Well, here we are, 2009! It’s been quite a year in the world of Rufus Garside.  We started the year wondering what we were going to be doing in 2008 and looking for a direction and doing some soul searching to make sure we were still heading on the right track and decided to put focus on the activities of the band over that of our parent company, David’s Key, to work on the great musicianship we already had.

So, brief run down of the year:

January
We got John Kirby as our new drummer following a chance meeting on Luke’s doorstep
We started on some recordings including a live session at Haslingden High School

February
We did some work in Norden Vocal Coaching for the Pop Idol competition and helped at the Final
We did some more bits of recording to get a Demo CD out

March
Working alongside Andy Gray from Scripture union, we assisted with some Easter WOWs
We worked with Hollins Technology College doing some vocal coaching towards their Pop Idol Final
We started working with Moorhead doing a Music Week.
Gig at the Poplar WMC alongside Relentless Craving and MySpoon

April
We finished the Moorhead Music Week (go on, guess which week it was..)
More recording bits (this was on going really)
And more vocal coaching
John moved on to pursue other areas .. he’s a really good butcher and went back to do some more in that
which meant … Josh joined us a week before we were due to enter the Battle of the Bands at the Charles Napier learning 3 of our own tracks from scratch which was quite impressive!

Rufus Garside at the Charles Napier, Blackburn

May
More recording, more vocal coaching (but this time for Moorhead Pop Idol)

June
A bit of a quiet month for us with mainly practices in, but we also helped at the Hyndburn Pop Idol Final

July
We all helped Gill move house in July, so that was busy busy, but it was the start of the festival season …
Although not playing at, three of us (Josh, Gill ‘n I) went to Soul Survivor Week A in Stafford – that was amazing
And Hollybush Family Camp started which Luke, Gill ‘n I popped along to (with my little MiniMe field fairy Emily)

August
Time off and Greenbelt was on the cards here, with the odd practice

September
Back to everything with a few events in namely:
A mothers union meeting @ St Paul’s Church in Oswaldtwistle to promote our work as a band and company
The ArchDeacons Mission weekend at Hoghton Parish Church, including a garden party at the vicarage!

Hoghton Parish Church Weekend

October
The first of the Melbourne Street Youth Worship Events happened at the start of October with numerous other worship bookings

November
Morning worship at Abundant Life MillHill (not Bradford, not yet anyway!) and Helmshore Christian Fellowship
3 Schools Weeks with Christ Churhc with Canon Street (or whatever their new title is! teehee) in Norden, Mount Carmel and Hollins
The second of the Melbourne Street Youth Worship Events

December
A couple of assemblies in QEGS – not band ones but fun all the same .. on that note, does anyone know the film “It’s a Wonderful Life” just to make Gill happy?
A Christmas WOW with Andy Gray from Scripture Union in a Bamber Bridge School
Followed the next day by a Christmas Praise Party in St Andrew’s School, Oswaldtwistle
The third of the Melbourne Street Youth Worship Events
Cottage Jam – it tastes lovely .. well .. sounded lovely anyway .. we Jammed at Gill’s New Years Bash and were joined by Mr Keith Ayling on the Drums too! Oooooo …

So, as you can see, quite an eventful year, and that’s just band stuff, never mind all the other bits and pieces in the background with David’s Key!  So, for 2009, we have a number of things planned, some we can tell you (such as more worship events for Melbourne Street – dates are available now – see the Gig Guide), some recording and possibly our first EP!

One thing we do need, a bass player, we sound pretty darn good as it is (even if I do say so myself) but if you know a bass player looking to join a local band then give them our contact details, we’d love to hear from them!

Other plans we have, well, they’ll be unveiled as and when we can!  For now though, happy new year to you all and I hope Santa brought you lots of goodies!

Now, where are the rest of them to blog .. Josh, I know you’ll do something, Gill, Luke .. kooooeeee …

Bless you all
AT xx