It's Winter-een-mas...
Jan. 5th, 2005 09:49 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
robinblokeIt lay there at the side of the path, discarded and broken, a sad and sorry sight.
For a time it had shone like a star, a light that had brought wonder to those that had seen it, a centerpoint of the house where the seasons joy had focused, whatever the beliefs and traditions of the family.
But now humbled and cast out it lay, on it's side, a shadow of it's former self. No more glamour or lights for it, an ignominious end to it's life.
I paused as I saw it, even thought I wouldn't have to walk past it, but just seeing it made me just a little sad. It was just barely alive still and I wondered if when such a thing was to happen if you should not end it all for it quickly rather than leaving it to rot by a path, nameless and shamed.
I turned and left the tree behind, walking on.
So thats the annual winter seasonal holiday thingy done and dusted for another year and it's back to the old grindstone again. Although at the present rate of work and illness I think I want to turn the clock back to 2004.
2004 was a pretty good year for me, all in all, mucho good gigs, holidays, I achieved a lot by not thinking about the future, so I think I think I'll have to keep doing that... although planning to not think about the future in the future has a sort of irony to it.
But regardless, my checklist of things I've done for 2004, that I wanted to make a bit more extensively but has now crawled into view now by way of "Well I better get it done now before it turns into Feburary". Because it will, this life thing gets faster and faster, blink and it'll be Summer - I'm telling you.
Places
I dragged my hide all over the place in 2004, I visited (business and holiday) several countries I'd never been to before, including...
Holland a wonderful place with very friendly people who are so linguistically gifted that it basically makes it impossible to even try and pretend you're learning their language. But given their language involves contorting your mouth in ways I don't want to think about this was probably a good thing. It has joined my list of "places I'd consider living in when they evict me from the UK" along with Australia and Canada, which is a fine recommendation. Well, if they want me that is; if not they should start planning for future potential disaster "Penguin contingency X" as soon as possible.
Germany A place of fine food and strange slants on a subculture I thought I knew, to wit linedancing goths. I'd definately like to see more of Germany, Berlin sounds particularally tempting...
Italy The land of mopeds and pizza is just about as you'd expect it, a country with pieces of ancient civalisations just lying around to be wondered at and where all questions and conversations can be answered with the word "Caio". I didn't see as much as I would have liked, but I saw more than I expected.
Music is the food of the wossname, so keep it well fed and watered on a light funk, bring it to boil slowly at pop mark three and marinate slowly in some dark industrial finally serving it with a mixture of folk, rock and EBM.
Bands, thats what I'm talking about. Well typing anyway, talking about isn't really what I'm doing. What I am doing is staring at a steadily increasingly long sentance that describes what I'm doing at this moment; a kind of feedback loop of self analysis which I should really stop.
So who did I see? Well, talking only of new bands... Lets hope I can remember them all kids, in no particular order of preference they were...
Air Were ethereal, distant; like a sound that caught your mind and picked you up in the way that was so quintessentially and beautifully French. I had only noticed they were playing by accident and they made a show in the small little Cambridge hall that cried out that they could make a light display that Jean Michelle Jarre would take his hat off to. Their drummer was fantastic, their voices haunted your thoughts like wraiths passing through instruments, enchanting them and the whole sound was absolutely breathtaking. They were definately my number one band live show of the year, simply amazing.
Duran Duran Rocked. They may be getting old but they know how to make the 80's come alive and bounce like the last two decades were nothing more than a hangover that you needed to get over. The music was fantastic, the songs - new and old - made you bounce and sniffle (I'm such a softy sometimes) and the sight of hundreds of mobile phones held aloft, glowing is a freaky vision that will stay with me forever. Rah!
Goldfrapp Live glam like it is in their veins, I don't know any of their songs but they have stage presence that other bands would kill, or at the very least kneecap for. A fantastic support act who it would be hard to judge which is better as support than...
James Brown The main man. Yes, he was at least 100 metres away, yes the sound was gawdawful but still the man and the band can make the sound, strut the stuff and make the funk, soul and music shake your bootah. Ahem. Very glad he was supporting...
The Red Hot Chili Peppers Were sadly dissapointing, because of the aforementioned distance, what little I could see of the show rocked, the music must have been great if you were closer, but I'm never going to a live gig in Hyde park again, the sound setup was horrible. But I've seen them, and I would see them again and pay three times as much to get a decent place this time. Speaking of decent places, at...
The Prodigy Rah. Rah and rah. My ribs may never forgive me, for I was crushed at the front of the gig for the whole of the screaming, bouncing, squishing gig of doom. They rocked, they rocked my proverbial socks off, set fire to them, danced around the hapless former footwear and pointed and jeered. I think they realise their new album is frankly a bit naff as they only played three songs from it, the rest was classic (oh dear, speaks of time using that word...) prodigy and the noise and the energy from the whole thing was amazing. Rah. Quite unlike...
Chicks on Speed Who win 'most naff live act of all year' and possibly ever, they seemed almost lost on stage and almost acted like they were in a panto or something, subsituting waving strange boxes and giant dice for actually making any sort of decent noise (hint, thats the important thing girls) their recorded stuff really isn't that bad so I can only think that live music isn't their bag baby.
Killing Miranda Were sadly hampered by musical technical issues (do they know Rome Burns?) but despite this (again, like Rome Burns) the problems just seemed to make them more determined, they put on a good show despite the conditions and have a lot of good energy, someone to see somewhere better.
Razorblade Kisses their support act, I think need to evaluate the music they make, or rather the style of their niche, the singer has a great voice... as long as she sticks to dark, brooding and quiet stuff; her voice seemed to take wings and crack when she sang louder sadly; if they kept to Switchblade Symphany style music then I think they would have it made. Then again only two of the five band members made it due to illness so kudos to them for doing the show in the first place.
The Cruxshadows Are a phenomena (do doo do doo do) unto themselves, they drag the audience in, wave cyberdancers under their nose (mmmmm) and then send the singer wandering through the crowd as the violin player takes your senses and plays with them with her bow. They really are rather good; live is so much better than the recordings because they are an experience as much as a band, I'd definately like to see them again; preferably in a place that isn't a damn sauna this time.
The Oysterband I knew nothing about, but they obviously knew I was coming as they covered several songs I knew (I mean, road to nowhere? C'mon, say they didn't know!) and really are fantastic musicians. The only niggle I have with is the singer, not to say that he isn't good; just that the band is so in tune with their instruments his voice seems almost tacked on over the top and unrequired. Great stuff.
NFA I wasn't greatly impressed with. Not helped by the fact the singer was pretty pissed and the venue was pretty crap; still they all managed to fit on a stage that was barely big enough for three of them, let alone five and a drumkit. Less booze more room and I'll see them again.
This list is leaving out Numerous bands at Whitby(tm) I saw and forgot about and probably some others I have forgotten.... but 2004 as I've said was pretty damn squiffy.
Now, please excuse me, I must type elsewhere...
For a time it had shone like a star, a light that had brought wonder to those that had seen it, a centerpoint of the house where the seasons joy had focused, whatever the beliefs and traditions of the family.
But now humbled and cast out it lay, on it's side, a shadow of it's former self. No more glamour or lights for it, an ignominious end to it's life.
I paused as I saw it, even thought I wouldn't have to walk past it, but just seeing it made me just a little sad. It was just barely alive still and I wondered if when such a thing was to happen if you should not end it all for it quickly rather than leaving it to rot by a path, nameless and shamed.
I turned and left the tree behind, walking on.
So thats the annual winter seasonal holiday thingy done and dusted for another year and it's back to the old grindstone again. Although at the present rate of work and illness I think I want to turn the clock back to 2004.
2004 was a pretty good year for me, all in all, mucho good gigs, holidays, I achieved a lot by not thinking about the future, so I think I think I'll have to keep doing that... although planning to not think about the future in the future has a sort of irony to it.
But regardless, my checklist of things I've done for 2004, that I wanted to make a bit more extensively but has now crawled into view now by way of "Well I better get it done now before it turns into Feburary". Because it will, this life thing gets faster and faster, blink and it'll be Summer - I'm telling you.
Places
I dragged my hide all over the place in 2004, I visited (business and holiday) several countries I'd never been to before, including...
Holland a wonderful place with very friendly people who are so linguistically gifted that it basically makes it impossible to even try and pretend you're learning their language. But given their language involves contorting your mouth in ways I don't want to think about this was probably a good thing. It has joined my list of "places I'd consider living in when they evict me from the UK" along with Australia and Canada, which is a fine recommendation. Well, if they want me that is; if not they should start planning for future potential disaster "Penguin contingency X" as soon as possible.
Germany A place of fine food and strange slants on a subculture I thought I knew, to wit linedancing goths. I'd definately like to see more of Germany, Berlin sounds particularally tempting...
Italy The land of mopeds and pizza is just about as you'd expect it, a country with pieces of ancient civalisations just lying around to be wondered at and where all questions and conversations can be answered with the word "Caio". I didn't see as much as I would have liked, but I saw more than I expected.
Music is the food of the wossname, so keep it well fed and watered on a light funk, bring it to boil slowly at pop mark three and marinate slowly in some dark industrial finally serving it with a mixture of folk, rock and EBM.
Bands, thats what I'm talking about. Well typing anyway, talking about isn't really what I'm doing. What I am doing is staring at a steadily increasingly long sentance that describes what I'm doing at this moment; a kind of feedback loop of self analysis which I should really stop.
So who did I see? Well, talking only of new bands... Lets hope I can remember them all kids, in no particular order of preference they were...
Air Were ethereal, distant; like a sound that caught your mind and picked you up in the way that was so quintessentially and beautifully French. I had only noticed they were playing by accident and they made a show in the small little Cambridge hall that cried out that they could make a light display that Jean Michelle Jarre would take his hat off to. Their drummer was fantastic, their voices haunted your thoughts like wraiths passing through instruments, enchanting them and the whole sound was absolutely breathtaking. They were definately my number one band live show of the year, simply amazing.
Duran Duran Rocked. They may be getting old but they know how to make the 80's come alive and bounce like the last two decades were nothing more than a hangover that you needed to get over. The music was fantastic, the songs - new and old - made you bounce and sniffle (I'm such a softy sometimes) and the sight of hundreds of mobile phones held aloft, glowing is a freaky vision that will stay with me forever. Rah!
Goldfrapp Live glam like it is in their veins, I don't know any of their songs but they have stage presence that other bands would kill, or at the very least kneecap for. A fantastic support act who it would be hard to judge which is better as support than...
James Brown The main man. Yes, he was at least 100 metres away, yes the sound was gawdawful but still the man and the band can make the sound, strut the stuff and make the funk, soul and music shake your bootah. Ahem. Very glad he was supporting...
The Red Hot Chili Peppers Were sadly dissapointing, because of the aforementioned distance, what little I could see of the show rocked, the music must have been great if you were closer, but I'm never going to a live gig in Hyde park again, the sound setup was horrible. But I've seen them, and I would see them again and pay three times as much to get a decent place this time. Speaking of decent places, at...
The Prodigy Rah. Rah and rah. My ribs may never forgive me, for I was crushed at the front of the gig for the whole of the screaming, bouncing, squishing gig of doom. They rocked, they rocked my proverbial socks off, set fire to them, danced around the hapless former footwear and pointed and jeered. I think they realise their new album is frankly a bit naff as they only played three songs from it, the rest was classic (oh dear, speaks of time using that word...) prodigy and the noise and the energy from the whole thing was amazing. Rah. Quite unlike...
Chicks on Speed Who win 'most naff live act of all year' and possibly ever, they seemed almost lost on stage and almost acted like they were in a panto or something, subsituting waving strange boxes and giant dice for actually making any sort of decent noise (hint, thats the important thing girls) their recorded stuff really isn't that bad so I can only think that live music isn't their bag baby.
Killing Miranda Were sadly hampered by musical technical issues (do they know Rome Burns?) but despite this (again, like Rome Burns) the problems just seemed to make them more determined, they put on a good show despite the conditions and have a lot of good energy, someone to see somewhere better.
Razorblade Kisses their support act, I think need to evaluate the music they make, or rather the style of their niche, the singer has a great voice... as long as she sticks to dark, brooding and quiet stuff; her voice seemed to take wings and crack when she sang louder sadly; if they kept to Switchblade Symphany style music then I think they would have it made. Then again only two of the five band members made it due to illness so kudos to them for doing the show in the first place.
The Cruxshadows Are a phenomena (do doo do doo do) unto themselves, they drag the audience in, wave cyberdancers under their nose (mmmmm) and then send the singer wandering through the crowd as the violin player takes your senses and plays with them with her bow. They really are rather good; live is so much better than the recordings because they are an experience as much as a band, I'd definately like to see them again; preferably in a place that isn't a damn sauna this time.
The Oysterband I knew nothing about, but they obviously knew I was coming as they covered several songs I knew (I mean, road to nowhere? C'mon, say they didn't know!) and really are fantastic musicians. The only niggle I have with is the singer, not to say that he isn't good; just that the band is so in tune with their instruments his voice seems almost tacked on over the top and unrequired. Great stuff.
NFA I wasn't greatly impressed with. Not helped by the fact the singer was pretty pissed and the venue was pretty crap; still they all managed to fit on a stage that was barely big enough for three of them, let alone five and a drumkit. Less booze more room and I'll see them again.
This list is leaving out Numerous bands at Whitby(tm) I saw and forgot about and probably some others I have forgotten.... but 2004 as I've said was pretty damn squiffy.
Now, please excuse me, I must type elsewhere...
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2005-01-05 10:41 am (UTC)I know you know that, but I wanted to say it again. I love you, you know.
E.
x
no subject
Date: 2005-01-05 10:47 am (UTC)Berlin
Date: 2005-01-05 11:01 am (UTC)To my shame I have to admit that I've never been to the capital of my home country so I'll be up for coming along. I'm sure
Flights are cheap and despite its size, Berlin prices are quite reasonable.
Re: Berlin
Date: 2005-01-05 11:13 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-01-05 12:27 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-01-05 05:41 pm (UTC)