All the threes....

Thirty-three today... although some days I feel ten years younger and others I feel twice that!

Thank you to everyone who has sent wishes by sms, e-mail and Facebook. For me, though, it's just another Monday... in that Monday is usually my day off but I am still sitting at my laptop e-mailing bands to book, updating lists, chasing various organisations.

This is the true definition of a 24/7 job - I never actually stop working! If a friend tells me it's their birthday coming up, or they're leaving, I immediately suggest they hold a party at my venue, The Prince of Wales... I'll get in a good band, we'll do a barbecue and block off the garden for you, how about a special on selected beers. The almost sad thing is that this Friday the PoW will be hosting MY party! That's right, I am holding my own birthday party at work, which means that I will also be glad-handing and schmoozing to try and get folk to keep coming back!

Luckily I managed to book my favourite Singaporean band to play - The Great Spy Experiment (check them out at www.myspace.com/thegreatspyexperiment ). These guys were just starting out when I arrived in Singapore and I caught them playing a few times at the PoW, back when I was just a drinker and occasional musician there. And now they have done two mini-tours in the states and just released their first album! Singapore being so small, however, immediately puts limits on good original artists so I really want to plug them to everyone I know... so spread the word! These guys rock!!! And, with a fondness for the bar they started out in, and with me kind of knowing the singer Saiful, I have got these borderline superstars to play at my own birthday party!!! The perks of the job...

As wsell as GSE I also booked another guy I recently came across, Andrew Chen (check out http://www.myspace.com/andrewchen120). Most of you know what a HUGE Jeff Buckley fan I am... well this guy, in his late teens, plays and sounds so reminiscent of Buckley that it is actually quite scary! And he writes wonderful songs too... It's things like this that make this job worthwhile!!

Anyway, I am just using my birthday to promote two acts that I admire and think should be on much bigger stages. Hey, it worked for The Arctic Monkeys, why can't we do the same for these guys... right?

Take care of yourselves, and catch up soon.

Alex

ps - apparently both Jesus and Alexander the Great died at age 33. As the Killers might say, "He doesn't look a thing like Jesus", but the similarity of the second blokes name could be ominous for me.....!