Musical Reflections: January 2014

Preston city centre, Lancashire, England. View from the bus station roof.

OK so we've made it into 2014!

Sweeney Astray: Trying to kick out those January Winter blues and head for the magic of gigs and more live performances in the north of England. More songs to sing, people to meet and those elusive recordings I feel so desperate to get out there into the world. As everything, it all depends on how busy all the full time musicians are and when can they make it into the studio. Eventually you'll be able to buy a better quality double A side single at least and have a free download.

Here's what we're up to, gigwise and recording wise. A few bits and pieces to start us rolling, keep us playing,  before we start planning for the summer. Expect these to be the first of many gigs in 2014.

Liverpool February the 13th (Thursday)

First new gig of the year is in the city of Liverpool, home of the Beatles and all that palava, at a venue called the Lomax...http://www.lomaxliverpool.com/ courtesy of our friend Mr George Borowksi. A charismatic and well known north west musician and songwriter. This will either be a solo or duo gig with myself (Mike Kneafsey) and Katie Ritson on vocals, piano or guitar.

Chipping Village February the 27th (Thursday)

Beer, the sound of sheep and another solo performance in the back room of a village pub with a lot of special Lancashire friends that we've known for years. Cellist Marat Canellas, over from Barcelona, may join me on a couple. At the Tillotson pub.

Chipping, Lancashire and a bunch of sheep.

Support gig for Midge Ure of Ultravox, February 28th (Friday)

I'm proud to say Sweeney Astray will be supporting Midge Ure of Ultravox fame in Hurst Green on Friday the 28th February. That's brilliant because after all he did play to a 100,000 people at Live Aid (televised to billions over 150 different countries) - what an opportunity for us to play with someone with so much experience of international success. It's happily completely sold out.

Sadly for our drummer Anna Ashworth, Midge didn't want a full band support act so myself and Elliott Dryden (bass) will be performing our live set.

Blackburn, March 2nd (Sunday)

Again we're hoping for a full band performance with Elliott on bass and Anna on drums possibly joined by Katie Ritson inside the enormous Reidy's Guitar Shop on their stage. The set will be filmed so you'll be able to see it afterwards. Starts at 3pm. Free entry.

Manchester, the northern quarter, March 22nd (Saturday)

Live at the Ducie Bridge pub, on Corporation Street: a full band performance (with our Rubi Records friends also playing on the night, the Susie Jones Band). We're on late, finishing the  night at 11pm  which suits me fine being a little bit nocturnal anyway.

Ducie Bridge, Manchester

Acoustic Village April 26th (Saturday)

A full band performance sharing the night with the Gren Bartley Band and more at the Grand venue Clitheroe. Another chance to play on that great stage.

Stonyhurst College March 27th (Thursday)

Doing a solo charity gig at the nationally famous college with Marta Canellas joining me on cello for some tracks.

 Check out the new Rubi Records website, Sweeney Astray gigs are also listed on our reverbnation site and please can you like our facebook pages as it helps us to know there are people out there who like our music and connect us. Just click on the links below. See if you like our music.


http://www.reverbnation.com/sweeneyastray

https://www.facebook.com/SweeneyAstray

http://rubirecords.co.uk/

https://www.facebook.com/SusieJonesBand

Sweeney Astray is...

Mike Kneafsey - songwriter/vocals/guitar

Katie Ritson - vocals/guitar

Hannah Dacey - double bass/vocals

Anna Ashworth - drums/percussion

Elliott Dryden - electric bass

Sweeney Astray playing support for Mad Dog McRea at the New Conti, Preston.

Sweeney Astray played at the New Continental pub in Preston as support for Mad Dog McRea in November 2013, as support for George Borowski and the Fabulous Wonderfuls at the Middle Earth Beer and Music Festival and as the main act at an Acoustic Saturday at Korova Arts Cafe and Bar in Preston.

The last session of recording on No Tomorrow with myself, engineer/producer Rob Kentell and Katie Ritson on the piano felt magical. Looking forward to the finished versions of that song along When The Whistle Blows. Hannah Dacey plays double bass on both tracks and Katie sings the harmonies. The combination was exciting and moving to listen to.

Overall I've had months of struggling to keep it all rolling with so many obstacles in the way including a lack of money, sometimes lack of sleep and food even. And that's aside from the hard work of getting everybody together for gigs and recordings with their commitments and lack of cash, time and transport.

Sometimes it's poor sound equipment, other times just spiteful rivalry and the sheer difficulty of engaging an audience of jaded strangers burnt out by the bombardment of sales and noise generally. When we have had the chance to play a good gig it's been a fantastic experience which makes it all worth while.



That's how it goes sometimes.

OOver the years George's association with an ever-growing list of artistes as diverse as PIXIES MEATLOAF PAUL BRADY SAD CAFE THE WATER BOYS TEENAGE FANCLUB BONNIE RAITT RADIOHEAD the list goes on, has earned him the highest level of respect from those on the 'inside' whilst also being able to reach and appeal to those on the 'outside' with his rarefied combination of presence, performance and beautifully crafted words of art. Music with a message for all, delivered with a passion - George's songwriting winds it's way through pop, rock, country, blue suede tunes in true rock 'n roll style, socially aware masterpieces with haunting lyrics and those lump-in-the-throat power ballads which carry that definitive GB stamp.

But let's face it we've not started looking for gigs yet. These are just the ones we already had. So we'll keep you all posted as we go along. Once we have an official press package sorted and a double A sided single then things may turn out differently on the gig front. We are planning to get beyond the North West of England much as we love it, rain an all. So wish us luck.

http://youtu.be/lmtryivTLNE (recent clip of Midge Ure)

http://www.reidys.com/p/events/

double bass player Hannah Dacey

(left to right: Anna, Rob Kentell, Susie Jones, myself, Elliott, Katie)

I like to wear these jeans, these kind of boots and a black coat until they fall off me and then replace them like for like.

Incidentally...

So how do you survive the fake 21st century world of marketing and intense self promotion as a musician? How do you preserve the soul in all that manipulation and ruthless dishonesty? The ridiculous vanity and delusional ego greed for a mythical fame and fortune. 

For me it's a hybrid of an Irish catholic conscience in the humanist sense, a belief in social democracy, social planning, education and public service, buddhist mediation practice, and a full blown Marxist view of the media, marketing and advertising as serving the requirements of maintaining the unearned wealth and power of elites.

Obviously the corporate ideal, prevalent in the music industry, of profit as the bottom line is one which kills the integrity of art, stifles talent in favour of short term, risk free mediocrity and helps kill the planet too.

I prefer deferred gratification to dumb entertainment in all music and art for the sake of cultural evolution and progress. And I'm not convinced that indvidualist not-being-told-what-to-do materialist pleasure seeking is nothing more than unrestrained self seeking greed. The mainstream path we're encouraged to take and rewarded for taking. The personalised version of corporate behaviour as it were. Presented as the smart and realistic option.

In a different society or even in this one, I'd like to earn better money through merit and work (any work not necessarily through music) then pay my taxes in a progressive tax system. Or put it another way - play fair, be honest and love one another - it makes the world go round.

Given a chance, I'd do a proper job preferably in the public sector or education if it existed for me.

Can't say it clearer than that.