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Stories and Updates
Playing A Gig In Your House
So… I’ve had a new idea to play house gigs and if it’s going to work I’ll need your help!
Are you up for having me, my guitar and songs to play to you and your friends in a very special musical gathering in your own front room? (at no cost to you 🙂 )
You don’t need to have a big fancy house! All we need is enough space for me and my guitar and a friendly audience to create a magical evening!I played my first house concert a couple of weeks ago at a farm in North Wales and it was lovely to hear people say it was one of the most special parties they’ve been to 🙂
If you’re wondering how popular house concerts are, here’s a BBC article on this up and coming trend:)
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-22206434
This beautiful farm in Wales was my first house gigs venue!
THE YEAR & NOW TO BE RELEASED ON FEB 2015!Yes! It’s happening. I’m so excited to announce that I’ll be releasing the new album of monthly songs at the Slaughtered Lamb www.theslaughteredlambpub.com in London on Thurs Feb 12th!
A Song From An EP I Never ReleasedThere’s an unpublished EP lying on the bottom of another drawer in my studio.
I don’t know if It’ll ever see the light of day, but here’s one of the songs.Shine This Summerfound this track in an old drawer and thought to share it with you.
It always makes me think of a Beautiful summer day on the beach.Have a lovely summer!
Lots of love,
Hx
Welcome Raphael Ziggy ThomasIntroducing Raphael Ziggy Thomas,
who made an elegant entrance to this world surprising his parents, when landed on the bathroom floor minutes after mummy’s water broke whilst daddy was contemplating boiling water (cause that’s what they do in films).He greeted the ambulance paramedics resting on mummy’s chest all slippery & gorgeous and everyone had a cup of tea in the hallway.
We wish our little Rafa zigzag the most amazing life & want to thank him for coming to our world & making Leo a big brother & us though a little more tired – the happiest people in the world.
Mama Hadar, Daddy Adam & big brother Leo.
RAFA WOZ (BORN) ‘ERE
RAPHAEL ZIGGY THOMAS
———————————————————————————————–It’s Not Over Till The Fat Lady SingsDear Friends,
I decided to postpone my album launch due to my heavily pregnant state.
I thought I could do it, but it’s seems like a mad idea at the moment.
Lets take one birth at a time I’m aiming for a mid- to late summer launch now but will keep you posted.To the lovely people who contributed to my crowdfunding – In the next couple of weeks you’ll receive a personal demo version of the album with a few bonus songs!
And of course, a copy of the album when it’s officially released.Much love,
Hadar x
CROWD FUNDING OF ‘THE YEAR & NOW’ ALBUMThank you to all the amazing supporters who by pre ordered my album ‘The Year & Now’ and helped it’s birth.
The official release date hasn’t been announced yet, so watch this space 🙂
One More For The RoadFirstly – Thank you to all the amazing contributors so far. I have raised 40% of my final target!
Please take the time to visit my crowd funding page and help me complete my monthly song project!We’re nearly at the end of this very interesting year and here are
12 things I’ve learnt This Year about myself & life:
1. Nightfall is a matter of location.
2. We are all essentially apes with iphones.
3. Throw yourself into risks and trust that life will provide you with a safety net.
4. Pursue as many things as possible, but don’t be afraid to let some go.
5. There are a multitude of realities.
6. The blind spots of my eyes are ‘filled in’ by my brain
7. Talent is useless without practice.
8. Learning never has to stop.
9. Optimism will get you far.
10. Creativity breeds creativity.
11. If you want to do something just f***ing do it.
12. I’m extremely fertile.and another one for luck – Knowledge is fine, but useless without creativity.
Here’s November song, hope you’ll like it!
Autumn Leaves UsAt the beginning of this project, in January, I was uncertain of how it will all evolve. Whether I’ll be able to keep on the constant creativity through out the ¥ear, time will tell!
‘wait till we get to October, not sure what I’ll be writing about then’ I wrote.
Well, October cåme and went & one more new song has emerged from beneath the golden åutumn leaves & joined it’s siblings from The Year & Now venture.
It seems that the more one creates, the more ideas one gets.
They say Autumn carries more gold in its pocket than all the other seasons put together.
The bittersweet autumn air – crisp & sharp, reminds me of the saying: “Autumn is a second spring when every leaf is a flower” (Albert Camus)
– Though these days, I really do wonder what will fall on our doorstep first, the åutumn leaf or Christmas catalogue…
A great deal of you suggested to put all these songs into one album, and so it will be.
From next week I’ll be embarking on a new path. To raise funds with the åim to wrap all these monthly songs together as The Year & Now ålbum.More information & links will arrive very soon. Thank you for all the support & åppreciation.
Much Love,
Hadar x
* Of all the seasons, autumn offers the most to man and requires the least of him. ~Hal Borland
October Song Lyrics
Verse1:
The days are getting shorter, the nights are getting colder and I can see the worry in your eyes.They say a storm is coming outside the wind is howling tarnishing those red October skies.
Bridge:
But luck will always change, we’ll get a better hand, I promise I’ll make it all alright
Chorus:
So lets stay inside tonight, forget all the things we can’t put right,
I’ll nestle in your arms just like before.
At bedtime we’ll watch our son and remember that we are the lucky one’s
Sometimes life is like a revolving door
If you miss one chance you’ll come around once more.
Verse2:
So many words unspoken, communication broken and I’m gambling with the money we don’t have.
So hard to keep a smile on when so much is left unknown, seems to be the story of our lives.
I Have A SecretAn unexpected surprise, nevertheless amazing.
You’ll know what it’s all about by the end of the song 🙂Love,
Hadar x
It’s Just A Bad Day – August SongWhat can I say? Sometimes it’s just a bad day, and this song was written on a day like this.
You try to talk to someone close and all they say is ‘Don’t worry, it’s just a bad day’ which makes things even worse.
But in the end, I wrote a song, so it wasn’t such a bad day after all…
Hope you’re having good days 🙂
Love,
Hadar xp.s
Some “Bad Day” quotes to brighten your day:
Bad days come sometimes just to remind you that you have plenty of good ones to look forward to.
If you have a bad day in baseball, and start thinking about it, you will have 10 more.
Sammy SosaHard times call for awesome music.
There’s nothing wrong or evil about having a bad day. There’s everything wrong with making others have to have it… with you.
Neil CavutoWhen I’m having a bad day, I pick up my guitar.
Michelle Branch
A bad day is just a bad day. Choose not to make it anything more. Times of adversity will inevitably affect the conditions in which you live and work; yet you dont have to let it affect who you are and where you’re headed.
Melchor LimAugust Song – Lyrics by Hadar Manor I know love always wins but I’m in the mood for war
I know I should let go but I just can’t do it, oh no.
but the feelings are washing me blood goes to my head the weakness in my knees.
He says just relax and it’s making me angrier, I say that i don’t but my God how I really careI’m spitting fire
I’m a live wire
When I I I hear him say
don’t worry its just a bad day.I know I should give in keep my mouth shut, not keep score.
Things are never what they seem and if my grass isn’t greener well at list it grows.mid8: A rising tide lifts all the boats, so why does it feel like sinking
I try to reach above and float but nothing makes sense anyway i guess it’s just another bad day.But the feelings are washing me blood goes to my head the weakness in my knees.
He says just relax and it’s making me angrier, i say that i don’t but my God how I really care…I know how this will end like all the times before
All the lessons I should have learnt, my regrets are my ball & chain.Summer Days & Green Fried Tomatoes – July SongA minute before the end of the month after, I’m sending you this summer song from July.
It has been amazing but already seems like a million years away. I’m seriously thinking of relocating to Thailand…
I hope you had a great summer, if you’re in the UK then your umbrella has been busy in the past week, but hopefully warmer days are coming.
I keep my fingers crossed as the tomatoes in my garden are not quite there, and although I liked the film (they did cook a man in it 🙂 I’m not that into fried green tomatoes.
All the best,
Hadar x
JUNE SONG / I Left My Heart I AmsterdamMany years ago I lived in Amsterdam, in a different life I should say. I was ready to get back to the same picture. In my fantasy I would walk into the ‘Blues Brothers’ coffee shop and Hila the ex Israeli owner would serve me my usual, my friends were playing pool or partying upstairs while Do Ron Ron singing songs of how his wife threw him out & cancelled all his credit cards… Instead, the smokey alleyway turned into shopping boulevard and the last remaining quirky coffee shops are squashed between H&M and Zara!!
But then again, I changed too and change is a good thing, it means life goes on & we ride the waves. I’m sure there are still plenty of quirky authentic places in Amsterdam, it’s just that the party moved elsewhere and we all went our own ways too.
Anyway, I’m rambling on, please forgive my nostalgic reminiscing. I present you JUNE SONG also known by the name: I Left My Heart In Amsterdam.
Love,
HadarMAY I?I was goin to write a note about my new found observations but then I hit a wall of technical hiccups and lost the will to live…
May’s observations:
1. Don’t leave things to the last minute.
2. Computers are cruel beasts.Ah yeah – you are the master of your own mind an’ all that.
‘We mustn’t forget that It was all started by a mouse’ – Walt Disney
Hadar x
p.s
Many of you asked for the lyrics, so here there are:
May Song / HADAR MANOR
You may say what you want I can’t hear you now.
You’re just a voice in my head, you can’t touch me – no.
They say – Rise, trade the fears with a plan,
Don’t look back, now it’s time, tread the line.But when I close my eyes and all the light dims
There are no rules no boundaries when I dream.
And I’m free…,p>Like a bird, spread my wings flying past the clouds
Fade away as I glide pass the melting doubts.Reaching far underneath I can see
The landscape of my life’s destiny.
And when I close my eyes and all the light dims
There are no rules no boundaries when I dream.
And I’m free…You may say what you want you can’t hurt me though
I forgot that I knew how to let you go.
Childhood dreams I embraced coming back to me
Pictures run through my head now I see…April’s FoolJust when it felt like things will never change, the clouds broke and a beautiful big warm orange ball appeared in the sky – for a moment I didn’t recognise it and then…THE SUN!! Hello stranger.
Oh how the warm weather changes everything! The spring is here.
Yes, it’s fighting his way in, but we’re all cheering him from the road side like true supporters in a marathon.
It’s here, we can start again.
Love,
Hadar x
March Away‘Perseverance is the hard work you do after you get tired of doing the hard work you already did’
Getting this video to you took the best part of a week (as well as my patience!) ‘March on’ was definitely a recurring theme this month.
But, as giving up is not something I’m good at, it has been accomplished 🙂
Yoko Ono once said; “It’s better to dance than to march through life.”
Though I actually find it easier to imagine Yoko Ono marching rather than dancing joyfully all the way to the shops, agree I with the notion. However, this month’s song, naturally called the March song, is about marching through life. and boy, did we need to march through March – snow storms, temperatures way below zero, big coats and cold fingers! Yes, that was our first day of spring. All along I kept hearing how boiling it was back home “too hot already!” and it’s not even summer. I wonder, which is better?
So here it is, March’s song. I still can’t believe April is here, where does the time go?
I’m thinking of a name for this “A Song For Every Month” project.
I had in mind ‘The Year And Now’. I Would love to hear your thoughts and ideas.Happy April,
Hadar x
hadar@hadar.co.uk
February Song
Hi, I used to think that February is long enough, but having promised a song for every month, I could do with 3 extra days.
But I did it.
I wrote the song, recorded and put it all together in a little montage of snaps from our lives. The result is in the video.
As you know, I was born and raised under the middle eastern sun. My ancestors are from the Yemen desert and I am not programmed for the English weather.
No, I didn’t come here for the weather. In the middle of February we took a flight to Israel, an act of survival! It’s clear from the photos, IT WORKED!!I really enjoyed twiddling the knobs – I hope you enjoy it 🙂
Love,
Hadar x
*Pictures taken by my lovely husband Adam Tiernan Thomas ( http://www.adamtiernanthomas.com )
January’s SongHello,
Yesterday was the last day of the first month of the year.
I’ve been dreaming of having my own studio for years. In 2012 I made it my aim to make it happen.
So the day has come and I was there, in my home studio, all ready to record.
All I had to do is learn how to operate it.No problem, I can twiddle those knobs… Of course nothing is ever as simple as it seems.
In my mind was going round the saying – If all you can do is crawl, start crawling.
A month later, I emerge from the dungeons.
It has been a challenging month and here is the result. My first recording.
January kinda speaks for itself. Being a month of new beginnings and resolutions.Ask me how I’m doing when October arrives…
Anyway, here it is. A montage with pictures my beautiful husband, Adam, took this month.
All the best and happy February 🙂
Love,
Hadar
My WishI wrote ‘My Wish’ in December a couple of years ago, when I felt my life needed to change. Putting together pictures from the past year ( taken by the amazing Adam Tiernan Thomas). I realise that pretty much everything I wished for came to be.
Happy new year!
Thank you for being part of my journey.
Love,
Hadar x
End Of The WorldTurns out, the world is ending tomorrow. So, is it time to stock up on the baked beans?
Wether it’s The Mayan’s calendar ending, a major earth disaster or the second coming of Christ, apparently the weather is going to be terrible…
others say the world is to start a process of being “reborn”. That the dawn of a new age, will force human civilisation into a decision that will make or break human existence.
Edgar Cayce the ‘Healing Prophet’ predicted 40 years ago society entering a New Age, known for purity,
global awareness and a height of spiritual consciousness that we have yet to encounter.What do think?
It’s hard to know what to think. Is tonight’s dinner really my last supper? Really?! Pasta?
Never the less, it is the end of the year, time to reflect, time of change.
If my years of busking and studying people thought me something is that, you get what you give.
Don’t do unto others, what you wouldn’t want done unto you.
My advice for avoiding the apocalypse? Wear a hat.
* You must be the change you wish to see in the world – Mahatma Gandhi
Love,
Hadar x
