Alun Parry Singer Songwriter: June 2007

The Alun Parry Band

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IPO Festival
The Cavern Club, Liverpool

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Tuesday, June 19, 2007

The Bladder Tour Memoirs

Seeing as we're taking a brief break from our tour until the end of the month, I thought I'd update you as to how all is going so far. Derby, Leicester and Wolverhampton are now under our belt, and it's fair to say that my bladder is playing a large part in proceedings.

Those long drives and my famously weak bladder are not the best combination and lead to me typically writhing around the car in frantic attempts to try to hold on that little bit longer until we reach Services.

At Derby, we reached Derby's football ground quite easily but then toured the ring roads seeking the park. When we finally found it I was absolutely desperate and chose the nearest tree!

Sadly for me it was on a hill and when I looked round Chad and Howard each had their mobile phone cameras pointed at me. No doubt a film of me weeing up a tree in Derby will someday appear on Youtube.

The events themselves have been great. People are loving our set and our CDs are selling really well.

Plus, everywhere we go we meet Scousers in the audience. Thanks for coming and saying hello after the show. It's great to chat with people afterwards.

Derby was a lot of fun. Everyone was still bouncing after Derby County had so recently won promotion to the Premier League, so we had a lot of fun with that. I even got a few moments break when the tent erupted in Derby County songs! Last time I went to an away game at Derby County ("the Rams") someone from the club led a sheep around the pitch before the game which I found amusing. I wonder if they still do that?

I was really impressed by the quality of the parks in the Midlands. Abbey Park in Leicester is so called because it is actually the site of a former Abbey, and the ruins are still in place. It also had a huge river (ok not a river, a stream), and a boating lake, people were playing an actual cricket match, and there were some kids wearing Liverpool kits. And one lad kept yelling "Play some Baytuls!!" which I later worked out was Beatles but in a Midlands accent.

Likewise West Park in Wolverhampton was lovely too, but the weather was dreadful. My shoes looked like football boots and I had mud splattered up my legs. It did bring everyone into the music tent though, and Wolverhampton Community Radio (WCR) interviewed us for a feature on their music show.

Funny though, last time I was in that part of the world the weather couldn't have been more different. On that occasion I was on a march in Stourbridge in support of hospital workers who were on strike in Dudley and the sun was glorious.

Our next tour date will be in Coventry. So I'll be looking forward to that. And of course, I'll make sure I don't forget to have a wee before I set off!!!

10:23 PM | Permalink |

Saturday, June 9, 2007

Gareth Dubbeling Superstar

Can I just say that sound engineer Gareth Dubbeling is an absolute star. If anyone has had the good fortune to cross his path, you will know what a thoroughly top fella he is.

Here's to you Gareth. You've a heart of gold mate, and you're a great, great friend.

12:32 PM | Permalink |

Sunday, June 3, 2007

Buskernomics: What Do You Think?

Reprinted below is the page from my site explaining the philosophy of my music distribution. I'm reprinting it here because I want your comments.

Once A Busker....

As many of you will know, I am a former 'Merseyside Busker Of The Year'.

So I started my musical career as a humble busker. I was so humble I didn't even own a guitar. I borrowed one. But it taught me a lot of lessons about people and music. The main one is that if people like what you do, they'll let you know it.

Some will let you know it with a smile and a nod. Others will let you know it by putting some money in your hat.

But the key thing is that people are free to decide.

I bought my first ever guitar with the money that people voluntarily put into my busking hat. I even had some left over to buy my Nan a radio!

But nobody was forced to pay. They just wanted to. That's what people are like with music after all. It's not a 'product'. It's something that touches people. And when it does, people tend to let you know.
Soundproof boxes on Bold Street

Here's a question....have you ever seen a soundproof box on Bold Street? With a turnstile?

No, me neither. Bold Street in Liverpool was my standard busking pitch. But I didn't sing inside a soundproof box then make people pay to hear me.

No, I just put the music out there. Some people would like it and get it for free as they walked on by. Others would volunteer a few bob. (And no doubt some will have wished I was in that soundproof box haha!!)

But the point is, that I made the music freely available and let people choose how to respond. And yet I still got that guitar and my Nan still got that radio!!

Buskernomics: The Philosophy of this site

Well I'm not a busker anymore. That was some time ago now. But I'm keeping that same street philosophy with me.

My album is still available in the shops. The retailers have priced it up at £9.99. You can get it at HMV and Virgin and Amazon and Borders and the likes.

But here on my site, I'm going to do it differently.

I'm putting my music freely out there, just like I did when I busked on the streets. As such, all of my music can be downloaded completely free from this site.

But at the same time, you have the option of paying too. And if you decide to pay, then you also decide how much. Just like you do when putting money into a buskers hat.

It's a revolutionary new philosophy - and it goes against the industry folks who are sending their lawyers round the world to sue kids for downloading music off the internet.

Viva la revolution!

So what do you think? I really want to know. Please add your comments by clicking the add comments link and type away.

8:14 AM | Permalink |

The Bladder Tour Memoirs

Gareth Dubbeling Superstar

Buskernomics: What Do You Think?

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