Doomsday - Time is running out !!!!

What a wonderful couple of days ? Yes of course I am asking because I am not sure - I did get loads of things done - but it did feel more like I went around in circles for most of the time...

I sorted out that one of the songs from my show is being played as the exit song for Afterdark productions...

Sorted out some of the mixes for the songs for the CD - and some of the mixes had come out not so well..

Sorted out the timing as for some unknown reason the show was back overrunning again ??? Don't ask me - I don't know why?

Approved the printing and some other marketing - published and adjusted a number of web based promotional stuff with the new show image.. cant help thinking I have missed a couple (note to self - make a list of where you put internet marketing in the future..)

I keep running through one of the songs for the show - and its good, I need some props for it - and that's what I am struggling with at the moment.

I have a theory - especially in my life - that things all head towards certain dates ... you know the date when all important things that are going to happen, start to book that date as a date for either a decision, the delivery of an item, the date when something is due .. well you know what I mean.. I don't get many of these in one year - but when they come - they are enormous ... and this time its all heading to the start of the Ed Show ... and that's always a worry as normally these things either all go one way or another .. lets hope is all good news then ..

I have the images for my show here - I hope you like it - its going to be one of those things that will stay with me for a long time - actually the whole show will.

What a wonderful year to be a bareguitarist

@edfreefringe T - 9 the count down begins ...

Just an amazing day yesterday. The entire day was back to back. The most of the evening was on the phone constantly - both phones fully utilised...normally there is a load of things happening, but never this frantic usually..

Some of the highlights of yesterday ... well some work on the show back drop. This was needed as with all these things it was being a bit quirky for some unknown reason... all resolved and back on track...

A heavy day on "non show" things - was well just a heavy day...

Some of the recorded music was sent to me for review - but - its not OK - so some more work to do today on this... Once this is in place then we can push forward and produce some CD 's on the show music ...

Picked up my customised props for the show - and the famous or infamous "Barnsley prop" is now done and dusted... they are good - they are really good !!!! (thanks Gill)

Some art work for the show - and pushed this off to the printers ready for them to do their magic... still waiting for this to be sent back - and then electronic marketing of the show..

That was yesterday ... now I need to get some of these loose ends sorted out, finalised, and finished off ready for the final production piece for the show.

Its quite busy - there is an option to pay for a PR firm to get a hell of a lot of this stuff done for you... but that's an extra cost I don't need right now... so its getting things done in the most cost effective way possible.. and this is the most cost effective way possible... Shanks Pony for PR I guess ...

Its a must - that today I need to clean up loose ends - loose ends in the marketing - PR - extra shows - back drop - printing - and a whole load in work also.. (which I am not going to detail).

Just over a week to the show - Just over a week to get things right - Just over a week to finalise the entire structure - Just over a week to double my Valium dose !!!!! YIPEE eee ee e (Valium kicked in... )

Busy bareguitarist ....

Never did find Alton Towers..

Laugh - I nearly cried .... well laugh until I nearly cried ... as I went though some of the songs I play and tried to see if they were playable on the Uke ..

In between a load of other things in a very busy day - that was the big task of today - learn some new pieces for the Uke  ... the rest of  the things such as Music Smith is doing some T-shirts - and I have order the print for the show - was just about it for the show for today...

I can say with all honesty that its not going to be easy deciding on a couple of new pieces - as once you know the chords its just a matter of making the music more - well - geeky I suppose .. "I'm leaning on the lamp post at the corner of the street" .. hee hee - somehow I don't think so !!!

Now that I am one step closer - two steps back - from the show, I am going to have a night of just sitting..

I always thought that school holidays were the time everyone went away on hols - then somehow (in my head perhaps) this stopped and people stayed around.. but this year - everyone seems to have gone away around this time .. no idea why - maybe they always were and I never noticed?

End of last week I had to go up North to sort some stuff out, and I passed a sign for Alton Towers. Now there is one thing that stands out in my head about Alton Towers... I have never been there.. In my youth I have set off to go there a number of times, but never got there... seriously... My father didn't have a good sense of direction, and he like the rest of us in the family, often set off to go places and get lost going there. So it was with Alton Towers. I can only remember about 8 or 9 times of setting off to get there - and never having got there the first few times, we started packing a picnic and a flask, as more often than not, it would be a country lane - an argument about which direction this place was - then back home again. So the theory was, we might as well have a picnic on route...

If you are thinking what I used to think, then you might say that towards the end, it was more of a case of a cheap day out. Set off pretending to go to Alton Towers, but stop in a lay by after a couple of hours driving around in a circle, have the picnic, and go home..  Well, if it gave my father some pleasure and maybe some amusement, what was the harm.. to this day I have not been to Alton Towers .. I guess I can't face finally putting that ghost to bed..

However there was always one place he could find, his favourite spot, his Mecca, and every year around the same time, we would go there - to the same spot, picking blueberries on the Yorkshire moors. He always found that place !!!

Its Sunday !!! Sunny Sunday - but tomorrows Monday : (

Today is a Sunday - well I know you know that - but its Sunday - a day of well chilling out and doing things at a slower pace - and actually a day of doing things you don't get time to do during the week.. Sunday !!!

BBQ day for me - with some wine and sat out in the garden. Had a run out earlier today into Wimbledon Village to a place called the common room - but the main part of the day was coming back for a BBQ, and a chill out in the garden. A huge steak, some mixed veggies - lovely.

Also today was a bit of work for the show. Got some additional dates set up for walk on shows, which is really quite exciting. As I said in yesterdays blog - I am going to make the most of my time in the Fringe, and additional shows is a part of that.

I was thinking today about how it is going to be on stage for the show - and how that was going to feel once you are out there - on your own - and actually its not this that bothers me - its more that I am worried about the equipment failing.

People have sort of figured out that the shows is going to be clunky - its a Free show after all - but if the equipment fails around me then I am not sure how I can recover from this - as I am on my own.. but you know once you are out there - it either is or it isn't ...

Tomorrow I am getting the printing ordered - yippee - then apart from a couple of items - that's it - the show either runs or fails as it stands. how exciting is all this then? How many changes of pants are going to be needed ?

I love the fact that the people around me are concerned about the show flopping ??? Thanks !!! But no - seriously I think their concern is for me personally - and that's nice to know...

Anyway its bed time - I have a conference call at 7 am - and so lets face the facts - its going to be Monday again ... ah yes - Monday - I remember this day every week !

Its onwards then - and some sleep time for a rather tired bareguitarist.

The famous Barnsley prop - Knights in White Satin - and Hungry Women

I am sat on a train on the way home from a provisional discussion and design review on the famous or infamous "barnsley prop for the show" and I am so impressed it - big thanks to Gill x who is using her valuable time to sort this out for me ...

We managed to have a bit of a giggle about it tonight - as only myself and Gill know what it is, (my partner doesn't know, as she wont see it until the show either) ...as we sat and had some wine with Gill - her hubby Paul - myself and my partner ... And listened to some recorded stuff Paul used to do in a band he played in in the 80's... A good night ... Good music... good HAIR !!!

I also have the final version for my friends doing the how to survive a zombie apocalypse .... Which I am going to send off to them probably tomorrow ... Actually just sent it now as I arrived home ...

I have bucket loads to sort out for the show still - but getting some nice build up material rehearsal done now - and I hope to be better placed over the coming week also...

I heard tonight of the sad demise of Amy W - it's not as though I really was a great fan or anything it's just as I remember when I was 27 and it seemed like I had done it all - been everywhere - done everything ... I just hadn't, and I guess the sad thing is she never will. But let's not get this wrong - I would think the same of any 27 year old.....

Anyway let's not be dull - so I am now doing 3 shows on the 9th and 2 in the 10th ... That's going to be a right giggle ... I am not even sure I will be able to stay sober for long enough after my own show never mind if my underused voice will hold out for that many shows !!! People have said I sound better drunk ... Never did ask if it was them drunk or me ? Always presumed they meant me drunk really :)

I do remember being asked to play Knights in White Satin for the first time ... In a bar in glossop .... A fit middle aged woman slinked over in a very see through White shirt on a hot summers night - leant into me and said - play it for me ... Well I did ... And she sat opposite me for the entire rendition - looking at me in a way that made me very nervous !! I was in my 20's and she was staring at me like a hungry dog waiting for a fresh bone !! I played it - she whispered in my ear - gave me a gentle peck on the lips - and returned to her husband / partner / date ... Its what she whispered in my ear that makes this memory flood back tonight ... She said "if I knew at your age what I know now - I would have had much more fun" .... So here's to fun - enjoyment - pleasure ... doing as much as possible with my time at the fringe - And being a bareguitarist !!!!







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Time to do some recording !!!

I missed a blog yesterday - I shouldn't feel guilt about this - and I don't - hee hee - I know, I know - but you chaps aren't that loyal a readership either !!!!! I bet if I refer to previous blogs - no-one knows what I am talking about? that's because you haven't read the previous blogs... now don't be lazy - and the first thing you should do every morning is get a cup of coffee (tea is also allowed in exceptional circumstances) and open MY BLOG !!!

Been a busy day today - I needed a gym session - and had to prepare some initial working for the recording session tomorrow - and like the rest of the employed world - had some work to do ... and looking at the email trail - I expect that the day is not over yet either ...

In a funny sort of way I am looking forward to doing some recording tomorrow - whilst it will mean I have to juggle about 10 different things in my day - I will also get some time to rehearse the show music and get some things tuned...looking forward to it - should be fun. I have recorded some stuff before - and also been recorded - and I HATE hearing my own voice ...

Who was that who said "so do I" ??? cheek  !! No really .. some people love to hear their own voice recorded - but I absolutely hate it...

The thing I am really looking forward to doing is a piece for another show at the fringe - the nearly sold out How To Survive A Zombie Apocalypse  - (my show isn't nearly sold out  ... I don't have tickets anyway .. but still...) its a customised version of one of the songs in my bareguitarist show - and I have pulled together some very special sound bites and stuff for it..  I know these chaps from After Dark Productions are going to love it ...

Now I could sit and type the rest of the evening - but its a wine night tonight - and I have some Oyster bay calling me from the fridge - so whilst it is and always has been a pleasure to write the blog - a blog comes in second place to a nice glass of wine or two.

I hope you have a nice evening... the drinkingbareguitarist......

Bareguitarist plays at the 3 Sisters Gothic Room

Want to know a secret - something fun and perhaps potentially the most embarrassing thing I am planning to get up to..

Well I will tell you - but you cant tell anyone else .... I have enrolled in the Ukulele battle of the bands type of thing on Tuesday night - Tuesday 9 August -  at 9 at the Three Sisters (Gothic Room) .. with Duke and myself playing for a competitive play off on the Ukes - not a big thing - well if you consider that I have only had my Uke for 1 year - and unlike the guitar that I have played in public, on stages, in front of some quite large audiences - I have never played Duke in public, on a public stage, and I have now entered into a battle of the bands sort of thing for Ukes - then it is a big thing... why did I do it ? - well I don't know why exactly - why did Columbus cross the globe ? why did Wall Mart purchase Asda ? I guess it was there, so I couldn't help myself... and for the other examples here it was probably the same ....
Apparently I should prepare 3 songs - two for the main - and one for an encore - yeah yeah - I will just prepare 2 then - hee hee.

Waiting to hear from other battles of the banks - there is one for buskers - so who knows - but lets see what comes along for an interesting week or so at the Edinburgh fringe..

It could be worth mentioning that one of my pieces is being reviewed to be played at the After dark entertainment at the Ed Fringe - I can't say which one - but I love the fact that my music is being played - its great.

Loads of ed fringe activity going on - loads to do - loads to do once I am there - and need to find some time to tune the performance to a level I am happy with... not there yet - but I WILL get there - its good but not great at the moment...

Onwards - I am having interesting comments about the blog at the moment - wont go into them now - but they are all very positive - and that's what keep me going with it... read enjoy - send money to .. no 6 bl... well you get the drift..

difficult to be a struggling bareguitarist artist !!!!

Look 10 years younger - guaranteed ....

Today is just a great day !!! backdrop just about finished - projector sourced (thanks to my good mate John C who's nick names is Jesus .. he is not religious as such... but JC.. )  a good and productive day then...

 The sample track of a new song has been laid by my good friend MusicSmith - www.musicsmith.co.uk - who is joining me at the festival - and with drums / base / it all sounds good... he is very rusty on his organ though ... his MOUTH organ ... honestly !!!!

Had a brief 10 mins so I tried the new guitar strap - well that's not going to work... I am going to have to use plan B ... once I have a plan B that is ??? but at least the new strings sound better and that's a bonus...

I was pinged in my blog by a French person on my Sunday blog, I had clearly attracted some interest when mentioning Roast Beef and the French in the same sentence ... they have a thing about Roast Beef - Its what they call Brits as a sort of nick name - actually the English more than the brits.. but we have a secret weapon - our national dish is not Roast Beef its Curry !!!! So there !!! Oh yes - The most popular dish in Great Britain is Curry ... so the garlic crew can say what they want ... yes I know that statistically they are supposed to be better lovers than the Brits, better cuisine, better wine, more romantic, better at oral pursuits (if you get my drift), BUT do they have VINDALOO !!! .... No they don't !!! and the poorer they are for it !!

You  will be pleased to know that I don't cover cuisine in the show... its not can't cook won't cook you know!!

My partner likes the apprentice .. so inevitably I do watch it .. and although most of the time it is a recorded version, last night it was the final which had to be watched live... (apparently??)

I watched some of the personalities play out in the final - and the business plans they submitted - is it just me or does everyone think that this lot of the UK leading entrepreneurs are clueless?  Business plans without the financials to back them up - business plans without the costings in - plans without any research - plans without go to market strategies - one plan had a stream of cosmetic products that had no approvals for its manufacture ... so its a face cream madam, makes you look 10 years younger, but burns at 130 degrees when it chemically reacts to sunlight .. you will look 10 years younger as long as you stay in the dark... ALL women look 10 years younger in the dark !!! ....well that's novel advice for all women then ...

Its like my idea for a cosmetic for women to pull men -  100 proof alcohol based cream that you give to men about 2 hours before you meet them on a date ... then all women are 10 years younger - 2 dress sizes smaller - 42 - 22 - 36  .. do you think that Sir Sugar will invest 250K in my idea? maybe not...

It was the inventor that won - not the sales person - not the queen of organised - or the cream fatal of the make-up world..  actually it was a choice of the best of a bad bunch in the end.. Call me an idiot .. OK OK - not so loudly please !! - but I think combined there was the making of an excellent company - sales - operations - inventions - and delivery in the last 4 - and actually he should have set them all off in one company and told them to use their individual strengths to make a company of the future.. but then where is the TV in that idea?

So having offended the French - the Brits - women - and one of the richest people in business, its time for a bearwithasoreheadguitarist to go to ground for a while .. or at least until tomorrow !!!!

I am of course no expert on Scottish folk - BUT .....

I am of course no expert on Scottish folk - yes I know a few - and I have watched the films - Robert the Bruce, Highlander, and Brave heart - I have seen them play rugby a few times.. and Patterson at 10 is a whole new blog discussion ... but in all my watching, research, I thought of Scotsmen as hardy folk,  taking on the world, standing up to all conditions and hardened by their culture, past, and of course weather .... until ....

Strawberry beer - STRAWBERRY BEER !! what's that about ? Its like a French man having well done beef, or an Irish man sworn off the black stuff, or in fact a Yorkshireman buying you a beer ... its just not done, never was and never should be .. Kevin D!!!  (I won't print his full name for fear of local reprisals he will encounter in his trip back home to Scotland in August )..

That's where I was this afternoon / evening... watching a real man turned into ... well .. a southern softy !!! It has rocked my world...aside from having to hide my true emotions about this .. this .... what used to be a man.. the food, company, and conversation were once again excellent - my thanks to Una for a lovely evening. Strawberry beer .... in-deed !!!! (play on words for those who know ) ...

Just received a wave file on a recording of a song for the show - its going to be a good laugh, and as I have said many times, enjoy, those who come along.. as you will be as much a part of the show, as the show  itself.

I should have also tonight taken a picture of the shocked look from Gillian when she saw my famous prop for the show from Barnsley, and as she knows what I am doing with it...thanks to Gillian who is preparing the prop ready for the show for me ... even though she looked mighty shocked about it !! I hope Lewis ( her son) is OK as he was not feeling too good tonight... not due to my prop I must state !!!

Its time to find the bed for a snore or two...  till tomorrow ...

the bearguitarist x.

Not really a Jerry Springer moment,,

Its been a busy day and night ... the wonders of culinary expertise, and being a somewhat reasonable cook - managed to burn, and I do mean burn - flames and all - a satay sauce I was mustering up for a little tai number I was mustering up for fodder tonight !!! The place still stinks of burning, like being at a Joan of Arch fancy dress party...

Its Friday, its a wine night, and a Vina Sol night, ah yes Vina Sol - an inexpensive gulping wine... very nice. While doing this - I re-strung the Fat Panda - yes that's the name for my 12 string guitar now ... Fat Panda.. and if you don't like it .....then you should have made better suggestions when I asked for them in yesterdays Blog..

When I receive comments about things I have done - after I gave people the options on the blog some days previously - it reminds me of Jerry Springer / Jeremy Kyle / or a fencing competition ... telling people to "put something on it" after the damage is done is complete and utter Bollo**s... before I went to the gym this morning and in between some emails and such, I saw a bit of this mornings Jeremy Kyle show, and its a poor man's Jerry Springer from what I could see.. a sort of stiff upper lip version of the Springer show, with Jeremy Kyle trying to be some sort of straight speaking hard hitting facilitator of the facts.

He just falls short on a number of things ... firstly no-one gets their bits out, no-one has a fist fight or hissy handbag fit, and the types of things he is shocked about are if one person has more than 2 partners in a short period of time...  He clearly has not lived in the same places I have in my life... where it is more shocking if they don't do these things...

I was distracted - anyway - as I was saying - I re-strung Fat Panda - and tomorrow once the strings have settled a little more, then tune it and see how it sounds... its all a build up for the show.. and long needed...there is a sound, a wonderful sound, that you get with new strings - and it is double and more the sound on a 12 string.. I just love it, but hate the effort needed to re-string it...

Aside from a bit of tuning on one of the songs, and some general work on the show content - and of course the wine and this blog, then that's the day.. well that's all I can say in an open blog about the day..

Perhaps the Jeremy Kyle show needs a bareguitarist? something to spice up the morning .. Hee hee...