Rock Talk

My interview in Toronto is online at http://www.newstalk1010.com/Episodes.aspx?PID=1776 (June 16th edition)

Arrived in Toronto

Great to be back. 2 years since I was here last, also for nxne. It's information overload... After 6 months in Italy. Here I can understand and overhear what everyone's saying, can see all the shows, so much to read, to do, signs, shouting, tv, music, cinema, phew. It's an assault on the senses.

+ I recorded a radio interview yesterday for rock talk here in toronto. Check it out at

Newstalk1010.com at 8 pm EDT Saturday and 10 pm Sunday, and afterwards via iTunes podcast.

Man in the middle of something

NXNE showcase

From 13th until 17th June I'll be in Toronto for NXNE. I'll be
performing live at my showcase on 16th (Sat.) at 9pm at The Central,
603 Markham Street. It looks like being a great NXNE, with lots of new
bands and the Flaming Lips headlining.

On Wednesday June 13th at 2:15 pm local time I'll be on a radio show
called Rock Talk in Toronto. Past guests have included Ray Davies, Al
Kooper, Nick Lowe, Judy Collins, Nile Rodgers, Dave Stewart, Andy Kim,
Barenaked Ladies and many, many more.

Love alone

I've been writing a few more songs lately, still on the Buddhist theme.

Love alone by thejackstaffordfoundation

Bellissimo

Polignano

Tourists again

Trulli wonderful

On an excursion to the east side of Italy.

Luna bar, Agropoli

I had a show in a small biker bar here in the south of italy, near Salerno, where I'm staying with Maria and her family. Thanks to Paolo for fixing it up. It's sunny and quiet down here. The musical is going well. As is the gardening.

NXNE

I've been accepted for Canada's NXNE again this year. It's a five-day live music and film festival and music conference in Toronto. I last played in 2010 and had an amazing time. It runs from June 11th until June 17th. http://nxne.com/

Ayurveda the musical

I'm currently living in the countryside in the south of Italy near Agropoli writing my next album... a musical... about Ayurveda, the Indian science of life. It's going well.

Amsterdam

I had two shows in Amsterdam last week. One in jet lounge and the other in badhuis on javaplein. It was great catching up with everyone. I feel a lot of love for that city.

Collaborating...

I've been working on a lot of new songs in these wintery months and will start to put them out there for collaboration. All ideas and style are welcome. Just let yourself go!

Here's the first one.
Our temperament determines our fate (Saṃsāra) by thejackstaffordfoundation
(or on Kompoz.com, which is a collaborative website that's a bit more organised than soundcloud, showing files. You need to upload MP3s. Free convertor available at download.com or use itunes to convert) http://kompoz.com/p/30681

Perdifumo

I've spent the start of the year holed up in the south of Italy avoiding the bad weather, with Maria and her lovely family. Looking after the grandma, sitting by the fire, learning Italian, writing songs and eating pasta. I'm also applying to festivals so I have something to do when the snow clears. That's all for now.

Houseconcert in Rome

Really nice show in the della pepa's roman villa

Dolce king

That man again

New years eve

Simon and Oscar

Christmas in England

Jamming with my nephew oscar

Natale in italia

The Troubadour Chronicles

I have put my songs from the last couple of years on the road into one big album. Yes, one album. 110 songs. It's over 5 hours! So you might want to put it on when you have a quiet night... and then slowly fall asleep.

I'd like to thank all the musicians and producers who helped me make this - particularly Kevin Wesley William, Chris Leggerie, Andreas Langhorn, Patrick Fergus, Jasmine Wynants, Ro Halfhide, Emma Hill, Alec Genton, Rory Blahzl, Maria Rosaria della Pepa and Simon Wallace. And of course the people I met on my travels. People who inspired me, gave me a place to stay, and came to the shows. Without whom I wouldn't have anything to write about or anyone to sing to.

I've made it free to download so that money isn't a barrier to my music reaching you - but please make a donation if you can.

And if you get to the end of it, please let me know your top 12 tracks. I'd like to put out a more easily digestable 'Best of'. Buona fortuna!!!!


Photo by Judithdekker.nl

DOWNLOAD ALBUM

(There are 33 videos too. Click the links to view)

1. Every day's a joy (video)
2. Rise of the renunciate (video)
3. Debt train 
4. IKEA 
5. Dreams of plenty 
6. Daytime TV 
7. Mortgage on mind 
8. Job applications 
9. Cold cold world 
10. Viva la revolucion 
11. A cruel beginning to my decline and inevitable death 
12. Work eat shit sleep 
13. Dear shareholder (video)
14. City life 
15. Soulseller 
16. Every moment matters (video)
17. Killing the kids (Jamie Oliver Blues) 
18. ADD (video)
19. Mother feeder and the homecoming kid (video)
20. The sorrow of Gaia 
21. The stone age didn't end because we ran out of stones 
22. The US economy 
23. Another dead man in Afghanistan (video)
24. A day out in Detroit 
25. The ballad of Jolie Holland (video)
26. The cabin song 
27. Super easy classic rock (video)
28. Renee Vancouver 
29. Mel Gibson’s mind
30. Mr Pleasure Man (video)
31. Ode to the lonely stoner 
32. Eindhoven: City of light
33. Song to Woody (video)
34. Vanessa & Sebastian 
35. Gay OK (video)
36. The art of conversation 
37. Five years on (video)
38. Nick Helderman and the immortals
39. Dance for me
40. The waiting game
41. All-knowing girl
42. Girl with the perfect posture 
43. The law of diminishing marginal returns 
44. Why are they like the way they are? 
45. My leaving was a long time coming 
46. I want you to fail (video)
47. A journey (The Blair Crusades) 
48. The end of the farce 
49. Loneliness of the bank CEO 
50. Gordon Brown Blues
51. Anywhere but here
52. After the Olympics has gone 
53. The trial of toni terry
54. Tales at the end 
55. Strange times
56. The obituary of Will Perrin 
57. Nights like these 
58. Sleep 
59. Making my life too hard (video)
60. Bored in Camden (video)
61. Music for a mountain top
62. Peace of mind
63. Letters from a long arm
64. Athens' streets 
65. On the train to Rome 
66. The Italians 
67. I didn't sleep so good (video)
68. The Marie Cubi House Band 
69. Wifi? (video/video)
70. The water's on song (video) 
71. Cold cure blues 
72. Curse of standards
73. Oath of abstinence
74. TV in my mind 
75. It is dangerous out there (video)
76. Oh Christchurch 
77. Takaka hill 
78. The city' s not the same without you (video)
79. The buskers (video)
80. Save the developers
81. The quoll
82. Maria (video)
83. Good life on the road 
84. East timor song 
85. Peace and love (video)
86. Under the stars (video)
87. Coffee lover (video)
88. Dumpster diving date (video) 
89. Queensland rail 
90. Troubadour (video)
91. Jailbait 
92. Plastic sea 
93. Dog's life 
94. 34 years old and a birthday at sea (video)
95. Riportarla a casa 
96. You can't say no to love 
97. Sailing 
98. I'm not sea sick, just sick of the sea 
99. Gulf of Carpentaria 
100. The model 
101. The searcher (video)
102. Bad for good 
103. Big fish, little pool
104. Liberate Libya (video)
105. Mohamed Bouazizi 
106. Revolutions 2011 (video) 
107. Letting go 
108. Let there be light
109. Love is happiness 
110. Son of a gun

I have to say I'm pleased with it! Of course I'd change a lot if I had time... but then I have the feeling I'll never get it out. Maybe I'll do some revised issues in the future. It's rough around the edges and I should re-record some of it, but as it is it has a nice story arc, and you can see how my playing changes over the travels, which would be lost if I re-recorded. And with the songwriting, the transition from sardonic to spiritual. I'm definitely a different person than when I started travelling... more interested in meditation, well-being and other people. I'm taking a break from travelling now because when you're on the road it's very difficult to be productive. I'm working on a new album about Ayurveda, have three film ideas, make some music videos, and want to apply to festivals. As well as trying to get some assistance from music companies to make life easier, so I'm putting some effort into that as well. As always you can follow updates on the blog or go back over the last 3 years if you really truly have nothing else to do!

I toured Europe, North America, New Zealand and South-east asia. There's still lots of places still to go and all to go back to. Here's a map of the chronicles (people who've visited me, not people I've visited) with website hits for last year:

Christmas album

Happy New Year!!!! I hope you had a Merry Christmas. I was in the South of Italy with my girlfriend's family for my first Italian Christmas. It was an experience! They know how to get it on. One big singalong.

Then I had my second musical Christmas, coming over to England on 28th for another Christmas dinner and another jam. With my brother Simon this time, who was visiting from the States. He's a fantastic harmonica player and has already played on lots of my albums.

For this year's Christmas album I recorded a few of the songs I played at shows in 2011. Simply, on the laptop with Simon. It's just a bit of fun. Hope you enjoy them.

1. Love is the drug - ROXY MUSIC [2:08]
2. Dancing queen - ABBA [2:14]
3. Live it up - MENTAL AS ANYTHING [1:50]
4. Rawhide - NED WASHINGTON [2:06]
5. Work song - NATHANIEL ADDERLEY, OSCAR BROWN JR. [3:52]

FREE DOWNLOAD

I've nothing planned for this year. Let's just see what happens. I'm sure good things will come. I hope for you too!

Perdifumians

Midnight mass

When in Rome, do as the Catholics do.

Merry Christmas

Season's greetings to everyone around the world! It's been an amazing year. I met amazing people and have enough memories to last me a lifetime. Thank you to you all!

I'm in the south of Italy near Salerno with Maria and her family for a real Italian Christmas. The sun is shining, the pasta is bright and the pope is on TV. They're mad for the nativity here. Every house has a scale model of the Jesus and Mary show. I was in Napoli a few days ago and there's a whole street that sells just nativity kits. It's a real industry.

It's nice to kick back and take a break from travel and music. After the last show in Germany I went via Amsterdam to Gent to watch the 6-day cycling for my father's 65th. Then lost my passport in Brussels (travel stamps and all) and had to go back to England to get a new one. Then Salerno for a week, Amsterdam for a week, and then back here. It's to england on Wednesday for another Christmas (my brother's back from Austin with his family to) and new year.

Next year I have zero planned, which is a great feeling. Just the chance to explore the interests I've collected on my travels. There's a new Buddhist temple in Rome with a retreat going on so I can sit still there for a week. Whatever makes you happy hey ;)

And I've found an Ayurvedic doctor in Rome where I can get a Panchakarma for another week. It's expensive but worth it. I have become obsessed with ayurveda and spend all my time reading textbooks about it. It's like discovering the musical scales of life when before I'd been tapping random keys.

Cologne

The after-party downstairs in the kitchen after a lovely show last night in Cologne. Elke hosted me and did a fantastic job. A great end to my German week.

Waltrop

David hosted me in the community house he lives in on a farm outside Dortmund. A lot of people made it out to the middle of nowhere. Thanks for coming!

Essen

Maya was my host in Essen for one of the best shows. They all spoke excellent English and it went down really well.

Duisburg

Friday was a real party in Duisburg. A student house with great people hosted me.

Geldern

Thursday was in Geldern in a small bar. Not many folks but those that came were lovely.

More house concerts this week

All in Germany. Send some friends down if you can. I'll send you the addresses if you ask.

17th (Thur) - Geldern (at the Dorfkrug)

18th (Fri) - Duisburg

19th (Sat) - Essen

20th (Sun) - Waltrop

21st (Mon) - Cologne

Collaborative track

I put guitar and vocals for a new track online here:
http://kompoz.com/p/28272
If any musos want to add some music on top that would be great.

Rome

Back with the extended family in rome. Turbulent times in Italy though. Let's hope the bastards gone for good this time.

Hannover

Another big crowd last night. 50+. I've been lucky to get such good organizers. Claudia and her two kids did a fantastic job putting it together. They're hosting house concerts every two months now. Addicted. Theyre so organised. Germany, you've got to love it. Although I think I did too much banter and too many lyrical songs last night because even if you speak good English it's still hard to catch everything as the words come flying by. It would be nice to have a bit of a band with me, drums and double bass would make it more about the music than the lyrics.

2nd night in Bonn

Bonn was a treat. So nice to play without having to change towns, and to not have to leave the same living room was even better. Shows are two sets of 45 minutes and I did all different songs the second night so katrin had something new to listen. I have so many songs now, I could have done a third and even forth night if I practiced my back catalogue to remember ones I've long forgotten. 300+ songs now. The only downside is I feel less of a need to write new ones, although I did come up with one about bob diamond, the barclays ceo, and played that with katrin on piano.

Bonn double bill

First of two shows in Bonn last night, the same living room. Katrin is an old friend and a formidable organizer. 30 people last night and more tonight. Hanging out in the daytime, visiting in the hospital and baking in the afternoon.

Jamming with the flatmates

Jackie, Philip and Johannes on the ukes.

Kaiserslautern

A fantastic show with 40+ people. An orchestra and a choir, unfortunately they didn't all play along. It's a big technical university town and lots of smart people there. Really a show to remember. Thanks so much for Johannes and flatmates for fixing it up. See you next year!

Zurich

Zurich was wonderful last night. A big thanks to everyone who came down and susanne and family for hosting at the last minute. I didn't play on the stairs. It was just for the after-party. All the shows this week are through couchsurfing and if they're all as good as this then it's going to be a great week. I'd forgotten how beautiful Switzerland is. With the leaves changing. Quite breathtaking!