Songs to mark 60!

My wee mammy turned 60 this week.

And as we were planning a celebration for her I compiled a list of songs that were pivitol in her growing up and Growing old  eh maturing I should say.

I started off with number 1 on the day of her birth " All shook up" By Elvis and then continued with the songs that marked other days of her amazing life. from her 10th, 18th, 21st, 30th, 40th, 50th birthdays and then other celebrations in her life like the birth of her children, Grandchildren and the day she got married.  All put together with bands and artists she has loved and introduced me to like the amazing Bowie and The Police. Then there is the ones I am certain she listens to just to wind my brother and I up like Darius and many xfactor members. On the whole the list catered for many tastes seen as the party had age 1 - 65ish  in attendance. My mum enjoyed it which was the main thing. 

 

https://open.spotify.com/user/1180345875/playlist/3DFLSB3taFPwFZsACTbKUP

Living up to the hype

This weeks see's Glasgow having a kind of music take over. Although there are always gigs  throughout the city. With no T in the Park Glasgow Green will host a 3 day TRSMT festival. With massive headliners like Biffy Clyro (Whoop) to Radiohead (Meh) and other awesome artists in between the centre of town is certain to be rocking. So far the Sunday has my attention but not my ticket commitment.  However before all that Green Day headline their own gig at bellahouston park. The amazing punk rock group I have loved since 1994. I haven't seen them live since 2005. I have avidly monitored the weather. Planned what i'm wearing, where I'm going to park and what we are going to do afterwards.  Their Revolution Radio tours so far covers all the hits in their 22 song set list.  My anticipation is high as it is with most concerts. Unlike the ones you sometimes purchase tickets so far in advance you near forget about the whole thing by the time it rocks up. (pardon the pun) Despite a Tuesday night out and some of us (not me) having work in the morning. I'm sure the most will be made. We have a request to phone our 9 year old son who ww have passed a love of music on to so we must remember to call him. Hopefully there will be lots of hilarity to be had I certainly plan to. With my husband and I celebrating our wedding anniversary the day after might as well roll all our festivities into one. Just need to not get so intoxicated or too overcome by live music emotion that i buy trsmt tickets on a whim.


Blog Track: Still Breathing by Green Day  https://youtu.be/pnTZa4FY_7I

Return of the pack.

I noticed that I had this blog linked on my Instagram account. Only to realise that my last post was in 2014. Nearly a full 3 years. So seen as the title is still so fitting as I am just as much a music nut.  however I am also an over thinker. A constant imagination user who loves to create. So why not divulge some of my musing on the internet. And try to keep it up.

Since of the start of the year I have been keeping a journal. no not a Dear diary oh woes me type affair but a little book of musings, lists, bullet points and other thoughts that take my fancy that day. I enjoy i find it therapeutic and I get to use lots of lovely stationary that i seem to collect.

My son is older as it seems to go with the human form but forever my little boy. Told my class participant yesterday about my little boys birthday and when i said he was 9 they said well he is not little anymore. I felt a little pang of hurt as he is not so little anymore. Also 3 days before his birthday he was diagnosed with Autism. No surprise to us as he has had communication support since aged 3.

SO I am gonna make a conscious effort to write more here as well as in notebooks. About theatre, motherhood, autism, life as well as music being the soundtrack that fuels it all.

Album anticipation

Rumours circulate.

Waiting! Waiting!

Dates are announced, a single is released and maybe another track leaked.

Waiting! Waiting! Waiting! Waiting! Waiting!

Counting down! Saving, reading interviews, watching interviews.

Woo hoo! Off to the shops I go.

This was the scenario I would go through upon waiting for an artist I liked new album to launch. I would skim my lunch money (Sorry Mum) and save and wait till its release date then rush to the shops to purchase the CD. Eagerly read the cover book on the bus or wait till I got home so I could read and hear the new found lyrics at the same time. Like an absolute music nerd. I am not ashamed to admit this in the slightest.

Today however it is in no way as eagerly anticipated.

I still get excited about a bands new work and the effort that the have so obviously put into their music. But due to digital downloading and the demise of the CD. The volume of excitement is not as high as it once was. Okay! So I am at least 15 years older than I was when I would pour all my money into music. I have a family and inevitably so my priorities have changed. Also with growing up I now see the machine and publicity planning that goes behind an album release. Its timed to perfection. On the other hand I see that a band have finished their work months before it is released. Due to the digital overtake record companies leave more time between single and album releases in order to generate more chart sales. Look big marketing mogul I just want to hear the new songs.

What prompted this whole post. Twin Atlantic. The band have been in an album creating hiatus for near enough a year. As bands do. So when they used the power of social media to excite fans about their forthcoming single. We knew an album would not be far behind. On the 24th of March a teaser with an incredible guitar riff was released. Followed by exclusive airplay on of their single on the 31st March. Hours later the video was launched. Not too bad of a schedule. So I was thinking cool come May their album will be out. NOPE!! On 23rd of April after further Facebook teasers the launch date of August 18th was given. Boooo Hissssss to that record company and gone is a Twin Atlantic filled summer.A 6 month wait from teaser to album launch, Red Bull records you have lost the plot. Especially with forthcoming tour dates. How are fans suppose to enjoy new songs if we do not know them prior to the gig. No matter how much you attempt to entice with Pre order offers. I'm not parting with anything three months in advance. The anticipation will dwindle further I am sure. But more than likely I will be up on the 18th August eager to download.

So like my younger self I am left.

Waiting! Waiting! Waiting! Waiting!

The forgotten Ones.

"Oh my I forgot about this song!"

The other week while sitting at a comedy gig at the interval and a Muse song starts playing. I cannot remember which specific one. But we both looked at each other in sudden realisation of oh yeah we liked Muse. At one point. So today here I am thinking that there must be a plethora of albums and bands that we all forget we like/liked or at least listened to for weeks on end.

 Now I am not talking about the ones of childhood past such as Boyzone and East 17. I mean Muse I have easily not listened to in a year. Another band I forget about is 30 seconds to Mars. So due to Jared Leto's (30STM front man) Oscar win they too have been on my return list. One hit wonders like Deep blue somethings "Breakfast at Tiffany's" and New Radicals "Get what you give" have always been around on my play list creations so how is it a bands full back catalogue can disappear off my music radar?

 To quote the musical rent I feel we go through "Seasons of Love" I think that the change in seasons can have a complete effect in what we listen too. Obviously as the snow falls in the month of December we hear Christmas songs and Slade is yet again let out of its box. But as the temperature slightly raises (I do live in Scotland) in these spring months. I find the more upbeat my play lists and listening requirements are.I prefer more melodic songs than the usual emo and rock I listen too. Often in summer some dance tracks seem to seep into my car stereo too. There nothing like driving, sunglasses on, windows slightly down, singing along to your favourite tunes.  So I'm off to rediscover those. I will do some sort of voodoo sun dance at the same time.


Blog Songs : Muse Exo Politics
 Deep blue something -Breakfast at Tiffany's
New Radicals - Get what you give

Sing along songs.

Everyone sings along to their favourite songs when we hear them. Be it a slight hum in the car to the radio, a full out rendition in the shower or pretending you are performing to masses in your living room when really its just to your cat. You do not have to be the best singer ever to sing. It is a bit like therapy and can make you feel happy on the dullest of days.

Recently I volunteered to take part in " Songbooth" a project created by Greg Sinclair one of the artists in residence at the Citizens Theatre where I work. 

You chose your own song to sing. I could have had some personal meaning. I chose to sing "Walking in Memphis" by Cher. Originally by Marc Cohn. It's a song that I remember a lot form my childhood. My Mum was a big Cher fan and when her "It's a man's world" album was released we owned it on CD. I vaguely remembered the original in that I knew the song had previously sung by a male. So I chose that song as it reminded me of the fun times I had bopping around the house with my wee mum. 

It got me thinking of the vast amount of songs that I love to sing along to. Songs that I have sang in the past either in a performance or just on Karaoke. It was not an easy decision but I felt that I could do the song justice without sounding like a drowned cat. I have sang many ballads and musical songs and I easily, without thinking could have sang "Part of your world" from The little mermaid as I sang it most nights to my son when he was a toddler.

I enjoyed the experience and I have only watched a little of it back. Seen as I would probably be my own worst critic. 

So what song would you sing? What songs can you "pull out your back pocket" and give a rendition of. Even if it is just for yourself or your cat. 



"Sing as though no one can hear you" 

Artist in residence exhibition details are below. 

Exhibition Info.


Song for this blog: Walking in Memphis - Cher

If I were to have a conversation with my fifteen year old self.

"I listen to anything apart from Opera and Country."

"Listen to country music! Who am I?  My gran?"

"Its soooo over dramatic and boring."

"All their songs are whiny and about God or heartbreak."

I said lines similar to this when i was around 15 years of age. Lets face if we all had a time machine I am certain there are many conversations we would have with our younger selves. As a teenager music is a sense of self and independence. I still liked some pop music but was leaving behind the plastering my walls with boy bands. Listening to more Indie and punk bands like Greenday, Foo Fighters and Stereophonics. Along with a growing interest in movie soundtracks and hip pop. However I would have melted with embarrassment and rolled over in my skinny coloured jeans and Benetton jumpers and laughed if you had told me : When your 30 you are going to find a taste for country music. Nope. No way. Not in a month of Sundays would I have taken you seriously.

But here I sit listening to a play list filled with country tracks that even Dolly Parton would be proud of. Opera I now enjoy having been taught to sing "lascia ch'io pianga" by a singing tutor. Yes in Italian and all. It is a very complex and beautiful song. As Opera is all about story songs I wish I had not been as naive as a teenager and listened to it more.

So as tastes change I wonder if in another 15 years time I might be listening to another whole different genre of music. Raving it up to heavy techno music at the age of 45. Who knows what the future holds? But for now I shall remain the girl who is a a little bit country but a whole lot of rock and roll.

Track of this Blog: Stars Tonight by Lady Antebellum


Interesting Read: University of Cambridge research link.