traite

How quickly moods can change. Just 3 weeks ago I was really into my up coming gigs, both last week. Then, without any forward planning or warning decided that I was not into doing gigs full stop. Why I don't know. The first one I cancelled by getting in touch with the promoter who was pretty cool about the whole thing and the second, well I got to the gig and the first act on blew the goddam PA preventing anyone else from performing anyway. Divine Intervention me thinks. Someone once told me that when your not into it anymore don't do it. You'll be shortchanging yourself and the audience, whether they are listening or not. Where do I stand now? Well I haven't touched the guitar for a week, the longest single time that I've went without playing guitar in 5 years. I havent written any lyrics or attempted to work in any capacity with my songs, I feel totally deflated and have hardly listened to any music since Saturday passed. I haven't felt like this in many years. I did have a gig planned for November but I don't feel that I can achieve that goal either. It has been decided that I should take a break and go find my mojo as it were then when I'm into it again then come back and kick acoustic ass. Lets hope as I miss the guitar but lets give it some time and see where my moods take me. Off now for a lunch break. Live long and strong

Don't get sand in your vaseline

Guys like that I wanna kick their ass and say 'Ow, stop being so bloody talented'. What technique the guy has though

Hello blog Star date dooby dooby doo. So, I sat at work and wrote a song during my lunch break today. Just thought of a nice little melody and crunched some words together and came up with a half finished song in about 15 minutes. Pretty cool eh?. It usually takes me at least a day or so to get a good peice down from brain to paper. How do I write? Words or music first? Well, whatever suits at the time. i play guitar and sing. I gig occasionally and like to throw some wild cards into each gig, more for my own personal entertainment than anything else. Sometimes I like to use the cut up method, similair to the way David Bowie did during the 1970's. Makes for some interesting gigs when you sing 'All hail the Japanese Mushroom Mafia' halfway through a song about a one night stand but I digress. What was I typing about anyway? Well just had to say to someone that I wrote a Song in record time today. Will mess about with it over the weekend and see what comes out of the other end. It's in B minor for the time being but my songs change like the seasons. OK now I'm off to listen to some Townes Van Zandt before I go to bed. Goodnight first blog.

Never go on stage with projectile diarrhea, unless thats how you sing

Most of my gigs have resulted in some minor disaster or something to cringe over. One gig in a coffee shop in Edinburgh resulted in a 45 minute set with no clapping and between one song I heard someone say quite loudly 'I wish he would shut up, I'm getting a headache'. On the upside I got free coffee and the best roast chicken paninni I've ever had. Getting no reaction is worse than getting a bad reaction in my book. I've been wary of coffee shop gigs ever since. I've also had the string break, string detune, strap snap, dodgy leads, drunk hecklers, drugged hecklers, fighting etc etc etc. I did have one guy who kept shouting for dead kennedy tunes which I don't do as I only do originals. It's all a laugh though and keeps the mundane reality at bay for a short while

Somewhere out there, among all that wretched "bubble gum," there must be someone who's gonna blow all our socks off someday. But he or she might not be a "singer + songwriter."

OK I love reading but hate replying so i'll keep this as brief as possible. I love songwriting for me. I gig occasionally around Glasgow, Scotland as I work full time. Too me it's a hobby that do not believe will go much further, it's a kind of therapy for me and it saves money having to go to a shrink. Cowell et all have the biz sowed up for the next few years so lets concentrate on our art. It's just a bugger that the art is being, as some might say dumbed down in some areas but it has also been said that progress demands sacrifice (don't know where I heard that). It will be interesting having this debate in 20 years just to see where the art has taken us, if it exsists at all in the current form. I know many people in bands and songwriters who have given up trying to make it as it costs them too much time and money. In Glasgow the number of artists of the singer songwriter variety coming up is insane. There are literally hundreds of people who think that they are the next big thing and many of them are damn good but try and get them even an inkling of publicity is impossible. Personally I blame Jedward. When that is the standard in the UK for pop music then you know we are on a slippery slope to mediocrity. Does any of this make sense as I have only had 3 coffees and am still half asleep. Answers on a postcard.

1. Do you sing, play an instrument or instruments? I play guitar (acoustic) and sing. Started in 1991 after I left High school and I taught myself 2. Are you in a band or bands? What is the name of the band? What do you play? What other instruments are in the band? Do you have a band website? None of the above 3. Do you write songs? Do you write lyrics, music or both? Do you have a writing partner? I write all my own tunes on my own 4. Do you record your music? Do you use a home studio? If so what gear do you use? Do you use a recording studio? Do you have music available on the web? if so where? I record my music under the name of traite walker on an old 4 track and some times straight to the PC using the 4 track as a mixer, Its my mates gear so I dont know names. I have music on myspacecom, amazingtunes.com and putiton.com 5. What other roles do you perform in the music business? Management? Label owner? Publishing? Promotion? Other? None of the above 6. Are you a tech head? No 7. What country do you live in? Scotland 8. What are your ambitions? To have a full stomach and have people hear my music just enjoy the ride 9. Do you draw/paint/write stories/computer art/dance or other creative pursuit? Im trying to write a book What are your pastimes? Playing guitar, reading, getting out and about, walking and going to rugby 10. What would you like to get out of Songstuff? Lasagne

OK, I'm coming into this thread a bit late but what the hell. I'm an acoustic artist (check the myspace page out www.myspace.com/traitewalker) Apart from 2 gigs last year as rehearsal gigs I've done 28 this year so far, all local around Glasgow and all free entry. Only at the last 2 gigs have I noticed a few familiar faces from previous gigs turning up which is nice. I have been advertising my CD ep at the last 6 gigs but no one is biting yet. I don't expect them too any time soon. I'm concentrating solely on enjoying myself rather than looking into the whole other side of the 'Biz' now. I aint 18 an have no visions of Granduer. For me it's a hobby and I'm having a barrel of laughs, hell I even offend the odd person now and again. If your good and people are into it they will gravitate toward you bgut you do have to do your part. Don't go into the whole thing blind and be prepared for a looonnnggg hard slog. It is a fun ride though. chinese chow for now brown cow

If I was 18 years old with youthful naivity about me I would find the whole magical allure of a major label too tempting but I'm a 30 something cynical old toss pot who believes that Simon Cowell is the devils spawn. That aside I print up my own CDs and sell them to people at my own gigs. I have however noticed something rather peculiar. People do not seem to be into buying genuinely new music from an unsigned act but will buy a £10, £15 or £20 CD when a tabloid paper says so which may explain why Pop Idol, X-Factor et all do so well in the mainstream world. I record on a 4-track then bugger about till it sounds good. Ultimately I am doing this now as a hobby with no illusions of Granduer. It's more fun too Did that make any sense?