MikeRobertsMusic

12/10/09

noreply@blogger.com (MikeRoberts) — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 18:39:00 +0000

Its been a while since the last entry here and things have settled down into work again. Had a few Swains gigs, Oxford Town Hall was nice, terrible get in but lovely organ...fnarr... also took enough conkers and string to hold the Swains inter-band conker championship. On Mart's insistence we had to do it all properly, drew names, had quarters and semis (Swainy is now worryingly close to becoming his dad) and I got beaten in the final by Laurence the sound man who I think is probably a closet morris dancer and therefore gifted with an unfair advantage in 'country' sports. What an excellent half hour that was. Then we've had a couple at the Ricoh. The second one was something and nothing really from our point of view, an NSPCC fundraiser with Carol Vorderman (a sweetie but painfully skinny) and Ruby Wax (four foot eleven and bonkers) who went off script between them for so long that our hour and a half became about 35 minutes then everyone went home. Still, they raised a ton of money so who cares? It was funny as we left the soundcheck...the england under 21s had just arrived for a match and their coach was parked directly outside the service entrance we were trying to get out of, so completely unawares we pushed the crash door and found ourselves mingling with the team. There was a deal of consternation from the security bods who couldn't understand what the Swains had been doing on the England coach and we were unceremoniously bundled back behind the service door until the lads were safely inside. We played three songs before I realised we had Theo Walcott on drums.

My Jamie's birthday yesterday, 24...Jeez, how did that happen so soon? I'm so proud of him and how he's dealt with everything life has thrown at him and there's been a curve ball or two let me tell you. We're out together for a game of snooker tomorrow night and i'm looking forward to catching up and just hanging out together, he's great company and takes the piss like a pro, it's in the genes, that's m' boy.

Got a text from our Sarahlou earlier too. She's a proper darlin' organising cakes and pressies for Jan's birthday on Saturday. I'm glad things have improved at work for her lately, Jan and me are dead proud of her. Looking forward to all the kids coming home at the weekend, it's usually proper lively with them here. Got mum and dad coming round on friday night too, that'll be a hoot! So lots to look forward to.

Trying to decide what to do about the band too. Do I try to get some bigger gigs and rely on the continuing unpaid support of Ant, Horace, Ian and Jon or do I knock some backing tracks together and ask Ant to join me doing smaller stuff as a duo? It's a biggy this and I want to make the right choice, I also don't want to take advantage of the guys' good nature. I haven't written a song yet that's worth cheesing my mates off for. Perhaps I ought to concentrate on that first...

27/09/09

noreply@blogger.com (MikeRoberts) — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 16:58:00 +0000

It's been just over a week since the party and I'm almost back on earth, it went better than I could have hoped thanks to outstanding contributions by all involved. Paul and Rod (who had his own gig in Brum same night) assisted by Andy did a superb job with the PA, everyone there commented on how good the sound was...even with my vocals! The quality of the turns was unbelievable: Jumped up Madam were smooth and classy, especially after spending 3 hrs on the M25 to get there, I heard 3 part harmonies! Jimmy Jimmy were fab, their voices go together so well and the sound and the songs are still evocative of wandering round Cov precinct on a sunny Saturday afternoon. Jon and Tim provided the perfect cool and jazzy backing for Frankie to smoulder over and Red Kyte (aided by Jon again...that boy gets everywhere!) stormed the place with Hendrix and Radiohead covers. Those were just the bands that existed before the night started! There were a couple of unholy alliances that sprang up on the night: Horace, Anthony and Bob Jackson made a young drummer (Jack Arnold) very happy by including him in their stonking version of 'Time is Tight" and swaggering rock beast "The SubterSwaineans" finished off the night leaving the room jumping in their own joyous style. Finally on the music side my immense respect and thanks go to Horace, Ant, Ian, Jon and Elly who did such a great job on the album material, all my chin's are wobbling as I type.... thanks guys.

Further thanks are due to our Edward who did all the artwork for the album, website and MySpace, he's a great guy to work with and a truly talented individual, thanks Edward. (check out the links page on this site for his Marmalade Whale company). To James, Edward and Toby who sat all night and sold CDs, great job guys, thanks. And finally to my gorgeous wife Jan who has worked so hard to support me through the whole thing, I really couldn't have done any of this without the loving kindness she shows me everyday, thank you my lovely girl.xx

16/09/09

noreply@blogger.com (MikeRoberts) — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 21:49:00 +0000

It's 11pm and way past my bedtime but just confirmed some stage lights from Martin Cure, what a darlin', what a live sound man and... what a singer! he'll be warbling on friday. If you've never heard him before you're in for a treat. Decided to change the songs for the scratch band bit, they were all a bit samey, so we're doing the Illusion first to inject a bit of oomph.

Actually had a bit of a panic last night when I realised that I'd never sung these songs before. I mean, of course I had, but only in the studio where you can do the dodgy bits again and I didn't play keys at the same time. So here's me guiltily thinking of all these lovely blokes dutifully learning my songs and, with a sudden nauseating gut wrench, realising that I don't know them myself. I've had anxiety dreams like this, you know the type of thing, you nonchalantly turn up to play somewhere, casually stroll on stage, wave to a few mates in the audience, the drummer clicks you in.... and you've forgotten how to play... no idea... okay, maybe its just me. So I'm rehearsing, I'm singing these songs every minute I can... I will not appear on stage with my kilt tucked into the back of my musical knickers... Oh God... sleep suddenly seems a long way off...

15/09/09

noreply@blogger.com (MikeRoberts) — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 08:05:00 +0000

God, look at the date, how did that happen? Only three days until the party and it's all just about coming together. When it was mainly me performing I was going to use my own PA gear and run it myself but there are now so many proper people playing I've had to call in the pro's! actually I'm pleased about this, it's a weight off my mind and I know Paul will do a top job.

Ant's done a great job with the scratch band, the line up's unbelievable... Ant himself (ex Style Council) on electric, Horace (from The Specials) on bass, Washington Jon (Berklee grad virtuoso) on acoustic, Ian Wilkinson (top session dude) on drums, on BVs its Elly Nicolaou (sister and great London singer...wait 'til you hear her duo stuff) and on keys... er... me (overawed, overweight and immensely grateful). There will also be Jimmy Jimmy, Jon and Frankie, Elly and Brian, possibly enough members of Swains and The Subterraneans to have a go and, what may be the final performance of young supergroup Red Kyte. All this alongside any number of solo singers/players who fancy getting up and having a go... You can't catch yer breath can you? I can't wait.

7/9/09 much later

noreply@blogger.com (MikeRoberts) — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 21:09:00 +0000

It's James' birthday, hope it's a good one, can't reach him on the phone so he's probably out boozing... I thoroughly approve. Also first day back at work. It's so hard getting the head back on and I'm not quite there yet. Doing such different stuff during the holidays throws into sharp relief the weirdness of what the job entails day to day. Teacher's inset days for example are peculiar things, evidence, if any more were needed, that teaching is becoming a process unrecognisable from what it was only a few years ago.They tell us that's a good thing but I can't help feeling sorry for the kids.

Anyway, good news, CD is available in 'Head' in Leamington Spa. Our Edward came up with some very natty point of sale boxes which look great in the store. Buy one now!!

7/9/09 very early

noreply@blogger.com (MikeRoberts) — Sun, 06 Sep 2009 23:25:00 +0000

Just got back from the gig, it's about 12.30 and I'm sitting here in the dark having a beer. It feels a bit like the epilogue in 'Open All Hours'. I can picture myself as Arkwright talking as he sweeps up, 'Well Gr-Granville, It's been a f-funny old day...', remember that? Ronnie Barker was a genuine genius.

Back to work in the morning after the long summer holiday. The boss invited all the managers round for a barbie yesterday (he's a brave, brave man) so it won't be like, 'God, I haven't seen you for weeks...' but I've got sort of mixed feelings, I'm pretty sure that one way or another this will be my last year in this job. It's getting harder to switch heads between between the one I need for work and the (better looking) one I need for writing and playing.

Anyway, flippineck... listen to me rabbiting on, I get like this after a gig. Time for bed.

6/9/09

noreply@blogger.com (MikeRoberts) — Sun, 06 Sep 2009 18:56:00 +0000

It's really starting to come together now. Mates from Amsterdam are coming to the party... they'll be the tall ones throwing weird shapes! They're darlings, lets face it, there's aircraft involved. I'm really frilled.

It's that long dark interregnum of the soul, you know that limbo between soundcheck and gig. Swains playing the Earlsdon Cottage tonight, its an early start though (9pm) as almost everyone has work in the morning...ho hum. Got sanctioned again for turning up to soundcheck in shorts. Can I help it if I was still in the good looks queue when they were giving out dress sense? Still I'll have my revenge, Swainy, the silver tongued (and haired) lothario at the front, relies on me for his keyboard sounds.... lets see how he gets on when I transpose them all up a semi. Mwah ha ha, Mwah ha ha ha !! ...where's the bar?

5th September

noreply@blogger.com (MikeRoberts) — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 19:11:00 +0000

Well, what a summer its been. Album finished, website up, myspace up and a party in the offing. Settled on 18th september eventually, 8pm at Kenilworth Wardens Cricket Club in Glasshouse Lane. Spoken to the Jims (O'Neill and Kemp) on the phone earlier and they've agreed to play so I'm well chuffed. Sister Elly, Cos and Brian are coming up from London and they'll do a bit too... It's gonna be Classy San Diego. Ant's pulling a few strings to knock a scratch band together so we can do a few tracks off the album, got to arrange rehearsal once personnel nailed (figuratively speaking) down.