It's so long now it's getting ridiculous.  It's not long before we shoot the video for Salvation Jane where we'll be utilizing the beard... but I tells ya... the shoot won't come soon enough.

BIG, the big bad beautiful bastard album of mine is nearly here ladies and gentlemen.  I’ve been overseeing its artwork (completed) and mastering (completed) over the last couple of weeks, and by gosh I can nearly taste the launch.  We’ve been getting quotes for printing it up while making BIG decisions like what packaging we’re going to do and so on...

If you’re interested, we’re going with a ‘Gatefold Wallet’ design, better for the environment and a pretty cool and retro way of doing CD packaging.  Imagine a vinyl record sleeve that folds out... and then imagine it smaller... you’re pretty much there.

As I type this I should be getting some sleep as I have a big day tomorrow.  I’m heading out to the piano graveyard near York tomorrow with the guys that will be shooting my filmclip to basically get an idea of what we’re dealing with and get some ideas of how to shoot it.  I don’t want to give too much away about the clip itself... but I will let you in on a secret... I have a beard.

I’m excited for the trip out, but at the same time my misanthropic leanings and hedonistic lifestyle make me wish I was staying in my chair at home, VB in hand... watching the IPL.  The things I do to get my music out there huh?  Ah... I kid, seriously... I’m currently having a pretty mintox time getting the final stages of BIG completed.

Thanks so much to everyone who has joined my Facebook fan page, I was shocked/stunned/awed by the amount of people that signed up overnight.  My normal profile was getting BOMBARDED by friend requests... I’m getting dangerously close to 3000 friends now... I don’t know why I didn’t start the fan page yonks ago... anyway... thanks.

Oh while I’m updating everyone, I must mention this wonderful show I’ve been involved in called ‘Theatresports’.  If you haven’t noticed my profile on Facebook, it’s the poster for said show, where I play musical director to a wonderful assortment of people performing myriad improvised games on stage while I provide the musical background.  It’s been daunting and challenging, but sometimes you just have to do these things; Australian Idol, for instance. 

Jump in the deep end once in a while, you’ll surprise yourself at how well you can swim. 

Lastly, I wanted to tell you about a podcast that has changed my view on the world.  About 6 months ago a friend of a friend was telling me about this ‘Public Radio International’ show called ‘This American Life’, and how it was just amazing stories presented in a well written, DAMN easy to listen to format.  He said to give it a go... and that’s what I did.  From the moment I subscribed to the podcast (via iTunes) to right now... I’m a massive fan.  I wait, every week, with bated breath* for the next episode and devour it... like a jam and cream finger doughnut.  I can’t recommend it highly enough.  So if you have a little bit of room in your life to let some incredibly fulfilling and soul replenishing stories affect you... please give it a crack. 

*While I was writing that paragraph I came upon the lexical phrase ‘Bated Breath’.  There’s a fair whack of conjecture over the correct spelling of it... Baited? Bated?  Google has just as many hits for both.  Though, as Shakespeare used ‘Bated’ and JK Rowling used ‘Baited’ my decision was not a hard one.  If I was to use the term correctly however, I should have said ‘Abated breath’... but that’s not the gambit that everyone knows and loves now is it? 

I get the feeling I’m over-thinking this.  

BIG loves.
Court.