Took the charango out its case this week, and gave it a little strum. Felt good, but tempered by the fact this was at 6am! Need it as I have two gigs this week, and luckily the baby doesn’t get woken by it from the far side of the flat. Hope the same applies to the neighbours! Will fit rehearsing in around work and baby hours. The gigging is a pain to get started again but it has got me going again to the point where I’m planning the next album.

When I can record it is another matter!

A while ago I read a story about George Takei which inspired one of those written-in-ten-minutes-and-uploaded-to-youtube-straightaway numbers. Around that time I supported Ten Tigers at a gig in Cambridge. A week later I saw Emma from the band was looking for acts for a anti-homophobia/transphobia compilation album project called ‘Any Love Is Good Love‘. As I had just written a song on this very theme I offered to record a full version of the track for the CD and sure enough, the team behind the project were up for it.

I am now listening to the final album, shortly before its release. It is definitely in the ‘IT ROCKS’ category! There is a risk with a compilation that the final assembled slab of music doesn’t tie together, but this is a well paced album of well put together of well-written well-good music. The harmonious feel is despite the tracks ranging across genre’s from punk, electo, electro-punk, arthouse poetry performance, indie and my own contribution being the sole representative of the prog-rock-on-charango genre. A thank you to all those who took part.

A nice heartfelt insight into what the album is aiming to achieve is on the Ten Tigers website. Any Love Is Good Love is the Facebook group for the project – and for now here is the full tracklisting. I’ll be sure to announce it when the launch happens – no official word of the launch date.

1. Ste McCabe – Huyton Scum
2. Death of the Elephant – Locas
3. Mary Cigarettes – I’m Not a Bad Girl
4. Salty Lips – Valentine’s Day
5. The Get – You Gotta Wear a Dress
6. Art Gruppe – I Will Not Survive
7. Karmadillo – Listen To George Takei
8. Toska Wilde – Hard as Nailvarnish
9. Das Wanderlust – Sailors
10. Stella Zine – Freak Faggot
11. The Lovely Eggs – Don’t Look at Me (I Don’t Like It)
12. Pocket Gods – Me Pablo and Duran Duran
13. Zorras – Nest
14. Lost Harbours – Feed the Birds Honey
15. Tumbledryer Babies – Don’t Spoonfeed my Heart
16. Tingle in the Netherlands – She’s No Lady
17. Bearsuit – When Will I Be Queen?
18. Drag Christ – Vixxen N Beat
19. Ten Tigers – Any Love is Good Love

I had the operation last week to reconstruct my cruciate ligament. Its a pretty clever procedure that people have come up with and I’m detailing it on my Professor Karmadillo blog. I have to say a huge thanks to Mr Norrish the consultant, Anne-Maria my physiotherapist, the anaesthetist and everyone in the operating theatre and in the ward where I stayed overnight who looked after me.

Staying overnight in the Trauma ward was something different. I was probably the least injured person in there. Since I did my knee in last year I’ve not felt sorry for myself (though frustrated at times, yes) – being there was ample reminder to not change that outlook on things.

I had a bed with a button that supplied morphine and the entertainment system allowed internet access so I could Facebook away to my hearts content.
At 7pm it seems at least half the ward turned on to the TV to allow them to watch the cricket highlights as well – although we could refresh the score on the web page streaming Test Match Special was denied.

Recuperation means resting with a short walk around the house every hour and exercises. It does mean the Green Man and the appearance at The Shed in Leicester have been cancelled which I’m a bit about. At least its got done, though it’s a long recovery period.

It has meant I’ve been able to sit down and make progress on Professor Karmadillo project items though. I will be able to make the initial performances but will be taking it easy otherwise.

And here’s a reminder of what I want to get back to doing!