Thursday, May 14, 2009

And now, a little travelling music...

So the summer tours with the Young Dubliners are just around the
corner. Memorial Day weekend will be the big send-off with a pair of
shows at the Gealic Park Irish Festival in Chicago. Fortunately, the
band has a couple of weekend trips recently to dust off the chops and
duffle bags, get all the carry-on items packed, and generally get back
in "life on the road" gear.

On Saturday April 29th we appeared at the McDowell Mountain Music Fest
(MMMF)in Scottsdale, Arizona. Also on the bill were the Flaming Lips,
Matisyahu, and Railroad Earth - all great bands. As we played, the
wind was fierce, and whenever I leapt into the air for a powerchord,
I'd land a foot or so back from where I started!

The following weekend found us in Alaska, where we played Anchorage,
Fairbanks, and Homer, down the Kenai Penninsula. Nothing compares to
travelling to a remote part of the world to play our music for
unsuspecting and appreciative locals.

I am currently back home, preparing for next week's tour. After Chicago, we fly immediately to Denmark for 5 shows, including the Jelling Festival, where we share the bill with Texas rockers ZZ Top. As I go through my gear to ready it for the travels, I am led to share this tip:

Every month or so, pull all of your connectors out of the pedals on your pedalboard, and wipe them with very fine steel wool. The ends are prone to oxidation, this prevents connections from developing noise - or quitting altogether. And like a computer keyboard, try to blow the dust off your board while you're at it.

Thanks for reading! I'll tell you all about international music in a couple of weeks!

Skol,
Bob