Rusty Mahone: My plans for 2010

Where to start? Well--- the beginning obviously, yet its not that easy. You might say it started 30 something years ago when Phil Scarborough lent me his Parrot- that's an accordion not a bird. Some might say it started in 1985 when I left my day job to become a professional musician or 'busker' as most people called it. Perhaps it is about to start.

2010 for me is going to be a new start. I have been delving into the world of the midi accordion since September, and I'm having fun- I am enjoying the music for its own sake for the first time in years. Linking 'midi' to an accordion sends most people thinking in the direction of a squeeze box of manageable proportions. The horrible reality of the beastie is that a midi accordion talks directly to keyboards and computers and drum machines and vocoders and sequencers and and and...... in short makes even more noise than the original.

5 March 09 - DJ Writes....

Greetings to all members of the Mahone family, whether close or distant.
 
I thought I should just explain our inactivity at present. After eleven years of drinking, drinking songs and drinking in the general good spirits at our gigs, we've just sort of decided to have a rest from it for the foreseeable future. The Family Mahone have not split up, but neither do we have any plans beyond the select few gigs we are doing over the summer. Some members want more time off, others are busy with other musical projects, several are living happy domestic lives now they're not buggering off to various gigs and coming back rat-arsed at four in the morning.  We're getting on a bit you know.
 
Christy and Doc will still be appearing with Full House.  Charlie is in his shed working on film scores.  Donal is doing what Donal does. He and I mounted a top pop quiz at the Spinner and Bergamot, Comberbach recently.  Rusty will turn up all over the place, often when not asked or wanted.

Myself, Christy and Rusty will still be turning out in our Trio Mahone - Friday Busking Club guise - often playing the odd Mahone imbibing anthem. We supported Seasick Steve at the Manchester Apollo recently and enjoyed it a lot. We will also be playing as a power trio at Telford's on Sunday 16th March when my drums and Christy's bass will back the lead vocals, accordion and cod-piece of Rusty as he massacres several rock anthems. We may quite possibly be called Emmental, Lake and Palmer that night.
I'm also playing with my old guitarist mate Wammo in a new Dr.Feelgood style blues band and we will be playing our first gig at The Jolly Tar pub down Tarporley way on Friday 1st May. The boozer is run by our old friend Ray who used to run the Crewe Limelight on those boozy nights we used to enjoy so much when we were if not young, then at least younger.

Oh, and my new book 'Thank you for the days' comes out on April 6th and is tons better than Maconie's new book. Honest.

Jock is spot welding the van.
 
So, thanks for all your support all down the days. It has been a pleasure and privilege to play for you and take your money. We hope to do it all again. One day.
 
It was all for the best. All of it.
 
Be happy,

DJ