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

It Could Have All Gone Horribly Wrong

But, fortunately it didn't.

A chap called Nick dropped me a line to tell me about a new weekly event he was starting called Natural Jam, an acoustic night at The Havana Bar in Southsea. I quite like Southsea, I have some friends there and vaguely remembered going to this bar once last year. I had been drunk but remembered the table football and great murals. I digress...

It was agreed that I would play the opening night last Tuesday 12th Nov.  I Googled the other people on the bill and checked out some of the people attending.  Shit they were young. Teenagers and early twenties types, not my usual audience of 30-40 somethings. I was a little apprehensive.

It could all go horribly wrong. 

My last gig being Chaplins I still felt a little shellshocked but I turned up optimistic anyway.

Nick had decided that all the acts (there were 3 including me) would play without mics, amps and all that shenanigans and play pure acoustic. 

The stage is pretty big, set up for bands and the like.  Plenty of comfy couches and sinking chairs.  The first act, I would guess, are more used to electric guitars and P.A.s but did a pretty good job and the djembe sounded great.  Next came a duo who also accounted well for themselves.  They even had a bash at Hotel California which shows some balls!

I did pretty good! I had re-written "Don't Make Me Wait" putting in a key change and changing the chorus.  I had a ball, I love this pure acoustic stylie.  Unfortunately, the fucking minidisk player didn't work so I don't have a record of it but i enjoyed myself no end and can't wait to play there again. I think that this could be a great success this pure acoustic stuff and I hope Nick realises the potential this place has got.

If I had one niggle it would be that no-one was introduced. We all kind of shambled on and started.

What about a "Welcome to Natural Jam at The Havana. We do this every week. Lets all give it up for Blah Blah Blah?"

Come on Nick, pull your finger out eh?

Simpering Twats

What a ridiculous and shameful event this whole Sachs, Ross and Brand balls up is.

The gutless and cowardly BBC instead of sticking up for "their guys" decide to kowtow to the gutter press and a has been actor famous for being in 13 episodes of a sitcom.

The BBC SHOULD have said

"We wholeheartedly support Russell Brand and Jonathan Ross in their defense of the pointless complaint from Mr Sachs"

"Furthermore the Daily Mail can just fuck off!" or somesuch.

He was supposed to be giving an interview to messieurs Ross and Brand regarding a documentary he was appearing in and he couldn't even be arsed to be in to do it!

Is there anything else that Mister Sachs objects to?

Perhaps the credit is a tad too crunchy for you?

Should suspected terrorists be held for 87 days without charge?

What do you think Mr Sachs?

Shall we all hit ourselves on the forehead with spoons?

Would you like me to keep a hamster called Basil?

I wonder how many Spanish waiters were offended by your portrayal of them as stupid ignorant peasants ?

The Beeb will now have lost millions of "yoof" from Radio 2 who would have tuned in on saturday night to hear what old Russ would have had to say about all this.

I tried to leave a comment on the BBC website earlier and after being asked to remove my offensive language, 1 bloody and 1 sod, and was confronted with the message that informed me that my 99 words would have to be moderated before it would be deamed fit to appear on it's hallowed pages. No doubt incase I happened to offend Mr Sachs any further.

You may be wondering what I am on about and why there is nothing about me and/or my music and what relevance this has to me,well dear reader here it is.

Independence.

Ok I don't get paid a fortune for what I do but I can do what I want, when I want and how I want. Whether it be a podcast, a blog or a song.

So I pity Russell and Jonathan. I felt sorry for them as they struggled, like frightened rabbits, to get out of a situation that should never have happened. I suspect that they felt let down by the beeb for turning on them. I admire Russell for quitting and hope that Jonathan will do the same, stick two fingers up to the BBC and fuck off to Channel 4.

But he, unlike Brand whose own company Vanity make his radio show, is under exclusive contract to the BBC and will probably want to hang around.

So who is the loser?

Millions will now watch The Bill documentary (on ITV for christs sake)

Millions will watch Russell Brand's Ponderlandstarting a new series this week.

Kazillions will watch wossy's friday night show.

Well the losers will be the people who listened to Russell Brands Saturday night show on BBC Radio 2. I've been listening to the podcast of it since he was with Radio 6!

So the loser is me, thanks!

Shame on you Mr Sachs and shame on you BBC, shame on you..

Podcasting

I have always wanted to do this.

Actually I have always wanted my own radio show.

I love the radio and always have. As a 7 year old I used to tune in my tiny radio (with the single earpiece!) late at night and listen to Radio Caroline, The World Service and a plethora of crazy European foreign language stations. When I got to about 15 I fell in love with Radio 4. I thought it was cool to listen to The Archers, a kind of rebellion in a sea of punk and Bay City Rollers. 

So now to the podcast (I could talk about the 70's for hours LITERALLY ). 

After spying on fellow reverbnationer (yes that is a proper word...now) Matt Stevens, I noticed that he had a podcast available on iTunes. 

I am a big fan of the podcast having been given a "pod" by Mrs Nick some 2 years ago although one doesn't need one to listen to a podcast, oh no.

So on emailing him he directed me to www.podbean.com and I signed up.

I got all profiled up and then went about making my fist podcast. I had an idea of what I wanted to do. I had recorded some of the Chaplins gig and wanted to play some of the songs from that plus a little chat. After much faffing I decided on a format. 

1) Scripted intro......I tried to do it straight "off the mic" but found myself drowning in a sea of "ahh's" and "ums" and hitherto unknown habit of smacking my gums before each sentence. 

2) The tune

3) An unscripted conversational chat with "The Secret Guest".

 "The Secret Guest" has to remain secret as they get enough publicity as it is and don't want anymore so best keep mum eh?

So after a little editing and tweaking here and there, I loaded it up. I'm still waiting for the beautiful monster that is iTunes to show it but it's only a matter of time.

If you've never heard of podcasts and aren't sure what the are, the Wikipedia definition is the best

So if you have ten minutes to spare click on the purple widget (yes I know I just can't help myself!) on the right

Here is my Top Ten Podcast list

1) Adam & Joe. Brilliant and Funny

2) Russell Brand. See above Despite the fact that he refuses to use my fucking jingle!!

3) The Archers. See higher above

4) Jonathan Ross. Much better than tv Ross

5) Roy & HG "This Sporting life" From the Australian ABC Radio station JJJ. An acquired taste,once acquired then relished.

6) Friday Night Comedy from BBC Radio 4 normally The News Quiz or The Now Show!

7) Thinking Allowed with Laurie Taylor, possibly the best broadcaster ever EVER!

8) Stephen Fry's Podgrams. You must listen you simply MUST

9) Radiohead "In Rainbows" podcast. You didn't know? Shame. Thank me later.

10) Steve Wright in the afternoon. JUST FOR ASK ELVIS IGNORE THE SYCOPHANTIC INTERVIEWS

Do you podcast?

What do you listen to?

Have I whetted your appetite?

Any other business?