Max

Hello campers

Happy May Day, firstly. Hope you have all been up to some outrageous  pagan rituals and generally celebrating fertility etc…

Firstly many deserved congratulations to my great friend and colleague Craig Pruess for being nominated for a Bafta, for original music in a TV Drama. This was for the music for the BBC drama ‘Moses Jones’ (on which I contributed guitar and bass). Craig is also riding high in the box office chart with the score for “It’s A Wonderful Afterlife’ so big up the CP!!

I’m currently riding the train to Kings Cross – thankfully the East Coast trains have both wi-fi and electricity points (the battery on my old laptop is well past the point of usefulness) so I’m trying to maintain my promise of blogging every Monday – even thought today is a bank holiday. No day off for me… On the way to Kent for the gig with Jane Sibbery which was previewed in the Times last week!

Went to see Salsa Celitca in Lincoln on Friday night which was a blast – Cuban rhythms with Celtic diddle on the banjo and the fiddle! Great to see people actually dancing at a gig too for a change.

Thursday we nailed another mix so we’ve nearly broken the back of it now! (nearly…) Really pleased how they are coming out. Plans are a-foot for a band tour later in the year possibly September, after everyone comes home from their summer holidays and the kids are safely back to school…

So, London approaches and I must power down – until monday…

Max

I’ve decided to try and up my blogging output by attempting to write something once a week. In view of this fact, and how hard it is to come with a pithy and original title to each post, I have elected to use the Monday of each week as both my posting day and title. Naturally for the first one I am a day late…

Firstly I need to say what a pleasure it was to be opening for Brian Kennedy again. We did just 2 shows, one in Wavenden and one in London at the Jazz Cafe and both were fantastic for me. I would especially like to thank Liam and Colleen for coming down from MK for the London show, as I said at the time you made my day! Hope you enjoyed the London show too. Mixing is about to recommence on WITD, hopefull tomorrow all being well.

In the mastering studio I am working on a new album for Australian based artist Lance Ferguson AKA ‘Lanu’, as well as various library tracks. Next week I will be helping out with the front of house sound for Canadian singer Jane Sibbery performing live in Ulcombe, Kent. I think there may still be tickets – check out the website http://www.janesiberry.com/janesiberry/tour.html for details.

Also want to say well done to my friend Nick who did a fine job on his stag do on Saturday. And fun was had by all…

Until Monday….

Max

I’m a bit behind on my blogging once again so here is a little recap of the last month…

Mixing has finally started, i’m working with my long time friend and colleague Mike Pelanconi on the mix. Mike has mix credits for Lily Allen, Manu Chao, Graham Coxon, etc… and we are working in the old style with all the audio coming back from two inch tape. This means when we run the mixes through the desk we can actually turn the computer off in the studio! Amazing, and wonderful warm sound too. For all the joys tape brings it also has it’s downside…. we had to wait nearly a month to find and fix a glitch with the tape machine but it’s all going to be worth it in the end. The artwork is nearly finished and soon we will be re-skinning this website so look out for that (although you wont really be able to miss it…).

Was great to open for Eliza Carthy again earlier this month at the Stables in Wavendon. Co-incidentally I was back at the stables this week with Brian Kennedy on Tuesday night – again another great evening. For those that were there, my nails are fine now thankyou!

Talking of Brian – i’m opening for him once again – tonight (Saturday) at the Jazz Cafe in London. Stage time is 7.45pm, sorry for the short notice…

Great to see a great reveiw of the new Bamboos new album ‘4′ which I mastered. Click on the link to read the reveiw. http://www.bbc.co.uk/music/reviews/w8hf

And finally well done to my band ‘My Mother Told me Not To Stare’ who I tutored this last week at the FSOR Rockschool for giving a fantastic performance on Thursday evening. They did a fabulous job at the gig, with a great rendition of “The End of the World as we Know It” and a phenomenal medley of “Song 2″, “I’m A Beleiver”, and “Twist and Shout”. There is some video of FSOR on Youtube – well worth a look. FSOR is a chance for kids 15 years and under to play and perform in a real rock band.

See you soon

x

Finally feel like we are escaping the depths of winter, it was light this morning at 7am (yes I was up…) and I walked to the studio in beautiful sunshine….

So recording is now officially finished(!) and we commence mixing this week and next. There are 11 tracks on the  album, something old, somethings new, nothing borrowed and a couple of things blue(sy).

More urgently – i’m playing on Thursday evening at the Stables, Wavenden (Milton Keynes) opening for Eliza Carthy again. Should be on stage about 8ish – all details on the Stables website www.stables.org

I’ve been having fun working with some old and new friends – I was over at Platform 1 college on the Isle of Wight last month working with the next generation of musicians and music professionals. It was a great session – here’s a pic of all the students

So we are now looking at early summer release for the album and we will soon be able to start taking pre-orders. More details etc…

See you soon. x

I know, I know – I promised the album would be ready for February but circumstances conspire etc and it now looks as if we will be releasing towards the end of May as we start mixing at the beginning of March. The album has a title (and a catalogue number!) – it’s called ‘Walk In This Direction’ and we are currently putting together the artwork which is all very exciting. Incidentally I’m also hoping to overhaul the look of this somewhat functional looking website which will hopefully co-ordinate nicely with the album – well that’s the plan…

Waiting for news on some tour dates in the next couple of months and of course there will be shows to support the release of the album, in the meantime you’ll just have to be patient…

Max

I took the Eurostar for the first time since it moved to St Pancras yesterday and it’s so fast! Last time it took my about 7 hours to get here (although that was via a combination of motorbike, ferry and rain…). Anyway – here for a few days and then back to the UK for 2 shows with Eliza Carthy – one in Hailsham on Saturday and in Blackheath on Sunday night. Last week was hectic, Monday I was in London shooting a video with the Ganda Boyz – there is some great footage of them now on youtube and you might even catch a glimpse of me if you look hard enough… Just search for Ganda Boyz. Friday it was up to Stockton on Tees for the first of a 3 show run with Eliza Carthy. It’s a lomg way from Brighton but it was well worth it, many thanks to the Stockton audience who welcomed me so warmly. Then Saturday I was playing for Lizzy Parks at the Vibe Bar in Shoreditch opening for Will Quantic.

Xmas is drawing ever closer – I had my first mince pie this year on Sunday. I promise to enjoy it this year…

Every now and then it’s brought to my attention that people read these little musings of mine through their RSS feed. If you’re not getting your news soon enough then click on the little RSS button and you get these bulletins automatically after they are posted. Magic!! At least I think that is how it works…

Some last minute shows in the works – will post details as soon as I have them. Meanwhile if you are anywhere near Shoreditch on Saturday night (5th) I shall be performing with the lovely Lizzy Parks at the Vibe Bar – Brick Lane at about 8pm…

TTFN!

x