The Blinding Heights Podcast Episode 22 – February 6, 2012.

Featuring JULES LARSON plus ..

Josh Doyle, Green River Ordinance, To The Sea, Lovehammers, Earth Prayer, Davina & Ross, Stars Go Dim, See For Days, Darlingside, Ghost Beach, Dala, Tyler James, David DiMuzio, Will Black.

Experience now – THE BLINDING HEIGHTS

Your premiere music discovery service!

A music podcast featuring the greatest new independent artists that you need to hear.

Visit The Blinding Heights Homepage for all episode downloads.

Good Evening, Planet Earth!

Welcome to my first MY first blog video response to “yer” questions with “my” answers.. January 2012 Edition.

Last weekend I was in San Francisco following my favorite NFL team, the 49ers. They finished the season 13-3 and for the first time in a decade were in the playoffs and hosting the New Orleans Saints (highly picked to win the game btw). Believe it or not, this was my first NFL game I had ever been to (however I’ve been to lots of CFL games growing up in Canada) and I was completely stoked to be at Candlestick Park with my wife (also her first game) watching my team play in front of a sold-out, off the hook, home crowd!

The day after the game we headed over to Alcatraz for a tour of the infamous island prison. It’s been retired since the early sixties, so there were no prisoners there however we took the night tour and it was very cool. A great way to experience the vibe in that place with lots of shadows and a COLD wind blowing through the place. It was an audio guided tour, so that’s why I’m wearing headphones in the shot below.

A great weekend trip to San Francisco, even with the 9 hour flights from Bermuda. I also enjoyed filming the video responses to your questions and I look forward to doing it again soon!

Post your questions for a future episode at:

http://www.WillBlack.com/fanquestions

Rock on,

Will

The Blinding Heights Podcast Episode 21 – Monday, January 9, 2012.

Featuring HEATHER NOVA plus..

Jules Larson, Green River Ordinance, Graham Colton, Fairchild, The High Dials, The Will Callers, Poor Young Things, McCree, Those Mockingbirds, Yellowbirds, The Nearly Deads, The NowhereNauts, The Well Reds, Will Black.

Experience now – THE BLINDING HEIGHTS

Your premiere music discovery service!

A music podcast featuring the greatest new independent artists that you need to hear.

Visit The Blinding Heights Homepage for all episode downloads.

The Blinding Heights Podcast Episode 20 – Monday, December 5, 2011.

Featuring KATIE HERZIG plus ..

Jon Mclaughlin, Gaby Moreno, Jack Savoretti, The Revivalists, Steve Moakler, Emma-Lee, Frame & Canvas, The Hawk In Paris, Matthew Mayfield, August Rising, The Dirty Guv’nahs, David Mead, Caddle, Will Black.

Experience now – THE BLINDING HEIGHTS

Your premiere music discovery service!

A music podcast featuring the greatest new independent artists that you need to hear.

Visit The Blinding Heights Homepage for all episode downloads.

The Blinding Heights Podcast Episode 19 – Monday, November 7, 2011.

Featuring THE TREWS plus..

Enation, Honor By August, The Worsties, Josh Doyle, Matrimony, Endoxi, Warner Drive, Mad June, Jak Locke, Shawn Brady, The Color Gray, Kim Grambo, EarlyRise, The All-Girl Boys Choir, Will Black.

The Blinding Heights Podcast Episode 18 – Monday, October 10, 2011.

Featuring ANDREW COLE plus..

Dilana, The Trews, Megan Keely, The Ivorys, Ocelot Robot, Steve Hott, Those Mockingbirds, Sugarwall, Tyler James and The Exchange, Tim Halperin, The Bastard Suns, The Dandelion War, Dovetail, Will Black.

The Blinding Heights Podcast Episode 17 – Sunday, May 15, 2011.

Featuring RACHEL PLATTEN plus..

Enation, Josh Doyle, Bright Light Parade, The Break Mission, Jesse Terry, The Lights Out, Kingsfall, Will Black.

The Blinding Heights Podcast Episode 16 – Sunday, April 24, 2011.

Featuring THE KICKS plus..

The Black Sharks, Parade Of Lights, Spriewald, Darlingside, Clockwise, The High Dials, Anthony Gomes, Will Black.

The Blinding Heights Podcast Episode 15 – Sunday, April 10, 2011.

Featuring STATE LINE EMPIRE plus..

John Oszajca, Toy Horses, Distant Lights, Stonehoney, Reality Addiction, Waiting For Brantley, Johnny Panic, Will Black.

The Blinding Heights Podcast Episode 14 – Sunday, March 6, 2011.

Featuring CHAS SANDFORD plus..

Lily Holbrook, Jesse Terry, Scour, Fallen Riviera, Jill Stevenson, ForthAngel, Keith Hinton, Will Black.

The Blinding Heights Podcast Episode 13 – Sunday, February 20, 2011.

Featuring TONY HARNELL plus..

Danielle Barbe, Kyle Spicer, Family Of The Year, For The Love Of Sloane, The Mars Patrol, Chasing Eden, Joel Guenther, Will Black.

The Blinding Heights Podcast Episode 12 – Sunday, February 6, 2011.

Featuring DILANA plus..

Niki Barr, Whole Hog, The Jefferson, Kristy Kay, The Kicks, Juliana Down, Kim Grambo, Will Black.

The Blinding Heights Podcast Episode 11 – Sunday, January 23, 2011.

Featuring JOHN OSZAJCA plus..

The Worsties, My Future Lies, Honor By August, Stereolover, Katie Kerkhover, Factory, David Martinez, Will Black.

>> WILL BLACK DISPATCH ISSUE 11 – Online

(*NOTE – As of January 2011, ROCKSTAR RADIO officially changed its name to THE BLINDING HEIGHTS PODCAST*)

Good Evening, Planet Earth!

Happy New Year and I hope everyone has taken their first steps into this fanastic new decade in a great way! 2011 can be everything you want it to be and more.. be alive and follow through with your dreams. I am currently booked to return to performing 5 nights a week at Hog Penny Pub in Bermuda again this April 1. Taking 2010 off from nightly performing was a great refresher (after a steady 6 years of gigging full-time) and I’m really looking forward to starting up the live show again and bringing some new material and energy to my performances. Hope to see you at the show

January is shaping up to be a busy month for me as I am designing my all-new website for WillBlack.com. Currently www.WillBlack.com leads to my Facebook Fan Page, but after careful consideration and talking with other independent artists I’ve decided it’s time to take better control of my musical presence online and get my own original homepage up and online. It will feature links and connections to all my songs, photos & videos all in one convenient place while taking advantage of social media resources like Twitter, Facebook and as a new home for my blog. I’ll send out a special launch email to everyone once the new site is up and ready to roll.. right now I’m shooting for an early February launch.

Have you heard my album, ‘Dancing With The Dead’ yet? Since the release of my debut album back in April 2008, I have made the album available for free download as a ‘Digital Edition’, but this version is going to be taken offline permanently next Friday, Jan. 21! To generate funds for my next album project ‘The Blinding Heights’ I am needing to sell many more copies of DWTD so from next Friday on it will available only in its original format as a paid download or CD from CDBaby.com. Therefore, if you don’t yet have a copy of the Digital Edition of DWTD, head over to its homepage and get your complimentary copy now (..sorry, now expired!)

Would you agree that it makes sense (cents?) to fund my next album with sales from my current album? Let me respond by saying that the main reason I am launching a brand new website is to kickoff the start off an all-new marketing campaign to raise awareness about DWTD and my indie rock podcast, ROCKSTAR RADIO.. which leads me to my next point.

It has just come to attention this morning (yes, literally the morning as I am writing this blog entry) that ROCKSTAR RADIO is infringing upon a previously filed trademark for that title in use as part of radio/broadcast program. IT’s my own fault for not researching the title more thoroughly before I began using it, but it’s all good (lots of living and learning goin’ on)! I’m going to create a new title for the show and basically nothing else will be affected in regards to the program. In fact, my biggest concern with ‘Rockstar Radio’ has always been that’s it a little generic, so let me get something fresh and new happening.

Here are the Feature Artists that appeared on December’s episodes of ???Insert Snappy, New Title Here??? Podcast, in addition to all the other great indie bands that performed on each show:

The Hot Toddies – Episode 8 on Dec. 5
Nick Sterling – Episode 9 on Dec. 19

I’m also posting a daily ROCKSTAR RADIO ‘Song Of The Day’ that you can hear via my Facebook Fan Page or Twitter. Please leave comments below the tunes that you enjoy and I’ll respond

I appreciate your support and look forward to performing for as many of you as possible throughout 2011.

Thanks for listening and rock on!

Will

wb@willblack.com

The Blinding Heights Podcast Episode 5 – Sunday, January 9, 2011.

Featuring THE DEADLIES plus..

Mark Kano, Killed By Design, Endoxi, A Road Less Traveled, McCree, Echoes The Fall, Bronze Radio Return, Will Black.

The Blinding Heights Podcast Episode 9 – Sunday, December 12, 2010.

Featuring NICK STERLING plus..

Thomas Nicholas Band, Sons Of Bill, Starlume, Gold Motel, Family Of The Year, Gentlemen Hall, Pullman Standard, Will Black.

The Blinding Heights Podcast Episode 8 – Sunday, December 5, 2010.

Featuring THE HOT TODDIES plus..

Very Unique Existence, Railroad Earth, Gills and Wings, Stars Go Dim, Rowse, The Lost Colors, Ex Norwegian, Will Black.

>> WILL BLACK DISPATCH ISSUE 11 – Online

(*NOTE – As of January 2011, ROCKSTAR RADIO officially changed its name to THE BLINDING HEIGHTS PODCAST*)

Good Evening, Planet Earth!

Been a busy month writing new songs that I am quickly premiering each week on the WillBlack website via each episode of ROCKSTAR RADIO. Songs with titles like ‘Alexandra Falling’, ‘Forever Was Never Enough’ & ‘Rift Valley Fever’ to name a few of them. I’ve also begun co-writing with a fantastic Columbus, Ohio based guitarist by the name of Chris Steberl and we will be delivering some full band rock songs by January for the world to hear. It’s been a refreshing experience for me to be completing new material with a co-writer for the first time in a long while.

ROCKSTAR RADIO has had a successful 2^nd month on the air, but I need everyone’s help in spreading the word about the great music being featured each week on the show! Word of mouth is the most effective form of promotion there is, so if you are enjoying the program make sure to tell your friends, sisters, brothers, daughters, Moms & Pops and even your boss. I have also been asked if there is a way to donate to ROCKSTAR RADIO and here’s my official reply:

From the beginning I have purposely kept the show available for free and I plan to keep on doing so. My promise to you is to keep Rockstar Radio Podcast FREE and you will never be obligated to make any sort of payment to listen to or download the show. However, if you would like to make a financial donation to the show you can now do so when choosing to download an episode from the ROCKSTAR RADIO homepage at WillBlack.com/podcast. From now on when you choose to download a show, you will be offered the opportunity to ‘name your price’ and donate as much or as little as you’d like for that episode download. FYI – Each week’s show takes about 5-6 hours of my time to produce, plus I have minor costs to maintain and host the shows as well. Every donation is gratefully accepted and will go towards keeping ROCKSTAR RADIO alive and on the air.

Each show I spin 11 songs from 9 different artists over the course of the 60 minute program.  I also have a “FEATURE ARTIST” segment each week on a different musician/band and this month it was my pleasure to feature:

Schiavone Mcgee – Episode 5 on Nov. 7
Ryan Roxie – Episode 6 on Nov. 14
Mudmen – Episode 7 on Nov. 28

This month I also launched a daily ROCKSTAR RADIO “Song Of The Day” feature that you can access at my Facebook Band Page or via www.WillBlack.com/playlist. The playlist contains streaming songs by indie artists played on ROCKSTAR RADIO plus many of my favorites from classic rock folkore throughout the decades.  If you’d like to make a request for a song to be added to the list, leave me a wall post on Facebook.

As the holidays are upon us, I wish everyone the best of seasonal fun and to be safe out on your local streets! The next WILL BLACK DISPATCH will be sent first Friday of January.

Thanks for listening and rock on!

Will

wb@willblack.com

The Blinding Heights Podcast Episode 7 – Sunday, November 28, 2010.

Featuring MUDMEN plus..

The Ruse, The B Film Extras, The Beautifully Broken, Bronze Radio Return, Heidi Vincent, The Scarlett Fever, Face The Sun, Will Black.

The Blinding Heights Podcast Episode 6 – Sunday, November 14, 2010.

Featuring RYAN ROXIE plus..

Cherry Suede, Dead Sara, Manic Bloom, Brendan Benson, Stars Go Dim, The Gallery, Thomas Nicholas Band, Will Black.

The Blinding Heights Podcast Episode 5 – Sunday, November 7, 2010.

Featuring SCHIAVONE MCGEE plus..

Sebastian Bach, Stand, Hand Over Fist, Flashbulb Fires, Christy Jefferson, Jeremy Current, Frankie Whyte And The Dead Idols, Will Black.

>> WILL BLACK DISPATCH ISSUE 9 – Online

(*NOTE – As of January 2011, ROCKSTAR RADIO officially changed its name to THE BLINDING HEIGHTS PODCAST*)

Good evening, Planet Earth!

It’s been a hectic month but the first 4 episodes of ROCKSTAR RADIO Podcast have been released and are waiting for you to listen to.  If you don’t know yet what ROCKSTAR RADIO is – it’s my new weekly indie rock podcast featuring the best of the best songs independent musicians have to offer from around the world.  New episodes air each Sunday night at 8 PM EST and are available for listening online or download to your computer and/or MP3 player.

The ROCKSTAR RADIO homepage is located at -> www.WillBlack.com/podcast

Here is what fans are saying about the new show:

“Will.. Loving the show.. it is seriously so good.. I look forward to listening every week! It getting better and better .. I loved the historical facts in the show .. So cool! Take care!”
- Mia Chambray

“Well, didn’t know what to expect.??? Very good well done bud, will be looking forward to next broadcast.”
- Sharrieff Wales

“Great shows so far! As a direct result of you showcasing them, I have purchased some songs (and an album) of artists I may have otherwise never found or heard of. Keep up the good work!”
- Phil Gee

Each show I spin 11 songs from 9 different artists over the course of the 60 minute program.  I also have a “FEATURE ARTIST” segment each week on a different musician/band and this month it was my pleasure to feature:

Honor By August – October 10
Andrew Cole – October 17
Red Wanting Blue – October 24
Chris Caddell – October 31

Every episode of ROCKSTAR RADIO is archived and available for you to listen to at your convenience, so I encourage anyone interested in discovering great, new music to go back and catch the shows that they missed!

It’s lots of work to put these shows together, so I appreciate your support and feedback on what you like/dislike about the program.  Email me at wb@willblack.com with your thoughts and chances are I will air your comments on an upcoming episode.

In this issue of WILL BLACK DISPATCH, you will also find links to each of the new original demo songs I released each week for the month of October.  I’ve been successful so far in premiering a brand new tune of my own each week on ROCKSTAR RADIO and let’s hope I can continue this songwriting “half” marathon that I’ve begun

Rock on,

Will

wb@willblack.com

The Blinding Heights Podcast Episode 4 – Sunday, October 31, 2010.

Featuring CHRIS CADDELL plus..

Killed By Design, Deluka, Gentlemen Hall, All I Know, Shelli Harsha, Straight Razor Angels, The Fling, Will Black.

The Blinding Heights Podcast Episode 3 – Sunday, October 24, 2010.

Featuring RED WANTING BLUE plus..

Bojibian, Glass Delirium, FireRoom, Mudmen, Dovetail, Murder City Sparrows, Jen Mize, Will Black.

The Blinding Heights Podcast Episode 2 – Sunday, October 17, 2010.

Featuring ANDREW COLE plus..

We The Living, Hands & Teeth, Magdalene, Noctura, Matrimony, renwick, The Walking Sleep, Will Black.

The Blinding Heights Podcast Episode 1 – Sunday, October 10, 2010.

Featuring HONOR BY AUGUST plus..

The Scarlett Fever, The Juliets, Chris Caddell and The Wreckage, Killed By Design, Tim Halperin, The BellBoys, Navarone, Will Black.

>> WILL BLACK DISPATCH ISSUE 8 – Online

(*NOTE – As of January 2011, ROCKSTAR RADIO officially changed its name to THE BLINDING HEIGHTS PODCAST*)

Good evening, Planet Earth!

Busy day today! Moving to a new apartment, working on producing the first episode of ROCKSTAR RADIO and getting ready for a recording session next week to get my new originals for October released.

My new weekly podcast ‘ROCKSTAR RADIO’ officially launches on Sunday, October 10th at 8 PM EST. The show will feature the best indie rock bands that you have never heard, very cool stuff. I’ll also include a feature interview with one of the bands, plus I will be debuting a brand new Will Black song each week as well! The podcast can be streamed direct from the net or downloaded free to your computer so you can take it with you on your iPod or portable MP3 player. The show will be available for everyone at Facebook and WillBlack.com/podcast.

I will be sending everyone a quick email with track listing and album artwork each Sunday night as a friendly reminder! Also, if you miss an episode there is no problem because I will be hosting all the shows permanently online so you can go back and listen to anything you’d like at your convenience. I should eventually have the podcast available on iTunes as well.. working on getting that setup this month. The album cover artwork for the podcast is located next in the newsletter – take a look.

Next week I will be recording 4 new Will Black tunes with guitarist/engineer Mike Conto here in Bermuda. These songs will premiere one at a time during each new episode of ROCKSTAR RADIO during the month of October. As it currently stands, the plan is to draw from these new demo songs for my next album ‘The Blinding Heights’ when I go back into Metalworks Studios in 2011. Your feedback will be valuable over the coming months in telling me which of these songs you love, hate – or don’t really care for either way These demo songs will always be available for you to listen to and download for free. I’m looking forward to your feedback on both the podcast and the new songs!

After 5 years on Pitts Bay Road living at the back of the big, pink house on the hill (all the houses here in Bermuda are painted different pastel colors… ours was coral pink) Genie, Angelus (our Maine Coone cat) and I are finally moving into a bigger place. We’ll now be up on North Shore and it’s a pretty upper level apartment with an awesome view of the ocean! I’ll post some pics for everyone to see once we get settled in next week.

There is also a cool, little promo video from one of my last performances on the Celebrity Century posted at the bottom of this newsletter for you to check out. You can also view it on YouTube.

Really looking forward to getting ROCKSTAR RADIO launched into the rock ‘n roll heavens this month. So please show your support for great indie rock music and make sure to listen to the premiere on October 10th @ 8 PM EST -> www.WillBlack.com/music

Rock on,

Will

wb@willblack.com

>> WILL BLACK DISPATCH ISSUE 7 – Online

Good evening, Planet Earth!

I hope everyone had a sunny summer with lots of BBQ, goodtimes and frolicking among beautiful ocean waves… yes, I am BACK living in Bermuda full-time.  In addition to moving back to “the Rock” this summer (Bermuda is a small island located in the Atlantic, not the Caribbean, about 600 miles east off the coast of North Carolina), I also spent a gloriously sunny 2 weeks in Tallinn, Estonia hanging out with my extended Russian family.  The newsletter photo above shows me downing a very large pint of beer in Tallinn’s Old Town – awesome local brew by the way.

So howabout some exciting musical announcements?  Firstly, the WILL BLACK DISPATCH is now becoming a regular monthly publication, so expect to see a new issue in your inbox the first Friday of each month.  I’ve had lots of great feedback and interaction from fans around the world about the DISPATCH and it has proven to be an invaluable resource for getting my latest news and music directly to you.  I’m stoked about growing the readership of this newsletter to as many of you out there as possible!

Secondly, plans for a new Will Black album in 2010 have been pushed back into 2011.  This is due to 2 new cool developments that I am premiering right here:

1. A weekly rock ‘n roll request radio show online
2. A new original Will Black demo song released each week.  Here are the details..

“NUMBER 1” -> SUNDAY, OCTOBER 3RD IS THE LAUNCH OF MY BRAND NEW WEEKLY PODCAST RADIO SHOW.  It currently stands without a title (see the Fan Feedback section later in this newsletter), but it will be a 60 min program hosted by yours truly.  The show will be available streaming online/free download on Sunday evenings from my website and possibly iTunes.  The show is currently in pre-production but here are some of the highlights I am working on including:

- I SPIN YOUR FAVOURITE ROCK ‘N ROLL REQUESTS.  Requests can be made throughout the week prior to the airing of the show by posting on my Wall at www.WillBlack.com or sending me an email.  Help get your requests played and tell me something you love about the band or the song – a memory, a feeling, anything about the emotion they/it bring you.

- EACH WEEK’S SHOW FEATURES A NEW UP AND COMING INDEPENDENT ARTIST.  I’ll include an interview with the artist and spin one of their tunes.  Great promotion for the artist and a perfect way to expose my fans to more new musical talent.  This is an awesome cross-promotion technique and will also help to get my own music played for new ears.  If you know a hard working independent band/artist that would like be interviewed on my show – please send me an email (wb@willblack.com).  I’m really excited about getting other artists involved with this show!

- EACH WEEK’S SHOW WILL PREMIERE A BRAND NEW WILL BLACK DEMO SONG. See next point for more details..

“NUMBER 2” -> A BRAND NEW WILL BLACK DEMO SONG WILL BE RELEASED EACH WEEK STARTING SUNDAY, OCTOBER 3RD.  In preparation for my planned studio album in 2011 “The Blinding Heights”, I have decided to go ahead and begin releasing acoustic demo songs for free download each week.  This gives fans a chance to grab copies of potential songs that will make the final cut for the studio album and give feedback.  Each week I will premiere the new demo on the podcast radio show and then it will be available as a free download at WillBlack.com.

- EACH DEMO SONG WILL RELEASE WITH ITS OWN LIVE VIDEO PERFORMANCE.  I’ll post a live performance of the demo on YouTube for everyone to get another taste of the song..

That’s the main part of the big announcement.  The next thing I’d like to share is that the WILL BLACK STREET TEAM ONLINE is launching their first campaign on Facebook next week.  It will be a small little affair to get things going and we still need all the help we can get.  If you have 15 minutes to spare over the course of next week to help spread the news of my music to those who have yet to hear, please send me an email to wb@willblack.com.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VUQ0mLvEVA4

Also please visit the Wall at www.WillBlack.com/WBWall on a daily basis to read and take part in all the cool posts that everyone is making there.  It’s becoming a great forum for everyone to interact with.

This month’s issue contains a feature on my song Faraway off my debut album Dancing With The Dead.  Check out the Fan Feedback section for results from fans regarding title suggestions for the upcoming podcast radio show.  You can also checkout the Issues section for links to previous publications of the WILL BLACK DISPATCH.

Thanks again for your all your support!

Rock on,

Will

wb@willblack.com

>> WILL BLACK DISPATCH ISSUE 6 – Online

I hope everyone in Canada has been celebrating their May Two-Four weekend,  lots of great playoff hockey and great weather to be enjoyed!

It’s been an unusually long 3 months since the last issue of DISPATCH so let me bring everyone up to date.  I’m currently living in Toronto and slowly getting acclimated to life as a performer in this scene.  After 5 years playing in Bermuda (and before that performing on cruise ships for a few years) it’s been a much needed wake-up call to be back in a real city struggling to find gigs and make a living doing what I do.  This transition that I started in March has been a challenge both personally and professionally.  However, I have some acoustic shows coming up over the next few weeks and I’m busy writing again as well – so all is continuing to move forward like it’s supposed to.  I’d also like to suggest that if you ever get the opportunity to attend the Landmark Forum – go for it.  You have nothing to lose, and so much to gain.  It was one of the best experiences I’ve had in recent memory and initiated a lot of great stuff for me.

I’m proud to be participating as a performer in this upcoming weekend’s Butterfly of Hope Charity Event in support of “The Weekend To End Women’s Cancer” on May 29th in Toronto.  This is a showcase event that will also feature performers Gillian Bones, Emberlight and Jenn Taylor.  Lots of cool doorprizes to be had and it’s in support of a great cause, so I’m hoping that my GTA fans will make an effort to come on out and see the show.  I’ll be doing a one hour set from about 9 pm to 10 pm on acoustic, accompanied by Jenn Taylor on vocals.  Really looking forward to this show!  Really looking forward to this show and you can get more info by clicking the following Facebook link or the banner below this post.

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=3994262&id=9385764805

As you may have noticed in the photo at the top of this post, I was recently running in a road race!  My first one in fact, it was the Mississauga Half Marathon that was held on May 16th and I managed to pull off a 1:54 time which apparently isn’t bad at all for a newbie like me.  I was actually sprinting in that shot, but that was because the finish line was only 50m away!  It was a great experience and I couldn’t get over the number of people cheering along the race sidelines.  Such positive and encouraging energy directed towards the runners along the whole course.  I may even try to complete a full marathon at the Toronto race in the Fall… we’ll see.

I’m also sending out an announcement that after my successful Albanian Birthday Bash House Party experience last month that I am now promoting my solo acoustic show to all of you for house parties, birthdays, etc.  It’s simple, you book me for a night of entertainment wherever you are holding your event and I show up with my acoustic guitar and perform.  I charge a modest fee, but in turn you get a very intimate and memorable experience having someone right in the midst of your party entertaining all your guests.  No gear, no fuss – just a rock ‘n roll troubadour with his guitar and voice.  I’ve done many of these over the years and they are consistently successful.  Contact me directly for more info at wb@willblack.com

I’ve also added a new section to the newsletter – ISSUES.  This will contains links to go back and read any of the past publications of the WILL BLACK DISPATCH.

Enjoy!

Rock on,

Will

>> WILL BLACK DISPATCH ISSUE 5 – Online

First off, let me congratulate the Canadian Men’s Hockey team on their gold medal win tonight against the USA – rock on, Canucks!  Canada has now won the most gold medals ever (14) at any Winter Games.

Let me continue this exciting issue by announcing that upon my permanent move to Toronto next week I will be igniting the fires of a brand new rock ‘n roll band called – Will Black & Th Ex-Soviets!  This new band will feature performances of both my original music and my favorite rock songs of all time.  It’s also my good fortune to announce that local singing sensation, Jenn Taylor will be joining me in this new rock outfit.  We are still early in the band-building process, but I am hoping to be announcing show dates by the spring.  March & April will be busy with auditions for a rhythm section, photo shoots and a re-launch for WillBlack.com.

Genie and I have also just returned to the grey skies and high winds of winter in Bermuda, after our month long journey through New Zealand and Australia.  Middle Earth (New Zealand) was a beautiful country and it was a pleasure to meet such a friendly nation of people.  We managed to drive our way across most of the North and South Islands during our 3 week stay.  Our personal highlights were the Lost World Caving at Waitomo and the canyoning at Niger stream in Wanaka.  Check out the awesome photos right here:

www.WillBlack.com/NZphotos

In Waitomo we spent our first 30 mins abseiling 300 ft into the dark depths of the Lost World and then heading upstream walking, swimming and climbing through cathedral-size vaults.  It was a cold and dark and TIGHT experience, but it was worth it.  Got to see thousands of glowworms and journey through an environment that I would never get access to back home. Canyoning in Wanaka was awesome and the best tour of the whole trip!  It was a combination or abseiling (rappelling), water slides and jumping off high rocks into deep pools all in the chilly Niger river under sunny Kiwi skies.  Very active and a lot of fun.  Once again, there were a couple of slides and jumps that forced me to cross the fear barrier, but it was all worth it and I would recommend canyoning to anyone looking for some adventure in their next vacation.

After 3 weeks of full on everyday traveling through New Zealand, we grabbed a plane from Christchurch and headed over to Gold Coast, Australia to catch up with old friends.  Spending 2 nights at O’Reilly’s mountain retreat was the perfect cure for us to catch up on sleep and just chill.  We spent another 4 nights down in Gold Coast itself and experienced Australia’s version of Miami Beach to the fullest!  We hit the casino, Vomatron and went waterskiing through the canals… great way to end our journey.  Then it was back on planes for 24 hrs worth of flying back to our home in Bermuda.

Now I’m packed and ready to move back to Toronto tomorrow (March 1) and I’m looking forward to the adventure ahead.  I’ll be committed to working on the new album and getting my new band up and running full time.  This is a great opportunity to finally get my career as an original artist rolling full steam ahead and I can’t wait to get out and be playing back in Canada again!

Rock on,

Will

>> WILL BLACK DISPATCH ISSUE 4 – Online

Good Evening, Planet Earth!

For those I didn’t get a chance to say it to – Happy New Year!  I hope the beginning of this new year (and new decade) sees you well on the road to achieving your dreams and conquests.  Hearts and hopes go out to the survivors of the Haiti earthquake.

I’ve been under a rock for the past 2 weeks or so editing a bunch of videos for YouTube.  The all-new Will Black YouTube channel is now up and running, so please click the link and head over to take a look.  I’ve got a handful of new acoustic performances on there that we filmed on a rainy day at Nine Beaches resort here in Bermuda last month.  Thanks to Colin Taylor for use of his fancy Sony videocamera (he was holding an umbrella over it for most of the filming!).  There are another 7 or so acoustic cuts to go up that should see the light of day when I return from New Zealand and Australia (more on that after the jump).  I also put together a tribute video to my 5 year performance run at Hog Penny Pub set to my song, “Senorita Ballerina” – lots of great memories and friends pictured throughout. Finally there is also a post of my interview with Lisa Pickering from VSB TV in Hamilton, Bermuda.  What is the future of live rock ‘n roll?  Watch the interview to see what I reply with when she surprises me with that question.

In about 2 days, Genie and I are traveling off to New Zealand and Australia for our month long adventure vacation in the Southern Hemisphere.  Pretty exciting actually as we will be doing a bunch of cool things we’ve never done before like canyoning, bungee jumping/skydiving, black water rafting, glacier hiking.  As we planned this trip I came to the quick realization that I in fact DO have a modest fear of heights and that I DO get slightly claustrophobic… some fun challenges lie ahead!  I won’t spoil all the details here, but will write a lengthy post of our travels in next month’s issue of the WILL BLACK DISPATCH when we return.

Once I am back in late-February, I’ll get everything together to make my permanent move back to Toronto, Canada.  I can’t reveal all the details yet, but things are in the works for an exciting announcement regarding my new band.  Once everything has been setup and the ball is rolling I’ll let everyone know where and when I will be performing.  I’ll have more info in March once I am back in T.O.

I’d also like to post a link to this amazing video talk from magician, David Blaine.  He truly is an inspirational example of personal drive in pushing the limits of both the human psyche and physical body.  Worth checking out

Rock on,

WB

wb@willblack.com

>> WILL BLACK DISPATCH ISSUE 3 – Online

Happy Holidays to everyone out there and it is my pleasure to launch this brand new edition of the WILL BLACK DISPATCH directly to your inbox.  In addition to having the newsletter sent conveniently to you via email, I will also start publishing it on a bi-weekly basis.  My goal is to have closer communication with friends and fans around the world who enjoy listening to my music and I believe this newsletter will be key to achieving that.

This month marks the end of my 5 year run as entertainer at Hog Penny Pub here in Bermuda. It has been a fantastic experience for me that I will never forget and I will always be appreciative for.  Along the way I made many new friends, performed nearly 1000 shows, finally got back into songwriting and released my first album of original material.  Unfortunately Bermuda has not been spared from the global economic downturn and tourism here as dropped huge since I first started in 2005.  Therefore the owners of Hog Penny have decided to not have any live entertainment for next season and I have in turn decided that it is time to make a much needed return to Toronto, Canada.  My plan is to land in T.O. sometime in the early spring, start a new rock band and begin performing throughout my home country for the first time in almost 10 years.  I have been away performing abroad for so long (since 2001) that most people back in North America have never heard my music, or seen me perform – 2010 will see that all change!  I will post all upcoming gigs and performances here in the newsletter and at www.WillBlack.com.  Chances are also good that I will wind up south of the border in the U.S. doing shows as well.

Back in November I traveled to Toronto to audition for the Canadian production of Broadway rock musical, Rock Of Ages

That’s right, I am hard at work on writing and recording my next album of rock ‘n roll music, “The Blinding Heights”.  This new album is more rock than my last record and I’m really liking what is turning out from these current sessions.  The first 2 tracks are more than halfway through recording and I expect the first single to be released to everyone online in late-January.  The new songs and all my current material are available at my newly launched www.WillBlack.com/music page.  This will be the main website I will be using to release all future material for listening & downloads, including the current “Digital Edition” of my first album, Dancing With The Dead.

I will also be releasing about a dozen new YouTube videos over the next few weeks.  I’ve got some great movies of my monthly power trio experience, >MacBlasky performing at Hog Penny in October as well as a bunch of solo acoustic tunes as well.  I’ll have more info on the videos in the next issue of DISPATCH.

Please take a look around this new version of the newsletter.  I’ve included links to my large Photo gallery, Will Black Radio at Jango.com and all my online connections as well.

I hope Santa Claus brings you everything that you have been wishing for.  My last show at Hog Penny is on New Year’s Eve and I look forward to seeing many of you there.  If you aren’t in Bermuda, keep your eyes and ears open as I might just be playing in your part of the world sooner rather than later

Rock on,

Will Black

“Rock ‘n Roll is the most brutal, ugly, desperate, vicious form of expression it has been my misfortune to hear.” – Frank Sinatra

>> WILL BLACK DISPATCH ISSUE 2 – Online

Good Evening, Planet Earth!

The premier issue of the WILL BLACK DISPATCH (my online fanzine) received a great response and I’m excited to post this 2nd issue with lots of new stuff for everyone to check out. To start – watch the new music video of my summer vacation “Will Black rocks Africa / Virginia / Hog Penny” :

YouTube – Will Black rocks Africa / Virginia / Hog Penny

This past January was the start of my yearly break from performing and the beginning of my 10 week journey traveling abroad. The voyage began on January 10th when I found myself among the scenic, rolling hills of rural Virginia at The Monroe Institute. TMI is not a detox clinic and it’s not a hangout for robe wearing cult members, but is actually a very welcoming and relaxing place to go and explore altered states of human consciousness. My week-long “consciousness camp” was a fantastic experience and the group of people that I spent my time with there were some of the best kind of people I have had the luck to meet. If you are looking for truth and answers in your life, let me suggest spending a week at TMI.

I had never been to Africa before until at the valuable suggestion of my wife Genie, I spontaneously booked a 7 week overland truck tour with Dragoman. So on January 23rd, I landed in Nairobi on a Friday night having never done any backpacking before on a continent I had never been to before – a recipe for adventure, eh? The next 2 weeks were quite memorable and amazing! The parts I remember fondly are camping in several very beautiful locations throughout the African countryside and then arriving in Rwanda and making our mountain ascent to view the mountain gorillas up close. I held no expectations about what I would experience and feel during this trip, but I was very surprised by how vivid and real my encounter with the gorilla family group was. Surreal to say the least! After we made it back to Nairobi, I joined up with a larger group of Dragoman travelers to begin the 2nd leg of my overland trek. This time we went south into Tanzania and camped for 3 days in the legendary Serengeti. That was a dusty and dirty endeavor, but a lot of fun! It’s the true African experience when you are out in the middle of the savannah rumbling around in the back of a 4×4 LandRover on the lookout for lions and elephants.

At the end of the Tanzania leg of the overland trek we all ended up on the island of Zanzibar. At this point I had spent 4 weeks living out of a bouncy, crowded overland truck and I was ready to move on to something different. I said goodbye to the rest of the Dragoman team and cut my trip with them short by about a month. Why? Part of the reason that I had wanted to travel was to conjuer up some inspiration to write new songs and I was finding what I needed on Zanzibar, so I decided to stay behind. I ended up spending over a week at Nungwi and Kendwa Beaches writing and chilling with some of my new traveling companions. Zanzibar is a paradise and was a welcome change to the dust and constant travel I had been through on the mainland. So with my airfare re-booked to fly out of Cape Town I flew down to South Africa to enjoy the final 2 weeks of my stay on the continent.

Let me state to the world that Cape Town is one of THE most beautiful cities I have been to. Vancouver and Victoria are pretty darn nice (having used to live there), but Cape Town has this “Shangri-la at the edge of the world” quality to it that sets it apart. The weather was hot and perfect, and I had decided to stay at a small hotel right in the heart of the city on Kloofstreet. I could go out from my hotel and turn left and head all the way up Table Mountain or turn right and walk right down to Long St. and all the bars and nightlife. Great location! I ended up doing an open mic at Zula Bar, hitting the world famous vineyards outside of town and making it down to Cape Point to stand at one of the southernmost points of Africa itself. But the most important part was that I started songwriting again and got a lot of ideas worked out just spending afternoons alone in my hotel room. I hope to one day make it back to Cape Town to visit the city and the friends I made there. (I also enjoyed my first St. Paddy’s Day in New York City with the Brothers Fullen and it was a Guiness-induced drunken affair that I experienced in proper Irish style!)

My first true vacation in over a decade was as an experience for the better. I came home to Bermuda with a fresh new perspective on my relationships, my reality and my music career.

As of April 1st I am back to performing on a nightly basis at Hog Penny Pub in Hamilton, Bermuda. I am now into my 5th season playing here and I’m still rocking and enjoying the show. Karen O’Brien will be making a few more appearances at Irish Jam Night before she departs the island to return to the sunny UK. Thank you Karen, for an awesome 4 year run – your viola and fiddle will be missed! Check out photos from the show at Hog Penny and the African trip here:

Facebook Photos

There are 2 new musical projects that I am currently working on for this year. The first is a “Live at Hog Penny” album which I hope to be releasing in the fall. It will be an acoustic record with tracks from “Dancing With The Dead”, covers and some brand new songs I have written. I am also in the process of setting up some shows in the Toronto area hopefully starting in August. This is still in the early stages so I can’t confirm any dates or venues yet, but I will definitely be returning to Toronto soon to play some shows there. I will have more information in the next issue of DISPATCH.

I appreciate your support and thanks for listening!

Rock on,

Will

>> WILL BLACK DISPATCH ISSUE 1 – Online

Good Evening, Planet Earth!

Welcome to the premier issue of the WILL BLACK DISPATCH – my brand new online fan letter to inform folks around the world about the current happenings regarding the future of rock ‘n roll

The final show of 2008 was the New Year’s Eve performance at Hog Penny and it was a smashing success (cheers to Thom and Hovi for bringing down their crew). Probably the best New Year’s show we have had yet and it was a perfect ending to a busy and inspirational year for me here in Bermuda.
April 1 was the start of my 4th season of performing nightly at Hog Penny Pub in Bermuda and the long awaited release of my first album of original material – ‘Dancing With The Dead’. Currently there are 500 copies of the album, hundreds of downloads and 2 released radio singles making their way around the globe and the world wide web, and I’m happy with the inital success it is having. I also began getting my presence known across the internet (and the entire planet) via social networks like MySpace, iLike and Facebook – quite a learning experience it has been! These tools have been invaluable to a rookie independent recording artist like myself, and I’m constantly discovering just how awesome the marketing of my music to fans directly via Web 2.0 applications has become. I’m looking forward to grow and strengthen the fanbase over the course of the coming year by keeping in touch with as many of you as possible, while continuing to release inspired new material.

My first music video will be debuting this spring for the title track of the album, ‘Dancing With The Dead’. When it’s ready I’ll post it on YouTube and make a big announcement so everyone can take a stare at it. There are also whispers from ‘the lovely muse inside my head’ that this summer I will be recording another rock, yet more guitar-driven 5 song EP album as well. Cross your fingers for that one

As usual this time of year I’m on a 3 month ‘break’ from performing in Bermuda. Last year I was freezing my ass off in Toronto recording the DWTD album, but this year I will be south of the equator on a 10 week trip through Africa (gasp!) – finally time for some adventure. Starting January 24 I will be traveling from Nairobi to Cape Town via overland truck and camping my way across the open savannah. Hopefully I will appear a wiser individual (a wise guy?) near the Cape of Good Hope in South Africa on or around March 24. Should be the trip of a lifetime and I look forward to posting updates and photos from the ‘Dark Continent’ when I return. Highlights should include skydiving over the Namib Desert, white-water rafting on the White Nile and diving with Great White sharks off the southern coast and oh yeah, I should be seeing some animals as well (mountain gorillas in Rwanda – wow). I’ll be bringing the acoustic guitar with me so maybe I’ll write a song or two, eh?

Thanks again to everyone for your support. Please continue to spread the word and share the music and may all your wishes come true for 2009!

The next DISPATCH will be posted in April when I return.

Rock on,

Will