Hey folks…or bonjour tous le monde as they say here.

Let’s see, where to start? It’s been a while since I updated this news page and there’s a lot to say. It’s been a huge year. The move to Switzerland has been a wonderful, fascinating, excellent adventure. I have beaucoup to share with you--new music, strange writings, links to other bands and cool things in Europe--that you’ll start to find scattered throughout this website.

I’m really enjoying the music scene over here, which is full of influences from Africa, the Balkans, France and elsewhere. I’ve been going to lots of shows, meeting musicians and trying to parlay with anyone who will put up with my stuttering French. So far I’ve experienced the music scene more as a listener than a player--but hey, that’s about to change.

Yup, I’ve got my first real gig. And so now I have something musical to write you all about. (Okay, it’s not my first gig really…the first gig was playing at Gideon and Uly’s school for about 60 kids from about 20 different countries. That’s when I knew I had finally and truly arrived in Geneva: Singing “I know an old lady” to six-dozen giggling kids always makes me feel at home).

Anyway, it turns out that all over France (and the French-speaking part of Switzerland) they celebrate something called “La Fete de la Musique,” a national day of music in which every town hosts public outdoor concerts for an entire weekend. In Geneva, that means dozens of stages all over the city…in parks, on boats, bridges, and town squares. Check out this website…www.fetedelamusique.ch to get a better feel for the vibe.

It’s awesome because cities make an effort to include all kinds of musicians, dancers, acrobats and other performers from their communities--be they from Africa, Armenia or America. So it’s a pretty diverse and interesting display. I’m thrilled that I can also take part, adding my little tattoo to the cultural skin of Geneva. It’s a nice way to be introduced musically to the city.

But the coolest thing for me is actually that I got the gig without speaking a word of English. I filled out an on-line application in French, and corresponded with the producer by email, again in French…and they still gave me the gig! Now I just have to figure out how to talk to an audience in French. Merde!

As far as I can tell, I’m playing at some old carriage house of some sort…It’s a round building made of stone, with large garage-like portals where the carriages and horses used to pull in and out. People here in Geneva love converting their old historic buildings into performance spaces and bizarre concert spectacles. More on that later. Here’s the specifics so you can start booking flights…

Date: Saturday, June 23, 3:15 pm
Event: Fete de la Musique
Place: Ancien Manege, Rue Rene-Louis Piachaud, Geneva, Switzerland

Chapter Two: So what the hell ya been doing over there, Malcolm?

Okay, I know, some of you might be saying: “C’mon Malcolm, you’ve been living over there for the better part of a year and you just now got yer first gig?” Okay, true enough. I have to admit that with all the moving, the new language, all the new adventures, I put gigging on the back burner, taking a break after a pretty busy year or two of gigs in Colorado.

Instead, I’ve been focusing on practicing, writing music and stories, and recording new material. One change, though, is that I have a new Songbook page, where you'll find the lyrics and chords to some of my songs. I’ve also been working at home on various projects, taking French classes, trying to get my head around this funny French language. It’s a little tough to get gigs or start a band when you can’t even say “g-chord” or “where’s the AC outlet?”

But after almost a half-year of French lessons, it’s coming along enough where I feel ready to start booking some gigs. Getting the festival gig is a nice boost. Plus, I finally bought a Europe-friendly amp so I can go out to bars and gig and, since it has a built-in battery, I can play on the streets just like in the old days back in NYC. So keep checking back in for more news about gigs, music in Europe, etc. Also, please check back for gigs in Colorado as I will be back in town for three weeks in early July. As always, thanks for listening. Merci d’avance.