Limetree Festival

Sunday morning I was up with the birds to get myself sorted for Limetree Festival. I had a little bit of nerves for the first time in a while - which was nice - so wanted to be fully prepped with a big ol' breakfast of beans on toasted pitta (had no bread!), strong coffee and some honey based hot drinks - sort out my morning smokers throat! As an ode to foodandbiscuits.blogspot.com here is a pic of my very basic but hearty breakky..




Joe and Jo of said foodandbiscuits blog kindly picked me up at 9am and off we went, my guitar and some CD's to sell in tow. We arrived about 10:15, picked up our freebee tickets/passes (which included 2 free drinks and free meal for me - result) and set off through the mud to find the Green Man Stage. Joe was prepared with wellies, Jo was half prepared with little [leaky] boots and I had my trainers and jeans on as if I were going for a coffee in town. Fail! Here's my trainers a mere 2 minutes in. They (and my jeans) got alot worse throughout the day..

None of us had been to Limetree before so had no idea what to expect with regards to size, layout, amount of people etc. It was lovely really. Relatively small, very chilled, nice atmosphere, well organised and with good weather! As it was so early, and we had an hour and a half until I was on, we had a little mooch around the grounds and stalls and took in our surroundings.

Slightly off topic.. When I'm not writing my own tunes and whatnot I collaborate with hiphop production duo PNT World Wyde. We have been working together for a couple of years now and they have just released their first album, which is awesome (as expected). I am lucky enough to have 3 of our songs on the album and there are plenty of top singers, rappers and musicians from all over the country (and across the seas) to feast your ears on. As an ode to them I said I'd wear one of their new promo T-shirt's on stage - here's me sporting it in front of the main stage (where I played at midday)..
 

You can hear PNT here and can follow them on facebook here and twitter here. Also their official website is coming soon www.pntworldwyde.co.uk Check them out..

So back to the festival...
By now, having seen where I was playing and had time to relax, all nerves had disappeared and I was keen to get the show on the road. Nerves were made even easier by the fact that it was pretty quiet, for a festival. This was partly to do with the weather which on Friday and Saturday had been torrential downpour (which would explain some of the people leaving as we were arriving) and I imagine partly to do with it being so early on the last day. Still, we were happy as pigs in poo. Jo bought some fresh coffees and Joe had an obligatory butchers at the local Pork Pie stall, more prep for next years wedding goodies.

We also met up with leg-end James 'piggy' Hunter who played a big hand on getting us all to the festival in the first place. Nice one J! He and his company also designed the promo artwork for Limetree. Check him out at Coyote Creative, they're ace - www.coyotecreative.co.uk

So then it was on to sound check and the gig. I loved all of it! It was great to be on a big stage rather than my usual small gaffs in Leeds and alike. I played for half an hour and did 8 songs. As I said it was pretty quiet at first but by the second half of the set people had settled themselves and focused on the stage, encouraged by the beaming sunshine (and hopefully some nice tunes!). Special mention for a small group who danced all the way through the set, whether it was coordinated swaying to 'Queen Of The Bar' or jiving to 'Keep on Walkin'. Good skills. Here's some pics of getting ready and performing..

Afterward people bought a load of CD's (which will keep me going until payday!) and took some of my contact cards so with a bit of luck I'll see them again at a gig sometime soon. Happy with that.
I was straight to the beer tent to down a much needed pint with a ciggy and we headed over to one of the food tents. Our choice: A Tibetan stall selling a type of dumplings called 'momos'. They were awesome, came with a homemade chilli sauce dip and just a quid each. A quid! This was followed by more mooching, a bit of reggae (with superbly dressed dancers - see below), a sit down in the Jazz tent, and another beer.

Joe and Jo in the Jazz Tent

Final Word:
Thanks to everyone who sent encouraging texts and messages, they were much appreciated! If you click here you can see a few songs from the day.

Cheers!
DP

Youtube crazy...

So last weekend I finally got a new axe. It's a Takamine something-or-other (see pic - I have obviously taken off the sticker!) and plays like a bloody dream. Everybody likes getting a new toy, be it an instrument or a car or a computer or whatever tickles your pickle, and when you do it's almost impossible to put them down. I'm no different - and as a result I have been recording shitloads of videos to stick up on my youtube channel.

I've added a couple of new vids to www.youtube.com/davepilla - 'Queen of the Bar' and 'At Sea' - both of which are old songs which I have recently enjoyed playing again. Thanks for all the comments people have left on them (particularly QOTB), means a lot.

[I have had to get rid of the covers page mentioned below in order to focus people all to the one place. I've moved them over to my main page (mentioned above) so if you have a request i'll stick it up there - Ta! DP] 


I've also made a SECOND youtube page which I am going to use for covers only. I've started it with a few covers I play at gigs and whatnot but then thought it be more interesting to get requests from you lot! I've had a fair few in which is ace, a couple I knew already and the rest I'm in the process of learning to post asap. Some requests I'm highly unlikely to do - pretty much if it's on Radio 1 (see Bruno Mars [!], One Republic etc) - but just about everything else is fair game so if you've got a request then get it in! The page is at:
www.youtube.com/davepillacoverspage

You can send requests there or to my other social networking spots..

www.twitter.com/davepilla
www.facebook.com/davepillarees
davepilla@hotmail.com

I've no idea if I am biting off more than I can chew or if I will get no requests at all, but I'm gonna give it a crack so get involved..

Last word - LIMETREE NEXT WEEKEND! Pretty excited about it now - despite the Abominable Joeman constantly shitting on my bonfire when it comes up in conversation. 12:00 on the Green Man Stage if you're about. Yes yes :)

Cheers, DP

A long time coming..

For over 3 weeks now I have been without a guitar and borrowing one from a friend (cheers Kev). Mine started in the minor injuries unit and quickly advanced to the HDU - the guitar quack desperately rummaging around it's insides trying to find the solution to some unknown, crippling injury. One he says has apparently kept him up for nights on end in frustration and despair.. One which when two weeks ago I said "ah well, fuck it off" he insisted I left it with him and refused to charge me any more because he "won't be defeated by wood and wires"..

Well he conceded this week. Read me my last rites...and I have agreed to pull the plug. I say 'pull the plug' - it was fucking me off so much I'd have gone straight for a pillow over the face, but still..

The point is I have been a little distracted of late and let my blogging duties fall by the wayside, so here I am. And whats been going on? Well I've been drafted in to play at Limetree Festival, pretty fucking chuffed about that one considering, as usual, I left all my festival applications about 6 months too late. *special mention for James 'filthy stinking SWINE' Hunter for discreetly guiding my youtube account to the right folk there. Cheers pig ears* I will be opening the Green Man Stage on the Sunday so if you're there, come along!

I've also been playing about with some new tunes with which I haven't wanted to start recording until I am fully equipped *see top rant. Last weekend I went back home to Hoylake for a friend's wedding - congrats Mike and Jo Cree - on the Friday. Needless to say it was a messy affair and by the Saturday I felt like Id been dug up. But the weather was glorious so I necked a few pints of water, grabbed my old guitar and went to sit on the beach for half an hour (2 minutes crawl away). 4 hours later I came home dehydrated and burnt to fuck but with a little music and a re-found love for my home town. Which is ace. It's small. It's quiet. It's got the beach, boats, old boys sailing little model ships, bike riders, dog walkers, pot smokers, cider drinkers, kite flyers, microlight flyers, an awesome view and a (literally) famous sunset. At one point I looked up to see an old couple holding hands, eating ice cream and watching the microlights whiz across the sand whilst a suped up Honda Civic screamed past behind them playing Tinie Tempah far too loud. Neither party was remotely bothered by other. Lovely.

Anyway, I'll stop bumming Hoylake now... the point is it was nice to be home. And with a bit of luck I'll come away with a tune or two. I will keep you posted. Arf.

This week I have mainly been on the hunt for my new, improved, fully functional axe. I quickly came to the conclusion that 'PMT' in Leeds is rubbish - for electro acoustics at least, the new 'Northern Guitars' in the Corn Exchange is a little creepy - because I feel a little uncomfortable in the new charmless Corn Exchange, and I miss 'Music Ground'. Although big-up to the Call Lane Social staff cos they're all sound.

That's all for now, catch you soon



Last Word:
An old buddy at the wedding ( cheers Cookie) was saying he particularly liked this tune from the CD I sent him, so here's a live-ish version for the rest of you..

Quarry Hill Festival / The wardrobe

What a great day that was. Quarry Hill put on it's own little mini-fest today with all the local businesses getting involved - such as the beeb, LCM, The Wardrobe, SAA-UK, the West Yorkshire Playhouse and First Floor. Lots of stalls, food, sunshine etc. A very impressive group of kids from the 'Rock School' played a few tunes outside to the delight of the sun kissed crowds, made all the more impressive by the fact they had only met for the first time that morning.
I did an hour set in the Wardrobe and was followed by the awesome Tom Attah. I keep hearing his name around Leeds and how good he is, so it was nice to find out for myself. Believe the hype..
http://www.myspace.com/tomattah - check it

Now to watch klitschko get knocked out by David Haye. Yes..

EP Available for purhase!

My EP is now available from Bandcamp (see link on the left) for digital download and hard copy. Get it while it's hot...ish...

EP Review from 'NO TITLE MAGAZINE'

The first review from my EP by Mr Philip Regan at No Title..

In his first solo EP, scouser Dave Pilla treats the listener to four songs of relaxing chill-out goodness.

The opening track ‘Where did all the time go?’ benefits greatly from Jennie Chapman’s delicate backing vocals and together the duo produce pleasant, uplifting harmonies with a feel of somber Irish folk music.

The mood becomes slightly more experimental in ‘Waves and tides’. Pilla combines his rustic, Mediterranean style guitar playing with the Robert Frost poem ‘The Road Not Taken’. The result is a psychedelic, haunting and deeply sorrowful journey about life and personal regrets.

‘Lions share’ is the filler track and repeats the same ideologies of the EP in a less inspiring manner. Nothing bad here, it just felt like the ideas ran dry.

Fortunately it all ends on a high. ‘In my sole’ uses fast-tempo piano chords and melodies to create a sense of urgency and panic, which builds into the frenzied, passionate rant of a man who has lost in love and lived to tell the tale.

Overall, Pilla’s excellent vocal range allows him to tell many different stories effectively. His music often takes the road less traveled and that has made all the difference. Highly recommended!

And so it begins..

Right then, the start of the blog. This is actually my second attempt at doing a blog (third if you count crappy myspace) so with a bit of luck/effort I'll keep this one going. I suspect I am like most new bloggers in that it's a case of 'what am I going to write about of any interest?', but I also suspect with time it begins to flow and become more of a natural process..

Of course at the center of this blog will be my music. Here I will keep you updated with general goings on in the Dave Pilla camp, up coming gigs, news, reviews, songs and general musings. I will also spend a little time writing about my songs - how they came to be, what they're actually about etc, for anyone who is interested in a little more detail.
Anybody who knows my music knows that adjectives such as 'cheery' or 'happy' don't often get associated with my songs (!) but I will do my best to keep any descriptions as lighthearted as possible. Besides, they're not ALL morose ;-)

Also here you will see various links and widgets and whatnot to the sides - there you will be able to listen to songs, watch videos, buy CD's and access links to download/streaming sites such as bandcamp, soundcloud, myspace and reverbnation.

A big thanks must go to my brother Joe 'kenny/joe egg/fat PiG' Rees for all his help setting this page up for me to run with. For food related fun and frollocks check out his (and his masterchef fiance JoJo's) blog at http://foodandbiscuits.blogspot.com/

Cheers!