Today was one of those days that asks everything of your skills and gives you everything in return. A hearty folk trio rehearsal after breakfast with the Jack Cookson Trio followed by a challenging, yet rewarding double drum lesson that I taught to a wonderful mother and her enthusiastic and talented yet distracted 7 year old daughter. 7 YEAR OLD! She can play really well for that age. I hope she keeps it up. As a drum teacher in Bristol, this is one of the best things to see!

All the while I was thinking how Paul, Jack Cookson and I’s friend and bass player is so generous, always with a smile and cooking us breakfast for our 9.30am (ish) morning rehearsals. In a fortnight we’re playing a secret show on a boat on the Thames.

This, after a quick lunch of home cooked goodness, was followed by a studio session for two bands in 3 hours, in a brand new studio in the heart of Bristol, and immediately followed by an acoustic music night I was running. Completely unamplified, in the heart of Stokes Croft, Bristol, at the Arts House. Becca Smith, and Cecile performed. Incredibly well I hasten to add. It was a lovely, lovely evening.

 

The Arts House is where I host the night “LIGHTS OUT.” where people play unaccompanied and un amplified to a keen audience. More details at www.facebook.com/stackedpromo or Twitter @stackedpromo. After this, I hit the Left Bank, and joined in the ‘Open Mic’ as the drummer for Midnight Zu, who being such a high energy live Hip-Hop had the finale set at the evening’s increasingly heavyweight status in the 2015 European Green capital’s busy Wednesday night program of events..

I am feeling grateful. We played Jungle, fast, hard and with passion and fun. Sweaty, full room of people, dancing, moving, sharing smiles, swapping places. Drink swilling, shoes shuffling. Beat recognition, and Re-Cognition. Truly I sat in the groove and leant forward. The little kit they’ve got there at the Left Bank is really nice- it’s got a tight, small kick, 2 toms, 10 and 13 I think, and a basic hats and ride setup with the highly tuned snare. Totally cracking.

Tomorrow is more lessons to learn and teach; and a gig at Mr. Wolves with the Swing band. It’s all happening here in Bristol. The fumes of this Green City and the swagger of it’s style drip of me like condensation in a changing temperature; and the sunshine on my hat is a welcome change to the 8 days of grey sky we’ve just strolled through. DIY car mechanics, and lie ins.

Piano constipation and jazz chops.

A truly Epic day of music today- an inspiring writing session with the new live drum and bass and trip hop project at Music Ape Studios, followed by lunch with an old friend, then 2 drum lessons.

  Drums in Bristol….

One new student, and one old one; I say old, she is 7 as from last week, and has nailed her 6th beat in as many weeks of lessons more or less. So well done Amile! Fantastic work.

After teaching I ran the latest instalment of Lights Out. The night focuses on bringing talented artists to attentive audiences in the Basement of the Arts House, on Stokes Croft. All in a fully acoustic environment. It was a corker.

And to finish the evening off, I hit the Left Bank open Mic and sat in with a mega slick funk band, with some talented MCs preaching to the crowd while we held it down.

A quick cuppa with sound engineer Dave Laycock on the way home and that’s me. How did I ever survive without  Miso soup?! It’s heating up now for a keen session drummer in Bristol City.