www.betika.co.uk
I popped in to see Carolyn straight after writing the last post, and guess what she cooked for our lovely dinner? Sausages, of course! I'm glad to say that I was able to eat them without encountering any kind of psychological problems, so it looks like I'm cured.
Wednesday, November 15, 2006
urgh...ahhh
www.betika.co.uk
Had a bit of a horrible day yesterday - learned in the morning that a friend and colleague is seriously ill, which was quite upsetting, and then at lunchtime found myself first on the scene at an incident at work where somebody had cut their calf muscle so badly that it had opened up the way a sausage splits if you don't prick it before putting it on the barbeque, which was pretty grim. Left me a bit disturbed for the rest of the day, kept getting shuddery flashbacks of this gaping wound, found myself unwilling to cook sausages for my tea when I got in. Goodness knows how ambulance crews and firemen cope seeing much worse stuff than that every day.
Today started much better, my copy of the new Joanna Newsom album arrived, I'm partway through my first listen as I type - first impressions are that it's going to take a bit of getting into, it's only five tracks long, but the shortest of these is 7 minutes and 17 seconds long! But I also get the feeling that perseverance with it will reap wonderful rewards.
Must go now, have to meet Caz.
Had a bit of a horrible day yesterday - learned in the morning that a friend and colleague is seriously ill, which was quite upsetting, and then at lunchtime found myself first on the scene at an incident at work where somebody had cut their calf muscle so badly that it had opened up the way a sausage splits if you don't prick it before putting it on the barbeque, which was pretty grim. Left me a bit disturbed for the rest of the day, kept getting shuddery flashbacks of this gaping wound, found myself unwilling to cook sausages for my tea when I got in. Goodness knows how ambulance crews and firemen cope seeing much worse stuff than that every day.
Today started much better, my copy of the new Joanna Newsom album arrived, I'm partway through my first listen as I type - first impressions are that it's going to take a bit of getting into, it's only five tracks long, but the shortest of these is 7 minutes and 17 seconds long! But I also get the feeling that perseverance with it will reap wonderful rewards.
Must go now, have to meet Caz.
Thursday, November 09, 2006
Natural Justice
www.betika.co.uk
Funnliy enough, I'm sure this story previously existed as an urban legend. Served the bastard right though! Same applies with this and this. I'm sorry if none of these items have made you feel particularly proud to belong to the same species as the people in them, I will endeavour to present feelgood content with my next post to compensate! In the meantime, going on YouTube and doing searches on "Rube Goldberg" and "Parkour" should take away the nasty taste in your head. Works for me, anyway.
Funnliy enough, I'm sure this story previously existed as an urban legend. Served the bastard right though! Same applies with this and this. I'm sorry if none of these items have made you feel particularly proud to belong to the same species as the people in them, I will endeavour to present feelgood content with my next post to compensate! In the meantime, going on YouTube and doing searches on "Rube Goldberg" and "Parkour" should take away the nasty taste in your head. Works for me, anyway.
In the pipeline
www.betika.co.uk
Here is a movie Carolyn shot of local heroes Steve and Thom of the Fantastic A+E line dancing on stage with The Flaming Lips last Sunday (they're the two Santas at the front on the left). The volume was way too much for Carolyn's camera to cope with, so it sounds like they're frugging away to Merzbow, but you get an idea of what a full-on full-spectrum sensory overload the Lip's shows have developed into. And Deerhoof were fantastic too, of course, though they'd sadly been shunted into the opening slot by the addition to the bill of Get Cape, Wear Cape, Fly, whose album I've tried really hard to like but after repeated listens they're still not pushing any of my special buttons.
Out here in the country I've been writing songs and making plans. We've had our nasty old piano tuned and have been struggling to remember how to play it. Lexi has met with considerably more success, she has far better technique than I so has been filling the house with Chopin, I on the other hand still haven't recalibrated my hands from the years spent playing various Casio and Yamaha mini-keyboards and find myself playing unintended jazz chords where none should be. I've written a couple of songs over the last week; one which doesn't have a title yet but has an awful lot of words, it's another peice of musical reportage in a similar vein to "By Default" but with a better tune; also one called "The Sickening", which sounds a bit like something Clint Eastwood could have sung in "Paint Your Wagon", and was inspired by a shirt/quiff combo I was sporting the other day that gave my reflection ever such a slight resemblance to Johnny Cash when viewed from the corner of my eye in low lightinh conditions. If the rest of the band like it, it may well find it's way onto our next recording, which will be an ep of songs that didn't make it onto "Halflove" because either there wasn't space or they just didn't fit in. We did a cracking version of "I killed a fly" early last year that will definitely be included, as will "Let these things forget themselves" and "The New Shrew", both of which were pencilled in to close the album at various times but were ousted by "The best thing ever" at the last minute. I'm hoping that we'll find a nice sounding and suitably vibey space to record in, and start work as soon as Gary and Imogen are finished with making the Dutch Husband album, something that I'm as eager to hear as True Swamp Neglect's recently completed second long-player. I've also started work on songs for the next Betika album (due 2008 if it takes as long as the last one!), the general feel of the things I've written so far is noticebly darker than our previous work and they're most definitely designed for dancing to. Speaking of which, an idea has just popped into my head, so I'm going to sign off now and pursue it.
Go and see the Swamp at The Gander on Saturday!
Here is a movie Carolyn shot of local heroes Steve and Thom of the Fantastic A+E line dancing on stage with The Flaming Lips last Sunday (they're the two Santas at the front on the left). The volume was way too much for Carolyn's camera to cope with, so it sounds like they're frugging away to Merzbow, but you get an idea of what a full-on full-spectrum sensory overload the Lip's shows have developed into. And Deerhoof were fantastic too, of course, though they'd sadly been shunted into the opening slot by the addition to the bill of Get Cape, Wear Cape, Fly, whose album I've tried really hard to like but after repeated listens they're still not pushing any of my special buttons.
Out here in the country I've been writing songs and making plans. We've had our nasty old piano tuned and have been struggling to remember how to play it. Lexi has met with considerably more success, she has far better technique than I so has been filling the house with Chopin, I on the other hand still haven't recalibrated my hands from the years spent playing various Casio and Yamaha mini-keyboards and find myself playing unintended jazz chords where none should be. I've written a couple of songs over the last week; one which doesn't have a title yet but has an awful lot of words, it's another peice of musical reportage in a similar vein to "By Default" but with a better tune; also one called "The Sickening", which sounds a bit like something Clint Eastwood could have sung in "Paint Your Wagon", and was inspired by a shirt/quiff combo I was sporting the other day that gave my reflection ever such a slight resemblance to Johnny Cash when viewed from the corner of my eye in low lightinh conditions. If the rest of the band like it, it may well find it's way onto our next recording, which will be an ep of songs that didn't make it onto "Halflove" because either there wasn't space or they just didn't fit in. We did a cracking version of "I killed a fly" early last year that will definitely be included, as will "Let these things forget themselves" and "The New Shrew", both of which were pencilled in to close the album at various times but were ousted by "The best thing ever" at the last minute. I'm hoping that we'll find a nice sounding and suitably vibey space to record in, and start work as soon as Gary and Imogen are finished with making the Dutch Husband album, something that I'm as eager to hear as True Swamp Neglect's recently completed second long-player. I've also started work on songs for the next Betika album (due 2008 if it takes as long as the last one!), the general feel of the things I've written so far is noticebly darker than our previous work and they're most definitely designed for dancing to. Speaking of which, an idea has just popped into my head, so I'm going to sign off now and pursue it.
Go and see the Swamp at The Gander on Saturday!
Saturday, November 04, 2006
TV Food Dreams
www.betika.co.uk
These are real dreams I had a couple of days apart about two weeks ago...
1). I dreamed an episode of The Simpsons, in which Homer is cooking Marge dinner for a special occasion. The dish he has chosen to prepare for her is a Tesco Value Pot Noodle, something she is exremely unhappy about. Homer has a trick up his sleeve though- he produces some raw squid, chops it up into small cubes and adds it to the pot noodle. "Here you are, my dear" he says; "A Rubbery Event".
2) Same thing, but an episode of Father Ted. Some other Priests pay an unexpected visit to Craggy Island, which causes Ted and Dougal some embarrassment as they have no biscuits to go with their tea. Mrs Doyle comes to the rescue by spreading mint sauce on some Ryvita. "Dere you go now" she says; "Emerald Toast".
I would like to recommend that you purchase "Year of the Leopard" by James Yorkston at the first opportunity, I think it's his loveliest yet. And if his travels bring him to a town near you, go along and see him. You won't regret it.
Coming to a town very near me tomorrow are The Flaming Lips - an exceptional live band in their own right, but what has really excited those Betikans who are going to the show is who they've got as their tour support - only chuffing DEERHOOF! IN BOURNEMOUTH! If you're going to see the Lips, make sure to get there early and catch the Hoof. Also keep an eye out for Steven Lake of the Fantastic A&E Line, who will be donning a furry animal costune and dancing the night away at the side of the stage.
The past few Betika gigs have been absolutely fantastic, and that has been 100% down to the people who came to see us - thankyou, wherever you are!
I've got the net at home again now, so normal Blogging service should resume as of now. Watch this space for more of same...
These are real dreams I had a couple of days apart about two weeks ago...
1). I dreamed an episode of The Simpsons, in which Homer is cooking Marge dinner for a special occasion. The dish he has chosen to prepare for her is a Tesco Value Pot Noodle, something she is exremely unhappy about. Homer has a trick up his sleeve though- he produces some raw squid, chops it up into small cubes and adds it to the pot noodle. "Here you are, my dear" he says; "A Rubbery Event".
2) Same thing, but an episode of Father Ted. Some other Priests pay an unexpected visit to Craggy Island, which causes Ted and Dougal some embarrassment as they have no biscuits to go with their tea. Mrs Doyle comes to the rescue by spreading mint sauce on some Ryvita. "Dere you go now" she says; "Emerald Toast".
I would like to recommend that you purchase "Year of the Leopard" by James Yorkston at the first opportunity, I think it's his loveliest yet. And if his travels bring him to a town near you, go along and see him. You won't regret it.
Coming to a town very near me tomorrow are The Flaming Lips - an exceptional live band in their own right, but what has really excited those Betikans who are going to the show is who they've got as their tour support - only chuffing DEERHOOF! IN BOURNEMOUTH! If you're going to see the Lips, make sure to get there early and catch the Hoof. Also keep an eye out for Steven Lake of the Fantastic A&E Line, who will be donning a furry animal costune and dancing the night away at the side of the stage.
The past few Betika gigs have been absolutely fantastic, and that has been 100% down to the people who came to see us - thankyou, wherever you are!
I've got the net at home again now, so normal Blogging service should resume as of now. Watch this space for more of same...
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