We Do Adventure

I’ve been helping people to learn guitar for the better part of ten years. If I had a pound for every time I’ve been asked to play that riff from Smells Like Teen Spirit – Nirvana’s generation-defining greatest hit – then I’d be able to bail out investors fallen on hard times since Mr Madoff made off with their money! Like a Ponzi scheme, it’s not a song I view as big or clever; although, as with the best blags, you have to marvel that they’ve got away with it for so long and impressed so many sane people along the way. Tonight I was meeting with a student to play guitar. Over the past few months we’ve established that his taste lies in latin and jazz – not genres I'm particularly strong in. I like to pigeon-hole myself as a devotee of melodic pop-rock, partly because it’s so desperately uncool but also because that really is the music I enjoy. However, I don’t believe teaching should be used for musical indoctrination so I’m not going to teach what I like, rather help people to pl...

Over the last couple of years I've played at a low-key event called Hub:live. All of those appearances were backing other singers as they meandered their way through stripped-back acoustic version of their songs, either behind a keyboard or on acoustic guitar. However, at my last Hub:live I was afforded the opportunity to play and sing a couple of my own songs. I closed the night with a song that is probably my trademark in the eyes of the artists I've played for. Beautiful Symmetry has one of the better choruses I've written - if I do say so myself! Though the day is a mystery At the tail end of history Every bridge has been burned At your promised return No unfinished symphony Just a beautiful symmetry When I see who you are I wasn't planning to jump up on stage so soon after arriving but in a bulk-out-the-numbers moment I ended up taking part in a talent show at the youth conference in Sarajevo this weekend. I didn't win - obviously, that wasn't going to happ...