Progress -

Just discovered an unofficial fan's blog for Van Morrison, available at www.vanmorrisonnews.com. Interesting angle there on Van and the literary tradition in Ireland - a point worth making. In additional news, it might be time to make a wee trip to Beal Feirste to have a look around. The main thing I want to see is a newspaper archive and a photographic archive. Could spin up before Christmas as I have a few days to do things this side of the holiday. Van playing soon at the Albert Hall - £200 per ticket. The letters I sent up to Ballyshannon didn't turn up anything of significance about RG's early life there. Some reports say he moved away at eight, others at three. One thing I do remember someone saying to me is that Ballyshannon had a lot of foreigners in it, due to the electricity plant that was built there. Just listening to 'Johnny The Fox' there again today. Very impressive songwriting for a man who was in the throes of jaundice, and in some ways more pointed than 'Jailbreak'...as though Lynott had a story to tell. I have written the first draft of the contextual chapter, focusing on the industry in Ireland. I am starting into hybridity now, which will be the third chapter. I was accepted to give a paper at the International Association for the Study of Popular Music Conference over in San Diego in May of this year, which is a big boost. Will be a lot of work getting it together. Have set myself the target of finishing by Christmas this year, which means a chapter every two months. That's achieveable, if challenging. Working away on other musical projects, various collaborations with Limerick Creative Music, Sticky Fingers and Lost and Found on the go at the minute. Got great help from a few good heads in Limerick regarding the PHD - more about that later.