Tickets for Saturday ALMOST SOLD OUT

http://www.mindvox.co.uk while you can still get them!



--
Adam Smith

visit http://www.adamsmithmusic.co.uk

I'm excited...

About my gig this Saturday night - I've loved all the gigs I've played at the vic inn. Now I'm just trying to choose which songs to do - the usual trade off - play it safe with songs people know (and have heard loads of times) - or play new songs that aren't road-tested live? The new stuff can frequently come out better - the performance of it tends to be more real - once you sing something enough times it stops meaning very much to you - I guess the secret then is to get the performance of "old stuff" to a state where it triggers those feelings in other people years after it stops meaning something to me.

It will be great to be able to entertain so many of my old friends too - I really want to do a giveaway CD but I'll need loads of copies - I'm not sure I have anything ready - will have a think tonight! Eek

Some days it's pretty cool being me..

Adam Smith

http://www.adamsmithmusic.co.uk
http://www.myspace.com/adamsmithuk

mailto:mail@adamsmithmusic.co.uk

Monday morning 9-5

There is something oppressive about the routine of a 9-5 job, a 9-5 week, a 9-5 life. I'm frightened of getting old - it's one of my biggest fears, and there is a feeling, when I am creeping like snail unwillingly to school on a Monday that life is accelerating in some way and my amount of spare time in which to accomplish anything is precious and small.

I do feel as though the "demos" I am producing at home are better than ever - there is a sense of improving as a song writer and arranger - I feel as though I am at a level as a performer where I can entertain, even standing on my own on a stage - these are extremely fulfilling - and yet there is also a feeling growing that one of my biggest problems is procrastination. Read "he is waiting for something".

Other people my age are marrying and buying houses and settling into their careers. I don't envy them their 9-5 existence any more than I envy myself for doing it and telling myself it's just temporary, but this morning I feel as though I am wandering around behind the starting grid 30 seconds after the gun has gone off and watching the other runners (read "the other musicians") recede into the distance, when I should be running like hell towards the finishing line. Do I believe I couldn't beat them? Do I believe they're better writers or performers than me? No. My self-belief is as strong as it's ever been.

I think I'm just suffering from that malaise where good musicians don't even bother to try, and then they tell themselves it's the environment. "It's too difficult….there's just too many musicians out there…it's so hard to get people to come to gigs…record label people only like this or that". I heard a great expression for people who tell you this stuff (and this applies to whatever it is you want to do - for me it's be a massive rockstar) - they are "emotional vampires".

I know all the theory about achieving your potential, I know all the stuff about "it's never the environment" (I've read a lot of books to try and spur myself into action) - but it can be difficult to shake yourself out of that negative mindset.

My output - a 6 song mini-album in 2005 and a 4 song EP last May. Does that really represent me? Are they the only songs I have? HARDLY - hence the drive to make an album. I suspect the album will be different then people might expect - darker - more varied, less happy strummed acoustic guitar - whether anyone buys it I only have limited control over - but my psychology on this (correct me if I'm wrong) - is that if I wait around for "a band to come together" or cheap studio time or any of the 50 things I could wait around for (or have always been waiting around for) - it will never happen.

So maybe I will just go for it - a bedroom album in the spirit of 'from the attic' - which I am quite proud of in part - it may not be beautifully produced - but I will be able to indulge myself and maybe create something unique and interesting enough to catch a few people's ears. And if a few people can fall in love with it, then there is still hope for me.

Adam Smith

http://www.adamsmithmusic.co.uk
http://www.myspace.com/adamsmithuk

mailto:mail@adamsmithmusic.co.uk

Welcome to the new home of my blog

Those of you who are seasoned readers (I love you the mostest) - will notice I have made a subtle name change to the blog.

Also it is now hosted by blogger (yes i've gone all mainstream) - it means it looks lovelier and can have pictures and links... and I can keep it separate from my music page which is shortly to receive a makeover and look very professional and serious (my music is a bit like that). Also I can send posts by email without having to log in and faff around. Which means a lot more posts, I imagine more than once a week - these posts may be shorter but hopefully more entertaining as I can post from anywhere as the mood takes me!

So we've gone with a hosted site as I wanted my blog somewhere separate so as people don't get confused with the juxtaposition of random ramblings and serious musical outpourings.

I've talked about the blog name change a lot before and have finally taken the plunge with a new name. I may rename it again in the years ahead if and when I leave this big smoky city. But I wanted something a bit more positive to name my blog.

Even if I do leave london (oooh would that mean I could afford to have a car?) I like the new name and may keep it on, especially if my ramblings have attracted an ardent crowd of drooling devoted followers.

I was in my local co-op supermarket thingy today - and standing blank-minded at the chip and pin machine - when I noticed something sinister had happened. Co-op had taken the not-desperately-cunning marketing ploy of putting little messages on the chip and pin reader so when the checkout monkey is ringing up your goods, you can vote in a little poll.

Sometimes these consisted of things like "did you find the fruit and veg satisfactory today" or "how's our selection of toilet roll". Anyway there's two buttons, one for yes and one for no.

Usually I ignore these bald faced attempts to gather my consumer data.

But today they sunk to a new low.

Instead of asking me "were your beans bashed YES / NO" or "Did we catch you out with that banana skin next to the breakfast aisle YES / NO",

TODAY there was a new question.

The question was this.......

"YES / NO".

This surprised me. Care to post your thoughts below? How did Adam answer the question? Does his answer signify something about his state of mind?

Or more frighteningly - what did they mean by this question? What have I (or haven't I) signed up to by pressing that fateful button?

See you soon I hope for more on my beautiful new blog, the diary of a london musician

Adam Smith