Tag: lgbt

My First True Love (demo)

This song was written at the same time as Helen (don’t make a sound) back in 2007 sometime. Both songs were inspired by novels I’d read or recently read at the time. I’ve noted previously that I tend to work on songs in batches of two or three at the same time. Sometimes an idea splits in three, sometimes I’ve loads of little ideas that start to link together resulting in some different songs. With this one, I was working with a really basic straight-forward chord progression, and I was trying to write something that was musically quite simple and direct. Perhaps because the other song I was working on at the same time was the opposite of that.

I’ve never been so sure of this song, but I like some parts of it. I guess I’ve been playing it so long that I’m just used to it. One of my old housemates surprised me one day by saying it was her favourite of my songs. I think I have a music-snob idea that because it’s simple it’s not as good as some of the more musically complex songs. I’ve managed to completely over complicate the piano line as a result though, and I definitely fuck it up in this demo. I’d go fix it up before posting it, but my piano has been out on loan all weekend, and when it comes back I’m gonna finish off the new demo I start for “is this what they call romance?” instead.

my first true love [demo]
my first true love [demo] by misterebby

(lyrics after the jump)
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Homotruths interview

I’m interviewed in “HomoTruths” column of the current issue of GCN, which also happens to be the 250th issue of the publication! It’s only a wee short piece about being a gay man in Galway which was formed from a phone interview, but I think Jeanette Rehnstrom got the gist of what I was saying pretty well.

You can read it online if you don’t have access to any of the places around the country where you can get GCN (which is a free publication, and seeking donations to keep going at the moment.)

GCN is a not for profit publication and registered charity that exists for one reason: to give LGBT people access to information about everything that is happening for them across Ireland, both politically and culturally and give them access to a sense of community.

Cynthia Nixon: gay people have no desire to redefine marriage

Perfectly put, and spot on.

“I want to say to the gentleman to my left, gay people who want to marry have no desire to redefine marriage in any way. When women got the vote they did not redefine voting. When African-Americans got the right to sit at a lunch counter alongside white people, they did not redefine eating out. They were simply invited to the table… We have no desire to change marriage. We want to be entitled to not only the same privileges, but the same responsibilities as straight people.” – Cynthia Nixon

Here’s the clip from New Yorker Festival’s panel discussion on “Love and Obstacles: The Case for Gay Marriage.”:

(via towleroad)

IQ – IndieQueer club night

From September 16th, Thursdays and Saturdays in the top floor of Dignity West will be taken over by my club night: IQ [IndieQueer], a club night aimed at playing music that you don’t get to hear in the usual gay clubs here in Galway.

Keep up to date on the facebook page, or twitter.

Facebook: IQgalway [IndieQueer]
Twitter: IQgalway [IndieQueer]

Rock – Indie – Jazz
Electro – Metal – Funk – Soul
Retro Classics – Punk – Alternative Pop

a little recording session

The wonderful Anna Lee was around Galway yesterday, so she came and joined the family dinner I was having with two of my siblings. After a post-lunch walk on the prom, we came back to my house and listened to some music and caught up a bit. But she offered to work the desk for some recording work that evening too, which was wonderful, as a fresh pair of eyes sorted some of the random things I’d set up badly and helped iron out some of the wee quirks with my recording setup.

Being able to just relax into the role of the performer, instead of trying to do two things at once, was a really lovely feeling. I got to chill out and just focus on giving a good performance of the tracks we were going to lay down quickly. Ended up working on three tracks in total – just vocals and piano takes of The Best Of Me and Maria, and re-taking the lead vocals and the piano line on Take Me Away. I was keen to keep all the work that Meadhbh had done on the latter track, as her vocals are just beautiful on it, but I really wasn’t happy with the guide piano and vocals I’d laid down for her to sing off.

Maria I’d never recorded before, and I’m really pleased to have a nice little demo of it done at this stage, as I can go to the other arrangements I’d sketched out for various instruments, and see if those lines will fit the way I think they will. As it turns out, re-recording The Best Of Me in the key and tempo I now play that song in was really helpful too in terms of further instrumentation, as when I was listening back to the best of the takes, I could hear the other parts I wanted in the track. I have some arrangements for that to sketch out on some manuscript paper, but I think it’s a ‘cello and viola I’ll need. I’m not sure – I’ll need to tease it out a little bit more.

I’ve not listened to those takes again yet after last night, but I’m going to leave them to listen again fresh later this evening after I go and play some Samba drums with some kids from Youth Work Ireland as part of their fundraising day. The LGBT youth group I’ve been volunteering with for the last few years, shOUT!, are under the umbrella of YWI, so helping out the main body helps keep the LGBT youth group going.

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