BluesBro's World Downunder

Hey guys, I know it's been ages, but I'm back, sort of. I hope you had a great New Year celebration and are looking forward to the adventures that 2009 will bring. I've been down country playing with APC's and taking photos to go with my song Another Stretch in Iraq and working on my album The Greenhouse Demo's.

On Friday, I'm on the road for a couple of weeks to Amsterdam, from the boiling hot to the freezing cold, and believeit or not, I don't own any winter clothes other than ski gear.

Anyway, I'll try to be more visible so to speak and catch up with all of you:)

OK, so I'm growing a Mo for Movember. On the last day of October I had a mo and a goattee. On the morning of 1 November I was a baby face for the first time since I left school! My top lip is starting to sprout hair, but I need your help. It's Movember and its all about raising awareness and funds for reseach into prostate cancer. No I don't have it, but even in little old New Zealand 2 people die every day from this illness.

While you supported (and so did I) child cancer, breast cancer etc, did you ever stop to think that men die earlier than women and that there is hardly ever any call for funds for research into male health issues? And they say its a man's world.

Anyway, how about forgoing this morning's coffee or soda and donating $5 to a good cause? All you have to do is click the button below.

Btw, I almost forgot to mention. If you are in Auckland on Sunday, I'll be playing on the Poiesis Stage at the Parnell Rose Festival at 12 noon, for half an hour. I know the name is weird, I don't know who invented that, but anyway that's where I am and I'd love to see you there. So back to the button:) and thanks heaps:)

<a href="http://www.movember.com/nz/donate/donate-details.php?action=showrego&rego=103823&country=nz"><img src="http://static-live.movember.com/assets/images/members/widgets/widget_blue_final.png" alt="Movember - Sponsor Me" /></a>

They had a huge music sale yesterday so I had to go and check it out. I've been wanting a bass for my recordings and guess what, there were loads of them. Got a nice bright red new Ibanez bass for a fraction of its normal retail price. I'm happy, another axe to add to my collection and play with on a Sunday afternoon, but seriously I do need it for recording. As soon as I bought it I started paying more attention to bass riffs on the radio and wanting to jam. Nice to add to my skills.

I'm writing this from the domestic terminal in Wellington. I got here 3 hours early for my peak hour flight hoping to get on an earlier one. First of all they said no problem, then they said if I wanted to catch an earlier flight it would cost me another fare of $239! Of course the peak flight I was scheduled for will be full and they could have sold that seat easy and put me in a half empty flight, but no that's against policy.

Just this year I have flown domestically half a dozen times and I have been to the US and back as well, all with Air New Zealand. Virgin has just arrived in New Zealand and Air New Zealand is going to be appealing to me for my continued loyalty, well guess what, I'm going to go out of my way when I have a choice, to fly with anyone other than Air New Zealand in future. Instead of being able to sell an extra ticket, they will lose nout on thousands of dollars from me.

That was a good move on their part wasn't it? Of course I am also going to tell anyone who will listen about how shabbily they treat their frequent flyers. Do you think another airline would like my business?

Just started working on my new song Muriwai beach which I finished last weekend. I thought I'd be able to record a demo today, but I'm still getting the phrasing right. Hopefully soon.

Also waiting on my friend Charly Nice who recorded some sax for me on my previous new song Blues in an Air Conditioned Room. he sent me a first cut. I told him I thought it was missing something, maybe drums and bass, so that awesome guy has gone away to have a look at those for me as well. I've nev3er met Charly, but he is becominganother good friend who I ould never have known without the net.

I've just uploaded my latest podcast, which was very late:(

The podcast includes a way to make sure that you keep working on your career, 365.

I played at the Handlebar & Grill in Longwood Fl and recommend the good folk there to any visitors or locals. Check out their website. Many thanks to Mama Chris for her hospitality and a call out to 7 and Lil' Laura of Dreams The Band who want to do a Steveie Nicks tribute tour. Come on down!

Brickbats to United Airlines who damaged my guitar and told me it was my brand new case that I bought for the trip that ripped itself and damaged my $2,000 guitar. Also brickbats to Dreamer Catamaran Cruises in Montego bay where my watch was stolen while I and all the passengers were doing some wonderful snorkling. All I got after reporting it stolen was a complaint about how small my (deliberate considering the circumstances) tip was and that they should frame it.

Kudos to Air New Zealand who took awesome care of my guitars and the 2 guys who delivered one each to me when I got home.

Kudos to Charly Nice who played some awesome sax accompaniment to my new song which you can hear on this podcast called You Oughta Run.

You can listen or download it for free by searching for A Kiwi Songwriter at iTunes or your favorite podcast place, or listen or download at http://luigicappel.libsyn.com

I just took 2 guitars around the US and Jamaica flying with 3 different airlines.

One of them was my Takamine which has been lovingly modified by Zel Tate ex Fender. It was covered in fragile stickers to the point that you could hardly see the case.

When I got to Orlando, my guitar case arrives off the belt and there is a big rip in the bottom of the case. I showed it to the crew who basically said it was a faulty case. Really I said, I bought it new especially for the trip because it has loads of padding. No it is definitely faulty they said. Yeah right, like who gives a damn, its just a guitar and guitar players are probably druggies or freaks anyway, was the attitude they gave me.

I took it to George's Music in Orlando, having to rent a car for the day because it was going to cost around $100 return by taxi (not that it saved a lot) because I was playing at the Handlebar & Grill in Longwood the following night and I needed my guitar.

They said the guitar tech had his day off, but I could use his bench and tools. No problem, I went and got the tools and fixed the guitar. The 9 volt battery holder for the piezo mike had been flung loose by impact (its actually hard to get out when you want to), it had gone flying around the inside of the guitar damaging wiring and the cable input posts.

Anyway the guitar was fixed, but I am pretty disappointed with United Airlines who really didn't give a shit.

Kudos though to Air New Zealand. Having grabbed my suitcase I was waiting at the fragile area and 2 guys came through genly carrying one of my guitars each with great care. Man it was good to be home where people care about music and musicians gear!

Seems like I've been away for ever and I could write a book about my journeys, but I won't. I have hundreds of pics and I will try to sort out the best ones to share.
In short, in the last 15 days I've been to LA, Orlando (for the world Cheerleading Champs where Tracy and her senior girls team came 6th in the world. I had the pleasure of playing at the Handlebar & Grill Bar in Longwood which was an absolute pleasure and I made some great new friends there.
After the champs we rode prety much every ride in all the Disney theme resorts, some like the Space Mountain roller coaster 3 times.
Then off to Jamaica where I had the pleasure of playing with the house band at the Holiday Inn in Montego Bay and then had a 12 hour day making a pilgrimage to Bob Marley's homeand Tuff Gong studio, although they wouldn't let us inside the studio itself. Almost forgot to mention going snorkling from the Discovery catamaran out of Montego Bay, which was out of this world, with visibility underwater I have never experienced before and amazing coloured fish. While we were all in the water someone stole my watch out of my bag on the boat which was the one sour note. I complained to the crew who all went quiet and embarassed and said they would report it to the skipper Moses. All he had to say to me was that my tip was so small that he would have to frame it on the wall, while I responded that having had my watch stolen was my tip. Everyone warned us about having things stolen in jamaica, but I didn't expect to not be able to trust the crew on the boat. I'm not saying they stole it, but all the passengers were in the water at the time.
Anyway, the snorkling was worth the cost of the watch I guess. Then Denver, La and back home over 30 hours. I am still jetlagged and missing the heat, although its pretty good here today. Watch this space for photos:D

Hey friends and others, my friend Charly Nice from Dortmund in Germany has just added an awesome sax to my new song You Oughta Run. It's a very different song to the ones I normally write. It's about a guy who is working on the road and gets a text message saying that someone else is sleeping in his bed.

Armed with a bourbon in one hand and a gun in the other he takes the long drive home to deal to the situation, you'll have to listen to the song to find out what happens.

I would be very grateful if you would go and listen.at www.musicforte.com/member/bluesbro. Please note it is the one called You Oughta Run with Charly Nice, not the other one.

Thanks so much for your support!

Luigi

It's been almost 3 weeks since I wrote a song, so I started jamming tonight and I have the 1st 2 verses and chorus writ:)

One of the bars I've been playing at was really noisy and I left feeling frustrated because most people were more interested in their drinks than the music. This new song should get their attention it's loud and proud! I think I'm going to call it You Oughta Run.

The first verse goes like this:

One hand's got a bourbon
The other's got a gun
I'm looking for some trouble
Somebody's time has come
If its you that's lying in my bed
You oughta run.

Like most songs I write, I'm loving it right now. I can't wait to finish it and give those glass rattlers a shake up. Hopfully they'll like it to:)  

I was off crook for the last 2 days (I'm good again now) and managed to finally get my latest podcast of A Kiwi Songwriter out. If you have any reason for wanting free PR, you might find it worth a listen. It is part one of a 2 part series on how to get free PR and you can isten or subscribe at http://luigicappel.libsyn.com.

So last night I was watching Prison Break and felt this massive jolt. The huge bird cage behind me did a big jump and the cockatiel fell of his perch. I said "That was either a crash (but I didn't hear any breaks) or an earthquake. So I went outside and sure enough no truck and no sign of anything else.

Turns out it was the 2nd of 3 quakes we had last night, the one I felt was about 10 miles away and 10 miles deep. What's interesting is that we are not on a fault line and it was the first one since 1970. Now people are worried about volcanoes, because we are surrounded by extinct volcanoes and 'experts' have been saying for years that it's not a matter of if, but when.

I can see the newest Auckland volcano from where I am keying this in. It erupted about 400 years ago.

Don't worry, its very unlikely. we have a place called White Island which is like a safety valve for New Zealand, it steams and gurgles all the time and activity has increased there lately. hey say that as long as she keeps it up, the rest of the country should be ok. Although about 12 or so years ago when I was in Japan, Mt Ruapehu let off a huge amount of ash which covered half of the central North Island. The funny thing was that although they suspended flights for a fwe days, and people were advised to stay indoors, there were no major disasters.

But the daily Tokyo Yomimuri or whatever the paper was called said that they had evacuated New Zealand. They didn't contain any details as to how they got 4,000,000 people off 2 islands. I thought the game was Chinese whispers, buty I guess its Japanese whispers.

Anyway, all is calm. There haven't been any more quakes since 11:30 last night so I guess all is well again.

I've decided I need to start sharing my song lyrics. It might help people find my music if it is of interest to the,.

Having done a lot of research, it seems to me that the topic of going to war and leaving your loved ones behind is a common problem, especially when relationships are starting out new. Those left behind start of proud and carrying photos around and then after a while they start to get lonely. I'm not judging people in this song, but how many times do people either get Dear John letters or come back to the loved one they have been longing to be with, only to find out that they have moved on.

I know from reading a number of blogs, that this happens a lot. My utmost respect to those who have served, are serving, or are about to serve in Iraq or anywhere else for that matter.

This song is available  to listen to our download at www.musicforte.com/member/bluesbro
If you are a songwriter or peformer, or want to be, you might also enjoy my podcast at http://luigicappel.libsyn.com where there should be a new program on Monday Night.

Another Stretch in Iraq

 

©Luigi Cappel 2007

      
I was walking on an empty street

My feet were marching to a lonely beat

I had you on my mind.

I kept on walking though my feet were sore

There was no procrastinating I could take no more

I wanted to leave you far behind.

 

I served my time on the sand in Iraq

While you were making hay with my good friend Mark

How could I have been so blind?

Thinking of you helped me keep my cool

Little did I know you played me for a fool

Feel like I’m gonna lose my mind.

 

Chorus

I might as well sign up for another stretch

There’s nothing left to keep me here aint life a bitch?

At least in the army I know where I stand

Serving my country in a foreign land.

 

Sit-rep says its all haywire

Its home where I got shot by friendly fire

I’m going back

Home is where I thought I wanted to be

Now I’d rather have my Bradley and an MRE

Even in Iraq

 

Bridge

It’s a strange old world we’re living in

Don’t know who you can trust

Don’t know where to begin

Now I’m gonna live my life one day at a time

 

 

So its Christmas time and the desert is cold

My life is with the army if the truth be told

They’ve got my back

My mom and dad sent a little Christmas tree

They said that they were praying for the boys and me

They said get yourself back on track

 

Chorus

I might as well sign up for another stretch

There’s nothing left to keep me here aint life a bitch?

At least in the army I know where I stand

Serving my country in a foreign land.

 

 

I went down to Raglan for a couple of days with my wife and one of my daughters and other than the day we arrived, it rained most of the time.

The good news is that Raglan is a beautiful place imho to write music. We had a long dry deck on the partment in the bush and I made the most of the time to write 1 1/2 new songs.

The full song may not have any comercial value, it tells the story of Saturday morning which I wrote as it happened, but I really like the chord progressions and the concept. It is like 2 stories, one being my observations of the bush and activity and the other being my wife very patiently waiting for me to finish so she could go and check out the shops in town.

The verse is in major 6ths and 7ths with some nice cruisy progressions that fit the bush and also the surf beaches which are world famous. The chorus is in majors and it fits nicely. Here are the lyrics

It's raining down in Raglan
But I aint geting wet
The birds are calling out to me
While I'm playing on the deck

You open the ranch clider
And you greet me with a smile
You're hanging for a coffee but one sugar aint your style
Maybe you should have a cup of tea

A hawk glides past the cabbage tree
Looking for a treat
A tui warbles joyfully
As the hawk devours its meat

You remind me that you have been waiting for some time
A flat white sounds quite good to me
But for now instant is fine
Thanks so much for making it for me.

The rain is falling harder
It patters on the roof
A mist flows through the greenery
And I feel quite aloof

But I have to remember
That I'm not here on my own
Thank you for your patience
Look its clearing we can go
Let's go and explore the scenery.

It's raining down in Raglan

Just got back from a few days in Raglan, the weather was wet, hot and steamy but it was great to get away. had an 'apartment' in the bush which had a long deck around it, so I got down and wrote a new song. Havn't given it a name yet:)

It's great down there. I was hoping to be there for the Raglan Music Club Open Mike, but it is only once a month and I was there on the wrong week. Real shame because it seems it is on a Thursday night and it's 2 1/2 hours drive each way if the traffic is good. That's too far if I have to work on the Friday:(

I have just posted my new song on my Buzznet page and also on my Music Forte page at www.musicforte.com/member/bluesbro. If you listen to it there you will help it go up in the rankings and if you are feeling really generous a vote would be incredibly welcome:)

Hey friends, I need your opinions. I have just written a new song which so far is called Another Stretch. It's a song about a US soldier who comes home from serving in Iraq only to find that his girl is now with one of his (ex) good mates. He decides that he is better off in the army and goes back to Iraq to serve another stretch. I have put a lot of research into this song and am targetting a market of people who have served, are serving or know people who are serving as a song they can relate to.

My question is, for marketing purposes, should I call the song Another Stretch in Iraq instead of just Another Stretch? Another stretch is part of the hook, but I want people to know what it is about and the title on its own could be about someone going to jail:(

I am leaning towards Another Stretch in Iraq, but I would welcome your opinion.

It's going to be interesting. Tonight I published a soapbox podcast about my new song to tell the story. All my previous podcasts have been about how to succeed as a songwriter. I suppose in a way it is consistent because songwriting is about telling stories. This one happens to be a true story, but about politics. I hope people listen to it and that my message gets through to the people who need to hear it. Imho its a good song too:)

Hey friends.

I didn't know the magazine existed until a couple of days ago, but if you are into podcasting you should check it out. It is 45 pages and can be downloaded as a PDF for free!. Comments included: Well presented, clear and instructive, he could be onto a real winner here!"

If you are interested in songwriting or performing, you can listen or download at http://luigicappel.libsyn.com

Also btw my new song Mr Bush Why Can't We Be Friends is doing well and is still number one at Music Forte. You can listen to it at http://www.musicforte.com/top_songs_country.php

My cousin David and his family arrives from Holland this morning for a whirlwind tour of the country. Looking forward to catching up with him. Haven't seen him for about 6 years since I was last over there!

Hey Buzzfriends


I have finally recorded my new song called Mr Bush Why Can't We Be Friends which you can listen to for free at www.musicforte.com/member/bluesbro

The background is that 20 or so years ago our country voted to ban nuclear powered and armed ships from our ports. That had nothing to do with our feelings of friendship with the USA, we have always been friends, but we have a democracy and pride ourselves on being clean and green (most of the time) and the only things nuclear in New Zealand are for cancer treatment and research in hospitals.

Anyway, as a consequence, the United States decided that we were no longer friends of the US. They banned us from ANZUS, which was our local defence treaty, stopped allowing us to participate in defence training, denied us free trade agreements, shut us out from most military intelligence and in effect all but shut the door on us.

Things have thawed a little recently. We have been allowed to participate in 3 defence training programs and recently 17 New Zealand soldiers were given US Medals of Honor for service in Afghanistan. Other than that, we are still not friends.

So. I think its about time this stopped, so I wrote a song to protest about it and to try to get people aware of this. As the song says, "Our men fought along with yours on a dozen foreign shores". Why does New Zealand have to look to the likes of China for a Free Trade Agreement?

If you are still reading, sorry it took so long to get to the point. I would be super grateful if you would go to www.musicforte.com/member/bluesbro and listen to my song and get your friends to do the same. If enough people listen to it, it will go to the Country Top 20 and more people will hear about it and ultimately with a bit of luck, someone at the White House will hear it and tell Mr Bush that we really aren't that bad down under.

My thanks in anticipation.............................................................

I hope to do an initial demo recording of this song on Tuesday as I have the day off, after I do my tax returns which were supposed to be in 3 months ago, but that's another story. If you haven't, please read my previous journal with the same name, then finish this one.

Despit the fact that we are not friends (that is we do not have official friend status with the USA) this week 16 New Zealander's were awarded with valour medals by the US for valour in Iraq! This is the US giving medals to soldiers who serve for NZ, not for Iraq, and he gives them medals (which is vey nice by the way), but we still are not officialy recognised as friends!

I can't get my head around that, but maybe it is a positive step on the right direction.