A long weekend in review!

Billy and I travelled to Sydney on Friday for an extra long weekend a couple of weeks ago.

We spent a glorious couple of days in the Blue Mountains with our friends Allan and Marian Caswell, our tiny fur friends Coco and Kev and spent much time discussing whether it would get cold enough to snow (it didn't), Billy and I bought new hats from the home of Allan Caswell’s hats - Katoomba Hattery, then Marian and I checked out the Carrington (gorgeous!!!) while Billy spied a vintage record and hi fi store (typical – he can sniff them out at about 10kms)! 

How amazing does the Hydro Majestic look?  I can’t wait to get up there again when it’s open for business – pop on a good frock and head over for a cocktail or two!  It really does look amazing - the developers are powering  along and I think the first stage will be open towards the end of this year!

While we were in the mountains, we were also fortunate enough to hear a preview of Allan's new album "Sometimes When You Lose, You Win" now available on iTunes or via Allan or the Songwriters' Fighting  Fund.

It's no secret that Allan is an extremely gifted songwriter, it's been general knowledge around the traps since before "that song' appeared many years ago.  I have all of Allan's albums, and each of them speaks to me in profoundly different ways, but I have to say that "Sometimes When You Lose, You Win" will become  one of 'those' albums, the ones I  ‘always’ listen to just because they make me feel good. 

The title track, written together with Marian, is a heartfelt 'thankyou' to those people known and unknown who continue to support them in their battle with Sony and has a bit of a dig at the corporate machine.  This song, and “Just Like Big Tobacco” are songs that will resonate with anyone who has fought the ‘big guy’ – if you won; or if you  lost – these two songs will speak to you.

Really Stupid People  and A Little Weird Around Here (both written with Lachlan Bryan)are songs that reflect on the state of live music and changes to the way we live and play.  Musicians and music lovers alike will nod along in understanding.

I love When We Were Young and Stupid too – I remember being just like that! Surprisingly for an Allan Caswell record, there is not really a love song…unless you love Coffee!  And for those that don’t like to love at all there’s I Don’t Like People Much!

Allan’s voice is better than ever, and the instrumentation is top notch – there’s not a thing I can criticise.  Just a month from conception to the listener…this is top notch song writing delivered honestly and with passion….just as it should be.

Allan and I performed an intimate house concert on Sunday afternoon, at the home of my brother and his lovely wife and it was a great way to connect with supporters (new and old) and share our music!  If you think you could gather 10+ friends together for a house concert - let me know - perhaps we can arrange it. 

Sept 13 sees Allan conducting a songwriters' workshop and performing a house concert at my place in the South Eastern suburbs of Melbourne at 7.pm.  if you're interested please click the link or email me!
 

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