Got back home last night and I was a little shattered but that kind of shattered where you go to sleep and aren't actually tired any more.  Was a good month or however long it was since I went to go and play music. 

I played all over and saw lots of things, did a lot of busking and wrote a lot of new material, mostly when busking too.  Discovered that kids are much nicer than adults and although there were some kids in London who were throwing those banger type things a little too close to me when I was playing they did respond very well to my lyrics in my song that suddenly changed to "if you hit me I will come and find you", they then came down and one even gave me some money.  They were nice kids, perhaps just a little spirited.  Another difference between kids and adults walking past is that kids' faces light up with absolute glee whereas adults faces try not to look cause if you see them then they think that you know that they are listening which means that they owe you money.  In these scenarios I perfected instead my looking over the top of heads technique.  Then when playing live I wondered should I make eye contact with people or should I just look over the tops of their heads, I find that both is just as exciting and that the more people there are to play to the more excited I get when playing.  A nice circle, not vicious or anything.

Started off in Barcelona for the trip and met loads of great people, some great americans (hadn't thought I would put the two in the same sentence that often before I met them), very relaxed argentinians, pretty finnish, mad basque onion munchers, el salvadorian feisty types and all the Irish bar non chain local brigade, including a very cool bar maid with more attitude that most countries.  Then came back to Ireland and practiced hard with Rohan and Scorpion Jack for our show case in the Oh Yeah Centre with Moving on Music people, it went well and we stormed the place blowing the excellent competition either away or towards us, Ria was ace, the first guy was grumpy a bit but it did him no favours.

Then home to rest a cold and have a birthday somewhere in there and off to London.  Having told some of my mates that I would coming along they where quick to pick up on the fact that I was in fact coming along at the same time that the riots / protests where due to be going on.  What a coincidnce but in reality I came down because I had a sleeper pre-paid train ticket up to London which ran out on the 6 April and which I wanted to use so the things went on.  I stayed different places every night and had a really great time chatting and catching up with great friends who looked after me and gave me more energy to continue with what I feel is the way forward in life for me.  The last gig in London was on the Thursday down in the cool Denmark Street, that is one nice part of town with so much attitude and excellence.  Called in to see my tattooist and say hello, he was there as ever working away and on good form and came across for some music just asfterwards and gave me some smokes too, no more of them for me.  Doctor says if you have a sore throat, which I sort of did, then smoking is not good for you.  Pretty obvious but with all those warnings on the packets its hard to know whether to really believe them or not.  I mean there are 600% interest or something crazy like that on cigarettes and they also have ammonia and benzene in them too, hold on a minute, if you pay that much for them shouldn't they be screened so that they're actually organic.  Christ alive, they cost enough!  Something amiss there. 

Then up to Scotland to play a few gigs, Glasgow was not very welcoming so I left and then was too tired to stop off on the way back.  Next time I'm sure it will be the place to be. 

Now, today I am looking forward to getting some Scorpion Jack Recording done this weekend when I will have lots of space, then a nice big wedding on the Monday, I'm even an usher and everything and will be wearing tales, though no top hat.

Recorded some of the protests and even ended up in No man's land at one point, played some environmental songs outside the Bank of England through a borrowed PA and walked and walked and walked everywhere with my new body parts, rucksack and guitar case.  Glad to be back to regroup and organise myself but looking forward to the next adventure whereever that may be.

Watch out for SCORPION JACK, we are going to take over ourselves and see where we end up afterwards.

Lots of love to everyone

David