Uh oh it’s been a while… all good intentions but the blog fell by the wayside for a while. Sorry folks. Sure you were sorely disappointed… Time for an update….
Few months on and I am still having (sporadic) lessons with the immensely patient Marc Hadley, still playing with Backroom Blues and have fallen out, and back in again with Falmouth Soul Sensations and played my first ever gig! I have also bought a more comfortable sling (I knew there was another use for neoprene!), gone half a grade softer on my reed (2), been through a squawking period and am now sounding a little, just a little, more presentable…
First things first, lessons… Marc has the unenviable task of teaching someone who can’t even play Fur Elise on the piano without having sheet music in front of them to improvise…. I am now at the stage where I can play reasonably well with a blank sheet of paper in front of me (but still need something to stare at) – or with my Blues scales written out in front of me but my eyes shut. Bizarre. But then again when I freedive I have to put my hand up to my nose to equalise, even if I’ve got a noseclip on…. same difference. Can now womble around happily on the Blues scales while the Backroom Boys trawl through Robert Johnson classics. All fine for about 3 songs and then they start sounding the same – so Marc has got me braving the joys of diminished scales too, and adding major and minor Blues to the repertoire. It still feels like I’m approaching it in a far too scientific way, but that appeals to my geekier side. The more creative one comes out when I get brave and just try notes because they feel good, after a glass of wine usually and in the comfort of my own home, playing along with poor old Robert or Fleetwood Mac (who luckily can’t hear me massacring their oh so beautiful tunes). One day Ms Creative (tipsy?) will come to a Blues session and they’ll be amazed (or run for the hills….)
Fitting in practice between lessons is still a problem. Finding time to blow long notes (when it’s a sociable hour, I now have a nice neighbour I don’t want to piss off), I’m not at work, not sorting out freedive stuff, in the gym or round at my mum’s eating cake is quite hard. Luckily I now have at least a 2 hour a week practice scheduled in the form of one band or another on Wednesday night, and usually an hour or so on a Tuesday when I realise I haven’t worked on anything since the last session, so things are getting better by default. Winter now though so less freediving, less outside stuff and more music time, theoretically….
Backroom Blues has moved to a slightly less endearing backroom – the breakfast lounge at The Union Hotel in Penzance. Having to move the cornflakes out of the way before playing might be eccentric but is a lot less fun than having to light the roaring fire at Poet’s Cafe. Come back Keith, we miss you! We’ll remember it with love when we’re famous. The hardcore posse now seems to be me, John, Brian, Evo and Tony – although Evo’s having a bit too much luck with his “proper” band so we’re missing him a bit…. We’re branching out from Robert into the realms of Fleetwood Mac (Need your love so bad – and I’m trying to persuade them to do Here in my Arms), Stormy Monday and a lovely little tune called How Come which I’ve found a great cover of by The Pogues.
Soul Band has been interesting. I vary between loving it and feeling like I’m in the seventh circle of hell (or whatever the expression is). Working with Maggi (kind, helpful and better ear than me) the trombone player is great. Thank god the trombone is also in B flat…. Trying to work stuff out “live” at our 2 hour rehearsal with the whole band trying to do the same is ….err… challenging. I have however “mastered” about 2/3 of our repertoire now, and at least a couple of solos. Few more to work on before first proper public gig (one my f&f can buy tickets and come to) on 18 December (Falmouth Watersports Centre, oh go on them, come!). Just wish their “Be Me Baby” was more Lightning Seeds and less karaoke, one of my favourite songs…… sometimes.
First gig was the, incredibly glamourous (honest), Mayor of Penryn’s “Poppy Ball“. Something definitely clicked into place along with our sparkly black and silver get up, my first ever use of a proper sax mic and being able to walk in saying “I’m with the band”…. We got the grey-heads of Penryn and Falmouth rocking and a rolling, but no, nice lady who kept asking for requests, we don’t do a “cha cha cha…….”
