It's still a very strange existence here with all things "Wakeman" as even though the lockdown is nearing an end, getting stuff for the end of the year confirmed 100% is proving difficult and understandably we're getting as lot of "We need to wait and see if things change before we confirm things", from all areas including touring both here and overseas plus television and radio projects, and so March was very much the frustrating norm and April looks like being very much the same with maybe the odd improvement in May which does mean that if restrictions are lifted for eating out on the 17th of May… I will be able to eat out at my favourite local restaurant the day after when I depressingly turn 72!!
In the meantime, with my belief that there will be concerts later in the year, I am trying hard to get as fit as possible. I know you probably won't believe it, but I have shed 10 kilo since Xmas and my aim is to shift another 10 kilo before concerts start. No special diet, (as none of them work for me), I'm simply eating less.
I have been working on composing new material for the M102 project but with so much uncertainty, I have found it difficult and the project is running behind my original planned schedule. I have always believed that composing should be inspirational and if it's not forthcoming…. give it a break! You never know when it will come and it would be too easy just to write some music based on my musical knowledge but that would not be written with inspiration, so I need to wait. The Red Planet was a prime example of inspiration appearing and that is the rule of thumb now as that is really important and so I am thinking it could be a few months before I can start recording.
I know that my management are working hard to set stuff up for later in the year and put things in place as it is easier to cancel if government rulings change, than suddenly try to put things together, so I am quietly confident that a USA piano / keyboard tour will happen and also my "Not Quite as Grumpy Xmas as last Year" UK tour….but by July we should know for sure.
I recorded a piece for the RW YouTube channel which was inspired by my great friend Neil Crossland, who designed stage clothes for me and also virtually everybody else in the business for the last 40+ years, (including Michael Jackson and a host of others), and was used as part of a tribute documentary which hopefully will get shown, certainly on Yorkshire TV, very soon.
As it was playing "off the cuff" with no preparation at all, I called it "Temperament of Mind 15/03/21"… the numbers being the date. This was because that was how I did the original Temperament of Mind when in the Strawbs and which appeared on the Just a Collection of Antiques and Curios album…
When I am warming up at the piano I always play initially according to how I am feeling and have often thought….I wish I'd recorded that….but by then it's too late …..so now we have decided to have a Temperament of Mind every month where I will play without any preparation but will be how I am feeling at the time. …. Maybe becoming a special CD / DVD by Xmas.
Well that's it really ……nothing more to report that I can think of. Once again, thanks for all your support and the really lovely comments about our box sets.
Stay safe and keep well.
Rick