Did anybody watch ‘the Brits’ 2008?

the accoustics in the Corn Exchange aren’t the greatest in the world, any comments PMN.

I can’t say that’s a venue I’ve ever done (as far as I’m aware), although it probably isn’t as bad as some of the places I find myself in at times. Colne Municipal Hall where we played last night is a great example of a venue that isn’t particularly easy to mix in, although that’s basically because the audience tend to be so rowdy that you can’t hear your rig. That said, I was on bass guitar last night and not a mixing desk so all I had to worry about was putting my fingers in the right places!

As for the CD’s you listed, October Road is a fine choice. 🙂

Paul

Is that Christmas 2007 or 2008?

Hey, you never know. :diablo:

They probably aren’t too sure, hopefully it will be 1967, that was a good year.
With a bit of luck Julian Courtauld, yes, he of textiles fame, will bring his bagpipes with him, he knows I want to have a good blast on them, no doubt he’ll have a definate lean to the east as well, bless him.

Don’t, I’ve got to go to my missus works Xmas party tonight, yes in February, as usual I’m driving so I have to sit there and watch everyone getting paralytic around…..

Is that Christmas 2007 or 2008?

Hey, you never know. :diablo:

Don’t get me wrong Paul ..when i was a young man through the sixties i too quite often got drunk or enjoyed a funny cigarette..i just wondered what in our psyche makes us want to do it!!

Don’t, I’ve got to go to my missus works Xmas party tonight, yes in February, as usual I’m driving so I have to sit there and watch everyone getting paralytic around me, not that I’m bothered as from past experiences, it’s quite fascinating to watch everyone go downhill and make fools of themselves dancing to songs they would normally run away from.
Hopefully they will hire a better DJ this time, but I doubt it, it’ll be Robbie Williams and Boyzone all night.
I watched an interesting little item on BBC Look East last night, it was about a group of people that live for the 60’s and Ska music, I gather it’s the only form of dance music that men can actually cope with without looking too stupid, now where’s me pork pie hat.

Good old Bert Jansch, one of the first songs I learnt to play was Needle of Death, how depressing….
We were checking up on Cambridge Corn Exchange gigs and found the the original Pentangle are due to perform in July, can this be correct.
I remember seeing them at what seems a million years ago, and at first I was quite excited by the prospect of them reforming, but I think I would rather watch individual material from Renbourne and Jansch, besides, the accoustics in the Corn Exchange aren’t the greatest in the world, any comments PMN.

Don’t get me wrong Paul ..when i was a young man through the sixties i too quite often got drunk or enjoyed a funny cigarette..i just wondered what in our psyche makes us want to do it!!

Why do so many young people think they have to get drunk to have a good time??

Hmm… Well my bass guitar is nestling somewhere in the back of an 18 ton truck with the rest of the gear heading to the next concert while I sit here getting merrily tipsy having played a 2 hour 15 minute set tonight. I don’t feel the need to get drunk to have a good time, but it can certainly help the post-concert relaxation process! 😀

Paul

Why do so many young people think they have to get drunk to have a good time??

Bert Jansch, Crimson Moon………… awesome, the only one I’m prepared to comment on as this must be a little known gem.
Kate Rusby, The Girl who Couldn’t Fly.
KT Tunstall, Drastic Fantastic.
Amy McDonald, This is the Life.
There you go, I’d be interested to know what you lot have lurking around your CD players following a week of not being ar### to put them away.
Pete.

All very good and I’ve worked with all of those in that selection, Bert Jansch can be found in that ‘Celtic Connections’ link I supplied earlier. I met him years ago at a screening of a BBC Scotland documentary about his music and life, presented by Billy Connolly, really genuine and talented guy. There’s a clip of a recent Amy MacDonald performance on my My Space page right now.

Now then, I mentioned BBC-4 earlier, how about this for tonight’s viewing folks…

Caledonia Dreamin’
Caledonia Dreamin’ reveals the hidden history of Scottish pop music, including how a small record label inspired bands like Orange Juice, Altered Images, Wet Wet Wet and Franz Ferdinand. [S]

Fri 22 Feb, 22:00-23:00 60mins Stereo Widescreen

Oh and by the way, my CD player has ‘Ultra Payloaded’ by Perry Farrell’s Satellite Party on constant rotation right now.:D

Sorry, I was in a particulary bad mood yesterday over a job that consistantly goes wrong, I didn’t feel very forgiving over anything because of yesterdays stress.
Yes I do listen to the radio a lot, what is great is that, at this very moment, Steve Wright on Radio 2 is playing a track from Radioheads new CD, I presume that the British public are turning off in droves, sorry didn’t mean it.
Just for your information, I’m going to turn round and pick up the CD’s that are piled up next to our mini system in the dining room, these have been left lying about after a weeks hard graft, what does it say about a person, you tell me.
Not in any particular order, well not quite, they are as I pick them up.
Gillian Welch, Time the Revelator.
Stereophonics, Language, Sex, Violence etc etc
Radiohead, In Rainbows.
Radiohead, The Bends.
Transatlantic Sessions featuring Jerry Douglas and Aly Bain.
Vivaldi, The Four Seasons.
Beatles, Revolver.
Radiohead, OK Computer.
Tom Jones, Reload.
Snow Patrol, Eyes Open.
Gram Parsons, Grievous Angel.

Then a couple of packets of Martin light gauge strings.

Bert Jansch, Crimson Moon………… awesome, the only one I’m prepared to comment on as this must be a little known gem.
James Taylor, October Road.
Kate Rusby, The Girl who Couldn’t Fly.
KT Tunstall, Drastic Fantastic.
Amy McDonald, This is the Life.
There you go, I’d be interested to know what you lot have lurking around your CD players following a week of not being ar### to put them away.
Pete.

A highly sensible reply and I agree with every word. 🙂

The gig with Kate Rusby was on the BBC Live event in Bradford (if I remember rightly, in May 2001) so it was a while ago. I can’t really remember much about her performance except that she was extremely musical. She may have performed on the same day as Hugh Masakela, who I had the pleasure of mixing FoH for. Something in the region of 35 inputs, no soundcheck (just a line check on headphones), an audience of around 4000 and you BBC lot broadcasting a L+R matrix feed to somewhere random. I had a lot of fun on that festival!

Paul

I filmed Kate performing with her then husband and fiddler John McCusker at the Royal Concert Hall in Glasgow for the aforementioned coverage of ‘Celtic Connections’ for BBC-TV output around 2002 or so… I remember three things… her musical ability, her voice and her stunning good looks.

I’ve filmed John McCusker many times since then but not Kate. John is now ‘dating’ the equally stunning Heidi Talbot an Irish vocalist whom I had the pleasure of filming just last month.

Some clips are available on BBC i-player here…

http://www.bbc.co.uk/scotland/music/celticconnections/tv/

I’ve worked with Kate too and isn’t she lovely ? Her cover of ‘The Village Green Preservation Society’ currently in the credits of BBC’s ‘Jam and Jerusalem’ sit com will raise her profile and perhaps turn people onto her folky roots. Incidentally, my work exposes me to all types of music, popular, alternative and leftfield. I agree that it’s not worth getting worked up about what’s presented as popular music on a show like The Brits, scratch the surface and there’s a whole lot more to be found.

Pete, might I suggest you listen to radio more often, partcularly specialist digital stations like BBC 6 Music for example… You can also get some pretty good alternative ‘pop’ (no not just indie) on tv. BBC 4 regularly transmit entertaining and interesting concerts, gigs and documentaries about the kind of contemporary British artists I suspect you might enjoy.

I’ve just finished shooting a great wee annual music festival in Glasgow called ‘Celtic Connections’. It featured a stellar global line up of musicians and singers from around the world of ‘celtic’ themed music. I also recently filmed a documentary about the life of Johnny Cash. Not normally the types of music people would associate me with, but the point being, once exposed to different genre’s like that, you soon discover the vibrancy and rich variety of music that is out there and how insignificant and insular the so called ‘pop’ industry as represented by the Brits really is…

A highly sensible reply and I agree with every word. 🙂

The gig with Kate Rusby was on the BBC Live event in Bradford (if I remember rightly, in May 2001) so it was a while ago. I can’t really remember much about her performance except that she was extremely musical. She may have performed on the same day as Hugh Masakela, who I had the pleasure of mixing FoH for. Something in the region of 35 inputs, no soundcheck (just a line check on headphones), an audience of around 4000 and you BBC lot broadcasting a L+R matrix feed to somewhere random. I had a lot of fun on that festival!

Paul

I wouldn’t exactly call Turbulent Indigo ‘jazz’.
Interesting you mention Kate Rusby and Ray Davies… Two people I’ve worked with. I’ve never had the ‘pleasure’ of mixing that “useless get from Boyzone”, though I suppose that’s probably a good thing.

Paul

I’ve worked with Kate too and isn’t she lovely ? Her cover of ‘The Village Green Preservation Society’ currently in the credits of BBC’s ‘Jam and Jerusalem’ sit com will raise her profile and perhaps turn people onto her folky roots. Incidentally, my work exposes me to all types of music, popular, alternative and leftfield. I agree that it’s not worth getting worked up about what’s presented as popular music on a show like The Brits, scratch the surface and there’s a whole lot more to be found.

Pete, might I suggest you listen to radio more often, partcularly specialist digital stations like BBC 6 Music for example… You can also get some pretty good alternative ‘pop’ (no not just indie) on tv. BBC 4 regularly transmit entertaining and interesting concerts, gigs and documentaries about the kind of contemporary British artists I suspect you might enjoy.

I’ve just finished shooting a great wee annual music festival in Glasgow called ‘Celtic Connections’. It featured a stellar global line up of musicians and singers from around the world of ‘celtic’ themed music. I also recently filmed a documentary about the life of Johnny Cash. Not normally the types of music people would associate me with, but the point being, once exposed to different genre’s like that, you soon discover the vibrancy and rich variety of music that is out there and how insignificant and insular the so called ‘pop’ industry as represented by the Brits really is…

…the music industry has really reached a low at the moment…the whole system is corrupt and geared to making money…

Not sure why that comes as a surprise to somebody of your intelligence.

The music industry only exists to make money like (almost) any other form of publishing and as record company budgets shrink isn’t it logical to put more money into fewer artists who better guarantee a return on investment. The end result? Music of the lowest common denominator…..most people can’t stand it but more people are buying it than would be buying any alternative.

It must be a pretty frightening time to be a music executive, with the tools for producing music and, thanks to the internet, publishing it, cheaply, to a worldwide audience now in the hands of the public. Even the charts recognise recordings that only exist in hyperspace.

Surely this also makes it a good time to be a music consumer?

Is this the album where the great talent that was Joni Mitchell has turned to jazz, always a good get out clause isn’t it.
We think it’s very sad that the talented Kate Rusby was first of all made to sing with that self opinionated, talentless, useless get from Boyzone, then is made to release a single that was originally written by the great Ray Davies, not that this has ever been mentioned, and no one in the media seems to like it anyway.
We do get angry about it, you bet, the music industry has really reached a low at the moment, unless you are preprared to sniff about to find it, forget it, the whole system is corrupt and geared to making money for the so called providers of what we are supposed to like.

I wouldn’t exactly call Turbulent Indigo ‘jazz’.

Pete… Can I ask exactly to what level you’re involved in music? I’ve mixed and played quite a few reasonably high profile concerts around Europe over the last decade and have met many hundreds of pro people along the way who are very passionate about what they do, and very much do it for the love of music. With the greatest respect, you seem to have a remarkably narrow minded outlook for someone who speaks with such authority. You’re taking a very small section of the music industry and writing the rest of it off because of that. How on Earth does that make sense? It doesn’t. Not in the slightest.

Interesting you mention Kate Rusby and Ray Davies… Two people I’ve worked with. I’ve never had the ‘pleasure’ of mixing that “useless get from Boyzone”, though I suppose that’s probably a good thing.

Paul

While I agree with your general sentiment, whether you come from a household of musicians or not the simple fact you’re missing is that sadly much of the music world is an industry; a business and it’s there to make money in any way it can. If record company execs can market what many consider to be utter garbage and make millions, they will, and whether you like it or not people do buy it.

I really don’t see the point in getting so aggressively angry about it. I’m sitting here listening to a stunning album called Turbulent Indigo by Joni Mitchell. I suggest you do something similar and cool down a bit! 😀

Paul

Is this the album where the great talent that was Joni Mitchell has turned to jazz, always a good get out clause isn’t it.
We think it’s very sad that the talented Kate Rusby was first of all made to sing with that self opinionated, talentless, useless get from Boyzone, then is made to release a single that was originally written by the great Ray Davies, not that this has ever been mentioned, and no one in the media seems to like it anyway.
We do get angry about it, you bet, the music industry has really reached a low at the moment, unless you are preprared to sniff about to find it, forget it, the whole system is corrupt and geared to making money for the so called providers of what we are supposed to like.

Its rock and roll man!!!!

Indeed. I would get drunk on stage but frankly, I can’t fit enough beers on top of an Ampeg SVT amp to get me drunk so I don’t really see the point. 😀

Paul

P.S. If anyone’s going to a concert tonight at Colne Municipal Hall, pay particular attention to the swaying motion of the drunken bass player…

I’m not going to make any comments about the music but hasn’t the ‘presenting’ got out of hand?

The procession of ‘talent’ either clearly being pissed or proudly proclaiming they were pissed got a bit much for me. I suppose you can’t stop the acts getting drunk (or getting out of rehab just long enough to perform) but do the presenters have to join in?

All this cut with shots of a young impressionable audience.

Fearne Cotton seemed to be the only one sober and much credit it did her.

Its rock and roll man!!!!

Still nice to see Miss Winehouse has got herself sorted imo.

Im a youngun and I wouldnt buy any of the music on show, old before my time?

Get lost, I didn’t buy any of this rubbish, and nor did anyone that we know, and that goes for our youths and their mates as well, we have a family of musicians from 13 to 57.
It’s all a load of back handed promotion by the music industry and the radio stations, I was just driving home and could tell that Stuart Maconie in no way approved of or wanted to play the ‘single of the week’ by the wonderful and ‘talented’ James tank commander Bland.
You have to find decent music for yourselves and forget what we are told is good, and it is out there.
We are bombarded by a plethora of TV programmes that feature amazing talent contests, my God, is that woman really like Dusty Springfield, ‘My ****’, but no, she’s off to the States as she’s considered to be the ultimate in Dusty clones, yeah right, she’s going to fall on her backside, no doubt about that. It’s very sad how the British public is being manipulated.

While I agree with your general sentiment, whether you come from a household of musicians or not the simple fact you’re missing is that sadly much of the music world is an industry; a business and it’s there to make money in any way it can. If record company execs can market what many consider to be utter garbage and make millions, they will, and whether you like it or not people do buy it.

I really don’t see the point in getting so aggressively angry about it. I’m sitting here listening to a stunning album called Turbulent Indigo by Joni Mitchell. I suggest you do something similar and cool down a bit! 😀

Paul

Utter utter garbage if that’s the showcase of British talent to display to the world what we have to offer.:( Were all adults we all know that if alcohol is free on tap then folks will get drunk ,but surly if its broadcast live with a very large audience of impressionable young people they should have controlled it or wait for the after show partys.As for vic reeves that proved him the talentless fool ive always believed him to be.

Get lost

Pete

Thankyou, I’ll do just that.

John.