Music Update

Hey All

Just to update folk on my current musical transgressions, I've a new band forming. It is based around the bunch of songs I wrote in the past year. Initially I was heading these songs towards a second solo album but I've changed my mind. Songs can be more vibrant with a good band. They can change shape and shift in colour. I guess all will be revealed as time moves on, hoping to play our first show in April. Till then.


Evening all


Pat

Happy Birthday Daniel- 1 year old

Hey all

Well the little fella is a year old today. We did it! It's been an amazing year and one I'll never forget. To think that we arrived home with our little bundle of joy and not a clue in the world what was ahead! It's like some sort of human experiment played out on mankind. The sleep deprivation for the first 3 or 4 months is hard, no question. When I meet people who say their baby has slept thru the nite...they are the lucky ones, they don't realise it.
But nature has a way of getting you thru, physically, and emotionally. Daniel would have woken for the third time just as we'd be dropping off again and he would need picking up and walking around to get him down again...5 o'clock in the am, you'd be losing it, but then he would do something so cute and everything would be alright again!
So, add to this the fact we moved house and various other stuff...it's been eventful! We've got both sets of grandparents up to visit. Salad days!

Evening all


Pat

The aul' wireless

Hey all


First off. Why is West Wing on telly Orla?! It sucks. Yawn. The aul' wireless is far better than the telly. I just heard John Kelly on Radio RTE 1 saying he's been axed...the best show on RTE Radio. As Paul Woodfull would say..'typical!'
I've been trying to connect another wireless thing to my computer. Arghh. How do I do it? I even went over to Johnny in the macshop and he showed me. I came home full of glee expectant of logging on at my desk...but no. So I have to ring him and he's gonna think I'm a putz.

I'm actually quite handy with my mac G4. I bought it from a guy who'd set it up for music stuff. It has an audiowerk 8 soundcard which I route thru a mackie 12 mixer. I have Cubase SX which I find pretty user friendly. But let's face it...if you want top quality recordings, you got to spend BIG money. But for demos...it works great.

Well. It's been a couple of weeks since the 2 Mexican Pets gigs. I'm amazed we went down so well. We seemed to make an impact. Just for the record, the setlist was

1. Supermarket
2. Magnet Force
3. Mackerel Sky High
4. Stigmata Errata
5. Backpedal
6. Subside
7. If Only Never
8. Where's My Pony?
9. Maccu Piccu
10. Merry Hell
11. How To Have More Fun
12. Used Getting Used.

We got some friends to film the gig in Whelans on the 12th May and it was recorded by Steve Shannon on an 8-track so we will hopefully make a wee film, the product of which I'm sure will be 'downloadable' offa some website the band is connected to...

But you can't beat the aul' wireless all the same.


Evening all


Pat

Germ Warfare

Hey all

Orla and meself have been spending the guts of the last month attending to young Daniel and his assortment of colds/infections which he has picked up. Apart from the poor wee thing being miserable (especially at night when he has a blocked up nose) we are pretty fucked ourselves, which makes it harder to get everything done. For anyone who hasn't tended a poorly child...well, you're lucky.

Preparing bottles, sterilising bottles and doodoo's, making breakfast, lunch, and dinner from scratch, feeding baby, washing bowls and spoons, washing vests, babygrows and bibs, drying and ironing same, shopping for ingredients for baby's food, getting medicine into sick baby, going to and from doctors, changing baby's nappy in the middle of the night and four times daily approx, keeping baby occupied and happy etc....to say nothing of your own life!!!!


Daniel seems to pick up something whenever we bring him visiting. Tempting as it is to keep him as the 'boy in the bubble'!one can't. Was it always this way? He is also teething which makes it worse. I'll be glad when this particular phase is over.

Germs. Fuckers.


Evening all


Pat

John Moriarty

Hey all

This isn't like me but I feel compelled to tell you about this man from Killarney. He's a living saint IMHO. He is someone I came across recently and I would love to make a film with him on his life and beliefs. He has written a number of books which I have not yet read and i think the last one has been described as one of the best Irish novels ever.

He's virtually unknown except to his loyal few who have raised 10000 euro to help him fight triple cancer. He is 68. Today I heard him speak. I'm no holy Joe but he touched me with his faith and joy of life. Fuck, he counts Tommy Tiernan as a devotee and personal friend. Intrigue and mystery surround this man...I hope you live to be a hundred.

A breath of fresh air in this new Ireland we inhabit.

Evening all

Pat

Guitars Guitars and more Guitars

Hey all

My God. I'm back to what I used to love. GUITARS. From 1986 till now I have played them. I suppose I was something of a late starter at 23, even tho my interest in music probably started when I first heard the Beatles. I remember thinking 'I could do that'!

I just bought a pre-CBS 1964 Fender Mustang. It looks to be pretty much intact. The date on the neck says 8 Aug 1964 which according to my book on guitars is the FIRST month of production crafted by Leo himself. So here is my guitar blog as I've got the bug back.

I will try to remember the guitars I have had starting with the first although I've definitely left some out . They are:

1. A Rickenbacker 4001 bass in fireglow red. My mam and Dad bought me this as my graduation present in '86. They got stiffed by Derek Rock Shop for the case (£50 extra) so it cost £450 total. I sold the bass to play guitar and became vg mates with Derek afterwards.

2. A Kay style semi-solid. In my 'Orange Juice' days

3. A Burns electric with a curly headstock...Jills. It was called a wild dog and had a pot setting of the same name!

4. A 1979 anniversary Fender strat which I started Mexican Pets with. Wish I'd never sold it.

5. A beautiful fat bodied Acoustic by Hofner. Tan coloured.

6. A Fender Musicmaster which I didn't connect with and sold pretty fast. Odd sounding guitar for a Fender.

7. A Tokai Les Paul. Aodh had it and I played it for awhile. Excellent.

8. A Gibson SG in natural wood. A lovely guitar which I had in WHEEL. Good for chug-chug hardcore.

9. A cheap Maison Les Paul SG copy. Surprisingly good but the action was high. In yellow! It had to go.

10. A white Squier Fender strat which I had in The Pets. Not bad either. I found a photo of J Mascis's dad and stuck it on it.

11. A Guild s400 electric. Wine. Had this for too long! Ebony neck. Possibly when I wasn't too concerned with my guitar and was into Cubase! Flogged it on eBay for 500 euro or so.

12. A Morris acoustic. Nice little thing I remember.

13. And this is my current lot. A 1994 Rickenbacker 360 in fireglow with a lovely case in mint condition. Plays nice.

14. Also a new MIM Fender Telecaster in metallic mint green. My only gripe is the neck which ain't like the shiny ones of old. It's gotta go soon! But a fairly decent guitar for the price (416 euro on Thomann).

15. I still have the last guitar I played (and recorded) in Mexican Pets. It's a Sears Les Paul copy which I recorded Humbucker with. I had the choice of a 'real' Gibson at the time to record with but this one sounded better!.

16. The dole bought me a Takamine EN 10 acoustic. Well, they paid half. A workhorse. The fret wear is staggering. I have this 10 years.

17. And finally, my shiny new 42 year old Fender Mustang winging it's way to me as we speak. Please let it be in one piece!


Evening all

Pat

10.

My Website and Ants

Hey all

Just realised how long it's been since my last blog entry. I will update weekly from now on 'cos so much happens and I forget it.
My sister Anastasia designed my website www.patclafferty.com and it is really good except that because she lives in Rome, it is through an Italian server...basically she has to update it each time for me. BUT she sent me a program called Transit which means I will be able to update meself. So, look out for updates.

Musically it has been all Mexican Pets recently although I secretly practice the songs on my new album at home. I have 12 songs ready. They are (provisionally); with a new band,

The Yorkshire Fog LP

1. It's Only Natural
2. Suddenly
3. Birds and the Bees
4. Young head, Old shoulders
5. Promise
6. Future Joy
7. Didn't It Rain?
8. Racing Cars
9. Dead Sea Town
10. Giants Stadium
11. You don't have to draw a diagram.
12. Beatles/Elvis number.


I'm going to re-record 8 tunes from 'A Prayer To St.Jude' at the same time for a future release. This is purely because on reflection the songs were not recorded to their potential and I feel they could achieve a higher status!


I've recently moved..with Orla and young Daniel to Burrow beach. Or as it is known "the hole in the wall' beach. We rent a lovely apartment here and we'll see how it goes. The only thing is we got ants. Are they dangerous?!
I was at The Evens in Dublin Town and a great gig ittwas. Well done to HOPE for the gig.


Well The Mexican Pets gigs are looming and I'm equal parts excited and scared. Just be there and cheer. Okay? Oh and Jill, The Penny Drops is a greeaat name for a band. See you soon.

Evening all

Pat