Pre-Efterklang, The Asylum, Birmingham, 29/10
Tonight I’m going to head off to see Efterklang at a new Birmingham venue called The Asylum .
I'm still thinking of appropriate ways to write a music review for #Brum. I know that people have done Tweeting events before but trying to stop it being a novelty and integrate it more effectively. If you are going tonight and you will be tapping away occasionally on a keypad, do let me know. If you would rather enjoy the experience but want to get in touch with me via a more traditional route afters then also let me know – although snail mail is probably not the one. All suggestions and comments welcome, even if it’s ‘Why don’t you just enjoy the moment rather than try and flatten it with technology?’
If you have just stumbled across this randomly and you live in Birmingham, you should definitely come along it’s going to be ace! If you’ve found it because you saw them at the Barbican last night, it would be great if you could let me know what to expect.
Hash Brum Meet 3
Third week in and we're getting some content together and having a broader discussion how we can engage with our audience.
You can right click 'save target' for the MP3 here or you can listen to it below.
[audio:http://dandavies23.wordpress.com/files/2009/10/hashbrum3final.mp3]Please feel free to engage via the comments box too!
Hash Brum Meet 2
So here's the second meeting for the Hash Brum project. And everything we thought it would be is challenged!
In the end we've decided that the best thing to do is go out and get some stories, so hopefully tomorrow we will have some content.
You can right click 'save target' for the MP3 here or you can listen to it below.
[audio:http://dandavies23.wordpress.com/files/2009/10/hashbrummeet2final.mp3]Right I'm off to bed. This has been the slowest day on Virgin Media ever.
Maps, Hare And Hounds, Kings Heath, 25/10
“Cycling to MAPS with new bike lights”
Was the first Tweet I sent out as I cycled up to Hare And Hounds, Kings Heath last night. My father-in-law had come round in the daytime and fixed my bike whilst I locked myself away in the study trying to get my head around Pixel Pipe. The up-hill pedal to the venue was an absolute pleasure. Nothing rattled for a change and I had brand new lights – one attached to my bike and another pinned to the strap of my camera bag – to guide my way.
I may have lost some of my cool by accidently leaving the camera bag flashing light on as I wandered up to the bar. But my mobile LED disco may have added further ambiance to Arc Vel's superb set. The new solo project from the former (much missed) Grandscope member was aided by his own visuals, which according to another former Grandscope member Hydey, had taken a week and a half to pull together.
“Gutted only caught last song by Tour Eifel, quality electronica with home made visuals”
Arc Vel should have been second not first as the next act didn’t really compliment the shoegazing frug of Maps instead being a falsetto voiced navel-gazing guitar player called It Hugs Back... hmmm.
“Maps kick off with It Will Find You followed by Papercuts”
A strong start indeed, James Chapman has now employed ‘a Dane’ to add extra texture on tour. It sounds superb and the new material swims happily alongside the old. About five songs in Chapman speaks and it’s then that I realise that he’s pretty ratted.
“Maps (chap)man is smashed but septembers provide more than ample support” I Tweet.
And the fact I didn’t spot that predictive text made that message partially incoherent indicates my state too. It’s a funny situation actually that someone like Ozzy Osbourne can spend the best part of his music career off his face but live electronic acts should always be sober and serious whilst they prod away at a laptop. I blame Kraftwerk.
“At some point in the near future you're going to choose between another pint or an album from Merch. How depressing is that?”
I Tweet before I head to the Merch store and find out that the new album is a tenner. It is signed though, and quality is worth paying for. Besides my freewheeling downhill cycle saves forking out on a taxi and is about 30 times more enjoyable.
And So I Watch You From Afar - Academy Birmingham 19/10
Since ASIWYFA first dropped their incendiary first LP I’ve been keeping an eye firmly fixed on them. But, even though I wrote about them for Metro, I’ve been forced to miss several of their gigs. Instead only catching snatches of them energetically leaping around on YouTube.
This week, despite having a tiring day at uni, I couldn’t resist the opportunity to finally to see them unpixellated. The Belfast-based lads were supporting This Will Kill You so I went down nice and early and got myself pressed up against the barrier in an active attempt to relive my teenage years. I've mostly moved away from rock bands in the last 10 years but there's something about this band that stirs the young rock beast inside me.
Only against the barrier can you see flying splinters from shattered drumsticks, the sweat dripping from bent heads onto their guitars. They band's name might imply considered distance but the only way to watch the band up-close in full visceral effect.
Going headfirst down the Pixel Pipe
Here's a pic the wife took of me yesterday, SLR had been left on manual! Just want to see where this goes reall
When Journalists Kill
After a long day at Hello Digital I went over to Aston University to listen to a talk by Dr Ben Goldacre of Bad Science fame.
Although the title of the lecture was 'When Journalists Kill' it was a suitably freewheeling, humourous and passionate talk which spiralled on for 40 minutes beyond the allocated time. His general theme was how poor reporting, based on misinformation and poor investigation is extremely dangerous. Along the way various cod scientists, nutritionists and new agers get suitably lampooned!
Ben has asked me not to publish the recording, at least until he's finished touring it. He's more than happy to do an interview with me, so keep an eye out for that! In the mean time he's given me permission to steal this 2007 Brighton Science Festival recording from his site. Download it by right clicking here or play it below.
[audio: http://badscience.net/files/ben_goldacre_brighton_scifest_2007.mp3]
6Music - On One
I was at 24Carrots on Saturday and bumped into two producers asking for our opinions on BBC 6Music. I was more than happy to be filmed as 6Music is my favourite radio station.
I've been listening ever since I got a digital radio for Christmas 6 years ago and pretty much like every show they do (except George Lamb - and I'm not even going to hyperlink that!) but a final thing occurred to me later on that I'd like to share.
I have this theory that Britpop wouldn't have happened if Radio 1 hadn't brought in the changes they made under Matthew Bannister. The most important element wasn't the notorious clearing of DJ dead wood (which is incidentally why I dislike Lamb, I remember Simon Bates) but the re-invigoration of the playlist. Suddenly eloquent intelligent pop was being listened to by a mainstream audience. Of course it still had to strike a national chord but it was listened to.
I met Mark Riley (AKA The 'Hapless' Boy Lard) at Depercussion Festival in Manchester a few years back and told him how much I liked his 6music show. He was appreciative of my praise but added "Yeah. but it should be on Radio 1 shouldn't it..."
Many people of my generation have a soft spot for Mark (Radcliffe) and Lard but it wasn't just their sense of humour or deep respect for music but also the breadth of art and literature covered in the show. In fact many people I know have favourite comedians, poets and writers that can be traced back to Mark And Lard. Bannisters changes elevated art to be discussed on air even giving some airtime to comedy shows in their own right for the likes of Collins And Maconie, Lee And Herring - paving the way for the superb Blue Jam by Chris Morris.
I know radio's changed and we're now all filtering our way through our own personalised schedules these days but there's something to be said for a broad range of interesting art to be available on the mainstream. Bringing arts and comedy shows onto 6music might be moving away from the 'music' part of their edict. So where else do we go for our cultural spark? Is it Radio 4 or should it be Radio 1?