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Apr 22 2022

TO WHERE I AM NOW

Checking into a hotel with a guitar, really? That’s something I haven’t done for a very long time. So we arrived in Sweden after a journey from Portugal that took about twelve hours. We got up at 5.30 AM, left home around 7 AM and flew away on the 8.55 AM TAP (Air Portugal) flight to London – Gatwick. The whole experience was challenging, with a semblance of familiarity, drink your water before you go through security, take your belt off before you go through the metal machine, find the toilets, eat something/anything whether it be lunchtime or dinnertime, you may not get another chance. Passports, boarding passes, baggage, oversized baggage for the guitar, hand baggage, computer, headphones, yep, we’re travelling again and playing gigs.

Arriving at Gatwick, I immediately left the airport and took the train to London. Why would I do that? Mohamad is my computer guy and he lives in London, my old computer that I use to play music through my stereo system died. Our layover was six hours, perfect, it gave me the opportunity to take the train to Victoria and hand my computer to Mohamad at the station, turn around and get the train straight back to Gatwick in time for check-in for the flight on Norwegian to Stockholm. That’s what I did with gracious thanks to Mohamad for coming to meet me. Mohamad and his wife and daughter will be coming to Porto in the end of May, with my computer.

Not so much room on the London flight, lots of room on the Stockholm flight, a row each with legroom. I slept most of it, my head bobbing, loose on my neck, like a toy. No pillow, lack of sleep, sliding down the plastic interior, waking momentarily with a start as my head jerks me back to reality before nodding off again. On the train from Gatwick to Victoria, Victoria was the last stop but on the train back from Victoria to Gatwick, the train was heading to Bognor Regis and Southampton, splitting at some point down the line. I was dropping off, between East Croydon and Clapham Junction and woke myself up realising I could sail past my stop and end up on Bognor beach.

On that quick half hour train trip to London and back I passed the daunting monolith that was Battersea Power Station, so today’s album of the day has to be Pink Floyd’s Animals. It hadn’t occurred to me before that the power station is close to the famous Battersea Dog’s and Cat’s home, so close in fact that I saw a sign that said “We are here for all dogs and cats” is that why the Floyd album is called animals?

I awoke as we were on our final approach to Arlanda airport, descending in a gorgeous sunset, a fireball over the archipelago, setting alight the islands and the evening waters.

Nicklas, Anekdoten, composer, co-singer and guitarist met us at the airport and drove us to the hotel. It was cold, much colder than we are used to and we were glad of our big coats and me my long pants, something I haven’t needed for months. We checked in and then Nicklas drove us to get some food, dropping us off in a mad Stockholm Friday night. A man and a woman in the aisle of the psupermarket, holding each other, she was crying. A walk through the chill back to the hotel, it’s been three years and three months since I was last here, that’s the black hole left by the pandemic.

We walked back to the hotel via Anekdoten posters in the street, looking incongruous amongst the posters for Madison Beer, Simple Minds‘ Greatest Hits tour and oddly Sisters of Mercy who seem to be back together playing some clubs in Sweden. Tomorrow Nicklas is picking me up at midday for rehearsals, here we go.

Music Of The Daze

Written by Marty Willson-Piper · Categorized: Blog

Missing

This is my stolen 1965 Rickenbacker 12-string, serial number EB157. If there's any chance of this guitar coming back to me before I go to meet my maker, then that would be wonderful. Please contact me if you have any information.

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Rockin' the MOAT t-shirt next to the real deal! #m Rockin' the MOAT t-shirt next to the real deal! #moatband #poisonstream 🤘🏰

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Photo by @oliviaelektra 

#schoolkidsrecords #nikoröhlcke #wellscathedral
Peter Walsh and I getting down at the Heron Tower Peter Walsh and I getting down at the Heron Tower disco 🕺🏻 #heyday
Soundchecking at Birmingham Symphony Hall, 10th Fe Soundchecking at Birmingham Symphony Hall, 10th February, 2001. All About Eve supporting Fairport Convention.

📷 by @derektimbrell
Thanks to The Wernickis for a little glimpse into Thanks to The Wernickis for a little glimpse into their new New Mexico listening space 🌵 #nightjar #schoolkidsrecords
Redeyed lad of the lowlands 🎵 📷 @oliviaelek Redeyed lad of the lowlands 🎵

📷 @oliviaelektra 

#danelectro #danelectrobass #redeyerecords #pleasantrylane #pleasantrylanestudio
You usually don’t spend the day in the studio an You usually don’t spend the day in the studio and the night at a gig but if you put the studio next to the gig then there’s a greater chance. So @salimnourallah did just that, he put the gig and the studio next to each other and made it possible for me to spend the day recording and the evening playing live 🎵

📷 @drewliophoto 

#galacticheadquarters #happinessarecordlabel #pleasantrylanestudio #salimnourallah #oliviawillsonpiper
TO WHERE I AM NOW A visit in the studio today fro TO WHERE I AM NOW

A visit in the studio today from old mate Mark Burgess from The Chameleons who has been hanging in Texas recently. I was thinking about the two of us growing up in the northwest of England and all these years later finding ourselves in such an unlikely spot together. We fixed a few issues in the universe and I carried on recording some guitars until Mark had to leave. Mark had played at the Galactic Headquarters next to the studio this year as Olivia and I had four years ago and this reminded me to remind myself to remind everyone to remind their friends that we will be playing there with Salim on Saturday, New Year’s Eve, for the ultimate in intimate performance. You can get tickets here (follow link below).

CONTINUE READING: https://martywillson-piper.com/2022/12/to-where-i-am-now-1045

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📷 @salimnourallah 

#markburgess #thechameleons #chameleonsvox #pleasantrylanestudio #happinessarecordlabel #martywillsonpiper #oliviawillsonpiper #moatband
📷 @argirgirl 📷 @argirgirl
TO WHERE I AM NOW Sadness manifested in a buildin TO WHERE I AM NOW

Sadness manifested in a building, today we went to visit Paisley Park. Prince built Paisley Park in Chanhassen, about twenty minutes southwest of Minneapolis. It opened in 1987 and he recorded his later albums there. Apart from Prince, REM also recorded and mixed Out Of Time there, recording Kate Pearson’s vocal on Shiny Happy People vocal. Madonna had Prince play guitar on three songs from Like A Prayer and the two co-wrote Love Song, finishing it remotely due to Madonna not being able to stand the cold weather and the rather desolate location of the studio. Of course, there are things around but it’s not in the city and it’s not in the countryside, it’s in a suburb, no distractions, just what Prince wanted.

CONTINUE READING: https://martywillson-piper.com/2022/12/to-where-i-am-now-1032

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📷 @argirgirl 

#paisleypark #prince
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Songwriting & Guitar Guidance with Marty Willson-Piper
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"These are awesome sessions that I highly recommend for guitar players of all levels. Very informative, frank discussions on everything related to guitar and music in general. Definitely a must for anyone pursuing songwriting."
(Stephen G., VA, USA)

"Marty knows how to bypass scales and get to the heart of feel and timing. His musical knowledge spans multiple cultures and genres. Perhaps most importantly, Marty is a cool dude. I highly recommend his guitar guidance." (Jed B., MN, USA)

"Ok, so you’re sitting in your home and Marty is across the world but is actually right here teaching you how to play guitar and write songs. He is a delight to talk to and he is your teacher, meaning he wants to see you get something out of his lessons. You know he’s paying attention and wants to steer you in the right direction. I am so grateful and humbled that he offers his time in this manner. This is an amazing opportunity for anyone who admires anything from his enormous body of work. How often do you get to learn from somebody that inspired you in the first place? Amazing." (Ann S., CA, USA)

Missing

This is my stolen 1965 Rickenbacker 12-string, serial number EB157. If there’s any chance of this guitar coming back to me before I go to meet my maker, then that would be wonderful. Please contact me if you have any information.

11209512_1669022976719710_7288437867089763325_n

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