What DO I do?

When people ask me what I have been up to I'm often a bit stuck, so I thought it would be a good idea to highlight some of the things that I do aside from strum around Hampshire. Some of it may appeal some may not.




My website has pretty much all the info in it but I'll break down some things here.



You can download and buy cds of my music here http://nicktann.bandcamp.com// some of it is free but the new stuff is £3 to download & £5 for the physical cd.



I have Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/pages/Nick-Tann/128598242167?installed=1&fb_page_id=128598242167 for me and my music



I produce a weekly podcast, it's like a radio show but on the web. You can listen to it by clicking on the iTunes button on the top of the page here http://isthisthingonpodcast.blogspot.com// I play great music that other independent artists send me, have a bit of a chat, do the odd interview plus some other bits & pieces. If you know someone who might want their stuff, there are instructions on the link.



I run an event called Pure Acoustica, its a thing where artists play in venues without microphones and amps. You can see that here http://www.pureacoustica.com/



I have a small consultancy business where I help people including other musicians, promote themselves using the internet http://www.nicktann.co.uk/advice1.html





If you are interested in coming to see me play then this is the page that has all my gigs listed http://www.nicktann.co.uk/Gigs1.html


There are a few more projects I'm working on but I don't want to swamp you with info.

About Bloody Time!!

Been in a slump this week, one of those downer weeks I may have written about before. I've had a permanent frown and a headache for about a week. Not a lot of fun to live with either, but I think I got away with it.

Years ago I used to do this thing called Re-Evaluting Co-Counselling, I think it's listen on a few cult sites and I suppose it is in a weird way. Some people take it too far, just like some Christians of Muslims, but perhaps I'm being too glib AND I digress. The reason I mention RCC is that they believes that if you are bothered by something and you don't know why, the reason is likely to be the first thing you think of. In my experience, they are right, try it sometime.

So, why was I in the grip of the "black eyed dog"? The first thought to come to mind was the Pure Acoustica evening I hosted last week. Two of the acts that had just performed, they where new to the concept and the audience may not have been as attentive as I might have liked so I said a few words explaining that the concept of Pure Acoustica takes a bit of getting used to not only for the audience but also the artists, hoping that this would connect with the artists that where new to this and would reassure them. However, someone in the crowd started to laugh and I ended up mumbling in my embarrassment before introducing the next act.

So, was that it? Not much is it? The rest of the night went well but it was that incident that had got to me. I had planned to chase up some leads in other pubs that had shown interest in hosting Pure Acoustica nights but I just didn't have it in me. As with these confidence thing, it's lifted thankfully..

Silly sod.....

Busy times

I often feel that I neglect this blog. I have others, three others but this one is just for my music. I think the fact that I don't use this one much is rather indicative of the fact that I don't push MY music enough.

I've spent the last few months working on my podcast and have had a great success,  finally finished Tom Caulfields brilliant album for my label Pure Acoustica Records.
I've also been working on Pure Acoustica , that also is starting to pick up and I'm stating it in a new venue this week.


A few weeks ago, after chatting to Matt Stevens, I started push my music and have had some great results especially with podcasters, ironic eh?

Bug cast and Made in the UK played my tracks this last weekend and there are more to come including some play on BBC local radio.

I am also planning an exciting development to the Vinyl project, remember that?

I'm also uploading my latest album plus some other stray tracks on to iTunes this week. I've actually been earning some money from iTunes, something I thought would never happen. It's not a fortune, enough for a few pints and enough to pay to get this new collection of songs up. That will make a total of about 37 tracks up for sale.

So now that Tom's album is finished, the podcast is looking after itself, Pure Acoustica has started again AND I've got plenty of gigs lined up for the summer now is the time to push these tunes of mine.

Come the autumn and winter I shall be writing another album or two and perhaps leave these tunes behind, but then again.......

A little faith...

I played at the Soul Cellar last night. No biggies, I've played there a few times, it's a nice little cellar bar in Southampton.

When I arrived the place was dead apart from a few friends (4)of the guy that was playing at the time.

He was thrashing away, acoustic guitar and mic plugged into an amp, a Marshall I think.

There were about 3 other random chaps hanging about but they buggered off after a while.

Young Jack Martello played next. He played his usual set of covers and original songs.

The previous guy and his mates had pissed off by this time. Solidarity brother!

Around halfway through Jack's set the place started to fill up a bit. The reason being was that the drum and bass club upstairs was due to start and a few enthusiastic D&Bers had turned up early and wher taking advantage of the cheeper drinks downstairs before it all kicked off.

I was standing next to Mrs Nick and remarked that this would be a great opportunity to play Pure Acoustic ie no mic, no amp just me on stage singing with a guitar.

She, understandably, was unsure. "People won't be able to hear" she said. Looking round at the young crowd of around thirty, mainly male average age around 20  I thought she may have a point.

I've been toying with this theory that if you play Pure Acoustic, people will  talk quieter and some will even listen EVEN in a big noisy bar.

This theory was borne out last night. At first people didn't notice and probably wondered when I was going to start. Nevertheless they did clap when I had finished so at least they noticed thaty I had stopped.

When I cracked into my second tune, the ones that wanted to listen did and the overall sound level had dropped considerably. I was playing ballads and getting a great reaction and by the time I got to the end of my set the louder funky tunes went down a treat!

So, Pure Acoustica DOES work, people DO listen.

Schemes and Plans explained

A few people have questioned me regarding my Schemes and Plans post.
I may have given the impression that I was going to hand in my notice at my day job and devote all my time to developing my musical career. As tempting as that sounds, that is not the case. If I had no responsibilities, daughters, a wife, a mortgage etc, then that is what I WOULD do.

What I am doing is putting things in motion in PREPARATION for leaving my job.

There is a chance that I might completely lose the plot and quit anyway, but that's ok as I do have other skills I can earn money from.

Keep clicking you beautiful people!

Schemes and Plans

I thought it might be a good idea to lay out my plan for this new year. I spread myself around the internet and I hope that this will answer some of the questions that I get asked regularly.

1) The Vinyl Project is still a going concern. It's a big project and will take time (*something that I do not have enough of) to fully develop but IT WILL HAPPEN. All the money that has been given is sitting in a special bank account and will not be touched until certain milestones have been achieved. By that I mean sufficient funds to start recording and a certain level of publicity to make the whole thing viable. I promise that despite my dwindling personal funds I will not touch the money collect and THIS PROJECT WILL HAPPEN.

2) Pure Acoustica Despite The Dolphin (our main venue) closing Pure Acoustica is far from dead. I have found a great venue to carry on. More details to follow. If you're interested in Pure Acoustica either from an audience point of view or as an artist either pop your email address into the reverbnation widget on the right or if you're a Facebook person click here.

As well as the live element of Pure Acoustica, I have also started a Pure Acoustica label. I have 2 great artists Tom Caulfield and Emmy-Lee signed up already. I am three fifths of the way through Toms album and have yet to start on Emmy's but will do *very soon.
I'm also half way through recording a new album of tunes, NOT THE VINYL PROJECT, that I hope to finish in the next 4 weeks*

3) Is This Thing On pod-cast I'm itching to start again but it's the lack of time* that is once again holding me back. The main thrust will still be independent (ie poor) composers and musicians as well as the usual rants, opinions, crazy ideas and some of the best non signed independent music I can find as well as that I have some interviews lined up.

4) I have promised to do a few live radio spots for some of my friends who have regular shows and will let you know as and when they happen.

I'll also continue to play out in Southampton as well as anywhere else that I can find and will continue to do musical odd-jobs for Watch With Mothers and anyone else who wants me.

*TIME.....All the schemes and projects I have suffer from me not having enough time to commit to them so I have taken the decision to give up my day job later this year and go full time on musical projects. It's a big decision as I have bills, mortgages and daughters to consider. But if I don't do it now, I never will.
I have a few things I can fall back on if I need some part time work (the docks are just up the road sweetie) and a very supportive wife so it should work eh EH EH?


To follow my progress you can follow this blog, to be kept up to date with gigs, radio appearances etc pop your email address into the first reverbnation widget on the right (the Nick Tann one), I also have a facebook group here  or you can come and stalk me at Twitter
If this is your first time here, welcome. Have a listen to some of my tracks and if you like then tell a few people eh?

Busy Busy Busy

That's what I've been, all through the summer. I had the six whole weeks off work and what a difference it made. I managed to catch up with all the contacts I wanted to catch up on and do (nearly) all the things I had been putting off until I "had the time and head-space". It did pay dividends!

I had a few things I needed to do. Firstly I wanted to record all my songs. I thought I had managed that but last night remembered two that I had forgotten about, so I'll put that right this weekend.! Halfway through that process I had an idea to record a live, studio LP and release it as a limited edition vinyl collectors item. So excited by it that i actually created a blog and have received an amazing amount of pre orders and a large donation by a guy I haven't even met! You can read all about it here thevinylproject.blogspot.com

I also organized the first Pure Acoustica residential gig at The Dolphin in St. Denys.
You can read about that here 
It was a great night. Join the group and you can keep an eye on what's going on with this little beauty. The next event at The Dolphin is on the 17th.
Tomorrow I'm playing in Alton from around tenish
I'm playing next Saturday, the 12th,  in Southampton city as part of this thing called "Music in the City" catchy eh? You can read all about it here it looks like a lot of fun.
And I'll be playing a grown up set on a stage with a pucka P.A. on the 26th upstairs at The Soul Cellar for Angry Badger Records 
What I haven't had time for is recording any new pod-casts which is a shame as I do enjoy them. I have some new ideas for some jingles buy I may give them to http://watchwithmothers.net/ saves them pinching them eh?
Meanwhile I'm going to be recording some new videos for my YouTube channel.
I may even record one using this, it's beautiful. Made form an old cigar box and a bit of 2x1!
Pip Pip

Now that's a plan!

After a weekend of beach, gardening and chopping wood, it's a new day and I'm working in my pj's.

Plan "C", recording all my songs see previous post, has now escalated into the most exciting idea I've ever had! That is, to record a live solo album and release it on vinyl. I've been in conversation with Angry Badger who have some very interesting ideas, so interesting that I won't mention them until certain "things" are in place.

As you can see above, the first of the regular Pure Acoustica events at The Dolphin is all loaded and ready to go. It's a dodgy time of the year to start something like this as so many people are on holiday but I know it will be a great night and the people playing are fantastic so it will be a great night. I made a Facebook event for this if you want a peek.

The windows sponsored free download thing has gone a bit crazy, read about it here. I only needed to get 100 downloads to get paid and so far 1330 people have downloaded How Can it Be Wrong, which is nice.

Heading down to the Soul Cellar tonight for the launch of Angry Badger's compilation cd that "How Can It Be Wrong" appears on. It's got some legs on it that song eh?

Looking at totally revamping my website www.nicktann.co.uk I would really appreciate your opinions good and bad on how it is now.

Charles Olsen, artist, musician and all round good guy, has just pimped my myspace page.

I think it looks very classy despite crashing Safari when I looked at it first thing, although I did have many many windows open.

I also get a mention in the local paper! Whatever next?

So today will be spent recording new tracks for Plan "C", publicizing the Pure Acoustica event, picking up Mrs Nick's dry cleaning, taking another door to be stripped and other sundries.

Le Weekend

I love weekends. It difficult not to. I have tried to get out of the habiot of wishing the whole week away and just focusing on it (the weekend)

This weekend is going to be a humdinger.

I have organised for a group of musicians (most of whom I have never met) to play at the Winchester Mayfest. They are members of a company I started a year ago call Pure Acoustica. The whole idea is that no amps, microphones or p.a.s are used, it's all TOTALLY acoustic, geddit? We will be playing at the Discovery Centre (yes, it's the library) from 2 until 5 pm. After which I shall be heading off, guitar in hand, to a few pubs where other musu types will be playing traditional folky type music and hopefully joining in.

Those who know me will know my attitude to folk or "fulk" music. But this is different. It's a spontaneous almost improvised, natural kind of music. There will be fiddles and banjos, penny whistles and flutes. OK, I know what you are thinking but the ale will be good!!

My daughter is down for the weekend which is always a delight although she will want to get home in time to watch Eurovision.

What are your weekend plans?

Master Plan

So this is part of my master plan. I found this piece of software, I forget the name. You can expand branches and group things. So I spent most of easter doing this plan. This is just the website part, there is a much bigger plan that this is just one part of.

So now I get down to actually DOING the plan.

And to be honest, it's all a bit daunting and is it realy worth it?

Will it be a success after all the work?

It fucking better be!!!

n.b. click on the picture to see it in it's full glory....

Podcast Number 9

My longest pod-cast yet! I managed to cram in part 2 of my conversation with the very successful Neil Drinkwater creator, manager and leader of The Red Stripe Band (Jools Holland on Speed!)

Some interesting information on how to make it as an independent musician. He's been managing his band professionally for the past 6 years and has some funny and very useful insights, as well as some startling revelations.

A new jingle for www.youtube.com/yourenottheone.

I even managed to squeeze in two tunes, both from last weeks Pure Acoustica gig at The Dolphin in St Denys. Botyov 1791 singing 17 bottles of Stella and a bargain bottle of wine and me (yes me!) singing a drunken version of Pale Moonlight.

Do you, me and everyone a favour and subscribe to this loveliness by subscribing to this on iTunes. It's the way forward plus you get to see the funky pictures that I cleverly embed!!!

You may also want to check out this little collaboration I did with Swineshead from Watch With Mothers

Is This Thing On Podcast 8

This podcast includes music from Pure Acoustica artists Emmy-Lee and Botyov 1791 and  part 1 of my conversation with Neil Drinkwater a.k.a. Red Stripe from The Red Stripe Band.

Emmy-Lee and Botyov 1791 will be joining me for the first Pure Acoustica event this Thursday the 12 of February at The Dolphin in St Denys

I've wanted to interview Neil for some time. He has been a full-time independent musician for just over 6 years and manages The Red Stripe band a nine piece swing bamd, often compaired to Jools Holland on speed!

He is also a great friend.

More from him in Podcast number nine but that's another story!

Oh yeah and I made this.......

 

Sleeve Notes for new Album "Bare Bones"

On listening to the first couple of tracks of Bare Bones I doubt you'll be clicking the iTunes buy button straight away.

The production is basic, to say the least, the vocals are often overwhelmed by the guitar and vice versa. Many of the tracks are short, have untidy endings, lack a "bridge" or "middle eight" or even a chorus!

This is my "back catalogue", my history. Many of these songs were recorded over ten years ago at 3am using one basic microphone and an old Mac. An audio notebook of ideas and inspiration.

But there are songs, oh yes, and that's what I want people to hear. Naive perhaps, basic even.

The alternative would have been to leave them, let them rest on a hard drive until the Mac eventually dies. But then what would have been the point? I still play many of these songs; I will often take parts from songs, a chorus, intro or theme and use them in a new composition.

So these songs are footprints, the tracks of my journey to the here and now.

No vocoders, no auto tune or expensive production or mastering.

Have a listen, you may even remember hearing one for the first time at that gig 8 years ago with that guy you didn't know in that dodgy Soho club you went to just the once to check it out but never returned. Or you may have been round my flat one night after the pub and cajoled me into playing something.

Or, of course, you may be listening for the first time in which case, don't judge too harshly as what you are listening to are just the "Bare Bones"

See what I did there?

Original artwork is by my good friend Charles Olsen

Podcast no 7

This week, amongst other things, I rant about buying a fridge at Comets, play some fantastic music by Matt Stevens and Simon Javens, a new advert for those great folk at Hayward Guitars in Winchester, talk a little about Pure Acoustica and launch the very first "Twitter News"

Outside the Box

I have 6 tracks that I recorded at an acoustic gig I played last week. I used my lovely Rhode NT1 plugged into my portable minidisc and the quality is stunning. Therefore after a little tweaking I will release them for digital download by Xmas on good old iTunes as I did with "Life is a River"

It's about a year since I released "Life is a River" and to be honest I made about £150 profit from it and I'm pretty chuffed considering I wrote and played all the songs myself and recorded them in my spare room. 

Now you are all smart creative folk (aren't you?) what I would appreciate are your ideas to help publicise this album. Interesting viral marketing type ideas and publicity stunts.

If you know me then you will know that I'm pretty shameless when it comes to whoring myself round this great web of ours so I'm not going to whimp out of anything due to any shyness.

I did a special mix a few years ago of old People tracks preceded by a snatch of dialogue from Pulp Fiction. It sounded pretty natty and as I didn't inflict it on the world there were no messy copyright issues. I could go down a similar road this time and use some other spoken word. I could even hang the copyright stuff and hope for some publicity. There is no such thing as bad publicity eh Charlie?

I'm a bit handy at editing video so I could make a film for the tube of you

I did want to put up a witty and pertinent youtube vid but decided to treat you all to probably one of the best vids I've ever seen.

So throw me a bone, you've had great ideas before, share a few. 

I don't have a name for this album yet nor any ideas for the cover.

So let your imagine fly and aid me in giving up my day job.

Podcast number 3

Listening back to the first 2 podcasts I did that cringe thing that one does when one hears ones voice recorded. I'm used to hearing my singing voice. After spending hours, no really hours, listening back to it adjusting the reverb or bits of eq I 've got used to it. My spoken voice is another matter add to that the idea that I am spouting the most boring monotonous garbage we have a nice little jumble of fresh neurosis. 

So on to podcast number 3. In a nutshell I was too tired to do it properly but I did it anyway.

Listening to it now with Mrs Nick it sounds slightly better as she smiles reassuringly in that way that she does. 

Ok it is rambling, messy and a little confused, I know I forgot to mention things I said I was going to mention but that's what I'm like so deal with it. 

There will be better ones and I'm sure there will be worse but I do love doing it.

If you haven't heard it yet then click here if you have the iTunes or if not then click here and you can listen to it another way.

If there is something that you think would make these podcasts sound better, more interesting or if there is something you want to know then make a comment.

Ta