Joy of joys - the smoking ban is upon us. I can't wait. As a singer who's worked in countless bars, venues and clubs, I can't tell you how much I'm looking forward to this. The amount of times I've come back from a gig with a nasty tickle at the back of my throat, feeling hoarse - well, no more from 1 July.
Having said that, I'm not one of these "disgusted from Tunbridge Wells" types who wants to hit smokers over the head with a handbag. I don't advocate violence. In fact, I respect the right of smokers to inflict on themselves a slow, tortuous death via furred arteries and whatever else (look, I'm not a scientist). Because, as the pro-smoking lobby keeps saying, they can more than afford to pay for their healthcare - apparently, although they cost the NHS about £1.4bn in treatment, they pay about £10bn in taxes from cigarettes. So. Seems that settles it.
But then there's this argument about the ban "infringing civil liberties". As Antony Worrall-Thompson so eloquently said on the radio today, "It's the nanny state gone barking mad!". Yawn. Change the record. Well, to be fair, I haven't really given the civil liberties thing serious thought - whether it's a slippery slope and all that - because, in this case, it actually suits me, even if it is. And it would seem to suit the majority of the rest of the population as well. So perhaps you could consider it more as a move for the greater good.
Of course, there's always a few stick in the muds, who, even though they agree with the ban, moan about it anyway. "What about all the cigarette ends on the street?!?!?" several concerned callers exclaimed, also on the radio today. Sigh. There's just no pleasing some people.
Tuesday, 26 June 2007
Monday, 25 June 2007
The woman artist
I've been thinking about this business of being a woman and an artist. And the more I think about it, the more tricky I realise it is. First off, the woman bit - fairly obvious, really: although things have come a long way, still there are very few decent role models of women in society or high places. Female politicians and women on the TV are generally picked on more for their appearance than their achievements. In film, women are mostly gorgeous sex bombs desperate for a man, invariably young with no wrinkles. Or they are mothers, neurotic singles or intellectuals with a great cleavage just waiting for the right man to thaw their cold, thinking hearts.
In my own life, I find I am often asked about kids more than I imagine any guy would be. It's a bit like, when are you going to stop this silly frittering about with so-called "creative" stuff, and get down to your real vocation as a woman (ie, being a mother)? And unfortunately, that kind of attitude comes from women as much as anybody else. Lots of women, I find, don't understand the concept of being passionate about something other than family and men. I'm not anti-family or anti-men. But if only we could stop worrying about wrinkles, fat and such-like, we'd have a lot more energy to just be ourselves. I'm amazed at the amount of female friends who look great and are fretting over some invisible wrinkle that only they can see and are talking about plastic surgery, or Botox. Get a grip! There are more important things in life.
Then there's the artist bit. Again, the word "artist" seems to be encumbered by various misperceptions in this country. Either you're pretentious for calling yourself an artist, because in Britain we like to slag anybody off for having too high an opinion of themselves, or you must be a painter, or, to be a proper artist (in music, anyway), you must be signed to a major label; only then are you legitimate. Ironically, by the time you've signed to a major label, you've probably lost any remnant of artistic integrity you had in the first place. And the stories of artists who feel they've been compromised by major labels are countless. Because as we all know, cash flow is king.
It doesn't help that for virtually every major label signing, you have critics spurting out guff like "The album of the year" or "The best singer-songwriter of their generation" or "The new Dylan" etc etc. Come on. I was reading a billboard about Ray LaMontagne in the tube station not so long ago. There were quotes like, "A voice that could melt the heart of any person in any nation". Please. And stuff about what a genius he was, and how there's never been anybody like him. Well, I happen to have his album at home (it's hubby's) and I can safely say that after one listen, I haven't been tempted to put it into the CD player ever again. It's not terrible - it's OK. I can relate to some of the stuff he sings about. There's a lot of songs in 3/4 time, which I like. But it hasn't changed my life. I'd hardly give it the genius tag.
There was an article by AA Gill in the Sunday Times yesterday, which I dipped into, that I think was saying much the same thing about theatre critics. It's about time somebody applied some intelligence to these reviews!
To be continued...
In my own life, I find I am often asked about kids more than I imagine any guy would be. It's a bit like, when are you going to stop this silly frittering about with so-called "creative" stuff, and get down to your real vocation as a woman (ie, being a mother)? And unfortunately, that kind of attitude comes from women as much as anybody else. Lots of women, I find, don't understand the concept of being passionate about something other than family and men. I'm not anti-family or anti-men. But if only we could stop worrying about wrinkles, fat and such-like, we'd have a lot more energy to just be ourselves. I'm amazed at the amount of female friends who look great and are fretting over some invisible wrinkle that only they can see and are talking about plastic surgery, or Botox. Get a grip! There are more important things in life.
Then there's the artist bit. Again, the word "artist" seems to be encumbered by various misperceptions in this country. Either you're pretentious for calling yourself an artist, because in Britain we like to slag anybody off for having too high an opinion of themselves, or you must be a painter, or, to be a proper artist (in music, anyway), you must be signed to a major label; only then are you legitimate. Ironically, by the time you've signed to a major label, you've probably lost any remnant of artistic integrity you had in the first place. And the stories of artists who feel they've been compromised by major labels are countless. Because as we all know, cash flow is king.
It doesn't help that for virtually every major label signing, you have critics spurting out guff like "The album of the year" or "The best singer-songwriter of their generation" or "The new Dylan" etc etc. Come on. I was reading a billboard about Ray LaMontagne in the tube station not so long ago. There were quotes like, "A voice that could melt the heart of any person in any nation". Please. And stuff about what a genius he was, and how there's never been anybody like him. Well, I happen to have his album at home (it's hubby's) and I can safely say that after one listen, I haven't been tempted to put it into the CD player ever again. It's not terrible - it's OK. I can relate to some of the stuff he sings about. There's a lot of songs in 3/4 time, which I like. But it hasn't changed my life. I'd hardly give it the genius tag.
There was an article by AA Gill in the Sunday Times yesterday, which I dipped into, that I think was saying much the same thing about theatre critics. It's about time somebody applied some intelligence to these reviews!
To be continued...
Wednesday, 20 June 2007
Internet evangelists
Feels like a while since I last posted. That's because lots has been happening. I keep thinking of things I want to blog about, but then when I get round to doing it, the moment has kind of passed. Like hearing on the news recently that Tony Blair has called for a "considered debate about the effect of the media on public life". Excuse me, but wasn't he the one that stirred everything up?!?! Beats me.
Also, I've been busily working on getting a great design for my new demo. OK, so I know you can listen to the stuff online, but you can't beat a hard copy for sound quality, and with the design I'm getting, pure class. I can say this, because it's not my design but the work of my very talented friend, Lorna Brown, who also happens to be an illustrator. We're nearly there and all will be revealed soon.
Other than that, I've been genning up on podcasts/vodcasts/videocasts - basically, whatever -cast you can think of. I went to a seminar last night about this and it worried me. Because I don't need to spend any more time on the internet! I realise the irony of that statement, as I happily blog away. But I would like to have some semblance of a real (as opposed to virtual) life. Everybody on the panel was an internet evangelist, and truly, I can see the benefits. But you have to draw a line somewhere. One guy said he'd just spent most of his holiday abroad on MySpace - now that isn't right!
Having said all that, I will at some stage be getting into this podcast business. If you can't beat 'em, join 'em - as I think I said on an earlier post. And hey, I've got things to say! Which is surely the better reason for doing it.
A gig at the Red Hedgehog last Sunday went well - the venue kind of reminded me of The Lot, in Edinburgh, where I did my Fringe shows. On another recent (private) gig, I sang Baa Baa Black Sheep for the first time ever live; a rather excitable child wanted to sing using my mic, and the only way I could protect it was to sing along with him. One of my finer moments, I must say. Still, I like to think I may have inspired a future performer.
Finally, hooray! I've got another slot at Greenbelt this year. I'll be playing with my band, doing the new songs, in the Performance Cafe on Sunday 26 August. It's gonna be fun. Will post more details as they come through.
Also, I've been busily working on getting a great design for my new demo. OK, so I know you can listen to the stuff online, but you can't beat a hard copy for sound quality, and with the design I'm getting, pure class. I can say this, because it's not my design but the work of my very talented friend, Lorna Brown, who also happens to be an illustrator. We're nearly there and all will be revealed soon.
Other than that, I've been genning up on podcasts/vodcasts/videocasts - basically, whatever -cast you can think of. I went to a seminar last night about this and it worried me. Because I don't need to spend any more time on the internet! I realise the irony of that statement, as I happily blog away. But I would like to have some semblance of a real (as opposed to virtual) life. Everybody on the panel was an internet evangelist, and truly, I can see the benefits. But you have to draw a line somewhere. One guy said he'd just spent most of his holiday abroad on MySpace - now that isn't right!
Having said all that, I will at some stage be getting into this podcast business. If you can't beat 'em, join 'em - as I think I said on an earlier post. And hey, I've got things to say! Which is surely the better reason for doing it.
A gig at the Red Hedgehog last Sunday went well - the venue kind of reminded me of The Lot, in Edinburgh, where I did my Fringe shows. On another recent (private) gig, I sang Baa Baa Black Sheep for the first time ever live; a rather excitable child wanted to sing using my mic, and the only way I could protect it was to sing along with him. One of my finer moments, I must say. Still, I like to think I may have inspired a future performer.
Finally, hooray! I've got another slot at Greenbelt this year. I'll be playing with my band, doing the new songs, in the Performance Cafe on Sunday 26 August. It's gonna be fun. Will post more details as they come through.
Thursday, 7 June 2007
Good audiences and not-so-good audiences
Things didn't start terribly auspiciously today. First of all, there was no hot water from the shower. So I psyched myself up to go to a local exercise class - something I've been meaning to do for ages and which had absolutely nothing to do with wanting a decent shower - only to find it was cancelled when I got there. Hmmph. Then, to top it all, people have been renovating next door, making all manner of noises. I can't write a hit song with that racket going on! Keeping the muse has been a challenge.
That said, I did pretty much finish one of the many songs I have started recently. And listening back to it on my crappy dictaphone, I think it's all right. Just a few rough edges to tidy up and I'm nearly there.
Apart from all that, there've been numerous outings of a musical nature since I last posted. In my quest to check out ever more acoustic / singer-songwriter nights in town, I went to see my friend Kaz Simmons last night at the Bullet Bar in Kentish Town. I know Kaz from the jazz scene, but, like me, she's been writing some of her own material lately, on the classical guitar. It was a nice place and she did a great set, fortunately at the beginning, while people were still remotely attentive. What was really annoying was that one of the other acts, who'd brought a bit of a crowd, talked through all the other acts. And the singer had the cheek, in his set, to evil the audience when there were one or two people speaking at the back! Some people, eh. I think it's a shame when the other acts on a bill disrespect their fellow performers like that.
In contrast, when I went to Power Down the other week at the Islington Arts Factory, the audience were a complete joy (yes, I know I was one of them, but hey). We had to be, because there was no amplification - the concept behind the gig was to be as carbon-neutral as possible. So there was no electricity - just a brilliant atmosphere in a beautiful old building with great acoustics. And everybody listened.
That said, I did pretty much finish one of the many songs I have started recently. And listening back to it on my crappy dictaphone, I think it's all right. Just a few rough edges to tidy up and I'm nearly there.
Apart from all that, there've been numerous outings of a musical nature since I last posted. In my quest to check out ever more acoustic / singer-songwriter nights in town, I went to see my friend Kaz Simmons last night at the Bullet Bar in Kentish Town. I know Kaz from the jazz scene, but, like me, she's been writing some of her own material lately, on the classical guitar. It was a nice place and she did a great set, fortunately at the beginning, while people were still remotely attentive. What was really annoying was that one of the other acts, who'd brought a bit of a crowd, talked through all the other acts. And the singer had the cheek, in his set, to evil the audience when there were one or two people speaking at the back! Some people, eh. I think it's a shame when the other acts on a bill disrespect their fellow performers like that.
In contrast, when I went to Power Down the other week at the Islington Arts Factory, the audience were a complete joy (yes, I know I was one of them, but hey). We had to be, because there was no amplification - the concept behind the gig was to be as carbon-neutral as possible. So there was no electricity - just a brilliant atmosphere in a beautiful old building with great acoustics. And everybody listened.
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