November 28th, 2018 I first heard Ian Fitzgerald’s music whilst on tour with Anna Tivel in August. We shared a bill with him in Providence. His album has been in the CD player of our Honda Civic since then. Ian writes some of the most writing dense, intelligent, catchy songs […]
Tonight I return to Dream Away Lodge in Becket. I love it there. Hidden away in the woods in Western Massachusetts it was a former haunt of Bob Dylan, Rick Dank and Joan Baez. It’s a great room to sing in and the proprietor Daniel is fantastic host. Dream Away […]
Prospect Park, Brooklyn, Monday June 12th, 8am. Air quality warning from 10am. What precisely are you supposed to do during an air quality warning? Take a deep breath at 9.59am? It’s 8am and I am in Prospect Park to get a few of those breaths. New York would […]
June 9th, 2017 “The Dog that didn’t bark“. “A pig’s breakfast”. The BBC are all over the animal metaphors this morning. Any news? Lordy. The DUP? Lordy, is right. The sun is shining in Brooklyn. I should be outside. I will be outside. I am working on bookings for […]
December 10th, 2016 – My Mother’s Birthday Train from Cologne to Wesel 7.47am I’ve been touring with Bruce Springsteen. Did I mention that? Yeah, on this, carrying my own equipment on the early morning train, sleeping at friends’ houses, DIY tour, the boss has the ears chewed off me. That […]
Advent in Brooklyn Already two bottles of liquor on the counter at Meat Market. Customer appreciation, the Brooklyn-Italian way. It produces a feeling akin to the season’s first airing of ‘Fairytale of New York’. By Christmas week there’ll be nine or ten half empty bottles on the shelf. Hard liquor […]
The ugliness of the election. On both sides, anyone with senses feels soiled. The ugliness of the election contrasted with the natural beauty of Autumn in the north east. The trees. Unseasonable warmth and blue skies. Beauty against the promise of winter. Ominous. Bread and Circus Meanwhile, the Cubs. […]
Saturday morning, I woke up sweating and switched on the radio to the sound of the Mayor cautioning people to stay indoors till 9pm, Sunday. The heat advisory, collided precisely with the Big City Folk Festival. Well, why start listening to City Hall now? It was already really hot. I […]