if we think about it our whole life is governed by decisions. Even if you choose to sit on the fence it is still a decision, or if you just go with what life throws at you rather than try to influence your circumstances, that too is still a decision, you get my drift!
Recently I have been trying to make a few changes in my RL and SL circumstances to make both work a little better than they have been in the past. I have had to admit that I needed more time away from the PC to concentrate on other issues in my life and other commitments too. So I am having days away as a regular thing now. It was a hard decision to put into practise because I have so many friends in SL,that I like to spend time with and places that I like to go to, but try as I may, I cannot go everywhere I want to, or see everyone I want to, as often as I would like.There is no limit on love, you can love as many or as much as you wish, but unfortunately there is a limit on time and what you can cram into it. I have always been a quality rather than quantity person, wanting to do my level best in any and all circumstances. So where is this leading, well, I suppose I am just saying, though I may not be around as much on the grid, I care just as much as I ever did about the SL music scene and the folks who make it happen, ie the Venue owners, Hostess's , Musicians and Audiences. Now I have got that out of the way, I will get to our weekly forays around the grid.
Monday, is a day I do not log in until an hour or so before our show at Southbound. This is such a nice little place, we feel comfortable playing here. I was a little disappointed to realise we had missed Mamaa Saiz, who had played the hour before we got there as his lovely tunes always sound so good to me.
Dusty Smythe, was on stage immediately before us, and as I have said in the past, he is another performer who always makes me smile. I so enjoy his sets, and felt quite proud that we got to follow him.Performing after us was, Mr joker himself, Gweeb. Clowning around while delivering some wonderful tunes for us to enjoy.
Tuesday, was our night to play The Drunken Drow. Another venue we feel at home in, and for us that really matters. A gig is never "just another gig", to Sunwolf and I. We feel each one is special in it's own way, like going to a friends house for a musical evening.There had been no one playing before us and there was no one after us, which is always a little disappointing, but we had a good show. The audience was quite small, but seemed to be enjoying themselves and that is what it is all about for us, though I am reminded of what I said last week about the venues needing the audience support to make what they are doing worth the hard work that is put in.
We ended our evening at The Playhouse, where we enjoyed the tunes of Steely De Costa and Lyn Carlberg.
Frank Molko, Scarlett, and Isis were in the house and were later joined by Tim Anadyr and Katja Runno and my dear friend Blackdwarfbud was also there. We felt surrounded by great friends and with the rest of the folks who were around that night too numerous for me to remember, it was a great way to wind down before bedtime.
Wednesday, Sunwolf and I were performing at our own venue and then hosting for Gweeb, Ronnie Mayes and Ari, our little Dragoness. It was a very quiet night, though it did pick up towards the end. Everyone who plays live music works hard to give of their best, and hosting, notice posting etc is also not so easy. It is always somewhat disheartening that folks do not show up to enjoy what we are offering, though my good friends Katja Runo, Blackdwarfbud and Butterfly Maiden were in and it is always good to see them.Mash Rhodes also came over. He is opening an art gallery on the same sim as us to show his wonderful watercolour paintings, two of which we have hanging in the pub. Take some time to go see them and buy one or two if you can. All that talent could make me quite envious if I were that way inclined. There were one or two other people around at the venue, but audience numbers were well down. Now maybe some folks would say I should not admit to that, but the truth is the truth and I have never been one to be dishonest as I believe it is only yourself you really hurt by doing that.
Feed A Smile in Action :)
Click Photo to enlarge
Following us to the stage was, Kevin Carpool Thomas, and he did a wonderful job of enthusing everyone with the importance of what we were doing. Unfortunately, we could not stay to the very end of the set, but when we left the meal total was over 200 and still going up,we were proud to have been a part of it.
Friday we played our usual show at Guthrie's, this is music in it's purest form and we love it.We stayed to watch Moses Rae and Lazarus Doghouse, but then had to leave as RL was needing some urgent attention. Still it had been an immensely enjoyable three hours for us.
We were back on line a few hours later to host our own venue. Steveeolio opened for us with a wonderful set.I love his voice and skilled guitar playing The audience was small though and that is always disappointing both for the musicians and for the venue. The lyrics of a well known Joni Mitchel song come to mind, " Don't it always seem to go that you don't know what you've got till it's gone...." Maybe we are opening our venue too early for folks to get in. This is an issue I will be looking at over the next few weeks.
Things picked up a bit when Mel Cheeky did her set. What a lovely voice she has. I am a little choosy when it comes to female voices and some, however pretty, do not appeal to me. This was not the case here, I could listen to Mel for hours and she seems such a lovely person too.
Bones Writer, was our last act on Friday. He was filling in for Cailidgh Spires who had pulled her shoulder the week before and wanted to take a weeks rest. Bones played an all instrumental set, truly wonderful to sit back, relax and listen to. Bones is a true professional, and so very kind to help us out, a big Thank You to him.
Sunwolf logged out after the venue closed, but I went with Blackdwarfbud to Chez Roz to listen to my dear friend Russell Eponym. I don't get to hear him anywhere near as much as I would like, another amazingly talented, professional and lovely person . I logged out just after midnight for us here in the UK. Tired but happy, who could want more than that!
Crazy Saturday at Cuddlers Cove was also different this week, as Quinton Whitman who usually opens the proceedings is away visiting his son in Hawaii so we had just two acts. First up another great friend, Laid Back Celt, with his brand of raw rock and soulful tunes. I just love the energy in LB's sets.
Mash Rhodes finished off the line up and he is another guy I could happily listen to all day.So if you haven't heard him yet make a point to do so. In fact we are proud to say he plays at our little venue, so you could kill two birds with one stone and come on bye to hear great music and say hello.
Blackdwarfbud and I then went off to Art n Music Fusion to see Max Kleene. A nice set but marred for us by the heavy lag that seemed to hang around the place. As Blackdwarf is on quite a small PC, she could not really enjoy being there. I have a whacking great 8 gig PC, but even I was struggling, so we decided to call it a night.
Sunday was one of my days for staying away from the PC and doing some thinking about how to effect improvements to how the venue is running. Sunwolf and I have decided we will not play on Wednesdays after this week, but will be opening an extra day for a shorter programme on Saturdays. We are also going to be more flexible with the opening times for the venue on Wednesdays and Fridays and see how that goes.It may take a few weeks for us to orchestrate the changes as a lot of organisation and shuffling things around will be needed, but it is worth trying to improve things for both us, and the artists who come to play for us.As to whether that will work, watch this space.
So my last thought for this week is this.
It you are a live music lover, please consider buying a less expensive outfit, shoes or underwear ( that lets face it hardly anyone sees), and give the extra lindens to the venues you like or to, or the artists enjoy, both would be even better.Mash told us the other night that, Buddies Bar, had closed down this week Yet another venue gone. It always makes me so sad to have to write that, and lately I seem to be saying it every week. I just hope against hope that I won't be having to say that about Ye Olde Wolf n Hawk sometime soon. As I have stated before, Sunwolf and I do not expect to make money from the venue, but neither can we afford to subsidise it too heavily as neither of us have the available cash to be able to do that.
Till next week,
I hope you remain well and life is good to you.
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