A personal blog for my music and art, stories from the road, rants against petty tyranny and grand imperialism, the joys and pain of coffee and being a modern day renaissance chancer.
My friend just called from France and told me that Erika Peron has died in a crash. I met Erika when I toured with Aaron around France last year. Erika played cello with me and was brilliant. She just jumped in and got on board with out a second word. But it is her personality i will miss. Erika had me, and everyone around her, in stitches most of the time, a truly beautiful person who said what she felt without any filters. I never met anyone with a bad word to say about her. She was totally fuckin “lu la” mad in that awesome Breton way. I had such a good time touring and hanging with her and singing bad karaoke in bad bars. I don’t know what to say really except that it is totally and utterly fucked and unfair that she is no longer here. I was in a bad head space last time we met at a show in paris, tired and grumpy and i didn’t get a chance to chat. I truly regret that.
Erika was responsible for at least half of France’s hot chocolate consumption. She taught me how to swear in French and i was responsible for her screaming “Ya fuckin wanker ya” at every available and usually most inappropriate moment. Erika was the personification of inappropriate. And that’s what i love about her.
The world is a little dimmer tonight. I will truly miss you miss Peron. Thank you for sharing your fucking awesome self with us. Poulette no 1.
Please everyone take good care of yourselves mind yourselves out there. The world needs you.
My blood is 90% coffee. I have finished recording all the extra musicians. Thanks a million to James Dunne, Cora Venus Lunny, Brian Hogan and Mary Barnecutt for being such good friends and stepping in to add the most gorgeous flavours to the pot. Ye are fuckin legends and it’s an honour to have ye on the album. (Chorus…where do we cash that? :))
I just uploaded a few photos from the sessions and random shite to Flickr.
I walked around last night with the mixes for 4 songs on my ipod. There were a few notes but on the whole i am really happy with how it is sounding. I can’t wait to hear it all at once and for it to be out there living it’s own life.
A FIRE TO SCARE THE SUN….I have mixed 3 songs already. Recording Cora on violin in a few hours. Then i will head west for a few days of surf before returning to record Brian Hogan from Kila on bass and lapsteel and Mary on cello. I am booked for mastering on July 14th. Then it disappears out of my hands and should surface in September. Yay!
As i mentioned, i will be putting out a lot of music this year. I have a head of steam up now and can’t wait to get stuck in.
One of the projects will be a collaboration with Cora Venus Lunny we have no rules for what will happen. Turn the microphone on and go…can’t wait.
Here is a clip of Cora playing, as you can see she is a pretty fuckin’ awesome on the ould 4 strings. I am really excited and looking forward to seeing what we can come up with together. Fun, Fun, Fun…
Almost there. James Dunne came in and layed down some drums and he scared me. Everything in one or two takes. The second was usually just for luck. I met james touring with Julie Feeney and knew it would be lots of fun to record him. For you techies…two overhead condensers and one condenser abut 50 cm off the ground slightly to the right of the kick about 90 cm away.
The rest of the crew are coming in next week to lay down buts and bobs. Mary hurry up and get back from Cuba! (Mary me longstanding and suffering cellist got married and is away on honeymoon…some excuse)
I sat down and played some of the rough tracks to Cora Venus Lunny last night to get a second pair of ears on some choices i had to make. Nice getting an outside view. I have been up me own arse recording this for so long. She also played me her album in progress but it needed nothing added or taken away.
Anyway this week i took the razor out and lashed into tracks stripping away the fat. I even killed two tracks, resurrected one and wrote recorded and mixed one (in one afternoon). If only they all came out that way.
I am getting lots of emails asking about how i record so i am going to document the next one and make a wee vid to show people. THanks to everyone who has been emailing me with support.
There will be a physical release and a digital release.
I watched this last night at about 3am. Two documentary film makers are with Hugo Chavez when the coup happens. You couldn’t write a script like this. The scenes with the footage from the privately owned TV stations had me transfixed in horror and repulsion as did the quotes from the US state dept. as all of this was happening. I sat with fists clenched, yet wanting to laugh at the absurdity.
Anyway do yourself, make yourself a nice cuppa tea or whatevr you drink and check this out. People power at it’s best. Link
Thanks to Graham for posting this link on why that’s delightful, I had been looking for this film for ages.
This is taking longer than a fuckin Def Leppard album. Well my deadline to finish is June 30. Which means with all the hoo ha involved in releasing an album we should see September for a release.
The good news is that there will be a physical release of it aswell as download. I am still working out the best way of making the cd version as appealing to people. Which to me spells something unique…mmm…lot’s of ideas. But for the moment i have to get me head down and finish the fucking album.
May was a wipeout because i had to finish an animation for the Irish Film Board. I am also working on some scripts for a tv series which are almost finished.
So this week has me back in me studio and I am excited because now all the cool musos come and lay down lines. I have a brilliant Drummer called James Dunne coming in on thursday so i am scrambling around borrowing microphones from friends.
