March madness!

Blog Post No 3 March 2025

Bob and I had arrived in Bali the last time we chatted. We had a blissful two weeks with very little exploration of the island. We made three trips into Ubud, a frenetic and buzzing place boiling over with scooters and large taxis. Walking the uneven, broken walkways while trying to dodge pretty flower offerings strewn along the pavements was quite a trick. It was also stiflingly hot on two of the three occasions! I’m not painting a positive picture, but it is unique and full of amazing old temples, statues and beautiful modern cafes and hotels with gorgeous gardens that make you believe you’re in some tropical oasis, so much so that the noise and chaos of the streets feel like some fuzzy, far off dream.

Monkey Forest was fun, and the late lunch that followed at a wonderful Indonesian restaurant (Liap Liap Folk) was a magnificent gourmet experience. We were blown away by the level of service, taste and presentation; it was all excellent. Our third and final trip to Ubud, on a rainy, grey Monday, centred around lunch at a magical restaurant called Merlin’s, which was recommended to us by our dear friend Rosemary O’Donohue. It did not disappoint. As you’ll see in the video, it was a feast for the eyes and the stomach. We loved it!

The rest of the time, we lounged by the gorgeous pool at Om Ham retreat in between treatments at their fabulous spa. We ate at the hotel restaurant every night. The menu was simple but delicious and delightful, and we enjoyed sitting and looking out over the lush green paddy fields surrounding the property on several sides. Watching the birds and beautiful insects flying about and water dragons chasing ducks through the waterways, feeding the growing rice. It was simple and deep nourishment for the soul on all levels. We realised that over the past five years, we’d had little time to fully relax and just be. Our gratitude knows no bounds.

Returning to Australia after my work visa was granted (a stress we could have done without!) was straightforward. I spent a few days with Jo and our gorgeous girls before we headed north to Brisbane for rehearsals with Michael Fix. Along the way, we caught up with some family and friends we hadn’t seen in five years: Peter, Janet, and Koto near Paradise Point; Vivienne and Kev on the Gold Coast; and finally, my lovely mate Stephanie, closer to Brisbane. It was a delightful drive, and I was ready to get stuck into rehearsals.

It felt like no time at all since Michael and I had played together! Time is a funny thing, for sure. We spent two productive days in Michael’s studio, then had a warm-up gig at his Mum and Dad’s and step-father’s retirement village, just a few minutes away. We had a lovely crowd of smiley people roll up to the Community Hall. They arrived on foot, with and without zimmer frames, and in a variety of mobility scooters it was amazing to watch them converge on the hall. We played, and they applauded with greater and greater enthusiasm. It was a wonderful show. We went to bed that night, happy bunnies.

In the morning, I woke with a scratchy throat. I blame it on the AC and a few broken night’s sleep. We had another warm-up show that night at The Palm Lake Resort Beachmere an hour or so north of Michael’s place. I nursed myself through with herbal tea, Fishermen’s Friends, and assorted nasal cleaners. I spoke very little. My throat got worse. I honestly didn’t know if I could sing. We did a quick sound check and revised the setlist. We dropped a couple of the punchier tunes. My midrange was lost. Top and bottom range OK. Luckily for me, having never heard me before, they thought it was all good. We got away with it. Michael, bless him, did an instrumental here and there to cover for me. Thank you!

The following day was our first official concert in the charming town of Maleny near the Glass Mountains - a stunningly beautiful area. I missed the gorgeous scenery in favour of a steamer and a cotton blanket over my head. The local RSL club venue is a 140-year-old wooden-built hall strewn with bunting inside. Large glass doors opened up at the back to allow a flow of air, and half a dozen ceiling fans that flung it about the place in an effort to keep the heat from becoming overwhelming. I loved it! Our host and promoter for this and the final of our first string of shows was Shez Wright. Someone Michael and I met on our first Winter Break Songwriter’s Retreat back in 2014. It was her house we played our very first concert together. It was a delightful reunion. My throat had settled a little, but my nose was now a tap! I find this very hard to negotiate. However, as with many things in life, somehow, I got through it. There were breaks in my voice that were impossible to negotiate, I simply had to move over them and reach the parts that still worked. For some reason, that elludes me, the audience didn’t care! They were every bit as appreciative as the previous two nights, and though I felt like crap, I was grateful. Bob and I were hosted by a lovely couple, Peter and Linda, at their fabulous home in what felt like the wilderness, but was only five kilometres outside of town. I slept relatively well that night.

Just one more show to do. The last show in this first scutch was at 2 pm in an amazing venue and an hour and a half away from Maleny, at - The Barn in Draper. By now, though my throat was not sore, it was tight and very tired, as was I. It took a great effort to pull myself up to performance levels when all I really wanted to do was fall asleep. Everyone connected to the venue, including Shez and her partner Rob, were just lovely, supportive, attentive, sweet and caring. They made it a lot easier, I have to say. By the time we took to the stage, I was as ready as I could be. There were still those songs (River Deep, Love Me Like A Man, Deeper Well) I simply couldn’t approach, but others, where we dropped the key to give me a little headroom (We Spoke Today, Do It Again, Broken Wings, Would’t It Be Good), sounded a bit stronger. I still wasn’t anywhere near my best, but I gave it all I had in that moment, and it was appreciated again. It is very humbling not to have the thing that you trust and rely upon not be there, and yet those who come to hear that same thing still bring a generosity of spirit and appreciation despite the difficulty. Does that even make sense? I know what I mean.

There were four days before we picked up again. I spent most of them sleeping, steaming or blowing my nose. By the time we arrived in Woy Woy, two days before our sold our house concert there, I was feeling much better. Michael arrived Thursday afternoon. We had a gorgeous evening with our wonderful friends and house concert hosts, Ina and Mihael Fine, whose beautiful home we performed in on Friday night. I was relaxed and ready to sing again. It felt like a miracle to be able to sing freely and with almost 100% expression - it takes a little longer to get it all back, but I'll take this level above last weekend anytime!

Last night, Saturday, March 29th, we played at The Crossroads Bar Dubbo, in a new venue created by the same promoters as 2020 - Michael and Gloria Picton - and they are amazing. They've made a wonderful performance space and bar that work fantastically together. with wonderful sounds system and sound man Alfred. We're blown away by their level of professionalism and dedication. I hope we'll be invited back - hint, hint!

Tonight, Sunday, March 30th, we're playing in Orange at the Bloomfield Hall. You'll have to come back next month to find out how it went, but we're expecting a fun night and a full house, just like last time. Wish us luck!

On a very positive note, a digital version of Children Of The Sea was released/made available to purchase/download and Stream on all usual platforms on March 28th! Here is the link to view your options. I’m thrilled to make the whole thing available in this new format. A few hard copies are still available on the Fledg’ling Records Website if you’d like the full-fat-greedy-bastard version (very technical term!) But for those in countries where the postage is prohibitive, perhaps the digital version will find its way into your lovely worlds. I hope so. I’m still inordinately proud of Children Of The Sea.

I have to thank my brother Paul in Perth for buying me the wonderful video camera I’m now using to capture each gig. I don’t know what inspired him, but I’m happy to have this whizzy device. Once I’m out of the head-cold fog I’ve been under, I’ll try and capture some road trip bits as well. Thanks, Paul!

Thanks, as always, for dropping by to see how this wee Manx vocalist is faring out in the big wide world. Your company is a delight I very much appreciate! Thank you.

Stay well, and keep rising above the turbulence!

Much love and endless blessings!

Christine xx

From the Northern Beaches to Bali!

Blogpost No 2 February 2025

Another month has flown by, and Bob and I are now in Bali at a wonderful Retreat Centre called Om Ham.  I have to be out of the country. to trigger a work visa for our tour dates in Australia coming up in March and April, it’s a wonderful excuse to visit somewhere exotic.

We’ve been Dee Why bound the rest of the month, enjoying days by the beach and doing crosswords in the sunshine. We walk Jo’s lovely dogs, Snoopy and Coco before we head off for brunch and the beach. It’s a dog’s life! We’ve been spending time with our gorgeous family, and have been to the movies once. Bob watched, and enjoyed, A Complete Unknown, while the rest of us watched Moana II (don’t judge!) - we loved Moana! I’ll watch the Bob Dylan biopic soon.

We had a trip into the city to have lunch with one of my sister’s sister-in-law, Nora, and her friend Gill, on holiday from the Isle of Man. It is always a delight to meet friends and family from around the world, in new and different settings. Jo recommended City Grounds, a bustling restaurant downtown where we enjoyed a delicious lunch. The place was overwhelmingly LOUD but fun and atmospheric. We found our way to Hyde Park (no, we didn’t time travel!) And had a much quieter conversation under the trees. All-in-all a lovely outing.

I’ve been playing my new guitar, but not nearly as much as Bob! Michael Fix and I have a few new tracks to add to our already full list of songs, which we’re excited to rehearse together and then perform, starting in three weeks - coming up fast! I bought a Gimble for my phone, a wonderful device, to capture moments on video, but so far I haven’t found the right circumstance to try it out. You’ll have to wait till next month to see these whizzy new advances in my strange-techno-evolving world.

I have uploaded lots of new dates for this year, including gigs with Michael Fix, as mentioned above, starting in a few weeks. A one-off solo show in Holland June 6th - hurrah! A handful of dates with Dave Kelly towards the end of June, and my solo shows in September! Phew! After five years of nothing much, I’m flying this year. I hope you can make it to a show.

The exciting news is that Children Of The Sea (only a few physical copies left of the limited run!) will be available to download and stream on all usual platforms from March 28th. You can pre-order HERE! Feel free to share the wonderful news :-) - thank you!

I’ve edited a wee snippet of our first few days in Bali accompanied by a rather raucous live Collister&Fix version of Summertime - just because. Although there are only a few videos this month, next month will be full to the brim! :-) x

February’s a short month and so is this particular blogpost. I trust you are all staying warm and keeping your positive energy as high as possible.

Till next time, dear reader, stay well and keep rising above the turbulence!

Much love and endless blessings!

Christine x

I love being upside-down!

Blog Post No 1 January 2025

Here, at the bottom of the world, there is warmth and sunshine galore. We’ve had plenty of rain and thunderstorms, too, but nothing like the winter storms that have ravaged the Isle of Man and the rest of the British Isles of late. The sale of Mum and Dad’s much-loved home finally (after a six-month waiting game) went through on Wednesday, January 22nd, on what would have been Dad’s birthday. Synchronicity is a wonderful thing. And the palpable relief of no longer waiting with bated breath to find out if any damage has been caused during a named storm is huge. I empathise with anyone who has had to deal with the aftermath of such powerful and damaging weather. It’s a very distressing experience. If you’re having to deal with storm damage, I hope you find support, help and swift repairs to any physical disruption to your house and home.

Looking back over this first month of the year has proved rather lovely. New Year’s Eve itself was great fun. We spent it with family on Dee Why Beach where we watched their fantastic fireworks at 9 pm. We then went back to Jo’s auntie Sue’s holiday rental where we munched our way into the New Year with delicious cheeses, dips and assorted snacks, and watched more fireworks on TV. I’m normally in bed by 10 pm and this is the first time in a long time I’ve stayed up to see the New Year in. I’m glad I did. It was proper fun!

Since then, in between hanging out with beautiful Jo and our gorgeous granddaughters, we’ve visited some lovely friends up and down the East Coast of Australia. We saw our fabulous friends Fiona and Ian, who live in Yatte Yattah, near Milton, 90 minutes south of Wollongong. We dipped in the Ocean each morning, even when it poured with rain (it wasn’t cold in the slightest:), we walked in the rain too, but we didn’t get very far. We got drenched. We ate sumptuous food, relaxed and had wonderful, far-reaching conversations. Always a joy. We’ll be back with Michael Fix on April 12th for a fabulous House Concert. We may even go back before then to revisit all those beautiful beaches and share in all the delights Fiona and Ian share so generously. Thank you!

We spent a few days on the Central Coast, just the two of us for a long weekend. We watched the Robbie Williams Biopic Better Man and loved it. Who knew? We also watched Paddington III and weren’t nearly as impressed as we expected. There’s no accounting for taste n’est pas? Despite lots of rain we had one wonderful day in our favourite place: Pearl Beach where I managed, despite the judicious use of an umbrella, to get burnt!

There have been developments in live shows both here and the UK which I’m very happy about. Michael Fix and I are set to do a run of shows in Australia in March and April - the first time in five years. You can learn about them here.

I have a one-off solo show featuring Children Of The Sea, in Holland at the beginning of June, and a handful of shows with Dave Kelly at the end of June which should be great fun. Details will be added to the Live Events page as soon as I have them.

And there are a growing number of solo shows in the UK confirmed for September, which I’m also excited about. All is well all shall be well.

Bob and I have just returned from a week up on the Central Coast staying first in Lemon Tree Passage which is 45 minutes north of Newcastle NSW. Our dear friend, Nikki, moved up there from Terrigal about three years ago, and this was the first chance we’ve had to visit. What a gorgeous place. The view from her first-floor balcony is beautiful. We walked along the shoreline following the sparkle on the water, watching pelicans and black Swans glide along the estuary. She has a family of Tawny Frog Mouths nesting in trees in the back garden. They are adorable. So is she! We’ll definitely be back.

We then spent a couple of nights with Ina and Michael Fine in their gorgeous home by the water in Woy Woy. Ina and Michael run the successful Troubadour Folk Club where Michael Fix and I are playing a house concert on March 28th. We were treated to a delicious home-cooked meal on our first night, and a full-on tourist day out to Wiseman’s Ferry and St Albans the next day, which included two short ferry crossings, followed by a Thai takeaway with more delightful friends joining us. We are feeling particularly blessed right now.

I’m excited to share that I’ve bought myself a lovely new guitar. This is only the third guitar I’ve ever bought. It will remain in Australia when we return topside and will accompany me and Michael Fix on our shows through March and April. It’s nothing fancy but it’s rather lovely and feels great to play. What more do I need?

Bob and I are very excited to have booked a two-week holiday in Bali! We’ve never been, though many people we know love the place. We also know some people are less than impressed, so we’re going to see for ourselves. We’re opting for serene and peaceful in a lovely-looking retreat centre 15 minutes outside of Ubud. We have to be outside of Australia while a specific visa is processed in order for me to perform when we return. We have, in the past, travelled to New Zealand and stayed with family, but we thought we’d try something different this time around. It feels as if life is full of promise again after a number of years where restrictions, for various reasons, dictated our journey through life. We totally appreciate our circumstances. Gratitude abounds.

Children Of The Sea is still in process for digital release through all the usual platforms but not quite ready, yet. When it is, I shall let you know. It will also be possible to purchase a PDF version of the book! Until then, if you haven’t got your copy there are still a few available at various shops on the Isle Of Man (Waterstones, The Manx Museum, The Manannan Centre Peel or at Pinewood Studios at Nicola Dixon’s shop near Bishopscourt outside Kirk Michael on Saturdays) or through Fledgling Record’s website.

There will be more travel adventures to share next month, and no doubt a few more rehearsal snippets, too. I send you all love, peace and warmth from the bottom of the world.

Till next time, stay well and keep rising above the turbulence.

Endless blessings

Christine x