Butterflies...

Playlist
Cloudland Blue Quartet – The Best of CBQ 1996-2006
The Violet Achers – End of Part One
Vivaldi – L’Estro Armonico

Up at 6:30 after a particularly bad night sleepwise – still not too bad swallowing – but still coughing...

Updated the blog for yesterday and printed out programmes and finished off covers for the CDs for sale tonight and printed the discs then put them all together...



At 9:15 out to Patisserie Florentin on my own to pick up some croissants and bring them back...

Anne had to stay in the house in case the postman brought her Hearts Season Ticket...

Back home, I made breakfast and we waited for the postie...

Some spectacular butterflies made their way into our garden and entertained us...



The postie never came – so at noon I took Anne to Tynecastle and dropped her at the end of an hour long queue for a voucher for tomorrow’s game against Celtic...

I went and bought a couple of shirts and something for our lunch and then headed home...

Anne called around 1:15 or so and I drove back along the road as agreed, to pick her up...

Back home, lunch and then I tried a run through of the set for tonight – of course, I just couldn’t not rehearse...

First few songs my voice broke a few times but it wasn’t too bad and, wonder of wonders, I managed the entire set without words or music in front of me – I’ll still take them along tonight though...

I was really tired now, feeling worse than I have all week and my throat was tightening up again, and so went for a sleep....

Woke again around 4:30 to be told Queen of the South were being beaten by newly relegated Livingston FC - final score 2-0 - here we go again...

Got packed up and, before heading into town, went to check the e-mail from the promotor to ensure I'd not forgotten anything...

Norman Lamont had mailed me to say you can't sell your own CDs at the venue...

On the way in, Anne wondered why I get so Leeds United about these stupid wee gigs, making up CDs and programmes and sepnding so much time preparing everything - I ought to just drive in and turn up, play and get off home...

That is why she's my executive producer...

The soundcheck was fine, other than the usual paranoia about a perfectly in tune guitar being out of tune...

As on Wednesday when I checked the place out, the audience was "small but appreciative", and it was good to see old friends Julie and Stuart whom we'd not seen for ages and Ali from Impossible Songs was along too - she offered to do backing vocals at some point - that would be interesting - I've never had a "backing vocalist" before...

Mr Sclater was in the audience too as was Bill Philip, both of whom were at the house gig a couple of weeks back in Lasswade...

Despite all my anal retentive preparation, the set went well and my voice was fine although afterwards while chatting, I was coughing a lot - must be some kind of virus I've got as I've had this before a few times over the last four or five years, sore throat and coughing and catching my breath but no real "cold" symptoms...

And so it's all over until Friday when I play the "busier" Beanscene up at Newington...

Here's a pic Ali took on her Blackberry type machine thing - I've treated it slightly...



On the way home, we stopped off for an Indian takeaway, no starters though, as it was too late in the evening for a big meal. Very tasty..

Forgot to get a lottery ticket today but, as usual, no numbers (lucky for me!!)

Highlight of the Day : Ten song set at the Beanscene