Apt Pupil

www.goodaboom.com
I'm sure you recall Miki mentioning in her diary the other day a German man who was desperate for painting lessons... Well, she left the answer hanging, but the idea ate away at her and the result was Goodaskool, launched on our site the other day. Well, no sooner had she done this than the German guy turned up at the gallery, and it now seems there will be some lessons in the real world as well! It's a busy time, particularly for Miki, as we have an exhibition to mount in Albir tomorrow, and then another in Vera on February 10th, when I also play my next show in nearby Turre. On top of this, she has a recently finished portrait, and two nearing completion.

Of course, I am insisting that she helps me with my video for "A Cat Called Caramel" which will be our February song of the month! I'm hoping to make promos for a lot of my new material and launch them simultaneously on Goodaboom and YouTube. The Youtube network has afforded me a look at some gems from the past, most notably XTC and It Bites.
In the case of XTC, and in particular Andy Partridge, the word genius cannot be overstated. The wealth of music this band has given us over nearly 3 decades is simply breathtaking, and as a bass player, Colin Moulding's basslines are a joy. There is a slight connection in as much as Pete Phipps, our drummer in BC Sweet, was the drummer on two of XTC's albums, "Mummer" and "The Big Express" and fine bodies of work they are too!

Then we have It Bites, and an anecdote...back in the early 80's, this big brash lad called Frank used to pester our band (Tubeless Hearts) to get a gig or two together with his band up in their native lake district. It never materialised, but the drummer would occasionally come and see us play, and we heard they'd headed to London to give it a go, and were struggling somewhat, living in a squat. Well, history was kinder, and Virgin signed them up, and they released as It Bites a string of mouthwatering albums. Frank became Francis, and a revered solo performer. They always seemed to be derided in Egremont, their hometown, and we were often asked if we were jealous that they'd outstripped Tubeless Hearts in the fame stakes. My answer, then and now, is "Hell, no!" Bands like It Bites have TALENT. They are the ones that deserve to make it. Likewise XTC. God knows, there are precious few talented acts around nowadays. I remember seeing Ash, hailed as a fantastic young band, appearing live on Jools'LATER show, they couldnt even keep in time for the one chord jam at the beginning! Now compare these "young prodigy's to the 16 year-old Andy Fraser (bass) and 17 year-old Paul Rodgers (vocals) of a young Free...point made, I think?


I heard a story about Francis Dunnery of It Bites. It was said that his older brother was even more of a virtuoso than he was. If that was the case, let's hope Miki's German art student proves to be a similarly apt pupil!