Long time readers of this blog might remember that last August I wrote about some of the curious e-mails that I often receive at Delirious.org.uk. On that occasion I had received a slightly bizzare e-mail from big Arnie Schwarzenegger. Well, today I got an e-mail that beats even that!

"Dear Webmaster", the e-mail begins. Nothing unusual there. "I'm the webmaster of a woodworking resource website at http://woodworking.resource-websites.com". Hmmm... at this point I started to become slightly puzzled. But hey, I thought, no reason why the webmaster of a woodworking website shouldn't be a d: fan.

So I read on and this is what else it said: "I've collected quality links to other important resources for my links page. I came across your site and feel that it'd fit perfectly in my collection of quality links." Err really? You think my Delirious? website fits perfrectly on your woodworking website? Now I'm all for free publicity, but really, I think this is stretching things a bit far!

The e-mail continues: "I've already placed a link to your web site along with a description at http://woodworking.resource-websites.com/christmaswoodworkingplan I'd appreciate if you'd place a link back to my site using the following description: Resource site for everything to do with woodworking. Full of newsletters, articles, links and other resources - ALL FREE - in one easy to navigate site to save time and money." At this point I have to admit to feeling very suspicious. This guy is just having me on, I thought. He wants some free publicity for his site, and so he's pretending to have added a link to my site.

Right, I thought, I'm going to check this out. So, I clicked on over to http://woodworking.resource-websites.com/christmaswoodworkingplan and to my amazement, sure enough, there it was - a link to Delirious.org.uk! If that wasn't funny enough, the description he has of my site reads as follows: Yacht and boat designs, plans and manuals for the home and professional boat builder. Power, sail,.... If you don't believe me, check it out for yourself!

So, feeling rather confused by this whole episode, I read the remainder of the e-mail: "If you'd like the description of your site modified, the category changed (by the way the category you are in is because search results on major search engines bring up your site for that category), or if you have any other cross-promotion ideas just drop me a line.". So apparently major search engines think that Delirious.org.uk is about woodworking. This is when the penny dropped. I guess with a surname of Wood I should have expected something like this to happen eventually. I suppose I should really reply to the e-mail and put the guy straight, maybe suggest a more suitable description of my site (which I still don't really understand how he came up with!). But you know what? I'd hate to disappoint the guy, so I think I'll just let him believe that Delirious.org.uk is about yacht and boat design. After all, who am I to disagree with major search engines?

So it's official. Delirious? have started work on their new album. The band spent the whole of last week locked away at ICC Studios working on ideas for the new album. But of course the most exciting thing about the week was the fantastic Webcam on Delirious.co.uk which allowed everyone to watch the goings on in the studio. The constantly repositioned camera gave some very curious pictures which were just crying out to be titled with a witty caption... something which kept the forum amused all week.

Webcam Photo: Martin in the studio
I'm told that the band worked on 5 new songs last week and had a very productive time in the studio. At this stage it's all still very early, with the guys just working on ideas rather than recording finished songs. Eagle eyed fans will have spotted the world famous Mr Sam Gibson sat at the mixing desk in the studio control room. He may well end up being the Producer for the new album, which would be no bad thing. Sam has worked on several projects with Delirious? recently, most notably mixing World Service for them and doing the live surround-sound mix for the Unified:Praise DVD. Sam also has a wealth of mainstream experience behind him, having worked with the superb Crowded House and Pearl Jam.

Webcam Photo: Sam Gibson at the mixing desk
Since it will probably take Delirious? most of the year to record this new album, there is going to be a lot of talking about it amongst fans, and therefore a lot of questions. I've added a feature page to the site for the new album, which will act as a one-stop-shop for everything that is known about the album so far. I will be keeping the page constantly updated as the album progresses and more details emerge. People often ask why it takes so long to record a new album, afterall some artists can shut themselves into a studio for a month and come up with a new album at the end of it. Timescales are difficult to predict, but it looks likely that the new Delirious? album will take most of 2005 to record. There are several reasons for this. A quick look at the Tour Dates page will explain one of the main reasons. Already the band have revealed a host of concerts for the year. A week of February will be taken up with concerts in Germany and Denmark. March is fast disappearing with a week in the US, two dates in Switzerland and a trip down-under to Australia. Further dates are still to be announced, but concerts in May, June and August are already appearing. The band need to keep up their touring commitments in order to keep their profile up. Touring is also part of the bread and butter of the band. It brings in the money, it reaches new fans and it's what the band are all about. Taking their message wherever it goes. So recording sessions in the studio have to be fitted around all of these tours and concerts.

Webcam Photo: Stew with his drums in the studio
The band also have an element of perfectionism about them. They will want to make sure that the new album is the absolute best music they can produce. Doing that takes time, and patience. So when the new d: album finally does arrive, we can all be certain that it will be something special. People are already talking about what it will sound like. I don't think even the band know that yet. But based on past evidence, it's highly likely to push the band's musical boundaries to the extreme and contain heart rendering lyrics. Keep an eye out because that Webcam will be broadcasting more studio creativity again before too long.

Happy New Year to you all. It's been a little while since I blogged, and with Christmas and New Year over it's time to get things moving again. The last couple of weeks have of course been dominated by news of the disaster in Asia, with nearly 150,000 people killed. It is devestating news and everyone should try to give whatever they can to help the global aid effort. The are numerous organisations collecting donations, Delirious? have mentioned the British Red Cross on their website, and my charity of choice for the appeal is the DEC (Disasters Emergency Committee), but whichever means you use, I urge you to give what you can.

Leaving the sad news aside and looking ahead to the new year, it looks as though once again d:fans are in for an exciting year. Much of the year will be spent in eager anticipation of a new Delirious? album. The band will be going into the studio NEXT WEEK to start work on the album, but be warned that we're unlikely to see the finished CD until the end of the year at the earliest. As with the previous album, the band will spend much of the year working on the new album, interspersing studio time with concerts around the world. Having already toured World Service fairly heavily in the UK, a new UK tour isn't planned until there is some new material to perform. But several one-off gigs in the UK, such as Dunfermline, Ipswich and Southend, have been lined up.

As I wrote in yesterday's news item, the 'End of year charts' in various countries around the world have featured several 'World Service' songs. 'Inside Outside' was the 10th most played song in 2004 on German radio station SWR3, an achievement well worth mentioning. 'Rain Down' will follow as the next single in Germany, with the original release date of 30th January now likely to be delayed a couple of weeks to coincide with the German tour dates.

Many of you will remember that in 2004 Delirious? appeared at the UK's Grapevine festival, where a terrible accident left several people injuired, but thankfully all involved made full recoverys. The live worship album from that event has now been released, and you may well see mentions of Delirious? being included on the CD. Whilst it is undoubtedly a great album there has been some 'slightly misleading publicity', shall we say, regarding the album.

Having discussed the CD with the charming Mr Colin Walker, who was responsible for making the live recordings for the album at Grapevine, I have confirmed a couple of things about the album. The track listing includes 'Majesty', but fans should be aware that this is not performed on the CD by Delirious? but by another artist. The band do appear on the CD, in the form of 'There Is A Light', although this track is taken from the existing Delirious? recording of the song and was not recorded at Grapevine. I wouldn't want to put people off from buying the CD, but equally I think Delirious? fans should know what they're getting if they buy it.

So there is the round-up of news for the moment. As ever I'll attempt to keep you all up to date with news throughout the year, especially as things develop with the new album. Towards the end of last year there were a few slightly unkind (in my opinion) comments about me added to the blog. If my writings in the blog ever sound boastful, I apologise and hope people realise it is not intended that way. The purpose of a blog is to talk about yourself, your life, or things that interest you. As I said in my very first blog entry, this blog is not so much about me, but about things related to Delirious? I'm privileged to have close contact with the band which allows me to see things and hear things that many fans aren't able to. Rather than keep these things selfishly to myself, I try to use this blog to share those experiences and snippets of inside information with other fans. People can choose to read what I write or not read it. I don't write to show-off what I know, I write because I'm a fan of Delirious? who is deeply interested in what they do. I want to reitterate that right at the start of the year. So keep reading, if you're interested, and I hope you all have a fantastic 2005.