Stormcellar Band Home Page

Driving on the Left Hand side of the road.

Waiting for your body clock to reset to local Sydney Time.

Remembering to book sound engineers for coming gigs.

These are the things that happen after your touring is done.

It's 7am, my brain seems to be returning to local time faster than I expected. There has been some internal debate about which side of the street is the 'right' side to drive on (the left) but all things considered, this has been a pretty soft landing.

When we left, the fires were still going, the smoke was still awful. We missed the floods.

At least they put the fires out.

There's the sense of calm that I'm used to here. Sydney drivers are still aggressive, reminds me a little of Texas drivers (all y'all are crazy).

We have a much needed but unintended month off, which we will each put to good use. The tour was a lot of work, both before and during. 

Of course, being who we are, work continues.

SC12 in production

SC12 - the twelfth album, is unexpectedly in production. If we had longer in Clarksdale, we may have finished it there.

As it stands, 4 songs are in mixing and another 3 that were written there are in development.

I'm ok with a short release, Mr Wizard thinks we have to have a minimum number of tracks to call it an album. I'm not so sure it matters anymore.

Nonetheless, this won't be the first time we have made an album over two continents. Kansas City Gold & Defiance featured work done here and over in the US.

I've even been able to find the same microphone, of course it's not Morgan Freeman's microphone and it may not be the precise same vintage, but it will be sonically close enough to work.

We had two more songs we could have recorded if only for a day or two more, oh well, a least one of them had some pretty risible lyrics and I am happy to have the chance to make them somewhat less awful.

SC 13?

It turns out there's quite a backlog of songwriting. Mr Wizard suggested adding 'Crossfire', which we released last year, to SC12, but nah. 

It's sonically and conceptually different and makes more sense to include in the 'Salon' project release.

By my quick math, there's enough in development for another release later this year.

The Salon project has been all about working with our mates here and writing songs for them. That plus a few of our own and I'd say we have a chance at either a double or two releases this year.

Jonesy's Tour Chronicle

Jonesy filmed a lot of stuff. He'd like to enter a doco on the tour to the Clarksdale Film Fest. We'll see what happens.

At the least I expect a few more vids and pics from the tour to surface.

Website Upgrades & Changes

I've been struggling with getting off Facebook. I think it's a bad actor in our society, yet we still use it.

While touring it was the easiest solution.

I still don't know how to work this out and it's still a major communication platform for our community.

Argh.

Every year or so I have a go at sprucing up the main site - this site has been in operation for 13 years, that's a lot of blogging.

Don't be too surprised if you come back and find I've been messing with the site.

Or not. 

Hmmm.

OZ Touring

We're looking at doing a little touring mid year, more on that as we work it out.

Upgrades and Changes

Everything changes, and so do we. 

As a Disciple of Dr Rock, spiritual advisor to the band ;-), I appreciate the concept of Era's.

Each of the albums we have made has captured where we were at, sonically and musically, at each stage.

There's some internal discussion on changes and additions to try over the next period, don't be too surprised to see a few things shifting around as we move into the next phase.

Meanwhile...

There's plenty to be done to finish the work in front of us, and more to do. Just as we like it.

It's a good time to be a self propelled artist.

UPDATE - our mate Sam Joole is gonna come and do a set.

WOOT.

Yeah about that.

Back and the work continues.

Come hear da new songgggggs.

Touring is an intensive process, for musicians it also means a period where otherwise introverted people spend a lot of time with...people.

There's a good reason they say 'what goes on tour, stays on tour'.

For my part, a cup of tea, petting the dog and looking out my window are among my favourite ways to spend this lifetime.

It's good to be back.

The 2020 tour has been an unending set of revelations, visitations, experiences and symbolic inferences that may take some time to process.

It'll take a bit.

To start though, we need to acknowledge the hands who lift us up.

STORMCELLAR ROLL OF GRATITUDE

Texas Johhny R, user of the C word, drinker of Clam beer, source of much support.

Mark & Susie 'Sparky' N. - our US Agent, Road Crew, Trouble Shooter, Road Master and Staunch Allies.

Steve 'Rockford' & Annette J, opener of doors and intel.

Gary & Carol V. who opened their home and hearts and took us to sing for God.

Art @ B, Roger @ C, Johnny K @ L, for making room at the Inn and allowing us a place to play for the spirits.

Dawayne G, Cathy and Cathy Q, Frank L, and Frank H for the focus of power into one night in Kansas City where what was done was pleasing to the spirits of the Blues

Jackie S for making us welcome in the place of naming where we danced our power dance.

I'd also like to thank Simple for his great kindness and service, the two angels at Avis who prayed with me after we had some rental car issues ;-).

To my bandmates - Theo & Carl who went above and beyond in supporting me when PTSD was kicking my butt somewhat, I say thank you from the bottom of my Harp.

Ditto to the wonderful Qantas ladies who offered Camoilie and Biscuits in a moment of need.

To Louis, Aztec Priest, thank you.

To Dr Rock, seer and sage, thank you.

To Cherie, whose teachings helped me get through, thank you.

Also on behalf of the band, thank you to Di Ford at the Sydney Blues Society.

To FiFi Scard for her prep work.

And to Steve 'CC' Jones, chronicleer, self appointed tour manager, security agent and constant source of wonder at the American Experience I say well done sir, and thank you.

---

It takes a profound amount of work, planning, commitment and effort to take 7 people 25,000 miles, 10 states, 1 album and back again safely.

It continues to be my great privilege and honour to serve this community of people.

These are the things our lives are made of, the people around us, what we witness, what we do.

We do this out of choice, despite the hardship, sacrifice and effort. 

If left to my own devices, much like Bilbo Baggins, I'd merely send my thoughts adventuring, not my feet, but then I would not witness what I have witnessed, feel what I have felt, and I would be, unknowing, the lesser for it.

We stood on hallowed ground, performed for the spirits past and offered sacrifice at the crossroads.

I'd tell you the rest, but you'd never believe me.

Home now, here in the ancient land of the rainbow serpent, a place with an older, deeper power, we are returned to our own dreaming.

It is done.

Until we do it again.

Meanwhile, I have tea, the fires are out and the skies have become blue again. It is a good time to be home.

felt the first flake of snow in my hand in decades, a short rare burst in Mississippi.

We had to change our travel plans around After millage was unable to join us on the tour due to a family emergency We spent a few days in Memphis writing songs and now as I write into my phone we are sitting in Clarksdale Mississippi somewhere near the crossroads eating Mississippi tamales and recording songs.

 with some seasonal warmth I had expected things would become progressively warmer but winter has returned except for today .

Our next destinations are reporting below 0°

Yikes.

 We did our first Clarksdale show last night with things to our hosts Johnny and Naomi . 

 This has been a long tour and is Rosie said to me the other day a lot hasn’t gone to plan but a lot has gone alright .

 Walking the streets of Clarksdale at dawn writing lyrics,  I was in search of salvation . :)  some interesting songs and some very interesting experiences .

 Work continues, unfortunately we are still blogging to Facebook Can see more stuff there if you want

With great thanks to our friends at the Central Mississippi  bluesSociety , sadly, we will not be at their Monday night show tonight.

Touring aint easy :)