Hi all

We’re just getting our stuff together for Poland after our final rehearsal in Bristol last night.  But in the meantime I’ve actually finished the third podcast!  I must say, I am looking forward to a large beer at Stanstead airport.

Right, you can listen to us nattering away here.  There’s a live version of Snowdrops from our Putney gig back in January plus a brand new pod song (instrumental this time).  And, oh my gosh, Jon actually called in via satellite to speak!

The webmaster is currently updating the site so all the podcast players and itunes will be updated soon.

See you when we get back on Monday.

Bruce

taking a break from mixing poddy and podsong and livesong to update my blog…

thanks to my old friend and Vulgar Unicorn partner Neil Randall getting excited with his scanner, I now have lots of photos from yesteryear uploaded to facebook.  Including this one of my first guitar, my purple marlin sidewinder!  Yes, I know, the shirt is amazing.  Actually, it’s a blouse.

hi all

i’ve been on holiday for a week - i thought it would be a ’soft’ holiday, in that I would have emails and web on my ’smarty phone’ but because I was stuck in deepest darkest exmoor i didn’t have a signal did I?  Just as well really, it turned it into a ‘hard’ holiday and I feel totally and utterly refreshed.

So, working on the podsong today (i think version 2 is turning out rather nicely) and will edit the podcast and live song tomorrow, all before we pop off to Poland so I can have a relaxing beer or 10 with the lads at Stanstead.  Oh and if I’ve time, i might pop up another brucey metal method vid too.

Oh my goodness, i’ve just been reminded i’m being ambivalent!  really, the positives out weigh the negative by a million miles.  So i’ve got to mix a podcast and do a collaboration?  boo hoo.  I’m loving every minute.  I’m a glass 90% full man.  The other 10% is…

I’ve just got off the phone to a US magazine who are doing a ’side bar’ (you know, those little columns inside articles about something related) about us as part of a (coughs) Porcupine Tree feature.  Luckily the guy loved the new album so it was a nice interview.  Look, it could be worse.  I could be Ryan Adams.

Good rehearsal last night, although when I dropped Steve off he kindly forgot to close my boot - it’s lucky all my band possessions didn’t fall into the road!  Written warning issued.

Currently trying to sort out logistics fo poland, rehearsals, shooting a video (with our pretty faces in it), the ‘collaboration’ (which is sounding excellent, i am looking forward to it’s release), editing podcast, finishing pod song, mixing live track… I’m gonna blow.

Luckily,i’m taking  next week off the music biz.  I’ll be popping in to update the blog though.

Oh, if Joanna Zahorska from Poland is reading - yes, i’m going to put more guitar tab up on our site but all emails from pineapple towers are being bounced from your email so sorry for not responding to your request.  If you have any ‘bruce workshop’ requests, pop them on the forum.  ta!

The first video tab is now live in our ‘pineapple tv’ section on our site.  One word of warning, the video is hosted by ‘youtube’ so if you just see empty space, it’s probably because you’re being naughty and trying to access it from work?  Chances are they’ve blocked it!

We’re going to pile in content to the tv page.  I have some documentary footage from the last witchwood gig to go up and we’ll film Poland.  And I’ll keep doing my video tabs…

Next up?  Clapham?  Oh dear, that will give the game away, the verses are almost the same!  West Winds?  Easy peasey. 

Off to rehearsal now…

last night i did my first ‘video tab’ - it’s me in front of a camera giving away precisely how easy the Thief songs are to play on guitar.  I’ve started with what is probably the easiest thief song to play, Boxing Day.  I think I saw someone publish some tab on our forum for this one?  Well, i’ve never really figured out how to read tab (let alone those dots on a proper score) so the best I could do was a video tab!  Seriously, I think the fact that I have no idea how to sight read other people’s music has been a blessing.

So, the video has been edited and I’ve passed it to our webmaster to put up on our new ‘pineapple tv’ page on this site.  Hopefully, we’ll keep adding behind the scenes rockumentaries, starting with our trip to Poland.  Oh and of course i’ll continue to do the video tab, but you’ll have to request the next song on the forum.

Now where was I?  Oh yes, editing the podcast…..

PS The Oslo gig has been confirmed.  We’re playing on Friday 23rd Jan 2009 in a room at the Rockefeller (I think, but don’t quote me on that).  Marillion are playing the ‘big’ room on the Saturday.  If you fancy a weekend in Oslo with the Thief,  now’s the time to book on Ryanair - £19 each way.

Hi all

I’ve been busy trying to write a podsong.  During the podcast, Steve and Keith shouted out some random chords from which to make the intro/verse/chorus and outro.  I think it’s going to work but my first attempt went down the wrong path (I chose ‘heavy’ and it ended up sounding a bit lame).  I’m going to have another go tonight.  I think I’ll put in a little ‘rock workshop’ section on the podcast explaining exactly why I took the song where I did with snippets of the various failures (i’m getting my tenses a bit muddled here…).

I’ve had a few emails from people asking for guitar tabs.  Didn’t I see someone on the forum publish some too?  Well, I’ve asked people to let me know their top 5 songs they want (feel free to post requests on the forum).  I think I’ll do a little video too showing the guitar technique and maybe some of the studio touches used too.  One thing about TPT songs, they are usually fairly easy to play!

Sorting out some new t-shirts, idea is to get these ready before we go to Poland.  However, it’s going to be a challenge to manufacture these at a cost that is feasible in poland.  I’m going to do some Tightly Unwound t-shirts and probably a few new ‘generic’ ones too.  We ran out of XL really quickly last time, so I’ll make sure I order loads!  I’m also going to do some baby sizes too as it’s about time my kids advertised the Thief down our local park.

Podcast 3 successfully recorded!  Now I’ve just got to mix off a live track and throw together the podsong.  I’ve got the chords, just need the rest.

We even had Jon dial in for a phone chat.  A first.

Still getting good press from the states but what that means as far as world domination is concerned, I do not know.  And yes, that is a nasty can or Carling you can spot on the table.  Someone left it in my fridge and it was the only booze left in the house!  Right, I better be off to get this podcast edited…

guess what?  We’re doing podcast No3 tomorrow!  I know we’d said we’d do one every 2 months (about 2 years ago) but you know, we’re busy boys…

I guess that means another podsong too.  Much to discuss…