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Just some of the guitars I'm planning to play at the launch party performance on the 28th of this month...

I've now settled on the 15 guitars to use on the 15 instrumentals I'll be performing live at the launch party in just two weeks time. Getting nervous, and stressed out by the amount of stuff still to put in place before the actual event can take place. Have managed to create and frame some drawings for the merch stall, but need to work on several more yet. Also completed the backdrop videos and copied them to a portable hard drive ready to give to Paul for projection. Also written out, (and printed out and placed in a physical folder,) the listening notes for the tracks I'll be previewing from the 'Songs For Ghosts' double album. Each track will be preceded with an explanatory preamble from myself. Took my Musicvox Mi-6 guitar to Gordon White's workshop in Leeds a few days ago for him to adjust the neck and action, and to fit a gold Duesenberg 'Les Trem' to the guitar. I ordered the trem from a company called Thomann in Germany and it arrived at Gordon's workshop this afternoon, so, I'm hoping that by the middle of next week I'll be able to collect the guitar and settle it in ready for the performance. I've also taken my J.Joye 'Bel Air' guitar to Gordon as it has some problems which need fixing. One is a dodgy pickup selector switch and the other is a jack socket which keeps on getting loose and breaks the signal from the guitar. Hopefully, Gordon will remedy these problems. I have TWO Astroluxe Cadet guitars now, one Bigsby-equipped, one 'Les Trem' equipped...I'll feature one of them in the live set. Also will be featuring my new 'Fire Bird' guitar. A few previously 'never before played live' guitars are in the set...the 'Astroluxe Cadet,' obviously, and the 'Fire Bird, 'Twin Tone,' 'D'Angelico Style B' and Morris Custom 'Cosey' too. A couple of others have only been seen out once before at last year's 'New Northern Dream' launch...these are the Backlund 'Model 100', the Blueburst D'Angelico EXL-1 archtop and my signature 'Astroluxe Custom.' (All of which are taking part in this year's guitar parade.) Of course, I could manage with just two or three guitars quite easily, but that would be far less interesting from an audience point of view. 15 very diverse (and sometimes strange) guitars makes for a much more visually rich show. And, to be honest, I love to share these unusual instruments with an appreciative audience, rather than keep them all to myself in my home studio! So, moving on into these last two weeks before the gig, I will soon need to begin to assemble the other equipment needed to make the show work, pack it up in its various boxes and flight cases, drag it all down stairs to fill up the dining room and hallway in preparation for guitar tech Andy Newlove to collect on the Wednesday before the event, and transport it to his 'studio in a shed' at his home near Hull and set everything up, ready for me to go over there and test it all out on the Thursday. Hopefully, we won't encounter some of the technical problems we experienced with the gear at last year's run though. Then, on the Friday, it's a matter of me wrapping the artwork up, choosing what clothes to wear for the concert, (all is vanity, even at 69 years of age,) and packing everything I need, (diabetes test meter, insulin injections, etc, etc, ) into the car ready for Saturday's trip over to Leeds University and the afternoon sound and video check. After all that, it will be a 'flying by the seat of my pants' affair as I haphazardly attempt to negotiate the various twists and turns of the 15 instrumentals I've set aside to perform. And with a front row of guests, ranging from my not seen for many years best friend from Art School, (Ian Haigh,) my daughters and son and grandson, my nephew, plus my dear Mum, (who at 89 years old has decided to brave the difficulties of attending the concert, despite her physical infirmities and problems with mobility...) Well, with that plus the audience's expectations, and the fact that we have several American fans attending, who will have flown a long way, well, I think you could say that the pressure is not to be underestimated! Hopefully, I'll manage to get through it smiling! And, after all's said and done, that's what I live for and am...

The launch party for the upcoming 'Songs For Ghosts' double album is just two weeks away. Intensely busy preparing everything, including 15 guitars for the 15 instrumental tracks I'll be playing live at the event. I believe there are very few tickets left for anyone wishing to attend...you can find out by checking my website.

Just heard of the death of Tom Petty, of a heart attack. Deeply shocked and saddened by this news. Tom and The Heartbreakers supported Be Bop Deluxe in America on one of our tours there. I loved his work with the 'Travelling Wilburys' and especially liked his song 'Expecting To Fly.' Hard to accept that he's gone. These last 18 months have hit us musicians so hard, one way or another...Rest in peace, Tom.

One of the important tasks for me to accomplish in relation to next month's 'Songs For Ghosts' album launch party is to choose which guitars work best with which tracks. It would be easy to select just two or three guitars and rotate them throughout the live set, but that would be somewhat dull, both visually and sonically, especially as there's only going to be me standing in front of the audience and no 'rock band' leaping around to add visual interest. (Though there will be a great quantity of video backdrops accompanying each number.) But, in that respect, I guess that 'The BN Guitar Parade' has become a much anticipated part of the show, and I do have to admit that I enjoy being able to bring cool guitars from my collection 'out to play,' (especially as I'm able to play live so rarely these days.) ;-) So, today I've been lifting several guitar cases from their storage and opening them up to see what I might find of use. Some guitars sound fine on their own but don't always sit in the right sonic space for a particular track. And as the backing tracks are fixed, inflexible mixes, this is a very important factor. It becomes a matter of trial and error, seeing which guitar suits which track by trying them out in real time. The task of sorting this out, (with nearly 70 guitars to choose from,) will take a couple of days or more of playing along with the backing tracks, attempting to nail one guitar or another to whichever track. I also have a couple of more recent instruments that need adjustment, and my favoured 'guitar wrangler,' Gordon White, isn't available for a week or so as he's out guitar teching for Richard Hawley. I'm booked in with Gordon on the 9th though. At this year's launch party, I want to feature guitars that don't fit the mainstream...ie: No Fenders, Gibsons or Gretches. I do have beautiful examples of all three of those brands but, maybe I need to give myself a challenge and play less 'easy' instruments. So, I'm choosing from several other brands, including Airline, Eastwood, Musicvox, Pure Salem, Hallmark, and other less mainstream manufacturers...all producing quirky guitars with a character that sits outside the smoother, more obvious, orthodox brands. I'll also be featuring two beautiful D' Angelico guitars in the performance, including one which I've never played live before, an old school, non-cutaway reproduction of a 1940's 'Style B.' This guitar has become a much played instrument on my more recent recordings. It has heavy guage strings, (which are not the easiest to play,) and just one single, neck-mounted pickup, but it exudes a sweet tone that is very evocative of the golden age of jazz guitar. More time has been lost by the need to buy a new printer. My old one wouldn't work with my new computer and downloading fresh software didn't make any difference. So, in the end, I had to buy a new printer/scanner and then go through the rigmarole of downloading appropriate software to use it. And, of course, nothing goes exactly smoothly with these things. The printer is an essential component for the launch party...I have to type up all the performance charts, running order and listening notes for the album playback, then print them out to place in a physical folder that I can refer to at the event. I also received, yesterday, two hundred and sixteen copies of the new 'Songs For Ghosts' double album, which I'm to autograph for fans attending October's launch party. I managed to make some inroads with this task today...but the album artwork, with it's rich colours, doesn't allow for simple black pen signings, so the best I could do was sign with a gold 'Sharpie.' Looks ok, when you twist the cover under the light. :) And, whilst on the subject of the cover art, my manipulated photographic images look good...and don't forget, when you eventually get your hands on the package, please pull the 8 page booklet out from the pocket in the package to see the full effect of my efforts. A few tickets left for the launch party...Get them, and your included pre-release copy of the album, from...Dreamsville Box Office

Nearly October, and soon another new album launch party. Getting really stressed with preparations now...way behind with things that need to be put in place. I'm due in Fairview studios on Monday to assemble the backing tracks for my live solo set, but I'm still undecided about the choice of numbers and the running order. Tomorrow is the final day for settling on this. I think there will be five or six completely new numbers in the live performance, all of which require me to create new accompanying videos. Time consuming stuff. I also have to make a series of new artworks for the merchandise stall, decorate a guitar I'm planning to sell, write the listening notes for my spoken explanation of tracks I'm to select for playback from the 'Songs For Ghosts' album, get some of my guitars 'fettled' ready to play, and the rest of my complex gear set up, (which is currently plumbed into my home studio,) unplugged and, packed into cases and carried downstairs ready to transport to the gig. I find all of this physical activity somewhat more exhausting and mentally laborious than it did a good few years ago, but that's the ageing process for you, I guess. No one, no matter how young, escapes this in time. An inevitable conclusion to our youth but one which, somehow, doesn't diminish the creative spark of our imagination. So onward, forever onward...

After the release of 'Songs For Ghosts' in early November, (late October for launch party attendees,) I'm hoping to get another of the 12 albums in waiting out in time for Christmas, or at least early 2018. Choosing which one it should be isn't easy...my thoughts on it change every few days, but 'That Old Mysterioso' is looking like a possibliity. Here's a flyer variation for it...

Working very hard on preparing items for the 'Songs For Ghosts' album launch at 'Clothworker's Hall,' Leeds. Video has been my main preoccupation these last few weeks...I need new videos to accompany various new backing tracks I've created...too many new backing tracks ... In fact...I'll need to spend a lot of time deciding which ones to include in the live solo performance at the event. It's all a whirlwind of possibilities at the moment and I have to admit to becoming confused by the wealth of material on offer. But time is flying and next month's event will soon be upon me and there's still so much I need to prepare. A meeting coming up this Sunday with event organiser Ian Haydock...lots of details to sort out between us to ensure everything goes to plan on the day. I say this every time one of these events happens but, it's perhaps not completely realised by those attending these things just how much work is involved in their planning. It should look effortless on the day but that's only because a lot of hard work and preparation has been done before. So, it's back to the studio for me and a continual process of refining both music and visuals for the event.

An alternative flyer for 'Tripping The Light Fantastic.'

My new LIVE album, 'Tripping The Light Fantastic' was released just a couple of hours ago. It's available as a limited edition physical CD or as a Bandcamp digital download. Check out the samples and order from my Dreamsville Store.

Very sorry to hear of the passing of Steely Dan's Walter Becker. A very fine musician. I bought those early Steely Dan records on vinyl, back in the '70s and greatly admired the skilled musicianship, superbly well crafted arrangements and great songwriting. Walter's death is yet another blow to a certain generatioin of musicians and listeners. Rest in peace.

Possibly available some time next week...the live album from last year's solo concert at Leeds University...

Working on more video presentations for the upcoming album launch party...

Here are a couple of photographs of a stunning archtop guitar, hand made by Bozo Podunovac. It's for sale, (second-hand,) for 20,000 dollars, way beyond my means, but what exquisite workmanship. A beautiful instrument.

A view of Wakefield from the park. Note all the mill chimneys!

The launch party grows ever nearer...

Today was my mum's 89th Birthday. Travelled over to spend the day with her in Wakefield, and our family enjoyed a nice lunch at Blacker Hall Farm, (not far from the Yorkshire Sculpture Park.) Thanks too to Lyndsey and Bethany Nelson for coming along to make it feel more special and so sorry that Julian was unable to make it because of daughter Amy's illness. You were both missed but hope that Amy is feeling better. Much love to you all. xxx

Wish I'd never lost this guitar...it had a wonderful and unique rhythm sound which I used on the recording 'First Boy On The Moon.' A quirky but valuable instrument which, I was told, was eventually sold to Buddy Miller.

Having serious problems with my computer...The iMac's screen has developed a curtain of green lines, making it impossible to use. It's been like that for the last few days but has, (partly,) cleared up this morning. How long it will be useable though is a moot point. I suspect that the problem will return when the computer is switched off or goes into sleep mode. We'll see but, if I'm absent from FB for a while, you'll know why. If it can't be repaired I'll have to buy a new iMac.

Another 'Songs For Ghosts' flyer...

These last few weeks I've been continuously working on a video presentation to screen behind the playback of the 'Songs For Ghosts' album at the October launch party event. I've now completed just over an hour's worth of video to suit this. It won't be possible to playback the entire two disc CD set from the album, but I'm hoping to put together a selection of specially chosen tracks from both discs to give some indication to the attendees of the complete double album package. My task now is to come up with images for what I hope will be an extensive package for the double album. I've been photographing various objects and treating them in different ways to, hopefully, produce an effect which will be both enigmatic and entertaining. It's an ongoing process and decisions will be made later as to which images work best within the package. But, so far, it's all good. Nevertheless, the choice of what goes where will be difficult as there are so many possible images to include. This kind of thing requires a lot of consideration and careful thought. I also need to arrange time at Fairview Studio to master the double album's discs with John Spence. Everything has to be completed, (artwork and mastered tracks,) in time to hit a mid-September deadline for getting the mastered tracks and finished artwork to the factory in time to deliver product back to me, so that I can personally autograph each album that will eventually be given to the ticket holders of the October 28th launch party. But, even after these duties are eventually dealt with, I'm not off the hook yet. There are backing tracks to work on and prepare/master for the live performance, (including some brand new ones,) notes to write for presentation of the playback of album tracks, further backing tracks to be chosen for the live performance and compiled to disc for it, (and so on.) I also need to decide on which guitars are used on which tracks. Always a delicious job, but one frought with constant indecision. Artwork/drawings to be created for fans to buy, a guitar of mine to sell, (decorated with my artwork,) personal out of print archive CDs to prepare for the mechandise stall, and all the other important, but tedious stuff, of getting the various guitars and technical equipment ready in time to be shifted to the venue. (A few repairs need in that area too.) All in all, the amount of preparatory work that goes into what, to some attendees, will seem effortless, is far more involved and time consuming than most people would think. For just this one event, the amount of preparation is quite something.

Another Ghosts flyer...

Working on creating images for the cover of 'Songs For Ghosts.'

Currently sorting through some old photographs to include in a new video I'm making and came across this pic from 1983 when I lived at Haddlesey House. It's a picture of me with Wallace, a beautiful Dalmation my family had at that time, taken in the house's kitchen. Thought I might share it with you. ;-) Incidentally, the striped shirt I'm wearing was bought in the '50s by my late father. He wore it on a holiday we had back then.

I wonder if any of you attended the 'Invisibility Exhibition' concerts I gave in the 1980s? Here's a photo' of me at one of those performances, (complete with blonde hair!)

One you may have overlooked...available from my Bandcamp page.

Coming late autumn...

Another poster for the coming launch party and live performance...

It may come as a surprise to some of you but I've been working very hard on preparations for the content of this coming October's launch party, (the 'Songs For Ghosts' album,) for several weeks now. The double album has yet to be mastered and I have many images to prepare for the packaging artwork, but I've sorted the running order out and have been working on video backdrops for the actual playback of tracks from the album. This latter is taking up a heck of a lot of time...finding the right images, treating them visually to suit, and laying them into the video, (which requires an hour of footage at least,) is by no means an instantaneous task. I also have created two, (at the moment,) brand new backing tracks to master and work with for the live performance, (plus video accompaniment which I still need to create for them.) Original artwork to prepare for the merchandise stall, (a guitar to decorate for that too.) Notes to write for the talk-through of the tracks that I hope to preview from the album, and, indeed, actual track selection for the album's playback to be decided yet. (It will be impossible to play the full two discs on the day due to time constraints). Then there will be copies of the album to physically autograph for the exclusive pre-release CDs that attendees will recieve as part of their ticket purchase. Plus, several guitars and backing tracks to be decided upon for the live performance, equipment prepared before packing and shipping it all to the venue... And several other things that require careful thought, attention and forward planning. It boils down to just a few hours on the day but the preparation is completely out of proportion with those hours...a lot of hard work goes into what may eventually come across as a flowing, cohesive event. But, it's not at all easy and takes up a lot of time and energy for it to appear effortless. Unfortunately, time is against me and I'm not getting any younger. This stuff takes its toll on my time and energies...but my desire to present something special, something that you will, hopefully, be able to take to heart and remember with fondness for a long time is paramount. After all these years, it is still what I live for.