Well, let me start by saying how very very tired i am! Don't get me wrong, I'm always tired, but the first two months of 2009 have been incredibly long! I've been to Southampton, Camden, Liverpool, Hull, Nottingham and I have trips to Birmingham and Cambridge planned. All of which have been interspersed with full time work! AHHH!!!

The second album is actually underway now! WOOO! I've put some new tracks on the myspace and there's a free CD with some demos of the second album now available at all of my show.

I'd like to give a big thanks to a lot of people, mainly Max Ramsden for playing drums for me on the new recordings, Andy Thurston for his hints and tips on making stuff sound good, Will Needham for lending me his bass, Kirk, Ed, Mark, Paul, Ferret and all the other people that have come round the country to support me and my silly music, Holly for letting me pass out on her floor, and of course my Faye who has put up with a very sleep deprived boyfriend for the last two months!!!

For those that don't already know I am now also playing drums in a band called Japanese Government Railways. Go and check them out RIGHT NOW!!! :D

I hope you enjoy the new songs and hope to see you all at a show sometime soon

Take it easy

Well, it's been a while (it's always "been a while"!) and 2008 is very quickly coming to an end. but what a year it's been!

Since my last blog i've played some amazing shows, notably:

Y-not festival (with Frank Turner, Hijack Oscar)

The Regal in Worksop (thanks to all my scene kids who rocked way too hard for my out of place acoustic set!),

The Madhouse in Rosliston (with Amy Wadge, and a huge thanks to the sheer hospitality and great atmosphere)

The Brewery Tap (the first time! They got very sick of me very quickly but the first show was awesome!)

Y-not was the highlight of the year. The rain meant that the tent was rammed for my set and the audience were amazing. We spent the weekend getting muddy and rowdy (a handful of my friends formed the "Mother F*ckers" early on Sunday morning and proceeded to piss A LOT of people off.... but it was very funny! A massive thanks to all involved in the weekend, i can't wait for next year (when i won't be taking my gazebo as it broke 2 minutes after arriving!)

The Regal was ace just because it was the first time my many of my students have seen me do what i do. don't get me wrong, they've heard me play, but playing in a classroom and playing live are fairly different!

The Madhouse was one of the most surreal gigs i've ever done. It was in a small village, in the village hall, playing with someone who's one "Welsh female singer of the year"! What made it weirder was the place of packed, the audience listened to EVERY word i said, and i sold the last 10 copies of "Far From Home". It was absolutely AMAZING! A HUGE thanks to Al and Mike for everything (including the cake and sandwiches!!!)

I'm still writing stuff for the second album, but it's almost done now so (fingers crossed) it'll be done for early next year!

I'm very much looking forward to next February playing with "Fighting with Wire", on my 25th birthday, just down the road from where i grew up! it's like a dream come true :D

I'm still very stressed, i don't sleep anywhere near as much as i'd like to, my house is either too cold or too hot, I can't use my CD player in my car because my car battery is so unpredictable at the moment that i don't wanna put any extra strain on it, and i'm generally ready for a long break... hopefully where money isn't involved!

Take it easy

"Momentum" is available from iTunes as part of A future without Records "Scissors" complilation.






Download the whole of Far From  Home for free

Well, the fancy new myspace player has managed to screw up two of my songs.... Momentum and Hopelessly Helplessly no longer play!

However.....

As shown above, "Momentum" is availble to download from iTunes.

and...

due to the fact i only have 5 physical copies of "Far From Home" left, i've put the whole album up for a free download!

Enjoy :D

Well, the summer is finally here! The suns out, it's fairly warm, and i've been in a dark air conditioned room for the last week! On the plus side, the second album is taking shape at last (it's only been 2 1/2 years coming!)

I started the month being very proud of all the music students at North Notts college! They put on two fantastic end of year shows, and the CD that went with it earned enough for an afternoon of pizza, pop, and sweets! mmmmmmmm pizza! However, i broke my elbow! Something which i tried to ignore and brush off as a sprain.... but lets face it..... it was broken to some extent!!! (seriously, the bruising was insane!)

There's been some cool gigs this month, notably Wizzafest (which was ace! mmmmmmm free pancake)

One more week left at "work" (i use the speech marks as i'm recording "Mourning for the Masses" so that's not really work... more like hanging out in the studio having fun, although after this year i've earned it! :P)

I'm really looking forward to Y-not festival next weekend. I'm brushing off the cobwebs from my tent!

I don't think there's anything else to say.

See you at Y-not!

What a month!!! I started it with a very, very horrible illness (which included conjunctivitis, tonsillitis, and very nasty viral flu!) which had me bed ridden for over a week! However, thanks to my wonderful friends (especially Mark, Emma, and ferret who did WAY too much for me to ever be able to repay them. Oh, and Tom and Duncan for holding the fort on my musical commitments) and amazing girlfriend i got better. on the plus side i found a new appreciation for baths!

Went to see Bat for Lashes in Oxford..... they may have changed my life!!! BEST SHOW EVER!

I've played some wicked gigs over the past two weeks, notably The Factory in Long Eaton (thanks virus for the 15 min trek just to get me tea!), The Victoria in Derby (thanks for everyone who came, you made it amazing) and the Kasbah in Coventry (thanks to Dimitris for putting up with me and my very drunken mates!)

Work is pretty stressful, what with it being 3 weeks until the end of term, and there is SOOOO much to do! However, all the recordings we've been doing are sounding awesome! There's some real talent in those kids!

I'm very much looking forward to the Y-not Festival. If you haven't got your ticket already, do so quickly! It's gonna be one hell of a weekend!

Well, i'm off to get used to my new glasses (they look the same but the lenses mean i can see properly now!)

Take it easy

Well, it's been a while and i feel that i should post something on here...

It's been a very long half term but the end is in sight...which is a little scary tbh!

I'm excited that i finally hit 50,000 views!

The second album is getting there, slowly but surely

I've got some cool gigs comming up, mainly:

14th June @ the Kasbar, Coventy

3rd August @ Y-not Festival, Matlock

Check my page for the full listings...there seems to be a lot on there now!

Barracuda bar is going from strength to strength, Tuesday was rammed!

Derby's open mic scene is comming back to live again, Thursdays @ Bishops Blaise and Mondays @ the Blue Dog (both are excellent)

Faye and I have been together exactly 3 years today!

I'm very, very, very tired... thats nothing new

Thats all for now :D

Derby's Open Mic Scene seems to be slowly dissapearing into the ground! Since we lost Dave Brookes, Scream, Vaults, Union Blue, Five Lamps, the open mic fellowship seems to have fallen apart!

Why!??!

Barracuda still have theirs ever Tuesday and Ryans bar still have Wednesdays (with Ryan replacing Dave B).

These nights still need the support of the fantastic scene that has risen up over the past 3 years. I know no one likes change but change isn't always bad, it's just....well.....a change

Keep Derby's Scene Alive

Simon

Well, yet again, its been a pretty long time since i wrote a blog! I blame that mainly on work blocking Myspace and haveing very little free time at home.

The last couple of months have been pretty wicked to be honest. The charity gig at Susumi was freakin AMAZING (probably one of the best gigs I've played). Loz's "Scope" event at Bishops Blasie was pretty cool with a surprising large turn out for a very wet Sunday night. The most recent gig at the Vic was cool, more fun than anything with a really bunch of people.

I've also finnally found out that I'm keeping my job at North Notts collage which is awesome. Alot of hard work but i do love every second of it.

I have aquired a genuine hatered for Central Trains due to their incompetence!

I could rant on about crap but the truth is it's been steady going. Some good gigs, some long days with little sleep, some huge ups and some crappy downs.

Second album is comming along a little faster now it's the summer holidays so fingers crossed for having it all sorted for the christmas rush :P

Take it easy ya'll

And it'll still say the same things.... I'm tired, i've run outta steam, and wanna spend the weekend in bed but can't because my back is killing me.

On a lighter note...working full time at North Notts which is awesome. At first i was very apprehensive of the new kids etc but they are all awesome and (most) actually wanna learn stuff. However, from door-to-door it's a 4 hour round trip everyday! I know I bitch about this constantly (up at 5am, home at 7-8pm) and i know i shouldn't because people always ask "why do you do it!" and my response is always "because i love my job!".

Gigging....has pretty much gone out the window of late. I gigged solidly through March and most of April and that pretty much killed me. 2 hours sleep a night, teaching all day, gigging at night....it may have been "rock'n'roll" but waking up on trains not sure if it's the right one or where you are is a horrible feeling (fortunatly it was always the right one and, as yet, i havn't missed my stop...touch wood). However, I have been open micing a lot more of late. I've missed the open mic scene and i really wanna get back into it.

Recorded some drums and stuff to some old tracks which i love and always wanted drums on. I've written some new songs but still no where near enough to start thinking realistically about the second album. I plan to do it all by September...which gives me a while and the summer holidays so...maybe!

Still missing all the little West Notts kids, and hopefully should be down for the end of year shows.

Anyways, my cup of tea is getting cold.

Take it easy ya'll

I'll be honest, i've been wanting to do this since Wednesday night, but everytime I start I get to emotional and give up.

It has been an true pleasure and a real honour teaching all of you for the last 8 months, and as i said on my last day, you have not only rekindled my passion for music, but you will continue to inspire me untill the day I die.

All my words seem to fall far short of what I really mean, so I've uploaded "Forgive & Forget" to remind you guys how much you all mean to me.

Hopefully I shall see you again at some point, but it'll never be quite the same, which honestly saddens my heart. But life goes on, and you will meet alot of people along the way who inspire you and teach you more than i ever could.

Take care and good luck

Simon