Bluesbro's Journals

Happy New Year

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:)

Movember - Friends give me a hand

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:)

New Bass

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.

Air New Zealand Sucks

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?

Working on my latest song

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.

A Kiwi Songwriter Podcast 11

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

United Airlines ground crew sucks, kudos to Air New Zeaand

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!

I'm back

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

You Oughta Run, you oughta listen: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

You Oughta Run!

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:)