Nigel Place’s blog

so no blogging for ages and here I am 2 in as many days, I'll need a lie down after this.

anyways I mentioned yesterday that I had some gigs coming up and one of those is at a Festival over here in Ireland called Castlepalooza as the name suggest it takes place in a castle (cool or what!??!) called Charleville Castle over 2 days on the August Bank Holiday weekend. So I can't wait, I get to play, then hang out for a weekend watching bands and I may even get to wash it all down with a few scoops while I'm at it, ahh yes you can't say fairer than that.

So if you're in Ireland that weekend 2nd & 3rd of August you could do much worse than go to this festival.

And seeing as I posted a song yesterday I'll stick with tradition, no clever link to it this time though, that part of the brain is obviously not on right now, so here its is "Mislaid Not Lost", quite different from yesterdays tune but hey its still me. And yeah thats me in the photo, aged 4 and with the whole world ahead of me!

later

nige

Mislaid Not Lost - Nigel Place

Nigel Place

4 comments

as a songwriter and singer and guitar player for me its all about writing a great song and singing and playing it well BUT is that gonna get you where you want to go? No is probably the answer. Because aswell as working on your craft, its about 100 times as important (worked out by random algorithm, finger in the air and standing on one foot) to graft, thats how you get your gigs, radio slots and whatever else it is that help build your profile and get your name out there. Its always about the songs for me as the artist but no one is gonna knock on your door until they know you have a door that can be knocked on.

I've always thought I have great songs and something different to offer even if you want to fit me in the singer/songwriter box. but its only in recent years I've copped on to the grafting factor, theres no room for modesty, if you don't ask you won't get. of course if you have people they can do the graft but as a solo act doing all the PR and other jobs that a manager would do, I have to do the asking.

So this year I've lined you some great gigs, playing my first festival and a great support slot coming up. Its all baby steps but 1 small step and all that........

Another thing I might say to fellow voxers who are putting up material and prefacing it with something like "this is only ruff but....." ...............the news is that once thats said no one is gonna listen. I'm no sage but if I were you and you are serious about what you do .........don't put anything up here or anywhere unless you are totally happy with it, unless you think its the best you can sound. there is so much music out there why would anyone listen to something that is half arsed or badly recorded? Its a cliche but .................put your best foot forward!

And heres one of my best feet, good job I'm a centipede

Nige ;-)

Sad Songs - Nigel Place

Nigel Place

13 comments

So I've just hit 10,000 plays on myspace and as a celebration I've got the rice krispie cakes and lemonade ready to go but seeing as its a bit hard to share them over the interweb, I've got this video of my recent interview on 98FM with Louise Heraghty on her show The Lowdown.

I've been getting a bit of slagging as a result of it, seeing as I admitted to being inspired by a 'chick flick' and Matthew McConaughey ..........well sort of but I'd say it was more Kate Hudson!

Anyways here it is, have a look & listen & lets know what you think. The song is called 'Big Screen Kiss' and big thanks to Len for lashing this video together for me and Louise for having me on the show.

Cheers

Nige

Well I played my gig lastnight which went well, but its hard to get the punters out when its just after a bank holiday weekend especially when its still brass monkeys out there but hey the show must go on, and go on it did with three acts doing a 40 minute set each. In my case that meant playing 10 songs, seeing as I've gotten into the habit of writing everything to fit into the 3 minute (or so) structure.

Anyways today I went in and did a pre-record for a radio show which will be going out on Sunday morning after 11 on 98FM if you're around Dublin but if you're outside of that and can listen online go to www.98fm.ie and find the "Listen Live" link. Theres a few minutes chat and then I play a song called "Big Screen Kiss". The show is called "The Lowdown" and is hosted by Louise Heraghty and big thanks to her for having me in.

I asked my friend Len (Len Arran producer of all the tracks I have up here) to come along and film it which he very kindly did, so as soon as we get the good quality audio from the station we'll knock it together with the video and we'll lash something up here or on my myspace.

Also just wanted to say that in case anyone thought I deleted their comments recently, I didn't, well not intentionally. What happened was that I reposted my songs so that they had artwork associated and not just the pink speaker icon thing and in that process they were lost.

Anyways hope you're all well and that you'll listen in on sunday

Nige

Hey just a quick one for now.

I'm doing a gig on Weds the 26th March in Dublin. Its a night called "Shine" and its upstairs in The Cornerstone which is on the corner of Wexford Street and Kevin Street. There'll be 3 acts including myself each doing a 40 minute slot, so should have something for everyone.

Also I'll be on radio this sunday but I'll post more about that soon!

Cheers

Nige

I have a show coming up this coming Wednesday in Dublin supporting a band called Caruso in The Cobblestone and I've been working away on some new tunes and also others that I'd written but not quite finished so I'm gonna use the opportunity give the new tracks an airing. I like to put the pressure on myself from time to time and I feel its important to keep moving forward and keep writing, its so easy to get lazy and just rely on the tunes that you know work, which is all fine and good as a performer but as the writer unless you keep writing well,...... I don't feel like I'm a writer anymore. I suppose its getting the balance right when you happen to be both the singer and the songwriter.

Anyways I'm particularly looking forward to playing a brand spanking tune called "Odd Number" its an uptempo pop tune that comes in under that 3 minute mark with about 20 seconds to spare. I just love playing it right now, its so great as a writer when a tune like that comes along and puts the fire back in yer belly about being creative again, which is where it has to start really. Without that theres nothing, but its so easy get caught up in the voxs and myspaces of this world, trying to widen your audience and generally let people know you're out here, out there, out anywhere. So when you remind yourself of why you are and what you are and that you're more than some administrative arm to it all....well it just feels good.

So fellow voxers, tonight I say, turn the internet off go grab your pen and paper and the instrument of your choice and get a song together, remind yourself of why and what you are.

And if anyone is around Dublin why not come check me out this wednesday, show starts 9pm in the Cobblestone, Smithfield.

Cheers

nige

Well my gig on tuesday went ok, started late and kinda ran over and so being the last act to play, I didn't get on stage til after 12. So I kinda threw caution to the wind and opened up with a song that I'd not really played publicly before. Its called "Coming Down is Hard", the opening verse being "She smokes her cigarettes with grace, you know exactly what she mean when she pulls that face, without saying a word, but sometimes she swears a little to remind you its still hurts". It got the idea from an article in a newspaper whilst in London last year, I was sitting in The Bedford Arms waiting to play at The City Showcase having a pint of Red Stripe, and lovely it was too. 

Anyways there was an interview with a girl who said something about smoking cigarettes with grace and still swearing a little in the context of her now being a little older & wiser whilst reminising about her youth.

So those lines and that idea stuck in my head and on my return to Ireland I wrote a song but I've been fiddling with the arrangement and the melody and the lyrics, since then and its had several incarnations but the one I'm at now I feel is the way the song should be.

Its quite a subdued sparse and underplayed song and so requires more of the listener, so past midnight wasn't the greatest time to play it but now that its had its first airing I shall introduce it to my set more often. Hopefully I'll get it demo-ed soon but I only really like putting up stuff thats finished for people to hear, so you might have to wait.

I'm hoping to get back over to London and do a few more shows this year, so hopefully I'll get a song or 2 out of the trip too

Just heard the news that the best song at the oscars was awarded to Glen Hansard & Marketa Irglova, for the song "Falling Slowly" written for a movie called "Once".

and

If you go here you'll be able to hear this song and others

Big deal you say!?? well it kinda is, this was a independent film made for €100,000 and these are independent singers/songwriter/musicmakers so yeah its great cos I'm Irish but its also great from an independent artist point of view.

The film is great too, so if you get the chance check it out.

One the other hand Ireland has elected to send a Turkey called Dustin to represent us in the Eurovision Song Contest. Nuff said!

Hey Everyone

This is totally unrelated to the Kaiser Chiefs but I just wanted to let anyone in the Dublin (Ireland) neck of the woods that I'll be playing at the longstanding Ruby Sessions in Doyle's opposite Trinity College this coming tuesday the 26th Feb. Its always a good night with 3 other acts also playing, so generally theres something for everyone.

Anyways have a good weekend!

Nige

one of the best bands ever

grounds for divorce

this band is just so frickin' great, can't wait for the new album.

later

nige