FIRST PART OF TOUR DONE + BASS REPLACEMENT FOR IRONWORKS SHOW - 03/12/2011
We finished the first part of our short Winter tour last week with 3 shows around Scotland. We were in Glasgow, Inverness and Thurso and all three shows were very enjoyable and great fun with super crowds. It was brilliant to see so many new and familiar faces at all the shows and we really had a ball. We showcased a brand new song of ours at the Inverness and Thurso shows which will be featured on our next EP. We also had the pleasure of recording a short acoustic set for Moray Firth Radio with DJ Marion Scott to be played on her upcoming shows. We recorded acoustic versions of "Midnight Dance" and "I Am Jerusalem", the latter hasnt been recorded in any shape or form so it was great to hear that back.
Another bit of ROADWAY news is that sadly Iain Macleod will be unable to perform the Ironworks show with us at the end of this month so we have enlisted the help of my former Keitmine Deco band mate Mr Jason Martin to stand in for it. We're delighted he has offered to step in and look forward to sharing the stage with him! It's going to be a big show!!
Our next ROADWAY show is an acoustic one in Kilmarnock in a few weeks, looking forward to that one! We played Kilmarnock last in June which was a blast!
More info soon!
Ross
ROADWAY Winter Tour - 24/10/2011
NEW ROADWAY Winter Scottish tour dates just announced.
I'll be heading out on the road to do 5 shows with the band this winter. We have some great new material and the band are sounding terrific, cant wait :-)
We are making great progress with writing material for the next CD which we hope to start mid way through next year, its heavy...its loud...its aweosme! more info soon!
Ross
ROADWAY back to work in November - 01/09/2011
Tonight the first ROADWAY rehearsals since our shows in July were booked in Glasgow. Bod, myself and Frazer will be joining Iain, Dougie and Ryan in Glasgow a week Sunday for a rehearsal at a Glasgow studio to work over our set, continue work on new ideas we have for new songs and see what else we can create.
We also will be performing some shows in Scotland in November. Dates are still being booked but I can confirm we will be hitting Inverness and Thurso, and hopefully we can get to all the other major locations in Scotland as well.
A few other things in the pipeline but thats all thats confirmed for now!....RAWK!
An Outsider for a day - 25/08/11
Last Saturday I filled in on guitar for "Iain McLaughlin & The Outsiders" for their Main Stage appearance at B-Fest in Wick, Scotland. I've been tour managing the band for their Summer Festival appearences so this was a special treat getting up to play with them. Their guitarist Paul Elliott was unable to make the gig due to a very special fundraising event happening in Inverness the same night. Both Paul and Iain worked with me on learning the material, as there wasn't any time to schedule a proper full band rehearsal before the gig so everyone was a bit...nervous to say the least. However the gig went great, I had a real great time playing the material, the stage was suitably massive! GUN were headlining the Festival which was great and a super night out followed. A huge thanks to Iain and the boys for having me along to play with them, to Scott, our driver and tech, all at B-Fest and everyone I met while I was there, even met some ROADWAY fans which was a nice surprise :-)
I've put up some new pics in the "live" section and a review for the festival which features a mention of yours truly....you can see that here
A cool shot of me playing guitar with "The Outsiders" at B-Fest
pic by David Cowie photography
Tour done...what's next! - 1/08/2011
Well that's it...the first ROADWAY scottish tour finished last week and all I can say is thank you SO much from all of us in the band to all of you who made those 6 shows so great! We had a ball and every show was a great success! I've written a small sum up of the tour which will be published on the official ROADWAY website in a day or two.
So what's next...Well ROADWAY will be hitting the road again in the Autumn for another run of shows in Scotland. In the meantime I will be heading into the studio to demo new song ideas with drummer Ryan. We played 2 new tracks on the tour, "Time You Said Your Goodbyes" and "I Am Jerusalem", we'll start with these and then see what new ideas we can come up with.
In other news I will be playing a Festival appearence at the "B-Fest" Festival in Wick, Scotland with the band "Iain McLaughlin & The Outsiders", filling in for their guitarist Paul Eliott who is unable to make the date. Iain and the band are a terrific post-rock band who have a gigantic sound. I'm really looking forward to learning the material and getting onstage in Wick with them. The bill also includes the Scots rock band GUN. Another added bonus is that the drummer for The Outsiders is my old Ketimine Deco bandmate Russell Montgomery so it'll be great to get back onstage with him. More info on this soon.
Also ROADWAY now have t-shirts available from our online webstore www.roadwaystore.bigcartel.com we have them in L, M, S, and ladies M sizes. Be sure to get yours now!!
I've put up 2 videos I found on youtube from ROADWAY's Glasgow show on the Tour, check them out \m/
ROADWAY tour starts tomorrow! - 10/07/2011
Just getting all my gear sorted for the first date of the ROADWAY Scottish Summer tour tomorrow. We're heading to Aberdeen to play with the band "FURYON", really amazing hard rock band, can't wait for that show! We're also hitting Inverness, Glasgow, Edinburgh, and Thurso.
The CD sales are going great, we've sold to 10 countries so far and the iTunes sales have been very strong as well, thank you so much :-)
ROADWAY T-shirts go on sale tomorrow from our online store at www.roadwaystore.bigcartel.com go get one!! go on!!.....
ROADWAY CD IS GO!! - 15/06/2011
Well well well...the ROADWAY CD was released last month and what a response we've had! in the 5 weeks since it's release we've nearly sold out of our first printing of them. Another amazing feat which still has us astounded is that the EP has sold to 8 countries around the world, they US, Brazil, Spain, Sweden, Belguim, Germany, England and Scotland. For a brand new band, who has done 3 gigs, and with no management, record label or backing support, we are just blown away by this and can't thank all of you enough for this overwhelming response to our CD!
So what's next....well...we're going on tour! We conduct our first ever Scottish tour this coming July and we cannot.wait! We will be playing 5 gigs in July, including a show supporting the metal band "Furyon" which we are very excited about. The full list of tour dates can be found HERE.
I'm having a blast with this band, the music is good, the guys are great and there really seems to be a buzz about the whole thing. I'm very excited about what the future holds for ROADWAY and very pleased to be working alongside all the gentlemen involved!
If you haven't got the EP you can order a physical copy HERE, or you can buy it digitally on iTunes.
check out the tour dates and I'll see some of you in July!!
Ross
Whats been happening!!?? - 1/5/11
Woh! been a long time since I updated this! Been working non-stop on so many things I dont even know where to begin! I'll try and do a brief round up of all I've been up to:
JON LORD:
In February I invited former DEEP PURPLE and WHITESNAKE keyboard legend Jon Lord to give a special guest lecture at the University I work at (www.uws.ac.uk). It was my first time working with Jon and he was an absolute pleasure to work with, a real gent and a terrific character. Jon gave a special organ masterclass to the keyboard students and then a main lecture infront of about 400 people. Everyone had a ball and I'll remember this one for a long time. Watch a special STV news link of the day (including an interview with Jon) at the link below.
http://entertainment.stv.tv/music/231063-jon-lord-improvisation-was-the-rock-deep-purple-built-their-house-on/
with Jon in Glasgow after his lecture.
Joe Elliot:
I was in Cyprus for a week on holiday and the night I flew back a few of my friends were playing with Def Leppard front man Joe Elliot opening for Paul Rodgers, so as soon as I got off the flight back to Scotland, high tailed it to the hotel and enjoyed an evening of drinks and hilarity with all the guys, my first time meetin Joe, a very pleasent man and nothing short of a rock legend.
Joe Lynn Turner:
I was in Oslo last week to see Joe Lynn Turner perform with Jan Holberg, been a fan of Joe's forever and the chance to see him up close and personal wasnt one I was going to miss. Managed a few chats with Joe and also gave an interview for Jan Holberg's DVD. A great trip.
With Joe Lynn Turner in Oslo, Norway
Bernie Marsden:
Saw Bernie Marsden last night in Glasgow, Bernie was one of the original guitarists in Whitesnake and last night he was playing a night of Rory Gallagher songs. Had a great time and the band, who featured 2 members of Rory's old band were on top form, had a ball.
With Bernie Marsden (Whitesnake)
ROADWAY!!!!
Our EP is finally out this week!! it will be available on iTunes digitally and from www.roadwaystore.bigcartel.com from May 6th and we'll be playing in Inverness at Mad Hatters, our first gig with the new line-up so please come down, and we have some new material ready for you too!!
Roses&Rings acoustic jam - 16/02/2011
Found this recording today of an acoustic jam we had before a show in Inverness last year of the Quireboys classic "Roses&Rings". Not all the band were present and just had Dougie, Ryan, Iain and myself. It wasn't recorded to be released, just a bit of fun, I've made it into a youtube video, see what you think.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=14pUoqA_qiw
Ross
Last Day of ROADWAY recording - 08/02/2011
Sitting in my home studio just now about to start the final guitar session for the ROADWAY EP, I should be done by just after lunch time and then I head down to Glasgow (4 hour drive) to meet Dougie and Iain where we will do some vocal overdubs and then sort the pro tools files out to then be sent to EMPIRE studios in Germany.
It's been a VERY long road this project as my band mates and I have discovered but with our new method of home recording and using a studio for the drums I think our future recording projects will take a small fraction of the time this has taken. I'm really pleased with the recording and with how all the guys in the band are feeling about it. We have live dates for the summer being booked just now and looking at a May release for the EP, both online via iTunes/play.com etc and also a physical release also via Play.com maybe Ebay and perhaps through this site as well, still need to discuss that. Anyway better get to work!
Ross
An example of how easy home recording is, this pic was taken in Dougie's home doing vocals, Red wine, a decent laptop and pro tools, anythings possible...:p
Vocals are done! - 01/02/2011
Sitting here in Dougie Greig's home at 2:30am after an evening of recording vocals for last 2 songs for the ROADWAY EP. For those who don't know, Dougie only joined the band at the tail end of last year, tour rehearsals dont start for another month so he's not had much of an opportunity with us all to learn the material as most of it isn't recorded, so to learn the songs, and lay down lead and backing vocals all in an evening is outstanding. The vocals sound great, Dougie takes quite a different approach to singing the lyrics I wrote which I love, some unique parts in there and all add up to making the tunes have that edge that ROADWAY are all about.
We now have about a week to touch up any guitars and I am very pleased to announce we have a late addition to the CD with the possibility of another special guest performance on one of the tracks, I will wait until its all done before I announce who but its a nice suprise and something I'm very much looking forward to. We will then be sending the masters to Rolf Munkes at EMPIRE studios in Germany mid-Feb for him to work his magic and start looking at preparing for the live shows coming up towards Summer.
I can also announce the track list for the EP, track order TBC
1. Fight For Freedom
2. This Is Why (Featuring Doogie White)
3. Midnight Dance
4. In Purgatory's Shadow (piano instrumental)
5. Good.Man.Die
Nearly There - 23/01/11
I will be travelling down to the central belt of Scotland in a little over a week to meet with Dougie Greig and to finish off all the vocals for the ROADWAY record. We will be recording on my portable studio set up in Dougie's home, the same way we did for the vocals for "Midnight Dance" so the results will hopefully be just as promising. Then Bod and I will have about a week to change/alter any guitar parts before sending the final tapes to Germany for Rolf to mix. We are aiming for a May release and if all goes well we should make the deadline in plenty of time.
Live dates have been booked for ROADWAY for May to coincide with the release but until everything is cemented and confirmed we'll wait until we announce them. If you follow my work and rants on this site you'll know I've waited a long long time to get this CD done and thank you to all the guys in the band for their patience in this long process, hopefully the results will be worth the time, I have no doubt they will. Summer dates for ROADWAY will be booked from now on.
More dates with Doogie White will be confirmed in the next month or two, Doogie's main touring commitment this year is with TANK so until their touring schedule is confirmed for the summer we are waiting before we book anything so as to not conflict.
In other news I will be working with former Deep Purple/Whitesnake keyboard legend JON LORD on something quite special at the University at the end of February. I can't say too much until a formal announcement has been made in the University but it should be awesome.
Hope all is well with everyone!
Happy New Year! - 08/01/11
Happy new year to all!! Hope everyone had a great festive period! I was in Munich seeing Sara over New Year, was great seeing her and experiencing a German New Year! I'm back now and ready to make 2011 even more successful and jam packed than 2010. First port of call is exam month at the University so lots of marking and assessing to do but completing the ROADWAY EP is first on my list of to-do's and I'm determined to get this finished as soon as possible and sounding as slick as possible!
In other news the Highland News newspaper which goes out over the Highlands in Scotland this week voted our Doogie White gig there in December as one of the best gigs in the Highlands in 2010, along side Rod Stewart, Amy Macdonald and many others! I want to thank on behalf of Doogie and the band, everyone who helped put the gigs together and who came along to make it so special. More Doogie White gigs will be booked over the coming months. Please note: Doogie tours constantly using different musicians in his backing band depending on where he is, gig dates of his that I will be involved with will be posted here FIRST. More ROADWAY dates are being put together as we speak for later in the year to mark the release of the EP.
Merry Christmas!/Acoustic Session - 26/12/10
I want to wish you all a very Merry Christmas and hope the holiday season is being kind to you all and you're enjoying the time off from the grind of life :p
I've uploaded a new section to the website, the "Music" page in the dropdown menu from "The Media". In this section I'll be uploading tracks from projects I'm involved in as they progress, they could be tasters of new studio tracks or full live tracks or extras which I've dug up from the depths of my studio files and CDs. I thought a good first bath of material to upload was the audio of the acoustic session I did with Doogie White on Moray Firth Radio the other week in December in Inverness Scotland. We did 3 tracks including one I wrote for Doogie, it was a fun little set to do and we're all very happy with the results so please go and check out the tracks just now and see what you think.
Go HERE to hear the tracks.
All the best for the new year!
Ross
NEW ROADWAY vocalist announced!!! - 18/12/10
We are delighted to announce DOUGIE GREIG as our new vocalist in ROADWAY! Dougie is a singer with a host of experience in acoustic and stage show music so this will be one of his first ventures into classic rock! I've worked with Dougie in the past on the Blues Affair material and found him to be a terrific vocalist and a very easy person to work with it's only natural we invite him into ROADWAY. You can hear the first song we've recorded with him in the form a taster of the track "Midnight Dance" which can be heard in a YouTube video on the home page.
We're all looking forward to finishing the EP and hitting the road together summer next year.
Doogie White Gigs 1 & 2 done! - 15/12/10
Got home late last night from my first shows with Doogie White at the weekend. We were all delighted with the shows and the opportunity to perform and play with Doogie so much over the weekend was teriffic. We performed two shows as well as an acoustic set which was filmed and broadcast on Moray Firth Radio. The Acoustic set included the DIO era Rainbow classic "Temple Of The King", the Coverdale-Deep Purple track "Soldier Of Fortune" and the ROADWAY/Doogie White track "This Is Why".
The Inverness show especially was fantastic, playing such an amazing set to a home crowd was a whole new experience and something I'll remember for a long time. Doogie and the guys were a delight to work with and I think we all did a good job. The set list included tracks from every era of RAINBOW (DIO, Bonnet, Turner, White) as well as a few Deep Purple classics and some of Doogie's post and pre RAINBOW material.
So what's next?... well I'm delighted to announce that this line-up of the Doogie White band will be performing again in Summer 2011 on a Scottish tour which has yet to be confirmed, no dates or plans are able to be released yet, just that Doogie, myself and the guys are looking forward to performing again and working together on more shows next year. Any plans, or confirmed dates will be announced here FIRST, so please keep checking back throughout the year and I'll update the site with any new developments.
Doogie White December Scottish set list:
Spotlight Kid
Wolf To The Moon
Manic Messiah
Since You've Been Gone
Perfect Strangers
Black Masquerade
One Way To Heaven
Too Late For Tears
Ariel
When The Hammer Falls
Midnight In Tokyo
Wounded Land
Burn
---Encores---
Stargazer
Long Live Rock and Roll
Doogie White band performs in Inverness, Scotland 10/12/10
Ketimine Deco no more, onward and upward - 04/12/2010
Well thats it, its been a week now since Ketimine Deco played our final concert. I'd like to personally thank everyone who came along and showed your support, we couldnt have asked for a better crowd for our final night as a band. We ran a bit over time so couldnt finish with "Father Father" but we did get through all the other favourites including a brand new, only to be played once track "Stars". The whole set was filmed by various youtubers so you can find the whole thing lurking around youtube somewhere!
We had a blast and it was the perfect way to go out. The 4 of us are still on great terms and very happy with what we achieved as a band and with how well last weeks farewell gig went.
Ketimine Deco 2007-2008
Russell Montgomey, Ruairidh Duncan, Ross McEwen, Jason Martin.
Pic taken @ Farewell Concert, just after coming offstage, Inverness 26/11/2010
...In other news, there is only ONE WEEK TO GO until my first show playing with Doogie White, we have been rehearsing like crazy in Glasgow for it and are just about ready to hit the stage and blast through what is undoubtedly the most challenging set list I've ever played. I have some great musicians with me in the band and of course Doogie will do his usual best no doubt, the shows are going to be killer! Excited just doesnt do it justice! :p
There is plenty happening in the ROADWAY camp with some brand new material to be unleashed on you all in the next few weeks! it's been hard to find the time to get this stuff done but be assured in the next few weeks it will have my undevided attention, some great music coming your way!
!!KETIMINE DECO PLAY FINAL CONCERT TONIGHT - 26/11/10!!
Ketimine Deco will perform their last concert tonight as a band.
Having formed out of an earlier band "Manson-Inc", Ketimine Deco have kept a consistant line up since its formation in 2008 but that is to change with todays announcement that the band is to split after tonights scheduled performance in Inverness.
The split is simply due to disputes over work ethic and lack of unity of direction. The 4 of us have tried our best to work these issues out but without success. We have been friends in some cases for nearly 15 years and to continue with the band any further would most likely result in a disasterous effect on our relationships as friends so for that reason it seems the right time to end the band, and what better environment to do so than on home turf at the Ironworks venue in Inverness.
"The band have enjoyed great gigging success during their time together, after putting the band together Ross McEwen, Jason Martin, Ruairidh Duncan and Russell Montgomery quickly found themselves sharing concert and festival line ups which included the likes of Wishbone Ash, Nazareth, Jefferson Starship, The Quireboys, Justin Currie, Twin Atlantic, Heavens Basement, Logan and many more."
We want to deeply thank everyone who has supported us throughout the last few years, from promotors and industry proffessionals to the people who have bought our CDs, attended our shows and got to know us through the band, we couldnt have achieved what we've achieved without you, we have had a blast doing this and will remember it always.
This by no way means this is the end of our individual careers...I perform my first shows with former Rainbow vocalist Doogie White in two weeks which I cant wait for, as well as continuing the work on the ROADWAY EP which is coming on brilliantly. Ruairidh I know has been writing non stop so I for one cant wait to hear it and im sure it will all surface in time.
We want to see as many friendly faces at tonights gig as possible, we see our involvement in tonights show as a celebration of the band and what we have achieved with your help. We will perform a set of our more recent material as well as one brand new, never before played song.
The 4 of us remain on excellent terms and will give you our all tonight to give the best performance we can. Being in Ketimine Deco has been an absolute thrill and I for one am honoured to have had the opportunity to share the stage with the 3 guys on so many occassions. This band has meant a lot to us, and its been a long road but sometimes the best decisions for everyone is to stop, and thats what we have done.
So please come a long to tonights show, which will also be the single launch for James Mackenzie & The Aquascene, Iain Mclaughlin&The Outsiders who are doing a fantastic job of promoting highland music.
As good ole MJ once said, "THIS IS IT"
see you tonight!
Ross, Jason, Ruairidh, Russell
Ketimine Deco
Firefest, Doogie White, Ketimine Deco and more 03/11/10
Hey! been quiet on here for a while so here's whats been happening! I attended the world famous Firefest festival at the weekend in Nottingham, its a melodic rock billed weekend at the Rock City venue in Nottingham and OH YES what a line up. Sara, who flew in from Munich for it and I went mainly to finally see one of our all time favourite singers, former Survivor vocalist Jimi Jamison, and he, and the rest of the bands on the bill, did not disapoint. I swear I wrote down so many songs/bands to google that I heard at the weekend its going to keep me busy for weeks! Thanks to the lovely Sue Ashcroft for pestering me to go for so many years, Im glad I finally managed it and I hope to be back.
Doogie White rehearsals are going great, we are nearly done learning the set list. The band and I are taking our time learning the material as I feel, and Im sure the rest of the guys do to, that the material doesnt deserve to be rushed and as a lot of it is very iconic and important to a lot of people around the world (me included) I want to be sure we get right stuck into the songs in a deeper way than simply learning the chords. Mark, Ryan and Iain are doing a fantastic job, couldnt have picked better guys for the job so I'm confident we are going to deliver come the December gigs. Stay Tuned...
In other news...Ketimine Deco have been confirmed as opener for the single launch of Highland upcomers "James Mackenzie & The Aquascene" and "Iain Maclaughlin & The Outsiders" at the Ironworks venue in Inverness on Friday 26th November. This is going to be a very special and memorable gig for everyone, espically us in my opinion...but I can't tell you too much about that right now, but be assured, this isnt a gig to miss!! tickets are only £3 and can be bought from www.ironworksvenue.com
Ross
x
with Jimi Jamison (Survivor), waited a long time to see this guy live.
Update - 10/10/10
Haven't updated in a while so here's the latest 'goings on'. We started rehearsals for the Doogie White gigs yesterday in Glasgow. Doogie himself won't be joining us for rehearsals until we meet up with him for the weekend in December we're playing. Mark, Iain, Ryan and I have gotten off to a absolutley terrific start with a third of the set learnt already and sounding great. We've given ourselves plenty time to iron out any creases and make sure the material is spot on, we have another four 6 hour sessions before the gigs, and after yesterday I'm more confident than ever we are going to make a great job of this.
Ketimine Deco have been confirmed for a show at the Inverness Ironworks venue on the 26th of November. We will be supporting James Mackenzie & The Aquascene, and Iain Maclaughlin & The Outsiders, as well as the Leonard Jones Potential. We have a great history playing the Ironworks so hopefully this show will only better that history. Tickets are only £3 and available from the venue box office or from www.ironworksvenue.com
I've been very busy making a start to my lecturing job. Taking a while to get used to it but the staff there and students are making me feel very welcome and offering any assistance required so I couldn't be in a better position.
I'm away to Munich this week to see my girlfriend Sara who recently moved there to embark on an amazing 9 month placement with a University there working in the medicinal chemistry department, so it'll be great to see her new world over there and get to spend some time together during both our crazy schedules.
More when there is more.
Ross
Ryan sitting...ready! at the first DW rehearsal in Glasgow Berkley 2 studios, 09/10/10
Deco Tour, ROADWAY, Doogie White Update - 17/09/2010
We had the 3-date mini tour with Ketimine Deco at the weekend, we hit Inverness, Edinburgh and Aberdeen, and although everyone had a great time,and it was awesome to spend that much time with the guys again, the shows could have gone better, however, a huge thank you to everyone who came along!
Doogie White news, we have got the set list from Doogie for the 2 shows in December and it is looking ace! We start rehearsals in October and we have a lot to get through! We will be performing tracks from lots of different parts of Doogie's career including Midnight Blue, Cornerstone and EMPIRE, and of course some of the classics from Doogie Rainbow days.
In ROADWAY news, we have a new singer....we are hard at work finishing the EP before we announce it, so that when we do, you can hear straight away what the bands sound is. It's all coming together nicely and I'm glad to finally get a move on with it all. It's been a long wait, espically for the other guys in the band but I'm still very confident we are going to come out with a kick ass record.
More news soon,
Hope all's well with everyone
Ross
x
Update - 24/08/2010
Hey all, was at a special performance by Paolo Nutini for BBC Radio 2 in Paisley town hall last week. It was Paolo's homcoming concert and it started with a special acoustic performance in the afternoon infront of myself and 30 other people, which also included an interview between Radio 1's Jo Whiley and Paolo and then later on in the afternoon there was a full band performance infront of 1,200 people. Got to meet Paolo and Jo Whiley as well as many of the crew and band and were all a delight to get on with and we had a great after show party and the whole day was brilliant.
with Paolo Nutini at the Aftershow party
Which brings me to my next bit of news...I am pleased to announce that I have been offered, and accepted a teaching post as a part-time lecturer at the University Of The West Of Scotland on the BA (Hons) Commercial Music Degree programme. This is the course I have just finished studying and I am over the moon to have the opportunity to work in the University. My teaching this year will include instructing students on the running of live events as well as reprising my role in the International Exchange Group this time as a senior tour manager and we will be taking bands across to gig in France, Germany and more countries to come hopefully in the future. This job opportunity I hope will develop into a more full-time post but that comes down to how good a job I do, so here's hoping!
Update - 16/08/2010
Been a very busy few weeks. I was working at the Belladrum Festival last week helping out with Stage Managing and what a weekend! It was bloody hard work but I've been working in production for a few years now in various different settings so knew what to expect but the rest of the crew and production team were just brilliant and that makes all the difference!
Managed to meet Grant Nicholes, singer with Feeder who headlined the first night, I've played with Feeder before at a Festival in England a few years ago but never had the chance to meet them, some very nice guys and a terrific live band. I also met rising UK singer Eliza Doolittle and her band, a great bunch of people and very funny. Her set was brilliant.
(with rising UK singer Eliza Doolittle, backstage after her set @ Belladrum 2010)
I perform the first ever Blues Affair show this weekend in Inverness. Really looking forward to it! We've rehearsed most of the EP which we will be playing as well as a few covers by Eric Clapton, The Band and The Quireboys, itll be a terrific night!
In other news I've been hard at work getting my guitar chops up to scratch pending recieving the set list from Doogie for the December solo shows with him. Having a blast learning the old Rainbow classics as well as songs from Doogie's album with them. Safe to say I am still bursting with excitement at these shows taking place! The band line-up has been confirmed for them and we will be getting hard to work with rehearsals in the next few weeks!
Doogie White solo Scottish December Shows
Line Up:
Doogie White - Vocals
Ross McEwen - Guitar
Iain Macleod - Bass
Mark Hunter - Keys
Ryan McEwen - Drums
SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT! - 2 Shows with Doogie White - 28/07/2010
I am delighted to announce I will be performing 2 shows with former Ritchie Blackmore's Rainbow vocalist Doogie White this December in Scotland. I worked with Doogie last year on the ROADWAY track 'This Is Why' but I am honoured and very excited to be working with him live at last! The band line-up has still to be confirmed but will include ROADWAY bassist Iain Macleod, the line up will be announced soon.
Doogie will be sending us the set list in the coming weeks so I can only guess what is waiting for us on it but these shows promise to be unmissable! Doogie's a man whose been lucky enough to only get better with age vocally so he won't disapoint! and with any luck neither will we! :p
More info soon!
Doogie White Scottish December Shows:
10th - Hootanannys - Inverness
11th - The Moorings - Aberdeen
www.doogiewhite.com
Update - 18/07/2010
Greetings all! been a very busy last wee while! Was away for a week on holiday to Rhodes in Greece which was amazing! My first proper holiday with Sara in the almost 4 years we have been together so it was long overdue! :p
Was in the studio on Friday with Iain and Ryan to make start to the last ROADWAY song for the EP, called "Midnight Dance". Iain and I then went to see Doogie White perform in Edinburgh with LA PAZ which was great. The Venue's sound let them down badly but they all performed great despite it all. A hellish 6 hour drive for me followed through the night back up to the highlands...next time I'm just getting a hotel room!
I am performing in Inverness next week with Ketimine Deco and we have fellow highland rockers 'Swamp Radio' opening for us which should be a real treat, see 'Tour Dates' for more info. Hopefully see you all there.
Ross
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Graduated, its official! - 05/07/2010
I had my graduation from University last week, after completing my Bachelor of Arts Degree with Honours in Commercial Music from the University of the West of Scotland. I went straight into the 3rd year of the course in 2008 and can safely say it has been an amazing experience studying and spending so much time there. The people I've met, worked with, and the opportunities it has presented me with have given me such a boost with working in the music industry and done a world of good for my work ethic and skills for working in many different areas of the music industry. I will hopefully be returning to the University in September but in a more official position assisting with several lectures and continuing my role as a senior tour manager in the International Exchange Group which will involve travelling abroad several times with the University throughout the year...nae bad!
In other news I played a wicked show with ROADWAY on Saturday in Inverness, the new material sounds amazing and we are all set to get down to work to finish this EP to get it done for September, the tracklisting has been finalised and as I said in an earlier post we will be working with Rolf Munkes from Empire Studios in Germany on the mixing of the EP, ooo its going to be awesome!! more info soon!
Ross
Ross Manson McEwen BA(Hons) Commercial Music
Ketimine Deco Tour Finished, Roadway EP News - 28/06/2010
Got back from the Ketimine Deco Scottish tour on Sunday, what a week! Very up and down with some shows being mind blowing and others not so much! Was great none the less to spend some time with the guys again and see so many friendly faces at the shows. Our new material which included two new songs 'Soul Theory' and 'To Our Fallen Friends' went down, I'm thankful to say, a storm. We also did a tribute to the late great Ronnie James Dio each night by performing one of his trademark songs 'Rainbow In The Dark' from the 'Holy Diver' album, which meant a great deal to me and was very special. We have a show in Inverness next month and then we are back on the road for a 3-show run up the east coast of Scotland in September.
Ketimine Deco;
Jason, Russell, myself and Ruairidh at the after show in Edinburgh
ROADWAY news now, I am very delighted to announce that we will be working with studio genuis Rolf Munkes on the mixing and mastering of the EP. Rolf, who is based in Germany has owned his own studio for a few years and churned out dozens of great sounding projects. As well as his studio work Rolf is an established guitarist and songwriter, currently playing for Empire and former Black Sabbath vocalist 'Tony Martin's' backing band. He has done a new mix of the ROADWAY track 'This Is Why' which I think sounds amazing. We are hoping to get the whole EP done for our launch night on September 18th at the Ironworks in Inverness.
Time to pack the bags again! 05/06/2010
Sitting here after a very loud and slightly sweaty rehearsal with Ketimine Deco in Inverness, The Proclaimers were next door soundchecking. Tomorrow we have a photoshoot for the new EP and then we are off to Glasgow to record drums for a brand new track and record the entire song 'Berlin' at ELBA studios. This is the first time we have recorded through the night, the session starts at midnight and ends around 8am which should be quite cool.
I then head to the airport as I fly to Sweden at 10am to attend my 6th SwedenRock Festival down in the south of Sweden. This year's line up includes Aerosmith, Guns and Roses, Nazareth, WASP, Magnum, and The Quireboys amoung others! Quite a reflective time as the first year I went in 2005 I was a guest of the late, and great Ronnie James Dio. This year the fesival has renamed one of the stages the 'Ronnie James Dio' stage which is very good of them.
I have my home studio up and running and absolutley loving it! I have been working on vocals for the ROADWAY EP, starting with the track Fight For Freedom and is going great. Not having the restraints of time and money in a studio is a very liberating and refreshing way to record I'm finding. I have ROADWAY vocals to finish as well as The Blues Affair songs, but as a true test of my new home studio, Ketimine Deco will be recording everything apart from the drums for a brand new track we have been working on which should be great.
Back to packing, looking forward to hopefully catching up with my mates The Quireboys in Sweden next week, and University exam results on Monday eek!!
Ross
Germany, you were awesome! 27/05/2010
Just got back from a 5 day trip to Germany yesterday, my second year at the Immecke outdoor Festival. Last year I was tour managing the band Out Of Samsara to the festival but this time I was stage managing the Scotch Corner stage. This is the first year the festival have had a second stage in its 21 years of running so I was very pleased to be involved and it was a great success. An awful lot of rock and roll, late night drinks and strangely...canoeing was done, the Germans were as awesome as always and helped make it a great trip. A huge thank you to everyone involved and to Glasgow band .Scores who we travelled with and who put on a great performance.
myself with Iain (Roadway) and Dan (Out Of Samsara) just before some rawk canoeing in Germany
I am off to Sweden in a week for the SwedenRock Festival, but until then I hope to begin tour rehearsals with Ketimine Deco for our June Scottish tour. More ROADWAY and Blues Affair dates to be announced soon, it's all go!
Rest In Peace, Ronnie James Dio - 16/05/2010
I'm not a man of many tears, but I am truly heartbroken to hear of Ronnie James Dio's passing this evening. A hard battle with stomach cancer sadly took our favourite rock vocalist from us earlier today, and already its amazing to see the sheer amount of tributes from all over the world. He is a man who touched peoples hearts wherever he went, and whose undisputable talent inspired, aided and gave a new hope to millions. I first met Ronnie in 2004 when I was 15, a life changing experience to say the least. His music has helped me, from growing up in my early teens to life's issues and trials of everyday life. He was a true gentlemen and an example of someone who never let an opportunity to help people pass him by. His musical achievements are only matched by his passion he put into his work. God Bless his family, friends, band mates, fans and legacy. We have lost a dear friend tonight, a hero for millions, and a friend to many, and a husband to one. My thoughts are with Wendy and the rest of the Dio family, today is a dark day in music history and in each of our lives. Rest In Peace Ronnie. We will miss you friend.
-Ross
The first of several times I had the pleasure to meet Ronnie James Dio.
A life changing experience, rest in peace friend, you will be missed.
Update - 13/04/2010
Celebrated Sara's 21st Birthday yesterday, had a great day out to the wildlife park and then out for a huge dinner!! still stuffed from it!
I have 4 weeks left of University starting this week. I went off to study music straight from high school back in 2006 so a bit scary coming to the what could be the end of this academic 'sentence' :p but never know what the future holds I suppose! After I finish up with the University term I am flying to Germany on the 20th of May for 5 days to run a stage at the Immecke outdoor Festival on behalf of the University of the West of Scotland. I tour managed the band 'Out Of Samsara' to the same festival last year and we had a blast so I'm very much looking forward to this trip!
In Ketimine Deco news, we only have 3 t-shirts left in our merch store!! We are currently in the process of ordering more but this time we are looking at producing baseball style shirts which will feature our new logo on the front. There is a picture of our proposed design on our myspace page, which also features the current demo of our new track 'Hold Me Down' from our sessions at ELBA studios in Glasgow in late December last year. I for one am'nt totally happy with it yet, but it's getting there, Jason I think did a great job with the vocals and the music I think has a lot of energy, will just need to see how it turns out.
Sales for our track "This Is Why" with Doogie White of Rainbow/Yngwie Malmsteen fame are going great, If you haven't got it yet! be sure to!
You can download the track, which Iain Macleod, Frazer Mustard, Ryan McEwen and I recorded with Doogie last year for just 80p from The Store page of this site!
Out for dinner with Sara and her family,
l-r, Terry, Mimi, Sara, Nasi, Barbara, and me.
Best wishes to all!
Ross
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Update - 05/04/2010
It's Monday, and the end of what has been a pretty crazy weekend. 3 Shows in 3 days isnt something I have done in a while and it's fair tired me out but has been a lot of fun and very productive. Thank you to everyone who came along and saw Ketimine Deco and ROADWAY in the Market on Fri and Sat nights. Also thank you to Bad Rememdy for opening for us on Friday. The show last night in Ayr was a bit different as Ruairidh wasnt able to make it so was just a 3-piece performance which as frustrating and challenging as it was, it was a great deal of fun to handle all of the guitar duties and I feel the performance went well.
Thats all the shows done for the next month and a half, I will be heading to Germany in May to stage manage a stage at the Immecke Outdoor Festival on behalf of the University of The West of Scotland. A great opportunity and one I'm very much looking forward to. May and June is going to be a crazy time with lots to get done, but itll all get explained in time once It's all final.
A New Ketimine Deco date has been added to the gig list, check the Tour Dates for more info. We have written a new song for our live set called 'To Our Fallen Friends' which for me is the most powerful song we have written so far, this next gig will most likely be the first playing of the song.
Snow and Rainbow - 27/02/2010
Went to see Doogie White playing with his old band La Paz last night in Edinburgh. Was a great show and his voice was sounding in peak condition. The funniest part of the night was that Sara won a guitar autographed by Doogie in a raffle during the night which was a charity gig, so thats the best bargain for a new guitar I've ever heard of! Was great to see Doogie again, he's touring all over the place ahead of his solo album release, you can keep up with all his travels and rants at www.doogiewhite.com.
Took us almost 3 hours to get home because of the snow, why does Scotland have to be so miserable!!
Sara with Doogie and her newly won autographed guitar.
with the Tartan Tenor, Doogie White, a true pro and a real gent.
You can purchase ROADWAY's song "This Is Why" which features Doogie White on vocals HERE
Nazareth and beyond!
Went along to see Nazareth in Glasgow last night with Sara, always a band that impresses. Dan's still got the voice and the guys seemed to have a great time on stage and the set sounded brilliant. Debrah Bonham opened and I was absolutley amazed at her voice! the whole band were tight, just wished I'd gotten there earlier to have seen the whole set but well worth checking out.
I roadied for Nazareth in Scotland in 2008 during their 40th Anniversary Tour, and then later in the year was lucky enough to open up for them at their final 40th Anniversary UK date which was a real honour. The band and the crew are top guys and do a fantastic job!
A big thank you to Alan and Steve for the tickets!
The only downer to the whole night was a bloody parking ticket waiting on the windscreen of my car after the gig...*shakes fist*
With Dan McCafferty just after their set.
