I need my glasses to see!

so its been a great week thus far, many things developed, came through, got put in place. I would love to tell all, but where is the fun in that! Yeow!

taken by BigBad Llama

i was playing a gig a class Belfast venue Black Box on Friday the 23rd of Septmeber. It was culture night and the city was alive, specifically the Cathedral Quarter which is my favorite place in the city. Lots of street poets, acts, exhibitions, and music, lots of live music! I had the wonderful opportunity to play the main room at Black Box. It was class, LOVED it. Cant wait to get back there.

After the set, in which we played ‘seven’ for the first time, i had to go explore what was on offer. The whole night i was getting remarks made about my glasses, they were all nice, but i guess i hadn’t really ever had a fuss made over them. New York (where i got them) wasn’t seeing anything new and i mainly wore sun glasses in Australia, but Belfast was impressed by my ‘clark kent’ frames! I assure you, as much as i adore the Ray Ban Wayfarer look, it is not all vanity. I do need them folks, I am short sighted i promise!

All in all it was a class night, loved it. I will return to play the Black Box, Green Room Cafe on the 22nd of October. They have the nicest slice this side of 1st Ave, Manhattan! put it in your diaries, have a slice of pizza and NOH!

N xxx

The Wave Ep will be available soon, Im very excited. Download this picture if you like, taken by Vanessa Chaperlin, of Happiness Photography.

This is me ankle deep in my former local break at Manly Beach, Australia.

xxx

by Tony Webster (BigBad llama)

Hola

Went on a little stroll with (Tony Webster) BigBad llama the other day in the big smoke, that is Belfast city, and decided to shoot this. Yellow fountain at the old victoria square, NOH, The Wave.

Enjoys.

xxx

unplugged @ sunflower fest

Once again folks i am running a little behind the times, so might as well fill you in on the past two weeks that were highlighted by two festivals i played.

The first fest was the Sunflower fest. Nestled in the Hillsborough hills lies a little farm owned by Tubby AKA Michael McGowan and his wife Vanessa. Each year they offer up their farm, time, a hell of a lot of effort and money to host Sunflower Fest a community fueled family festival that Northern Ireland should be very proud of. This was its second year and my second time playing. With bands like RAMS pocket radio, RunawayGO and Mojo Fury to name but a very few the caliber of music on offer over the 3 days is amazing. I got to play the beautiful themed campfire stage set in a natural amphitheater on the farm. It was a great gig for all the worst reasons though. Third song in, the stage goes dead, the audience think im miming and the band are looking at their silent instruments. The electricity went! EEK. This might have seemed a bit of a rubbish thing to happen but never fear! the NOH show must go on! It turned into a corker of a gig. The amazing crowd that had gathered to listen got totally behind the unplugged effort and moved right up close to get a listen.  All in all a great wee gig, however the brand new NOH band and the new arrangements had yet to be unveiled. Thankfully 5 days later we had Hilden Beer and Music Festival to play!

A Tony Webster Picture (BigBad Llama)

The Hilden Beer and Music Festival is held at the historic Hilden Brewery and makes a really lovely experience for anyone into their beer and music. In fact even if your not into your beer its a really nice little festival with every ticket purchased getting you some free BBQ grub! Once again i was very excited to be playing with the band and more so now that the last set was cut short. It was my first main stage performance and the big stage was looming! We broke into ‘Return the Smile’ and i knew from the first few bars it was going to be a really fun set! We even got to play our surprise cover at the end, California by Phantom Planet. Significance being that was the final place i hung out before coming home a month ago TODAY! eek.

Its been a weird 4 weeks, very different and a little sad at times. Comparing what i would have been doing at any given time a month ago is always on my mind. However with 3 festivals in 3 weeks, a new band, new songs, and meetings with very cool people who want to support my musical future and planning the next academic phase of my life (oh yes a Dr O Hagan perhaps) there hasn’t been a lot of me time to feel sorry for myself! BUSY BUSY BUSY. Just how i like it.

A massive thank you to Tony Webster of BigBad llama who has been a massive shinning light for all things NOH. Much to come in the future, IM VERY EXCITED.

NOH + Tony Webster = exciting stuff

Next gig will be at a local favorite of mine, Mollys Parlour, Lisburn! Rocky road bun + caramel cappuccino and some NOH music = AH Lovely on Saturday evening the 30th of September.

xxx

So after a month in the states, where i done very little except hang out with amazing people and eat copious amounts of mexican food, Surf Taco will always hold a special place in my heart, it was time for home. However i loved the fact my final gig on the global tour that took place over thee most amazing 11 months was in NYC, where it all began. Bar 4 played host to my farewell set and as always the wonderful people of New York City that were in attendance that night, the 2nd of August, made me feel very welcome. It was so long to the US of A but I feel like it wont be so long before I’m back.

final stop NYC

going home...

Lets see, I get on a plane at JFK  on the 3rd of August fast forward 9 hours and arrive in London on the 4th of August. Wait for a few hours before getting on a plane to Belfast City! and before i know it the past 11 months is all over, and I’m back. HOME. However there is no rest for the wicked! Oh NO. I have Forfey Festival to play. Forfey Festival is a really beautiful event ran each August and one I had really wanted to be a part of. So i asked to play it back in February but warned the organizers I needed to get a set time on the saturday as i wasn’t coming home until the day before. Matt ‘Mr Forfey’ said no problem, and so it was Forfey would mark my home coming gig. It was one i couldn’t wait to play as it meant reuniting with my band! After a whistle stop practice of the set not 24 hours into my return, we headed to the festival, located just before Enniskillen in Fermanagh. Although, after a years waiting, we nearly missed the set getting held up by another festival of the orange marching variety! Thankfully though we got through and made the load in time with about a minute to spare. Phewww.

first practice back home

It was a really humbling experience playing Forfey. It attracts a bunch of extremely lovely people and i was feeling a lot of support from a considerable number of folk who had been keeping tabs on my adventures. I loved being able to tell my stories and the crowd not only got some new NOH tunes but a guide to all the best places to go see out there, the biggy being Pumpkin Island!

xxx

…We are still on a cosmic journey into the past, however we are getting closer to the present tense… stick with me… but for now remember back to July…

Wow so it’s been a while! There has been neglect to this blog and I do apologise! Why a page entry can take up to 3weeks to type is beyond excusable but alas sometimes one day leads to another and before you no it, its been a long time and a lot has happened and I just hope I remember it all!

The last time I had just played my first gig in Port Douglas Australia, now I am currently typing this in a friends beach side apartment in Manhattan Beach, Los Angles! Yes people I have crossed the line of day and for the past 2 weeks have been living the SoCal dream, staying in Huntington Beach, surfing skating, deepening the tan and having a blast with old friends!

Im still reminiscing about the radio Port Douglas gig. I WAS VERY HAPPY! On the radio in Australia, CLASS! Just before I was leave Port Douglas for good Dan and me played together for the last time on the air! I loved every second and the great bit was getting the whole thing recorded for Internet replays and Youtube footage! COMING V. SOON! There ended a really awesome week in Port Douglas and the last time I played guitar in OZ.  Next stop LA.

California… well wow, this place is massive. I had no idea! Did you?? I am living in Manhatty beach right now but was living in the OC! Yes people I am living the dream I’m sorry.  I would love to get a gig but where to begin. Its an hour in the car (by car I mean massive Ford pick up truck I currently drive) to anywhere. Plus everyday I get up intending on sitting on the internet and finding a gig only to look out the window see the blue bird day and the surf and think… hummm the internet can wait. I’m being a lazy one I no but shush because on the home front I have just confirmed my attendance at Forfey Festival on the 6th of August and Sunflower Fest on the 21st of August as well as Hilden Beer and Music Festival on the 27th of August. Cant wait. NOH has a week left in Cali before heading to New York city for one last rampage with Mr Adam Day, then after 11 months its time to head home.

xxx

….I continued to blog everything, but with limited internet on my final travels I am only able to upload them now… I need you to step back to a time not long from here…

What a blast the last few weeks have been.  Last Tuesday (June 21^st) I had the very fun job of playing a gig to a room full of happy campers and backpackers at Dougies Pack Packers in Port Douglas.

The gig was very fun, the audience were highly enthusiastic and supportive of my music and of course loved Dan the shredder man killing the solos! Port Douglas was fantastic and to top it all off I was asked to perform on port FM the local and very popular radio station on their live hour session. Dan and myself played a couple of tunes and chatted about being from a great Irish music scene at home and our plans for a tour next year.

I also had the honour of playing in a surf shop that can trace its place in surf history. Noosa Longboards surf shop.  Noosa is considered, by some tin the sufing world, the home of the short board revolution and Bob McTavishs local shop was host to a little gig of mine last Saturday.

Among the beautiful boards I played Miss N to a few of the locals and the customers in the store at the time. Then as if that wasn’t fun enough me and the owner jammed around for about an hour. I was also extremely happy to perform ‘the wave’ as board riding and all its glory inspire the song. A clip or 5 of the performances/ jam sessions with store manager Pete will be appearing online soon.

This week marks my final week in the in Australia and then its off the west coast of the USA to play as many shows as I can, hand out as many stickers as I can and get those face book ‘likes’ up before coming home to finish the summer off with a few festival slots!

leaving Oz, via a road trip along the 'Bruce Highway'. Trivia provided at every 250kms

The LA to NYC tour will be most fun I’m sure! Watch this space!

xxx

…stay tuned for the follow up blog from the past…by thursday we should be back on track and in the present!…

me with a lovely bunch of lads

Wow, apart from the amazing beauty that beholds every angle of Port Douglas they have a rather passionate live music scene that I was very lucky to avail of last night. I departed my very very lovely campsite/ backpacker heaven Dougies to play a very popular ‘muso’ night ran in the Central Hotel on the main street in town. I was welcomed by a room full of listening ears and happy faces, they returned the smile alright!

wearing NOH is so HIP

the crew!

To add excitement to the whole affair my Pumpkin Island partner in musical crime, Mr Dan Devane, was in town! So after a
little pre gig session we headed down to play our socks off. I’m smiling like the Cheshire cat thinking about it. I was told afterwards that everyone who walked past the entrance came in for a listen, which is a lovely thing to hear even if I didn’t see it, those nerves prohibit looking around! Dan and myself played 2 songs together ‘Return the Smile’ and ‘Miss N’, which the man now owns! His solo has been perfected (although I always thought it was perfect) and I have to contain my excitement and urge to stop playing my part and watch when it comes around!

NOH stickers ROCK!

NOH on the brain

To my delight the NOH stickers went down a treat and many people after getting theirs had them proudly displayed! Also most got straight onto their smart phones and became fans of the facebook page on the spot! Now that’s social networking! We are still off the 1000 though so keep pushing the cause!

It was my first gig since Sydney, bar the odd impromptu session at Pumpkin, and it was the best one I have had in Australia thus far. Many people made me feel very welcome and I hope they are reading this and enjoy looking at the pictures! All credit to my amazing PR/PA partnership of Miss Molly and Miss Lindsey for documenting the night.

All my new friends keep in touch ya hear! Gig this Tuesday night (28th) at Dougies Backpacker Resort, hopefully see a few of you then!

Xxx

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hidden messages found in Brisbane...click the picture find the answer

so last friday marked the end of the pumpkin island dream. after a 2 week agreement that turned into 7 it was time (while there was still some time left) to see the rest of this vast country before heading to LA.

it was sad, very very sad, pumpkin and its owners and their pets had become like family and leaving them felt extremely unnatural. the next stop however kept my head in a happy place. Brisbane city was a new box to tick and while i was there some studio time had been arranged and i had 2 new demos i wanted to get off my chest! Brisbane is a really amazing city, simply for the fact i watched this place get swamped in meters of water when its main river breached its banks at a catastrophic rate! Not 3 months ago Brisbane was hit hard and as i walked its river side paradise that is the South Bank and seen its streets around the CBD i was stunned at the turn around it has undergone! What a  resilience the people of Brisbane have shown. Brisbane is a beautiful city, and the sun shone the whole time! YUS.

more messages...click the pic to find the answer...a go on

OK so while there it was possible to tick off some surrounding hot spots, one being the famous Byron Bay and the other being Surfers Paradise! it was a (approximate guess) 300km round trip done between 9am and 6pm but it was awesome! I hung out with the lovely lady that was going to be recording my demos the next day and of course the awesome PA that is Miss Lindsey! While i was there i couldnt resist leaving my mark!

The Studio the following day was in the SAE which is an awesome institution for the futures musical engineers out there. The studio was awesome and after a day worth of singing and playing my guitar two new demos were laid down! YeeHaw.

in my place

Tomorrow its another plane and another place on the map. Port Douglas to be exact where i am set to reunite with the awesome guitar shredder Mr Dan Devane for a gig or two! Then folks the end is near for the Oz section of this adventure. Beyond next week we are looking at some very exciting La’La land performances! Oh im excited are you?

xxx

I had a dream, I had another and another, I had many dreams when I was younger and still do truth be told. Today someone asked me if I had to write down my dream on a piece of paper could I, and I actually couldn’t.

It is a dream of mine to be successful in the music industry, and it would be a dream come true to be able to tour, play and write music for a living. As it happens I have been extremely lucky in that I have been living my dreams my whole life with a very supportive family to help and guide me along the way. This year has been an especially dream fulfilling one. I have been touring around the globe playing and writing my music to many new faces in many, many new places.

At the moment I am literally living out the ultimate dream of being on a private island in the middle of a tropical paradise. Yes, I live on Pumpkin Island, a place of magic situated on the Capricorn Coast of Queensland in the Great Barrier Reef Marine. It’s amazing, and highly inspirational. Every morning I wake up in a dream!

Here is a video of a new song I have written while being out here playing it with me is a very talented friend Dan Devane. ‘Miss N’ enjoy.

I feel I live in a dream world, if I continue to do what I’m doing and achieve what I have set out to this coming summer I will be continuing to live the dream. What’s yours? Dream on!

xxx