I just released a new live album of 20 (mainly solo) performances called Good Songs In Small Rooms. It’s my first live record since 2004 and you can listen (and download it) HERE. But first a vague explanation of why – and some background…
We’re in One Cat Studio, racing to finish the brand new Chris T-T & The Hoodrats studio album. We’re almost, almost there, so close we can touch it: started mixing, one more vocal and a few bits to add. I’m convinced we’ve got an amazing record – I have a more powerful feeling about it than anything since London Is Sinking back in 2003… but inevitably it’ll be some time before you get to hear it (and I have no idea whether anyone else will like it).
Meanwhile, it’s a year since I last toured anywhere – my longest gap from touring for 10 years. It’s complicated. It’s simple. I ran out of passion for standing there with an acoustic guitar, though I still love these (pretty fucking good, let’s face it) songs. Funnily enough, I suspect doing the A.A. Milne show for 18 months made the feeling worse, rather than solving it, because it’s a fictional me and necessarily watered down. But that’s another story.
Anyway I NEED our new music, I need Hoodrats as much as logistically possible and when/if I do go back to solo touring, it’ll be with a piano for at least half the material anyway, which will need a different approach.
Which brings me to Good Songs In Small Rooms. Point is, they’re not the perfect takes, nor the biggest, most industry show-offy shows. One huge benefit of relative obscurity is no need to be risk-averse. So here are some moments I most love to remember, for whatever reason. It’s an ideal way to clear the decks, yet help to remind me what it’s like when I LOVE it. The backbone (the trigger) was a set done for MJ Hibbett‘s Totally Acoustic night in 2010. Another upstairs room at a pub, unplugged, no mics, a small, joyful crowd crammed into a tiny space, completely into the music, no bullshit.
People who meet me who’ve not previously heard of me (hard to imagine, I know!) ask what my biggest gigs have been. They ache to gauge status. I always tell them – luckily they’ll be impressed and yes, I have ego, want people to know it’s for real – YET at the same time I think of this tiny gig for Mark Hibbett. Anyway, I know I’ll get back there, remember how much I love doing it, just not quite yet. I hope you enjoy the live album. xxx
