Jul 26, 2010

Down:Time

On Wednesday of this week (28/07) I am having a major back operation. The operation is to remove a prolapsed disc and fit a little gadget in me called a Wallis Ligament.

My back problems started five years ago when lifting a guitar cab badly, at the time my back went in to total spazam and after a few weeks it got better - however it never fully recovered.

A few years ago I went to the doctors and they sent me to get physio at the hospital, but after 3 months of that it did not help. So last year I went back to the doctors and got referred to a specialist.

This 'specialist' told me that I was most likely imagining the constant pain I was in and was a complete idiot, I did get referred for a MRI scan which came back showing actually how bad my back was.

So it was a fair few months ago I got told I would be having an operation and now, it is days away.

I am nervous and not really looking forward to it - the recovery time is 6 weeks flat on my back and it will take 6 months to fully recover from the operation.

However I hope that soon the pain I am in everyday will improve and it will all be worth it.

I'll update you when I am back home after the Op ... :)

Jul 13, 2010

13

Today is not a good day. I am having a bad day. Its Tuesday 13th July 2010.

Six weeks ago I ordered a sampler and synth from Dolphin Music using the Arts Council funded Take it away scheme. Today I got confirmation that I have to wait another six weeks until I get the synth.

I ordered the latest Roland SH-01 GAIA synth and annoyingly my local shop GAK have them in stock, so I wanted to cancel my order with Dolphin. But because I am ordering it as part of the Take it away scheme I cannot cancel the order.

So I now have to wait and it will be 3 months from when I first ordered the item that I'll get it. It could even be longer.

Its really pissed me off as I wanted to crack on with ATP:LIVE during August after my operation (more on that another day).

I spent half hour on the phone to Dolphin trying to resolve it but there is nothing 'they' can do. If I am totally honest I am sure there is. So I wrote a letter to all concerned and hope that they look at the situation and either release me from the contract or find another way of sourcing the GAIA. Even if it is at their expense.

On the plus side - my 'Catch the pigeon' DVD arrived today which I hope to use as part of the live show...Knowing my luck at the moment the disc will be broken.

Anyway - going to 2000 Trees this weekend - can't wait!

Jul 6, 2010

RTF - Reviews arrive

Hello - here are a couple of reviews to tempt you into buying / listening / etc-er-ing

Sound Advise (Isaac Ashe)
BRIGHTON beatmaker Amongst The Pigeon's Repeat To Fade EP is worth playing over again.
A more sturdy, flowing collection than his eclectic LP Music To Brush Your Teeth To, the six-track release starts slow with ambient Mocha To Go and then progresses nicely throughout.

A little of the comical quirkiness of previous Amongst The Pigeons has been lost, and any song about a waltz such as Michael Jackson's Last Waltz should surely be three beats-per-minute, harrumph.

But nevertheless with tracks like the moody The Darker Side Of... and skankin' The Kids Of Today this excellent collection should be racing into your collection.

Brighton Source (NC)
Post-party mash-up music is the snappy soundbite accompanying this strange release, although anyone hoping to come down gently to its tonal niceties is likely to spiral back into a giddy hallucinogenic whirl.

Eerie spoken vocals vie with dark electronic beats and everyday soundscapes, from Belfast airport to a gaggle of pissed-up teens, creating an uneasy yet wholly compelling package from the deepest recesses of the artistic psyche.

‘Michael Jackson’s Last Waltz’, in particular, sums up what one would imagine a remotely administered overdose might indeed feel like – pretty damn bloody spooky we’d imagine.