John Alexander's Page

Now that I’ve almost recovered from Orkney’s Blues Festival I thought I’d share some of the highlights from the weekend.

Stromness, with its picturesque harbour and twisty streets was the base for the festival and buzzed with activity from locals and tourists all seeking out the music and squeezing into the venues.

I was also lucky enough to get a chance to play in the Gable End Theatre on the Island of Hoy. This converted former School in Lyness had been lovingly transformed into a community… Continue

Last night I sat in as a guest on The Ciaran Dorris Show as his chosen cast away. For the trip i was allowed to take certain items - if you missed the show my selection is listed below. Many thanks to Ciaran and all at Celtic Music Radio.


songs -

1. Muddy Waters - Young Fashioned Ways

2. Greg Brown - Whippoorwill

3. Ted Hawkins - Long As I Can See The Light


Book - Touching The Void - Joe Simpson

DVD - Seinfeld - the entire tv series.

Luxury Item - my portable Italian stovetop espresso m… Continue

On Monday night I made my way through to Edinburgh to play at my first ever Edinburgh Fringe Show at the Acoustic Music Centre at St Brides. (venue 123).

The biggest challenge about playing in Edinburgh is do I take the car or use public transport (this is like choosing the method for your own execution). Myself and Paul of The Doghouse Roses – who was helping me out on the night, opted for The Train. Amazingly enough we were still surprised when the train was cancelled and we had to squeeze on… Continue

One place that is high on my list of must see places is Antarctica. I would love to experience this fragile and awe inspiring landscape first hand.

A friend of mine Kirk Watson (a seasoned Antarctica veteran) is filming his experiences of life from the UK base at Rothera over the next year. If you ever wanted to see what an Antarctic Winter would be like and to find out what people who live there get up to check out Kirk Watson’s blog on life in Antarctica. The blog covers not only just the sno… Continue

There is a growing concern amongst some fellow performers on the Glasgow music scene that they are continually being taken advantage when it comes to playing live.

The problem is the overwhelming majority of original music venues in Glasgow and it seems the rest of the UK do not pay the artists for doing so. This often undervalues the service and entertainment that is being provided.

Whilst it is important to have a platform for artists starting out to gain experience and showcase their songs… Continue