Friday, 11 July 2008

Had a couple of mates round last night for some food and banter.  It's always good to see them (them being Roly -great holding page- and Paula), but last night was particularly good; for me and Roly at least.  Over the last year or so I've collected a good range of Whiskeys, generally donated by the gigs I've played, and last night we pulled out seven of them and did a mini tasting... which resembled more of a general drinking them to be honest, while occasionally noting differences. IT was hard to be sure by the time we got to the last one, but I think our favourite was the Bushmills 21yr old Single Malt Madera Cask.... oh boy!  I got that one from doing a gig at the Bushmills Distillery.  I've been doing a few gigs for them actually, and every time they arm me with quality uisce beatha...  I've got a nice bottle of their 1608, 400yr anniversary sitting unopened, waiting for the right occasion.  However I can be a bit impatient so I maybe need to redefine 'occasion'... are Tuesday's considered an occasion?

Getting geared up for my prison tour next week.  I'll try to blog as much as I can throughout the week.  I'm really looking forward to it.  Most of all I'm looking forward to seeing the same faces at some of the prisons.  That was part of the original idea, to keep returning to the same places so as to build relationships (however distant).  It would be just as easy for me to keep hitting new places, but I really want to find the select few that I return to regularly.  I think this could be of use to the lifers.  I know how much music affected and transported me, and I can only imagine what it must be like to someone locked up for life.  It must be like an oasis in an arid dessert.  Just to be clear; it's not that I think giving treats to these people is, in and of itself, the thing to do...BUT... I really believe that music has healing qualities, it can be a poultice to stuff you didn't know existed...so what can it do for someone whose being specifically rehabilitated?  I'm intrigued by the prospect of rehabilitation through music... surely if you treat someone with decency, irrespective of their wrongs, and then give them a piece of music to mark the occasion, that song or piece will have the potential to blossom in them and start to affect them!?  Am I getting to romantic? maybe... I just know what it did for me!  It's easy for me to get carried away with myself... I'm out here rockin' in the free world!

However the free world is getting less and less free...check this out! funny but frightening, really.

I realise it's been a bit quite here on the western front for a while... I've been replenishing my stocks and working on new ideas... it always sounds so mysterious/ambiguous with me doesn't it!?  Maybe I'm becoming a Steve Jobs clone... hopefully there'll be something a bit more candid for you to check out soon...

...not to mention the Q&A films... I'm having fun doing them, however the first one is SO cheesy...wonderful!