I’m very excited! It’s been a while in the making but these things do take time and I’m really proud of what myself and the guys have produced. I’m also looking forward to the feedback/reviews that we will get for the EP.

The four tracks that the band picked have come out really well and I’m particularly falling in love with ‘What’s Going On‘. I just can’t wait to see the whole physical cd and artwork.

I’ve also discovered a new music service over the last few weeks called Spotify. It an online music streaming service that allows you to search it’s entire catalog and listen to a song instantly. It has a terrific application for the iPhone which (in conjunction with a premium account) will allow you to sync your playlists you create off-line to listen to the songs on the move. The best thing is that the Captain Horizon EP will be available to stream on Spotify too!

I’m excited!

Recording went extremely well, it was an awesome place to spend a few days, out in the sticks. I managed to get a room all to myself too. The product from the sessions sounds awesome and Josh has been working overtime to get them mixed so we can get the CD out to manufacture!

Reading Festival, been my first festival was an experience.  I drove the scooby (yes, I now drive an Impreza!) down to Reading and parked on the outskirts. Managed to see some awesome bands, Billy Talent, Placebo and Lost Prophets were the stand out. I was also one of the lucky ones to see ‘Them Crooked Vultures’, featuring Dave Grohl and John Paul Jones. Sunday night was not fun in my opinion and which the silly behaviour of people made it quite uncomfortable. However, this didn’t take away the fact it had been an awesome (and expensive!) weekend.

September has seen Captain Horizon back on the road, with a busy October to come. Roll on the gigs!

Hopefully I’ll be able to go and see Billy Talent in October at the new academy.

p.s. Can you guess the band on stage?

Captain Horizon has been motoring on at 110mph, ever since the debut performance at the Old Wharf at the end of January this year. To date we’ve just done 20 gigs and have another 20+ booked from September up to Christmas. August sees a gig free month whilst holidays and recording at Vale Studios takes place. It’s all really exciting stuff. I’ve been working really hard on the website to get our Captain’s Club membership system finished and ready in time for when we hit the road back in September. We’ve been also writing and recording a load of new song ideas, I think we’ve roughly got about 20-ish songs that are now in our catalog. I’m really enjoying the fact I get to play on the drum kit at every practise with our lockup facility.

Drumming wise I think i’m in quite good form at the moment, i’ll be picking up Virgil Donati’s new double bass drum book soon along with Benny Greb’s interesting DVD. I plan to try and dedicate some more study on the drums when I get these! I’ve still got my TD3, but it’s been a little neglected since the start of the year as I’ve been able to play on my kit when ever I’ve wanted too.

I’m also going to the Reading Festival this year (thanks to Nicky ), I’m really excited. I’ve eyed up a few bands I would like to see too.

The house has also inherited a new member. Me and sam adopted a kitten from the cats home in Birmingham. We’ve got a little tabby named ‘Toby’, he is now just three months old and pretty much sleeps! (Well he does when I’m home!).

I’ve also purchased an iPhone. I’ve not had it long, so I can’t really go into to much depth on how the device is yet, but I will do shortly.

I think that’s enough now. Time for some Pizza.

P.S. Tell me what you think of this theme?

How have things been lately? Brilliant.

The usual rigmarol that you’re always used too, band ace, work usual etc..

That is all..

The countdown has well and truly begun. We’ve been busy preparing for the series of gigs we have coming up this weekend.

Our stage time for Glastonbudget has been confirmed. We will be on the New Acts Showcase Big Top stage at 18:55 on Sunday. Make sure you arrive at the stage in plenty of time to make sure you don’t miss out!

Before our euphoric Glastonbudget set, we are taking part in the Silver Bullet Battle of the Bands at the The Pavilion Venue, Victoria Park, London Road, Leicester on Friday 22nd May and on Saturday, we are also playing at The Shed in Leicester on Saturday 23rd May. 

So, it’s going to be a busy weekend for us. We will be camping the weekend at Glastonbudget, so if you spot our banner, please come and say Hi!

We will be updating you all throughout the weekend using our twitter channel.

Can’t wait!

SATURDAY 18TH APRIL WILL BE LAST GIG PLAYED AT THE CHESTNUT TREE.

THE NEW MANAGEMENT NO LONGER WISHES TO HOST LIVE MUSIC. I WILL THEREFORE BE CONCENTRATING ON THE BLACK HORSE.

I WOULD LIKE TO SAY A BIG THANK YOU TO YOU ALL FOR YOUR LOYAL CUSTOM OVER THE YEARS, AS WELL AS A BIG THANK YOU TO ALL THE BANDS THAT HAVE PLAYED FOR US.

ON A FINAL NOTE IT WOULD BE GREAT IF WE COULD MAKE THESE LAST GIGS A HELLUVA PARTY AND GO OUT WITH A BANG.

The Sheldon Marquee (or the Chestnut Tree as it always has been known) has been quite special place for me and live music. Once a place where my Dad and his family would spend endless evenings and it was really fitting that a further generation down the line was that I was there too. It’s always been the centre of attention for the community in Sheldon and the surrounding areas for a long time when the area was first built.

I remember when I was in my first band Final Redemption and having the opportunity to play at the place and I was excited and delighted a the opportunity to do so.

I also spent my 18th Birthday there, watching Dizzy Lizzy and how the place was starting to spring to life as a music venue. I managed to play a few more gigs with Final Redemption and a couple with FulBright and LegendX as cover, thanks to John & Daz from DNA and of course Kite.

Hampton Street played numorous amounts of times, along with the covers band the RockHits. I started to have a real affection to the place and considering I’d moved house and it was less that a 4 minute drive away.

My 24th Birthday in which I played three sets in one night, is something I won’t forget for quite some time.

After Saturday, I will miss the place. Not only as a musician who has performed there but as some one who has been very grateful to play and enjoy live music.

It’s a shame the current management don’t see the full potential of the place as a music venue for the future, considering places are closing left, right and centre, it’s the only place in the surrounding area that does so. Who knows, I might go down there for a curry. Yes.. A curry.. I mean.. Why?!

Thanks to Kite, Keith, John and Daz for their efforts and giving me the opportunity to play there.

I just wish my Grandad was around to have seen me play.

Long Live the Nuts.

Stuff has been going alright recently. The usual really.

Captain Horizon played a fantastic set at the Wolverhampton Civic Hall Bar, including radio play. We’ve also been very busy writing new stuff too! My first venture for a gig in the East Midlands starts on Friday with a gig at the Shed in Leicester.

Roll on gigggggss!

Work has been busy, which is always good.

I’ve also departed from the RockHits now so I can focus on playing with Captain Horizon. The kit is in the studio and it feels great to be able to play on it, other than gigs.

Right, plenty of practising to do for saturday!

I’ve been on the road a fair bit today (driving down the Clevedon and back), and pretty much gave myself a reality check. I was just having one of those moments, when you become really critical of yourself. It was about drumming and how I can improve and what areas I feel I am falling short on. I’ll be back with Mr. Tandler this week and I think it’s time I very much went back to basics. I really want to install some more discipline in my playing.

Pretty much looking forward to focusing on the new band now. Starting tomorrow.

‘Loose and Colourful’

Things have been pretty intense lately. Captain Horizon have now had a further two gigs under our belt, along with qualifying for the semi-finals of the banks’ battle of the bands. My birthday gig was awesome. I played three sets, the first with Captain Horizon, the second with the Ricardo Thompson Trio and finally one of my last performances with the RockHits. Valentines night the RockHits played at the Perfect in Pink ball, a charity gig for breast cancer. It was a wonderful night in which we chilled out all night, had a four course meal, before we then hit the stage to play some different tunes to what we usually do.

I’ve moved on from the RockHits now, in which was a quite low key exit, which is what I wanted. Not a fan of these big send off gigs.

I’ll be concentrating my efforts with Captain Horizon now, which is ultimately what  I want to be doing.

Gig at the Black horse tomorrow night with Captain Horizon. I hope that I am indeed, well enough.