Sunday 28 February 2010

Bathing in Baden Baden

Four days without a show and I don't know anyone in the area so I'd a
hotel in Baden Baden. So good they named it twice, according to Bill
Clinton, and Dosteyevsky lost a shirt here.

People have laughed when I told them because it's filled with old
folks. It's where their grandparents come for the thermal baths, which
suits me fine. Touring is like being locked in the woodshed by your
father with a box of cigars, because he caught you smoking one, and
not being allowed out until you've smoked them all. The last thing I
want to do on a night off is go to a bar, and as for music, I don't
listen to any anymore. No WAGs anymore though.

The waters are very restorative and inspiring. I was floating around,
singing to myself the stubs of unfinished songs I have, when it
occured to me to sing them acoppella on stage between the other songs.
It might sound like much of a brainwave to you, but trust me, from one
who knows about singer-songwriters, my golden rule to success is
'don't be boring'. Something which only the greats have ever come
close to. With this idea, and doing shorter versions of my standard
songs, which I've been graduating towards, I'll be able to get through
something like 50 songs in an hour set. Let's see if they fall asleep
now.

Like all the best brainwaves, it has multiple benefits. I have the
stubs which I haven't finished, now I can use them without more work
AND it takes a lot of time and practice to learn full length songs. A
lot of my ideas come from laziness. And problems. I even have a stub
called 'Problems, Sweet Problems'.

In the Baden days I will work out some songs for recording in
Philadelphia in the second week in March. I only have four days but
this time I want to do a whole album. People keep asking for an
acoustic album at shows, and it will be quick to record, no click
track, no overdubs. Sweet problems.

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