new blog location - change bookmarks

as I've moved my site to new hosts, I now have wordpress on my server. so instead of using a third-party blog such as this one, I'll have everything localised.

the new site is easy to bookmark:
www.cletis.com/musings

see ya there!

the idles of march

haven't felt up to posting this week, or doing much of anything else really. sydney's been hit with a wave of steamy sub-tropical weather that induces lethargy. at least it does in me. and as I've been expecting the seasonal turn towards autumn, I haven't put any kind of aircon in my office. with the tin roofing the pub has, it's been a sauna all week.

today's the gypsy gal's birthday, and I've done my usual best to try to spoil her. took the clan to a nice thai restuarant last nite, and she'll have a few surprises awaiting her at my sunday session gig later in the day.

hopefully everyone'll turn up on time too, as we switched off daylight savings overnite. always seems to throw some folks...

we had state elections yesterday, from the results it appears that labour has swept thru again. this'll no doubt cause some major problems for howard's liberal party in the upcoming federal elections. (note for my notre americano readers - the parties can loosely be allied as: labour-democrats; liberal-republicans).

recording's scheduled next week to try to finish off the blues pirates album. we've been delayed as chris has been ill a fair bit, which is a concern. having lost so many friends over the past year (tuesday marks one year since pete wells passed), every phone call worries me. and last week I got another, as a good pal, great musician and father of an amazingly talented singer/songwriter called to tell me the prognosis of his cancer problems have been declared terminal.

on a more positive note, I'm looking forward to spending the afternoon/evening with good friends & loved ones and playing some great music.

céad míle fáilte

... on this eve of st paddy's day. I, for one, plan on laying low and not getting too caught up in the annual spiritfest, as it were. to be sure, to be sure.

question for the luddities: why do so many people leave messages on cellphones with their name, time & date? if you're a pal, I already have you in my list, and the message bank automatically records the time & date. plus my 'missed calls' reg lists your call, so any message at all is kinda redundant.

especially when it's "hi, it's [insert name here], it's about..... (pause) 12.15 on saturday. call me back, k?"

I mean, I still love you, but the telcos (and their shareholders) love you more than I do.

chris & I have been trying to get the blues pirates album wrapped up, also the new baker's dozen cd is back from the press and will be made available in the next week.

np - kreg viesselman / the pull

monday monday

had theo bring a small drum kit up for last nite's gig, was nice to add some percussion to the new slide guitar tunes. the numbers have been down a bit on my sunday sessions, but I'm hoping that's normal for this time o' year. realised that I've been holding that gig together for a year as of this week, I suppose in today's climate that's an achievement in itself. the sydney live music scene is clutching onto life like a debutante at a prada sale.

odd songs that have stuck in my head over the weekend: van halen's jump; boston's more than a feeling (reason why, next post); the foundations build me up buttercup; tom waits' black mariah and bobbie gentry's ode to billie joe. go figure.

another rock & roll passing, this time brad delp, lead singer for the band boston. the news brought back memories of my post-high school band, thrashing our peavey and kustom amps in the garage of a car yard, straining and strangulating our adolescent vocals cords in a vain attempt to hit those great high notes he sang on that first classic album.

happy b-day to keith a, head barfly at the merton pub.

after much soul-searching, the rose is moving interstate to finish high school. apparently she found the prep college a little too much of a steep curve and missed her old pals. I hope she's back soon. I'll certainly miss her.

on the other hand, I'm wading thru the various notes and letters concering my daughter's settling into her high school, but dragging a few grade school bad habits with her. time will sift thru all though, as it does. she's found a new pal in a young gal who's doing some fabulous animation work, I'm hoping it'll inspire my gal a bit.

the new aussie guitar album is due for release, I should have info up here in a few days. I have a track on it, along with the cream of the oz rock guitar world (and a couple token kiwis).

been trying to regroup to finish off the blues pirates album, things always seem to derail either chris or myself. usually both.

the pub where I do my sunday ritual finally has a website up, it's www.mertonestate.com.au

and you tube finally has a couple tracks from the show I did with mick fetch. just do a search on my name.

rainy days and mondays

a little bit o' precipitation around the harbour has cast a rather autumnish shadow, which I'm enjoying. I think I'm officially over summer and am looking forward to cooler weather.

I finally picked up the head cold that's been going around the house and struggled thru the weekend's gigs. had no special guests on sunday, and it was a delight to stretch out a bit, play some old tunes and field requests from the faithful few who braved the thunder.

most people I know

was shocked to hear the news about the sudden death of aussie rock legend billy thorpe yesterday. at 60, the guy was far healthier than I. the memorial service is going to be held at the sydney entertainment centre, which seems somewhat appropriate for somebody with such a larger than life persona.

the last time & shared a beer with thorpie was at pete wells' wake. glancing around the room full of aging rockers, we mused as to who would be next. ian rilen was standing nearby, looking more like a hard-living elvis costello than a senior statesman of aussie rock. ian died a few months later. thorpie would've been one of the last people in that room that anyone'd pick to go next.

so I'm brushing up on a few of thorpie's classics for this weekend's gigs. drop by, I'm back at the bald rock saturday nite and all on me lonesome this sunday at the merton.