Eliza Carthy ‘My Music’ part 2

If you missed it here’s the second in the series of My Music:

Eliza Carthy: My Music Part 1.

Terry Free sings Hal-n-Toe

If you hate your neighbours and they have young children give the kids a drum.

I woke this morning with a hangover, the first this year and I’d like to say the last but who knows. My trouble is I tend to down too many when I’m not driving, too many for me that is, five pints of Guinness writes me off.I’ve never been a big drinker.

The day started off O.K. and led me to the Thirsty Dog Pub in K Rd where Al (Swigger) Stacey has started a new folk club. Not a bad turn out considering it was a hot Sunday afternoon and several other events were taking place around Auckland, including The Big Gay Out.

The highlight for me was ‘blues man’ Mr Alan Young strutting his stuff……. ( this is back  at the Thirsty Dog by the way not the Big Gay Out!) …..Al’s impromptu performance took him off stage, sauntering  past the front two empty tables treating old hands and new comers alike to some class blues. Still in full voice he continued through the front door  onto the street to give the punters sitting outside a taste of what they were missing. (fortunately they weren’t traddies who’d gone out there for a quiet drink) and they lapped it up. Good on you Al… I think you’ve found your venue..

Just across the street is an old favorite of mine, the Dogs Bollix and The Bollix Cousins were ready to take a turn on stage. Sadly the place has gone down hill faster than the finance company I entrusted with my life’s savings and four Irish dancers performed to their parents and three customers.

Some people have said the Irish trend has gone and that maybe so but you don’t have to be Irish to make it a success.  You could have a German behind the bar with personality and the place could still rock but I feel the present owner would be better of auditioning for a roll as the new Invisible Man…  Bar managers are alright but it’s not their pub, you know what I mean. You have to put your heart in it. Such a waste of a great spot.

As I left I bumped into an old friend of mine over from the U.K. and we ended up back at my place with a little food, a lot of booze and plenty of news to catch up. The rest is history.

This morning brought me pain. My head was throbbing and my teeth hurt!! It felt like someone was knocking on my head to come in but as I came around I realised it was my friendly next door neighbour’s young children trying to out bang each other on the pots and pans their mother had laid out for them on the table just underneath my bedroom window. Like this but louder! Such consideration needs rewarding and when my mind comes back I’ll think of somthing. Anyone want to adopt?….

Play this if you’re man enough!

Or woman enough …… before I get a wave of female e-mail.

So goes the cry from the makers of the Pikasso, a 42-string guitar that was borne out of a challenge to make a guitar with “as many strings as possible.

A custom-made instrument created by Canadian luthier Linda Manzer, the guitar has four necks and two sound holes. Interestingly, the guitar makes use of a design element called “the wedge,” which tapers the size of the guitar so that it’s thinnest where it presses up against the guitarist’s body. This gives the guitarist a better look at the fret board so he knows what he’s doing. I’m sure that once you’ve gotten the hang of playing a 42-stinged, four-necked guitar you can probably pick and play anything. Me? I’m still struggling with my $45 four string, nearly always out of tune ukulele..