How's the weekend going? Had a good gig last night. Acoustic non blues murder ballad type things. Very different to what I have been doing, but pretty satisfying. I have eating and watching shite movies pencilled in for Sunday. What's going on in Beel city?

Oh dear yes Miz. Kidman did have a wood like appearance. I even think they greased up the lens ala Star Trek style when it was on her. Luckily she got botoxed up, cuz if you show emotion then they know you are not one of them...but she did sweat, although we know someone spritzed her in the face. I just know that if I was running around in that turtleneck like she was, I would have huge pit stains...especially in a grey turtleneck! In a weird way, I still like her. Did you see Fur- the Diane Arbus bio-fantasy. I liked it.
I heard good things about Blue Room.

Oh, by the way, I had a pet budgie when I was little called Joey who used to push a ping pong ball along the floor with his beak and into my hand. He also used to like perching on my hand and looking in the mirror. He was alright.

I am so sorry but Nicole Kidman is so wooden in that movie that her stunt person must have been a tree. I saw her on the West End stage in London in 'The Blue Room' though and she was pretty good. She played opposite Ian Glenn who was great.

Hey, guess what movie is on that I am about to waste 2 hours of my life on?

the gigs were pretty good. Yeah, we had to get a new drummer. Our last one is facing jail time after his last gig with us. A long story. We have got gigs up till late October, then I am thinking of maybe looking for another band. Not sure about that yet.

It is still oppressively hot here, and likely to be that way for a couple of weeks yet. i yearn for a climate where you have to treasure the last few days of summer. Enjoy

Hey there! Three nights!!! Glad to hear that news!! Keep rockin the house!
Does that mean you will have lots of gigs this fall/winter?
Did you replace a band member? was it the drummer?
I had a great weekend. Celebrated my gramma's birthday. My family has about 4 dogs, so it was nice to play with them all at the same time. And one parakeet appropriately named Pecky. Little guy has been known to break skin. It's still sweet though. In the morning it sings and then says, Hello Pecky! Other than that I am trying to enjoy the truly last days of warmish weather. I wanted to work on a mix too, just thinking of a theme for myself.
Das it!!

How was the weekend? Mine was busy. The band had three nights up at the local indian Casino, four hours a night. I like playing there though as we get to be loud and I still like to do that. On Friday night, there were some girls dancing round their purses, even when when were playing murder ballads and stuff. (Hey Joe, Stagger Lee, etc) More recording this week, then another weekend of gigging, so I am tired but having fun.

I just watched 'Invasion' on HBO. one of those "two hours of my life I can never get back" deals I am afraid. Its 3:40 now and I am wide awake, so I might start another mixtape. TaTa for now

Oh goody goody!! Thank you!

Helloooo here is the link for the 78rpm mix http://www.s endspace.com/file/utx15u

ps---very much interested in 78rpm!!

So it sounds like you had a great day!! I had banana frozen yogurt on Sunday--coincidence??? hhhhhmmmm I think not. :) Saw Tropic Thunder and I have to say, although I am not a big Stiller fan, I sat through the whole film with a stupid grin on my face. how's the gig?

Thank you friend. I am having a great day. Not that my happiness relies on consumer goods entirely, but I did get an amazing pressie, Pro Tools, which turns my computer into a studio. I am full of banana icecream, we are about to go to a jam in a dodgy bar and then on to my fave Mexican diner. Happy happy happy!

It's just too easy to have a miserable birthday. Make it hard on yourself and have a fabulous day! Hope that doesn't sound too cheesy.
I am sure your dad is right by your side.
I have a lot of family members that I don't talk to--not really a falling out, we just lost contact and there has been no attempt on either part to reconnect. It happens I guess.....
It's a gorgeous day and I will raise a beer or a pop in honor of your b-day!
Well then Mr. Miserable Bastard, HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!! You know I am just kidding about the bastard stuff. Hope you are having a fantasticalwonderfulmentjoyousridiculous day!!!

Birthday is on Sunday, I was due to go to the Long Beach blues fest this weekend, but that has fallen through. I hope to maybe get out of town for 24 hours at least but it kind of feels like festivities have been cancelled right now. I am not in touch with any of my family back home and I know this sounds odd, but I am dreading not being able to talk to my Dad on my birthday. Things like birthdays bring into focus what you have lost as well as what you have. Miserable bastard aren't I. Actually, I will cheer up as soon as I get out of P'ville 2morrow, and end up having fun. I want to see a band but to see anything decent means a 175 mile trip to LA. We'll find something. Meanwhile, enjoy the long weekend. I am playing on Monday, so that will be fun.

I just watched a demonstration on youtube---that is freakin hilarious!! when's yer birthday?
I'm glad you like the mix. My music on itunes was shuffling around and Sonic Reducer came on and I was like "Oh my god, I totally forgot I had Dead Boys on here!" I am happy about the long weekend!!!! Jam on!

Fab gear and groovy contest entry. It made me smile on a very non smiley day. You also made me think of The Dead Boys for the first time in an age. Some mixtapes do take over till they are done, don't they but I am glad you did this one. Meanwhile, my descent into my third childhood continues. I just got an early birthday pressie, 'Guitar Hero: Air Guitar" and the air round here is filled with 'Smoke on The Water". Nice!

Hello hello!!

I think I've experienced Chimichunga's revenge! I was happy to see some stories!! I am gonna look into that toe thing--I wonder who got it and if they still have it. Kind of gross. I knew a guy who lost the tip of his pinky because he stuck it in between the spokes in the active wheel of an exercise bike. When it got chopped off, their cat name Kitten ran after it and ate it.
Sorry to hear that the sound guy is a dung beetle head- that's what it was right.
I am so happy it's Friday it hurts. I have been itching for this day for days!
I am trying to write out my mix first so that I can just cut and paste. I think it might work. Now off to get sushi with some pals!! Be well!!

The recording is going well, but the engineer is a poobrained dung beetle. I keep saying that I want an old time natural reverb laden bluesy sound on the acoustic songs (he says "thats so old fashioned) and a Black keys/White Stripes attack on some of the amplified stuff. (He says those bands are shit and make bad records. I say "Who is paying for the bloody session!") That song is a story song. Little Willie John was an R&B singer in the fifties. He recorded the original version of 'Fever', 'Need Your Love So Bad' and lots of others. James brown was his support singer for a couple of years, and in the mid fifties he was big news, but the pressure/loneliness of fame got to him and he started drinking heavily, getting into a bar fight in 1964 that led to a manslaughter charge. In 1968, just as 'Need Your Love So Bad' was covered by Peter Green's Fleetwood Mac in the UK and got to no.1, he died in prison. The official verdict was that he had a heart attack, despite reports of ligature marks round his neck, a possible indication that he hung himself or somebody hanged him. Anyway, there is something about his story that really got to me. I had heard some of his recordings because of the Peter Green connection, but a few weeks ago, I found a web site where some guy has uploaded his huge old 78 record collection as mp3s and I heard a lot more of his stuff. You can hear his phrasing technique in a lot of singers who came just after him (including James Brown) but I haven't heard any before him who sing like that. He also had this huge chip on his shoulder about his height which could not have been helped by the name by which he was known. Anyhow, his story interested me and I wrote a Black keysish little ditty which will hopefully be on my CD which I am tentatively calling "Chimichunga's Revenge" although that might change!