Hello 2020

Well, it’s sort of time for an attempt at getting on with things again.

The band continues but really it is in name only as it has to change quite a bit to make it workable. I have to make serious efforts to get out and about locally as there are one or two local music places where I may be able to make some connections. I need this as much for social reasons anything to do with getting gigs as I have been very reclusive and it’s not having a good effect on my mental health as I have been dwelling on things rather too much. That’s the plan anyway, so we shall see what happens next.

I have a guitar stand which holds the guitar in playing position now. That means I can use it with the loop pedal and then step away whilst still accompanying myself and pick up the violin with ease. That’s opened up the options for gigs a lot as I can read music so I can busk stuff from books which means it is easy to do some requests and not have to worry about others learning the material plus I can do the violin stuff which has always been a major part of the live act. If I can get used to doing stuff totally solo then the world’s my oyster really, it’s just a matter of confidence.

Apart from that, I am having a relatively quiet life. Ralph, Vicky’s partner visits once or twice a week, as we have shared interests in sound recording and photography as well as a long-standing friendship. That’s been helpful for both of us over this last year.
I still find it odd performing without Vicky’s often larger than life presence, but I can see now how hopefully it can work.

Money is very tight at present so that is still restricting things socially, which is why I need to find things to do locally.
It’s now coming up to two years away from London and there is a lot that I do miss, to be honest, but I don’t have any regrets about moving when I did as its made life a lot easier in practical terms. I have still have a lot of stuff in the shed downstairs that needs sorting out, selling or disposing of though.

My birthday comes up in a couple of weeks but I shall not be making too much fuss about it, other than to say I never could imagine being that age 

 I don’t expect to be doing anything special for it. It does have a particular resonance though as I will be the same age as my father was when he died, which is a little disturbing, to be honest.