Ok blogees (that is the name I am giving to people who are reading my blog, since I am the blog-ER, it only seems natural that people reading it are blog-EES). Here comes a great big blob of blog!

It is nearly the end of 2008 AND I am now no longer a teenager!! Shock horror. I feel like this means I will never be truly successful as I can now not be considered a child prodigy. Haha. This year has been full of cool and fun stuff, much of which I've blabbed about in the other blogs. All in all it's been a good year for me and the Takamine and the tunerfish. We've done a lot of tootling about together and sometimes people have even clapped after our appearances.

In the last few months I've been slowing down on gigging, mainly to give myself more time for Uni. However, as my Dad put it, I have freed up more time and then filled it up again with parties. And I can't say that this is entirely exaggeration. But it has also given me a chance to go to more gigs, and just act like a sponge and soak it up. Anyway I've chosen the gigs I have played carefully and it's paid off, because I've played some really cool ones. Like in November I supported John Smith who plays the guitar like some kind of angelic centipede: I can't understand any other way he could produce that kind of sound from a guitar with only two hands. Maybe he has Bernard's watch or something. OR maybe he practices much more than me…yeah maybe it's that.

I also played at the Lofi Studios Christmas party which was two floors of fab, a bit like a double-decker bus – the Vengabus! - but…stationary. It was great to see loads of bands I love all on one night, although I kept seeing people I knew and getting distracted and missing bits. Anyway I (of course) wasn't overly keen to be given beer for my rider, so AFD organiser man (more to be said on that later) organised for me to get wine instead. The thing was the barman forgot to buy the wine, so they had to give me bar tokens. The thing about that was they didn't have any token-type things. So they gave me ten sachets of salt which I would exchange for drinks. It was humiliating and liberating in equal measure: half of my brain was slightly embarrassed at using a salty currency in the absence of tequila, but the other half was gleefully reminded of playing shops at nursery school. Those were the days.

So the AFD thing. I now have a manager! We take role-call like in Flight of the Conchords. I am the Hiphopopotamus. It's all very exciting and we are trying to get things all planned out for the impending new year. So now in the Anna Meldrum family is the Takamine, the tunerfish and the latest member, Ali Davidson. Speaking of new additions to the Meldi family, one plan for the new year is to get a band sorted. So if you're interested in playing along to my tunes – much like guitar hero - and being included in the Meldi family tree do get in touch.

An honourary member of the Meldi family is of course is my rather good chum Toni, who has been making videos for her projects at art school this term and I've been providing the soundtracks. That was great because I got to make up songs about slightly bizarre topics like couches and caterpillars. Here's one:

And here's another:

AAAND the last section of this blog, my little blogees, is a big boasting section. Rah rah rah I am fab, and the like. Item one: my Sunday Herald column is going along nicely, hope you've enjoyed it if you've been reading it. I don't think my Mother has ever been so proud of me. Item two: I am now an AWARD WINNING artist, thanks to Pivo Pivo who gave me a framed certificate thingy because they think I'm quite good. I had been practicing my gracious loser face for the award night but then ended up using my chuffed idiot face instead, so that was nice. I suppose. And item three: I have been nominated in the top female solo artist section of the Jock Rock poll for 2008 (i.e. Scottish indie music website thingy) alongside such famous celebrity people as KT Tunstall and so on. So it would SOOPERB if you would vote for me, just click this link and you will be magically transported to the appropriate website:

http://www.jockrock.org/jockrockpoll2008.html

The last few months have seen big changes for me: I've met lots of new people which has given me the chance to do cool stuff like recording in the lovely Diving Bell Lounge and getting some nice photies taken. It's also given me a chance to work out lots of new things about songs and bands and lyrics and how I should be doing it all. It's nice to have some clarity. Even if it's just a teeny bit.

Right well, I hope Santa is good to you, and that your Christmas dinner is delicious, and that you all watch Wallace and Gromit and eat plenty of chocolate, even if it tastes a bit like cooking chocolate (which Christmas chocolate always seems to).

Love,

Anna F. Meldrum

xx

P.S. – I've now noticed that 'blogee' looks a bit like 'bogey'. Sorry.