Are you all still out there? :)

Two months go by, and now I've remembered to get to this again. What's been happening? Well a fair bit really, for me the main thing has been that i have now stepped down from service leading at church, ostensibly to focus more on the actual music. So I'll still be playing (sometimes drumming), leading the group and all, but will hopefully getting more involved in the development of the music, and bringing on new people into the music team. ONe thing that has occurred is three songs have been finished and are in with Jerry for a lyrical content check. I always run them past him to ensure that the theology is correct and that they will make sense to anyone and not just me. They are Declaration, I Will Praise You (or My Soul Cries Out) and Make Me More Like You. Hopefully Declaration will get a run out on the 30th. The New Songs page is updated as a result.

Recording will be taking a back seat again until the new year, although I will be sorting out some more demo/guide tracks this end this weekend hopefully and we should be rehearsing on the 29th. At the very least Matt and I will get together to try and get some new songs going.

Elbow were fantastic in October, and they've now announced a date at the Cliffs Pavilion on Southend next year. The main news for me on a gig front is 80's faves Ultravox reforming and touring next year. I have tickets already :)

Christmas is rapidly approaching, and a special Street Witness will be on 20th December rather than the first Saturday. Come out and join in with the carols, plus a few Christmas standards to boot!!

Not much happening at the moment. You can find me on Facebook now though, as we finally have broadband. A MySpace page will follow at some point. There may be some changes happening but I'll let you all know when things have been sorted (nothing drastic, don't panic!).

We did try 2 of the newer songs (I Will Praise You & Declaration) at music group practice the other week and I must say the band did a fantastic job on the songs, Declaration in particular had a really good groove going. I'll be introducing these to the church fairly soon I hope. 

September gig never materialised, dunno what happened there but I was waiting for a date, and never got one. Never mind. Sonia and I are going to see Elbow in October, never has the Mercury prize had such a deserving winner IMHO, really looking forward to that one.

With the recording being cancelled in August, Mark, Stu, Matt and myself are going to get together at some point to rehearse anyway, some of it my solo stuff, but we're gonna try Midnight Ash stuff too. That'll probably be in November sometime.

Well that was a busy holiday. Came away unscathed from Soul Survivor week B despite the atrocious weather. It was bad enough for the bulk of the RBC crew to pack up and leave after the last meeting on the Friday evening. Sonia and I stayed on as one lad was being picked up on the Saturday and we were due travel up to Liverpool for Matt and Jayne's wedding on the Sunday. We took our pastor's eldest daughter (and swapped her for some of my gear when we arrived....). Had great fun leading the worship and God blessed us with the sunshine for the wedding photos on the Sunday afternoon. The new pedal board did it's job in allowing me to use both guitars, but I had to set it on my left, due to space, and it was designed to go to my right, so I wasn't able to reach the amp's footswitch. That meant we had Oh Happy Day with distortion. Still, no one seemed to complain :)

On the downside we've returned home to find that the start of the recording sessions has been cancelled. Rich and Paul are involved in an event that has unfortunately taken this coming weekend away for rehearsals. Not sure of a new date yet.

I've belatedly updated August dates, and September's will follow shortly as I'm about to embark on the rota. May have a gig in September too, but no details yet. Still waiting on an actual date.

Well that's the monthly habit well and truly out the window....

24th may was very successful. Paul, Richard and myself spent a good 5 hours discussing the tracks currently available. Got loads of great ideas, and recording starts over the August bank holiday weekend. I'm seriously looking forward to this, and feel that God is blessing me with the right people at the right time. There are 10 tracks definitely in the mix at the moment, with another 3 on the boil.

June was a quietish month music wise, but I did slip into my 40s on the 16th June!! Good party organised by the missus, for which I'm very grateful. Money received is already being spent and today I got the first bits for another pedal board. This will house the footswitch for the Marshall amp and also two Behringer line switches that will allow me to use the pedal board for both an acoustic guitar and an electric one, and send the electric sound thru to the amp, and the acoustic direct to the PA.

Just spent a great weekend with Concert Services helping them run both venues at this year's Solid Festival. Saw Dweeb again (although they are good at what they do, I'm still not that struck them personally), Rob Halligan (who was excellent again despite having guitar trouble) and LZ7 who were very loud and 'hip' but not my cup of tea.

Next coming up will be the family fun day in Rayleigh, on the 19th July. The Street Witness Band (as we seem to be known have a double gig, 10am-Midday in the High Street, probably with some break dancers from Tagikistan (spelling?) who were also at Solid. That will be me, Andy and Ness. Then 1.30pm-2pm in King George's field with a more structured set which will be me, Andy, Lucy, Ness and Heather. A proper acoustic band set!!

Now also preparing for Matt and Jayne's wedding in Liverpool with a couple of practices coming up. Looking forward to playing with Mark Murthen again, as well as Heather and Stu, plus a few others.

Dates are updated here, and an update on the New Album page here.

Speak soon (not two months.....)

I seem to be getting into a monthly update habit....

24th May will be a big day. I'm going down to Richard's in Bracknell to chat with him and Paul about the recording, and maybe, if we get time, start on a few guide vocal and guitar tracks. We've finally got there and I'm getting quite exited at the prospect of getting this project off the ground.

New dates are here, but other than that there isn't a huge amount to report other than I found out today that Runrig's autumn UK tour is coming to Southend Cliffs Pavilion!! Only a 19 year wait for me.......

Had a great time in Northern Island a couple of weeks ago and this week took delivery of a beautiful Avalon L330C acoustic guitar. Check out their website here. I had a tour round the workshops courtesy of Mark (I think), and Jim and Steve gave me a warm welcome. Someone even came and picked me up from the centre of Newtownards. At the end of the tour Jim left me to play whatever guitars they had on display in the 'shop', so I picked up the first one and thought wow, then the second and wow again, by the fifth I wondered if I'd be able to choose but in the end it was down to two and the L330C won. For those interested it has a sitka spruce top and claro walnut back and sides, with various inlays and I think the neck is mainly mahogany, with an ebony fret board. The only downside was I had to wait just under two weeks for it to come as they needed to fit a pick up and the factory was closed the whole week after Easter. But that's just me being impatient!!!! it's here now and it's lovely :)

Just managed to hold out at Street Witness today until 3.45pm when it rained so we packed away early. First time that's happened in a long while. The new guitar doesn't mean the Yamaha is retired, it will still get good use on days like today as I'm not risking the new one outside.

New dates are up here.

Waiting for Richard and Paul to get back to me on a date in May to start recording. Will probably be a discussion over what to do and how to do it, and maybe lay down some guide guitar tracks and vocals and start on the acoustic tracks.

New songs nearly finished: One currently called I Will Praise You, which seemingly came out of nowhere one evening and is almost done, whilst Declaration is having a line changed before I get it lyrically approved by Jerry.

Had two Music Group evenings so far. Both have been a real blessing, the new guys are coming on a treat and Matt is clearly enjoying getting the chance to let his hair down bit and crank up the volume somewhat.

That's all for now :)

Forgot to say too, that starting tomorrow is the new Music Group practice nights. Trev is slowly ushering in some new things of which this is one, I know it's going to help, if nothing else it'll us all a chance to practice more!!

Blink and 2 months have gone already. I apologise for the lack of updates. Time could be an excuse but it shouldn't be really. Quite a lot's been happening though. Letton Hall went well, was quite a busy weekend too, lots going on spiritually which meant it was quite a drain but worth it none the less. A couple of weeks back two of us went to Destination 2008 at New Life Church in Lincoln. This was a worship conference mostly on the Saturday but included a Delirious gig in the beautiful surroundings of Lincoln Cathedral, what will be one of drummer Stu Smith's last UK gigs before he leaves the band for pastures new. On the Sunday we went to the normal church service at New Life and I spent some time chatting with one of the worship leaders there. It was a good time and a number of things on my mind were confirmed by God, which was a blessing and an encouragement.

The dates page is now up to date, click here, including March's music group stints, and also the Family Fun Day in Rayleigh which I've finally secured a slot in (this will included mostly Street Witness team people).

Both New Album pages have been updated, new songs here, and general news here. 2007 perhaps wasn't as baron as it felt as one song I thought I ought to re-write has been moved to the song list.

It's all change in my team in the music group as Ness is now on maternity leave with baby due at Easter, when husband Pete is also getting baptised! I'm looking forward to all of that, plus Ness returning to 'duty' when she's ready. Meanwhile we have the chance to bring in some new blood, and Katie Brown is now having a go drumming, having done a long stint in the youth band. I know God will bless her as she steps into this new challenge. So for a while it'll be me and Andy Barlow on duty at Street Witness with Les doing his slots on the accordian. Today I forgot the generator so we did it totally unplugged and on the bench. Note to self: sort it out earlier!!!!

I'm off to Belfast in a couple of weeks to get the Avalon. Finally! So that's something I can cross off the list of things to do. I had a great chat with Jim there, who has already made me fell confident it will be a lot of money well spent. Next will be getting in touch with Richard.

That's all for now!

Well various updates already this year!!

I've just remembered to update our new address.......Contact

The first lot of dates are up for January, click here. The old dates for 2007 can be accessed at the bottom of that page if you want to look at them.

The first Street Witness is already upon us this Saturday, and I'm pleased to say that I've been asked to lead the worship for our annual Youth Leaders weekend at Letton Hall in Norfolk again, which I am honoured to do. Looking forward to it already!

There are a couple of pics in the gallery from James and Laura's wedding back on the 22nd Sept that Laura kindly sent me.

I've been reading Tim Hughes book Holding Nothing Back this week and have been inspired with regards to lyrics for worship songs (an area that I struggle with), so I might try a new approach, watch this space.

Recommended listening comes in the form of the Foo Fighters' Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace, The Eagles' Long Road out of Eden, and Contact by Thirteen Senses. If you fancy a light hearted Christian read then Adrian Plass's Bacon Sandwiches and Salvation might fit the bill.

I will do a little review of 2007 shortly. I've been thinking about what to put, as once again looking back over the year's dates and news I (we) have certainly been blessed, sometimes I just don't see it at the time!

Things to do this year (in amongst decorating and emptying boxes....) :

1) Get recording (finally).

2) Buy the Avalon guitar I've promised myself (and saved for) for some time before I spend the money on something else!

3) Write more songs (did you realise 2007 is a totally blank year song wise for me?)

4) Do a few more gigs.

That's enough to get started, quite apart form making sure I'm doing everything I can to follow God's path and not my own.....

Til next time.....