Written a couple of new tunes over the weekend, pretty upbeat which is unusual for me.

'Watched Pot' is quite good fun to play and has a pretty good groove going.

'Had my run' is really mellow but also quite 'happy', has a bluesy feel to it, lyrics below:

when I feel the hunger
you fill me up, you fill me up
when I feel I'm falling
you pick me up, you pick me up
and I win back the sun
and it's true what they say
and I've been blessed the whole of my life
when it's you and I know

I've had my run
I've had it all
and seen it gone, gone, gone
I've had my run
I've had it all
and seen it gone, gone, gone, gone, gone

when you feel the thunder
I'll fill you up, I'll fill you up
when you feel you're under
I'll pick you up, I'll pick you up
and I win back the sun
and it's true what they say
and I've been blessed the whole of my life
when it's you and I know

And my recommendation for the day, week, month, year... Ben Harper's Diamonds on the inside, it's a beautiful, funky, upbeat album with some great tunes. A cross between Jack Johnson and Lenny Kravitz but better than both in my opinion... Check it out.

Got some great reviews for 'Sold' at Garageband.com over the weekend, it's nice when a few people get it. Shame it seems to be one out of ten though.

I've always wished I could write a diary...

Don't get me wrong, I know how to write and it's easy enough to buy a diary... I just mean I wish I had the motivation to keep it up to date. I've tried a few times but it usually only lasts a few days. I fill a few entries with a quick update of what has happened my whole life and then when I am up-to-date I get a few 'Nothing happened today' entries and then that's it... Diary in the bin.

Maybe I should just try and write one every five years, keep the 'what has happened so far' updates and then throw the diary away again. Maybe I am better at looking back than looking at what is going on now? That's scary, maybe I am actually having a great life but I only realise when I look back on it!!!

I've also tried the lyric book idea a few times, I would love to be like Jeff Buckley who always kept a little notepad handy just in case a lyric or poem came to him. I picture myself in a coffee shop, whipping out my little notepad and writing down the deep inspirational lyrics ha ha ha... But that ain't me. I'm an analyser or for you americans... Analyzer!!!

By that I mean I write my songs by finding an idea or a thread and then sitting down and playing with the words to express it. I write songs like fiction, even if they are about me or how I am feeling, I still role-play. How do I get across that thought? How do I disguise it a little bit so I don't upset someone, or how can I make it a little harder to crack the code of what I actually mean?

It's quite hard writing songs about life when you are living it, about people you see every day about feelings you aren't ready to talk about... Yea I can sing about it to a hundred people... But I can't talk about it to one person. Funny that.

There was a thread in my forum once where I tried to explain what my lyrics mean in each song and it was interesting to read how others interpreted them. In songs where I was trying to be bleak, people often said that they sensed hope, which is great because I didn't... Or was it there after all?

Anyway, my point about diaries is that the Internet has made it a lot easier for me, I put lyric ideas in a private forum before I forget them and it is great going back there and reading them and using them... And of course this is a diary of sorts. It's usually about music but every now and then I unleash this kind of nonsense.

I found this post I put up at a discussion forum at the start of the year, you had to state what you wished to achieve before you die...

*****

I'd like to own apartments/houses in Jersey, London, New York and perhaps Sydney and travel between them all year playing music to hundreds of people at a time at venues in and around these cities, who are there because they like what I play.

I'd like to play live on TV and radio, at festivals and in coffee shops and bars around the world.

I'd like to make albums of music that are loved by people.

I'd like to meet people I really respect for their talents, musicians, actors, directors, fighters and I'd like some of them to tell me that they respect me for my talent.

In each of my apartments/houses I would like a study/library/hideaway where I can keep my books and the tools I need to write my own... Great to see my book alongside Miriamelle's someday.

I would like to see my kids happy and fulfilled every step of the way as I walk through this adventure...

The other day I was playing a new track on my Mum's CD Player and my son (5) said "Nanny, that's my daddy singing..." And he beamed... I want to hear him say "That's my daddy on television/radio/in that magazine..."

Oh and I want to wake up with Angelina Jolie's smudged lipstick on my Y-fronts and I want to have the argument with Christina Aguillera as to who's lipstick it is exactly, which is smudged on said Y-fronts... I then want Kelly Brooke to butt in and ask "Since when did you wear Y-fronts JT?"

*****

And the only thing I'd change? Well, there's someone I want with me every step of the way and it isn't angelina, christina or Kelly and you know what... As long as the happy and fulfilled kids bit is true, none of the rest matters if that person is with me...

And whadya know, I didn't even need five years to look back on it to know it's good!!!

A good acoustic music club last night, great to get Alex, Simon & Phil together again, it's been a while since we were all available for an open mic.

I had good fun with Amie, Sold, Volcano, I'd do anything, the Professor, Cannonball & Sail away... Far too many covers though, I need to start playing more of my originals, the Splash needs the covers because they can be a tough crowd but at things like the music club I must start banging out my own tunes, I am also getting rusty...

Things are looking up on the open mic scene, we have the Splash and the Wine bar acoustic clubs and now Alex has been asked to look after the Monkey Monday gigs at the Blue Note Bar. So lots of opportunities to work at the craft and try new things.

Also, Alex mentioned Gorey Fete in August which usually attracts a few thousand people. Three bands to play the live music slot and hopefully JT can be one of them.

I am going to try and get a contact name for the +Positiv festival later this summer, I'd like to test my festival skills and see how the songs go down in that environment. TV studios, bars and clubs are one thing, big open air stage ~ whole new ball game.

Also must get my arse in gear and send out some CDs, I am so slack. Once my living arrangements are sorted I will get some focus.

A guy (quite drunk mind you) came up to me last night and said that he had only popped out for a drink and was glad he did because the music touched him... Not really into touching drunk men but music wise... That's what this is all about.

Also got chatting to a young bloke whilst I wasn't playing and he asked me about my influences and how I got into playing acoustic singer/songwriter stuff... It stumped me actually as apart from the obvious Damien Rice influence, I wasn't sure myself. So we had a good chat about Jeff Buckley, Alice in Chains, Led Zeppelin and Free and some of the stuff I am getting into now, including Damien Rice, Ben Harper and Tom McRae... Oh and David Gray of course, who whilst a slow operator album wise, is still a grand master of all things singer songwritery (is that a word?)

I must mention Blind Melon, Goo Goo Dolls, Mother Love Bone, Tesla and Mansun too when talking about influences, they all added some flavour to JT, especially on vocals. Guitar wise, my main influence is simply hours and hours of playing and making those soft little pads you get on your finger tips as a guitar player!!! There has never really been someone who has made me want to learn every note they played, it's always been about playing what is needed to deliver the song. I did go through years of wanting to be a shredder and loved Satriani, Vai, Steve Morse, Lynch and Paul Gilbert, but always had a love for the 'feel' guitar players like Jimmy Page and Paul Kossof from Free... And I guess my old mate Sean Conway who was my guitar teacher for years, I still love listening to him kick out the jams, he can play 'feel' and he can shred at the drop of a hat, awesome.

Woah, was I ranting? JT out for now.

Open Mic at the Splash was just getting going when the manager decided to stop the music for the football!!! What? It was Portugal/Greece for F Sake!!!

Ah well, I was enjoying it too and managed to get Volcano and Sail Away out before the 90 minute break.

Ali McGovern turned up and sang with me on Volcano... It's always nice to sing with Ali she is great and does a decent Lisa Hannigan impression actually.

Had a family funeral today and it was grim... After all the usual stuff (which I am not a big fan of at all) they played this old love song that my uncle used to sing to my aunt and the whole place was in tears... Then my ma insisted on telling me what flowers she wanted on her coffin and it got me to thinking about what I would do... No praying and No Hymns by the way, I want everyone in the joint singing the Blower's Daughter and I want people telling funny stories about me and I want live music and dancing... Mebbe a live sex show!!! I dunno... But I felt so fake standing there pretending to pray and for a singer, I suck at Morning has broken, I felt like I was back at school mumbling the words or at least mouthing them in case I got shouted at!!!

Anyway, the OPEN MIC at the Original Winebar in Bath Street is on tonight and I will be there singing the saddest most heartbreaking songs I can dig up from the depths of my miserable soul... Wanna come ha ha ha?

Should be a good crowd actually, a few friends are gonna try and make it, including Laura, who also does a GREAT impression of Lisa on Volcano...