So, here we are at the start of another new year. I always find it exciting looking at what is basically a blank canvas – a new year and a chance to fill it in the way you want.
Before we get stuck into that, I’d like to say a huge ‘thank you’ to all the people who attended the gigs in Virginia and Dublin. I know some of you travelled quite a distance to catch the shows and we all appreciated it very, very much indeed.
Some of you have written to us (or wrote a report in the guestbook) and let me tell you, when someone says it was the highlight of their Christmas either they’re living a very poor existence or we were brilliant!! :). Seriously, it’s always encouraging to hear that people enjoy the show but when someone writes you a complete story as to what it was they enjoyed about the show, what it meant to them on a personal level, how happy they were to hear a certain song, etc. then it certainly helps to keep you going (when you get a flat tyre on the highway, when it’s lashing rain as you load in and load out, when you just can’t seem to find the hotel even armed with the address and a navi. system or just when you’ve found a lovely little restaurant they tell you the kitchen closed 15 minutes ago)!
So, what will 2007 bring? Who knows! Isn’t that half the fun of living – not fully knowing what’s up around the bend? I do know we’ll be over in Belgium to play a few shows before the end of the month. It’s always nice to play in Belgium. Apart from the fact that they seem to have as many different beers as there are days in the year, they’re always quite laidback about everything and I’ve always had a good time playing there. The gig in Harelbeke is a new one but they’ve had lots of great bands play there already so I reckon it’s going to be a good night. I’ve played in Nidrum a few times already and Edgar is a real music lover, so everything is ALWAYS cool there. Actually, now that I think about it, it was at the Roots/Rock festival in Nidrum that I jammed with Molly Hatchett!!
The plan is of course to be out on the road a bit more in 2007. We will try to visit as many villages, towns and cities as possible and hopefully I’ll be able to put a face to the names of those of you who write to me regularly.
I’ll be introducing some of the new songs into the set and I’m looking forward to playing them and seeing how they’ll turn out after we’ve played them a few times. As I’ve reported somewhere else, the songs on “Beyond The Tears” were all written just before going into the studio so I’ve hardly played any of them live yet. We’d been playing “Johnny Nobody” around the end of last year and we did one or two for the Irish gigs at Christmas but apart from that it’s all new.
I have a Line 6 Variax that needs some looking at. I hope I’ll get that sorted out soon and get a chance to try it out and see how that feels. Strange idea – that you have about 25 classic guitars at your disposal with just the flick of a switch.
OK, just wanted to pop in and say ‘hello’ to you all. Hopefully I’ll get the time to write a few more blogs this year as well. I’m waiting on delivery of a new computer as it looks as if this one is on its last legs. Onwards and upwards people!!