Oscar Wilde said "the only thing worse than being talked about is not being talked about", so I'm not complaining. But the grapevine seems to be gently humming with the idea that Strikland has broken up. The justification for this, I think, is that two of our members played a couple of gigs recently with ex-New Seeker Lyn Paul.. Sorry folks, but the way it works round these here parts is that we struggling musicians do pretty much what we can to pay the bills. And that includes grabbing whatever work is going. So guitarist Shuggy plays solo gigs, as does singer Adam, Shuggy and Steve play with Lyn Paul's show and we all do extra bits and bobs outside the band. Of course, when we're globally famous and a single gig pays the mortgage on the mansion and a service for the Ferrari then we'll play exclusively in Strikland but for now expect to see band members popping up all over the shop, without so much as a false moustache, glasses and nose set to conceal our identities. What this all means is that Strikland is alive and well and looking forward to a busy Summer of engagements. Don't believe me? Come along to the Shamrock in Moraira next Sunday to see if we fulfil the booking (Great, that should guarantee a full house lol)

About time I metaphorically put pen to paper again. Recently, I've been thinking about what it means to play music. Someone said to me recently that you have to have a passion for the music you play in order for it to be right. But I'm not sure. I think there are many aspects to being a musician. One is the simple act of creating music that you love to listen to. Of course, that's a lovely place to be. But it ignores the reality of the music business. If you're a professional musician (ie you earn money from playing music) you need to have an eye on where that money is coming from. So the music you create actually has to be loved by the people who are paying you - be that venue owners or, directly or indirectly, the people who come to see you. Now it's great if what you like coincides with what the public likes - but that doesn't happen very often. Think about it - when Mick Jagger sings 'Satisfaction' for the umpteenth time since it was written, is he doing it for him or his audience? Gold star if you chose the latter. So it's more than just playing the songs you love. But can you enjoy playing music that you don't love? I say yes. Equally important is the buzz from the reaction of the listeners when you play a song that they  love, and of course the satisfaction of doing a job well, and creating something with others. That feeling when you hit the 'sweet spot' and everything is perfectly together comes in every type of music - choral, folk, jazz, you name it. So while there are some songs I just can't bear listening to, I can play any type of music and get something from it. Mind you, I'm still drawing the line at 'The Birdie Song' :-)
Just in case anyone's noticed the download at the bottom of the Home page and is wondering hwat it's all about, it's nothing to do with Strikland. Just a little mash-up I made for fun that someone noticed on YouTube and asked for a link to an MP3. But if you like it, feel free to take a copy for yourself...

'Aaaaah' - that was the sound you'd have heard from me as I sunk into my sofa at 2.30 on Monday morning. Not a sound of tiredness, but a sigh of contentment. . 'I can't get no - da da da - Satisfaction' - well sorry Mick, but you're not playing the right gigs. Strikland gets its satisfaction from playing a tight set in front of a great audience. And that's what we did on Sunday night. It's a bit of a viruous circle - the more people we play to, the more we enjoy it, the harder we rehearse, (hopefully) the more people we play to etc. So thanks to everyone who came along - we really do appreciate it! Who needs to shlep up to Barcelona to see Madonna (€72 a ticket if you're asking) - you'll get twice the passion and, frankly, much better songs (haha) for the price of a pint right on your doorstep. Oh, and we don't use Autotune on our voices either......

Time for a website tinker, and thought we'd add a proper blog at last. To kick off, here's an update on what's happening in our world. Well, it's busy! It's easy to forget that we really only kicked this thing off in November last year and so much has happened in the three months since.We're starting to take on some regular gigs which is great, and already have our first wedding gigs lined up for the Summer. Oh yes, we're available for weddings, bar mitzvahs, wakes, you name it....! We're definitely performing at the Moraira Music Festival in June and are in negotiations for another major event in the Summer. Of course, details will be posted here as soon as anything is confirmed.
All of this is due in no small part to the fantastic support we've received from venues, press, agencies and most of all the people who come to see us. When it's cold outside and the world is in crisis, we really do appreciate everyone who makes the effort to wrap up and come down to one of our gigs. Without that we're nothing, so it's a massive thankyou for all your support and we hope you keep coming along! Of course, we'll try to make it worth your while - you'll always get an energetic, committed performance from Strikland and we've got some great new songs in mid-rehearsal. We're also working on something to enhance the flexibility of the band - hush-hush at the moment, but you'll be (pleasantly!) surprised.
The musicians (and the drummer - haha!) have also been approached to collaborate with Lyn Paul, one of the founding members of the New Seekers. This is something completely different from Strikland, not least in the type of material to be played. This project is to run alongside Strikland, not replace it (as some have suggested!). It's an interesting avenue to explore, and we just love to rehearse even more songs (arrrrgh!!!)
So we're really looking forward to the rest of 2009 - hope you'll be coming along for the ride with us!