25th November 1999

The gig with the pensioners in Muswell Hill was a blast, I hope I'm still rocking when I'm their age. Unfortunately Sunday morning came to soon and the King Of Pop's head was not up to playing football with the Phoenix boys but could not let the side down so took one of the vacant spots on the sub's bench and looked forward to nothing more than throwing the ball back into play. This plan went out of the window when I was called on at half-time after Dolly Suker told me it "wasn't happening for him". Scored my second goal of the season but could do nothing about the ten that went into our net!!! Spent Tuesday evening with Mr Mitt down The Depot doing some recording with the fabulous Ian Maidman and the splendid Monti. I managed to stretch the three notes I know over about four tracks and will be going down again on Friday to hear how it sounds. Mitt's songs are a major vibe but he does insist on getting all his friends to play on his album when he should be vibing solo with the acoustic. He says he is wearing the big hat now but I have yet to see any evidence. I would like to ask all the readers of this page if they would like a couple of mp3's for Xmas. If you would then sign the guest book to ensure you receive them. If there is any particular song you would like to hear "unplugged" for Xmas then let me know and I will record the most popular. Seeyanextweek!!

19th November 1999

Went up to the West End this week to do an interview for Radio 2 who are broadcasting a show which takes a look at the career or Trevor Horn. The show will be broadcast on the 18th December but I don't know what time but it is hosted by Stuart Maconie so check your TV and Radio guide. Had a rehearsal with a few old boys on Wednesday for a little performance I will be doing this Saturday in London. I don't know if anybody remembers a band from the 70's called Ace who had a hit with a song called "How Long" but both of the guitarists in the band are friends of mine and one of them, Mr Bam King, will soon be leaving these shores for a new life in New Zealand so it was decided that the band should have a partial reformation and have a party for Bam at the same time and the guys suggested I should play with them and do a couple of my songs. We rehearsed "AGLY" and "KFAD" and a cover of "Eleanor Rigby" so we will be performing at the Priory Inn at the bottom of Muswell Hill tomorrow night so if you're passing, pop in. I will fill you in on the gory details next week, I can see the headlines now "The King Of Pop Rocks with Pensioners". Mr Paul Carrack should be playing keys tomorrow as he was the singer/keys player in Ace so I hope he can handle Nigeynige's keyboard parts.

12th November 1999

Not much happening this week except I made a couple of calls to try and organise a couple of gigs in Jersey over the Christmas period. I will probably do a couple of unplugged things over there while I am staying with my friends. I went to Dingwallís in Camden on Wednesday night with my mate Martin to see an American band called Low. I first heard about this band about six years ago when I saw a review for their album in Q magazine and I decided to investigate as the band I was in had the same name. I bought the album which is called "I Could Live In Hope" and have been a big Low fan ever since. I have been waiting to see them for ages and on the two previous occasions they have played in London I have been otherwise engaged so to finally see them was a big buzz for me. All the songs they play are roughly in the same tempo which is "well slow". The band features a guitarist who sings, a girl drummer who plays snare drum and ride cymbal and also sings and a bass player who spent the entire gig with his back to the audience. Spent Friday in the studio and started writing a new song called "The Wrath of God" which is about the day The Messiah comes back. Too early to say if it will make the cut but "the young song shows great promise". Let you know next week.

7th November 1999

Nasher breaks his duck. In my four previous visits to Anfield I have seen the Reds lose three times and draw once so it was nice to see them win for a change. Despite a plucky performance Bradford were sent back to Yorkshire with a flea in their collective ear. Spent Tuesday evening in The Liverpool Institute Of Performing Arts where I gave a talk to about thirty students on the pitfalls of the music industry and warned them of men in suits bearing contracts. Thanks to Steve Powell at the LIPA for his hospitality and for organising the following day which was a live unplugged performance at The Flying Picket which is a small venue in Liverpool. I performed four songs and was filmed by Channel One which is cable TV for Merseyside. It will be broadcast early December so I will let you know in case you are in the area. When I went to do this filming I was an hour early and decided to go to the top of the bell tower in the Anglican Cathedral. If you are ever in Liverpool then make sure you go and see this awesome building. At the top of the tower you can see all of Liverpool and "on a clear day you can see for ever". Rounded up the week by doing a couple of tunes at Q103's firework party on Midsummer Common in Cambridge. I took my wife and kids with me as my kids had never seen me perform in public. Afterwards they said I was "wicked". After Cambridge we drove to South London to see some friends and was surprised to see my Aussie mate and his wife over for the RWC Final so that was an excuse for a large drink (like I need an excuse). Went to see the fireworks on Blackheath which were wicked and well worth standing in a cold field for.