30^th March 2010

Return of the Redeye

Yes I know this sounds like a sci fi collaboration between George Lucas and north Korea’s leader Kim Jong Il but I can assure you it has more to do with my travel itinerary over the last few weeks, allow me to bore you…

I have been in the US since I last wrote covering the map like a 2 year olds colouring book (without the satisfying reward of an unrecognisable picture of yourself at the end) with One Eskimo. It is hard to gauge success in such a massive country while shuttling about in a smelly cocoon on wheels but every now and then we get told some good bits of news (No 1 on AAA radio format) that make us feel like perhaps its all paying off. Even got to play a live slot on the Ellen Degenres TV show (aired on St Patrick’s day) which was fun, especially worthy moments including handing Adam (no not you Wakey) his arse several times at table tennis in front of some young irish dancing school girls…actually that’s pretty hard to top.

The exciting part of the trip was the expiration of my US visa, which then involved a plethora of inane phone calls to government “help”lines that cost so much money-per-minute you would consider asking what the person on the other end of the phone was wearing. Anyway, skip to the end (of my tether) and after crushing all dreams of being able to return to the UK for a week of living my life due to inability to process forms and stupid turn around times, our visa were approved at the 11^th hour and I got to fly home. Now although leaving the sunny shores of Santa Monica for the gloom of London may sound insane, there is nothing like sleeping on your own bed and being able to see your loved ones.

After a brief but nice week in Blighty which involved a lovely trip to the US embassy at 7am to get my visa appointment to have said visa entered into my passport, getting my car to the mechanic for MOT  and programming sounds for my Axe FX I am actually writing this from New York about to embark on the 2^nd leg of this years One Eskimo promo trip.  Of course getting here with all the visa processing required was a bit long winded but, suffice to say, it is strange heading to Heathrow knowing you don’t have your passport back and meeting a courier from the visa office (who was 1.5 hours late) to just check into your flight to NY via Paris and more security stops the Guantanamo Bay. The excitement then turned to pant wrecking fear as the wing of the plane Adam (still not you Wakey) and I happened to be looking over was hit by lightning, but even God couldn’t stop us and apparently it’s not such a big deal…YEAH RIGHT!!!!

Ok we made it safely to JFK and even after a strange candid interview (and I mean music interview) with the customs man who happened to be a massive music fan at around midnight we got to sleep. Oh well it is all in the name of rock so what the hell. Plenty of shows here in NY, which will be fun, even have a show on Sat night opening for Bob Schneider who, if you haven’t heard of is really worth checking out. The big build up if for Coachella festival, which we are playing on the 18^th April in Palm Springs, looking forward to that. Rumours abound of possible Soundgarden reunion and Them Crooked Vultures as well as Faith No More, so if this slightly anglified Aussie can still handle some hot weather should make for a good time.

Indeed my schedule has been filled with a lot of non headspace related work, you will be pleased to know that, thanks to modern technology, I am able to keep working on the tracks for the new album while on the road, and thousands of miles from my partners in crime. There will be more to say about the concept and all things album related in the coming weeks, Brooky is busily working on the drum tracks as we speak, and things are shaping up nicely. Damo is still tweaking some last minute lyric changes, Adam is laying down more keys than a locksmith, and when Lee is not working at Tesco’s packing your shopping, you might see him playing a show with It Bites. You can also hear some of Adam’s (yes this time you Wakelby) compositions here:

A short film Adam composed the score to entitled “Night/Day” has been selected for this year’s London Independent Film Festival: http://www.londonindependent…org/OS2010.htm
The festival takes place from April 15-27, 2010 at some of London’s best cinemas.
www.nightdayfilm.com

A great new series called “Captain’s Blog” that uses Adam’s theme music can be view here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?..v=5kerpXn5Djg

More news in the coming weeks

Pete

Well, it had to happen sooner or later.I had the pleasure of Adam down at mine to discuss recording my tubs this week. We’ve just finished finished the pre-production for the album and are looking at studios to record the proper drums (I’ll post some video of his visit later on).Not as many studios open as there used to be these days. Some great ones we all used to frequent have gone down the recession plug hole. Real shame.Pete has returned from the US for a week to get his washing done but heads off again for another stint as soon as he’s let everyone know he’s still alive and the ironing is finished.Lee has been away with It Bites again, progging up and down the UK in a cockney way. Damo is still couch surfing around the UK and elsewhere as discussed on Total Rock radio the other week. Anyone having seen the footage of the London trip for Ad’s and Damo will wonder if that was all staged….it really wasn’t.That’s it for now. Keep checking the you tube page (www.youtube.com/headspacetheband) for all things HEADSPACE!Rich.

Welcome back to the blog from Headspace HQ here in the sleepy village of Akeley in Buckinghamshire. Pete’s still shredding his way round the States with One Eskimo and is scheduled to return for a week at the end of March which will be good to catch up. Lee is just coming to the end of a run with It Bites and Rich has been busy in his studio recording drums on a couple of album sessions. In the meantime, I’ve been recording some keyboards on the album and this coming week will see the start of the drum recording with Rich down in London, which I think is a big city down south somewhere. Living in the country, I don’t get into the city much….

Damian is also paying a brief visit for a couple of days this week to visit a few studios to decide on where the vocals are to be recorded. He’s also working with me on a track for a film which we need to have finished by the end of the week.

Been a busy ‘family’ week with my brood celebrating my 36th birthday probably more enthusiastically than me. The best ‘day out’ find for quite some time is Wendover Woods, just outside the village of Aston Clinton in Aylesbury Vale which has a great cafe several miles into the woods and fantastic scenery and walks through the woods. Great for kids and dogs, and I also think we may have had the first BBQ of the season.

In Ozzy news, the album is nearly mixed and we’re still waiting for a release date, although I suspect it will be in June time ready for the start of the world tour in July. Kevin Churko the producer (who we are hoping to have mix the Headspace album) is already working on the new album for the band “In this moment” who are managed by Blasko, Ozzy’s bass player. I’m really looking forward to getting back out with the guys and although there’s been some personnel changes since the last one, I’m certain it will be a great tour. Look out for some UK dates to be announced soon. Who knows, maybe we can showcase the Headspace album if we can sneak on the bill!!

More news and videos soon. Check out www,youtube.com/headspacetheband for the latest video diaries from us lot.

Well, ok what’s been going on… ok, well, I sold everything I owned to a lovely elderly Russian lady for £5. At least that was the agreed amount but she very kindly gave me £10! I felt this was a sign that from here on in, it’s going to be lady luck at my side all the way, as I ventured out once again into the world of the homelessness. Lucky fellow I am though, taking the Dylanesque approach of sofa surfing, I seem to have an endless choice of sofas around the UK and abroad, thanks to my friends and the power of radio. As a teenager it always seemed an exciting prospect, but as a man of my age I am generally just being mistaken for a tramp, as did my father when he passed me by on the road.

I have the two day rule (it becomes a home after two days), a guitar and a very small rucksack, with all I need to take on the world.

The first three weeks has proven to be far more enjoyable than I originally thought. I vowed to take up the life of a monk (by this I mean simplicity) but have found that it is actually very sociable being on the move. I have been playing and writing a lot more but I don’t get the chance to record so much, so I fear new songs and ideas may get lost in the ether.

As I sit at the bus stop scribbling down the latest Headspace blog, I have a feeling this is going to be a very lucky year. Last Monday I met up with Adam to chat about what direction we were going to take the new album now that it has been written and demoed. We decided to discuss this live on Total Rock Radio and although I did my best to explain (after a heavy drinking session down the Crobar in Soho with the Editor of  ‘Prog’ Magazine; Jerry Ewing), Adam still seemed slightly confused that I saw the concept as a love story. The concept I can announce is based on The Kubler-Ross Model for Impending Death: not what most people would feel were groundings for a good love story but what is for me an expression of my love for humanity.

Well whilst on my bus journey around Britain (feels like I am on tour), I have Headspace on my ipod shuffle and I’m updated through Internet cafes with the new additions to the album tracks. Like Lee’s bass part, which on first hearing made my heart stop and losing control of all body functions, my soul orbited the planet only to return right on the one… perfectly in time. Man he is a very special soul.

I also hear Rich is starting to put down the drums this week, so we are truly on our way to building this monster.

But how could I leave this blog without telling you what a wonderful friend Pete has been through out my predicament. He too has taken to the road and left his good lady and home behind, in sympathy. I hope he’s ok I hear it’s been snowing where he is. You don’t just stumble on friends like that, they are sent… with Headspace and lady luck on my side, how can I go wrong?

Thank you to everyone who has offered me a sofa to stay on, I’m collecting addresses… matter of fact I’ll be having another sofa appeal this Friday the 12^th of March 10:00-14:00 GMT on Radio Caroline where I will be playing live on the legendary ‘Barry James show’. He has very kindly got right behind this campaign and has been a tremendous support. Thank you also everyone who voted for me in the Classic Rock presents ‘Prog’ readers pole. It was a wonderful surprise that you thought of me.

This year is going to be a very lucky one - I can just feel it.