Waaaaaassuuuuuup?

Man, the calendar is really filling up! Cool, I love to keep busy!

Overdrive: After a minor chrisis the band is back on track! We split, reformed without the old bass player, found a new bass player, and are now back on track. Gigs booked, new photos taken and rehearsal planned!

Grand Design: Was asked to join about a month ago, when the old guitarist quit. Since I actually came up with the band name, made the logo, named the first album and have laid down guest solos for three songs, it felt quite natural to accept the invitation. Great, but quite "interesting" first rehearsal due to a bad burger. Lots of gigs booken i Spain, Switzerland and Sweden. More to come!

Zoom Club: We've also managed to squeeze in a rehearsal/recording! We have a show booked in august and we need to get this vehicle moving, too!

Constancia: Finally have evenrything I need to really get down to recording guitars for the new album... except the time, due to the above. Well, if it's taken this long I guess it's better it's good and solid, than quick and dirty! It'll come together.

Locomotive Breath: Still talking about making a new album. I have thrown some song ideas at Mattias, so we'll see what happens there, too. Time (the thing I don't have) will tell!

The Encyclopedia of Swedish Hard Rock And Heavy Metal Vol 3: Now here's a beast that is really moving these days! I HAVE to get this massive monster of a book ready before summer! I'm putting a LOT of time and effort into finishing up all loose ends and leads. I just wish bands and labels would see the benefit of being and the book and understanding I have a deadline. There's a lot of stuff out there I'm missing, and if I was to buy all these records just to be able to feature the cover and write about the recording, I'd be broke long before the book release. Bands/labels: shape up and ship out! Please!!

FUZZ magazine: Yes, still constantly writing. Have several interviews that need to be written and reshaped into fine and interesting articles. There's that issue with time again...

Love: Yes, love is there, or else all of the above would be down the drain. Thanks luv :-)

25 hours a day!

Well... at least that's what I feel I need right now! Everything was just fine up until my dayjob suddenly started taking over! It's been more like a well paid hobby that will allow me to dive into various musical projects, be it writing or playing, without having to put the economical aspect in the forefront. Just when I feel I am at my peak recording the new Mountain of Power, writing for FUZZ, composing for Overdrive, writing songs for "a big German band" and working on my third encyclopedia... disaster strikes.

Project Management
Two days before we're off to New York for a mixed vacation/Constancia promotion trip, my boss tells me - "I've sold a course in Project Management that you will be holding. It starts Thursday in three weeks and it's 12 days of lectures spread out over 6 weeks". Well, ok, ... thanks. It's been a while since I did had PM training, but as I'm still working as one, it would be ok, I guess. "They have a new book they want you to use". Eh... ok. I brought the book on my trip, spent a few hours reading it, to find there were lots of new things like Conflict Handling, Johari Windows, Feeback handling etc that were not really dug into when I had my training.
Ok, the book had several exercises... except that the publisher hadn't printed the Exercise book yet! The three days I spent planning the lectures, figuring out exercises etc was agonising! When I found out I had 46!!! students at the same time the agony grew even bigger! Not because of the amount as such, but because 46 students, it's not a lecure it's a seminar!! Fuck me!

Mountain of Power
The Mountain of Power album is coming on good! When in New York I spent some time with Joe and Sami at Grooveyard Records and we honed out some of the details. I've got quite a list of cool guests on this one, people I've selected with the song in mind, songs that will fit their style! Now I'm just waiting for the files to start rolling in (some already have). He's a quick rundown of the songs and musicians: (I'm playing bass, rhythm and lead guitar on all tracks):

1. Keychain/Bad Penny (Rory Gallagher) - Conny Bloom, Mikael Nord Andersson
2. Bedroom Thang (ZZ Top) - Clas Yngström, Mikael Nord Andersson
3. Waves (Resurrection Band) - Christian Liljegren, Maria Rådsten, Ty Tabor, Ed Collins
4. Monkey (Trapeze) - Jarrod England, Greg Martin, JJ Marsh
5. Talking Bout A Feeling (Mahogany Rush) - John Norum, Martin J Andersen, Tomas Juneor Andersson
6. This Kids/Reasons Love (UFO) - Martin J Andersen, Sven Cirnski
7. I Stand Alone (Blackfoot) - Mattias Osbäck, Rusty Burns
8. Making Magic/Makes No Difference (Pat Travers) - Jay Jesse Johnson, Mikael Nord Andersson, Joe Romagnola
9. Money (Leslie West Band) - Kjell Sjöström
10. Deadly Weapon (Trigger) - Martin J Andersen
11. Indian Dawn/Hellcat (Electric Sun/Scorpions) - Liz Vandall, Thomas Larsson,
12. Struck Down/25 Hours A Day - (Y&T) - Mikael Nord Andersson, Joe Romagnola, Ed Collins
13. Checkin' Out/Sister Madness (Ozz) - Mattias Ia Eklundh
14. Urban Guerilla (Sammy Hagar) - Cindy Weichman, Jay Jesse Johnson

Encyclopedia
Well, what can I say... I'm trying to keep it up to speed, but it's hard. There are soooo many bands to write about, over 2500. I'm currently halfway through the letter B...

Magazines
For reasons I can't go in to at the moment, I have stopped all co-operation with Sweden Rock, both the festival and magazine, and will have NOTHING whatsoever to have with either. I'm still, with great pleasure, writing for FUZZ magazine and also Metal Covenant and Metalcentral.

Other stuff
I did a guest solo for a upcoming released by the band Ruined Soul, great heavy stuff! I also contributed with a solo, the logo and the title of the new CD by Grand Design (Metal Heaven). Check it out!