The story of music - Alasdair Bouch
You never know what life has in store for you. Sometimes you attend an event out of pure curiosity and there you meet somebody you immediately connect with and it feels like you know each other forever. That's for me the case of meeting British songwriter Alasdair Bouch who has been living in Prague for many years. This charismatic artist who has won audiences with his friendly nature and constant smile on his face came to play at the very first Open Mic Na Prahu held in Brno, Czech Republic, in November 2011. This event attracts talents of all kinds, be it songwriters or spoken word artists. Everyone who wants gets a chance to perform. Headliners are always experienced artists who share their craft with those who came.
Alasdair was headlining that evening and I didn't know his music at all before coming to see him but his friendly demeanour and powerful lyrics instantly caught my attention and I knew right away this is exactly my cup of tea. What a fortune that he came to Brno so we got a chance to meet. And a friendship was born.
When you listen to Alasdair's music you instantly notice it's carefully created and he's a true master of his art. His ability is known not only in Czech Republic but he's played in Germany, Poland and other places. Alasdair Bouch has released four albums to date (First Person Singular, Second Hand Lullabies, Third Time Lucky, Go Forth!) and what's intriguing about the titles is the fact there are numbers involved, it reminds you of how painters number their artworks. He recently performed at United Islands of Prague which was quite a rare opportunity since he mostly writes for other people now (Thom Artway or Jakub Ondra to mention a few. Not to forget Tomáš Boček who represented Czech Republic at Eurovision Song Contest).
I will never forget the interview we did about his last album Go Forth! Not only because it was the longest interview I've done to date (two hours) but some of the things that were said stick with me to this day. Isn't it a gift to have such a wonderful friend? Without doubt. Thank you Alasdair for being you!!! And for your belief in me through the years.