So things haven’t been going so well in the Slatter family the last couple of weeks. Things have difficult, my better half has been unwell. Now you may have noticed from the lyrical content of my songs that I’m not given to confessional writing. I’m not one to share deep personal things with you. So I’ll be all British and spare you the details.

However, I’ve been forced to cancel my appearance at this weekend’s 2nd Annual Steampunk solstice, and pull out of a couple of gigs with The Superminx 70 as well (Luckily they found a lovely bloke to dep for me). I’ve never pulled out of gigs before, and despite having very good reason to do so I can’t avoid hearing the director from the youth theatre group I spent many years in saying ‘You only miss performances for hospitalization or death’. Intellectually I know it’s fine and people understand, but emotionally I can’t help but feel bad to be breaking commitments.

But enough of this maudlin stuff. Instead I’ll tell you about the lovely things people have said and done that really cheered me up.

Lovely People

First, Andy comissioned me to write him a song for his steampunk character. I finished it last week and sent him a copy – he liked it, and said nice things. You can hear it to over on the fan page.

Second, Leo and Brian and Ian. Ian played Three Rows of Teeth on his podcast, which appears to have led to a few new people discovering my music. Leo bought the last of my double album special offers and Brian bought one of the last five copies of Ironbark – and they both were generally very nice. Which is good.

Thirdly, a couple of nice reviews over on Sea of Tranquility and ProgPlanet cheered me up no end.

At the risk of sounding all sincere and decidedly un-British, it is genuinely wonderful to have people I’ve never met saying how much they like my music.

The Next Gig, and a Free Sampler

I’m performing on Sunday 14th July at the Markfield Steam Museum, Tottenham Hale. I’ve put together a free taster/sampler thing, which I have called ‘Coghead – a free sampler consisting of songs, ditties and shanties that may or may not be performed in the course of Mr Slatter’s solo engagements in the Summer months of the year of our Lord two thousand and thirteen.’

Snappy title eh?

So if you want a free copy, go ahead. If you already have the tracks, feel free to send a link to a friend.

Onwards, upwards and all that.