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| In-store Sweeney performance: Anna, Mike, Elliott and Katie |
What a relief to write a Sweeney Astray blog on news and the "what-have-yous" of beavering around the world of Lancashire on a music scene, after all those music reviews.
For
a start I can flow off the tip of the type without having to cross
reference, back reference, check factual accuracy and worry about
offending the act because we are Sweeney Astray.
“Getting quotes are really easy when you have the person in mind in your mind. You can make it up as you go along knowing that the person will be fine with the quote because it IS you,” said Mike Kneasfsey, main singer and songwriter with Sweeney Astray. See what I mean.
Playing
the Middle Earth Beer Fest at Hurst Green in Lancashire was quite mind blowing having to juggle
hosting, sound engineering and playing in different bands between us. By
the time we got on stage and cracked on, we were hard pressed to
remember the middle eights.Thankfully it all came together and once
reassured by friends, we discovered that natural spontaneity and joy of
being alive really does paper the cracks in live music.
Personally I've found recent gigs, music nights and practices to be more relaxed and enjoyable than I can remember. It's felt like we're having a good time on stage. The highlight of all performances being the chance to use the whammy bar on the Gretsch just for random effect at least once in every gig just to let everyone know it's there. Maybe not.
And nice to be looking at a hundred people in an audience instead of one person in an audience. The last few times we've played it's been pretty crowded -even if one of them was a small room. Elliot's night at the King's Arms in Clitheroe (he recorded a version of Like There's NoTomorrow https://soundcloud.com/sweeneyastray-1/no-tomorrow), the support slot at
The Travelling Band gig, the Middle Earth Beer Festival and the
in-store Songwriters' Event at Townsend Records (Great Harwood) on Saturday, all had a
buzz about them.
Incidentally I have played to an audience of one before at a full gig. A nice guy, Spiritual John, who once sat watching us alone at the Unicorn in Preston in the late 90s as Indian Runner when we forgot to advertise a gig. John, who often quoted the Lord as speaking through him, was based in a homeless hostel round the corner and enjoyed the pub’s homemade pea soup and fireside hospitality. He once told me I reminded him of Lonnie Donegan, which now I’m older and wiser I take as a complement though I think I was hoping for John Lennon at the time.
Incidentally I have played to an audience of one before at a full gig. A nice guy, Spiritual John, who once sat watching us alone at the Unicorn in Preston in the late 90s as Indian Runner when we forgot to advertise a gig. John, who often quoted the Lord as speaking through him, was based in a homeless hostel round the corner and enjoyed the pub’s homemade pea soup and fireside hospitality. He once told me I reminded him of Lonnie Donegan, which now I’m older and wiser I take as a complement though I think I was hoping for John Lennon at the time.
On Saturday I played a bunch of new songs as a solo set at the start of the Songwriters Live Event to a queue of vinyl hunters and a metal fan working behind the counter. I packed the wrong lyrics in my bag so I had to suddenly know the words but again it all fell into place once |I started singing and realised that you can't stop. I wrote The Rooks of Kathmandu, Mesmerised, Above Me Now and Innocence and Riches in my second floor flat in Preston near Winckley Square bit by bit over weeks. I threw in a Cherry Ghost cover, Mathematics, just because I love the guy's melancholic beautiful writing and he is from my hometown of Bolton (Simon Aldred). Mostly though, I just wanted to set the tunes rolling into the world before even trying to truly bed them in and make friends with them. Which worked.
Once
again the later set with Elliott of The Remedy on bass, Katie Ritson
singing harmonies (her arm is still in plaster) and Anna Ashworth on the
djembe was thoroughly enjoyable playing to a packed little shop as part
of a in-store all-day celebration. I have to say organised by
myself with the manager Gaz because if I don’t some musicians will invite
me to play at my own gig as happened with the Beer Fest or start informing me about the event that I booked them for. Not that I mind that much.
But
really when a band gets the chance to practice and make their live set tighter it’s
all a lot more rewarding . There's something about harmony and arrangement which hits deep inside us all, especially when it's refined and instinctively soulful. Trouble is with teaching guitar, writing
songs, blogs and with trying to pay bills I haven’t had the chance to practice as much as I would've liked. Have to say, I'm still optimistic that we will make more time in the near future.
Double bassist Hannah Dacey was back from London during the Easter hols and we spent a whole afternoon jamming, playing, working things out at a practice room in the middle of beautiful countryside near the village of Chipping. Such a lovely day and there should be more of them. “That’s more like it,” said Mike.
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| Hannah tries out the fretless, while the double bass takes a break. |
Double bassist Hannah Dacey was back from London during the Easter hols and we spent a whole afternoon jamming, playing, working things out at a practice room in the middle of beautiful countryside near the village of Chipping. Such a lovely day and there should be more of them. “That’s more like it,” said Mike.
Hannah will be joining us this summer for more gigs, recordings and festivals.
Sweeney Astray (Elliott, Anna and Mike) will be playing tonight Thursday (April 26th)
to be the main act at the Chipping Acoustic Session organised by local
musicians Neil Hunt and Sue Dutton. I’ll manage at least a couple of new
songs with the right lyrics and bring out the Gretsch for Whitley Bay
Blues and Good Side of Time. Starts at 9pm.
For free download: http://www.reverbnation.com/sweeneyastray/songs
For free download: http://www.reverbnation.com/sweeneyastray/songs
Hopefully I’ll see you all there.
Mike
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NXQgG98VSOs
NB: I'm determined to be able to play as a solo, duo, stripped down acoustic trio or full rocking band so that I can go out and play any where, any time, any place over the next few months. Hopefully with arrangements so embedded I don't have to worry or think and with whoever's available out of our bunch of happy music Sweeney Astray friends. Anna Ashworth, super drummer and percussionist is based in Bamber Bridge, Hannah Dacey is studying double bass at the Royal College of Music in London but hails from Fulwood; Elliott Dryden has another band The Remedy and no transport (Clitheroe) ready to go full time pro in summer, while singer and guitarist Katie Ritson is living in Manchester and studying at the Royal Northern College. So if it's a Tuesday night on Friargate I might be on my own having walked out of my flat with a guitar or it might be all of at once. Hope to see you there.
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