Links to some of my work appear on my other wordpress pages.

I’ve been taking some time over the last few months to try and sort my head out. I feel I’ve been in a strange place the last year or so, maybe it’s been even longer than that. I felt at times that I’d changed from the person I was, into someone that I didn’t really like.

I’m not trying to be all dramatic, I just think all my life I’ve written words down to help me make sense of things, and that’s what I’m doing now. From poetry when I was younger, lyrics in songs from around the age of 17, to random words and lines in literally hundreds of these little red notebooks I used to get from the ‘Stores’ in the aircraft hanger where I worked for 10 years. I still find them around now, even after several clean outs and house moves, some with only a few words, thoughts or ideas in them, others with full songs that never quite made it past the ‘humming a tune into my phone’ stage.

Where am I going with this? Good question, I think I’m basically taking all these random thoughts from the last few months and trying to jumble them around on the screen in front of me and see if they make any sense. Actually I’m pretty sure there’s an old ‘MB’ or ‘Hasbro’ game with quite a similar concept thrown in the back of my cupboard somewhere, along with 50 or so little red notebooks…

Life for me in recent years felt like it had been traveling at a crazy pace, a pace I knew couldn’t be sustained indefinitely. I’ve felt as if my life in some ways wasn’t really my own, that I was this passenger, just watching it all unfold before me, but not in control of it. Ever felt like that?

About three weeks ago I had a conversation with some of the closest people to me over the last four years, and I made one of the hardest decisions I’ve ever had to make. I’m sure the people who care to know will find out more about it over the next little while. There was no one path that led me to that decision, it was the coming together of several elements, but it was something that I needed to do.

Music is now and always has been a massive part of my life. I’ve always had an obsession with it and I know I always will. I wrote a new song last week, sang it away to myself for hours and for the first time in years felt that incredible ‘buzz’ I used to get when I was younger. Knowing you’ve created something from nothing, from a few bass notes, some lyrics written on a sheet of paper and a melody in your head that you just had to get out. I think I’ve realised that for me, the music really does come first.

Maybe that’s what was missing, that I needed to feel in control of my own destiny again, maybe it was that simple. I suppose only time will tell…

Christmas is just over, looking forward to getting off my ass and getting fit again. On the band front, Damien’s been in Canada for a little holiday and played New Years night at the Rok Boutique, which no doubt ended up as a serious session!!

We’re writing new material at the moment, working with some good people on new demo tracks, deciding on which is the best way to move forward music wise.

Interesting times ahead!

“Dats… the bhoys.. now!!”

The Irish Showcase was last night and as soon as the Danny at the Hideout started taking out the “plank” with the whiskey shots on it, you knew it was going to be a seriously crazy night. The night was a great success, with Maslow, Walter Mitty and the Realists and Fred all putting in absolutely storming sets. I have video footage of each band that I’ll put online when we get home. 

For us, Vesta Varro, to get the reaction we got was fantastic. Maybe it was to do with the free bottles of Jager that were also being handed around, but for me it was one of the most enjoyable gigs I’ve ever played. With a guest appearance from Connor from “The Mitty” on egg shaker and vocals, the vibe and buzz there last night was amazing. A serious thank you to everyone who came out to support us and the rest of the bands, definitely making our 4th time here one of the most memorable.

Our show in the Rivoli for Moove.ca on Thursday was another great night, with some great music and a serious amount of cash was raised for the Farm Sanctuary, it was a show that we were delighted to be involved in. Thank you Yvette for having us.

Following that, it was another late night at the Rok Boutique with Dawn, Tracy and co, who have helped us stay in the stereotypical “Irish Lads on Tour” mode for much of the duration of this trip. 

Tonight for Vesta Varro it’s an interview and live session on The Edge radio station, one of the biggest rock stations in Canada, so to say we’re enjoying our trip would be a bit of an understatement!

That’s all for now… back to bed for an hour!

So… we’re here, the jager has started to flow and the Irish bands in town are already starting to make a name for themselves. Maslow kicked off the festivities early with a storming gig in the Rok Boutique on Sat 4th. Walter Mitty and the Realists and Corkonians Fred really turned some heads with their sets in the the same venue at the VIP launch on the 7th. Another gig at Tattoo for ourselves and Fred, along with ballsy Canadian rockers Saigon Hookers and a great new discovery for me, The Dunes finished off the second night of proceedings, with a last minute impromptu show by the one and only Larry Bagby the cherry on top!

For pictures of everything that’s happening, go to our Facebook and various band members facebooks.. be quick though, some might not last that long for different reasons!! Link to pics

Today is the “Meet the Irish” party at PJ O’Briens and the Moove.ca Benefit For Animals is later at the Rivoli.

Will keep you updated….

Vesta Varro

Tomorrow is Canada. Hopefully we’ll meet some of the lunatics we’ve met over our last three trips, and even meet some new ones. All our gig listings are on our myspace page at www.myspace.com/vestavarro .

I’ll try and keep this and our web pages updated with our goings on, so keep it here…

Rod

Upstairs in Dolans

Ok so… The mini Irish/pre Canada tour has kicked off, with Electric Avenue in Waterford, The Underground in Tipp Town and Dolans Upstairs in Limerick all behind us, and gigs with Fred in Roisin Dubh, Galway this Friday and then a headline show in Cleeres Theatre in Kilkenny on the Sat, we’re slowly getting ourselves in shape for Canada. One of the highlights was getting to air a couple of new songs live for the first time in ages, hopefully something we’ll be able to do more of over the next few weeks.

Some pictures from the Dolan’s gig can be seen here, thanks to Limerick photographer Matt McKnight.

The great support over the last few gigs was from Tipp band Maslow, Limerick singer/songwriter Maca and Waterford’s Shane Barry and the Distractions.

Looks like we’ll be in Toronto from the 7th Oct-13th Oct for Indie Week ’08, a relatively short stay compared to our last few visits but we’re still playing four shows and doing numerous radio interviews so we’ll be fairly busy.

Once we’re home, work begins in earnest on writing new material, which hopefully will find it’s way onto album number two!

That is all from my infrequent and sporadic posts for now, until my next one of course.

Red Kid

Travega

The Minutes

The Aftermath

Red Kid

Travega

The Minutes

The Aftermath

More to follow…