Monday 20 February 2012

Bands confirmed for Chaos 2012, Guernsey

Confirmed so far are:
Godsized
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The Roughneck Rio
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Art Spotting

 Walking around the south bank, dodging protesters and tourists with push-chairs, we spotted Living Architecture's boat on top of the Queen Elizabeth hall at the Southbank Centre. That was enough culture for the day so we went to the Porter house to recover.

Wednesday 15 February 2012

Coffee and Cigarettes

This beautiful film includes Tom Waits and Iggy Pop and the classic scene; "Jack Shows Meg His Tesla Coil."

Monday 13 February 2012

Matthew and The Atlas and Me

In 2010, I was lucky to perform and record with Matthew and The Atlas. I am chuffed to bits to be on a real life vinyl record! - released on Communion records.
Here are some snaps taken my friend Jamie in some dirty out of focus venue in London, during the E.P. launch.

 but listen to the lovely band and Matt's voice here on three free downloads DEADWOOD still grabs me by the balls!

and here is a making of video for "Kingdom of Your Own"

In it you can see Paul and Hugh, with whom I did the horns with on "To The North" EP and Ian Grimble who produced.

Paul Kilbey: Huff-Post/culture

Paul Kilbey reminds me that:

"Next Monday, an event at the Royal College of Music will set three of John Cage's pieces - including Etudes Boreales and Four3/Beach Birds - to new choreography. It's free; that is, there's nothing to stop you going. Or make you go. Either way. Or both."



The reason I'm trying to make this gig is because our mutual friend Katherine Tinker is curator and pianist. Here is the facebook event page.




To get you in the mood, here is Cage's Six Melodies which I have not heard before tonight, whilst reading Paul's article.

Sunday 12 February 2012

Great Food Blog

Dan's Snap Crackling Pop, is worth a look, this weekend. Lots of well tried recipes and interesting anecdotes of this London based Food Blogger. I have been to restaurants on Dan's recommendation and trust his judgement entirely, the best one being the Dim Sum place.

Tuesday 7 February 2012

Video Piece from Falmouth

The New Chaos Website is up and Running

So The Chaos site is up, I’ll be checking that out for updates of who is playing this year. I'm getting excited, me! They also have a dedicated Peace Tent page.

Monday 6 February 2012

The Oomphalapompatronium


Wow! This is going on the Christmas list.


New Mbira Academy Launched


Based in Dartington College, Devon, the Mhararano Mbira Academy will run courses in the mbira, an African instrument consisting of metal keys mounted on a wooden soundboard.
The new academy, headed by the Zimbabwean mbira player Chartwell Dutiro, will run one-off workshops as well as short practical and theoretical courses, and intensive residential courses. The aims of the academy go beyond instrumental tuition, and stretch to wider-reaching musical and social ambitions — ‘mhararano’ means ‘cross-roads’ in Shona, a language spoken in parts of Zimbabwe, Botswana and Mozambique. Among the stated aims of the new academy are ‘supporting our planet and all life on it’, ‘practising honesty and ritual’ and ‘finding non-traditional ways of measuring outcomes’.
The next residential course is titled the ‘Zimbabwe in Devon Camp’, and takes place on 26 June to 2 July 2012.


Peace Tent Jingle 3

Sunday 5 February 2012

Pauline Amos at Shunt 2009


Bloody hell! - putting this up because I missed this performance by Pauline at Shunt. Double wammy of fail by me then, missed Poppy and feel slightly ashamed that I didn't go to Shunt often enough before the shambles of Westminster Council buggered it up.

Any way -
LUXOR William Orbit Anna-mi Amos @ Shunt London

vid footage credits; F.Hegland; R.Hand; A.Tilston; S.Swindelli



Tom Girard's New Blog

With burst of material, Tom Girard has started a blog, in which he will be writing about all his favourite things: 

"Well like many other blogs on the big wide world of the internet it takes a look at film, music and, occasionally, books and gives you an opinion on them."

 Not only has Tom always tried to catch almost every gig and music event in Guernsey for years now, he has also within the year began gigging, as The Phantom Cosmonaut.

Peace Tent Jingle 2

Saturday 4 February 2012

Peace Tent Jingles

The Line up for Peace Tent at Chaos, Guernsey- Music Festival

The Peace Tent, has announced that the line-up for the Peace Tent at this years Chaos Weekender, will be released early this year. With the success of last years event, acts have been quick to confirm their interest in taking part this year. I for one, hope we get to see a return of Pin-Hole Burns, whose set last year was one of my highlights.

Nick Mann's Increasingly Long winded and overblown traditional blues depression hour? - fantastic

Thursday 2 February 2012

Dartington International Summer School

In 2005 I experienced the whole five weeks at Dartington International Summer School, I enjoyed it so much, for several years after I volunteered as a trog for a couple of weeks each year. I ended up working so hard and intensively the friendships I made there are really strong and the temptation is to keep going back. I will need to decide quite soon if I will attend this year either as a volunteer or join the ranks of loyal participants at one of Britain's best loved music summer schools.




The Trogs putting the Gamelan into storage DISS 2010 Week 5






Here is the DISS 2012 Brochure on ISSUU:



More Chaos News

Yesterday, there was movement on the Peace Tent Facebook site, with the updating the the group's description.


Every year at Greenman Guernsey MCC's Chaos weekend The Peace Tent teleports down from deep space to provide a third spoke to Chaos weekend’s musical front wheel. We have looked into the future can see that this year’s tent will be as difficult to describe as ever. Expect the ‘usual’ (ahem!) fully immersive UV environment, alien artefacts, non-stop wonky music, Cramps O’Clock, bad dancing, comfy sofas, random brown caffeinated beverages, cheese based toasted bread snax and of course a bar.

We'll be open along with the rest of the festival at midday Friday 13th July 2012 and carry on well into the evening of Sunday 15th July..............

Please leave a message on the wall or email thepeacetent@hotmail.co.uk
if you want to perform

Anyone fancy a toastie?

Please see the soon to be re-launched Chaos website here:- http://www.chaosevents.com/

The main event lives on FB here:- https://www.facebook.com/events/240552419317401/



Not heard of Cramps O'clock? 
this should explain everything:



Nerd Nights in Guernsey

Meeting in The Gallery, Mansell Street (top of Mill Street in the Old Quarter), Nerd Night promises to be really interesting and looking at the facebook group here, some of the islands top hacker/makers are going to be in attendance. Quothe:
"If you...

...live to make things.
...aren’t afraid to make mistakes and learn from them.

...don’t use things the way the manufacturer intended.

...look at the things around you and think “I could make that better”.

...love to open things up to find out how they work."
The Nerd Nights Manifesto


Guernsey's International Short Film Festival - Sarnia Shorts

Sarnia Shorts has opened its letter box for submissions for its 2012 competition. You have until the end of May to get your shit together
....
oh and its free to enter! hmmm














(Not keen on the name, but why criticize - they have got a film festival off the ground!)

James Dumbelton's Dawn Chorus

Second treat tonight actually, as it is stupid time in the morning and this is what I'm listening to, for the second time! This is James' debut album and he has put the whole thing on sound cloud which is a very good thing indeed.


Listen to the whole of Dawn Chorus on Soundcloud - its beautyful!


Tonight The Skies

Todays treat is Tonight The Skies' Tropic, a demo in which all the way through, you can hear nice little touches.


James Le Huray and Hollie Martorella continue to show great promise - it must be E.P. time surely!





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