Firstly, hello to everyone reading this, Irene here. We've decided to take turns posting on this, so here's the latest...
After a lengthy summer break (that is, break from the band), we're back to business. We had every intention of recording the album a couple of months ago, but I found myself distracted.. Eh, that is to say, I couldn't resist catching the Springsteen & E Street Band European tour, so it's my fault you still have that money you put aside to buy the album rattling annoyingly in your pocket. Please forgive me..
But it may be just as well, after weeks of listening to the cosmic songs of Springsteen, and hours of catching up with the incredible archive shows of Little Steven's "Underground Garage" (I had neglected quite a few, as it turns out), www.littlestevensundergroundgarage.com, I graciously recieved the inspiration I had longed for... Quite simply, we now have one album to make, and hundereds of songs from which to choose from. With a little luck, we'll pick the better ones, and we should have the tracks down in a month or so (Rocco still hasn't returned from his hiking holiday, I wouldn't take any notice, but he was only going to Neptune, NJ, what did he expect to climb?..).
Billy's latest book, "In Too Deep", is available on Amazon, or order it from a bookstore near you. Just follow the links from www.billyocallaghan.co.uk
Keep an eye on the website for updates (http://www.thecolleys.t83.net).
I'm afraid this is where it ends for now, but I'll have one of the guys post again soon, and if you find yourself with a little spare time, don't forget to check out the Underground Garage radio show, it's well-worth a listen if, like us, you're a touch behind the times, and you like your music cooooool...!
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
Thursday, May 21, 2009
Please Allow Me To Introduce The Band..
Hi, this is Billy, and I'm descended from the high kings of Ireland...
I've been given the dubious pleasure of commenting on my fellow bandmates, not the easiest of tasks, I can assure you. We are a fickle bunch, so I have to thread softly (a little Yeatsian comment there, for Irene's benefit...) Anyway, I have promised to keep this short, but short has never really been my style, I'm afraid, so you'll have to take whatever comes.
The best way I can approach this is to point out a few of the lads' more ... distinguishing features. So here goes:
Yosef, our bass player (and what a player!!!) hails from the pretty town of Bethlehem, in Israel (for the benefit of our American fans). He is slim of build (read: razor-thin, to the point of emaciated... his nickname, which we use mostly behind his back, is the Cadaver), thirty-two and a half years old, and dreading next Easter, for some significant reason which he steadfastly refuses to share with us. He's very good at healing, but that is because he once practiced medicine, though not in any college or hospital. Well, it's as he says, we all need a hobby, don't we? Yosef has been playing bass since his great grandmother lost her thumb in a knife-fight over rotten eggs. He claims there is a connection, and I suppose there is...
Ratri plays keyboards, and has done since receiving a harmonica on his second birthday. At the beginning it was air-keyboards. He was, and is, a big Stevie Wonder fan. His favourite Stevie album is Abbey Road. Well, he's from a VERY small village in Uttar Pradesh (the village's name, in the nearest possible translation, means 'Dartboard'). He grew up without a television, radio, running water, shoes, ping pong paddles, spoons, earrings, boats, matches, oranges, hairnets, nail clippers or families. Or so he says. He is a rather confused young man. He is nineteen, twice divorced, and his claim to fame was that he once tripped Elton John outside the Taj Mahal (Casino, in Las Vegas). It was an accident, but Elton just wasn't looking where he was going. They fought, and he spent five months in jail for beating up a baby. We think he is confusing Las Vegas's most famous infant lookalike with the real McCoy. But of course, we can't be sure.
Rocco. Ah, Rocco. A veritable Adonis of a man. Well. Actually, pray to God (or to Yosef) that you never stumble across him on a beach somewhere. Okay, he is five foot even (since he cut his hair ... himself) and has a rather... unique shape, with the body of a butternut squash. No shoulders, a swollen gourd of a belly. Also, he has very short, very very fat legs. To look at him, no one would guess that he even has knees, but he has. He also has immensely long arms. Good for a drummer, really, but he does rather resemble a chimpanzee. Which, actually, is fitting, as he has a pet monkey, named Michael. They met as escapees from Brooklyn zoo (Michael was busting out, Rocco was trying to steal a penguin and made do with what he could find ...), and they are as close as any two brothers can be. Michael is Rocco's only family, since the ... 'unpleasantness'. He's from Sicily, and he's a nice guy. Really. A real good fella, so to speak. I have the great misfortune of having to room with him on tours, and I am a first hand witness to his ferocious night terrors. I swear, there is nothing as terrifying as someone screaming 'Mafiosi' in the middle of the night. Once, sleepwalking, he tried to garrote me with a sock. And believe me when I say that nobody wants to be within screaming distance of those socks. Still, he means no harm, and he's a great singer, if you happen to be a Walter Brennan fan.
Irene (or, as I know her, Macca) has insisted (upon reading this) that I abstain from commenting on her. As she is stronger than me, and as she controls what I eat, and when, I acquiesce. I will say, however, that she has purple hair (natural), thinks she knows everything (and almost does...), feels strongly about too many things to mention, loves cricket and cheese. She's a vegetarian, dreams of the day when hippies will once again rule the universe, and believes in everything, every religion, every mystery. She keeps nominating 'All You Need Is Love' as the new world anthem. So far, nobody is listening, but she will keep trying until they do. Oh, and she sings, plays too many instruments to list here, and writes songs that are as good as Bob Dylan multiplied by John Prine. (** she is standing right behind me** whisper...)
And finally, me. What to say about me? Hmm, well, talented, wonderful, handsome, etc. None of those words really describe me, of course, but this is a blog and I suppose this is the sort of stuff people want to read. Well, this or scandal. And, it goes without saying, lies. The fact is, I am not going to fit into a paragraph. You can, if you really are eager or curious to know more about me, check out my own blog,
www.writing-for-my-life.blogspot.com
And, please, please, PLEEZE, buy my books!
I've been given the dubious pleasure of commenting on my fellow bandmates, not the easiest of tasks, I can assure you. We are a fickle bunch, so I have to thread softly (a little Yeatsian comment there, for Irene's benefit...) Anyway, I have promised to keep this short, but short has never really been my style, I'm afraid, so you'll have to take whatever comes.
The best way I can approach this is to point out a few of the lads' more ... distinguishing features. So here goes:
Yosef, our bass player (and what a player!!!) hails from the pretty town of Bethlehem, in Israel (for the benefit of our American fans). He is slim of build (read: razor-thin, to the point of emaciated... his nickname, which we use mostly behind his back, is the Cadaver), thirty-two and a half years old, and dreading next Easter, for some significant reason which he steadfastly refuses to share with us. He's very good at healing, but that is because he once practiced medicine, though not in any college or hospital. Well, it's as he says, we all need a hobby, don't we? Yosef has been playing bass since his great grandmother lost her thumb in a knife-fight over rotten eggs. He claims there is a connection, and I suppose there is...
Ratri plays keyboards, and has done since receiving a harmonica on his second birthday. At the beginning it was air-keyboards. He was, and is, a big Stevie Wonder fan. His favourite Stevie album is Abbey Road. Well, he's from a VERY small village in Uttar Pradesh (the village's name, in the nearest possible translation, means 'Dartboard'). He grew up without a television, radio, running water, shoes, ping pong paddles, spoons, earrings, boats, matches, oranges, hairnets, nail clippers or families. Or so he says. He is a rather confused young man. He is nineteen, twice divorced, and his claim to fame was that he once tripped Elton John outside the Taj Mahal (Casino, in Las Vegas). It was an accident, but Elton just wasn't looking where he was going. They fought, and he spent five months in jail for beating up a baby. We think he is confusing Las Vegas's most famous infant lookalike with the real McCoy. But of course, we can't be sure.
Rocco. Ah, Rocco. A veritable Adonis of a man. Well. Actually, pray to God (or to Yosef) that you never stumble across him on a beach somewhere. Okay, he is five foot even (since he cut his hair ... himself) and has a rather... unique shape, with the body of a butternut squash. No shoulders, a swollen gourd of a belly. Also, he has very short, very very fat legs. To look at him, no one would guess that he even has knees, but he has. He also has immensely long arms. Good for a drummer, really, but he does rather resemble a chimpanzee. Which, actually, is fitting, as he has a pet monkey, named Michael. They met as escapees from Brooklyn zoo (Michael was busting out, Rocco was trying to steal a penguin and made do with what he could find ...), and they are as close as any two brothers can be. Michael is Rocco's only family, since the ... 'unpleasantness'. He's from Sicily, and he's a nice guy. Really. A real good fella, so to speak. I have the great misfortune of having to room with him on tours, and I am a first hand witness to his ferocious night terrors. I swear, there is nothing as terrifying as someone screaming 'Mafiosi' in the middle of the night. Once, sleepwalking, he tried to garrote me with a sock. And believe me when I say that nobody wants to be within screaming distance of those socks. Still, he means no harm, and he's a great singer, if you happen to be a Walter Brennan fan.
Irene (or, as I know her, Macca) has insisted (upon reading this) that I abstain from commenting on her. As she is stronger than me, and as she controls what I eat, and when, I acquiesce. I will say, however, that she has purple hair (natural), thinks she knows everything (and almost does...), feels strongly about too many things to mention, loves cricket and cheese. She's a vegetarian, dreams of the day when hippies will once again rule the universe, and believes in everything, every religion, every mystery. She keeps nominating 'All You Need Is Love' as the new world anthem. So far, nobody is listening, but she will keep trying until they do. Oh, and she sings, plays too many instruments to list here, and writes songs that are as good as Bob Dylan multiplied by John Prine. (** she is standing right behind me** whisper...)
And finally, me. What to say about me? Hmm, well, talented, wonderful, handsome, etc. None of those words really describe me, of course, but this is a blog and I suppose this is the sort of stuff people want to read. Well, this or scandal. And, it goes without saying, lies. The fact is, I am not going to fit into a paragraph. You can, if you really are eager or curious to know more about me, check out my own blog,
www.writing-for-my-life.blogspot.com
And, please, please, PLEEZE, buy my books!
Saturday, May 16, 2009
Hello..
Firstly, welcome to the official blog of The Colleys, just another attempt at keeping everybody up-to-date.
I'm going to take the time to set it up, but then another band member's going to take over. We haven't decided who yet, maybe we'll swap around.
Anyway, until something half-decent's been written here, follow Billy's blog:
http://writing-for-my-life.blogspot.com
He's quite good at updating, almost every second day.. more than can be said for me, but keep in mind, it's almost as truthful as him, it's got bits of writing from him, something about a cloud, and all that stuff 'bout his books. Not to mention the coolest ever profile pic.. check it out!
Okay, this has been Irene, I'll look forward to blogging (hey, that's a cool word) to you lot again, 'til then, have a nice day.
I'm going to take the time to set it up, but then another band member's going to take over. We haven't decided who yet, maybe we'll swap around.
Anyway, until something half-decent's been written here, follow Billy's blog:
http://writing-for-my-life.blogspot.com
He's quite good at updating, almost every second day.. more than can be said for me, but keep in mind, it's almost as truthful as him, it's got bits of writing from him, something about a cloud, and all that stuff 'bout his books. Not to mention the coolest ever profile pic.. check it out!
Okay, this has been Irene, I'll look forward to blogging (hey, that's a cool word) to you lot again, 'til then, have a nice day.
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