Indeed I would have preferred to stay hosted in France, supporting a French self-managed association (Lautrenet, very cheap), but my recent problems with Internet and telephone operators brought me to the realization that it´s not enough to be cheap if you don´t deliver the goods.

Unfortunately I had to realize how slow their server was, and most of all, I´m almost ashamed to say they were so amateurish that if you had a problem, like I needed a so-called SSL certificate - what you need to have a secured internet shop with an "S" after the http - you could have to wait weeks to get an answer (matter of fact, I´m still waiting since February and never got one), so yes, it was getting to my nerve.

Moving to a better operator also meant moving my Domain name, although it was on a good French operator (Gandi), the Chemicloud conditions are much better and include the domain name. So it looks like I virtually moved back to England.

Don´t miss The Durdle Door Reprise in a Uilleann Pipes version (I now know whom I´ll ask when I need one)

I visited that Durdle Door when I went to Stonehenge, where I had a revelation...

I know what you think, but no, it´s not that, though I love megaliths, and leylines, as I already mentioned when Necronomacron let whose-Lady-was-it-again in Paris burn.

- Stonehenge, on one side, was a disappointment:

it´s much smaller that what the advertising makes you believe, I was lucky to visit it in the 80s because you could then get to the stones and actually touch them, now you can´t access the site without paying blood money to the British Heritage (parking, then access to the site itself, and even though, you won´t get closer than about 15 meters, as it is all fenced, as I saw when I went a second time around 2002).

Yes, British publicists could indeed make you believe the elephant is not on your couch.

- Which brings me to the other side:

indeed, the Brits (as used to say my Irish friends Billy & Mary), are masters in advertising, and that was my revelation.

Enough pseudo bashing, I´m very grateful to Matt for the work on my Internet presence.

Because, as says Putin: "it´s not finished yet",  Matt is also doing interesting music, "Indie folk/blues with Celtic and American flavours". The difference with average acts is his lyrics do have contents (like the quote opening this mail as a subtitle and below). He is also exploring new musical horizons, staying human, leaving aside the virtuoso/perfection twaddle path.

As you may already know:
Perfection equals paralysis

An independent musician, he also helps out other independent musicians

His last production I like very much: The Live at the 6 Degrees video is recorded with a "once-off" band he put together to perform various songs from his 5 albums in an almost completely acoustic set (acoustic meaning here, instruments are actually played).

While I love the idea of hiding your synthesizer behind a piano skeleton, it reminds me of this add I saw long ago:
"Piano for sale, the piece of furniture can serve as a bar"

Steve Fletcher, the said pianist had indeed a great idea using the harpsichord for the song Theory of Ruins - can´t help it, I love cembalo.

It would be a shame to forget mentioning classical violinist turned fiddle player Serena Smith

So I suggest you pour yourself a shot of (single malt) whisky and imagine you´re at the pub listening to Matt with band, the whole concert video is directly - and only - accessible on his website (red bottom link).

his Spotify

The threads of our lives are weaving round those we meet

All pilgrims on this ancient trail

A common destination no matter where we start

As we write another chapter in this tale

(from Buen Camino, where he also plays his 6 string fretless Sandberg bass)