Friday, December 29, 2006

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year


There have been untold diversions to stop me doing music over the festive period, but bizzarely I actually have completed a few things. Firstly I had great fun recording some tracks with young rock band Freedom of Expression. You can check out four tracks at their MySpace site:

Freedom of Expression

I have had fun too setting up my home studio, and I finally have an offering for you, a new recording of Tomorrow, which is the first completed track from I'm Still Here, you can check it out on my MySpace site or via the link to the I'm Still Here homepage:

Daren Callow

I'm Still Here

So it just remains to wish you all a Happy New Year, I may see some of you in Edinburgh with the Pet Shop Boys, but failing that I hope to catch up with you all in 2007. Here's to lots of new tracks and a musical New Year!

Daren
xx

Many thanks to Kris Gruber for the photo: Kris Gruber Photography

Friday, December 15, 2006

Hey Diddle Biddle


Another day, another fun gig. Many thanks first of all to Steve Antoni for inviting me to open for his band at the Biddle Bros bar in Hackney. It was a very laid back affair, with a good crowd (and a couple of dogs, who were determined to upstage us all at any opportunity). I picked a slightly stronger set than for the Pasty Co, and I warmed into it pretty quickly. It was good to get a great response even if there were a few people chatting away. It's hard when you only have a voice and guitar to overcome people chatting... my solution was to play quieter and make it more obvious that they were distracting people... they didn't mean any harm and they even complimented me at the end, so I was pretty chuffed. As far as the actual performance went it was going pretty well until I did the the two tunes from Lullabies, and for some reason the lyrics started to get to me and I started to choke up!! Just about held it together, but it's hard doing these songs that have such emotions for me... still think I got away with it. Ha, ha.

Steve followed with his band the Headonists, and they were excellent. The full band sound definitely suits Steve's songs... shame about the image of the band, but if you shut your eyes, it sounded great.

Wednesday, December 13, 2006

Pasty Anyone?


So after arriving to find that we were actually playing at 10 instead of 9 things went pretty well. My friend Sarah was there to do her song, which went from being first, to being after one song, to being in the middle.... I was getting confused. "Are the two verses the same length?" I enquired... yes... cool...

So we watched the first funky outfit playing, somewhere between Ben Folds Five and Counting Crows... but where exactly we weren't sure... then I tuned up and got on stage... Sarah appears to check the microphone height... "Let's just do it now" fair enough so we did... cue Sarah's debut performance of her song "Fall"... even managed to survive when it turned out that she fancied cutting the second verse in half and going straight to the chorus... it's not as though I asked or anything... ha, ha. Well done babe, you are a star in the making!!

After that my set went fine, messed up a bit in a couple of tunes, but covered over fairly well I think. Tomorrow was the star song as usual. During Lullabies the sweat started to run down my face and into my eyes, could barely see a thing.

Tim followed with his well crafted tunes, including a couple of Stars in Exile tracks (check out www.starsinexile.com and www.myspace.com/starsinexile ) and a cracking new song, which turned a few heads. Can't wait to get recording some stuff again. In a nice touch I joined him on stage to harmonise "Stone of Resolution"... thanks to Rich, Adge, Sarah, James and Em for coming along to support. Looking forward to doing it all again tonight!!

Dxx

Tuesday, December 05, 2006

Lullabies Live


So the virus turns out to be a sinus infection, ho hum. Anyway, I'm delighted to announce the first opportunities to hear songs from Lullabies live, I'll be playing on the 12th December at the West Cornwall Pasty co in the Kings Road. I'll be playing a full acoustic set from 9pm - 9.20pm, I'll be followed by Tim Felix of Stars in Exile and there will be another acoustic act from 10 - 11. If you are planning to come please be there by 8.45 or so, as it's a small venue and the best vantage points will go quickly. It will be a great chance to belatedly celebrate my birthday and look forward to Christmas and the New Year. Hope to see lots of you there!

Tuesday 12th December
20:45pm
West Cornwall Pasty Company, 138A King's Road, London, SW3 4XB
Map
Nearest Tube - Sloane Square
Free Entry

Plus, I am also now opening for Steve Antoni and the Headonists at Biddle Bros bar in Hackney on Wednesday 13th Dec...


Wednesday 13th December
20.45pm
Biddle Bros Bar, 88 Lower Clapton Road, London E5
Map
Free Entry

Dxx