Hello friends!
Well, Happy New Year one and all! Sadly it seems that the New Year is same as the old one that we kicked to the curb. However, I do have to say that 2020 did allow me the ability to be inspired and to create again. These have been the saving graces for me during the pandemic:
Being at home and having my immediate family all together (from March to September 2020).
Starting to learn about the world of live streaming and using a fabulous program called Ecamm Live.
Developing and meeting new people through my live stream shows first on Facebook and now on YouTube.
After 30 years I finally set up my work bench properly, organized all of my tools, ordered some guitar repair tools and began learning how to do more detailed guitar set ups: fret levelling, recrowning (still learning this!), adjusting nut slots and of course developed my skills in rewiring and neck adjustment, intonation and action set up. Would love to build a guitar using one of the great kits that are now available, but I will leave that to once I have one album "in the can" lol :)
Started a plan to listen to my entire record collection (skipping my Beatles section for now to save time) from A to Z. I am still on B, (Bee Gees right now) but enjoying the trip.
Reassessing my personal health and making some changes so I can live better and be a healthier Christopher
*******
I have yet to count the total number of online shows I have done, but I have done some album tributes over the course of the (almost) year of Pandemic: Let it Be, Revolver, All Things Must Pass, TWO Imagine Peace shows celebrating the music of John Lennon and just recently, a very successful tribute to David Bowie called "loving the alien". Oh and did I also tell you that I am writing again? :)
I am pleased to announce that work on MARK II (the long awaited sequel to Blue Suburban Skies) has begun. I released the first track from the album, due in spring of 2021: a song of George's from All Things Must Pass called "Awaiting On You All" as a music video on YouTube. It was one of those songs I so wanted to play at a For George show but the musicians and I could never get our acts together on it. If you haven't subscribed to my YouTube channel then by all means please do! I am close to 100 subscribers and looking forward to celebrating that milestone!
I am also working on two other recording projects of my own material (in the writing and planning stages) and I finally have what I think are good enough songs for my next worship album (last one was released in 2006!!!). The other project will be a follow up to the decade old ROUND.
The Abbey Road show has been indefinitely postponed for now, and will hopefully be rescheduled sometime this year. My apologies to those who were looking forward to it.
Now that we have entered into a second State of Emergency here in Ontario, my work will be focusing on my church community, Graceworks, my live shows (Tuesdays and Fridays), writing, recording and developing a Patreon account for my wonderful and supportive fans. Thank you to all those who have been supportive of my work this past year and I do hope to be able to "give back" to you very soon, in the form of new music. I brought the church's drum kit from the Cotton Factory yesterday (the church's latest home) so that I could record them at home for Mark II (keeping in line with the "record it all at home and all the parts yourself" vibe) and am currently making space for them in the vacant storage room beside the studio. As John Lennon sang, it's "Clean Up Time" and it feels great!
Thank you all for your support and encouragement this past year - it has made the difference and I am so grateful!
Happy January! See you on the Tube!