MySpace a place for friends

On the subject of going through some of life's shittier times.....

The advice Bob Dylan was given by a wrily old Irish singer called Liam Clancy as he set forth into the world was: "no fear, no envy, and no meanness". When you think of it, ALL of mankinds troubles stem from one of these three things. Those who exhibit any of these faults tend to suffer by their own hand at some later stage in life, inevitably being forced to learn from their mistakes by life itself. On the other hand, if you do your best to live by Clancy's code, life will eventually smile at you. It's ALWAYS the way.

Besides, going through some shit in life is what distinguishes the superficial from those who possess a touch of depth. I LOVE this Friedrich Nietzsche quote: "To those human beings who are of any concern to me I wish suffering, desolation, sickness, ill-treatment, indignities - I wish that they should not remain unfamiliar with profound self-contempt, the torture of self-mistrust, the wretchedness of the vanquished: I have no pity for them, because I wish them the only thing that can prove today whether one is worth anything or not - that one endures..."

Hang tough folks!

Todd xx

"It was a warm spring evening as Todd Sharpville casually strolled onto the stage for the first of many nights opening up for Pink on her European tour, delivering an impassioned and rocking set with his band to 10,000 eager music fans. Always one to mock his own aristocratic roots, the crowd had just been treated to a "Monty Python'esque" mini-comedy movie on the plasma screens featuring Todd playing poker with Queen Elizabeth II (AKA pop icon, Leo Sayer playing the Queen in drag!). Moments into the show, he was lying down next to the drum riser with a naked young woman feeding him grapes mid guitar solo. He proceeded to belt out a series of highly charged self-penned anthems, whilst dominating the stage with abandoned ease & confidence. The show concluded as Todd passed his guitar to a tech whilst proclaiming "gotta go, my lift's arrived!" On cue, a large glossy motorcycle glides across the stage, ridden by a Queen Liz II lookalike (with ermin robes & crown to boot); Todd hops on the back, salutes the crowd, and is promptly driven off stage by her Majesty as the band rocks on! As first nights go, I wondered what Pink would make of her new support act... Indeed, as he left the stage to tumultous applause, I chuckled with the knowledge that this was in fact Todd's first public performance since being released from hospital after his divorce...

He had been suffering from reactive depression due to the collapse of his marriage, and this performance was the first step towards getting back on his feet & getting back in touch with what he does best. This period also marked the beginning of a new chapter for Todd artistically, as he has now deviated from his bluesy roots and has ventured out into much broader singer/songwriter territory. After a year of collaborating with The Strokes guitarist's dad, Albert Hammond snr (the legendary Californian songwriter) as his musical director/lead guitarist, Todd is now set to carve out a name for himself as a world-class writer & lyricist. Those of you familiar with the international blues scene already know him as the young guitar slinger with heaps of attitude. His last solo blues album The Meaning Of Life was the best selling British blues release for 2003, featuring an array of guest appearances from ex-Stones guitar legend Mick Taylor, Leo Sayer (Sayer was originally a bluesman before starting his pop career), Snowy White, Eugene Bridges, Paul Lamb & others. . However, upon deviating from the blues, Todd now chooses to express his innermost emotions by means of his new studio album "Diary Of A Drowning Man" exposing all the cross-genre musical influences that have affected him, and is his debut as a mainstream artist. Much of this new album was written during the vulnerable time while he was recovering in hospital. The songs exude an eclectic blend of cross-styles that can best be described as Todd Sharpville in the raw, pure & simple. They include a passionate duet with Sam Brown, Todd's favourite Brit female singer, who also MD'd a gospel choir for the track ("Sweet Redemption"). Recorded in Denmark at Lundgaard Studios (currently one of the top five studios in Europe), and co-produced with Dave Hyatt (Stone Roses/Ian Brown) & Steve Power (Robbie Williams) Sharpville offers up a musical portrait of his emotional roller-coaster ride..."

- Dragan Nikitovic 2008

The TS & HRH Queen Elizabeth II Poker Game (featuring Leo Sayer as Liz):

THE STREET TEAM

If you're interested in joining Todd's Street Team (& getting access to a range of benefits un-available to regular fans), please let us know by private mail... There's so much that generally needs doing when Todd's touring (spreading the word to all your friends on myspace & beyond, making sure gig posters are up around town, handing out flyers at like-minded gigs, ensuring that local record stores are well stocked with Todd's CD's, checking that local radio stations are playing the album etc..). There's a host of different things you could be doing to assist us. We need YOUR help to make sure every show is a storming success! As we mentioned, there are plenty of benefits to contributing your hard earned time (such as free tickets, partying with Todd & the band back at the hotel after shows, signed albums/t-shirts, free merch, etc) so get in touch if you'd like to get pro-active in spreading the word...