Here We Go Again

It’s been a while since I’ve written here. Too much has happened to go into. I lost both my parents and friends. Tom Paley was among them. I wasn’t prepared for any of it. That’s another thing they should cover in school. Learning how to do your tax forms, learning how to stand up for your rights, and learning how to deal with death.  I took a few years off.

So, here we go again. Still pursuing very particular audio experiences. Me and some computers trying to sound like people, like life, like death, like humans.

2018. The world is colder. I’m wrapped up. I’ve got my hat, my scarf, my gloves.

Cain’t Git None

I finally finished my first Youtube video for CAIN’T GIT NONE

It was pretty taxing. I did the whole thing myself. I learned how on a second hand program, by watching Youtube tutorials and drinking lots of coffee. At times I wanted to smash that computer right in it’s square screened face.  Glad I persevered though. I’m now doing a Kickstarter to raise money to get my EP mastered…just waiting for approval before the Kickstarter  goes up.

It got a bit depressing for a while, all the work involved plus trying to make a living..I’m still counting my blessings but life does gets pretty dull without something musical brewing to get me out of bed.

My big treat: Last Friday I was invited to Mr. Tom Paley’s place and he put some fiddle down on a song for my follow up EP. I haven’t even finished this one yet but the songs keep coming so I keep going. Why not..Tom’s 83 and still at it. He grabbed one of his 300 or so fiddles (I don’t know how many he has but it’s A LOT !) he grabbed one and just went for it and just like that- I had a lovely fiddle part all ready for the next project. See, this is why I get out of bed.

THANK YOU TOM !!! 😀

That Or Nothing

My friend Marianne Hyatt told me about a website that’s supposed to be like “Facebook for musicians.”  Marianne is a performance artist, actress and singer. At the moment she’s singing with Country Dirt.

Country Dirt feat. Marianne Hyatt

So..Facebook for musicians -is this what making music is like now? I guess so. I’m going to try and find like minds on this site. So far, I’ve made one promising connection. According to his profile, he’s a good player, he likes similar music and he’s interested in a meeting. It seems genuine, not just some sad ploy to meet women. If it does turns out to be a waste of time, I can cheer myself up at the barn dance this evening.

I’ve also been working hard on shooting and editing a couple of music videos for songs. If I don’t find musicians, I’ll just have to do it all myself with computers..ugh.. 😦

Not at all what I would chose but it’s that or nothing.

Boat Night

Well, it turns out the barn dance wasn’t this weekend so I went out to mix, mingle and maybe meet a like minded guitarist. You never know. I was invited to a bluegrass night near London Bridge. Turns out it was on a boat?ship? ..and I must have missed the bluegrass part.

-On a vanity note, my skin isn’t as bad as it looks on this clip but I could certainly use more sleep 🙂

Got a bit drunk. Saw a cute guy but before I could say anything to him he managed to smack his head REALLY hard on a beam below deck. Down he went, beer bottle, crash and thud. Before I knew it, 3 other girls scampered over. One actually had Arnica in her bag and tended to his head bump. The other two patted and soothed him.

If the other guys knew what was going on below deck I reckon they’d all be smashing their heads into beams. The three ‘nurses’ had every angle covered so all I could offer him was another beer. Since it was probably beer drinking that took him down in the first place, I wasn’t offended when he angrily replied “NO!”

Anyhoo, I didn’t meet anyone who seemed that keen to work on anything with me. They were already tied up with other projects. I did see a couple of old friends and acquaintances in a performance that was entertaining…something about “Everybody’s Got A Gun”..guess I’d better order mine now from Amazon. They’ve got great customer service (that’s a joke, I don’t pack heat).

…Oh- before leaving I met another cute guy. He was also drunk but uninjured.

My friends explained to me how to get to the next destination and I made my way their. After a long week, it’s amazing what a little Merlot can do. Like a vacation in a glass.

Turns out the next one was also on boat- well, this one was definitely a ship.  Interesting crowd, lots of extroverts. Quite a party.

I got home late, didn’t meet any like minded musicians but it was a good night. So that’ll do. Guess it’s back to searching The Harrison again.

Really?

I must be a bigger weirdo than I thought. I knew that I was a little different, now it’s looking like I might be an oddball. I wish I’d known this earlier. I’d have stopped trying to fit in a long time ago. Aside from getting an education, aren’t we sent to school to learn how to fit in? Become part of society somewhat? I’ve been failing at this task for so many years now. It didn’t occur to me that I was such a weirdo…am I a weirdo? I suppose it’s the perceptions of others that make us weird…unless of course you actually are a bona fide nutcase.

All that to say, I’ve been searching for like minded music people again. Who’da thought they would be so difficult to find? I was really hoping to create something a little bit different -with a country/americana theme but with a Jack White edge.. a bit of country-noire maybe. I’m still hopeful but it does get me down. How much time do we have on this earth? Not that much. Do I really want to spend it towing the line?

Anyways, I went to see Tom Paley do his thing at Cecil Sharp House the other night. I saw him for the first time in February and now it’s like he’s everywhere I go.

Here he is in action. click

Aside from still being able to play all those instruments and sing all those songs, and tell good stories, AND aside from knowing soooooo many people, he always remembers my name when I see him 🙂

He’s 83 yrs old and still at it. That thrills me. I hope I accomplish something before I’m 83. Something that I care about. I’d like to do it a little bit different to what everyone else is doing..even if it’s just a little bit. I’d never been to Cecil Sharp House before. I’m going back on Saturday. I need a break. They’re having a barn dance. I’ve made a new dress and I’m going to the dance!

2 Regents Park Road, Primrose Hill, London

Oh, I almost forgot Happy 4th of July woooo!

Where Do I Begin?

Live @The Green Note. London with Chris Valentine aka Bubblegum Black

Where to begin indeed. There are so many stories to tell. I’ve been 5 different people with 5 different lives all trying to join up. Maybe I can join them all here. I’m Delila Black- no “H”. I’m a chanteuse. Not the typical kind. I like to sing country blues/americana/bluegrass/mountain music. For the last couple of years, I’ve had this idea in my head to go to Nashville to sing at the Grand Ol’ Opry. It started as a joke since everyone doing this wants to perform at the Opry, but the idea stuck in my head. Now it’s turned into a pursuit.

I won’t start this story from the beginning, that’ll take too long. I’ll start from the last time I sang, which was April 2013. See the photo up there? That’s me in my favorite singing dress, with my friend Chris. It’s been almost 3 months since I last sang because lately, I’ve been searching music pubs trying to find musicians to work on a project with me- it’s been MOST INCREDIBLY DIFFICULT- you see, I can’t pay anybody yet. That fact normally switches them off. 😀

Lately, I’ve been ending up at The Harrison with a couple of glasses of merlot and a tambourine. I join in with the players, sitting around the big table, bursting into bluegrass and a variety of ‘other‘. Last week, ‘other’ was Swedish Folk. I tambourine along..til the end -then whip out my book and start taking numbers while everyone’s just sober enough to be coherent. So far, no luck. But I’m patient. I keep looking.. at some point, I know I’ll find the right people to work with and it’ll be MAGIC!

“The Harrison Bar Kitchen. Harrison St. London”