Updated August 2006…

In recent weeks I’ve added new publishers to Stayfun, allowing select friends to post music or use the site for whatever purposes they feel like. The writer of each post is clearly marked at the top.

Another recent trend has been jumping onto the yousendit bandwagon, which has swept across the mp3 blogging world. While I have, and will continue to share official mp3 files placed online by artists and record labels, there are times when we like to share music that isn’t always readily available. No harm is intended by these actions. Like the vast majority of mp3 blogs, we merely to wish to share music that makes us happy and inspires others - either to buy music by the selected artists, other forms of merchandise or go to live performances.

Yousendit files exist online for around seven days and will not be reposted again. Links to official websites and retailers are included (without affiliation) where possible in order to encourage further investigation and purchases.

If a copyright holder is unhappy with this form of online promotion, please use the Contact page and the file will be removed as swiftly as possible.

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I am Steven McCarron and first adopted Stayfun as a web pseudonym in January 2002. The original inspiration was that some Dutch people would say my name like that (well, the older people anyway), so I thought it would make for a fun domain name. I’m still relatively fond of it having renewed it twice at this point.

I am originally from Glasgow, Scotland and have always cared for the Scottish music scene, so much of my writing has reflected that over the years. But I am now based in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, and local music has always meant a lot to me, so now the majority of my focus falls on what is happening here while keeping a distant eye on Scotland.

This is approximately version 6 of Stayfun, although I can’t remember if all versions made it to the public. It’s certainly the simplest version of the site in terms of webdesign, and I’m partly ashamed of that. But after seven years of writing about music on the web, it was just too much hassle to run a traditional html site that required constant image manipulation and FTPing. By reducing everything to a blog level, I hope to simplify the process so much that I’m encouraged to write more than I have (2005 was a slow year here).

Away from Stayfun I do odd jobs here and there to pay the bills. A lot of what I do involves writing for the Amsterdam Weekly, a free weekly cultural newspaper in Amsterdam. As well as doing the weekly concert listings for the whole of Amsterdam, I find myself writing allsorts these days - films, art, museums…whatever comes up. It wasn’t a deliberate career move and it’s certainly not making me rich, but I also realise I’m privileged to be writing about things I enjoy and being paid, because from what I see in Britain, magazines and webzines are ripping the heart of the scene by insisting everyone do it voluntarily. That’s fine to an extent, but there comes a time when a publishing magazine has to take responsibility and encourage better quality by paying fairly.

Anyway, that’s my initial introduction.

When it comes to album reviews, I don’t do many of a traditional style anymore. After a few years I stopped enjoying it, and I only do it now for things I know I will like and really want to get behind. I take no pleasure in accepting free CDs for the sake of it, because I don’t want to rip into something for fun. Another factor is that I do this site alone. In the past I’ve had help, but most people are too busy with life so it’s much more personal now. Of course if you do have any relevant information to share, particularly if it relates to a release or tour in the Netherlands, please visit the contact page and share. I don’t always have time to reply, and I apologise in advance if I don’t, as frequently messages get washed out of view before I do, but I always read.