stephen dodds.de

Well, it’s summer, I’m on holiday (kind of – just don’t have any work!) and so I am listening to more music than I normally would, and rediscovering some stuff I had forgotten.

I am currently grooving to:

I’ve had it – Aimee Mann

On another blog someone is posting about music videos from one UK TV show Top of the Pops. This got me thinking, and as I was growing up in the UK in the 70s, there were only two shows – Top of the Pops ( TOTP) and the Old Grey Whistle Test (OGWT). The OGWT dealt with older classic bands, and was wasted on me as a young kid. Now of course I love to watch old clips of bands before one of them died or they split up or whatever, but back then TOTP had the current hits and was much more interesting. Then in 1982 came The Tube on  Channel 4 -  a new live music show on a new channel, and after that I became a bit blasé about live music, especially as I was playing it myself and seeing other local bands by that point. But I still remember the moment that just blew me away. This was at about 0,28″ of this..when the guitars kick in.  We had heard of them sure – they were all over the papers, getting banned everywhere, and we had even heard the first singles, but this was the first time we had actually seen them, and I can’t describe just how thrilling that was to a 10 year old boy!

Ernst Heimes reading at Sunday's Rottenburger Sommerabend - For some reason Tuesday is not mentioned in the Press reports, but it was a good night - really!

Just got back in after the Rottenburg Sommerabende gig tonight – what a privilege to play for such nice people, in such a lovely location, and for such a nice cause. The people who organise this: Ernst Heimes and Sabine Huber, do a super job, and their interest and enthusiasm is infectious. I arrived a little late – unusual for me, but I thought the gig started at 19:30, and I got there straight from work just after 19:00, thinking I had a little time to prepare – WRONG! I was ushered in, my equipment was carried with me and I was introduced and applauded, and sat at the front with the guest readers all inside 2 mins!

I had drunk too much coffee this afternoon, and despite my jitteriness and dry mouth, and no time for a toilet break before the start, I managed to sing – did a good job I think, and the evening was a success. Afterwards the ‘team’ retired to the Bistro, and a good time was had by all. Can’t wait for the next one!

I will be playing as part of the ‘Rottenburg Sommerabende’ at Haus am Nepomuk, Rottenburg (Directly next door to the Bistro just next to the main footbridge in Rottenburg) on Tuesday 17.08. The festival, if I may call it that, runs from Sunday to Saturday at the same time and place each night, and includes literary readings and some music each night. Strangely, in a naming mix-up, I have been billed as Herr Keightley – Irische Musik. M is delighted. Not quite sure where this mix up of either names or styles came from, but I shall perform Irish music as best I can under the name of Herr Keightley! Admission is free, but they will pass a hat around at the end. Looking forward to it.

Sorry folks, but due to illness I’m afraid tonight’s gig is cancelled. I will be playing again on 22.09.10, when, hopefully, I will be felling better.

I think this will be the last gig before the summer holidays (although there was some talk of a book reading in Rottenburg on 17.08 – more details as soon as I have them) and watching all of this rain has put me in a holiday mood. Specifically a `I need a holiday’ mood!

Hope to see you there!