Been a while since I posted an update - but it's not due to a lack of things to write about; as I've been playing lots of gigs, writing songs and listening to lots of new bands and artist.

Before mentioning what I've been up to lately - I'd like to tell you about one of the gigs I'll be playing later this month that I'm looking forward to.

I'll be opening for singer songwriter Bill Adair at the Star Club on the the 17th of this month. The Star club is based in St. Andrews in the Square (1 St. Andrews Square off Saltmarket) - which is a very grand and beautiful building. Come along and say hello - should be a good gig. Bill Adair is from Glasgow - and has a talent for songwriting and finger-style guitar. I recently saw him perform at the Partick Folk Club and would highly recommend him.

A few things of note:

* I recently guested on the Mary Kathleen Burke show on Celtic Music Radio; the show was a birthday celebration for the professional storyteller Chuck Warren (stories and legends from the Ottawa tradition). I was there as part of the entertainment along with John Malcolm and Strangetouch (both sounding great). I played a John Prine song, 'The speed of the sound of loneliness' and a song I wrote with Pat called, 'You can't catch the butterfly' (I've posted a rough version of this on to http://www.myspace.com/dexterslim) - which was written for a fundraising concert to construct a memorial garden for the people who have jumped from the Erskine Bridge.

It was great to meet Chuck - a real character - with a gift for telling American Indian tales and legends.

Thanks to Pamela Zimmerman and Ciaran Dorris for emailing in during the show to mention that they enjoyed my version of John Prine's song. Much appreciated.

* The previous Sunday I was the guest of Stewart on the country music show on Celtic music radio ; introducing the song I recorded with local Bluegrass band The Moonshiners.

* I played at the Moniaive Guitar Festival a few weeks ago with The Doghouse Roses, Whizz Jones and the virtuoso guitarist Steve Hicks. I also attended Steve Hicks guitar workshop where I was reminded that I'm never going to be up there with great guitar players; the guy is out of this world as as a player; well out of my league.


Other adventures of note include playing in the Ettrick in Old Kilpatrick - always a positive experience as the people are so welcoming; playing at the Innerliethan Folk Festival; meeting up with my good friend Graham Mackintosh for a bit of guitar playing (if I can persuade him, Graham may well be playing a song with me a the Star Club); buying a lap steel guitar which I'll now have to learn how to play; writing a song with Mary Kathleen Burke; and being featured on the Independent Music Awards website (http://www.independentmusicawards.com/ima/).

And I'm now on Twitter - if you want to follow me - I'm called Jimbyrnemusic. See you there.

All the best,
Jim