Sunday 27th January 2019

Confirmed my Edinburgh run for HOP. That was sorted VERY quickly this year, clearly being friends with the new artistic director (the lovely Jen) has worked in my favour - she guested in the show last year. It's all good and I'm very excited about Edinburgh this year, two of my planned three shows are confirmed already. Equally, I'm aware that I've had meetings with Alan, Emma and Lubna about writing shows for them that haven't really started yet, so I need to have a think about how those are going to work.

Took the cat to the vets (my favourite cat was in need of her booster and I wanted to be there to 'support' her...she just wailed a lot and now doesn't trust me) and then off for a five hour rehearsal with Greg. I was a little worried about this one because this is a new band to me and I'm still proving myself a little - the songs are so complex and the musicians so great, and I've really, really enjoyed Greg's stuff for years. This session today, my second with the band (including the melodion player) was totally awesome, though.  Not wishing to blow my own trumpet or anything, but I've nailed those really tricky songs, absolutely nailed them to the extent the other musicians applauded me. I feel pretty smug about this. There was also a really lovely moment when, in the middle of our folk rehearsal, the pianist and I both realised we're Ben Folds fans and instantly launched into 'One Angry Dwarf...' before realising we should probably stick to the job in hand.

Interesting that Greg has written the songs for two potential musicals (that don't have a script...yet), especially considering I'm aware of my fringe schedule and aware of the gaps I have. No, Paul. Stop it, you can't just take a musical up there, can you? A beer has been arranged.

Private lesson barely happened afterwards as the kid was on a sulk, but the parents still paid me.

Home, tried to work out my double bookings for next week. Gave up.

Saturday 26th January 2019

Lovely double lesson with my regulars, and then a mini crash course with Tom, who was great and really got the hang of it quicker than most.

A year ago today I went on my first date with A, so I went uncharacteristically romantic with flowers and stuff.

A year ago today our first date was at a panto, so it made sense to go back to the same panto again and watch this year's offering, as well as going to the same restaurant beforehand. It's all rather lovely, really, this girl has totally changed my world and there's lots more to come including (coughs), you know, progress and proper commitment and all that. Soon. Pretty soon.

Friday 25th January 2019

Now the 'middle' primary school is on a Thursday, my Friday's don't feel like such a stress anymore, which is almost a shame as I secretly enjoyed the challenge. Still, the first school today was awesome - everyone is onside, students and teachers and I always feel so welcome.

Because of locations, I now have a 2-hour break in the middle of my day but it's not worth me going home, so I cashed in a bunch of wages at the bank, got my haircut and replied to my emails whilst eating a baguette in a car park. Easy times, but not sure if I can get my haircut *every* week.

The next school was as lovely as always, and then an evening student cancelled at an hours' notice (for the second time this year) so I was forced to send a stroppy email to them.

Private lesson with one of my original students was an absolute cracker, and then a double private lesson with one of my newbies was great but exhausting.

Basically, left the house at 7.30am, home by 9pm. It's all drums, but I've got shows to write and edit.

Thursday 24th January 2019

I think it's cool that the 'middle' primary school have now put me on Thursdays instead of Fridays as it was getting too busy, but it's also annoying that I have to travel to the same town out of Cambridge three times a week rather than squeeze it down to two days. Still, the lessons were fine. It's just...you know, 8 kids in a row is a lot sometimes, especially when it's that same fucking song we have to learn, over and over again.

The private lessons were all really lovely tonight - all three of them. Three students I feel like I connect with and they've made great progress.

Evening did a stand-up gig in town, which looked like it was going to be dead but we ended up with a really nice audience. All of the acts did well tonight, I knew a few of them (Bim, who runs the night, my regular collaborator Mel opened it and Stephen is always great) and the other two I didn't know were awesome. My set, which was pretty much 9 minutes of old stuff and 1 minute of new material went down a storm, but I'm nowhere near as slick as I used to be...I need a lot of gigs before Edinburgh, I'm a bit off the pace. Audiences don't notice, as far as I can tell.

Wednesday 23rd January 2019

I mean, the venues for the HOP tour are massive. Seriously massive. And ticket sales aren't great. If I had these sales for Edinburgh I'd be thrilled, but these venues are about triple the size and I'm still missing a couple of singers - I've got Dan and James for pretty much everything, but Rachel and Mel are only really there for the second half of the run of shows. Josie is keen, and is brilliant (and really fun to work with) but also so busy because she's talented, and talented people get busy. Possibly have her for Newcastle and Manchester, though.

Either way, my head is been busy working out all of this, along with the re-write of the show to add more bits to it - it seems to be okay.

Also, learning Greg's massively complex songs for Sunday are stressing me out a little because there's so many stops/starts/time signature changes every eight bars...it's getting there, though and I'll be a better drummer for it.

Spent the day teaching, obviously. 8.30am start at the primary school (awesome), private lesson at the college (really awesome - proper great student who gets my ideas), drum club at the college (only one person attended, felt awkward), private lesson (exhausting because the kid has so much energy...taught him how to play disco, though, which is an achievement) and final private lesson (was fine). Took mum shopping in the middle of all that.

And then back to stressing about the show.

Tuesday 22nd January 2019

Spent the morning learning some more of Greg's songs ahead of Sunday's rehearsal...they are so technically complicated it's such a challenge, but I'm keen to do it well.

Also paid my tax bill and rewrote the HOP show so it's tour ready.

Offered yet another band, this one I know well (well, I know the producer as he's recorded a project I've been in before and likes my playing), they've just toured Switzerland and everything but their drummer isn't available this year due to wedding stuff. I know I shouldn't but...well, yeah, it's another thing to get excited about, isn't it?

Three private lessons but all miles away from each other, that all felt like a bit of a slog.

Monday 21st January 2019

My 'admin Monday' didn't happen today as extra teaching work came in - this time to teach a comedian friend, a true pioneering figure who messaged me last week asking for lessons. He came down from London for them, and told me that it was his dream since being a child to have a go on a drum kit, so it was a lovely two hours. We'll do more of that again soon.

Got back, spent an hour on emails (confirmed fringe venue, etc), and then off out to five private lessons - all regular students (first one was amazing, second one was better than normal, third one felt tired, fourth one didn't always work, fifth one was very amazing).

Then straight over to rehearse with FH, complete with our new member, who is starting to get used to our 'banter' and seems she seems to be fitting in really well. V's new song is amazing - it's so uplifting and is really making a statement that, as a band, we're coming back and fighting. 

There's so much to be excited about at the moment, isn't there? 

Sunday 20th January 2019

Woke up in the hotel, so nice, even if it was the most expensive breakfast ever.

Off to Kenilworth for the christening which seemed nice, I don't really know the parents (I'd met them once before, they're friends of A) but everyone seemed friendly and there was an awesome buffet afterwards.

Got back, wrote for an hour and then off out to teach my regular private student, which was fine as always.

Sorted my double-bookings for next week, spent an hour trying to get one of the cats out of a corner of a cupboard and did my tax return like a legend.

Saturday 19th January 2019

Up early, even though it was a late night, last night.

I was a bit nervous about today; hosting a drum workshop in a college I'd never taught at before, with 8 students and only one kit...and it was a three hour intense session. Needn't had worried though because all of my new students were totally lovely (many of them pensioners) and they got on board with my slightly erratic, fast-talking, energetic teaching methods. The three hours totally flew by, I mean, we actually overran in the end. They were all drummers by the end and many of them requested my details afterwards because they want private lessons and want to continue playing. This felt like a big step for me - a bigger college, adult learning, bigger pay, big opportunity and it turns out I actually know what I'm doing, the structure of the lesson (which I put together at 2am) really worked. I was totally buzzing afterwards.

Great private lesson after, and then home to sleep for a bit.

A then drove us to a fancy hotel. We're at a christening tomorrow morning, it's less than 2 hours down the road but we don't really like mornings and also...we barely see each other, despite living together, so it was like a mini break. Great hotel, lovely room with nice bed and cracking bar, were we spent several hours making future plans. These include seeing Joe Jackson in Paris, which is perfect for both of us - A gets to go to Paris, I get to see Joe Jackson. It's a win-win!

Friday 18th January 2019

Ridiculous Friday as usual. First school at 8.30am, which was lovely as always. Second school at 11am, which felt stressful as they've given me even more students - in the end I requested a 'quick chat' and we've agreed to move me to a different day now as it was getting impossible. This'll make Friday mornings feel nicer moving forwards. Third school was a cracker, as was the private lesson that followed that.

Then drove up to London with A for a 'traditional Jewish Friday dinner' around Rachel's house - Rachel, her husband Mark, plus Mel and Dan, were all great company and I feel so lucky to be able to see them as much as I do. We had an absolute feast. The meal was arranged because we were planning on meeting up to discuss the forthcoming HOP tour - to work out which songs to drop, which songs can be added, a few tweaks to the format because the Christmas versions crossed the shambolic line a bit too much. We sorted this pretty quickly, the rest of the time was just a nice big social in brilliant company.

The drive home was less than two hours, which was pretty cool.

Thursday 17th January 2019

I think I've done okay with the fringe negotiations. I mean, really expensive room, and not an ideal timeslot, it's a bit early. But, saying that, we did the sums earlier and I need to get 5 people in a day to break even, or if I totally sell out (no chance), I make four grand. I'm at Rachel's for dinner tomorrow night in London, she's worked with them before, I'll see what she thinks.

Creative morning writing, and then an intense rest of day teaching. Regular student (great), followed by new student (great), followed by regular student (really great) followed by 2 new students in the same house without a break (exhausting).

The next two days look crazy, but then it's all calm again.

First episode of the soap is looking good. My Edinburgh show is written and feeling fun. The musical is getting there. It's all slowly falling into shape.

Wednesday 16th January 2019

That was really good, today. Not wishing to blow my own trumpet or anything, but on days like this I'm totally of the 'yeah, this is why I'm a teacher' thing. Shit. I'm actually a teacher, aren't I? Not just a musician who happens to teach to keep the bills paid?

Everything I did today seemed to really work; back at the primary school for my first one of the year there and really got them back into shape, took Mum shopping, cashed in a load of wages (getting paid in cash is actually a hassle, sometimes), successfully negotiated the fringe venue (just waiting to hear how much they want for the room now), cracking lesson at the college and two private lessons after that. The college felt particularly great; I was given a new student who had previously been suspended for drink problems (she's 14...) and who has attitude problems - this was a real challenge. In reality, she was so easy to teach, drums seems to have woken her up a bit, she listened and responded well...I feel the respect from those around me from what I've accidentally achieved today.

Got back and wrote and wrote till the early hours. The new soap idea is coming together nicely, first episode nailed. 23 to go. 

Tuesday 15th January 2019

Woke up really excited about an idea, spent an hour or so writing it and got less excited. The usual.

Dissatisfied with 'improved' fringe venue offer.

My new exercise thing has arrived - it's like a step, runner thing, with chords you pull to also get your arms working. It's pretty impressive. On the first attempt I lasted less than 5 minutes.

First lesson with a new student was an absolute joy, I was wary at first knowing that he had already had lessons from someone else, but he was bored of them. I worked out quickly what he found boring and made the whole thing into a bit of a gameshow. Often, when it doubt, my drum lessons just turn into an episode of Taskmaster, but it's getting results and the mum was thrilled. They've quickly gone from wanting fortnightly lessons to weekly, which has buggered up my schedule a bit.

Second lesson of the day was with one of my regulars, which was fine - steady progress being made.

Got back, did a little writing and then watched two episodes in a row of The Inbetweeners whilst on  my new exercise thing. 48 minutes of solid exercise. I now feel dead.

Monday 14th January 2019

I really like my schedule at the moment; Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays are generally busy from mid-afternoon into the evenings but my time during the day to write, and then Wednesdays/Fridays are manic and where my living is really made, with a little extra at the weekends.

Today was a nice example of this - I woke up in good time, spent a couple hours in fringe venue negotiations (failed negotiations, it has to be said - I'm trying something a little different this year but it hasn't worked so far, but I've got about 2 months to sort it before the programme deadline etc), a little time writing and a little time realising what else I've actually committed to. It turns out on Saturday night at the party, whilst drunk, I accepted the role from a booking agent for a very high-brow function band for regular drum work.

This has lead me to doubt myself a little...is this what I am, now? A teacher who plays in a function band? Not the artist I used to be? No, it's fine, I've got FH, and the gigs with Greg, and my new theatre show, of course. The covers stuff is unbelievably well paid and will take the gap in my schedule that was once the TA job, and then Santa, of course. It's fine, I'm in demand, I should just be grateful. And it's still drumming, of course...

Five private lessons followed; a cracking first one with my first ever private student who is still such fun to teach (and his family really buy into my 'alternative' teaching methods), then the angry kid who was as angry as always and most of the lesson was is grandparents telling him off, and then the slightly older chap who has turned into a good friend and let's be honest, most of the lesson was spent chatting, and then a long double lesson with two students who I really, really have to teach properly but it works.

Home, and then back to writing, again.

Sunday 13th January 2019

Bit hungover. Understatement. Last night was awesome, though, great company, good food and overpriced beer.

Long day, an old friend had booked me to teach her two daughters drums as a Christmas present, so I spent four and a half hours there giving both the 'mega intense crash course' which was great fun because they're both so musical already and I even had them playing Motown by the end, which isn't easy. Lovely lunch, too.

Home, had a bit of a hungover moan for a bit and cat nap, and then back out to teach my regular Sunday evening student, who was on good form.

Home again, lovely steak with A, and more moaning about my hangover. I'm quite double-booked for lots of next week.

Saturday 12th January 2019

Regular Saturday lesson was as fun as always; a 2-hour session but it flies by because, let's be honest, we chat a lot.

Then off to my Saturday jazz jam with the lads ('lads' in the loosest sense, we're all teachers and I'm by far the youngest), A joined us and played viola and it sounded lovely.

Got home, spent an hour or so working on a script idea and then off out to celebrate V's birthday in town. She had a big announcement to make and we all got very drunk, it was a cracking evening.

Friday 11th January 2019

Daft day. I had previously said to the first school of the day, no more students please - I have enough. Turn up for the first lessons of the year and I have another student. Had previously said to the second school of the day, no more students please. Turn up to the first lessons of the year and I have three new students. My third Friday school doesn't start until next week, but when it does I probably can't fit everything in. It's nice to be in demand, of course it is, but does make me a tad stressed and the lesson quality arguably goes down a bit.

Took Mum shopping, and then they closed the A14 meaning I had to go through what felt like every village in Cambridge to get to my first private lesson of the day, and then the A14 was still shut so I was 40 minutes late to the final one. That lesson was bloody brilliant, though, if I may say so, myself...discovering that the hi-hat pattern of Shotgun by George Ezra is also the same as L.O.V.E by Nat King Cole is doing me a lot of favours and is a great way to get 7-year-olds into jazz.

Exhausted, A and I went for a cheeky Nandos and actually enjoyed seeing each other for the first time in what feels like ages.

Thursday 10th January 2019

This teaching thing is going too far now. The other day I had a quick re-jig of my schedule and found that I had about an hour and a half spare, since I moved things around to make my locations more logical. With that I could have had some free time, but thought I'd fill it with another student anyway because I do have free time during the day to write.

I put the word out, and suddenly I now have SIX new students - and actually none of them came from my Facebook post. Five of them came from recommendations from parents of existing students - these are people who have just bought their kids drum kits for Christmas and now need teaching, the other one was the wife of the man who runs the petrol station who I got chatting to last November, he noticed the drums in my car and told me his son wants lessons and they've finally emailed.

I'm just about making it work, but it does mean a lot more frantic dashing between lessons. Basically, I'm relying on traffic, here.

But it's all rather exciting, I do enjoy it, and I particularly enjoy new students. When they get too good, that's when it gets tricky.

Also, I moan about being busy, but I only really teach from 3pm - 9pm (plus during the day on Wednesdays and Fridays at the schools), I get so much sleep, so much writing time and I do get to gig - I'm freelance and everyone understands if I have to pull out of the odd lesson to go and do stand-up, or an earlier than normal FH rehearsal. And, of course, I'm earning enough to travel more this year, to be in nice fringe venues and to sort myself out creatively, which in my head involves buying a proper video camera, an audio recorder and a MacBook. With these tools, I can make films and podcasts and take on the world, etc.

Anyway, the lessons today, all four of them, were lovely.

Wednesday 9th January 2019

Feeling creatively on a high at the moment, even if it's not as focused as I should be. Basically, I've had a bunch of ideas that I'm really excited about, especially the musical, so been nipping in and out of those in an excitable kind of rage.

Also did the hoovering and wrote some mediocre song lyrics about how domesticated I feel, which I'll stick at the bottom of this post because I won't do anything else with it.

Teaching at the college was great fun today, as were both private lessons that followed. It's taking a few days, but I feel like I'm back in the swing of things now - it's always tough having to have new ideas for the students but I'm still getting away with it.

Anyway, mediocre song lyric time:

I put out the bin
And felt resentful at the night
With all these beautiful skies
Is this my life? 
A slightly tired, over-thinking musician
With household chores too many to mention

Where my art was my priority
Soon becomes a distraction

I put out the bin
And I looked at the flats opposite our house
And the lights still aloud
With all the joys
And drinking sessions, on a Tuesday night
I felt both jealous but happy to go to bed

And dream of the next day
And the things I wish I'd said
In that petty road rage three days ago
It feels like even longer, though

I put out the bin
And I knew I felt safe living around here
But not just the estate
With all it's new cars
And young families, and Christmas trees
But within myself I knew I'd be fine

If fine is all we strive for
After, you know, everything. 

Tuesday 8th January 2019

A nice admin morning, coupled with little bit of 'parking space wars' with the idiot who keeps parking in 'my' space. It's technically a visitors space, but it's next to the house I live in and they live across the road. I've currently blocked them in with three bins and I feel pretty good about this. 

Had a LOT of tour admin to do for the HOP tour and somehow spent nearly £100 on posters/flyers for these shows. Spent about an hour or so freaking out about the size of the venues on this tour...I mean, we're talking mega massive here. I'm really glad I've got Rachel, Mel, Dan and James with me for this as they're used to this stuff, but me? Shitting it. 

Also replied to all the emails that had built up over Christmas and did a bit of work on the script for Lubna, assuming she still wants one as I'm about 2 months behind schedule.

Two private lessons, the first one was great, and the second one was too but I felt weird going into it. It came after an email I had from the dad last night, not a complaint as such, but he feared I was working his son "too hard" in the lessons and that the son is often "physically exhausted" after one of my drum classes. I took it onboard, but can't say I've noticed it before - the son is a quick learner so I'll keep on pushing him. Either way, the lesson was great tonight. Possibly pushed him too hard again but he seemed happy and learnt how to play Motown rhythms. 

Evening, back to our regular new material night in the village. Small crowd as always, 8 audience members and the rest were comedians, but all of the acts were great and it just felt good tonight - Mel, Alan, Carrie, Bim, Rob, Dan and myself all tried out new stuff and everyone seemed onside. What with writing all this theatre malarkey, finding the time to write a new ten minutes has been tricky but some of it will see it's way into an Edinburgh show soon, I'm sure.

Monday 7th January 2019

What looked like a stressful recording session on paper was actually a total joy. I turned up to the studio, professionally a couple minutes early, to catch up with the producer (who is an old friend of mine) seemingly worried about the state of the recordings they were about to give me to drum on. The bass and guitar were out of time, so my remit was simple: to play to the click, do my best to ignore the song (just use it as a guide for any mood changes) and he'll fix the rest later. Easier said than done, of course, because naturally you want to play to the song, especially when you don't know it because you got sent it on Saturday night when you were down the pub.

I say 'it' - there was 12 of them. 12 tracks. And, given that I had to go and teach, we had 5 hours of studio time to get all the drums down. The session, though, was probably one of the best I've ever played as a drummer...Steve, who's album it was (another old pal) writes simple but good songs, so he would tell me what feel it he would like on them and then pretty much give me free reign. Apart from having to re-take a few of the endings, typically being dropped in at the last 8 bars to finish tightly, I nailed all 12 songs in one take. Possibly the best I've played in years, certainly in the studio - I reckon it's because of the freedom I was given.

The whole lot was done in 3 and a half hours, Andy took myself and the producer out for a nice lunch as a thank you.

My late afternoon/evening was spent teaching. Well, that was the plan. The first lesson was awesome (with my first ever student, a year and two months in and we still have a great time), the second lesson didn't happen because the student was locked out, the third lesson didn't happen because the student was still away and he thought the lessons resumed next week and the fourth lesson was a cracker. So, 2 out of 4 of them actually happened. It'll all settle to a routine, soon.

Got back and confirmed a couple new students, having made more time in my schedule recently. Should really have filled that with, well, time off, but I get the sense this is going to be an expensive year...

Sunday 6th January 2019

That felt like a long day, but it didn't start till midday when I popped over to Waterbeach for a 5-hour rehearsal with Greg and band. After our initial jam as just the two of us last year it was great to meet the rest of the band and start working on the set properly with them.

The first hour felt horrible and I clearly wasn't on the same page as them - Greg's songs are full of stops and time signature changes and I wasn't up to speed at all. But then it all seemed to settle nicely and I'm pretty confident I did a good job with the other four songs we looked at and there was much praise for my playing. Worked really hard today, my brain actually hurts from thinking so much.

Quick beer with Greg and Gem the violinist and then off to teach my regular Sunday evening student, who was on cracking form today, which makes my life very easy indeed.

Tomorrow just looks crazy.

Saturday 5th January 2019

...and back to teaching! But with my two regular Saturday students (a mum and her son) who are both a joy, it was lovely to be back.

After that, went and played jazz for a few hours with my fellow teacher chums - nice lunch, good tunes, it's how Saturday afternoons should be. I get to show off a bit, as do the others and we enjoy much laughter.

In the evening caught up with good friends Josie (who is doing dry-ish January really badly, but is always awesome company), Stu (a comedian friend/sometime drum student, who is doing dry January really well) and Alan (who would never do dry January). Sank a few beers and made creative plans, but it was mostly about the beers.

Friday 4th January 2019

Very much the calm before the storm...next week there's very much a sense that Christmas is over and everything gets busy again. My to-do list is already bulging and my fears that I wouldn't be drumming enough in 2019 appear unfounded as I have more sessions coming now than my diary can cope with.

Spent most of the day tidying my site and updating my (extensive) notes on all of my students, just so I can hit next week knowing what I'm doing after a near 3-week break.

Then spent the rest of the day working on the HG script, even though I'd nailed the latest draft yesterday. It's getting really close to being something special, this one.

Very excited to have 'BBC meeting' in my diary for the radio sitcom thing, that's later in the month. Just so much to live for, isn't there?

Evening, A and I went to the cinema, keeping my 'must watch more films' thing going. Saw the very excellent The Favourite.

Thursday 3rd January 2019

Woke up, wrote. A lot. This new show excites me...I mean, it's pretty much confirmed for 7 different fringe festivals already so it has to.

Pretty much nailed the first draft - it still needs work, but I need to leave it a week and come back to it. It's mostly there, though I think, but I do have a few niggles with it...mostly because it is all 'up' in tempo - it's a frantic hour that barely stops, with LOTS of running onstage, it just feels like a massive theatrical punch in the gut without any respite. It'll shock people, either way, especially the ending. There's no happy ending with this one.

Sister's birthday so picked her up, drove her to the family home, had dinner and then dashed over to the FH auditions where we auditioned the lovely Sara, who was great, and we've now offered her the role in the band to replace G, which she gleefully accepted. So, we're back on again as a band and suddenly my diary looks mega full...

Wednesday 2nd January 2019

Took Mum shopping so, you know, starting the new year as we mean to go on.

A and I got our diaries out and, aware that we're about to get into the routine where she gets up at 5.30am and goes to bed early, and I'm teaching from 3pm-9pm plus all manner of gigs. booked up a bunch of holidays for the year - Norfolk, Dorset and Budapest. It also means I can book in tour dates without feeling guilty, knowing we have confirmed time together.

Confirmed a performance of HOP in a lovely post theatre in Essex.

Wrote for 10 hours solid today and it felt great, the HG play is becoming something rather...different.

Tuesday 1st December 2019

New Year! Fresh start!

Well, not really for 2 reasons:

1) I don't really need a fresh start as such as I'm quite happy
2) I spent the day very hungover

Did a bit of work on the HG script, it's coming together nicely which is a relief as it opens in April. But yeah, mostly a slow start to the year.

A's parents over for dinner in the evening, brilliant to chat to her dad about my jazz vinyl collection. This is all working out okay.

Monday 31st December 2018

The last day of 2018 and what a bizarre little year it's been! Started the year with what felt like no, or very little prospects...2017 felt damaging, creatively, after a bad tour and a majority of what I was trying to do simply not working. I was also desperately single, running out of ideas to make money as everything I was doing just wasn't working out and struggling to pay my rent living in a house share (with four other people). 

It's worked out okay, I guess...the teaching has helped, a lot - yeah, so it knackers me out, but it gives me the flexibility to do other, more creative stuff. Also won an award for my comedy play, which has given me a bit of confidence that I'm doing the right thing with my life, some of the FH gigs - despite being littered with tension, were absolutely amazing this year and obviously met a girl, moved in with her, etc, which has 'stabilised' me a little. I've got a lot to be happy about...

Heading into 2019, there's much I want to do; the only thing that probably needs to change is the amount of drumming I'm doing at the moment - which simply isn't enough (not helped by the FH hiatus as we seek to replace G) but there's other bands and other projects who will need me, I'm sure. Other than that, I guess just keep on doing what I was doing before? 

Today was relaxed; I sorted out my teaching schedule, fixed a bit of the Grotto script (it's now put away until September, when I'll revisit it again), agreed to a studio session with a singer-songwriter pal for his new album and made notes for my new solo show. 

Friends over for dinner in the evening, we got drunk and I won at a music quiz. Good to go into 2019 with a winning mentality...