MiG Diary http://mig-music.com/diary.cfm Sat, 30 Jan 2010 20:10:00 GMT http://bandzoogle.com IF YOU'RE GOING TO SAN FRANCISCO http://mig-music.com/diary.cfm?feature=80333&postid=173157 Ok. Here we go. New year. New decade. New tour. New era. New job. New album. New York. Everything is like starting again, but not in the way of starting again from scratch. I am riding high on a new exuberance and excitement that I haven't felt since I first knew that the girl opposite me was the girl I have waited for all my life, that comes once in a life-time and sometimes, sadly, not at all. I guess it's because I feel there is no longer the weight of expectations on my shoulder. The pressure of having to deliver so much with so little tools at my disposal has gone. Despite last year being professionally the hardest one for me, it was like a baptism of creativity and revelations, washing me free of preconceptions and the burden of unrealistic expectations.   I cannot really explain why I feel this way, but it is all encompassing, enveloping me like a warm blanket at the beginning of a marathon movie festival on the couch with my girls. It is tangible, but inexplicable.   Maybe it's because I started the year with a bang. A Broadway debut. It might not seem much but for a guy who's been trying to get ahead in the hardest city in the world, finally getting the chance to show what I can do is like I have a renewed belief in myself. Thinking I was delusional there for a while like some cracked out American Idol auditionee, doing BURN THE FLOOR on Broadway was a shot in the arm for me. I play a very little background role in it all. It's all about these incredible super hero-like gods and godesses that dance around me. But I feel so great to be part of such a wonderful show with such a wonderful story behind it all. The people behind the show have been working on this for years and to see their triumph in New York, let alone be part of it, is a true 'Mouse That Roared' story that rivals any I've heard.   Maybe it's because I'm half way through finishing a new cd: my sophomore offering I have been working on in Sydney with hot gun producer/songwriter and old time friend Carl Dimataga. I am on my way to put the finishing touches to it all. I hope to have it done before too long so as to sell it at BURN THE FLOOR shows and online, but it won't be done until it's done. No clinical deadlines to squeeze out any half-baked puppy please! Not sure when or if I will ever have the chance to do another disc, so this one's going to have to do for a while. It's sounding great and I am feeling so excited like an expectant mother! My baby!   Maybe it's because I've just had a very significant, mind altering, life re-assessing milestone birthday and was showered with love and affection from everybody in my life, making me feel so loved. I was totally spoiled rotten and loved it. My transition into my next era was painless (despite for a bout of a stomach virus) and in fact the best birthday I have ever had! It will make every birthday from now on seem an anti-climax.   Maybe it's because I can't wait for the Winter Olympics...?   Maybe it's because I am writing this 30,000 feet above the earth on the way to San Francisco and my Airborne has just kicked in...?   Maybe the oxygen masks need to drop down...?   Maybe it's because they're bringing out the snack cart from the kitchen... maybe not.   Whatever it is, I am hurtling head-first into a new direction and a fresh beginning, letting go of disappointments, missed opportunities, the 'shoulda', 'coulda', 'woulda' s.    New York. If I can make it there...   Always love, MiG X Ok. Here we go. New year. New decade. New tour. New era. New job. New album. New York. Everything is like starting again, but not in the way of starting again from scratch. I am riding high on a new exuberance and excitement that I haven't felt since I first knew that the girl opposite me was the girl I have waited for all my life, that comes once in a life-time and sometimes, sadly, not at all. I guess it's because I feel there is no longer the weight of expectations on my shoulder. The pressure of having to deliver so much with so little tools at my disposal has gone. Despite last year being professionally the hardest one for me, it was like a baptism of creativity and revelations, washing me free of preconceptions and the burden of unrealistic expectations.
 
I cannot really explain why I feel this way, but it is all encompassing, enveloping me like a warm blanket at the beginning of a marathon movie festival on the couch with my girls. It is tangible, but inexplicable.
 
Maybe it's because I started the year with a bang. A Broadway debut. It might not seem much but for a guy who's been trying to get ahead in the hardest city in the world, finally getting the chance to show what I can do is like I have a renewed belief in myself. Thinking I was delusional there for a while like some cracked out American Idol auditionee, doing BURN THE FLOOR on Broadway was a shot in the arm for me. I play a very little background role in it all. It's all about these incredible super hero-like gods and godesses that dance around me. But I feel so great to be part of such a wonderful show with such a wonderful story behind it all. The people behind the show have been working on this for years and to see their triumph in New York, let alone be part of it, is a true 'Mouse That Roared' story that rivals any I've heard.
 
Maybe it's because I'm half way through finishing a new cd: my sophomore offering I have been working on in Sydney with hot gun producer/songwriter and old time friend Carl Dimataga. I am on my way to put the finishing touches to it all. I hope to have it done before too long so as to sell it at BURN THE FLOOR shows and online, but it won't be done until it's done. No clinical deadlines to squeeze out any half-baked puppy please! Not sure when or if I will ever have the chance to do another disc, so this one's going to have to do for a while. It's sounding great and I am feeling so excited like an expectant mother! My baby!
 
Maybe it's because I've just had a very significant, mind altering, life re-assessing milestone birthday and was showered with love and affection from everybody in my life, making me feel so loved. I was totally spoiled rotten and loved it. My transition into my next era was painless (despite for a bout of a stomach virus) and in fact the best birthday I have ever had! It will make every birthday from now on seem an anti-climax.
 
Maybe it's because I can't wait for the Winter Olympics...?
 
Maybe it's because I am writing this 30,000 feet above the earth on the way to San Francisco and my Airborne has just kicked in...?
 
Maybe the oxygen masks need to drop down...?
 
Maybe it's because they're bringing out the snack cart from the kitchen... maybe not.
 
Whatever it is, I am hurtling head-first into a new direction and a fresh beginning, letting go of disappointments, missed opportunities, the 'shoulda', 'coulda', 'woulda' s. 
 
New York. If I can make it there...
 
Always love,
MiG
X
]]> Sat, 30 Jan 2010 20:10:00 GMT 3300BB684B333F0549C0337DCF6DD4B7 LIKE A VIRGIN... http://mig-music.com/diary.cfm?feature=80333&postid=137045 I really do need to write more regularly. What has happened in the last few weeks has kept me spinning like a top all around the world. I found myself yet again jetting around the world, recording, writing, performing and spending quality time with my family.   When your Dad turns 80 years old, you DON’T miss the party, even if it’s on the other side of the world. So here I am in Sydney, Australia, celebrating with my whole family this incredible milestone. He is looking like a man 10 years younger and is as fit as a fiddle. It has been a wonderful time seeing all my nephews and nieces and brothers and sisters, not to mention my unstoppable parents. I am very blessed with such a magical family. We are far from the perfect clan, but I wouldn’t change them for anything!   I took the opportunity to come to Sydney to then work with an old friend who I have admired and played and wrote with since I was 17 years old. Carl Dimataga and I have always promised ourselves we would make a cd together, and now finally we are. He has grown as a producer, writer and musician every day, and as also one of my closest friends, this cd is truly a labour of love and I am very excited about how it’s coming out. I hope to have it done in a couple of months or so.   We did hit a speed bump along the way. We (Carl, Axle Whitehead and I) played at a private party for the heads of Virgin Blue Airways and they invited us that night to be VIP passengers on the inaugural V Australia flight from Melbourne to Los Angeles, stay at the Andaz Hotel on Sunset Boulevard and then join the star-studded party at the Chateau Marmont. How could we refuse an offer like that?! Sure it took us away from the studio for a few days, but it was well worth the diversion! The V Australia crew were gorgeous, attentive, bright, buzzing, gorgeous (did I say that already?) and just plain brilliant. The new 777 we flew on was awesome (I love that new plane smell). I have to say it was a flying experience I will never forget! Thank you V Australia… I need some Advil…   Happy Birthday Dad!!   Always love,   MiG x I really do need to write more regularly. What has happened in the last few weeks has kept me spinning like a top all around the world. I found myself yet again jetting around the world, recording, writing, performing and spending quality time with my family.
 
When your Dad turns 80 years old, you DON’T miss the party, even if it’s on the other side of the world. So here I am in Sydney, Australia, celebrating with my whole family this incredible milestone. He is looking like a man 10 years younger and is as fit as a fiddle. It has been a wonderful time seeing all my nephews and nieces and brothers and sisters, not to mention my unstoppable parents. I am very blessed with such a magical family. We are far from the perfect clan, but I wouldn’t change them for anything!
 
I took the opportunity to come to Sydney to then work with an old friend who I have admired and played and wrote with since I was 17 years old. Carl Dimataga and I have always promised ourselves we would make a cd together, and now finally we are. He has grown as a producer, writer and musician every day, and as also one of my closest friends, this cd is truly a labour of love and I am very excited about how it’s coming out. I hope to have it done in a couple of months or so.
 
We did hit a speed bump along the way. We (Carl, Axle Whitehead and I) played at a private party for the heads of Virgin Blue Airways and they invited us that night to be VIP passengers on the inaugural V Australia flight from Melbourne to Los Angeles, stay at the Andaz Hotel on Sunset Boulevard and then join the star-studded party at the Chateau Marmont. How could we refuse an offer like that?! Sure it took us away from the studio for a few days, but it was well worth the diversion! The V Australia crew were gorgeous, attentive, bright, buzzing, gorgeous (did I say that already?) and just plain brilliant. The new 777 we flew on was awesome (I love that new plane smell). I have to say it was a flying experience I will never forget! Thank you V Australia… I need some Advil…
 
Happy Birthday Dad!!
 
Always love,
 
MiG
x
]]> Fri, 11 Dec 2009 00:00:00 GMT 656AC26AE4E3EA069AFED079F8AA2F25 HURRICANE ONDOY http://mig-music.com/diary.cfm?feature=80333&postid=99195 Hey everyone. This is my first blog in ages. Forgive me! I have been travelling so much between New York to London, I have just lost track of time and almost everything. I feel like I must write now to ask people to take notice of what has been happening in the Philippines the last week. Hurricane Ondoy has caused such widespread havoc and destruction throughout the Philippines, and the reports and images and videos about the flood, also flood my heart with sadness. It's so heart-breaking to see people with not much to begin with, lose everything including their lives due to nature's cruel powerful ways. Memories of the Tsanami and Hurricane Katrina come to mind, but when I see the streets that I know suddenly look like a deadly muddy river, the urgency and desperation of the situation really hits home... Literally! The Red Cross are asking for donations to help those victims who need your help now more than ever. Every little bit helps. There are also groups that are organising donation boxes etc. Here is just a start: This is the link for the group <a href="http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=140402736830&amp;ref=ts" target="_new">http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=140402736830&amp;ref=ts &amp; this is the topic from the group with information on how to donate if you're not in HK/Philippines <a href="http://www.facebook.com/topic.php?uid=140402736830&amp;topic=10584" target="_new">http://www.facebook.com/topic.php?uid=140402736830&amp;topic=10584 On a more personal note, I had an amazing time with the QUEEN SYMPHONIC concerts in the UK. Thank you to all who came, who braved the lousy English summer weather and who came to say hi! I hope we can do more in the future! I have to say it was an honour and privilege to perform with those that I did, but must give a cheer out for Ricardo Afonso who just finished a 2 year stint as London's Galileo in WWRY. I don't think I have ever heard such a spectacular voice and will never forget his THE SHOW MUST GO ON at the Symphonics. I wish him all the best for future endeavours and am looking forward to performing with him again someday. In the same breath I must also congratulate my old friend Peter Murphy who took over from Afonso. Peter has one of the best voices I have ever heard and am sure he will be an awesome Gaz!! Another Aussie Gaz!! I wish him the very best and I hope if you are in London to make sure you see him at the Dominion...guaranteed to blow your mind! Ok, it's been a week since I started writing this blog so let me get this done and posted!! Last week I wrote a song as a tribute to the victims and relief workers in the Philippines in the wake of the storms. '<a href="./unitedasone.cfm" target="_new">UNITED AS ONE' is meant to be a voice of hope and a call to arms for all Filipinos and in fact everyone to help with donations, supplies, time and love. The final death toll is still uncertain but the destruction and devastation is unquestionable. The rebuilding of the nation will take years and untold amounts of funds. What worries me most is that since it is no longer front page news, people will forget that the real help is needed right now. Anyway, check out the song and video <a href="./unitedasone.cfm" target="_new">here. I hope it gives hope and help to where it is needed most. Well that's it for now. Will post this or it will be another week before I get it out. Raining, cold and miserable here in New York City, but that makes home just that extra bit cosy. Let's remember those who have lost their homes and loved ones while we snuggle up to ours in ours. Always love, MiG X Hey everyone. This is my first blog in ages. Forgive me! I have been travelling so much between New York to London, I have just lost track of time and almost everything. I feel like I must write now to ask people to take notice of what has been happening in the Philippines the last week.

Hurricane Ondoy has caused such widespread havoc and destruction throughout the Philippines, and the reports and images and videos about the flood, also flood my heart with sadness. It's so heart-breaking to see people with not much to begin with, lose everything including their lives due to nature's cruel powerful ways. Memories of the Tsanami and Hurricane Katrina come to mind, but when I see the streets that I know suddenly look like a deadly muddy river, the urgency and desperation of the situation really hits home... Literally!

The Red Cross are asking for donations to help those victims who need your help now more than ever. Every little bit helps. There are also groups that are organising donation boxes etc. Here is just a start:

This is the link for the group

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=140402736830&ref=ts

& this is the topic from the group with information on how to donate if you're not in HK/Philippines

http://www.facebook.com/topic.php?uid=140402736830&topic=10584

On a more personal note, I had an amazing time with the QUEEN SYMPHONIC concerts in the UK. Thank you to all who came, who braved the lousy English summer weather and who came to say hi! I hope we can do more in the future!

I have to say it was an honour and privilege to perform with those that I did, but must give a cheer out for Ricardo Afonso who just finished a 2 year stint as London's Galileo in WWRY. I don't think I have ever heard such a spectacular voice and will never forget his THE SHOW MUST GO ON at the Symphonics. I wish him all the best for future endeavours and am looking forward to performing with him again someday.

In the same breath I must also congratulate my old friend Peter Murphy who took over from Afonso. Peter has one of the best voices I have ever heard and am sure he will be an awesome Gaz!! Another Aussie Gaz!! I wish him the very best and I hope if you are in London to make sure you see him at the Dominion...guaranteed to blow your mind!

Ok, it's been a week since I started writing this blog so let me get this done and posted!! Last week I wrote a song as a tribute to the victims and relief workers in the Philippines in the wake of the storms. 'UNITED AS ONE' is meant to be a voice of hope and a call to arms for all Filipinos and in fact everyone to help with donations, supplies, time and love. The final death toll is still uncertain but the destruction and devastation is unquestionable. The rebuilding of the nation will take years and untold amounts of funds. What worries me most is that since it is no longer front page news, people will forget that the real help is needed right now. Anyway, check out the song and video here. I hope it gives hope and help to where it is needed most.

Well that's it for now. Will post this or it will be another week before I get it out. Raining, cold and miserable here in New York City, but that makes home just that extra bit cosy. Let's remember those who have lost their homes and loved ones while we snuggle up to ours in ours.

Always love,

MiG
X
]]> Fri, 16 Oct 2009 08:25:00 GMT 9170870EA41149BA88CAAFEA76964615 USA + UK = OK http://mig-music.com/diary.cfm?feature=80333&postid=48945 I am writing this as I fly back from London to New York. I was scheduled to stay in London for this whole period between the Alnwick concert and the Mercedes Benz world gig, there was supposed to be another concert in Glasgow, and travelling backwards and forwards across the Pond is draining financially and spiritually, but I woke up yesterday and just had this overwhelmingly powerful need to go home. So thank God (and Qantas) for frequent flyer points. This impulsive trip home is purely because I have been away so much for too long. Any chance to bridge that gap between Home &amp; Away is so important. I miss my girls so much, and although my wife is so busy and kicking arse right now, I really feel I need to be home. Having said that, it was so great to be back in the UK. Love London! What an incredible city. Such a style and energy that I miss and crave. The QUEEN gig in Northumberland was fraught with danger: gale force winds, rain and mud looked like the event was going to be a disaster. Probably in every other country it would have been cancelled, but in the UK, the show must go on and on it went! The people came in their thousands and did not let the weather dampen their spirits, and wow what spirits!! It ended up being one of the best of these gigs ever. We were all hanging by a thread but pulled through to make it work. Living on the edge dude!! True rock n roll. The people of Northumberland totally rock the very foundations of Earth!! Love them!!! I also have to say how sad I was about Michael Jackson's passing. I say this in that it has been sad for many many years now. This was just the full stop at the end of a very tragic story. I feel so bad for him and for everyone around him. His upcoming concerts were going to be incredible, especially for a friend of mine, Shannon Holtzapffel, who flew to LA from Australia, auditioned for the gig of a lifetime with thousands of others but was one of the chosen few to be one of Michael's dancers. The <a target="_new" href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6YrA8MzFAaI">YouTube video of that audition&nbsp; was so inspirational. I am so proud of him and was so looking forward to seeing him shine on stage, and then, just like that, it all ends. So tragic, I don't even know where to begin to express how sorry I am for all involved. I've got to say how thrilled I was to see Shannon and the other dancers so featured with Jennifer Hudson at the memorial. So great and proud of Shaheen as well singing his lungs out. Michael Jackson was a hero of mine. I saw him live at Parramatta Stadium in 1987 for the 'Bad Tour' and I was mesmorized by everything that he did. We will all miss you Michael. I hope my little <a target="_new" href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=upKqSEGwvLA&amp;feature=channel_page">clip from THRILLER:LIVE! gives justice to your legacy. Always love, MiG x I am writing this as I fly back from London to New York. I was scheduled to stay in London for this whole period between the Alnwick concert and the Mercedes Benz world gig, there was supposed to be another concert in Glasgow, and travelling backwards and forwards across the Pond is draining financially and spiritually, but I woke up yesterday and just had this overwhelmingly powerful need to go home. So thank God (and Qantas) for frequent flyer points. This impulsive trip home is purely because I have been away so much for too long. Any chance to bridge that gap between Home & Away is so important. I miss my girls so much, and although my wife is so busy and kicking arse right now, I really feel I need to be home.

Having said that, it was so great to be back in the UK. Love London! What an incredible city. Such a style and energy that I miss and crave. The QUEEN gig in Northumberland was fraught with danger: gale force winds, rain and mud looked like the event was going to be a disaster. Probably in every other country it would have been cancelled, but in the UK, the show must go on and on it went! The people came in their thousands and did not let the weather dampen their spirits, and wow what spirits!! It ended up being one of the best of these gigs ever. We were all hanging by a thread but pulled through to make it work. Living on the edge dude!! True rock n roll. The people of Northumberland totally rock the very foundations of Earth!! Love them!!!

I also have to say how sad I was about Michael Jackson's passing. I say this in that it has been sad for many many years now. This was just the full stop at the end of a very tragic story. I feel so bad for him and for everyone around him. His upcoming concerts were going to be incredible, especially for a friend of mine, Shannon Holtzapffel, who flew to LA from Australia, auditioned for the gig of a lifetime with thousands of others but was one of the chosen few to be one of Michael's dancers. The YouTube video of that audition  was so inspirational. I am so proud of him and was so looking forward to seeing him shine on stage, and then, just like that, it all ends. So tragic, I don't even know where to begin to express how sorry I am for all involved. I've got to say how thrilled I was to see Shannon and the other dancers so featured with Jennifer Hudson at the memorial. So great and proud of Shaheen as well singing his lungs out.

Michael Jackson was a hero of mine. I saw him live at Parramatta Stadium in 1987 for the 'Bad Tour' and I was mesmorized by everything that he did. We will all miss you Michael. I hope my little clip from THRILLER:LIVE! gives justice to your legacy.

Always love,

MiG
x]]> Mon, 27 Jul 2009 20:45:00 GMT EEF39F9B72CDF010EA33B8A7D89F20E3 LONDON, NEW YORK, AUSTRALIA http://mig-music.com/diary.cfm?feature=80333&postid=45128 Forgive my taking so long to blog since my last one. June?! What the...?!&nbsp; The QUEEN gigs in the UK were fantastic. The Bournemouth Symphony were brilliant. Because we were indoors in Bournemouth, I really got a chance to listen to the amazing orchestrations of Richard Sidwell and the richness that only a world class orchestra can bring. I am so looking forward to the upcoming QUEEN SYMPHONIC concerts. I am sorry that the July 11 concert was cancelled. I am not sure of the reasons exactly, but for those who were planning on going, I can only say that's show-biz. In this economic climate, we are lucky to be doing anything I guess. We should count every concert as a blessing. There are still a lot of concerts scheduled so please look at the <a href="./tour.cfm" target="_new">TOUR&nbsp;page of my site for a gig that suits you. I promise each concert is an event that will be a highlight of the summer season.&nbsp; Thank you to all those who came to meet me backstage at the MiG Meet &amp; Greet. I wish I could have stayed longer to chat but for the time constraints on me and lack of space, it really was the only way I could meet everybody and give everyone my equal time. It was so nice to see old friends and new faces!&nbsp; <a href="http://handelsmessiahrocks.com" target="_new">HANDEL'S MESSIAH ROCKS was shown in Chicago on June 3 on PBS as a test run. If it was received well, it would then be considered for National airing. Well I am pleased to announce that due to the overwhelming response of the Chicago airing, HANDEL'S MESSIAH ROCKS will be aired nationally on PBS later this year. Thank you to all those who tuned in and supported the show. Stay tuned to mig-music for the latest news on this. My congratulations to all those involved with the show.&nbsp; I am flying around all over the place like crazy again! I am writing this to you from Hobart, Tasmania!! How's that for Down Under?!!&nbsp; My regards and love to you and yours,&nbsp; MiG&nbsp; x Forgive my taking so long to blog since my last one. June?! What the...?! 

The QUEEN gigs in the UK were fantastic. The Bournemouth Symphony were brilliant. Because we were indoors in Bournemouth, I really got a chance to listen to the amazing orchestrations of Richard Sidwell and the richness that only a world class orchestra can bring. I am so looking forward to the upcoming QUEEN SYMPHONIC concerts. I am sorry that the July 11 concert was cancelled. I am not sure of the reasons exactly, but for those who were planning on going, I can only say that's show-biz. In this economic climate, we are lucky to be doing anything I guess. We should count every concert as a blessing. There are still a lot of concerts scheduled so please look at the TOUR page of my site for a gig that suits you. I promise each concert is an event that will be a highlight of the summer season. 

Thank you to all those who came to meet me backstage at the MiG Meet & Greet. I wish I could have stayed longer to chat but for the time constraints on me and lack of space, it really was the only way I could meet everybody and give everyone my equal time. It was so nice to see old friends and new faces! 

HANDEL'S MESSIAH ROCKS was shown in Chicago on June 3 on PBS as a test run. If it was received well, it would then be considered for National airing. Well I am pleased to announce that due to the overwhelming response of the Chicago airing, HANDEL'S MESSIAH ROCKS will be aired nationally on PBS later this year. Thank you to all those who tuned in and supported the show. Stay tuned to mig-music for the latest news on this. My congratulations to all those involved with the show. 

I am flying around all over the place like crazy again! I am writing this to you from Hobart, Tasmania!! How's that for Down Under?!! 

My regards and love to you and yours, 

MiG 
x]]> Thu, 11 Jun 2009 22:25:00 GMT 534582609D8EF515FE874C45F25D57B6 THE NY MiGPIES http://mig-music.com/diary.cfm?feature=80333&postid=40806 Last weekend, Anzac weekend, was a fantastic, hectic time. The weather in NY was sensational. It was like summer suddenly appeared out of nowhere and kissed our skin with its warmth and the promise of good times ahead. From Thursday night at Eight Mile Creek, to the 2 gigs on Friday at The Australian to Saturday&rsquo;s Dawn service at Battery Park, the <a href="http://nyfooty.com/" target="_new">NY Magpies event at Pier 66, to the Sunday Anzac Ceremony at Rockefeller Centre&rsquo;s Anzac Garden, I was busy singing anthems, jamming with Luke Dolahenty, sampling Anzac bickies, meat pies, sausage rolls and Aussie Beer, running around like a headless chicken&hellip;AND LOVING IT!! So proud to be Aussie at the moment. It was as though NY had gone totally Down Under and Americans were in the minority group. Wall to wall Aussies and Kiwis! However with beauty of the blossoms in the trees comes the torment of the pollen invading my eyes and my nose&hellip; for those of you who have never suffered hay fever, you are lucky. It can whack you in the face and render you useless for days, if not weeks. I have been dosing up on my meds to combat the onslaught, but there are still those days where nothing works. The activities in the weekend, coupled with the pollen destroyed me! Am only now feeling normal again. I have to say how awesome it was for so many people to come to my usual <a href="http://www.eightmilecreek.com/" target="_new">Eight Mile gig last week and jam with me. Norman, <a target="_new" href="http://www.myspace.com/kylieedmond">Kylie &amp; <a target="_new" href="http://www.myspace.com/admiralhalsey">Justin came and blew us away. I was even more blessed by a visiting Aussie superstar, <a href="http://www.guysebastian.com/" target="_new">Guy Sebastian. He was the first winner of Australian Idol, I guess our Kelly Clarkson, but this Guy just gets better and better and he totally blows me away whenever he opens his mouth, not to mention that he plays guitar and piano and is super cool. Playing with him and Luke that night was what musical dreams are made of. I went to see him play his regular gig at <a href="http://www.dromnyc.com/home/" target="_new">Drom on Monday night and yet again he blew me away. Suffering hay fever himself, his set composed killer originals and a couple of awesome covers, yet you would never know he was suffering a cold or hay fever. If that&rsquo;s him when he&rsquo;s sick&hellip; wow. Anyway, do yourself a favour and catch him at Drom every Monday at 8pm. I am about to pack up for my gig tonight at the creek, and also have been preparing for my forthcoming trip to the UK for the <a href="./tour.cfm">QUEEN Symphonic concerts. Very excited, but have to be sure to stock up on Claratin. Hope you are enjoying the glorious change of season wherever you are. Always love, MiG x &nbsp; Last weekend, Anzac weekend, was a fantastic, hectic time. The weather in NY was sensational. It was like summer suddenly appeared out of nowhere and kissed our skin with its warmth and the promise of good times ahead. From Thursday night at Eight Mile Creek, to the 2 gigs on Friday at The Australian to Saturday’s Dawn service at Battery Park, the NY Magpies event at Pier 66, to the Sunday Anzac Ceremony at Rockefeller Centre’s Anzac Garden, I was busy singing anthems, jamming with Luke Dolahenty, sampling Anzac bickies, meat pies, sausage rolls and Aussie Beer, running around like a headless chicken…AND LOVING IT!! So proud to be Aussie at the moment. It was as though NY had gone totally Down Under and Americans were in the minority group. Wall to wall Aussies and Kiwis!

However with beauty of the blossoms in the trees comes the torment of the pollen invading my eyes and my nose… for those of you who have never suffered hay fever, you are lucky. It can whack you in the face and render you useless for days, if not weeks. I have been dosing up on my meds to combat the onslaught, but there are still those days where nothing works. The activities in the weekend, coupled with the pollen destroyed me! Am only now feeling normal again.

I have to say how awesome it was for so many people to come to my usual Eight Mile gig last week and jam with me. Norman, Kylie & Justin came and blew us away. I was even more blessed by a visiting Aussie superstar, Guy Sebastian. He was the first winner of Australian Idol, I guess our Kelly Clarkson, but this Guy just gets better and better and he totally blows me away whenever he opens his mouth, not to mention that he plays guitar and piano and is super cool. Playing with him and Luke that night was what musical dreams are made of. I went to see him play his regular gig at Drom on Monday night and yet again he blew me away. Suffering hay fever himself, his set composed killer originals and a couple of awesome covers, yet you would never know he was suffering a cold or hay fever. If that’s him when he’s sick… wow. Anyway, do yourself a favour and catch him at Drom every Monday at 8pm.

I am about to pack up for my gig tonight at the creek, and also have been preparing for my forthcoming trip to the UK for the QUEEN Symphonic concerts. Very excited, but have to be sure to stock up on Claratin.

Hope you are enjoying the glorious change of season wherever you are.

Always love,

MiG
x
 ]]> Thu, 30 Apr 2009 22:55:00 GMT FF59BB872C73A8381F83D5EDBC7F1E55 MIRACLE http://mig-music.com/diary.cfm?feature=80333&postid=40150 Ashley Friels has just been found safe and sound and brought home. Thank you to all those involved and to the Friels family, I am so happy and relieved for you. Bless you all. MiG x Thank you to all those involved and to the Friels family, I am so happy and relieved for you. Bless you all.

MiG
x
]]> Thu, 23 Apr 2009 09:10:04 GMT FBBCFBED6048954D8474AB428E95318C A SPECIAL REQUEST http://mig-music.com/diary.cfm?feature=80333&postid=40148 Please forgive me for this, but I really need to ask for your help here. A young girl by the name of Ashley Friel has been missing from her home in Columbia, MO since Saturday 11 April. She is 15 years old, 5 feet tall and is about 105 pounds, has brown hair with blonde highlights and has hazel eyes. The photo below was taken 4 months ago. Her hair is shorter and I believe she does not have her glasses. I met her in Chicago a while back and she is an awesome young person. Her parents are worried and ask that if anyone has any information to please call detective Curtis Brown at the Columbia Police Department on (573) 442-6131. &nbsp; On another note, I have to say how proud I am to see <a target="_new" href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hRBLe3UxE_E&amp;feature=related">Shaheen Jafargholi whip the world into a frenzy with his amazing talent. I worked with this 12 year old 2 years ago when we toured the UK with THRILLER:LIVE!, and had no doubt he was a star. You have to hear him sing! <a target="_new" href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hRBLe3UxE_E&amp;feature=related">BRITAIN&rsquo;S GOT TALENT this year has got to be the most sensational so far, and I am so hoping people get behind this amazing young man and make him the star he already is. I also have to say how excited I was to see Thelma Houston carve up the AMERICAN IDOL stage tonight. This diva I worked with in FAME around Australia about 10 years ago, and she blew us away then. She is an amazing human being in every sense of the word, and man can she SING!!! I love you Thelma!! I hope you are all well and happy and living every moment of your life. Always love, MiG X &nbsp; Please forgive me for this, but I really need to ask for your help here. A young girl by the name of Ashley Friel has been missing from her home in Columbia, MO since Saturday 11 April. She is 15 years old, 5 feet tall and is about 105 pounds, has brown hair with blonde highlights and has hazel eyes. The photo below was taken 4 months ago. Her hair is shorter and I believe she does not have her glasses. I met her in Chicago a while back and she is an awesome young person. Her parents are worried and ask that if anyone has any information to please call detective Curtis Brown at the Columbia Police Department on (573) 442-6131.
 

On another note, I have to say how proud I am to see Shaheen Jafargholi whip the world into a frenzy with his amazing talent. I worked with this 12 year old 2 years ago when we toured the UK with THRILLER:LIVE!, and had no doubt he was a star. You have to hear him sing! BRITAIN’S GOT TALENT this year has got to be the most sensational so far, and I am so hoping people get behind this amazing young man and make him the star he already is.

I also have to say how excited I was to see Thelma Houston carve up the AMERICAN IDOL stage tonight. This diva I worked with in FAME around Australia about 10 years ago, and she blew us away then. She is an amazing human being in every sense of the word, and man can she SING!!! I love you Thelma!!

I hope you are all well and happy and living every moment of your life.

Always love,

MiG
X

 
]]> Thu, 23 Apr 2009 07:55:00 GMT 7F2932A623549C6931CF9B452AC6D28C BLAME CANADA http://mig-music.com/diary.cfm?feature=80333&postid=37712 I have just spent the last 10 days in Vancouver, working with gun producer Jeff Dawson and the unstoppable Mike Fraser on a couple of tracks. We worked in Bryan Adams studio THE WAREHOUSE, and it was so awesome to be in a world-class studio again. Making music in the studio is something I want to do for the rest of my life. The songs sound great and I can&rsquo;t wait to play them to everyone. I will have them up for all to hear very, very soon. Stay tuned&hellip; I have to say how incredible Vancouver is. The mountains are SO spectacular and the snow capped peaks that surround the city bring a sense of awe to every waking moment in this amazing city. The people are so friendly and the city has a real funky hip vibe to it. Literally a hop ski and a jump away from great skiing fields, it was kind of painful for me to be so close and yet not have the time to ski! Haven&rsquo;t been skiing since 2004, and I am having withdrawls. So close and yet so far. I will have to come back and do this place properly&hellip;and Whistler! Am about to board my plane bound for New York so I should sign off now. I hope all is great in your world. Can you believe we&rsquo;re at the end of March?!! What the&hellip;?! I swear someone is speeding up the clock. Thanks Vancouver. It&rsquo;s up to you, New York, New York&hellip; Always love, MiG Xx &nbsp; I have just spent the last 10 days in Vancouver, working with gun producer Jeff Dawson and the unstoppable Mike Fraser on a couple of tracks. We worked in Bryan Adams studio THE WAREHOUSE, and it was so awesome to be in a world-class studio again. Making music in the studio is something I want to do for the rest of my life. The songs sound great and I can’t wait to play them to everyone. I will have them up for all to hear very, very soon. Stay tuned…

I have to say how incredible Vancouver is. The mountains are SO spectacular and the snow capped peaks that surround the city bring a sense of awe to every waking moment in this amazing city. The people are so friendly and the city has a real funky hip vibe to it. Literally a hop ski and a jump away from great skiing fields, it was kind of painful for me to be so close and yet not have the time to ski! Haven’t been skiing since 2004, and I am having withdrawls. So close and yet so far. I will have to come back and do this place properly…and Whistler!

Am about to board my plane bound for New York so I should sign off now. I hope all is great in your world. Can you believe we’re at the end of March?!! What the…?! I swear someone is speeding up the clock.

Thanks Vancouver.

It’s up to you, New York, New York…

Always love,

MiG
Xx



 ]]> Thu, 26 Mar 2009 03:25:00 GMT 5DFC3ABF5905B1C4CCB99B759283021C INXS http://mig-music.com/diary.cfm?feature=80333&postid=35763 Let me shed some light onto the subject of what has happened recently with JD Fortune and INXS. I was recently approached by Channel 7 Australia to do an interview with what has transpired between JD and INXS. Like most of you, I have heard conflicting reports about what had happened. They sacked him in Hong Kong with a hand shake/ they didn't sack him/ his contract expired/ they were doing another album... All these are things I have heard. What the truth is, I really do not know. I have not been contacted by any member of INXS, nor have I ever been asked to join the band. The last contact I had with anyone from INXS was well over a year ago. I also have not been in contact with JD. The last time I saw or spoke with him was in mid 2006. I have not seen the finished edited interview, but what I do know is that I did not trash JD. In fact I defended him many times. I told the interviewer that JD was a highly creative free spirit who always dances to the beat of his own drum. This is what makes JD the special artist that he is, but would make it difficult for him to be told what to do or conform to rules. Reporters and editors can cut things up to make a story. I certainly hope they did not twist my words but I have not seen it. JD is a friend of mine and we shared some very good times together. He always made us laugh. &nbsp;I know JD will always be ok because he is highly intelligent. That also makes him unpredictable and a loose canon. The guys told me how difficult it was to control him and the stories I had heard from people who supported INXS in Australia all pointed to the fact that this union was not a healthy nor productive one. Thus when asked, I told them I was not surprised that this ended. I am sorry it ended and the way it was done is a very unfortunate thing. I have only heard the rumours and the gossip and am in no way an expert on the events of what transpired between JD and INXS. When asked about how I felt about him living out of a car, my first response was that of at least he has a car! I actually decided to sell the car I won on RS back to Honda the day before the interview, because having a car in Manhattan is more of a hindrance than a convenience with all the parking regulations and fees. It was a luxury I could no longer afford. I loved that car so much and it was heart-breaking to see it go. But these are hard times now and you do whatever it takes to get by. In the past few years I too have had to do many things to survive, like sell my apartment in Sydney just to pay my bills and have money to live on. The music business is hard, ruthless and unforgiving. We have all felt the highs and lows as struggling artists. &nbsp;JD said he lived in his car before RS and he now says he is back there. I am sure he will be ok. This is only a transitory stage. I have faith in JD that he will be back on his feet and flying high with the release of his new album, and I so wish him the very best of luck with it. As for taking over as INXS's front man, it is something I never even thought of and find it ridiculous to even discuss. If they wanted me they would have contacted me by now. I do wish them all the best. I have always been an INXS fan, still am and always will be. The reporter asked me to play an INXS song in my set at the Bushfire Benefit. I actually don't play any INXS songs in my repertoire unless asked. I did so on this occasion and knew for sure they would use it. In no way was that meant to be spiteful or disrespectful or aspirational. I have done my fair share of proving myself to the band. They know where and how to contact me if they need to. I myself am gearing up to record in Vancouver this month on a project I am very excited about. So I already have my work cut out for me and I need to focus on that. I do wish JD all the best with his future endeavours. I have faith in him that he will turn all this around in his favour. I also wish INXS all the best and hope they continue to be the boys that made me proud to be Australian. Always love, MiG Let me shed some light onto the subject of what has happened recently with JD Fortune and INXS.

I was recently approached by Channel 7 Australia to do an interview with what has transpired between JD and INXS. Like most of you, I have heard conflicting reports about what had happened. They sacked him in Hong Kong with a hand shake/ they didn't sack him/ his contract expired/ they were doing another album... All these are things I have heard. What the truth is, I really do not know.

I have not been contacted by any member of INXS, nor have I ever been asked to join the band. The last contact I had with anyone from INXS was well over a year ago. I also have not been in contact with JD. The last time I saw or spoke with him was in mid 2006.

I have not seen the finished edited interview, but what I do know is that I did not trash JD. In fact I defended him many times. I told the interviewer that JD was a highly creative free spirit who always dances to the beat of his own drum. This is what makes JD the special artist that he is, but would make it difficult for him to be told what to do or conform to rules. Reporters and editors can cut things up to make a story. I certainly hope they did not twist my words but I have not seen it. JD is a friend of mine and we shared some very good times together. He always made us laugh.  I know JD will always be ok because he is highly intelligent. That also makes him unpredictable and a loose canon. The guys told me how difficult it was to control him and the stories I had heard from people who supported INXS in Australia all pointed to the fact that this union was not a healthy nor productive one. Thus when asked, I told them I was not surprised that this ended. I am sorry it ended and the way it was done is a very unfortunate thing.

I have only heard the rumours and the gossip and am in no way an expert on the events of what transpired between JD and INXS.

When asked about how I felt about him living out of a car, my first response was that of at least he has a car! I actually decided to sell the car I won on RS back to Honda the day before the interview, because having a car in Manhattan is more of a hindrance than a convenience with all the parking regulations and fees. It was a luxury I could no longer afford. I loved that car so much and it was heart-breaking to see it go. But these are hard times now and you do whatever it takes to get by. In the past few years I too have had to do many things to survive, like sell my apartment in Sydney just to pay my bills and have money to live on. The music business is hard, ruthless and unforgiving. We have all felt the highs and lows as struggling artists.  JD said he lived in his car before RS and he now says he is back there. I am sure he will be ok. This is only a transitory stage. I have faith in JD that he will be back on his feet and flying high with the release of his new album, and I so wish him the very best of luck with it.

As for taking over as INXS's front man, it is something I never even thought of and find it ridiculous to even discuss. If they wanted me they would have contacted me by now. I do wish them all the best. I have always been an INXS fan, still am and always will be.

The reporter asked me to play an INXS song in my set at the Bushfire Benefit. I actually don't play any INXS songs in my repertoire unless asked. I did so on this occasion and knew for sure they would use it. In no way was that meant to be spiteful or disrespectful or aspirational. I have done my fair share of proving myself to the band. They know where and how to contact me if they need to.

I myself am gearing up to record in Vancouver this month on a project I am very excited about. So I already have my work cut out for me and I need to focus on that.

I do wish JD all the best with his future endeavours. I have faith in him that he will turn all this around in his favour. I also wish INXS all the best and hope they continue to be the boys that made me proud to be Australian.

Always love,
MiG]]> Wed, 04 Mar 2009 20:15:00 GMT 3CE4D3DB361B26FF686937882981FAE7 OSCAR http://mig-music.com/diary.cfm?feature=80333&postid=35180 My wife has a new man in her life: Oscar. And I am all for it. I am so happy and excited for the both of them. Actually the truth is that my wife Simone is dancing at the Academy Awards in Los Angeles tomorrow and I am SO proud of her. I am not sure how well you will see her amongst the whole array of dancers on stage, but that&rsquo;s hardly the point now, is it? The fact she got the gig, dancing there on stage, seen by the world is a dream come true for her. She will never forget this experience and I hope this may lead to other things. I am so thrilled. I will be watching the Oscars with baited breath! I gotta say how much I am enjoying playing at 8 Mile Creek every Thursday. The management and staff there have been truly awesome. It&rsquo;s like I can play what I want, for as long as I want. I am having a ball. It&rsquo;s hard work though, starting at 7.30pm and finishing in the wee hours of the morning. It&rsquo;s a lot of fun though. I always dreamed about playing piano bar in New York City. It&rsquo;s a bit like selling ice to the Eskimos, but so far so good. At this stage I will be playing until 5 March. I will be taking a few weeks off after that for a few reasons. The first one being that I will be in Vancouver, Canada for a couple of weeks recording a few tracks with producer <a href="http://www.jeffdawsonproductions.com/" target="_new">Jeff Dawson (Daniel Powter, Kelly Rowland, The Dudes, State Of Stock) and engineer/mixer <a href="http://www.mikefrasermix.com/home.html" target="_new">Mike Fraser (AC/DC, Franz Ferdinand, Norah Jones, Aerosmith, Metallica, Slipknot). I will be working in conjunction with Michelle Bakker and Carla Potter from <a href="http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&amp;friendID=368730083" target="_new">The Brat Agency as well as the dynamic vodka company from New Zealand, <a href="http://www.42below.com/" target="_new">42 Below. It is with great pleasure and excitement to announce that I am working with these people and I hope to show the fruits of our coalition in the very near future. I hope to be back at 8 Mile Creek upon my return to New York. I am still not sure when that will be, but will post it on the TOUR page as soon as I know. Enjoy Oscar! Always love, MiG x &nbsp; My wife has a new man in her life: Oscar. And I am all for it. I am so happy and excited for the both of them. Actually the truth is that my wife Simone is dancing at the Academy Awards in Los Angeles tomorrow and I am SO proud of her. I am not sure how well you will see her amongst the whole array of dancers on stage, but that’s hardly the point now, is it? The fact she got the gig, dancing there on stage, seen by the world is a dream come true for her. She will never forget this experience and I hope this may lead to other things. I am so thrilled. I will be watching the Oscars with baited breath!

I gotta say how much I am enjoying playing at 8 Mile Creek every Thursday. The management and staff there have been truly awesome. It’s like I can play what I want, for as long as I want. I am having a ball. It’s hard work though, starting at 7.30pm and finishing in the wee hours of the morning. It’s a lot of fun though. I always dreamed about playing piano bar in New York City. It’s a bit like selling ice to the Eskimos, but so far so good. At this stage I will be playing until 5 March. I will be taking a few weeks off after that for a few reasons.

The first one being that I will be in Vancouver, Canada for a couple of weeks recording a few tracks with producer Jeff Dawson (Daniel Powter, Kelly Rowland, The Dudes, State Of Stock) and engineer/mixer Mike Fraser (AC/DC, Franz Ferdinand, Norah Jones, Aerosmith, Metallica, Slipknot). I will be working in conjunction with Michelle Bakker and Carla Potter from The Brat Agency as well as the dynamic vodka company from New Zealand, 42 Below. It is with great pleasure and excitement to announce that I am working with these people and I hope to show the fruits of our coalition in the very near future.

I hope to be back at 8 Mile Creek upon my return to New York. I am still not sure when that will be, but will post it on the TOUR page as soon as I know.

Enjoy Oscar!

Always love,

MiG
x
 ]]> Sun, 22 Feb 2009 07:43:10 GMT 6349BC387C159BDEA808792E8546B18B AUSTRALIAN FIRES http://mig-music.com/diary.cfm?feature=80333&postid=34541 I am in absolute shock over the tragic fires that have swept across Victoria and have claimed so many innocent lives. I am unsure of the exact death toll or the number of houses destroyed, but to lose even one life in this way is tragic enough. There are fears that the death toll is way over 100 and still rising. Hundreds have lost their homes. Thousands have been affected in very tragic ways. The walls of flames four storeys high sped through and destroyed everything in its path. Many died in their cars, trying to escape the inferno. It is hard to imagine that any of this happened due to fires that were deliberately lit. What possesses people to do this and think it is ok? I hope they catch those arsonists responsible and are duly punished. I am so heartbroken to see the tragedies unfold. It is unbelievable. My heart goes out to all the families of those killed and to those who have lost everything in this awful tragedy. Please pray that these fires are controlled and that no-one else is harmed. My heart also goes out for the soul of my beloved Yaya (nanny) Emilia who recently passed after suffering a severe stroke last year. Her suffering is over and she was surrounded by her loved ones in her final days. Thank you for all your prayers and special thoughts. She devoted her life to service and love for our family and she will be very, very dearly missed. May she rest in peace. I must also say that I am very excited about things that are just around the corner. One event in particular is the Queen Symphony Spectacular scheduled for May this year in the UK. I have been asked to participate and I would love nothing more than to do so, but in this crazy world and even crazier business, anything can happen in the last minute. Nothing is confirmed yet, as contracts have not been finalised. What I can say to those who have already bought tickets is that there is an excellent chance that I will be there. I will never put it up on my tour page until it is definitely confirmed. So much can happen between now and May, but I am moving mountains to be there. I loved doing the concerts last year and am so looking forward to doing them again this year, and they will be bigger and better than ever! So please stay tuned to mig-music.com for the latest updates with that, and other gigs. So many other exciting things are happening too that I just can&rsquo;t talk about right now, but I will tell you how they go as soon as I can! I hope everything is going great for you in 2009. Can&rsquo;t believe it&rsquo;s already February! Wow. I know there is so much bad news of gloom and despair with the economic crisis etc, but what keeps us going is that we are all in the same boat and must keep our heads above water until this tide of uncertainty clears. It will clear. Just hang on! Always love and only love, MiG xx &nbsp; I am in absolute shock over the tragic fires that have swept across Victoria and have claimed so many innocent lives. I am unsure of the exact death toll or the number of houses destroyed, but to lose even one life in this way is tragic enough. There are fears that the death toll is way over 100 and still rising. Hundreds have lost their homes. Thousands have been affected in very tragic ways. The walls of flames four storeys high sped through and destroyed everything in its path. Many died in their cars, trying to escape the inferno. It is hard to imagine that any of this happened due to fires that were deliberately lit. What possesses people to do this and think it is ok? I hope they catch those arsonists responsible and are duly punished. I am so heartbroken to see the tragedies unfold. It is unbelievable. My heart goes out to all the families of those killed and to those who have lost everything in this awful tragedy. Please pray that these fires are controlled and that no-one else is harmed.

My heart also goes out for the soul of my beloved Yaya (nanny) Emilia who recently passed after suffering a severe stroke last year. Her suffering is over and she was surrounded by her loved ones in her final days. Thank you for all your prayers and special thoughts. She devoted her life to service and love for our family and she will be very, very dearly missed. May she rest in peace.

I must also say that I am very excited about things that are just around the corner. One event in particular is the Queen Symphony Spectacular scheduled for May this year in the UK. I have been asked to participate and I would love nothing more than to do so, but in this crazy world and even crazier business, anything can happen in the last minute. Nothing is confirmed yet, as contracts have not been finalised. What I can say to those who have already bought tickets is that there is an excellent chance that I will be there. I will never put it up on my tour page until it is definitely confirmed. So much can happen between now and May, but I am moving mountains to be there. I loved doing the concerts last year and am so looking forward to doing them again this year, and they will be bigger and better than ever! So please stay tuned to mig-music.com for the latest updates with that, and other gigs. So many other exciting things are happening too that I just can’t talk about right now, but I will tell you how they go as soon as I can!

I hope everything is going great for you in 2009. Can’t believe it’s already February! Wow. I know there is so much bad news of gloom and despair with the economic crisis etc, but what keeps us going is that we are all in the same boat and must keep our heads above water until this tide of uncertainty clears. It will clear. Just hang on!

Always love and only love,

MiG
xx


 ]]> Mon, 09 Feb 2009 12:55:00 GMT 59793823D895E2C147AA1A3D2F68334F EPISODE IV  A NEW HOPE http://mig-music.com/diary.cfm?feature=80333&postid=33624 When I look at images of today&rsquo;s momentous occasion, I do feel like I am watching a movie. This is a fairy tale come true. The heroes are shiny and flawless and the country and the world are rejoicing at the dawn of a new era of hope, prosperity, love, brotherhood, humanity and the promise that finally we will be getting out of this very dark time, that we as a human collective have been suffering for way too long. I will probably again be criticized for saying how wonderful Obama is, that it is &lsquo;none of my business&rsquo;, that I have no say in it as a non-American, but I speak personally and as a citizen of the Global Village, that today has been one of the most magical days I have ever witnessed, and one that I will tell my children and grand-children that I was here in America, in New York, when Barack Obama became President of the USA, and in effect became the leader of the free world. To hear him speak, to see him with his family, the way he looks at his wife, the way he speaks to his angelic children, the way he danced at the Ball, the way he always takes the high road, with integrity, grace and elegance, I have never been so inspired by one man in my life. He moves me, he inspires me, and he motivates me to be all I can be. But it is not just him. His gorgeous First Lady, his impossibly perfect girls, his charismatic #2 Joe Biden, and his entire team are like stars in a cast of mega-stars. How amazing and exciting to see this all come to fruition. This is a true-life fairy tale, that is greater than any fiction. The optimism of promise at probably the lowest point of despair in living memory can only be one thing: A miracle. I am not American. I am not pretending to be. I am an Australian &ndash; Filipino living in the USA. It&rsquo;s not my country, but I am so proud to be here at this time. I feel the mood of the people in the streets, in the subway, everywhere has lifted. People are smiling, people are talking to people, people are helping each other cross the street, people are being people again, united in their knowledge that this is the beginning of a truly miraculous time. I have never witnessed anything like this. Thank you for letting me share this with you. May we all be united with getting the world right, and turning the dark into light. Always love, MiG x When I look at images of today’s momentous occasion, I do feel like I am watching a movie. This is a fairy tale come true. The heroes are shiny and flawless and the country and the world are rejoicing at the dawn of a new era of hope, prosperity, love, brotherhood, humanity and the promise that finally we will be getting out of this very dark time, that we as a human collective have been suffering for way too long. I will probably again be criticized for saying how wonderful Obama is, that it is ‘none of my business’, that I have no say in it as a non-American, but I speak personally and as a citizen of the Global Village, that today has been one of the most magical days I have ever witnessed, and one that I will tell my children and grand-children that I was here in America, in New York, when Barack Obama became President of the USA, and in effect became the leader of the free world. To hear him speak, to see him with his family, the way he looks at his wife, the way he speaks to his angelic children, the way he danced at the Ball, the way he always takes the high road, with integrity, grace and elegance, I have never been so inspired by one man in my life. He moves me, he inspires me, and he motivates me to be all I can be. But it is not just him. His gorgeous First Lady, his impossibly perfect girls, his charismatic #2 Joe Biden, and his entire team are like stars in a cast of mega-stars. How amazing and exciting to see this all come to fruition. This is a true-life fairy tale, that is greater than any fiction. The optimism of promise at probably the lowest point of despair in living memory can only be one thing: A miracle.

I am not American. I am not pretending to be. I am an Australian – Filipino living in the USA. It’s not my country, but I am so proud to be here at this time. I feel the mood of the people in the streets, in the subway, everywhere has lifted. People are smiling, people are talking to people, people are helping each other cross the street, people are being people again, united in their knowledge that this is the beginning of a truly miraculous time. I have never witnessed anything like this.

Thank you for letting me share this with you. May we all be united with getting the world right, and turning the dark into light.

Always love,

MiG
x
]]> Wed, 21 Jan 2009 12:10:00 GMT 7E668FF27AFB31CA0EA9230CE8461F00 ANOTHER YEAR& http://mig-music.com/diary.cfm?feature=80333&postid=33210 Made it! Another year and still here! I am quietly blowing out the candles on my birthday cake and am grateful for all the blessings that have been given to me. I am feeling very loved by the incredible messages of love, well-wishes and support. It really helps me not to feel bad about getting older. The number is scaring me, but I feel younger than ever! I sometimes think someone got my birthday wrong somehow&hellip; I have to give a HUGE thank you for all the Christmas gifts I got over the Holiday Season. From incredibly cute home-made cookies, a wonderful composition book with messages of love, to Tim Tams and Vegemite, I am so spoiled to have such wonderful fans who give me so much joy. You are very naughty to send me presents, but your support keeps me going and makes me feel like I am doing something very worthwhile. THANK YOU! THANK YOU!!! A very wise person I sat next to on the plane from Florida yesterday reminded me how important it was to live in the moment, to live in &lsquo;NOW&rsquo;. Right now, I am writing this to you and then going out for dinner with my wife in New York City. How much more can I ask for? Always love, MiG Xxx &nbsp; Made it! Another year and still here! I am quietly blowing out the candles on my birthday cake and am grateful for all the blessings that have been given to me.

I am feeling very loved by the incredible messages of love, well-wishes and support. It really helps me not to feel bad about getting older. The number is scaring me, but I feel younger than ever! I sometimes think someone got my birthday wrong somehow…

I have to give a HUGE thank you for all the Christmas gifts I got over the Holiday Season. From incredibly cute home-made cookies, a wonderful composition book with messages of love, to Tim Tams and Vegemite, I am so spoiled to have such wonderful fans who give me so much joy. You are very naughty to send me presents, but your support keeps me going and makes me feel like I am doing something very worthwhile. THANK YOU! THANK YOU!!!

A very wise person I sat next to on the plane from Florida yesterday reminded me how important it was to live in the moment, to live in ‘NOW’. Right now, I am writing this to you and then going out for dinner with my wife in New York City. How much more can I ask for?

Always love,

MiG
Xxx


 ]]> Tue, 13 Jan 2009 05:50:00 GMT DB4B8BAB8B01A042ED439A1B86A54741 HAPPY 2009 http://mig-music.com/diary.cfm?feature=80333&postid=32618 As I watch the snow fall outside my window, I am watching the replay of the New Year&rsquo;s celebrations in Sydney and Auckland and I am reminded about what an incredible year 2008 was. For many it was the worst, for others the best, but for most of us it had its fair share of ups and downs. &nbsp; A new year brings new hope. A fresh start. A new beginning. Another chance. &nbsp; I hope 2009 brings, above all, peace, love and happiness to all. &nbsp; Happy New Year! &nbsp; Always love, &nbsp; MiG xx
As I watch the snow fall outside my window, I am watching the replay of the New Year’s celebrations in Sydney and Auckland and I am reminded about what an incredible year 2008 was. For many it was the worst, for others the best, but for most of us it had its fair share of ups and downs.
 
A new year brings new hope. A fresh start. A new beginning. Another chance.
 
I hope 2009 brings, above all, peace, love and happiness to all.
 
Happy New Year!
 
Always love,
 
MiG
xx
]]> Thu, 01 Jan 2009 00:25:00 GMT D3E90CEE7512B4EF48BBA5BBD0E72052 CHRISTMAS http://mig-music.com/diary.cfm?feature=80333&postid=32428 Dear Everyone, As I was rushing around yesterday, frantically trying to get everything done for the impending celebrations that is Christmas, I found myself getting flustered and harassed by the hoards of people who themselves were getting flustered and harassed. I thought to myself,&quot;Why do we bother? Why the torture?&quot; Then, as I was walking past my building, I saw a familiar face and was in almost shock when I realised it was John Lithgow (WORLD ACCORDING TO GARP, FOOTLOOSE, SHREK, 3RD ROCK FROM THE SUN, etc, etc.) and he realised that I recognised him as we were crossing paths and he started to smile. As I greeted him with a very loud and unexpectedly enthusiastic &quot;Merry Christmas, Sir!&quot; He turned around and with an equally broad smile replied, &quot;And a Merry Christmas to you!&quot; Ok. This may seem sad that I was so star-struck but my point is this: We are all on this earth together. All just trying to make our way through our life. We go through our days so busily, we don't really take time out to celebrate our humanity, our brother/sisterhood. Yet at Christmas, we are all united in our wanting to be with family, to reflect on the year past and the year ahead, to find truth and goodness in everyone. Whether you are John Lithgow or John Doe, Christmas will touch your spirit. I hope Christmas this year will touch you all in a very special way. It's not about how extravagant the gifts you exchange. These hard economic times just means that we should be more careful yet creative about what we give this year. The spirit of Christmas and the love it generates should be even more evident this year as we concern ourselves more on the real issues, what really matters in this life. Love. Merry Christmas to everyone, to you and yours and to all those who aren't. Whatever your religion, whatever your beliefs, whatever your race, whatever you do... Love. Always love, MiG xx &nbsp; PS: To get you in the mood, click <a target="_new" href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ds0JhDWr-qM&amp;feature=channel_page">HERE! or even click <a target="_new" href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MHB79YZvQr8">HERE! PPS: And <a target="_new" href="http://elfyourself.jibjab.com/view/7yvRLCHJlrUpLa6NcwPk">Elf Yourself a Merry Little Christmas now... &nbsp; Dear Everyone,

As I was rushing around yesterday, frantically trying to get everything done for the impending celebrations that is Christmas, I found myself getting flustered and harassed by the hoards of people who themselves were getting flustered and harassed. I thought to myself,"Why do we bother? Why the torture?" Then, as I was walking past my building, I saw a familiar face and was in almost shock when I realised it was John Lithgow (WORLD ACCORDING TO GARP, FOOTLOOSE, SHREK, 3RD ROCK FROM THE SUN, etc, etc.) and he realised that I recognised him as we were crossing paths and he started to smile. As I greeted him with a very loud and unexpectedly enthusiastic "Merry Christmas, Sir!" He turned around and with an equally broad smile replied, "And a Merry Christmas to you!"

Ok. This may seem sad that I was so star-struck but my point is this: We are all on this earth together. All just trying to make our way through our life. We go through our days so busily, we don't really take time out to celebrate our humanity, our brother/sisterhood. Yet at Christmas, we are all united in our wanting to be with family, to reflect on the year past and the year ahead, to find truth and goodness in everyone. Whether you are John Lithgow or John Doe, Christmas will touch your spirit.

I hope Christmas this year will touch you all in a very special way. It's not about how extravagant the gifts you exchange. These hard economic times just means that we should be more careful yet creative about what we give this year. The spirit of Christmas and the love it generates should be even more evident this year as we concern ourselves more on the real issues, what really matters in this life.

Love.

Merry Christmas to everyone, to you and yours and to all those who aren't. Whatever your religion, whatever your beliefs, whatever your race, whatever you do... Love.

Always love,

MiG
xx
 
PS: To get you in the mood, click HERE! or even click HERE!
PPS: And Elf Yourself a Merry Little Christmas now...


 ]]> Wed, 24 Dec 2008 22:15:00 GMT 97EC9F12E8DAF74CD67241BC9F3DF7FD AUSTRALIA http://mig-music.com/diary.cfm?feature=80333&postid=30842 Greetings from Sydney, Australia! I just got off a 20 hour flight from New York to Sydney via Los Angeles. Am kind of delirious but am home. So great to be at home with the parents. My Mum is the cutest thing on Earth! So crazy to be on the other side of the earth&hellip;again! It is so important to touch base with home. It is our touchstone, our grounding force. I have not been in touch for a while. Since I wrote last I have been to Beijing, China and back to New York. Beijing was an amazing experience. I was involved with a Mont Blanc launch of their new range of chronograph watches. The production was as big as any show you&rsquo;d see anywhere, if not bigger. Such a wonderful group of people from all over the world. I was very blessed to be joined by Rachael Wooding with whom I did the Queen Symphonic Spectacular concerts in England over the summer. She is a true star, an awesome talent. Beijing was a very special place to visit. The grandeur of the Olympic stadiums like the Bird&rsquo;s Nest and the Aquatic Centre and the Indoor Stadium was very impressive. Despite our language barrier, we were able to get around, even visiting the more traditional sites like The Forbidden City, Tianenmen Square and the breathtaking Great Wall of China. I think I overdosed on dumplings though. Need to lay low on the dim sums. I was lucky to get a chance to see SHREK The Musical last week and as a SHREK fan, I was sceptical to see how they could portray the story on stage. I was so wonderfully surprised to be blown away. It was so much fun. Such an incredible production with amazing performances. Enough said, if you get the chance and you&rsquo;re in New York, see this show! On a personal note, PLEASE! Brooke Burke has to win DANCING WITH THE STARS. She is so perfect in every way. She is not only gorgeous, a fantastic mother, she is also one of the most beautiful and warm human beings I&rsquo;ve ever met. She deserves to win in so many ways! Go Brooke!!! Also, still in Reality TV Land, McKey has to win AMERICA&rsquo;S NEXT TOP MODEL! I worked with her when I did those Wella/Sebastian gigs and she is just awesome. Such a down to earth and funny and warm girl who has no idea how beautiful she is. I am so gunning for her anyway, So on that note, I must sleep now. Food coma has hit, and combined with jet-lag and over excitement, I am shagged! Hope all is well in your world. Always love, MiG xx &nbsp; Greetings from Sydney, Australia! I just got off a 20 hour flight from New York to Sydney via Los Angeles. Am kind of delirious but am home. So great to be at home with the parents. My Mum is the cutest thing on Earth! So crazy to be on the other side of the earth…again! It is so important to touch base with home. It is our touchstone, our grounding force.


I have not been in touch for a while. Since I wrote last I have been to Beijing, China and back to New York. Beijing was an amazing experience. I was involved with a Mont Blanc launch of their new range of chronograph watches. The production was as big as any show you’d see anywhere, if not bigger. Such a wonderful group of people from all over the world. I was very blessed to be joined by Rachael Wooding with whom I did the Queen Symphonic Spectacular concerts in England over the summer. She is a true star, an awesome talent.

Beijing was a very special place to visit. The grandeur of the Olympic stadiums like the Bird’s Nest and the Aquatic Centre and the Indoor Stadium was very impressive. Despite our language barrier, we were able to get around, even visiting the more traditional sites like The Forbidden City, Tianenmen Square and the breathtaking Great Wall of China. I think I overdosed on dumplings though. Need to lay low on the dim sums.


I was lucky to get a chance to see SHREK The Musical last week and as a SHREK fan, I was sceptical to see how they could portray the story on stage. I was so wonderfully surprised to be blown away. It was so much fun. Such an incredible production with amazing performances. Enough said, if you get the chance and you’re in New York, see this show!

On a personal note, PLEASE! Brooke Burke has to win DANCING WITH THE STARS. She is so perfect in every way. She is not only gorgeous, a fantastic mother, she is also one of the most beautiful and warm human beings I’ve ever met. She deserves to win in so many ways! Go Brooke!!!

Also, still in Reality TV Land, McKey has to win AMERICA’S NEXT TOP MODEL! I worked with her when I did those Wella/Sebastian gigs and she is just awesome. Such a down to earth and funny and warm girl who has no idea how beautiful she is. I am so gunning for her anyway,

So on that note, I must sleep now. Food coma has hit, and combined with jet-lag and over excitement, I am shagged!

Hope all is well in your world.

Always love,

MiG
xx




 ]]> Wed, 19 Nov 2008 15:00:00 GMT 31CF292CB70C3C9950CC95343CAAD6C0 A NEW HOPE http://mig-music.com/diary.cfm?feature=80333&postid=30242 At last we have a leader we can believe in. At last America can be proud again. This is the dawning of a new era of hope. We need Obama now more than we have ever needed anybody before. He and his team have a hell of a job to do. America needs him. The world needs him. This is such a momentous historical moment that will ring throughout eternity. This is the beginning of a new age of positivity and forward thinking. We are heading in the right direction. Thank you America. Your decision will bring you so much good will throughout the world. May we give him all the support and encouragement. With him at the wheel, I now feel again that maybe this world has a chance to survive. I pray that it is not too late. I do not envy the task ahead of him. He did not inherit a golden world. The mess is huge, the situation is grossly chaotic. Yet I have faith. He gives me faith in America. He gives me faith in the world. He gives me faith in humanity. Always, MiG xx &nbsp; At last we have a leader we can believe in. At last America can be proud again. This is the dawning of a new era of hope. We need Obama now more than we have ever needed anybody before. He and his team have a hell of a job to do. America needs him. The world needs him. This is such a momentous historical moment that will ring throughout eternity. This is the beginning of a new age of positivity and forward thinking. We are heading in the right direction.

Thank you America. Your decision will bring you so much good will throughout the world.

May we give him all the support and encouragement. With him at the wheel, I now feel again that maybe this world has a chance to survive.

I pray that it is not too late. I do not envy the task ahead of him. He did not inherit a golden world. The mess is huge, the situation is grossly chaotic. Yet I have faith. He gives me faith in America. He gives me faith in the world. He gives me faith in humanity.

Always,

MiG
xx


 ]]> Thu, 06 Nov 2008 06:20:00 GMT E6340AB85CA0BC7EDAAB7DA8673D8FD9 WHEN YOURE A JET& http://mig-music.com/diary.cfm?feature=80333&postid=29602 Just came back from watching my first American Football game: New York Jets versus the Kansas City Chiefs. The Jets fans are CRAZY!! It was a real education for me. I actually started to understand what the hoo-has is all about. It&rsquo;s not rugby, but the basic elements are the same. DOG EAT DOG! 2 TRIBES GO TO WAR!! I&rsquo;ve got to say I found it quite disconcerting that people would &ldquo;boo!&rdquo; their own team if they made a mistake! Wow. What happened to sportsmanship? But I guess I still have much to understand with that kind of thing. I am glad the Jets came through in the end. It would have been a blood-bath if they didn&rsquo;t! I have been busy ever since coming back from New Zealand. We are moving apartments again, so as you can imagine, CHAOS! However we are looking forward to a better place. A new beginning, new possibilities, new life. New Zealand was great. The North Shore of Auckland is beautifully spectacular. Walking on the beach there was so good for the soul. Despite it being cold as, it was sweet as! I loved playing with my little band of amazingly talented musicians. They blew me away. I have to congratulate all those involved with the Health Industry Awards with such a great event. I have been seeing a lot of Broadway shows, EQUUS (brilliant), MARY POPPINS (my good friend Adam Fiorentino has just taken over the lead of &lsquo;Burt&rsquo;&hellip;onya mate!), ROCK OF AGES (with Constantine Maroulis&hellip;.awesome fun!) and am seeing WICKED (another friend Kerry Ellis is playing the lead) later next week. It inspires me to see people do their thing and the quality of work on Broadway is incredible. Makes me think that I would like to do that some time&hellip; Just wanted to say hi. Am off to Beijing, China next week. Just wanted to wish you all a Happy Halloween. And for those who are voting in the upcoming US elections, I hope you are at peace with your decision and are well informed about your candidate of choice. The world depends on your decision. On that note, Until next time, MiG x &nbsp; Just came back from watching my first American Football game: New York Jets versus the Kansas City Chiefs. The Jets fans are CRAZY!! It was a real education for me. I actually started to understand what the hoo-has is all about. It’s not rugby, but the basic elements are the same. DOG EAT DOG! 2 TRIBES GO TO WAR!! I’ve got to say I found it quite disconcerting that people would “boo!” their own team if they made a mistake! Wow. What happened to sportsmanship? But I guess I still have much to understand with that kind of thing. I am glad the Jets came through in the end. It would have been a blood-bath if they didn’t!

I have been busy ever since coming back from New Zealand. We are moving apartments again, so as you can imagine, CHAOS! However we are looking forward to a better place. A new beginning, new possibilities, new life.

New Zealand was great. The North Shore of Auckland is beautifully spectacular. Walking on the beach there was so good for the soul. Despite it being cold as, it was sweet as! I loved playing with my little band of amazingly talented musicians. They blew me away. I have to congratulate all those involved with the Health Industry Awards with such a great event.

I have been seeing a lot of Broadway shows, EQUUS (brilliant), MARY POPPINS (my good friend Adam Fiorentino has just taken over the lead of ‘Burt’…onya mate!), ROCK OF AGES (with Constantine Maroulis….awesome fun!) and am seeing WICKED (another friend Kerry Ellis is playing the lead) later next week. It inspires me to see people do their thing and the quality of work on Broadway is incredible. Makes me think that I would like to do that some time…

Just wanted to say hi. Am off to Beijing, China next week. Just wanted to wish you all a Happy Halloween. And for those who are voting in the upcoming US elections, I hope you are at peace with your decision and are well informed about your candidate of choice. The world depends on your decision.

On that note,

Until next time,

MiG
x
 ]]> Mon, 27 Oct 2008 02:55:00 GMT 9D3198D8316422B0E680A43848C6CCA9 ITS A LONG WAY TO TAKAPUNA& http://mig-music.com/diary.cfm?feature=80333&postid=28673 IT&rsquo;S A LONG WAY TO TAKAPUNA&hellip; (sung to the tune of &lsquo;IT&rsquo;S A LONG WAY TO TIPPERARY&rsquo;) About to board yet another flight. This time to Auckland New Zealand, via San Francisco. I must admit, I am not looking forward to the hours in captivity, but am looking forward to the destination. New Zealand, I&rsquo;m coming over!! Crazy how life gives you these things. Must board the flight soon, so this is just a quickie. New York is just showing off now. The weather has started to turn and the colours of the leaves are changing. Such an awesome time to be here. I shall be back in a week. I am still working on the business of putting the new album together. I have been speaking with producers, writers, investors, managers, lawyers and slowly the pieces are coming together. The art of making art is putting it together, as they say. I just am impatient about actually getting creative! My wife has flown to Abu Dhabi today, and I am going to New Zealand. We are like ships in the night, travelling to furthest corners of the world. Life is like that sometimes. Exciting, daring, scary and unstoppable! Love to all, HERE I GO AGAIN!! Always, MiG x &nbsp; IT’S A LONG WAY TO TAKAPUNA…
(sung to the tune of ‘IT’S A LONG WAY TO TIPPERARY’)

About to board yet another flight. This time to Auckland New Zealand, via San Francisco. I must admit, I am not looking forward to the hours in captivity, but am looking forward to the destination. New Zealand, I’m coming over!! Crazy how life gives you these things. Must board the flight soon, so this is just a quickie.

New York is just showing off now. The weather has started to turn and the colours of the leaves are changing. Such an awesome time to be here. I shall be back in a week.

I am still working on the business of putting the new album together. I have been speaking with producers, writers, investors, managers, lawyers and slowly the pieces are coming together. The art of making art is putting it together, as they say. I just am impatient about actually getting creative!

My wife has flown to Abu Dhabi today, and I am going to New Zealand. We are like ships in the night, travelling to furthest corners of the world. Life is like that sometimes. Exciting, daring, scary and unstoppable!

Love to all,

HERE I GO AGAIN!!

Always,

MiG
x
 ]]> Tue, 07 Oct 2008 22:55:00 GMT 251D584F4E643C79DEE1B987DC1D2C81