Beware! The Leopard

Performance Anxiety

This past week mark's a momentous occasion in the progress of the musical existence of Sancho Panza.  Last Sunday I performed for the first time as a solo-artist.  It was only two songs at the Green Note open mic in Camden, but they were well received.  I must admit that I was super-nervous, which had an impact on both my voice and my fingers, but I still managed to perform to an acceptable level. 

It's a bit bizarre moving from the sideman to the front-man.  The first time I got up on stage as a lead guitarist was just as nerve racking.  But over the years I have come to feel pretty comfortable on stage in a group setting.  I must say that solo work is an entirely different beast, and although I was expecting to be nervous, I did not expect that gut-wrenching anxiety that claimed me just before I went up to the mic on Sunday.  It's probably going to take a few more test runs before I feel more comfortable, and I need to work on getting my fantabulous personality to shine through in the between song banter (a la Danny Michel), but I will get there. 

Over the last little while I have been focusing much more on my failures than on my successes, and I tend to beat myself up too much about things I haven't accomplished.  So I'm going to do my best to relish in the glow of this big step that I have taken.

I will attempt to play again this Sunday at the Green Note, so feel free to come on down to check it out between 1-5pm on Sunday.

Cheers,

S.P.

Setbacks

So this week has been a week of a few setbacks. 

Late Monday I was informed by the owners of our rehearsal studio that they have had a disagreement with their landlord and as such were closing down immediately.

This puts a bit of a damper in my plans as I was hoping to get in and record some vocals this week as per an earlier post. 

Luckily the boys and I have managed to scramble up another studio for a late Sunday rehearsal.  We'll see how it goes, and if the space is adequate, I'll try and do some solo recording there as well.

In other news, I officially start working for Roland UK on Monday.  I have to travel Swansea in Wales for a couple of days, then Leeds for a few days, all for training.  It's exciting, but it means that next week is going to be super busy.  I'll attempt to keep my regular postings (as regular as they have been), but I apologize in advance for any delays.

I'm going to check out the Dirty Projectors and Final Fantasy tonight at the Forum.  It should be a great show, and I can't wait to tell you guys all about it.

For those of you in London, I will be playing at the Open Mic at the Green Note in Camden on Sunday.  It's a great place to come and chill for a few hours on a Sunday afternoon.  I don't know when I will play, some time between 1 and 4 p.m.

Cheers,

S.P.

Kai!

I'm such a twat (it's not as bad of an insult over here apparently).

In my state of mourning last week, coupled with a rush to get things done ahead of a trip to Brighton on Saturday, I completely forgot a Friday Update.  So you're getting a Monday update instead.

Last week was a bit of a downer for me, with the passing of Jay Ricketts (AKA Dafduc).  It's always a bit bizarre when an "internet" friend says the long goodbye, but even more so when it is someone you have met and had the pleasure of jamming with. 

As a tribute to Jay, I had planned on playing at an open mic in Camden yesterday, but I chickened out at the last minute.  I've sworn to myself that I will play next week, after I saw how things were run and the general friendliness of the crowd. 

Regarding the solo stuff, I'm heading into the studio this week to track my demo.  I'm going to lay four songs down, three acoustic guitar based, and one piano, and we'll see how they turn out.  I don't think I'll have them up by Wednesday for the regular post, but I'll have them up at the latest Sunday.

On the band front, we had a fantastic jam last night and managed to solidify a couple of songs that were giving us trouble.  We have yet to come up with a name, but the latest discarded ones include: Leviathan, Pax Americana, and Kai!

That's it for last week. 

Cheers

S.P.

 

It's Fried Egg!

That's right, it's Friday. 

Another week has passed, and it is time for some much needed reflection.  I spent a lot of this week mentally preparing for a job interview with the head of UK sales for Roland, a company that manufactures high-quality musical gear.  The interview took place at a hotel in Hinkcley (2 hours north of London), kind of out in the middle of nowhere, but seeing as how their head office is in Wales, it was probably more convenient for both of us.  The interview itself went rather well, and I got a good feeling from it.  I should find out if I got the job by the end of the day today, or possibly Monday.  Keep your fingers crossed.

Also new this week was the Camden fire.  Last Saturday a large section of the Camden market, including the Hawley Arms pub burnt to the ground.  It was a bit sad, but I'm kind of hoping that it will cause some rebirth in the area.  The market which was once known for its eccentric and artistic personality has now become a venue for the hocking of so much kit.  Most stalls sell gimmicky stuff to tourists, so hopefully this will allow some new vendors to come in and bring back something with a little more authenticity to it.  We'll see.  It was an incredibly weird experience hearing about the fire, as Michelle and I had walked through the market that afternoon. 

On the music front, I'm putting the finishing touches on a couple of songs, one which is almost ready to be posted as a Wednesday project (that's why there wasn't one this week).  It is based on my experience on the Tube here so far.  Keep an ear out next Wednesday.  I just need to get into the studio to track the vocals as it's a bit too loud in the flat to do. 

The band is back on it's usual schedule of two jams a week, Sundays and Wednesdays, so we're going full steam ahead with the hope of gigs soon.

Alright, the contractor is here to fix a leak that is flooding the ground floor flat in this building, so I better go let him in.

Cheers!

S.P.

Egads! interviews!

So I'm sure many of you noticed the lack of a Wednesday project this week.  Let me assure you that I am working on things, it's just that these days that mostly involves preparing for job interviews.

Yep, that's right, job interviews.  I have a second interview with Roland UK tomorrow, where I will actually have to demonstrate my musical talent, and I got a call back for a PA position at a PR firm, so there will be a second interview there as well.  I'm still waiting to here from a couple of music instrument retailers, we'll see what happens.

Busking is probably going to happen sometime next week, just to see how it goes.  I'll be sure to report back here. 

That's really about it.  I apologize for the shortness, I'll try to have a busier week next week! 

Cheers,

S.P.

Another Friday Night and I ain't got nobody

Well that last bit's a teensy bit false, but the Cat Stevens reference really wouldn't work it I said “Another Friday night and I got lots of friends and I'm heading out to the club to catch some live tunes”, even if it is the truth. 

That's right, going to catch some live music.  Ramzi, the cousin of my current bandmate is playing at the Jazz Cafe in Camden.  Ramzi does a lot of soul/R&B music and he's really good at it.  Even though it's not my cup of tea, it will be good to get out and support a friend.  He's just put together a video and does music as full-time employment, so he's kind of an inspiration for wannabe's like me. 

In other news, I've got some new tunes that I'm putting the finishing touches on.  I think I've almost got a full set together, then it will be time to head into the studio, cut a 3 song demo or so, and get out and play some shows.  I've also set up a myspace account – HERE  which is just another venue for getting the word out about gigs, tunes, etc., and it's a good way to make some contacts in the biz in London. 

The band is doing alright, our pace has slowed due to trouble getting rehearsal time at the studio, but we've managed to sort that out and will be returning to our two jams a week schedule shortly. 

That's about it for now.  See you next week!

Cheers!
S.

Another day in paradise

While Phil Collins' song of the name above was a real downer, this week has been moderate for myself.  I still haven't found work, although I had an alright interview with a PR firm on Monday.  I should hear soon if I get a follow-up.  I also have another interview next week with a firm that hires street fundraisers for Charity.  It might be interesting to give that a go for a while. 

Another thing I'm thinking of, is busking.  I'm trying to figure out how it works in London, but the idea is not entirely implausible.  I am an out of work musician, and what better way to make money than by playing music.  The only thing is I'll have to work up my repertoire of covers, as I don't think the S.P. originals would earn me much money ..... yet....  If you have any suggestions for covers that I could play on the mean streets of London, don't hesitate to comment!

The band is starting to morph.  In a good way.  I mean considering we've only jammed together maybe 7 times, we're actually beginning to form "our sound" as opposed to something else.  It's very Sonic Youth meets Explosions in the Sky, but it is very good, very original, and entrancing.  I can't wait to get out there and play it for people. 

It's an exciting time, although it is hard to believe I've been here for almost two months already.  Time is flying!

Cheers!

S.P.

Who's got internet? I do I do!

Well a miracle of sorts has occurred.  It should be noted that said miracle was preceded by some rather enormous dilemmas, but the universe has sorted itself out and things are now in order.

You may recall some previous mention of lack of internet at home.  This was due to the fact that BT -- the UK's equivalent of Bell, except worse -- wanted to charge me 124.99 quid to set up a landline in my flat which would only be used for internet.  Said line would cost 10 pound per month and the internet would be another 18 or so on top of that.  So like any Londoner, I said "piss off".  This resulted in a intensive search for another method of getting connected.

Virgin media was my next stop, as they provide cable internet services.  After 1.5 weeks of waiting for the phone call to set up my system, I was informed that my street doesn't have cable yet and they aren't willing to install it for just one customer.  So it seemed like I was back to square one.  Crap. 

Then a friend pointed out that nowadays they have mobile internet.  So I did some research and went down to Vodaphone, where for 30 quid a month I get a little modem that connects to my laptop's USB port, and works almost anywhere in lower England and most parts of Europe!  With transfer rates as high as 7.2Mbps I'm set.  Finally life can get back to some sense of normalcy. 

On the music front, I've managed to research where the open mics are in this city, and I'm going to try and perform an acoustic set by myself before the end of February -- that's my goal at any rate.  I will definitely be posting all the details here, so keep your eyes and ears peeled.

The band is coming together nicely.  We've got a few songs down and already have some lines on gigs in the Camden area.  We don't have a set goal for getting out to play shows because we want to have a solid set list built up first, but don't fret, it will happen.

In the next week or so, I will also be setting up an ETSY page so that people can buy prints of the lovely photographs I've taken.

In sum, everything's coming up Sancho, and even though it is grey and rainy outside, the future is definitely looking bright.

Cheers,

S.

Friday Update

Well, another week has gone by.  I apologize for the lack of a Wednesday Project, but I suppose you could say that the reorganizing of this blog was a project that was posted on Wednesday :-)

Today is Friday, and the day that my muse arrives from Canada.  It's been a long six weeks, and I can't wait to show her everything I've learned about London. 

Musically, the band continues on in good shape.  We've got the structures of 3 songs down, and the promise of many more to come.  I've also got some good leads on where to play my solo stuff, so it is starting to come together.  There are also a ton of good shows coming to town in the coming weeks, Stars, Final Fantasy, Jesus and Mary Chain, the list goes on and on.  It is nice to live in a city that is a hotbed of cultural activity.

Not much else to report. Hopefully I'll be able to put some of my songs to tape for next Wednesday, I'll do my best.

Cheers,

S.

Friday Update

Another week, another year.  I can't believe it's 2008 already.  I also can't believe that I'm living in London, but that's my own damn fault. 

Things are rolling along relatively smoothly until the glitch with the internet hookup in the new flat (as in I need to get it hooked up) put a damper on this week's progress.  Earlier this week I managed to pick up my music gear from the Air Canada Cargo terminal at Heathrow even if it cost me an addition 165 quid for the storage charges that nobody told me about (13.50 quid per day!).  Having the gear though makes the move seem more real, as now I can return to writing and recording on the piano. You can look forward to more Sancho Panza musical creations on Project Wednesdays now that I have my recording equipment. 

Recording also makes things so much easier with the band (tentatively called Ship of Fools).  We rehearsed yesterday for the first time since before Christmas, but were able to effectively jam out the song structure to 5 different songs in 3 hours.  We song write well together which is good. 

In addition, the brothers that run the studio where we jam need a sound engineer for occasional showcases they put on, so I offered myself and we'll see if that comes together.  It would be great to get the additional experience (plus the cash).  I'll keep you all posted.

So far 2008 is looking pretty good. Just have to keep up the momentum and not get bogged down in the day to day frustrations that dot this little island.