| 36 matches for "Music" in the Tag Cloud | | Thu, 01 Apr 2010 23:44:34 +0100 |
| Tangerine Dream UPDATE... |
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I'm just on the train home after taking in a fine and actually very long gig by some very talented musicians indeed. How does a 3.5 hour set grab you?! Ok, so they had a 30 minute interval at 9pm but even I had to leave during the encore. I hope the pix are ok: to be honest, I was in a good position as regards seats but the 'camera' is a mobile with no telephoto ;-) Ah well, I was there for the music after all.. |
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| Thu, 01 Apr 2010 19:30:44 +0100 |
| Tangerine Dream UPDATE.. |
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Here at the Royal Albert Hall for the gig. Hope to upload pix soon! |
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| Thu, 01 Apr 2010 09:11:33 +0100 |
| Tangerine Dream, "Zeitgeist" tour, RAH, woohoo!.. |
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Hey, I'm off to see the founding band of Krautrock, "Tangerine Dream" tonight at the Royal Albert Hall!! These guys have been around since 1967 and are still playing: amazing! I obviously can't take the camera but I will be taking the Inq Mini cellphone so I'm hoping to be able to post a few pix live. Look out for a blog entry later on this evening... |
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| Fri, 12 Feb 2010 09:11:11 +0000 |
| HMV, please sell me that CD, oh, pleeeeease!.. |
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I had a bizarre experience in HMV Guildford yesterday: I decided that I'd go and buy a copy of the Steve Miller Band's greatest hits on CD so that I could listen to a full-spec product on the car CD player. I couldn't find it on the shelves, so I decided to look on one of the many in-store terminals, and that's when my problems started.. I tapped the screen to start my search, and typed in the album name: after a few seconds, a list of Steve Miller albums came up, including a couple that I'd seen in store. I'd decided not to go for the double-CD LIVE version as these are invariably disappointing: I then found the one I wanted which was labelled "not available in store". Okay, no problem: the terminal had a wide variety of memory card slots on the front panel, which was clearly labelled "Download". So I then inserted my ever-present USB memory stick into the terminal and inserted my card into the attached card reader. Then I tried to start the download, but to no avail. I couldn't actually see a download button, and the card reader was now prompting me to "remove my card". At this stage I had to admit defeat and asked one of the helpful staff where I was going wrong. She explained that the Guildford store was not considered large enough to stock that album on CD but it probably would be available in larger stores. She then tried to find the elusive download button couldn't. "What you need to do.." she said "..was to go home(!) and order it from the HMV store online, and then it would be posted out to you".Er, right.. So the point of having a download terminal with an attached payment device is what exactly? Perhaps there's a clue in a statement issued by HMV's Simon Fox, back in 2007:"Among the Guns N' Roses babygrows, pineapple smoothies, XBox 360 games modules and iPod speaker docks is the download terminal, whose CD drive has been abandoned in favour of an array of sockets for mobile phone memory cards or USB sticks. It is a positive sign, even though amid the continued digital revolution in the entertainment industry, HMV is waiting for the music publishers to provide it with paid-for content". So is this the dear old dinosaur music industry dragging its feet again, or HMV not getting their act together? Whatever the reason, I walked out of the store without spending any money at all, and it now looks like we'll be buying a copy of Steve Miller from iTunes, and burning a "backup" to CD. Anyone from HMV care to comment? |
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| Fri, 12 Dec 2008 17:23:40 +0000 |
| It's time to Rock 'n Roll.. |
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I'm at the Half Moon pub in Putney tonight to shoot a gig by the famous Led Zep tribute band, Boot Led Zeppelin. They don't come on until 8.30 so it'll be a really quick shoot if i'm to leave the pub by 9 :-( Never mind though- this is a first attempt and if it all works out ok i'll be back for more. L8rs! |
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| Wed, 26 Nov 2008 22:55:01 +0000 |
| Boot Led Zeppelin are GO!.. |
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I'm off to the Half Moon pub at Putney on the 12th December to see the famous Led Zeppelin tribute band, Boot Led Zeppelin. I'd already cleared it with the pub's gig manager and he suggested I contact the band to make sure it was okay, so I did that tonight. All systems are go and I'm now looking forward to an evening of some fine rock, played the way it should be. And then there's the lighting, a selection of moody reds, and blues. Excellent, and really I can't wait. Look out for the pics! |
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| Tue, 21 Oct 2008 13:57:42 +0100 |
| UDC say no.. eventually.. yawn.... |
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A long time ago I decided that I'd like to go and photograph Ferry Corsten at his "Full-on Ferry" party in Rotterdam in November, and knowing how the music biz works I applied to the promoter, UDC, for a press-pass and guestlist ticket for V. She said that she'd love to go to a really big event and as it would have been my birthday weekend it would have been pretty action packed. Regular readers may recall that the last time I'd tried to "negotiate" with UDC for a photo pass I'd been singularly unsuccessful but ended up taking some good pictures using a camera smuggled in past their "security". Time passed and I heard nothing, so I emailed again, only to be told that I'd have to apply nearer the time, which was fair enough. I hoped that that time would be long enough to book flights and a hotel: after all, I'd be self-financing the trip and I wasn't in a position to use a non-budget airline especially as there'd be two of us.
A few weeks later I received a message on my LinkedIn account (now closed) from someone at UDC: they asked if if I'd provide a LinkedIn reference for them - a personal recommendation as someone I'd worked with, and that put me in quite a dilemma. After all, I'd not actually worked with this person as such, just attended the "Armin Only" party back in 2006 and secretly taken pictures of the artists that were playing that night. I deliberated about this for quite a while and then wrote a fairly loosely-associated reference which I assumed got the intended result. Naiively I though that this might move me further up the pecking order and when at last the email came asking for photo-pass/guestlist applications I sent off a copy of my NUJ press pass along with a couple of supporting images.
Only today, a month before the actual party did I hear back from UDC - a frankly unconvincing message that seems to typify the company saying that "It isn’t possible to put you on the presslist/guestlist for Full on Ferry, I’am sorry.". And that was it! I wrote back an equally brief email saying that I no longer photograph the music industry and that even if I did I couldn't hope to get flights or accommodation. To be honest I have actually finished with the music industry: in common with many, many other photographers in my position I've been dumped on so many times I just lost interest, and with so many suckers prepared to work for free I'm sure they'll find someone to take some pictures.
I'll also be honest and say that I'm not bitter, really: I've actually saved myself a lot of money that I couldn't have afforded. What does bug me though is UDC's attitude - I really do hope Ferry Corsten gets the pictures he probably deserves, and in fact I'll check thenm out after the party. In the meantime I'm using the money I would have spent for a very special trip at the end of the year - more details to be revealed later!
Oh incidentally, I've just seen the photo gallery from the last one, which youcan (and should) check out here. Laugh? I nearly dropped my camera :-)) |
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| Mon, 29 Sep 2008 19:39:06 +0100 |
| DJ Vadim.. |
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Last year I spent a little time getting to know the music business and some of the people that make the music that give people so much pleasure. One such DJ was DJ Vadim - a Russian emigre from St Petersburg, raised in London and now living in Brooklyn, NYC. I was shocked and saddened to hear that he's recently been diagnosed with Ocular Melanoma / Choroidal Melanoma: this is very rare and I'm unsure of the prognosis at this stage. Cancer is never welcome at any time, but in Vadim's case even less so: he's one of the most creative and well-loved DJs on the scene. I actually met him on the plane to the Rio De Riviera gig in Brno, last year: he struck me as a very quiet man for a celeb but we had time for a quick chat before taking off. Sadly I managed to completely miss his set and the intended photo opportunity but by all accounts he did a great set.
For anyone that's interested I'll update the blog as and when I hear any more, but if you're in a praying mood, please do so and help this guy to recover. You can read more about this dreadful disease here, and some news on Vadim here. |
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| Thu, 15 May 2008 09:47:38 +0000 |
| Armin - has he lost it?.. |
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Some time ago I wrote about the world-famous DJ Tiesto: he's been a major influence in the world of dance music for a number of years, but his new album had seen a distinct change of direction, a departure from the driving rhythms that had been his trademark for so long. I commented that when you hear the words "decided to explore different directions", that was not usualy a good sign. And so to Armin Van Buuren with his new album "Imagine", just released. I got the promo email from Armada and went on to site to listen to the preview tracks. Well I have to say very disappointed I was: the power-driving Armin that I'd known and loved seemed to have been replaced by some sort of lounge musician, complete with backing vocalist: surely some mistake? Well, sadly not, and if this is the standard of his new album I'lll not be bothering to go along to "Armin Only" when it's next on, photo-pass or not. Yeah, by all means explore the use of "real" instruments like a piano, but don't alienate your hard trance/dance fans in the process. Right now I'd see a good gig as "Tiesto Vs Armin, back to back". I'm sure it's very clever musically, really, but I wouldn't want to dance to it! Armin writing IDM tunes? Hmmm.. Of course, I realise that one can't continually write pile-driving tunes, and that experimentation inevitably means upsetting a few people, but surely that can be avoided with some clever marketing? If you're going to release a new album with a new style, why not include some of the older-style, popular stuff and slip some new-style tracks in as well, then if it doesn't work out you've at least got fans buying the new album for what they know and love?
Still, one mans' poison is another mans' meat as they (almost) say, so why not check out the album preview here and while you're doing that I'll go back to listening to his "Ten Years" album.. L8rs! |
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| Fri, 16 Nov 2007 20:31:16 +0000 |
| I'm going to Qlimax.. |
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For 10 hours! Yes, even at my age, but they do say that life begins at 40! Well, my good intentions to come home early last night got blown away after a few of us decided to go for the now (in)famous "just one" after work. It was coincidentally Beaujolais Day and Archees had done us proud with French flags everywhere. Den had somehow even managed to persuade the bar staff (female luckily) to dress up as a French maid, which boosted trade somewhat. By the end of the night a couple of us had managed to drink a small bonded warehouse's stock of booze and without going into too much detail some of us also managed to stay out most of the night too ;-) So tonight I grabbed a fistful of batteries, charged 'em up, cleaned the rather grubby D80 and printed out all my boarding passes. Fortunately I'd bought the Euros the day before so that was one less thing to worry about. I also panicked for a moment when I couldn't find the Qlimax ticket but then realised it was an e-ticket. That's actually scuppered my plans to sell the ticket on as it's got my name pre-printed on it.. ah well, I'll know for next time, and Sod's Law will probably dictate that next time I don't get guestlist; we'll see!
It's another early start tomorrow as well, so that means an early night: I have to catch the 1030 flight to Amsterdam, then take the train to Utrecht Centraal. From there to Arnhem. From Arnhem Station there are buses running to and from Gelredome all night at a low fare so that'll be really helpful especially on Sunday morning when I stagger out into the morning light and start the journey back. I'm really looking forward to it though - Holland's a great place and I've never really taken the time to check it out. With plenty of time to kill before the party starts I might well do a quick touristy photo shoot in Arnhem itself. And now I'm going to have a bite to eat and a genuine early night. I'll see you on the road tomorrow! |
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| Wed, 17 Oct 2007 21:46:25 +0000 |
| Publicity? No thanks.... |
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I have to say that the music business never ceases to amaze although not in a good way. In a year when I've shot one big-name band twice and come up with some "ooh"-inspiring pictures I'm still surprised when so-called management blows me out when I offer to come and shoot more (for free). I mean what the fuck, really? Then tonight I should have been shooting some Irish folk/rock/local hero type band in Camden so as a matter of courtesy I emailed "management" and asked if I could take the camera along: it shows I know what the score is and its also nice(!) to get to know who I might be dealing with eventually. Or not.
So I emailed the band manager and got no reply. So I tried going onto the web site and saw they had a forum, so I registered there, only to be told that "an admin has to approve your application". So am I joining the Pope's forum? I think not: its an Irish rock/folk band ferchrissake! So far, nothing - no contact. However, having had experience of this before, I found them on MySpace and left a message. To my surprise I later received a message that said I needed to email someone called Saul, so I did, and I thought at the time that this was leaving it a bit late but hey, you never know. And did Saul contact me? No. Did I go to the gig? No. Do bands ever wonder why they never get much publicity? Obviously bleedin' not!
Mind you, who can blame them eh? As you can see from the pictures on this posting I'm obviously rubbish and really haven't photographed anyone of any status in the world of rock. Management. Just what are they there for? Answers via the comment system and please feel free to use expletives if you want.. |
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| Sat, 22 Sep 2007 17:08:18 +0000 |
| OI OI ! Raindance !!.. |
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Okay ravers, I just checked back on the official Raindance Festival web site and see that I'm billed as an attraction! Photography by Agent Bunnykins, Doctor Rave, Neon Pink, Hustler, Little Stomper, Peter G22, Random Kid, Rainy, Bumble Man, Stu 8, DJ Goode, Peachy. Well, I'm honoured, really, and it promises to be a night of totally lasered, tuned-out entertainment! With so much going on I'm not gonna sleep for a week! See you there * :-) |
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| Sat, 15 Sep 2007 12:34:02 +0000 |
| Qlimax 2007! Woohoo!.. |
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I couldn't resist the lure of another Q-Dance party.. After being shocked and awed at the Q-Base laser displays, other people in the know have said "pah! you should see the Qlimax show!!". So I sneaked in early before the rush this morning and bought my e-ticket for this exciting event. I went back to check the site a few moments ago and found that its no longer working - presumably everyone else has realised that this is pre-sale day and hit it like a lynch mob. I've also booked my flight, and in the time it took for me to select, then pay for my flight I was informed that the return flight was full and "could I choose another"? Wow. The power of music eh? I've also arranged to meet buddies out there already - the random clubbers I met at Q-Base as well as my Dutch drinking buddies and one other person I took a picture of. The world of clubbing is so big but at the same time its so small. You gotta love it! Now all I need is a photo pass...
Check out Qlimax here (it may be very busy, so be patient :-) |
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| Wed, 22 Aug 2007 21:26:53 +0000 |
| Czech trip - gig pictures up!. |
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I've put up about half my pictures from the gig in the galleries now, and you can see them here *. Enjoy (and observe the copyright!). |
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| Sat, 21 Jul 2007 15:45:49 +0000 |
| Fun Lovin' Criminals pix up!.. |
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I'm still working through a picture backlog (oh that I could process them as quickly as I take them :-) but the Fun Lovin' Criminals pictures from the gig at The Junction, Cambridge and now up in the galleries. Enjoy! Link * |
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| Thu, 19 Jul 2007 00:59:54 +0000 |
| Fun Lovin' Criminals.. |
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It's very early Thursday morning and I'm at L & P's having pork chop, leak in white sauce and home-made chips. Very tasty! The gig was great and we actually got in early thanks to some very useful contacts. I found myself to be one of just 4 photographers snapping that night: we were allowed the standard 3 numbers + encore for both the FLCs and support-band, "Dogs". I'll do a proper review later but I have to say that this was the most challenging shoot I've ever done: thanks to the moody re lighting that I'd come across at the gig in Brno I was shooting fully manual most of the time and at high ISO as well as overriding exposure settings. Consequently I have around 200 images to work on when I get back, so there goes the weekend :-) The gig was awesome though and the FLCs are just so cool. No, I mean seriously cool, and laid back. Check out the picture to see what came out, and check back next week for the others. L8r... |
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| Sat, 02 Jun 2007 21:30:21 +0000 |
| Chill.. |
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I've decided to chill a bit this weekend and yes, unbelievably I decided not to go clubbing! Several people have expressed surprise at this including an international buddy in the Southern Hemisphere who expressed surprise that I wasn't raveing on Friday night. Well, we all know it was too good to last so I'm off to a breakfast clubbing event at Brixton tomorrow morning. I won't be there for 0730 but it goes on 'til 2.30pm. Tea and coffee will be served. Hmmmm.. I'll see you there! No sugar,ta! |
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| Sun, 13 May 2007 11:41:15 +0000 |
| Friday's gig .. |
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The Puzzle Project/Swamp's 5th birthday bash was one helluva night! I arrived later than is usual for me after nipping into the pub on the corner at Coldharbour Lane for a pint of Leffe. Club 414 was starting to fill up butI still had time to wander round and look at all the pictures of the DJ's and clubbers that Anetta had stuck all over the walls. The usual resident DJs were playing that night but they'd also managed to book the amazing Organ Donors * who wowed an eager crowd. The night had been "hard" and "heavy" from the start but Matt and Scott Harris managed to pile on the (sound) pressure and combined it with a huge stage presence as well. As I previously commented on Stefan Bodzin's stage style, the brothers managed to combine turntabling (including decks, and a Korg Electribe) with chugging down alcopops as well as lighting and smoking cigarettes - never a beat missed either! Despite the big crowd, the audience photo opportunities turned out to be few and far between and although the DJ antics more than made up for it, 3am saw my camera rig taking a rest on the DJ table and me dancing hard-dance-style for 3 hours along with the other party people. I also met some very interesting people - that's one thing I'll say for clubbing.. you can strike up some truly random conversations with some truly interesting people ;-) 6.30am saw me stumbling into the Brixton daylight, drained of energy, aching knees and wearing a big grin. A excellent hard night at Club 414, and one of many, many more to come :-) You can check out the pix at DSI or HarderFaster.net. |
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| Sun, 06 May 2007 16:24:42 +0000 |
| Friday, Saturday.. |
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Friday was a good night: it was great to see L again, especially as we'd more-or-less lost contact in the earlier part of the year. Life had substantialy changed for both of us though and as always there was so much to catch up on. We'd originally planned to go to a pub but London on a bank-holiday weekend is traditionally wall-to-wall with people with the same idea so we ended up outside, drinking and leaning against a restaurant wall :-) From there, off to an Indian restaurant for a more relaxed conversation and cuisine experience. 10pm came and went, and we went out separate ways, with me nipping off to Farringdon for the Latitude hardstyle/had dance launch party at the Eipcurean Club. As with the MOSA launch party, the Epicurean was suffering from being too close to Turnmills, closing at 3.30 and a tenner admission. However, the music was good, very loud and just what I needed to hear: Nutty T had certainly organised some big names and although only about 50 people turned up we had a great party, which incidentally turned out to be one the DJ's birthday parties as well. The one problem I have as a photographer at a poorly-attended gig is that I soon run out of people to photograph, and really anything more than a couple of each person starts to border on either being a Paparazzo or a proper photo-shoot. So, at 2.30am the Epicurean management looked at the "crowd" and called it a day: we were closed down, to be cast out into the chilly London night. Although it would have been ok to go to Turnmills, literally just around the corner, the thought of queuing (yes, even at 0230), getting searched again and paying more money was too much of a pain so I decided to find a nearby cafe and have breakfast. Yes, never too early for breakfast and being close to Smithfields I knew from a previous trip that there was a tiny cafe that I could go to. In the meantime though I stumbled upon the Kurz and Lang bratwurst cafe which was open all night and not looking too busy. I went for the original pork bratwurst with chips and sauerkraut on the side. And an espresso.. of course. Halfway through I was joined by non other than DJ Nutty T who'd organised the night: we ordered more bratwurst and coffee and started a chat which lasted until 5am when the first trains started running from Farringdon tube. All in all a very good night - i'm really looking forward to the next gig, Hard Attaxx on June 30th. If you're bored with the usual commercial stuff come along see how the other half do it :-)) See you there! |
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| Wed, 02 May 2007 18:50:04 +0000 |
| New photo gallery now up.. |
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Dear All, the gallery from the Playhouse Promo shoot is now up in the galleries *. This is a small selection of the pictures taken for DJs Playgirl and Dr Pepper. Enjoy, and if you need some great house music for a party these are the DJs to go for ! |
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| Tue, 01 May 2007 07:23:34 +0000 |
| A new month.. |
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Well, its the 1st of May today and the sun is out already. It's a glorious day and frankly too nice to be indoors, but I have to work and the bills have to be paid :-( In just over 2 weeks time I'll be of to (hopefully) sunny Moravia for a day and a night of music and photography: mentally i've been planning the trip for a while and think it should work out okay: "all" I have to do is get through the hell-hole that is Stansted Airport and to make sure I can check in this time i'll be leaving early. The journey to the airport will be by train this time so I won't have to worry about falling asleep at the wheel on the way back or getting stiffed for parking fees. I just hope everything goes to plan this time as there appears to be just one flight a day from Stansted to Brno, as there was for my failed trip to Airport Weeze to see QBase last year. In the meantime of course I've been getting plenty of practice photographing clubbers at gigs (DJs too) - so much so in fact that i've now spotted 252 people for DSI and I'm now a 3-star spotter. If I can spot another 250 and get 1 more star I should be able to start getting guest-list tickets for gigs which will save a bit of money. In reality though, 10-15 quid is not a lot of cash to pay for a night out considering that many gigs now go on all night and through to the morning but the extra cash will no doubt come in handy to buy that extra bottle of rip-off water :-) So now I need to get my backside in gear and start getting the gear ready: my main concern right now is that I need to get some DSI spotter cards printed in Czech and thanks to a Czech clubber on DSI I can do this. Should be interesting! Check back soon.. |
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| Mon, 9 Apr 2007 20:48:03 +0001 |
| Saturday night followup.. |
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I'm submitting this via mobile as our little network is running slower than a bank-holiday train. I'm uploading pix to DSI and it's taking for ever. I've had a sleep and had time to recoup my thoughts and other gubbins after last night. Well, another awesome experience in clubland.. Someone pointed out that I "like my lights" and indeed I do - the combination of a powerhouse beat and a decent lightshow will hold me in awe for hours at a time. The fact that I can record the lights on camera is an added bonus, and I think that the reason it does so is that I was brought up in a very vanilla-flavoured world. That's no criticism of my folks of course, it was the style of the time and while it wasn't austerity, that era hadn't long passed. Neon was the domain of the USA and didn't reach the UK for some time. If you're scratching your head and thinking WTF then leave a comment- it'll make sense! Then and Now are so very different. So the shiny shiny lights and some of the most emotive music I'd heard in a long time provided a night of total entertainment. It wasn't just the music of course, it was as always the random selection of people: from the perpetually stoned to the DJs (nice bunch actually and there didn't appear to be an ego in sight), and the random selection of punters I met. People were great: some of them willing to chat about their lives and what brought them to the SEone club that night. Like the partner of a stall-holder who had lived in the UK for 22 years but still went back to see her sister and 90-year-old mother in Cape Town. The girls from Hungary who looked like they were from Brazil; the Brazilian girl who looked she was from Asia; the French guys who had partied all day, all night and were then going to Eurostar it back to France (guys after my own heart); the guy who insisted that he had discovered the secret of making Internet money out of clubs - well I won't dismiss that out of hand.. The one overriding impression I got from the gig though was how very different in many respects it was from my other clubbing photographic experiences: normally the sight of a camera will have people going into outrageous poses, and if I ask a likely-looking subject if I can take their picture than at least another 6 appear as if from nowhere to join them: that's all part of the fun though. Last night was very different, and I noticed at best a distinct reluctance to be photographed, and at worst, real hostility. Everyone's entitled to object though and I'm constantly reminding myself that as per the DSI creed, people have a right to refuse. I spoke to a couple of the stewards from last night on the way back to Waterloo and they said that people at these events are really locked in their own little world, and so who am I to argue? All in all though it was an incredible night and one that i'll definitely repeat! You can check out the pix on DontStayIn.com |
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| Sat, 31 Mar 2007 07:01:00 +0000 |
| Stockport bound.. |
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Well, as threatened/promised I'm off up Oop North today to experience Playhawk at The Nelson *. Described as "Playhawk's feature length set showcase, situated in one of Britains most polluted hotspots (it's on the A6, under Manchester Airports flightpath" the gig promises to be a total culture-shock for me but it'll be good to see something a bit different for a change. A live report later with occasional mutterings via twitter en route. By 'eck! |
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| Sat, 17 Mar 2007 18:11:57 +0000 |
| Clubbing pictures (not) online |
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Folks! I just thought I ought to mention that pictures taken in clubs will generally NOT appear in the galleries. This is a privacy issue and most people let me photograph them on the understanding that I will *not* publish them anywhere other than DontStayIn.com. I want to carry on taking pictures at clubs so I'm okay with this. If you want to see clubbing pictures though, please go to my DSI members page and check them out here *. Enjoy ! |
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| Fri, 16 Mar 2007 07:57:21 +0000 |
| Musical movement.. |
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There seems to be a series of odd coincidences occurring lately, or maybe its just because the people i'm targetting are getting so pissed off with my persistence they're finally giving in ;-) So, this week I spoke to both the Netherlands and UK management of a well-known DJ and as a result I possibly have permission to photograph an April gig: I'll know for sure nearer the time. Then another chance conversation resulted in me being referred "upwards" to the management of another well-known DJ, again in the Netherlands and I also got some positive feedback for my pictures as well. As to what the outcome of that one will be I'm not too sure, but as long as it's not a letter from a legal department I'll be happy. And if that wasn't enough, some pictures I took at a gig that prominently displayed the synth manufacturer's brand name (me in brand-whore mode again) have been "noticed" and there's a possible opportunity to use them in some publicity material.. At the moment though it's a question of sit there and wait - i've sown the seeds and now have to see if they will come to grow or just wither. Interesting times ahead, and like I said, if I can stay out of the courtroom then I'll have moved a step forward, which can't be bad! |
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| Tue, 13 Mar 2007 08:12:02 +0000 |
| Unusual gig locations part 2.. |
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Hot on the heels of Tiesto's unusual gig location comes a slightly less well known (for now) musician,Chris Singleton *, a talented Dublin Indie/Rock artist. Currently living in London, he shot to fame when the BBC somehow managed to squeeze a cameraman, two audience members and Chris, plus guitar into a London black cab for a Valentines Day gig-on-the-move. Chris doesn't play harmonica so you can imagine it was cramped, to say the least. You can actually watch the gig featured on the BBC News here and there's an interview with the enterprising Chris as well. It's all part of his "Twisted City" tour which he describes as "an album clearly made on - and about - a move". The songs are inspired by London (both the good bits and the bad) and the album reflects the excitement of getting to know the city and the struggle to make it there. I'll second that, and he's crafted some excellent songs along the way: my personal favourite is "Get Up", but "The Only One" is very good too. Check him and his music out on MySpace or his band web site here. Heh, who needs an airport eh? And folks, unlike Tiesto, Chris is accessible so go and see him, ok? |
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| Tue, 13 Mar 2007 07:52:35 +0000 |
| Unusual gig locations part 1.. |
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I received an email this from tiesto.com detailing his latest gig location. Guaranteed to bring chaos to Schiphol Airport, Tijs will be playing in the new LUGGAGE HALL!!! Tickets for this Friday's gig sold out instantly: I must have blinked when that was announced. The official blurb states "The 'Secret Showcase' is meant as a special kick-off event for Tiesto’s Elements of Life World Tour 2007-2008". Well I'm actually going to that one at Alexandra Palace in April and at least there'll be a bit more room. Of course no-one has said what'll happen to the passengers who actually want to collect their luggage - hopefully they won't need another ticket :-) Still I guess it beats having to play on a refurbished London Bus driving around France. More later! |
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| Thu, 08 Mar 2007 07:38:09 +0000 |
| Playhawk at The Nelson.. |
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Well now.. the preparations for my trip to see Playhawk at the Nelson Tavern * move a step closer to completion with the great news that I have somewhere to stay: I get the impression that the lads will not be doing a "Tiesto special" and playing for the whole 9 hours, so I'm booked in at a lodge. It promises to be a real eye-opener of a night: can't remember the last time I saw a punk-grunge-blues band play! To one who's ears have been finely tuned on a diet of top-quality trance and multitudinous varieties of house, the prospect of tortured amps, axes 'n vocals will be a radical change, and I may have to consume large quantities of Robinsons ale, or even Boddingtons to cope with it. Maybe I should start listening to (a lot) more hardstyle in preparation.. So what can you say about a band that lists "Crash Bandicoot, Apocalypse Now, Stockport, post-industrialisation, Led Zeppelin, Neil Young and Jimi Hendrix" among its influences? Well not a lot other than W(ho)TF did Crash Bandicoot play for, and, why no Frank Zappa?? No, it should be a good night, and if I can get a signal (it's a student pub) I'll be blogging it live and may even slip in a short video clip if the light's up to scratch. Better still, you should come up as well: I've given you plenty of notice and you should come along and shout for the lads. Or shout at them. The choice is yours. More about The Nelson here. |
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| Sun, 25 Feb 2007 08:50:30 +0000 |
| Quote of the month.. |
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This is one where you have to see the image to appreciate the post. Let's just say that this the *only* time you'll *ever* see this in connection with me, but Eric Clapton is a great guitarist and the track is one of my favourites. Also, I'm sure Mr Jobs would be very surprised if this could actually happen. Enjoy. At iTunes' expense :-) |
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| Thu, 22 Feb 2007 19:56:15 +0000 |
| Festival Hradhouse, Boskovice. |
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Not a misprimt, it really is the "Festival Hradhouse" and it takes place n the Czech Republic. So that's where I'm going for my summer holiday in August. I bought a ticket online to this limited places (6000 only) for under a tenner and "is the most significant summer event in the field of dance music in Moravia and the second largest festival of this type in the whole Czech Republic. It takes place in the original locality of the Boskovice castle near Brno. The main emphasis is put on a precise organisational arrangement of the festival, the artistic solution and, of course, high quality of the performing artists". Quite. So there should be some interesting sets being played, but the real reason I'm going is to see the only drum 'n bass DJ I like, DJ Katcha. I recently discovered her on MySpace and I thought it would be a good opportunity to go and see her play live. Now all I have to do is figure out how to get from Prague to Brno, but it's fine, I have until August! LOL.. famous last words ! See here for more info - mainly in Czech. |
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| Wed, 21 Feb 2007 13:01:37 +0000 |
| NO LOVE PARADE 2007.. |
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I'm absolutely heartbroken! No Love Parade in Berlin this year, and what a loss for the city of Berlin! Such bad news :-((( "Dear Friends of the Loveparade,today we regretfully have to make public some very sad news. Due to the failure to date of the City of Berlin to grant us written approval, the Loveparade 2007 cannot be held in Berlin. We do not have the level of planning security necessary for the preparation of an event of this magnitude: ... continued following months of preparations, discussions with our sponsors, partners and friends, we – so to say – have done our homework:- the concept has been prepared - the financing has been secured just as last year through our main sponsor McFit - the production is in the starting blocks - all partners from last year would again be lending their support this year
- new partners have been added - all applications have been made within the required times We are ready to go. We have on several occasions attempted to get the City of Berlin to grant us written approval and repeatedly postponed the press conference for this reason. But now time is running out and we cannot wait any longer! Because we nevertheless want to organise a Loveparade for this year, we have taken the decision to seek out a new partner city in Germany or Europe. As of this moment cities interested in hosting the event can get in contact us. We are looking forward to receiving applications and are sure that the show will go on. We hope that you are able to understand why we are making this move, and we are asking you for your continuing support. Because: You are the parade! We are as equally disappointed as you about this situation but hope that we will be able to create a party just as great as the one held in Berlin.Best regards, The Loveparade Team" And from the official press release: "Berlin, 05.01.2007. No approval for Loveparade • Parade seeking new venue • Application process starts today. The Loveparade 2007 will not be taking place in Berlin. The reason is that Loveparade Berlin GmbH has still not received written approval for the planned parade on July 7th. It should be pointed out that the organisers submitted the application for approval in good time in June of last year to the Berlin Senate. The financing amounting to three million Euro has been secured and all partners have confirmed their support. Loveparade’s Managing Director Rainer Schaller said about the situation: “no approval, no Loveparade. We require absolute security of planning to organise an event of this magnitude. Loveparade Berlin GmbH is ready to go and wants to get on with organising this year’s parade.” Because of the developments in Berlin, or lack thereof, the Company is today starting an application process in order to identify another suitable venue for the event. European city councils will receive letters allowing them to apply immediately. Potential hosts may also access www.loveparade.com to submit their applications. “The Loveparade is a uniquely famous event. For our part we have done everything to make it possible for it to be held again in Berlin in 2007. I am disappointed that even today we have received neither a written approval nor a personal meeting with the political decision-makers", said Schaller.
Last year the Loveparade 2006 only received its written approval one week prior to the date of the event. The organisers did however have a primary agreement with Berlin. That five-year agreement provided planning security that was not available for this year: the agreement expired at the end of 2006 and has not been renewed by the Berlin Senate. In order to lay the cornerstone for the long-term planning of the parade Schaller acquired 100% of the partner’s interest in Loveparade Berlin GmbH together with its worldwide brand name rights as of 31st October 2006. By making his Company McFit Fitness GmbH the main sponsor, he provided the financial backing for last year’s parade." |
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| Tue, 20 Feb 2007 23:51:22 +0000 |
| Love Parade 2007.. |
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Well, it's nearly D-Day: that's as in (D)o I get to go the Love Parade this year? I emailed my contact at the PR office in Germany tonight and got an out-of-office autoreply: spookily she's not back in until the 22nd, but luckily I have a new name in her place, so an email's gone off. It's not important to be in the press pack for the parade itself but will be essential for the DJ party afterwards. I just hope I hear tomorrow! Even if it doesn't happen I'm tempted to go anyway and just a few days in Berlin. It's a fascinating place and I only just saw a really small part of it last time. I also have my mate Thomas whom I never got to meet last year - I owe him a visit and quite a lot of beer I think ;-) Heck, what an excuse :-)) I'll let you know tomorrow! |
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| Mon, 19 Feb 2007 20:42:31 +0000 |
| Rocker from the locker..... |
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My vinyl collection continues to gather dust in the corner, and there are some albums I really miss. One of the most missed is Creedence Clearwater Revival: a real nostalgia trip as I've had the album since I was about 17 ;-) So tonight I bought a "best of": on iTunes and am now listening to such faves as "Suzy Q", "Down on the Corner" and "Fortunate Son". Great stuff, and a reminder of a supposedly less turbulent time although as you can see I never really was a quiet lad. I'm sure my visitor from Peterborough can back me up when I say that the "Bull and Dolphin" in Bridge Street, Peterborough had a quite a reputation ;-) Nuff said about that one I think. So, back to CCR.. a great band with great music, and *great* to be listening to it again! |
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| Fri, 09 Feb 2007 17:53:54 +0000 |
| There's hope yet.. |
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There's no hope for Frosty-the snow on the grass has all gone and I fear he'll be gone by morning. There *is* hope for me though, with a very nice reply from the Love Parade PR agency who tell me that February 21st is decision day for whether this year's parade will go ahead, so I may be a little stressed out until then!!! After that, "we'll see" is the official line, which in my book is not yet a "no". Don't hold your breath though-you'll read it here first! No reply from anyone else though :-/ |
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| Thu, 08 Feb 2007 18:17:38 +0000 |
| NEED A LETTER OF ACCREDITATION |
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Dear readers, especially those in the music biz, however tenuous your connection. As you know i've travelled far and wide in pursuit of pictures of bands/gigs/clubs/events and the results are on my galleries for all to see. My stats show that people like my pix-some of them even come back :-) But I can do better. A lot better, but only if I get closer to my subject. I can only do this if I get a letter of accreditation from *you*. I already have the Press Pass but not the letter. Not too much to ask and I will come up with the goods: that's a promise. I'm not asking for an expense account, just a letter. So, if you'd like to help me, I'll help you and we can both be famous. Thank you. (Ps.. of I course I wouldn't object to an expense account, but only if you insist). |
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| Sun, 28 Jan 2007 11:40:23 +0000 |
| Oatmeal: natural 'n good !.. |
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As promised I paid a visit to Oatmeal Records in Notting Hill Gate yesterday to see what was in store and maybe get to meet DJ Miss Divine. Miss'D wasn't there, but what I did find instead was a whole stack of vinyl goodies. With difficulty I managed to restrain myself, helped by the fact that I still have no working turntable. The shop itself is compact and in the late stages of being fitted out. Indeed, there was another rack waiting to be filled with CDs and i'll be making full use of this when it's fully installed. As for the music, there's a whole range on offer, and the emphasis is naturally on dance, so there's a whole host of genres to choose from. Lots of house and variants of house as you can imagine.. yummy! Anyway, don't take my word for it: pay a visit and see what you can find. You can also catch Miss'D on DontStayIn.com |
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