Do you ever get the feeling that life is so busy you don’t get a chance to really enjoy it? Looking back, 2023 hasn’t been bad at all, but it’s only now that I can sit back, entering Christmas mode, and appreciate it. Anyway, here’s how the last twelve months panned out…
Music stuff: a painfully slow first half of the year for gigs but it ramped up by the end, prominently with Fred's House and quite a few with Queen Bee Blues Band, also played live with Steve Logan, Claudia and the Braidy Bunch, Vicky Harrison and Big 10. Recorded with Fred's House, Gavin Chappell-Bates and the NMG ALL Stars. Some lovely stuff there.
Theatre stuff: wrote and took a one-man show to New York ('Is This the End of Edward J. Payne'), as well as Edinburgh and Brighton Fringe runs, nominated for the Best Musical Comedy award at the Leicester Comedy Festival for 'My Function Band Hell' and won Best Male Actor in a Feature Film for 'Harvey Greenfield is Running Late' at the Dublin International Comedy Film Festival. Also, for the first time in a while, enjoyed writing for other people, with 'D-List' and 'But We Said We Weren't Doing Presents This Year' - both of whom had amazing casts. Wrote a couple books, which will be re-released before the year is out now that I've changed distributor (and they're no longer exclusive to Amazon, which I think is a cool move).
Taught lots and have loved seeing my students develop during the live performances. They've all done me proud and teaching drums is totally the best job in the world!
Things feel in good shape to hit the ground running next year, whilst also trying to spend more time with wifey, more time with smelly Freddie dog, more time with friends, more adventures, you know, the usual? Big plans for my Drummers to the Rescue project which will benefit my students (and others who really need it), and even bigger plans for the many new shows. In the meantime, lots of books to read, so much new music to listen to. Might as well start that now, alongside all the usual festive tomfoolery. Thanks for being part of my year, let's do it all again soon. That's Richards signing off for a bit, merry Christmas!