took him to the vets, who offered to give him a steroid shot to see if it would bring down the swelling and stop the pressure, but TSP took what was definitely the right decision, that he’d been through enough. This was the worst she’d seen him – and he’s had some pretty low points over the last 8 months – and it was time to say goodbye.

What shit timing. I’m up here, TSP is in London now, with no car cos I’ve got it here.

Anyway, goodbye lil’ ginger buddy – you had an amazing run, escaped death more times than any animal can reasonably expect, and gave us a couple of years of love and affection that we wouldn’t have swapped for anything.

these two pics were taken just last week…

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The Allotment

My mum came up to help flyering yesterday, and while here, we went to a play. As a general rule, I don’t go to plays at the fest. I don’t really go to plays anywhere. Theatre just isn’t an art form that enters my radar.

But I’d been accosted by a flyering lady on the Royal Mile, who told me about this show, and it sounded fascinating, and I’m REALLY glad we went.

It’s called The Allotment, and is set, predictably, on an allotment, where a well meaning but fairly clueless mature student is conducting an experiment in the therapeutic value of horticulture for her MA, and recruits four asylum seekers to work on it. Their clash of worlds values, her ineptness and cliched outlook make for a fantastic story, brilliantly written, superbly acted and far too good for what you expect at the Fringe.

The theatre company website says that it’s touring in the East Midlands in Sept/Oct, so if you can get to see it either here at the Fringe or on tour, go, it’s fab. I hope they bring it to London at some point, I’d love to see it again.

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Gig 2 at the fest…

Well, there really is no predicting Edinburgh audiences… after my biggest ever opening night at the fest, we had the smallest audience I’ve ever had at the Fringe last night. How bizarre! In the event, we played very well, entertained our tiny group of music lovers, and got booked for another show as a result (result!), but it was baffling after the interest that’s been shown up til now… it feels like a pretty easy show to sell, and I’ve been out flyering and postering LOADS. I don’t think the posters are quite as effective as mine were last year – the high contrast pic of me holding a bass on a white background told everyone within 20 feet of it that it was a music show. This year’s photo is gorgeous, and definitely gives off the late night mellow jazzy vibe, but only when you look at it, it doesn’t jump out and grab you in the same way.

Still, it’s a great gig, everyone who’s seen it loves it, and we’ve got some tickets sold already for the next few nights. So fingers crossed, it’ll be up from here… :o)

My right knee is causing me all kinds of grief – I think I’ve strained a tendon or something, with all the driving and walking up and down hills and stairs here in this fair city, so I’ve got it bandaged up, and am trying to take regular breaks from all the walking…

TheNewStandard.co.uk

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Oops, nearly forgot

We didn’t have a gig at the Lot last night, but we did do a cabaret slot, in The Midnight Carousel. Compered by Dusty Limits, the show features a whole load of acts doing 10 minutes of their show. My particular favourite was Ray Jessel – an old time broadway composer, who comes across as a mixture of Randy Newman and Jackie Mason. Great stuff.

Julie and I did three songs, which went down rather well, including a bit of a sing-along, which is nice. :o)

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EdFringe, Monday, Day off

No main show on Monday – the venue was already booked up when we got our run booked in.

So much of the day was spent flyering and postering on the Royal Mile, and TSP and I went to see Amy Lame’s ‘Mama Cass Family Singers’ – an intriguing and very original show about Amy’s life as a child star. TSP and I were talking about it for the rest of the day, which in a city on the verge of collapse under the weight of shows here, is a very good thing.

After a great show, some not so great news – The ginger fairly aged feline has taken ill again – not good signs at all, so TSP has this morning (tuesday) hot-footed it (or perhaps hot-railed) back to London. The thought that he may well be gone before I get home is one I’m trying not to dwell on – got to be chipper and smiley on the fringe. It’s a slightly odd feeling not having a show that I can feed such information into. If I was doing a solo show, there’d be a whole bit about the cats in it by now… No way to tie that in with this show – I mean, we do do ‘Lovecats’, but Julie’s already got a great intro into that…

So anyway, TSP and I made our first – and last together for this year – trip to the magical veggie goodness world of Henderson’s last night. If you’re at the fest, go to Henderson’s. OK, it’s a bit more spendy than Subway or McFilth, but it’s all properly cooked veggie, mainly organic loveliness. Well worth a treat if you’re audience is in double figures.

so today, with TSP back to London, we’re down one on the flyering team. It’s possible that my mum is coming to visit, so that’ll help (she’s v. good with flyering).

Failing that, tell your friends, or come along yourself!

TheNewStandard.co.uk

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Middle East stuff

Here’s the best article I’ve read so far on the current disaster in the middle east – as usual, George Monbiot writes with clarity and balance, and thankfully provides references for every bit of information that he includes. Journos take note – it really makes the task of quoting your work much much easier if you say where you got it all from. It’s all to easy to say ‘it’s widely known that….’ etc. But it’s impossible to use that intelligently.

thank God for George.

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First night success!

We had two gigs yesterday – the first was a 20 minute set at the Fringe opening party. I did this last year where it was a bit of a pointless waste of time given that I was on straight after a Stones tribute band… not the best of Stevie warm-ups, I’m sure you’ll agree…

Still, this year we were told the band before us were a cappella as I mentioned…. were they shite! Four singers with massive fog-horn voices and a rhythm section doing vegas stylee cabaret stuff. Great.

Anyway, we played, a few people watched and really enjoyed it, so that’s good. More worthwhile than last year methinks.

The rest of the day was flyering and postering. Got back to the venue after the opening party gig, and friends started arrived – the oh so lovely G and J, our delicious hosts from last year, and Simon who organised the gigs with Duncan Senyatso last year at Greenbelt.

The balls up was that the gig before us wasn’t due to finish til 11! which is when we were due to start. Then they overran… fuggin’ jazz nonsense. So we got on as quick as we could, while they packed up slowly and chatted to friends. Started about 25-30 minutes late, but the audience (my biggest opening night crowd at the fest yet) stuck around and were very appreciative. We played pretty well – only a couple of mistakes that no-one but us would have noticed. So apart from the jazz-induced lateness, a very fine night.

No proper gig today – instead we’re doing the Midnight Carousel, a cabaret club, which’ll be great fun. :o)

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Opening night tonight…

It’s Sunday, and we start at the Fringe tonight. Before that, it’s a day of flyering, soundchecking, playing at the Fringe opening party (those of you with amazing memories or stalking tendencies will remember that I did it last year, and it was a bit of a waste of time cos I was on straight after a Rolling Stones tribute band, but this year, I’ve found out who’s on before us, and it’s an a cappella quartet, so no worries about being Rocked off the stage there then! :o)

Then after the show tonight we’re supposed to be doing a late night cabaret thing, but haven’t been given a time… given that the show in question goes on into the early hours, it’d be nice to know when we’re supposed to play!

Anyway, better get dressed and get out onto the streets of the town, flyers and posters in hand and meet our unsuspecting public. If you’re coming to the show, please come and say hello!

thenewstandard.co.uk

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