You just can’t beat a good stand. Something to put an instrument on, to make it easier to access. However, not all sounds are made equal. This is a ukulele stand I got for Christmas. I always prefer something made in wood rather than metal or plastic, and this has a very natural and organic feel to it. Plus, it works well as a stand.
But this is part 1 for a reason. Because there are instruments that you can’t find stands for, and in those situations you have to try something different. That’s for part 2.
I’ve been a big fan of the music of the Blues Brothers for a very long time now. Since I first saw the film. Many years ago I saw the original band at the old Town and Country Club. It was an awesome gig. But they don’t tour so much these days, and not all of them are around anymore sadly.
However, you can go and see the Blues Brother Banned. I’ve seen them before, and yesterday they were playing at the 100 Club on Oxford Street London. It was a good gig and the 100 Club isn’t a bad venue. It’s small, you can get close to the stage very easily and the beer isn’t bad at all. What else could you ask for?
The gig was fine. They played a lot of favourites and a few more obscure tracks too. Given the time of year it was also a bit of a party gig, and whilst that was ok, I’d have rather that they played more stuff from the film. But never mind. I enjoyed it anyway, and I’d probably go see them again if the chance comes up.
I went along to this event fairly early, so I think that there were probably a few things I didn’t get to see. Even so it was pretty good and there were definitely some excellent pieces there which were very inspiring. So I’m pleased I got along there.
The Forbidden Planet is one of the most amazing science fiction films. One of the best elements is the music, or rather the soundscapes. From when I first saw the movie I loved how it sounded. Electronic Sound magazine published this 7″ and I knew I had to have it. It’s a lovely disk.
They also published a piece on the music in their magazine. It was a really good read too.
I’ve been a fan of the Radiophonic workshop even before I knew who they were. Since I started watching Doctor Who. I could probably say that their music was a contributory factor to me being interested in electronic music. So whenever I can get to see them, be that a talk or a performance, I make the effort.
The best part of this evening was the talk. In fact it was the best part by far. That’s not to say that I didn’t enjoy the performance, I did. I was just a lot more interested in their stories and hearing about how they did some of the amazing things back at the height of the workshop’s era.
The best part of the talk by far was the description of how the original Doctor Who theme was made. They had a multitrack version that showed all of the individual parts of the track and how they work together. Of course, Delia didn’t have anything like this when she made it. She had to splice individual notes for each and every track.
They had great stories too. Stuff about how they made things. How they solved problems and made incredible music in a totally analogue environment. It was awesome.
This is a place I’ve been meaning to visit for a very long time, but as it’s only open on very specific days of the week. But a couple of Saturday’s ago I managed to get there. It’s a lovely place. Somewhere that anyone in London should visit if they have any interest in musical instruments, especially the mechanical kind.
It’s small, much smaller than the one by the same name in Brussels, but it is great and I’m sure that I’ll be going again.
I’ve been meaning to mention this and just haven’t gotten around to it as yet, at least not here anyway. So, PalmSounds is kind of on hold as I’ve moved writing my mobile content to CDM now. I think it’s a good move. It means that mobile music content will hopefully get a much bigger audience, and as things move and converge I believe CDM will be a better place to see that through.
I found out yesterday that Holger Czukay died on the 5th of this month. It is so sad. I have been listening to his music and collaborations for over 30 years now. Some time ago I went to see him live at the Roundhouse in Camden. It was a great show. He had so much energy. It was such a fun show.
I will be listening to his music over the next few days and enjoying it, remembering what an incredible innovator he was, and how he influenced so many creative people. He’ll be missed by many. He will be missed by me.
I do like a good picture disc, and I picked these up very cheaply. Of course I have all of the tracks already, but the object is what’s important with these discs. They’re all rather lovely.
I am Ashley Elsdon 