Gavin Sutherland

THE BLOG

News and Views . . .

"Spring is in the air . . ."
The sun is shining at last and I can feel myself slowly emerging from hibernation. I just fired up my little cassette recorder sketch pad and put down a few ideas. Haven't done that for some time. Bring on the crackle and hiss! Feels good!

"Tis the season to be jolly . . ."
Sleigh-bells are ringing and choirs are singing as we merrily deck our halls and don our gay apparel. Ho, ho, ho, Santa's on his way, and I hope he brings you something very special. I got well lucky this year, and my present came a wee bit early. My grandson Jake was born on Thursday morning. Could I have been given a greater gift? No, I really don't think so! Now, may I take this opportunity to wish you all a really happy holiday and, as my old Brinsley chums used to say, "what's so funny 'bout peace, love and understanding?" Let's all hope for loads and loads of it next year! Cheers!!

So there's a knock at the door . . .
The door swings open and in strolls my old friend Duncan "Have Fiddle, Will Travel" Wood with the aforementioned tucked under his arm. And who's this following at a lively pace? It's Cathal McConnell, "The Irish Rover", with a big smile and an even bigger bag of flutes and whistles. So, it's into the kitchen, kettle on, a quick catch-up and then through to the living room for an impromptu trad tune session with a couple of Cathal's originals thrown in for good measure. Great stuff. The boys are on fire! And what's this glass thing Cathal's brought along to show me? It's only the award he picked up a couple of weeks ago for being voted Irish Musician's Musician Of The Year! Nice one man. Brilliant!
He's planning an album with Duncan in the not too distant future and has asked me to produce it. Cool. I'm looking forward to that one.

Intelligence from Abroad.
Delighted to report that THE DEAL is going down rather well in all corners of the globe. BIG thanks to the kind people who have contacted me to let me know how much they are enjoying the music. May I congratulate you on your excellent taste! A chap in New Zealand told me he played it at his birthday bar-b-q a couple of days ago and it made the perfect compliment to an evening of good food and fine wine. So, if you are planning a bar-b-q or entertaining guests, or perhaps a fun night in on your own, might I suggest you arrange the procurement of a copy without delay! I hear it works equally well with curries, doner kebabs and beer.

So, where's the best place to listen to THE DEAL? Here are a few examples:
Charlie, in Auchterless, listened to it on his posh German headphones while he indulged in a little late-night facebookery.
Nancy listened to it in Seattle as the pine trees swayed and the sun fell into the sea.
Steve listened to it while he roller-skated along Blackpool Prom.
Béné plays it in her office in Paris.
Paul listens to it in his van as he drives home from work in North London.
The Spiv listened to it on an old ghetto-blaster as he set his stall up at Cleethorpes Market.
Mick listened to it down on the Banff shore while he scoffed a fish supper.
Andy played it to all his pals at a bonfire barbecue on Otaki Beach.
Sandra listened to it in the kitchen while she got Eric's tea ready.
Alastair listened to it on an oil rig in the middle of the North Sea.
Dave and Angie drank sangria as they listened to it on a patio somewhere in the south of Spain.
Helen listened to it as she flew over the Indian Ocean.
Jim listened to it as he ate a cheese and pickle sandwich in a pub car park near Ashby de la Zouch.
Clive listened to it as he took his evening constitutional by the Buffalo Bayou.
Frank listens to it on his Discman as he cycles around Amsterdam.
Sneddy listened to it three times, back to back, and back again, as he paced The Gadle Braes.
And Duncan got his kicks on the A96.

That'll do for now, but I'd love to know where YOU listened to it!

The Dark Arts Part III - Songwriting.
March Hare: "Why don't you start at the begining?"
Mad Hatter: "Yes and when you reach the end... Stop."

1. Maybe you have to be a bit selfish to be an "artist" of any worth at all? You certainly need some self belief, or at least an ability to keep the doubts under wraps, otherwise nothing gets done.
2. Creation? No, I don't think so. It's all there already. Observation is the key. I prefer "interpretation," yeah, that's a more accurate description of the writing process. We all see things differently. We live in tribes, groups and families but in lots of ways we are out on our own. That's what "My World" is about.
3. When you write a lyric don't get too concerned about detail. You don't have to explain everything. Better that it sounds right and scans well. Create an atmosphere, even if the atmosphere is a little uneasy.
4. The rhythm and feel of the song is all important. Imagine life without rhythm. No, that's not possible.
5. Writing a song requires full on thinking. Some of the spirit must roam free while some has to stay on track, you know, focussed, on the case. It's a knack that comes with time, experience, and a few beers.
6. Yes, and make sure that whatever you do is understandable. No point producing stuff people don't understand, no point at all, but don't get hung up about whether or not they "like" what you do. That's another thing. Another thing altogether! The main ingredient is sincerity, that's what really matters. That's what cuts the mustard!
7. Be honest with yourself. Write from your own experience. Trying to see something from someone else's point of view never works. That would be like trying to paint a picture of something you've never seen. Impossible. If you want to connect with others, share your personal thoughts and emotions with them. That's the best way to find some common ground.
8. Capture the moment, don't let your ideas slip away. Many a good tune has gone down the tubes because it wasn't written down or captured in some way or another.
9. It's a dream, let it roll and gather it's own pace. Treat it with respect, but don't get too precious about it.
10. Try not to get stuck in the same place for too long. Enjoy a moment, then move on to another, and then another. Before too long it will all start to take shape and you'll think "Oh, right. I know where I'm going now. That's what this one's about!"

The Dark Arts, Part II - Record Production.
Wish I had a quid for every time I've been stopped in the street and quizzed about microphone placement techniques. Why, only the other day, as I waited in Tesco's under ten items line (a little nervous perhaps, you see one of my items was a packet of Rich Tea biscuits, one of those extra long ones with 25% free. Could all those biscuits count as one item? Only time would tell) I was approached by a casually dressed, slightly irritating young man who wanted to hear my views on the acoustic guitar and its place in the stereo mix. He was clearly perplexed. What could I say that might ease his troubled mind? "OK" I said with a wry smile, "Listen, and listen carefully. This queue is getting shorter by the minute, we don't have much time." I decided to answer his question with a question of my own. A small-time, small-town court room tactic I'd picked up from late 50s B movies. It works every time. "Ever heard of anybody going into a record store and asking for a record with the acoustic guitar panned to the left? He looked puzzled. "No" he said quietly, "I don't think so." Nuff said. Could such a thing have any bearing on a chart position? No, I really don't think so. "Just remember this" I told him, "turn the good stuff up and the dodgy stuff down. If that doesn't work, try a little more reverb. Remember, if it's worth doing, it's worth over-doing. That's about it."

The Dark Arts, Part I - Teleportation.
Been getting more than a few enquiries about the picture. The tie, the guitar, the choice of chord etc. Let me try to explain . .(cue theme from The Twilight Zone) .

It was late on a Friday night, very late, and everyone had gone to bed. All wired up and with nothing much to do, I decided to try a little teleportation. Hey, why not? It was the first time I'd had a chance to try out the 1950s "TP" system I'd accidentally added to my shopping cart during an aprés pub e-bay sesh. "You'll never use that" she said. How wrong can you be! I plugged everything in, glanced through the manual, and stepped into the "Disintegrater" without a care in the world. What could possibly go wrong? In the heat of the moment I'd failed to notice that behind me sat a guitar legend, dressed to kill and holding down his favourite chord, yeah that's right, the big bar version of that old crowd pleaser, C seventh. I pressed the red button and it all started to kick off. Everything was a blur and, a few seconds, or was it hours or maybe even years later, I woke from the strangest of dreams to find myself in the not too dissimilar surroundings of the "Integrater." I had travelled through the standard height, width and depth dimensions and laughed in the face of time. So where had I been? Only McGuinn and Crosby really understood 5D travel and all their notes had been confiscated by the CIA. Yes! A resounding success! I would be rich! Rich beyond my wildest . . . . but wait! I looked down and froze in shock! What's this? A zoot suit and a jazz guitar?! What on Earth was going on here?! It took a little time but I eventually came to terms with the fact that I had become a hybrid - half human, half Bert Weedon!
Fox and Dana still follow me wherever I go. Not sure what they're looking for. Maybe they know something I don't? . . . . (cue theme from The X Files) . . .

Exciting Times !
Sean Torch is busy pressing The Deal CDs as I write this note and I just got word from a guy in Boston who wants to play it on his radio show. Man U are in the final of the European Championships and, against all odds, The Potters have survived their first season in The Premiership. Life is good.

Curry and Chips . . .
So, it's Saturday night and I've spent way too much time messing around with this website. Time for a curry. The food from the Indian take away is, as always, delicious and the wine from the local shop is just the job. A good quality rioja at half price? Like Ronnie said, the more you drink the more you save. A small time fun-fair hit town today and set up on a bit of waste ground across the river. It's total crap and clearly dangerous but the kids love it. I remember those days. When the lights came on all the street lights went out for an hour. Meantime on TV, a zillionaire business tycoon (looks a bit like Sid James) is telling the world that "those who soar like eagles attract hunters". Confucius say? No, I don't think so, there has to be more to it than that, this dude seems to think we all want to be like him. Like Jimmy The Framer said, presume nothing.