Wednesday, November 08, 2006

I love being a songwriter. It's a weird thing though. This week I've had 4 songs picked up around the world for various artists that we'll probably never hear in this country (although you never know) and presently have a few hit records in the top 10 in various countries. Tonight however, I play the Troubadour with MY songs to an intimate but passionate crowd and get a bigger buzz!!! One brings home the cash, the other I do purely out of love for music. Now, that sounds a bit naff but it's true. I love these gigs I'm playing at the moment, it feels like a whole part of the London music scene I missed out on cause of all the shit I went through when I first moved down from Glasgow. But I'm so pleased I decided to do it. It's such a good laugh and it's also fun meeting the other musicians on the circuit. I've no idea if anything will ever happen for me again with my own recording, (although it won't stop me doing it!) but with my writing doing well, I could happily gig till I've got a bus pass. Although, it's fucking tricky taking a piano on the bus.

Friday, October 20, 2006 Baby get higher
It's so weird how something can just appear one day and surprise you! Baby get higher (a song I wrote which has become a big dance hit) has been covered again and is getting serious air play! Check out www.vanvelzenmusic.com to hear it. I like this song and never really got behind it when I recorded it so it's nice to see it's getting recognition somewhere! Have been writing with the brilliant Nate James this week, think we may have a hit ;-) x

Monday, October 09, 2006
Scotland 1 France 0
I was at Hampden Park on Saturday to witness the best day in my life as a football fan. Scotland were absolutely immense against probably the best team in the world right now, and as a fan I'll never forget the stadium after the match. The tartan army had to be dragged out of the exits but even then the party didn't stop. The streets around the stadium were filled with dancing maniacs in kilts, me being one of them, and I'm fairly sure every bar in Glasgow was dry by the end of the night. We couldn't have beaten the French on ability, we're such a small footballing nation (in size, not stature!). But I don't think they were prepaired for the way we fought in the second half of that game. I'll never forget it as long as I live.
They will destroy us in Paris next year!!!
My Bedford gig was chilled last night but I really felt good (if a little hung over!). Playing without Kielty is weird for me, but I enjoyed it last night and felt in the zone! Tony Moore has created quite a unique atmosphere there and it's become one of my absolute favourite places to play.
The EP is now coming along nicely and will DEFINITELY be done by late November/early December. I say that alot but it's true this time ;-)
Why did the leprechaun wear two condoms?
To be sure, to be sure.

Good Times (part 2)
I've had a fekin spectacular birthday weekend.
On Friday night I went to see the very funny Dylan Moran at Hammersmith Apollo. It was great, I was drunk, he was magic.
However, last night was the BEST gig I've ever been to, I'm still high this morning. Don't know if you caught the Scissor Sisters at Trafalgar Sq on Channel 4 last night, but I was fekin there!! It was amazing. They are one of the best live acts I've ever seen. I mean, I love them anyway, but the show they put on is just incredible. Jake Shears is my new hero (and as a straight man, I can even see why he's hot to most women!) and Ana Matronic is cool as fuck.
Anyway, going to carry on at the pub now as it's still the weekend.
Rock on.

ps Hope you can make it to the Rock n' Roll Kabaret tomorrow night. Am going to be playing a set quite different to what I've been doing ;-)

Monday, September 11, 2006
Lazy days and lively nights.
I love going on holiday. It's kind of like you forget that you exist back home, and that you've got so much shit to do but you just don't care. I went to a fantastic little island called Gozo, where the people are laid back during the day, but drink at night like the Scottish. I didn't think once about all the recording I'm about to embark on, and all the gigs I'm going to set up. But... and here's the weird thing... and it's always the fekin same... no matter where you go... YOU CAN'T WAIT TO GET BACK! What the hell is that about? Anyway, hope you are all well. I had a dream last night that I beat Russell Brand with a stick, which is weird because I think he's brilliant. But he had really pissed me off by saying big brother is better than football and I wasn't having any of it.
Good luck in all your endeavours.
David x

Wednesday, August 16, 2006
Rest time
Well, that the first run of gigs over with and I'm taking a break! They've gone so well and I don't think John and I could have even imagined how well received we'd be. The songs are getting fantastic feedback and there are still more to come! We've already got a few gigs booked for September so I'll get the dates on in the next few weeks but for the time being I've decided to record an EP. Reason being that these gigs have gone so well it's a shame my album isn't finished to get it out there circulating the new songs. So as of now I'm locked away recording before I go on holiday. Thanks to everyone who made it to a gig, we seem to builing up to something quite special. Take care and see you soon.
Peace out ;-)

Monday, July 31, 2006
Good Times
Hello. Well, Kielty and I feel as if we are well on the way now. As we're coming to the end of the first batch of gigs and starting to plan even more, the response we've had has been fairly phenominal. We got our first review yesterday in the Sunday Mail, and they gave us 5 stars! (out of 5, if it had been 10 I wouldn't be so happy.) Every gig we've played seems to surprise our audience, with alot of people coming up to me after saying they weren't expecting us to be so good (damn Fame Academy! I kind of forget what it was like before I did it. We ALWAYS had people saying how good we were!) So, keep an eye out here over the next few weeks as we'll be adding a few more shows. Hopefully, if you haven't caught one yet, you could come see for yourself. If nothing else, it's a good laugh!
Take it easy
Good Times.

Monday, July 24, 2006
Donations
Current mood: grateful
All good? Good. This is for all the generous souls who wish to donate to my uncle Jim but can't make the Motor Neurone event at Johnstone Town Hall. The family can't thank you enough and although a little embarrased by your kindness, are all very grateful! So, for those of you who keep asking me who to make out cheques to, its "Angela Murphy Charity" (my cousin Angela is Jims daughter). THANK YOU!! For those of you asking about direct transfers it's easy. The Bank of Scotland have set up an account for donations. It's "Angela Murphy Charity", sort code: 831604 account no: 00207173. Branch address is 29 Crossarthurlie st, Barrhead. Tel: 01418819419. THANK YOU!! Just turning up at the event on the 12th is enough, so please don't everyone start sending us money if you are coming along, it's too much!!! Thank you all so much, I am humbled and surprised by the response. x

Wednesday, July 19, 2006
Bedford, High-Barn, Canary Wharf
Well, the summer acoustic gigs are under way and have to say, am really enjoying it. It's kind of like playing to family at the bedford which has become my favourite place to play in the city... although Canary Wharf was outstanding last night! It was like playing in New York, surrounded by those sky scrapers and everyone just sitting about drinking beer. I also need to give a special mention to High-Barn, which is the best kept secret in the music scene. I encourage any other performers reading this to check it out for a gig. It's such a great space (acoustics are great) and the people make you feel really welcome. It's all going well so far, lets hope Kielty and I don't get pished before ginglik and ruin it... ;-)

Friday, July 14, 2006
Thanks
Just wanted to say thanks to everyone who's been sending me nice messages about the Bedford gig. It seems my nerves didn't get the better of me! Glad I've had such a great response to my new material as it can be difficult to hear songs for the first time (especially acoustic) and get an idea of them in your head. Can't wait for the others and more to come. I'm sorry (again) if I don't reply to emails but I do appreciate it! The Martians are finally on myspace. No music yet but soon to come!

Monday, July 03, 2006
Piano
YO YO YO.
For some reason a few people are under the impression I'm not playing piano on my new tracks. This is total bollocks! I am playing on all the tracks and will be playing at all my gigs this summer! It's getting close now and I'm starting to feel a little nervous/excited. I'm also going to add a new gig at Canary Wharf on the 18th July. It's in Canada Park and hopefully it'll be hot!
World cup is awesome, love the English media! So predictable that they'd find a scapegoat for going out! (the sun is hilarious today!)
Also, come on Andy Murray! Have been a huge fan of his since Queen's Club last year and he's getting better and better. Hope he gets through today!
Good times xx

Monday June 6, 2006
More Gigs
Well hello. I haven't been on here for a while as BT are the biggest **** ups of all time and cannot connect my broadband in my new flat till the end of the week. (so am using the studio computer to catch up on stuff. I am hard at work.) I am going to be adding even more gigs in the next few weeks. Kielty is in charge of Edinburgh gigs so people waiting for them have to ask him! (although he has been stupidly busy.) The sun is finally out and it makes me happy. Nothing better than having the top down on my car while driving along the M3 at 88 mph. Great Scott. Big Brother has become increasingly annoying over the last few weeks. I've never seen such a bunch of socially inept ****wits in all my life. Almost as bad as that reality show on BBC1 about a "Fame School" or something. It was rubbish and the guy who won it died saving a pregnant lady from a falling tree. God rest his soul. This was his album. It is good.
ALL GOOD

Thursday, May 25, 2006
Oran Mor
GLASGOW GIG!!! WOO-HOO!! Can't wait for this. Anyone who comes to this gig will find me a drunken mess by the end. I love playing in Glasgow. Apart from the fact it's my spiritual home all my mates come see me (then spend the night telling me how crap I am...love it!!)

Thursday, May 25, 2006, Troubadour
This is a fantastic venue for acoustic music, and will be a good gig. Very excited about it (and it's not too far from where I live!)
Moving house is a pain in the arse. I have done nothing since last Thursday but lift and paint. And the weather has been the worst I've seen since moving from Glasgow in 2003!! Still, at least the world cup is coming soon, (notice there are no gigs scheduled over June!) Am fed up with moving. Haven't been to the pub since start of may... although the lack of beer has led to me actually getting fit. Am watching CSI all the time (unless I'm moving). Box sets are the way forward. Ramble ramble... am still typing... ramble... DON'T WANT TO PAINT MY BLOODY HOUSE ANYMORE

Monday, May 15, 2006, Highbarn
Now added the High-Barn to the summer acoustic dates. If you can make the trek, this one will be worth it. It's a great little venue and will be a good show. Glasgow and Edinburgh dates to be confirmed soon! GOOD TIMES!!
This John Mayer album is AWESOME! Download it if you haven't heard it!

Thursday, May 04, 2006, Cast off!
My cast is off!! I've done nothing for 4 weeks and now I'm free to party!! I've been happily and quietly getting on with writing (even though I'm starting to get abuse from some impatient people for not gigging... shame on you!!)I've started to set up some acoustic sets, including a summer festival up north with Kielty (alongside the Alex Harvey band). I'll keep everyone posted on when and where. It's all sounding fekin great and you'll soon get to hear the whole lot.
All good with me, how're you?!!
David x

Friday, April 07, 2006, Fekin ankle
Well it's bloody official. I've broken my ankle and as of this morning am in plaster for the next 4 weeks. CAN'T BELIEVE IT! I'm going to sit in my flat and write bitter, bitter songs. People have been asking if they can put my new stuff on their pages. I'll sort this out soon but would rather wait till I'm happy with the tracks!
Am fed up already. Think I'll get beer.

Sunday, April 02, 2006, HELLO EVERYONE
Ah, now, the problem is that every time I come on here I get loads of emails (which is AWESOME!!!) Only, I'm going to have to say sorry to some people as I can't get through them all. Sorry. I'll get back to as many as I can (and also enjoy leaving random messages with people) but if I don't reply, don't think I haven't read anything, cause I have! OK.
I'm going to put some new music on here this week so let me know what you think.
PS the new snow patrol song is fekin great. They are everything that's good about melody in rock music.

Thursday, March 09, 2006
If you want to hear a few of my new 1st draft demos, click on PHONIC8 in my top 8!

Latest from David 03/04/06
David in the Writing Zone: David has put 2 demo songs on MySpace – White Noise and Lady Lullaby. He’s in a great songwriting zone and working on the right sound, so after he’s done, he says he’ll be out doing ‘intimate gigs.’
All 4 new songs on MySpace are written by David, (and are not co-writes) and the majority of the new songs are his own work.
’ I just find myself writing more and more at 4 in the morning and to be honest, it kind of makes it more personal.’

The new tracks on MySpace are only demo’s – ‘I’m still trying to find the perfect sound.’ He says he is writing some of the best he’s ever done so he is trying to get as much written and recorded while he is ‘feeling it’ and then take a break and do gigs after.
(Also he is going to V festival again this year and it was awesome last year)
Plus Nate news – Nate is going down a storm in Japan, his Album is selling well and ‘ The Message’ is to be a single there.

03/06 - In March David put himself out there on Myspace, the place to promote these days . So check it out!
He’s continuing to work on the new album, and he says it has an 'acoustic indie pop/rock' feel to it..., but most importantly it has some very strong songs.

21/12/05 - A Christmas ‘ Hello’ from David!  
The album is nearly finished, apart from needing a few touches.
'It's pretty damn exciting, and having now played it to a few "industry people" it's getting an awesome reaction, (one particular cool music journo told me it could be a monster!) Not what anyone is expecting I think.’
The boys spent 72 hours mixing it, so that they could go home and relax for xmas. They went to a cool new studio called Monkey Puzzle, Bury St. Edmonds, in a tiny village of Woolpit.
‘The sound there for mixing is excellent, and we were the first to break it's virginity. It was such a chilled place I'm going to record there again to iron out little problems on the album.’
David is heading home to Paisley soon for Xmas and he says he can’t wait ‘Living in London is great, but nothing beats Glasgow for atmosphere.’ Totally agree!
Also - next year when he back OUT there, there will be a place to send letters & he will try and reply! David wishes everyone a good Xmas and new year.
‘Thanks for being patient with me over the last two years... but I think you'll be fairly glad I took the time to get it right. 2006... I'm back baby!!’

December 2005 - David Sneddon Update 2005
ANOTHER YEAR'S gone by, and I’m still here doing my David site! Actually I do several other sites too. Apart from a few gigs early in the year, this has been a very creative year for David. He’s been busy working on new material, and a completely different direction for him, which he’s very excited about. Since August he has been in the Recording studio for his new solo album. He will be including his sensational 'No More Words' which speaks with such raw emotions.
His new songs - David’s music has moved on incredibly, practically unrecognisable except for the emotional vocals and the melodies that flow in very special ways. But the concepts and lyrics are greatly matured. So we’re looking forward to the new album, hopefully next year. David has developed hugely as an artist and has been finding his own unique voice.
He writes with John Kielty and I do a site for his band The Martians. Watch out for them – they plan world domination! - “so that we can get simple things done, like Ghostbusters 3 before it's too late, Dr Who on Saturdays forever, and general Martian worship." The Martians are a self-styled, sci-fi version of the Monkees; they write and perform songs, musicals & TV shows.
David and John are a magic song writing partnership and plan another album together.

October 2005
ALBUM VIDEO DIARY  of the Recording sessions. September & October, have seen David busy in the Recording Studio in London and the recording is going well. One of Dave's favourites is a song about his home town of Glasgow called ‘My Streets.’ First clip of new song 'Insomnia' now on –

September 2005
 ALBUM update. The album is about half recorded now – David's still writing like mad too! and John may be down to write with him soon. He has recorded the new song ‘Heart’ and sent it to Struan and he says how amazing the new Straun school is. Nate James has been getting good Radio play and his Sheperd Bush Empire gig next week is selling well.  

July 2005
SOLO ALBUM !!  David and John have been writing in a remote highland cottage early July, for a new album later in the year. They are very excited about the new songs. David is now recording the songs at Jay and Jake's (from The Sham) studio. ’It’s quite different from anything I’ve ever done’ The first track is called ‘ Leave you like I Should’ a co-write between David and his nemesis, John Kielty.

June 2005
'I'm so excited about recording my solo album and relaunching my career. I've been working closely with Nate James and have written five or six songs for him. It really inspired me and gave me a kick up the ass to get my own career on track. This is a clean slate for me. I'm crossing my fingers people don't remember me from Fame Academy and that they now accept me as a singer-songwriter doing contemporary rock. I was so fed up with the way I was perceived after Fame Academy and my old record label, Mercury, just wanted me to record ballad after ballad. That's not the kind of music I do.
My new music is so different, there's nothing like Stop Living The Lie on the new album. I mean that song sold a lot of records, but it was actually originally written as a celtic rock ballad. I've always wanted to do rock music. It's what I did before I was on Fame Academy. I don't have high hopes that this new album will be huge or a massive success, but I am really excited.' Daily Record

February 2005
DAVE TALKS ABOUT THE BAND - Press release 23/2/05 - 'David keeps it real'
The Sham is built around David Sneddon’s mature and thoughtful repertoire
of heartfelt songs. 'Working as a songwriter is good and it pays the bills, but I’ll always be a performer. Fronting a band like the Sham excites me as a musician and as a six piece set up we enjoy influences from all sorts of rock n roll music. Hopefully, it’s just fun to watch and music to dance to! This is the complete antithesis of that Fame Academy adventure. We turn up in a strange town tell our own stories, connect with the people and share each others lives and hopefully part at the end of the evening from friends.'
Says an older and visibly wiser Sneddon. 'It’s fresh and exciting but most importantly it’s real.' David said he was looking forward to playing in Scunthorpe with The Sham, and said the tour would be a lot of fun.

December 2004
‘I don’t regret winning Fame Academy but it was a massive foot in the door, nothing more.’

October 2004
"I wanted to disappear from the public eye so I threw myself into my songwriting. Fame Academy was a great springboard for me, but when I left, the record company wanted me to be a solo Westlife. The opportunity of recording the music I had written myself fell by the wayside and I was asked to mime a lot - it didn't feel right, or real. For me it was always more about the songwriting and music than being famous just for the sake of it. But I am grateful for Fame Academy, it got me off the dole!"

Birch Radio
'After I packed it all in, I got an amazing deal with Universal. After a couple of songs they said this stuffs pretty special. But I said ‘No ‘ initially. Then they suggested I form a band. We’ve had an amazing response so far. After the showcase in June we were offered a record deal, but not really ready for all that. We wanted to slow it down a bit. We’ve been doing these sell out gigs in London. We want to get it right. Jay and Jake produce in their studio just outside London. Its great to have your music produced by your mates. The great thing is there are no expectations this time. It’s been a bonus though to get so much airplay. We’ll wait and see. Unless its about the music, and not the image, only the commercial stuff, being in papers etc. Last year that was all I had and no one wanted to talk about my music. '

David you’ve chosen Day Tripper by the Beatles.’ Yes, some songs have that quality about them, they effect your mood and the Beatles do this. One of my favourite songs.’

September 2004
DAVID SNEDDON, John Kielty and their new band The Sham will headline this year's Hogmanay celebrations in Aberdeen. Paisley-born David said:
'Being the headline act at New Year will be amazing.'