Guitars and Life

I owe some ... here goes I am Ozzy Ozzy's autobiography - well sounds like he rambled into a tape recorder and some other guy tried to make sense of it all! Actually it was a captivating read - he is a pretty humble guy in many ways to who life seems to happen with some stunning results! He tells it how he remembers it, but he admits that he has probably arsed up his brain cells over the years and that others are at liberty to contest his version of events. Black Sabbath's rise is interesting, like other stars who I've read about there is this bit where... "we were in the van driving here and there, doing loads of gigs, any gig, we had no gear/money/anywhere to live etc. We got this manager and he was hawking us about, we made the album, this went well, that less so, we went back on the road - then the manager called and said The album is no 1, 10 whatever"... It is amazing that the move from nobody to star is a) so quick b) seems to not be noticed directly b...

Is it still November? Doesn't look like it outside - we got the long awaited snow over night and it has carried on snowing on and off all day, only mostly small flurries but more looks to be coming down now. I'm surprised it took this long, normally if the wind comes in from the east in the winter we cop it - we live on the slope of the North Downs and the snow just gets unloaded from the North Sea on us as the cloud comes in. I think 10 miles east it will have largely fallen as rain, that isn't uncommon but as the height rises we get the snow. So snow in Kent - my daughters school shut early at lunchtime, but at least they tried to operate unlike many. Mrs F has gone off and her school has stayed open. No trains running by the sound of it but frankly that is hardly surprising you pay £4000 plus for a season ticket and they provide the biggest joke of a service in the country! Probably in Europe! I don't want to sound like a whingeing old man but I did commute to...

The interview came and went and I didn't get the job... I blew it - the preconception was that the job was a long way from what I'd previously been doing. I liked the guy who owned the company but in the end he really wanted a team leader on the up not someone like me who's done that job some years ago. Never mind - onwards and upwards as they say

I've been somewhat quiet on here lately, so what's been going on... I've been decorating - that took a lot of October up. We have a large open plan house, it wasn't originally like that but someone (before our tenancy) put an arch between the lounge and the dining room (very 70s) removing the old fold back doors that were there - they were on the back of the garage when we moved in, what a joke they had to go! - and they also moved a wall through 90° to remove the hallway but make an entrance porch but the stairway is now in the lounge. That means when you decorate now you have to decorate, the dining room, the lounge, the stairway and the upstairs landing. This means all 8 room doors in the house have to be painted and three large cupboard doors as well! Anyway that was a minimum three weeks with me working pretty much everyday - I did have one day off to help out at some AA thing. November - well the decorating bug had got hold so I did my sons bedroom. In fairne...

Ok - Looks like that might be it on the gigs front until 2011. The private party gig was a laugh - I did a short solo set and then was in an "easy listening" jazz band thing a mate has put together. I know it isn't really my sort of thing but then playing something you don't listen to or play much can stretch you. My brother-in-law, sister and some friends came along. My brother-in-law is a bass player and he said "The band sounded great" - so must have been good. The Libertine was another great afternoon of fun. Only three acts due to late illness withdrawals but I still enjoyed it and Toby of RTYD fame indicated how much he thinks I've come along in terms of confidence, quality and choice of material in the last year. That is nice to get comments like that. So 2011 - the year I finally get the recognition I deserve and get catapulted into super stardom? I doubt it hopefully some more solo gigs - the drummer from the jazz band thing has suggested a...

I'm playing a private party in Strood on Saturday. If anyone in the Kent area would like to come along I have some limited invites available - email me. Sunday I'm playing at the RTYD Acoustic Sunday at The Libertine in Borough. I'll be on sometime between 1:30 - 3:00.

I've used Award Session before for leads especially. They make such a range, it's like you just pretty much custom order what you want, they use top quality components and they have never been an issue. I ordered some recently and they arrived in double quick time. However I noticed an issue with the billing - I emailed them and it was sorted out in double quick time as well. Top service award of the year so far goes to Award Session!

The Rock Til You Drop 2010 awards are nearing. This is a bit cheeky I know but hell everyone else does it don't they... Could you all just click on this link to the voting form and put Graham Hunt - Within in the best CD category and Graham Hunt - Let Me Love you Tonight in the best song one? I'd be very grateful... ta!