STORYTIME - THE DAY I THREW UP ON ANOTHER MAN'S PRIVATE PARTS

Before I was a country singer, I played bass in a band called Ardentjohn. I still do actually, but we don't tend to play much these days.

Back in March 2006, we spent 4 weeks playing a residency in a nightclub in Breuill-Cervinia, an Italian ski resort right on the Swiss border. It was a tough slog. Good times, but 40 gigs in 30 days is a lot for anyone, so when the opportunity for time off came, we generally made the most of it.

Every Wednesday was a 'theme night' at the club, and on our second week there, they hosted a 'ladies night', complete with male strippers. This meant that no guys, including us, were allowed in before midnight, so we got the night off. Hurrah!

I can't remember what the rest of the band did that night, because my chosen course of action was to go to the bar in the hotel next door, get absolutely trashed on dubiously measured vodka red bulls, and try to drunkenly chat up the barmaid, who we will call Nikki. Because that might have been her name.

When Nikki finished her shift, we walked down the mountain into town. Well, she walked anyway. She told me the next day that I spent most of the journey falling over and sliding down the hill on my arse because I couldn't actually stand. We made it to the club, where I immediately abandoned her and attempted to walk back up the mountain to my apartment. It was roughly 1am, and I was completely alone and incapable in sub-zero temperatures and 6 feet of snow. At one point I fell over into the deeper stuff, and initially thought "Ahh, I will just sleep here and go back in the morning". Luckily I realised that I would DEFINITELY DIE if I did that, so I got up and headed home. It must have taken me ages.

When I got back to the apartment, the rest of the band were in bed, so I got into bed but it must have been broken or something because room started to spin. Just then my bandmate Mark got up to go to the toilet. As luck would have it, just as he closed the door I started to feel a wee bit sick...

Thankfully Mark had not locked the door. I barged in, and as I lunged towards the toilet pan, I tried to push Mark out of the way. I failed. I can still hear his words: "EEURGH! AL, YOU JUST GOT SICK ON MY C**K!!!"

Al-tagnan and the 3 busketeers

Yesterday was great. We decided to have a pre-gig practice in the afternoon, but the weather was so incredible that we decided to go busking. I forget how much I like busking. The Meadows Festival was on, so the people were out in force, and they were absolutely loving our little band, to the point where we had a nice little sit-down audience for the 45 minutes or so that we were there. Also, it put a wee £40 quid in the band beer fund.

We headed down to The Voodoo Rooms, and played a cracking set, considering it was our first gig together in 18 months, and only our 2nd band gig ever. A bit ropey in places but all in all, we had a great time, and the other bands on the bill were ace. Big thanks to our pals Miyagi, The Glendale Family, and The Appassionados for making the night so much fun, and thanks to everyone who came out for it. For a Sunday night gig in Edinburgh, you did us proud!

They don't call me Slim Shady, but...

I'M BACK! I'M BACK!

Yes, much like an American wrestler, my 'retirement' only lasted about 8 months. A few things have come together recently which got me back in the game.

The first of which, is a gig offer with some of my finest musical pals, Miyagi, and The Glendale Family. Both are bands I've played with quite a bunch in recent years, so when Andy from Miyagi asked if I would play on a bill with both acts, the only answer was yes (more details on the Tour page). Initially this was just meant to be a one-off appearance, but...

After my last gig supporting Red Sky July back in October, the promoter (Bill Lothian) has been in touch offering some pretty cool opportunities come the summer and into next spring. More details will surface in the coming months, but rest assured you should be seeing a LOT more of me with the full band in the future.

What's occurin'

It's been about a month or more since I posted a blog. Apologies!

Right now I'm listening to Joe Pug in my headphones. I supported him last month in Glasgow (still amazed I managed to land that gig!), and it was an absolute pleasure and an honour. I've been a fan of his for about a year now, and the fact he was such a great guy just added to the whole thing.

HUGE thanks to everyone who signed up to the mailing list after that show. It was great to talk to so many great people. I'll hopefully land another show with Joe when he comes back to the UK to tour his new album.

I'm also going to be supporting Neal Casal in May! That gig was supposed to have been at the beginning of March but was postponed for whatever reasons. I wasn't too familiar with Neal's solo stuff before, but obviously knew him as the guitarist in Ryan Adams & The Cardinals. I am fast becoming a fan. The guy can write a damn fine song! May 26th, Electric Circus, Edinburgh. Put it in your diaries, and grab tickets from the link on my Tour page :)

Our kitten Biggs is getting, err, big. He's awesome, but he can be a little shit too! This is him trying to be cute:

In other news, I'm booked to play at the Deer Shed Festival this summer. A nice weekend of folky vibes and great food beckons. Hope the weather behaves itself! It'll be my first festival since Wickerman in 2007 so I really can't wait. 

I bore myself with these blogs so I'll sign off now. Much Love.

Al

Captain's Rest Blog. Stardate blah de blah....

Hello!

Christmas is out of the way so it's back to business. I had a quick trip down to London and Cardiff last week to warm up a little for my gig supporting the amazing Joe Pug on the 26th of Feb! It's at the Captain's Rest in Glasgow if anyone should fancy making it along. The guy is a true talent and I've been a fan for a while. You could do a lot worse than checking out his stuff. On that note, if you have any music to recommend, please do. I'm short of inspiration (songs to rip off) at the moment :)

We've had a new addition to the family recently. Our new kitten Biggs is chewing my hands to pieces and climbing all over every surface that'll hold his weight, and some that won't. He's really playful and pretty hilarious to watch. He crashed my laptop the other day by opening Firefox 300 times with his ass! Our other cat Daisy is NOT happy...

Oh and by the way a big thanks to all of you guys who have given me feedback about the album, band videos etc recently. It's all appreciated! I'll sign off with a little vid from September that recently found it's way onto the web courtesy of Future Exits Media. See ya soon!

Edinburgh Spotlight Review of Al's Album Launch!

The chaps over at Edinburgh Spotlight were at the album launch gig on thursday! Here's the full review:

In his grey suit and hat, Al Shields may be a little lighter in tone than The Man In Black – but with his appealing set of old country, blues and American folk, he walks a similar line to Mr Cash.

Tonight’s gig at The Voodoo Rooms is to celebrate the launch of Al’s debut long player ‘Slow Burner’, a collection of self-penned songs steeped in the 20th century Americana which he obviously loves so much. With titles like Travelling Man and Had A Little Lovin’, you get the sense Al would be more at home in some dustbowl diner in the mid-west rather than a grand ballroom in the east end of Edinburgh.

Tonight however, he’s gathered his local musical friends for an enjoyable and accomplished celebration of his LP release; and shows that you don’t have to be born in the USA to capture its musical spirit.

Support comes from Edinburgh singer songrwriter Kat Healy, whose short but sweet set of country-hued acoustic songs set the mood perfectly. Joined by guitarist Rory Butler, Kat has a stage presence which mixes vulnerability with good humour and has a voice and songs which drip with fragile emotion. The harmonies with Butler are something special; but Kat has an undeniably strong impact solo too, when her lone presence on stage emphasises her ability to take an audience on a heartfelt journey through her music.

Al Shields has assembled something of an Edinburgh alt-country / folk supergroup to accompany him onstage tonight. With Matt Norris on banjo and his And The Moon bandmate Tom MacColl on upright bass; Gavin Taylor of the Whisky River Boat Band on steel lap guitar; and Andy Duncan from Black Diamond Express on drums: it comes as no surprise when the sound they create is distinctive and hugely appealing.

What comes as more of a surprise is the fact this band doesn’t really exist – it’s been created specifically for this launch gig. So – although Duncan and Shields are long-time collaborators – the level of tightness on display from Norris and the others is impressive, coming across as if this band have been travellin’ the railroads together for a long time.

Shields acknowledges his good fortune at having such talented friends; but the night is his, and his set of songs about bad work, bad luck and bad lovin’ shows his ability not only to evoke the spirit of the lone bluesman, but also to pen some mighty fine tunes into the bargain.

As the band depart leaving Edinburgh’s Man In Grey alone on stage playing a couple of his songs solo, Al Shields has launched his album in style – and turned the Ballroom of the Voodoo Rooms into a little long-lost state of America.

Video Blog - THANKS!