Loved listening to this Tom! And thank you for being the excuse one of my best friends and I have to go to gigs together! We are looking forward to your Brighton show in October 🤗
It makes me sad to see so many of the small Brighton venues closed down that I frequented, but we do still have some good places for artists and punters alike (most have stages…!). Happy to be on here and part of your community & I’ll be subscribing when you give us the option ♥️
Got to listen to it at last! Loved the hesitation, repetition, deviation (the AI voice of the previous post made me feel I was passing the Cambridge certificate).
Ps: You know it already, but there is nothing average about your work (and I know a lot about being average).
Your music has kept me company for over 20 years. I’ve loved coming to gigs and have even ‘brought people’ with me on occasion. Now loving the words, and the memories you’ve decided to share. Looking forward to the memoir, the novel, the audiobook. Documentary? Now we’re talking ….
Hi Tom. I wouldn't normally post online, but this feels like a more personal place to say hi again and tell you how much I enjoy hearing and reading your thoughts and experiences. It's not an easy world in which to be a performing artist these days, but I admire your tenacity and love you for it! Keep on doing what you do and I promise I'll keep on turning up see you. Also… just say the word and I'll be thrilled to become a Founder(?)…I think that's what you called it in your author's note?
You should discuss and make a joint comment! 🤪… I’m having fun writing other new things - so I thought I’d see if what I wrote 2 years ago is any good. Let’s see if I can make touring sound interesting! 😎🦹♂️😀
I’m really enjoying these posts, and thank you for narrating this one, even from your tent- I got the AI version of a previous post and it was jarring. That said- narration from a tent with bird and bug background is really engaging!
Happy midsummer! Looking forward to Ramsgate in October.
thanks for sharing these excerpts. it's interesting to hear the other side of the 8-5 office grind, and realize that both 'workplaces' can have their own oblivion of repetitive mundanity, but also sparks of joy and connection.
another great Tom - Petty - once said that every setlist is its own album, that's how he constructed the flow. i love that, and i love the anticipation you talked about, wondering which song will be next.
also love how you realized the livestream community of the fans - i made some of my now closest friends through those interactions during another artist's livestream that continued through patreon. what a wonderful experience to emerge from that isolated time.
Tom Petty! 💥 whatever he says is usually true! Yes - a setlist is a map, a conversation between songs, a tree with branches - and by the end some of us might have convinced each other we know what we’re doing! A gig is built by all of us!
Lovely to read so many of these posts Tom. I’m really glad you’ve decided to increase the posts. I’m gutted I didn’t know about the concerts during lockdown. But we were really lucky to see you in Falmouth. Keep up the great work.
Interesting to hear your side of the most nerve wracking McRae gig I've been to - I brought my longest lasting partner along for her first McRae show! Happily for our relationship she has converted so hard into a McRae fan I think she knows your music better than me now, despite my 20 year headstart!
Can't wait till October to see another 3 gigs on one tour!
The noises and distractions and even mistakes made this for me - I'd rather more of your narration like this than fewer more polished things!
Hi - thanks for the feedback! Yes - I think in an increasingly perfect and anodyne world - rough and ready is better! LUCKILY! I’ll try and keep going!
Appreciate you making time to narrate these (& write them) 😊 & 100% will be paying when you make that a thing. Can't wait to see you again in November in Liverpool (you're definitely an honorary Scouser now!)
I am really enjoying these substack posts Tom. Nicely written, very observant and witty. I read Justin Currie's recent book where he does something similar, but it got a little bit too grindingly repetitive (got up, walked around the town, did the gig, got up...) which I guess touring can be like. But yours would appear to be leavened by nice insights into the state of the live industry, and some lovely wry/ funny observations! I also like hearing about your thought process about constructing a set, in gig adjustments etc. I guess this is a long winded way of saying I'm really enjoying your reflections from the road Tom. Hope you're not too hot in that tent!!
Hi Tom, hip op was fine, just doing the recovery bit now. Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed the JC book - Ju and I are big fans, I just think the extracts you are putting up are pitched a little better with insights and a bit more 'soul'. The danger of being too downbeat or overly cynical is that it can make a full book a bit of a hard read. Might be great as a confessional for the author, but not so good for the reader!! I reckon your 50 date tour has given you a great chance to not just observe the state of the live music industry, but also people - plenty of scope there for both for the downbeat side and the wryly homourous (which you do so well). More power to your elbow!
Loved listening to this Tom! And thank you for being the excuse one of my best friends and I have to go to gigs together! We are looking forward to your Brighton show in October 🤗
It makes me sad to see so many of the small Brighton venues closed down that I frequented, but we do still have some good places for artists and punters alike (most have stages…!). Happy to be on here and part of your community & I’ll be subscribing when you give us the option ♥️
Got to listen to it at last! Loved the hesitation, repetition, deviation (the AI voice of the previous post made me feel I was passing the Cambridge certificate).
Ps: You know it already, but there is nothing average about your work (and I know a lot about being average).
Forgot my phone today at home! I was dying to go back to listen to this new post. Thanks! Still loving the discovery of this strange world.
My dad was really ill during Covid - those Instagram gigs helped me through a very stressful time.
As a punter I hate no stage too - as a short person I'm usually near the front and it just feels weird.
So enjoying these diary extracts.
I need a crate on stage sometimes! I’ll take one on tour for all us short people!
Your music has kept me company for over 20 years. I’ve loved coming to gigs and have even ‘brought people’ with me on occasion. Now loving the words, and the memories you’ve decided to share. Looking forward to the memoir, the novel, the audiobook. Documentary? Now we’re talking ….
Hi Tom. I wouldn't normally post online, but this feels like a more personal place to say hi again and tell you how much I enjoy hearing and reading your thoughts and experiences. It's not an easy world in which to be a performing artist these days, but I admire your tenacity and love you for it! Keep on doing what you do and I promise I'll keep on turning up see you. Also… just say the word and I'll be thrilled to become a Founder(?)…I think that's what you called it in your author's note?
Ha! I've just noticed I'm not the first person in the household to have messaged you 😁
You should discuss and make a joint comment! 🤪… I’m having fun writing other new things - so I thought I’d see if what I wrote 2 years ago is any good. Let’s see if I can make touring sound interesting! 😎🦹♂️😀
I’m really enjoying these posts, and thank you for narrating this one, even from your tent- I got the AI version of a previous post and it was jarring. That said- narration from a tent with bird and bug background is really engaging!
Happy midsummer! Looking forward to Ramsgate in October.
thanks for sharing these excerpts. it's interesting to hear the other side of the 8-5 office grind, and realize that both 'workplaces' can have their own oblivion of repetitive mundanity, but also sparks of joy and connection.
another great Tom - Petty - once said that every setlist is its own album, that's how he constructed the flow. i love that, and i love the anticipation you talked about, wondering which song will be next.
also love how you realized the livestream community of the fans - i made some of my now closest friends through those interactions during another artist's livestream that continued through patreon. what a wonderful experience to emerge from that isolated time.
Tom Petty! 💥 whatever he says is usually true! Yes - a setlist is a map, a conversation between songs, a tree with branches - and by the end some of us might have convinced each other we know what we’re doing! A gig is built by all of us!
love that, building a tree - and yes, symbiotic communication and reflection between artist and audience.
Lovely to read so many of these posts Tom. I’m really glad you’ve decided to increase the posts. I’m gutted I didn’t know about the concerts during lockdown. But we were really lucky to see you in Falmouth. Keep up the great work.
Interesting to hear your side of the most nerve wracking McRae gig I've been to - I brought my longest lasting partner along for her first McRae show! Happily for our relationship she has converted so hard into a McRae fan I think she knows your music better than me now, despite my 20 year headstart!
Can't wait till October to see another 3 gigs on one tour!
The noises and distractions and even mistakes made this for me - I'd rather more of your narration like this than fewer more polished things!
Hi - thanks for the feedback! Yes - I think in an increasingly perfect and anodyne world - rough and ready is better! LUCKILY! I’ll try and keep going!
Appreciate you making time to narrate these (& write them) 😊 & 100% will be paying when you make that a thing. Can't wait to see you again in November in Liverpool (you're definitely an honorary Scouser now!)
Whoah - honorary scouser! That’s the highest accolade! See you then!
I am really enjoying these substack posts Tom. Nicely written, very observant and witty. I read Justin Currie's recent book where he does something similar, but it got a little bit too grindingly repetitive (got up, walked around the town, did the gig, got up...) which I guess touring can be like. But yours would appear to be leavened by nice insights into the state of the live industry, and some lovely wry/ funny observations! I also like hearing about your thought process about constructing a set, in gig adjustments etc. I guess this is a long winded way of saying I'm really enjoying your reflections from the road Tom. Hope you're not too hot in that tent!!
Hi! How you feeling? Thanks for the encouragement… I loved JC’s book, felt like the hypnotic nature of touring to me! But you know abut that too!!
Hi Tom, hip op was fine, just doing the recovery bit now. Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed the JC book - Ju and I are big fans, I just think the extracts you are putting up are pitched a little better with insights and a bit more 'soul'. The danger of being too downbeat or overly cynical is that it can make a full book a bit of a hard read. Might be great as a confessional for the author, but not so good for the reader!! I reckon your 50 date tour has given you a great chance to not just observe the state of the live music industry, but also people - plenty of scope there for both for the downbeat side and the wryly homourous (which you do so well). More power to your elbow!