tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16476440832686017472024-02-07T08:43:10.220+00:00Owlish Corkscrew.<center>
Updates on the latest creative projects by Thomas Dulieu. </center>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger22125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1647644083268601747.post-8435697491582594122021-01-24T16:40:00.001+00:002021-01-24T16:40:04.420+00:00 New Live Lounge video on Youtube! <p style="text-align: center;"> </p><p style="text-align: center;">Check out this first in a collection of Live Lounge videos I'm planning for Youtube. </p><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;">Fresh from my new little studio in The Clock House!</p><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="365" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/o36w7Q9pq7s" width="552" youtube-src-id="o36w7Q9pq7s"></iframe></div><br /><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1647644083268601747.post-71717929314345895252018-06-13T17:35:00.000+01:002021-01-24T16:33:12.483+00:00PEEPI have written a new screenplay called Peep. This is the third version of the script, which I have been writing for the past two years.<br />
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<img height="155" src="https://static1.squarespace.com/static/577e79c0e6f2e1347cbe306c/t/577e870b8419c243feb534e2/1467909903454/?format=750w" width="320" /></div>
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A child trapped in a man's body? A mentally ill human being in need of help? Or just a man with a strange and twisted hobby?<br />
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Through the character of Marcus, Peep explores the voyeuristic attitude of reality television in popular media. He is the creeping suspicion that someone might be watching you, the shadow in the corner of your eye.<br />
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Could it be true that there is someone like Marcus in us all?<br />
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You can read the full version <a href="https://thomasdulieu.blogspot.com/p/peep-screenplay.html" target="_blank">HERE.</a></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1647644083268601747.post-77699450238866397742017-09-08T17:13:00.000+01:002021-01-24T16:33:15.175+00:00RECIPE: BASIC CHICKEN CURRYFor a long time I didn't really see the point in sharing my various kitchen concoctions. I thought, if I came up with them on my own, surely others can too? <br />
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Apparently this is not the case, and my girlfriend convinced me to jot a few down. With that in mind, I thought what better than my favourite every-day dinner dish - chicken curry.<br />
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It's something I think everyone can cook, it requires very few specialist ingredients and tastes great considering the amount of time and effort it requires.<br />
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It originated from a cutting my grandma gave from her local newspaper, and has been slowly adapted to produce what you see before you.<br />
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<b>Step One: Ingredients</b><br />
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For this recipe I've tried to keep the ingredients as simple as possible. Hopefully all of these items will be readily available in most kitchens, with maybe some of the spices requiring a trip to the local corner shop.<br />
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NOTE: In terms of spices, you can really experiment and just use this recipe as a basis for your own creations. If you don't have one or some of the spices used here, feel free to use whatever you yourself have in the cupboard.<br />
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Serves two: <br />
1 or 2 chicken breasts <br />
Half a cup of rice <br />
Two tomatoes <br />
Two onions <br />
One medium sized garlic clove <br />
Milk <br />
Spices (oregano, chives, paprika, chillies, ginger, cumin) <br />
A good, sharp knife <br />
Salt and pepper <br />
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<b>Step Two: Chop Onions and Tomato</b><br />
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The onions in this dish are really best chopped as finely as possible. Use a sharp knife to cut them into squares then just go to town on them rolling the blade along the board.<br />
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Remember to keep your fingers out of the way though!<br />
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When the onions are done, put them in a saucepan on a high heat, then while they fry, chop the tomatoes and garlic.<br />
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<b>Step Three: Mix</b><br />
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When the onions are just turning golden, turn the heat down to about half and add the garlic (this is so it doesn't burn). leave for roughly a minute, then add the chopped tomatoes.<br />
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Mix and turn the heat back up, if you have a lid, add this now. The tomatoes should soften and create a creamy texture.<br />
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At this point you can add boiling water to your rice pot. Make sure it's boiling and on the heat before adding the half a cup of rice.<br />
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<b>Step Four: Add Chicken and Spices</b><br />
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Dice your chicken breast(s) into roughly equal squares.<br />
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It's up to you how small you make them, I tend to do mine a little larger as this is how they come in curry houses. Going smaller, however, will make your meat stretch further.<br />
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I also add spices at this stage as they get a chance to 'fry in'. I find it helps add depth to the flavour later on.<br />
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In terms of spices, add:<br />
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A lot of paprika. This is a light tasting spice that adds depth and helps give the curry it's red colour. You can afford to use it liberally. </div>
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A small amount of ginger and cumin. These are strong spices that can easily overpower the curry and make it taste horrible. Add small amounts at this stage, you can always add more later. </div>
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A medium amount of oregano and chives. These herbs will add a floral note and help lighten the curry. </div>
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Oregano works great with the chicken and the chives help to add a light onion flavour. <br />
Chillies depending on your taste. With crushed chillies like I use here, a little goes a long way. <br />
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<b>Step Five: Mix Together, Add Milk</b><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA8GsVdp-ycRFPQmb9hHOHMMO8g88-nezv4rK4hT1KAYrmf6sKpJejZxpkUTRrTJsOeTRe4ohuWhrB4p8FHff4aUgrVjYb6lfLTC35o8wEhBiBMfGgMyPKKXe8tOnW2ag4RskBIsl3Iits/s1600/08+Mix+all.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA8GsVdp-ycRFPQmb9hHOHMMO8g88-nezv4rK4hT1KAYrmf6sKpJejZxpkUTRrTJsOeTRe4ohuWhrB4p8FHff4aUgrVjYb6lfLTC35o8wEhBiBMfGgMyPKKXe8tOnW2ag4RskBIsl3Iits/s320/08+Mix+all.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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When adding milk, be sure to only fill to just under the line of the meat. Too much will make a watery curry. <br />
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Turn to a low heat and leave the curry to simmer while the rice cooks.<br />
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These two images were taken roughly 10-15mins apart</div>
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<b>Step Six: Dishing Up</b><br />
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Once the rice has finished and is fluffy, with very little bite, drain the sauce-pan into a colander, pouring hot water over it if it's sticky, and add to plates. <br />
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Spoon the curry over the rice and voila, chicken curry. <br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1647644083268601747.post-61488537439606558092016-11-17T16:07:00.000+00:002021-01-24T16:33:17.470+00:00UPDATE: 'KNOCK' SCRIPT GETS PRODUCED.<div id="yui_3_17_2_1_1532617530179_1792">
A few months ago I was commissioned to write a script for a third year film student. Over the summer it was produced and has recently been edited and released.</div>
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A young man with crushing social anxiety finds a way to communicate via Morse code.</div>
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When a young girl moves into his apartment complex Patrick is initially very shy, but when he sees a documentary on the television showing how people once communicated without speech, he sees an opportunity to overcome his disability and develop a relationship with the girl of his dreams.<br />
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You can read the script <a data-cke-saved-href="/s/Knock-21-2.pdf" href="https://www.blogger.com/s/Knock-21-2.pdf">here</a>.</div>
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The full film is available to watch below:<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/jdoYIIAXm6w/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/jdoYIIAXm6w?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe></div>
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1647644083268601747.post-77829173011097800382016-08-17T16:03:00.000+01:002021-01-24T16:33:20.104+00:00HOW TO: PUT ON A FESTIVAL IN YOUR BACK GARDEN<div id="yui_3_17_2_1_1532617169711_8545">
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<strong id="yui_3_17_2_1_1532617169711_9652">Introduction:</strong></div>
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Festivals are a great way to bring together friends and family, to participate in your community or just get drunk with your mates somewhere that isn’t the local pisser.<br />
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I’m a big fan of them, and I think live music deserves a place to be enjoyed outside. Putting on a festival in your back garden is actually a surprisingly cheap and easy way to make your own entertainment, and if done right can be a great experience for performers and audience members alike.<br />
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<strong>Part One, The Leg Work:</strong></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje0pzRJJ3FF1Rf_NZ8gK0YjdVQbMWmFoIJj8pUy3ScyYXwhBOPDirBR5ZSgerTbtotzzhyphenhyphenfGFBnvFPqD1rxVxudJmto_hrAnnMlqvCTQZ4DvIlnZqL5vpql62-YUBGNsqGQT3rcW15oWsg/s1600/13239260_10209721113775175_5093363087697643302_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="960" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje0pzRJJ3FF1Rf_NZ8gK0YjdVQbMWmFoIJj8pUy3ScyYXwhBOPDirBR5ZSgerTbtotzzhyphenhyphenfGFBnvFPqD1rxVxudJmto_hrAnnMlqvCTQZ4DvIlnZqL5vpql62-YUBGNsqGQT3rcW15oWsg/s320/13239260_10209721113775175_5093363087697643302_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<strong id="yui_3_17_2_1_1532617169711_9738">Acts:</strong><br />
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First things first, no festival is going to be a success without a decent rostra of acts. I would suggest finding out where your local open mics are; go down and listen to the artists, see what you think might work for the sort of festival you’re putting on.<br />
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Who will work for the beginning of the day when everyone’s arriving and want to ease into the experience? Who’s going to get the crowd going after? Who do you want for the end of the evening when everyone’s had a few beers and want something loud to dance to?<br />
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It’s really important that you get to know your local scene, write down the acts names and a brief description of their sound, then start making lists of a rough running order.</div>
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<strong>Setting a date:</strong><br />
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Once you’re confident that you have an idea of the sort of acts you want to put on, it’s time to set a date.<br />
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Leave yourself at least three months to get it done, as although this may seem like a long time, things will go wrong and people will drop out. Plan for the unexpected, so that when it happens you will be prepared.</div>
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<strong>Putting together your team:</strong><br />
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Running the festival will be incredibly difficult without a dedicated team to help out.<br />
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You can take on one or more of these roles, but the more you do, the more work it will take, and the less likely you’ll be available for emergencies. Remember as well, that you're there to have a good time, not just to work!</div>
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The main people you will need are:</div>
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<em>An Artist liaison:</em><br />
Someone to keep an eye on when the acts are arriving and when they need to go on stage. This is important to stop acts running over and sets having to be cut short. To this person the running order is king.</div>
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<em>A Sound Man:</em><br />
This doesn’t have to be a professional, especially if you’re just putting on acoustic artists, but should be someone with a working knowledge of sound. Having someone with an ear at the desk will improve the experience immeasurably for everyone involved.</div>
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<em>A compare:</em><br />
Having someone on stage to introduce acts and keep the audience warm in-between will really increase the energy of your festival.<br />
This is the perfect job to give to your wise-cracking, outgoing, oft drunk friend. If he’s up for getting in front of a microphone and making a fool of himself, then he’s the perfect guy (or gal) for the job.</div>
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<em>Litter picker/runner/general dogsbody:</em><br />
It’s always good to have a few mates at hand who are willing to help out in any way they can. Having someone like this when an emergency happens can be a lifesaver.<br />
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NOTE: Make sure you delegate as much as possible. Many hands make light work, and it will be far more fun if you're not running around every five minutes!<br />
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<b>Part Two: Acquisition of Equipment:</b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyC4VYs80kqgz3KKUROX_WhiJ1RpKnlMRw8CQl7rTVLfeJkJSRfnE-LAikP4yWZXDuR4j2hwAyP6JBUXOX7CjWXA4bNGxoW7yqJI2wB56kzWeWVTLRXqtqzEHPLAqi9tJ467EzJvAZ0vCS/s1600/13254263_10209721113655172_8165777324994706613_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="960" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyC4VYs80kqgz3KKUROX_WhiJ1RpKnlMRw8CQl7rTVLfeJkJSRfnE-LAikP4yWZXDuR4j2hwAyP6JBUXOX7CjWXA4bNGxoW7yqJI2wB56kzWeWVTLRXqtqzEHPLAqi9tJ467EzJvAZ0vCS/s320/13254263_10209721113655172_8165777324994706613_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Once you have everyone on board, you’re going to need to acquire some items:</div>
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<strong>Items you will need:</strong></div>
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<li>A PA System</li>
<li>Microphones and stands</li>
<li>Gazebo (something to cover the electronics)</li>
<li>Lights</li>
<li>Leads (Electric plugs, XLR’s)</li>
</ul>
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<strong><br /></strong>
<strong>PA System:</strong><br />
This is by far the most important part of any successful festival, but is the most commonly ignored/overlooked. A decent sound system will boost the entertainment value massively and will create the atmosphere and sense of ‘festivity’ that we’re looking to create. If you’re going to invest money anywhere, let it be here!<br />
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For Hydefest I used my own pair of Stagepas 400i’s. They set me back about £600 and came with their own cables and amplifier (very useful!). You, however, may not want to buy your own system, and should be able to hire a PA for around £50.<br />
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Go for the best quality you can afford, I’d advise not to go for anything over the power of 300watts; you’d have to be very careful not to blow people’s heads off with anything higher, especially if catering for a small garden.<br />
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<strong>Microphones, stands and cables:</strong><br />
I’m sure there are services that will hire these out, if not you can pick up some sets for around £100. In my experience an expensive microphone means nothing if it’s being put through bad amplification, so don’t worry about spending the mega bucks if you’ve got a good PA.</div>
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<strong>Gazebo (something to cover electronics):</strong><br />
When putting on live music you’re going to be working with electricity, it is therefore important to make sure nothing meets with water, and (especially in England) you can’t guarantee that it wont rain.<br />
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I just used a simple gazebo loaned to me from my parent’s garage, using electrical tape to keep things off the grass and a plastic groundsheet wherever there was no choice but to have them running along the floor.<br />
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If you have more money/resources/space you might consider putting up a large canvas tent or even hiring an inflatable stage.</div>
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<strong>Electrical leads:</strong><br />
Make sure you have enough leads to connect everything together, and if you’re not sure, get extra!<br />
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<strong>Lights:</strong><br />
If you’re planning your festival to go on into the evening then you’re going to need some way of lighting the garden when it gets dark. I was lucky enough to have a good friend who lent me some of his up-lighters, these were attached to the top of the Gazebo with cable ties.</div>
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<strong>Part Three, Dressing Up Your Festival:</strong></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqvRC4eUrpF3yRWs5-5zsaN4HuKxXCNdVE8JD2kx1OzHS5JwDKWDrQ4HVdnJzX47gsZiRi_-SVi2nr_oCVcQHL_Z9WXcK6esD8TKXTKd45Wp5oNVRXLUHiSM7yGZGpmZemr4_vk2hRv-Bi/s1600/13179024_10209721125535469_6934369533907561376_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="659" data-original-width="960" height="219" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqvRC4eUrpF3yRWs5-5zsaN4HuKxXCNdVE8JD2kx1OzHS5JwDKWDrQ4HVdnJzX47gsZiRi_-SVi2nr_oCVcQHL_Z9WXcK6esD8TKXTKd45Wp5oNVRXLUHiSM7yGZGpmZemr4_vk2hRv-Bi/s320/13179024_10209721125535469_6934369533907561376_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Now you’ve put in the leg work you can begin having some fun with your festival.</div>
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Think what themes you enjoy or imagine your community will enjoy, what sorts of images do your community usually go for, do they go for a pirate type thing? Maybe something a little more space-age? Or perhaps a hippy look?<br />
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The street the house I held the festival in was called Hyde Abbey Road, and so I decided to call mine Hydefest. Going along with this idea I went for a Dr Jeckyll and Mr Hyde theme, with one being the person we are at work and the other who we are at play.<br />
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With this in mind I got in touch with an illustrator friend of mine and commissioned her to do a painting based on this idea. What she came back with was excellent, I then sent that image to another friend of mine who is a graphic designer and ended up with a large high-quality, professional image.</div>
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This was the festival’s brand, and what I used to promote it to the guests. You can see the finished image above.</div>
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I then got friends to throw drapes over the walls, bought some fairy lights and candles in jars for when it got dark and a few incense to give off a pleasant smell.</div>
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Do you have any friends who are artists? Maybe you know someone who owns a print shop? This is a great way to get a community of people together working for a common non-for-profit cause. Have fun with your own ideas and use the resources you have available to give your festival its own special flavour.</div>
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<strong>Part Four, Bringing Everything Together:</strong></div>
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<strong id="yui_3_17_2_1_1532617169711_9791">A month Before:</strong><br />
A month or so before your festival send out letters to your neighbours letting them know what you’re planning.</div>
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Tell them the exact time when things are happening, and crucially when they will end, and invite them along. This will foster a community feeling and help to avoid any trouble.</div>
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<strong>A Week Before:</strong><br />
A week before the event, send out messages to all of the artists with the following information:</div>
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<li>The exact time when they are playing.<!--{cke_protected}{C}%3C!%2D%2D%5Bif%20!supportLists%5D%2D%2D%3E--></li>
<li>The exact specifications of the equipment you have available and what you expect them to bring.</li>
<li>How long their set is.</li>
<li>How long before they play you expect them to arrive (I usually say about 30 mins).</li>
<li>Who to find and talk to when they arrive, and what that person looks like (yellow shirt perhaps).</li>
<li>A thank you for agreeing to play, some idea of what you expect the weather to be like and how much you are looking forward to seeing them on the day.</li>
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Make sure you also get in touch with your team. This is the time when people may drop out, doing it a week before will give you plenty of time to find a replacement.</div>
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<strong>On The Day:</strong><br />
Some things to bear in mind on the day:</div>
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<li>Buy a few crates of beers for your artists and anyone else who’s helping out. They’ll really appreciate the effort and it’s an easy way to say thanks.</li>
<li>Print out the running order and put it in places where people will see it, it’ll help the guests to get an idea of who they’re listening to and the artists gain publicity.</li>
<li>Put bin-bags out where they’re easily accessible, it will help cut down on the cleaning the day after!</li>
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<strong>Part Five, D-Day</strong></div>
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Everything’s ready to go, now go and enjoy it!</div>
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Hydefest was a great festival, and everyone had a fantastic time. If you follow some or all of the advice I've posted I'm sure you could easily do something just the same.</div>
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Get a few mates together, put on some great music, sit back and relax!</div>
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Cheers!</div>
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If you've enjoyed this guide to putting on a back garden festival please feel free to share on social media/tell your friends.<br />
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If you do take the plunge, or have any questions, feel free to contact me at:</div>
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thomasdulieu@googlemail.com</div>
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Happy festivaling!</div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1647644083268601747.post-12370701389363614692015-02-24T18:49:00.000+00:002021-01-24T16:33:22.427+00:00 The Snail Collector (Short Play)
<br />
<div align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It is
night-time, a man is hunched, walking and scanning the floor. He has
a small, dirty brown bucket.</span></b></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
<br />
</span><br />
<div align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>JULES:</strong> Hmm,
mmm.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
<br />
</span><br />
<div align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">He picks
something off the floor and drops it into the bucket.</span></b></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
<br />
</span><br />
<div align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>JULES:</strong> What
beautiful, wonderful specimens. Oh, look here!</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
<br />
</span><br />
<div align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">He rushes
to the other side of the stage and picks up something else, admires
it in his hand and carefully places it in the bucket.</span></b></div>
<br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>JULES:</strong> Oh,
how lovely. Slimy, hmm.
</span></div>
<br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">He licks
his lips.</span></b></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
<br />
</span><br />
<div align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">GICQUEL
enters stage right, he has a flash-light and is dressed in a railway
workers uniform. He watches JULES. JULES shuffles across the stage
and picks up another.</span></b></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
<br />
</span><br />
<div align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">GICQUEL
clears his throat. JULES is startled.</span></b></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
<br />
</span><br />
<div align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>JULES:</strong> Oh,
my! Oh, hello there young man, what a wonderful night for a stroll
don't you think?</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
<br />
</span><br />
<div align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>GICQUEL:</strong>
I'm... not sure you're meant to be in here. It's not open to the
public.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
<br />
</span><br />
<div align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>JULES:</strong> Oh, I
wouldn't worry about that my boy. Us gentlemen can enjoy a nights
stroll on an evening with such sweet charms can we not? With such
wonderful sweet charms.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
<br />
</span><br />
<div align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>GICQUEL:</strong>
I'm... I'm with the railway, I'm meant to be guarding the tracks, I
think you need to leave.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
<br />
</span><br />
<div align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>JULES:</strong> Oh,
nonsense, nonsense. Come, come, see these wonderful specimens, these
wonderful slimy treats.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
<br />
</span><br />
<div align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">He
gestures for GICQUEL to come closer.</span></b></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
<br />
</span><br />
<div align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>JULES:</strong> Oh,
don't be shy my boy, don't be so silly, come here and see my treats,
look into my wonderful bucket.</span></div>
<div align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span></div>
<div align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">GICQUEL
comes closer, he looks into the bucket.</span></b></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
<br />
</span><br />
<div align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>GICQUEL:</strong>
There's lots of snails.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
<br />
</span><br />
<div align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>JULES:</strong> Yes,
wonderful snails. Don't you love the way the wriggle and slime? Isn't
it just a wonder of nature, and oh the smell. The wonderful smell of
stinky snails, in my lovely snails bucket. Would you like to hold
one?</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
<br />
</span><br />
<div align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>GICQUEL:</strong>
Look sir, I really think you ought to leave.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>JULES:</strong> Come
on my boy! Hold one of my sweet snails in your dainty manly palm.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>GICQUEL:</strong> No.
It's time for you to leave, this is... private property.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>JULES:</strong> Just
a little touch. Come, they're so smooth and squidgy, fluffy even.
Come, let me put my snail on your cheek.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
<br />
</span><br />
<div align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>GICQUEL:</strong> Hmm</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
<br />
</span><br />
<div align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>JULES:</strong> On
your palm then. Here, hold your hand out... There we are my wonderful
boy, not so difficult now was it?</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">CURTAIN</span></strong>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1647644083268601747.post-11811162566012035042014-05-15T23:02:00.001+01:002021-01-24T16:33:24.676+00:00 Brock Cain <div style="text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhTXmbP_-xs7M0QWqHYhCq7vlICAkglN-7oxLttKkCA34GmqGwJ-oGjlvxUb30gBWQ25fg-_zRv0rpnLqfNuMscdLjVdJCQH77-gEIyRO87fBgN-vDxHKbngvC5TPLQerWyBSss9Nc_X9i/s1600/1381399_10152293134379889_31101639_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhTXmbP_-xs7M0QWqHYhCq7vlICAkglN-7oxLttKkCA34GmqGwJ-oGjlvxUb30gBWQ25fg-_zRv0rpnLqfNuMscdLjVdJCQH77-gEIyRO87fBgN-vDxHKbngvC5TPLQerWyBSss9Nc_X9i/s1600/1381399_10152293134379889_31101639_n.jpg" height="225" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
Near the end of 2013, around Christmas time, I wrote a short radio play in a free-writing session about a big butch man who turns out underneath to be a softie.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
The play lay dormant on my desktop for some time, until a few months ago when a good friend of mine told me their group desperately needed a script for a production they had to film imminently. I searched my mind for something suitable and, well, a radio play is very easily adaptable to screen.</div>
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</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br />
It's slapdash, it's rough, it was filmed in about three hours, but it's mine.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
I actually ended up performing in it as well, and if you like it, we can probably make more.<br />
<br />
So, without further ado. I present to you, Brock!</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/Pju-g9uaI1g" width="420"></iframe><br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1647644083268601747.post-21280109122527575652014-05-13T13:38:00.000+01:002021-01-24T16:33:26.912+00:00Elliot Porter and The Missing Pieces<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgzVbjbRs-IfDRbjLLXAiXokCSscA6XKkFdPRZL4x_LpDphzM5jJF49X6pGeclL6_LdyLxhGm1GcPw4wDTWMZM08vZg6TQLgejjdidtoRsRt3sOfTaS_1hQBjbd4mAnz6eJHFcNDRhjQJV/s1600/998087_10151790042378578_633131055_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgzVbjbRs-IfDRbjLLXAiXokCSscA6XKkFdPRZL4x_LpDphzM5jJF49X6pGeclL6_LdyLxhGm1GcPw4wDTWMZM08vZg6TQLgejjdidtoRsRt3sOfTaS_1hQBjbd4mAnz6eJHFcNDRhjQJV/s1600/998087_10151790042378578_633131055_n.jpg" height="265" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
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<div style="text-align: center;">
The latest big event in my life has to be joining the fantastic Elliot Porter as a drummer in The Missing Pieces. Give his stuff a listen below:</div>
<br />
<iframe frameborder="no" height="166" scrolling="no" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/97184084&color=ff9900&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_artwork=true" width="100%"></iframe><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
There have been many great adventures, too many to recount to you in the few words I've allowed myself, but for now I'll just leave you with a few of my favourite pictures from the past year or so and the news that on the 29th of this month we will be playing a huge gig at The Sebright Arms in London to promote the release of a new EP! </div>
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If you'd like to come and check out the gig this month pop over to it's <a href="https://www.facebook.com/events/502622039860669/?fref=ts" target="_blank">Facebook page</a> where you can pick up all the details!</div>
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<iframe frameborder="no" height="166" scrolling="no" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/125722997&color=ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_artwork=true" width="100%"></iframe><br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1647644083268601747.post-77445654534514208472013-11-10T20:02:00.002+00:002021-01-24T16:33:29.253+00:00A Whole New Project (Comedy Shorts)<div style="text-align: center;">
<br />
For some time now I've been having little brain waves, funny things that come to me just before I go to bed, when I'm in a zombiefied morning stupor or, for some strange reason, when I'm bent double in the kitchen suffering from a severe hangover; and, when I can, I've written these down in a note-pad or on a scruffy piece of paper.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
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Recently I collected the best of these pieces together and decided that I had just enough to do a few episodes, recorded in a radio-style segment, that I planned on releasing upon the judging ears of the general public. </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
So, through a haze of a severe cold (arrgh, my face feels like it's being pulled on by a small child, my eyes are watering, and someone's filled my nose with tar!) I set about getting down something that I hoped would make people laugh, and, hopefully, make them want to subscribe and listen to more.</div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
Here's what came out:</div>
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<iframe frameborder="no" height="166" scrolling="no" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/119056898" width="100%"></iframe>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1647644083268601747.post-46880100158794838642012-11-28T22:18:00.001+00:002021-01-24T16:33:36.268+00:00 Writing and recording a three track EP. <div style="text-align: center;">
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</div>
So I thought people might like to know the story of how I went about creating Harmonic Distortion<span style="font-size: small;">.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"> </span> <br />
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<br />
<span style="font-size: small;">T</span>his article may come in useful for those of you thinking of doing something similar or anyone who's just generally interested in this sort of thing.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"> <b><br /></b><span style="font-size: small;"><b>01: Background</b></span></span>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbCmvuh4fWbwcGSQ75eeQRsnQpFM13k9UByCni5nCxv652vLBeSxVB2A-G1k7sZiwBkWuwTtwA-HphzR4uxKMbQefIQfLNTuo5CENSHbDhGxuCaY9XoPFpupK2YGRo3Ia-ZOzrIS4gtReF/s1600/Mixing+board+and+laptop.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbCmvuh4fWbwcGSQ75eeQRsnQpFM13k9UByCni5nCxv652vLBeSxVB2A-G1k7sZiwBkWuwTtwA-HphzR4uxKMbQefIQfLNTuo5CENSHbDhGxuCaY9XoPFpupK2YGRo3Ia-ZOzrIS4gtReF/s400/Mixing+board+and+laptop.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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From the age of 15 I messed around a lot with a free music editing program called Garageband, something that you get free with apple macs.<br />
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With this software I learned the basics of recording, using an old microphone I owned and a friends mixing board that he left round my house.<br />
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I spent a very long time recording each track and actually managed to get something like an EP out of it. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTCnguXCFvNRK4nYboPK9C8CF6ksxc_4q5-AcLhOf7GRv3MvxlFQ25z4Ro3Cf2OzULXDSnuIctDh5gyncxQQfVGGeWfnliugs5eBZtmvqgKXYo-Rq6Yhbqx_YaavTsPT8LCQ31X2IMDp2a/s1600/Cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTCnguXCFvNRK4nYboPK9C8CF6ksxc_4q5-AcLhOf7GRv3MvxlFQ25z4Ro3Cf2OzULXDSnuIctDh5gyncxQQfVGGeWfnliugs5eBZtmvqgKXYo-Rq6Yhbqx_YaavTsPT8LCQ31X2IMDp2a/s400/Cover.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Now jump ahead to 2011<br />
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Last year I was in Derby and had a house of my own, so I decided to offer a service recording demo songs for singer/songwriters so that they can get a gist of what they sound like.<b> </b>I called this small business Blackbird Recording and recorded a couple of local artists.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHEo6gTKT0AFOGscM-vUf1FK3LaHIbmyat5LF48ApJ2T5orVQnayqiBcD00CVaP4CuuXinFTifWEdKO-o6KM_4c5QToVda_qg-LyH9a-Q3WNENDOoGBHO5x7LnlqsCbjG5hvE92qfwcoEv/s1600/Blackbirdprod.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHEo6gTKT0AFOGscM-vUf1FK3LaHIbmyat5LF48ApJ2T5orVQnayqiBcD00CVaP4CuuXinFTifWEdKO-o6KM_4c5QToVda_qg-LyH9a-Q3WNENDOoGBHO5x7LnlqsCbjG5hvE92qfwcoEv/s400/Blackbirdprod.jpg" width="390" /></a></div>
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<br />
I charged very little and people seem to be fairly happy with my work. Doing this helped me to hone my skills and finally develop an 'ear' for mixing tracks and getting all of the parts to sit well with each other in the mix.<br />
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Here's one of the tracks, a cover I did with singer/songwriter Tim Gough, if you're at all interested:<br />
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<br />
This period was a major turning point in my life, when I decided to drop out of uni and pursue a career in music.<br />
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It's at this time, where I seemed to be floating in a strange form of limbo, neither at uni nor at work, that I decide to record some music. I have the skills, I can play a couple of instruments, I can sing, and there's nothing else to do; so why not?<br />
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<b> 02: Recording the tracks</b><br />
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<b>1st Stage - Writing </b><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoniFn2QmZ9aiUGdxjMcp1-kcEXm9-1B7vxVeFJ2-AMNSQm50CoPv4VJ_z0kAxxOXECgCinhu0B7eGOUo7DUrwhXwn8zKTbmQtDQpH_cws5zwPPTw-WY3gz9-WJ1GyDSPympbD_IlOlIMv/s1600/Notes.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoniFn2QmZ9aiUGdxjMcp1-kcEXm9-1B7vxVeFJ2-AMNSQm50CoPv4VJ_z0kAxxOXECgCinhu0B7eGOUo7DUrwhXwn8zKTbmQtDQpH_cws5zwPPTw-WY3gz9-WJ1GyDSPympbD_IlOlIMv/s400/Notes.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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So I set up all my equipment in the front room of my shared house (a space that no-one seemed to be using) and got to work on writing some songs.<br />
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I found for me the best way to do this was to grab my acoustic and record some riffs, getting down the main body of the song before writing the lyrics or 'filling it out' with other parts.<br />
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Here's a photo of what the room looked like in that first stage:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaYg5nxEB9Bwm_pdzt-rWctUYdOq3CX9q4T6d0mlX24wjDf1uxFg1OKjamt1ZLz7uIDEeiWXLB9G8msqGCioGmYRX0cNcrfr8Y_psyE1LEHqX1FTcsdSKnlZQVdbatTGWZspinlZgEBvYN/s1600/Whole+room.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaYg5nxEB9Bwm_pdzt-rWctUYdOq3CX9q4T6d0mlX24wjDf1uxFg1OKjamt1ZLz7uIDEeiWXLB9G8msqGCioGmYRX0cNcrfr8Y_psyE1LEHqX1FTcsdSKnlZQVdbatTGWZspinlZgEBvYN/s400/Whole+room.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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It took me around two weeks to get five songs that I was happy with, all totally written and with lyrics.<br />
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It seemed like the hard part was over, and I felt like the work was almost done, all I needed to do now was re-record the guitar and add bass and drums. Easy peasy right? Right?<br />
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<b>2nd Stage - 'filling out' the tracks</b><br />
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<b>Guitar </b><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtJvH0EJL5InUUK9NmB6zfrmY53iJSxGYkdtbjUU5WM2lk6T2wjSoFDvBmAevwTqcuNcqklQi03DSJmw6BF4onNeMKR3zSY0TJPWv7zc5x9x1-YQHzBHfqfNJ6_-Qgr3XKJzWhdYVInspP/s1600/Guitars+Back.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtJvH0EJL5InUUK9NmB6zfrmY53iJSxGYkdtbjUU5WM2lk6T2wjSoFDvBmAevwTqcuNcqklQi03DSJmw6BF4onNeMKR3zSY0TJPWv7zc5x9x1-YQHzBHfqfNJ6_-Qgr3XKJzWhdYVInspP/s400/Guitars+Back.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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So after messing around with a couple of different sounds I settled on the one that I have now. I played the riff on my acoustic guitar and ran it into a distorted amplifier with a clip on pickup (you can see this set-up on the cover of the EP).<br />
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I recorded the riff separately, once on the left channel (meaning it plays only in the left ear) and then on the right, this, I hope, gave it a full sound that sort of fills your mind with distortion.<br />
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I then recorded the riff on the center channel (Both left and right ears equally) with a clean sounding acoustic guitar, and turned the volume right up. This I found gave the riff a punchy edge that cut through the sound of the distortion and gave it the kick that I felt it needed.<br />
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I thought this would be fairly easy and not too time consuming, but when you're recording using garageband it's not so easy to 'fix it in the mix' and I really didn't want the robotic sound of looping, so every take I did had to be without too many obvious mistakes.<br />
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Now, if you worry too much about making mistakes, you will make them, and so you have to get yourself into a sort of 'zen' state of mind where you're not worrying too much but still concentrating hard.<br />
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One of the main things I learned from this experience is that you need to know when to take breaks. You may not feel physically tired but you're concentrating hard, and when you start to make lots of mistakes it's time to take a break and get a cup of tea.<br />
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If you don't keep an eye on this it's easy to get frustrated with what you're doing and you end up putting yourself even further back; or giving up entirely.<br />
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<b>Solo Guitar</b><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhscGidFfTFKM23CZSakXvKnH14iaMyo-49e8KAF5ZGohqP7JnY7krQ6WU1PKGY6g-HUlObaByuf080JYzBi6_5ZzpwgYr5f8DWUT6Rz5klvlKDdms4wNPZgIGs6l-RKG2VcTnRIqyEqvyA/s1600/Drum+and+guitars.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhscGidFfTFKM23CZSakXvKnH14iaMyo-49e8KAF5ZGohqP7JnY7krQ6WU1PKGY6g-HUlObaByuf080JYzBi6_5ZzpwgYr5f8DWUT6Rz5klvlKDdms4wNPZgIGs6l-RKG2VcTnRIqyEqvyA/s400/Drum+and+guitars.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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Although my tracks were starting to come together now I felt there were parts where there was nothing going on and where people could get bored of the music, this was something I was keen to stop from happening, the songs were designed to grab the listeners attention and retain it till the end, hopefully.<br />
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Because of this I asked a friend who I knew to be a fantastic guitarist to some over and record some solos for me.<br />
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I simply played him the song, told him which part I wanted the solo in and he did the whole thing in one take.<br />
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Tim Gough it turns out is pretty good at busting out the crunchy rock solos that I wanted and I'd just like to take a second here to say cheers.<br />
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<b>Vocals</b><br />
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When all of this was over the time had come to re-record the vocals. This is a whole different kettle of fish because, just as you hate the sound of your voice played back to you, so singers hate the sound of theirs. So when recording your own vocals you have to stop yourself from becoming too self concious and giving up entirely.<br />
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I helped myself somewhat by double-tracking the vocal line (singing the same thing twice and putting it slightly to the left and the right) in the same way that John Lennon did in most of the Beatles tracks. This gives it a slightly softer edge and made me feel a bit better. I didn't use this technique in Twisted Ditty however, as I wanted a slightly rawer sound.<br />
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<b> Drums</b><br />
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So I had some fairly solid sounding tracks and the time had come to get a beat behind them. So I lugged all of my equipment (Mixing board, four microphones, laptop and cables) in a huge rucksack on a bus back home. And set them up on my drum kit in the garage.<br />
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I could've got a much better sound out of the drums if my fire-wire had worked (not sure if it was the wire or my very old laptop). The plan was to set the two overheads to come out left and right, with the bass and snare in the middle. This worked for all of about half a minute, and I got very excited for a short space of time.<br />
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Unfortunately my software didn't allow for multi-track recording and so the whole thing had to come out mono, I did my best to mix it before hand on my board but in the end the drums had to sit fairly low in the mix.<br />
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But hey, at least they're there.<br />
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<b>Bass</b><br />
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The last thing that needed doing was the bass line. I'd already tried beforehand to add bass just by plugging the guitar straight into the board and using that as an amplifier, but this didn't sound very good. I was particularly lucky however to have a friend with a house free and another friends bass and amp already set up.<br />
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And so I pounced upon the opportunity and set up my little portable studio in his house, thumping away at the bass while he played civilization on his computer next to me.<br />
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Recording the Bass was probably the most enjoyable part for me as the tracks were starting to come together at this point and I'd done a bit of tweaking in between. I recorded them from the amp and used a pick to give it a more punchy sound, you can hear this best in Sweetheart. I also used a lot of slides to give the tracks a feeling of movement, you can hear this most prominently in the chorus of Devils Maiden and the verse of Twisted Ditty.<br />
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<b>3rd Stage - Mixing</b><br />
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Putting the final touches to the mixing took a lot longer than I first anticipated.<br />
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This was, mainly, due to me being a horribly lazy procrastinator. But the other reason was, and this may not be something that happens to anyone else, I was just sick and tired of hearing the songs. After listening to them over and over again and trying desperately to get every little thing into place I'd lost all passion for them.<br />
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In the end I had to just say I was happy with how they were because I just couldn't sit at the computer any longer.<br />
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And so I exported the Mp3 Files, and those are the ones you can hear today.<br />
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If you'd like you can download the whole thing free here. <br />
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Cheers for reading.<br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1647644083268601747.post-16809635775281008672012-11-19T16:52:00.000+00:002021-01-24T16:33:48.337+00:00 A Story About Snow Men <br />
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Last Christmas I was living in Derby and it just so happened to snow, here's some photos of what the street looked like outside:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4AhsAo1YQ4lot2ST69J_JVhXRv_OaPlJ0tGx9_MZZBmiIE6dHFI9wqOw8x9aEmLA76Nt_yVRsYSN3ihNMkNR5LhFxa_HLDCFlqKwjdKGZTp_byxASPnB1ZHNV7ybm0HQKG0xOhl3SedRF/s1600/Snowy+Road+3.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4AhsAo1YQ4lot2ST69J_JVhXRv_OaPlJ0tGx9_MZZBmiIE6dHFI9wqOw8x9aEmLA76Nt_yVRsYSN3ihNMkNR5LhFxa_HLDCFlqKwjdKGZTp_byxASPnB1ZHNV7ybm0HQKG0xOhl3SedRF/s400/Snowy+Road+3.JPG" width="400" /> </a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQSv2mplD8PupGHByzHy8k-debQRH5bfsi4X3FEnVcHiRZtI1UlSAFhruN8Alcmr8SYP2A3opkrVW8frQopSnGpOc_n71hTE3HY8PMXplvHv3B74PhltFTFJh9uhai8WUe7aKy7blq7Wic/s1600/Snowy+Road+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQSv2mplD8PupGHByzHy8k-debQRH5bfsi4X3FEnVcHiRZtI1UlSAFhruN8Alcmr8SYP2A3opkrVW8frQopSnGpOc_n71hTE3HY8PMXplvHv3B74PhltFTFJh9uhai8WUe7aKy7blq7Wic/s400/Snowy+Road+2.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Oooo, snowy! </span></div>
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At the time I was fairly into Calvin and Hobbes, a comic written by a guy called <span class="st">Bill Watterson</span>,
I'd find the comic strips online and spend hours browsing them; if you
don't already know of Calvin and Hobbes I would seriously suggest
checking them out <a href="http://www.gocomics.com/calvinandhobbes/" target="_blank">here</a>.</div>
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Anyway, I was browsing through them when I came across a strip much like this one:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNS508AV20Pc28RZd5ASfe1GCU_h2N3C20JwaECiSeErPcanCpuSJ7JXQJ4UGbHrBiSFbe2GseOEEiL6L_-7plzZs2cq7f7I9Qe4oImboUzUgPSLD7VY2ap1S449gzjTYr1KjpaT_tF2oa/s1600/38-calvin-and-hobbes-monster-art.gif" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="125" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNS508AV20Pc28RZd5ASfe1GCU_h2N3C20JwaECiSeErPcanCpuSJ7JXQJ4UGbHrBiSFbe2GseOEEiL6L_-7plzZs2cq7f7I9Qe4oImboUzUgPSLD7VY2ap1S449gzjTYr1KjpaT_tF2oa/s400/38-calvin-and-hobbes-monster-art.gif" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Om nom nom! </span></div>
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Taking this as inspiration I decided to try and do something similar. </div>
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So I began messing around and produced something like this:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKed5pQ88UdKMsXOTNw_Z7vTrJReDkpuLx_sdclptYdlFp_wfqXyelGP6W2KOSZ4vnmxLy-FXTgBxIg1M9UUQEKCsw6nXyIPJZrhEfjJJxJ_dUE2zSDJnn34JFKal6OhofNS0MRZpAwHAS/s1600/Monster+Chase.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKed5pQ88UdKMsXOTNw_Z7vTrJReDkpuLx_sdclptYdlFp_wfqXyelGP6W2KOSZ4vnmxLy-FXTgBxIg1M9UUQEKCsw6nXyIPJZrhEfjJJxJ_dUE2zSDJnn34JFKal6OhofNS0MRZpAwHAS/s400/Monster+Chase.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">It's behind you!</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3rwJSGgKRvh1ojbn8WTC9oZMHRrAot8YJlwHRS_8Kl9Z1LzifvUHnmg6esO52PAJ7SfVADc6LWRszB_uokpFEwIMMm9DWUWsHBdXKUN-YwiM3NK1dJenCeKnrndZEeQKVdXJ-AunQ1fIQ/s1600/Monster.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3rwJSGgKRvh1ojbn8WTC9oZMHRrAot8YJlwHRS_8Kl9Z1LzifvUHnmg6esO52PAJ7SfVADc6LWRszB_uokpFEwIMMm9DWUWsHBdXKUN-YwiM3NK1dJenCeKnrndZEeQKVdXJ-AunQ1fIQ/s400/Monster.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"> See the resemblance?</span></div>
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Obviously it's not as grand as the Calvin and Hobbes version, but I tried my very best.</div>
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Also, here's a pair of photos of another little snow sculpture I did that fateful night.</div>
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It was intended to greet people as they walked past, but unfortunately
didn't last more than half an hour before the head fell off.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtJmtt1fYrU1NnRf8IElyzT2xx8LS1BCRe7IdP1aT4WG7M0v38ckGie5C30Pqr5pqa9scW9jCOG8cuVLv8UnQ3t_v0j_56QG5kbaW6IJ-BTUc6GLasmRvVrPjQGbqBjoR625scDXfhjUbj/s1600/Shoulder+Head+Sculpt+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtJmtt1fYrU1NnRf8IElyzT2xx8LS1BCRe7IdP1aT4WG7M0v38ckGie5C30Pqr5pqa9scW9jCOG8cuVLv8UnQ3t_v0j_56QG5kbaW6IJ-BTUc6GLasmRvVrPjQGbqBjoR625scDXfhjUbj/s400/Shoulder+Head+Sculpt+2.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOxACBN65hOhqSEj4sKPr-i16tg8Xkxpe9oXLvr6WIp0vG-lSRjVDJiS7P5wGFnSHAF-Gfu9d6x87bJYYu-LRUVEs830o8e_KuURjbql3FTMyGaWMza4PH-aZNAtim9j7xzt66J2C-fSYi/s1600/Shoulder+Head+Sculpt.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOxACBN65hOhqSEj4sKPr-i16tg8Xkxpe9oXLvr6WIp0vG-lSRjVDJiS7P5wGFnSHAF-Gfu9d6x87bJYYu-LRUVEs830o8e_KuURjbql3FTMyGaWMza4PH-aZNAtim9j7xzt66J2C-fSYi/s400/Shoulder+Head+Sculpt.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">It may well have come across as a mad little gremlin.</span></div>
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Unfortunately that's all I've got to show to you.</div>
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I hope you enjoyed my snowy playthings and let's hope it snows again this winter so that I might try my hand at it second time!</div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1647644083268601747.post-21780329377171097102012-02-11T21:13:00.001+00:002021-01-24T16:34:02.937+00:00Check out this thing I did with this guy.<center><iframe src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/VXyvP8-ykZ0" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" width="420"></iframe></center>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1647644083268601747.post-83819514608126075732011-12-15T13:25:00.015+00:002021-01-24T16:34:05.915+00:00 It's a factory photo frenzy! <div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Here are some pictures that I took when I went up to an abandoned factory near where I live.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">You can click on the photos to enlarge them.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Enjoy!</div><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq7-LUvIIdyqEDmvOMYZG1AtfsRtouwL6ba06valIlwv4J7MmfMj0aTJR6OoicZyUijCEvrtF_4sJ3P4DAlvSM3t_6cL8ksF4kxTeF5qd-FewgY8GrzXHHtHCM1PuVpyUlcImCJkbKcWTQ/s1600/Door+Edited.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 500px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq7-LUvIIdyqEDmvOMYZG1AtfsRtouwL6ba06valIlwv4J7MmfMj0aTJR6OoicZyUijCEvrtF_4sJ3P4DAlvSM3t_6cL8ksF4kxTeF5qd-FewgY8GrzXHHtHCM1PuVpyUlcImCJkbKcWTQ/s400/Door+Edited.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5686875847930066322" /></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj60Vew89P_Gdm1SnO_4qkYdELeBOuz84UJLG6FKXAdh2UxnSNgMDJ312nZvPWvL8ibzMX14d1t_282NMoPhA79CHivX00raD7s7hM8nROnsQmB1PogtcvxuG-TkBVowdOdLa0bfLcjfmyH/s1600/Factory+Far+Edited.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 500px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj60Vew89P_Gdm1SnO_4qkYdELeBOuz84UJLG6FKXAdh2UxnSNgMDJ312nZvPWvL8ibzMX14d1t_282NMoPhA79CHivX00raD7s7hM8nROnsQmB1PogtcvxuG-TkBVowdOdLa0bfLcjfmyH/s400/Factory+Far+Edited.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5686876083426105538" /></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBqGehmn4occHC6QPzIbwWBhpMfBh2IDNhrVgszO_u-0eCwsz06J30cv9BId48IQS9p9m8bcy1sG3MLOjq8ryM9p75enuyfuInOC39TxWJWzRHCd_6nRFZzQRxNt08NcPvUOnS2T6BFzrP/s1600/Factory+Front+Edited.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 500px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBqGehmn4occHC6QPzIbwWBhpMfBh2IDNhrVgszO_u-0eCwsz06J30cv9BId48IQS9p9m8bcy1sG3MLOjq8ryM9p75enuyfuInOC39TxWJWzRHCd_6nRFZzQRxNt08NcPvUOnS2T6BFzrP/s400/Factory+Front+Edited.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5686876520537134402" /></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQbc3wdk2WhSETWb02X0_6rHG5j-fId747BH-eYAYkK-LOjuQ9pgD9PkYAr_OYwzaO_VcG91L_OPUHab3jwlkQOX7NUFQ_rGGT7a4FIeLDzusO_4b07OugILQA5tb3YQWycc0zJOgoExrw/s1600/Three+Floors+Edited.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 500px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQbc3wdk2WhSETWb02X0_6rHG5j-fId747BH-eYAYkK-LOjuQ9pgD9PkYAr_OYwzaO_VcG91L_OPUHab3jwlkQOX7NUFQ_rGGT7a4FIeLDzusO_4b07OugILQA5tb3YQWycc0zJOgoExrw/s400/Three+Floors+Edited.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5686876775843773906" /></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLoWjiQLJV_F4QEXInlaB-F5BeqfP0Vu32XzYjFpwq1HQcCAxswWsTJsRv8LaABxw55OslOk_4btY5buOvwROtsq7vrTX3TW638b7caYM3iW3RT_Dnt5wKhbjw8KDHFeICURgkhfAvVMaG/s1600/Windows+Edited.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 500px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLoWjiQLJV_F4QEXInlaB-F5BeqfP0Vu32XzYjFpwq1HQcCAxswWsTJsRv8LaABxw55OslOk_4btY5buOvwROtsq7vrTX3TW638b7caYM3iW3RT_Dnt5wKhbjw8KDHFeICURgkhfAvVMaG/s400/Windows+Edited.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5686877013645525570" /></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh770Q9NKJSH8fNTwb3iIYcfkZ9PzZ-bDKFiLlVwkOQw-tsKHFiS1IpYy3QPXx30yeVT7s2ZM1OKJsfhuD2yMErAgbdPgI8tDXsd2RB_YVSMoWFwm4mCcDkUrdTxHX4XYqI71NSwfggnSo_/s1600/Windows+2+Edited.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 500px; height: 394px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh770Q9NKJSH8fNTwb3iIYcfkZ9PzZ-bDKFiLlVwkOQw-tsKHFiS1IpYy3QPXx30yeVT7s2ZM1OKJsfhuD2yMErAgbdPgI8tDXsd2RB_YVSMoWFwm4mCcDkUrdTxHX4XYqI71NSwfggnSo_/s400/Windows+2+Edited.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5686877585105485266" /></a><br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">If you liked what you saw it would be awesome if you could click the Stumble Icon in the top right hand corner of this page and recommend it.</div><div><br /></div><div><div style="text-align: center;">Of course, all images are copyright Thomas Dulieu 2010, but feel free to download them if you wish to use them as desktop backgrounds.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Cheers!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">EDIT: Replaced the old photos with edited ones.</div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1647644083268601747.post-4475149350896804932011-12-09T13:38:00.000+00:002021-01-24T16:34:10.668+00:00How to shop cheaply and eat healthily on a student budget.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1647644083268601747.post-75978507026862556432011-12-07T19:03:00.010+00:002021-01-24T16:34:13.437+00:00For those of you with a laptop.<div style="text-align: center;">Laptops are pretty common now-a-days, they can be relatively cheap, they're easy to move from place to place, they're light and they're fast. Because of these attributes they are the machine of choice for students, but what happens when your laptop, containing within it your virtual social life, music and entertainment, breaks?</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhzpwTR72jLewVnODU3JRO-3S1CDY52KaQpCnMm3dHZ1Ta7HVYcDgfgFm3jbwazfv0C0WqfS4j-GZ8fGLyPe4iVk91Fc48fFVmS73sswgR9DLEOYr04SrPDS9DVAOkd3JBADv-8g7jVSw0/s1600/6575-000128.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 233px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhzpwTR72jLewVnODU3JRO-3S1CDY52KaQpCnMm3dHZ1Ta7HVYcDgfgFm3jbwazfv0C0WqfS4j-GZ8fGLyPe4iVk91Fc48fFVmS73sswgR9DLEOYr04SrPDS9DVAOkd3JBADv-8g7jVSw0/s320/6575-000128.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5683473106272757362" /></a>Why wont this tiny laptop work?! Take that small plant!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Most people would go to their local stockist, the place from which they bought the laptop, somewhere like Comet or Pc World or the Apple shop if it's a mac. There they would find a quote for a couple of hundred to get it fixed and a long wait to get the bits in, or get it sent away to get fixed.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">In most cases the stockist would tell the customer that it's probably cheaper just to get a new laptop than wait around for your old one to get fixed and pay the hefty charge, and so people, as is basically common sense, do.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Of course this makes perfect sense to the companies doing the repairs, and fair enough, if their aim is to make money then they've done it well, and there's no law against it.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlF8qYkzCyu-qDkMxF862OtaUOHKIPcuTTN5Jb5vIa3Tj7V9kR_uoebAC6DAw6a2Ga474mbgTb8Cto2AqjxbahI2qulA2fdIBok5vnybvuL4B_GB-BViJgISdCrvjx-EY9twG2m_OPxXE0/s1600/6418-000030.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 238px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlF8qYkzCyu-qDkMxF862OtaUOHKIPcuTTN5Jb5vIa3Tj7V9kR_uoebAC6DAw6a2Ga474mbgTb8Cto2AqjxbahI2qulA2fdIBok5vnybvuL4B_GB-BViJgISdCrvjx-EY9twG2m_OPxXE0/s320/6418-000030.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5683472337804071010" /></a><br />Aah ha ha! Money for my eyes!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">However, by a stroke of luck I ended up not going to the Apple store like I was planning and instead got told of a small shop down an old back-street in Derby town centre that did laptop repairs specifically for students.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">I biked my way up there and met Matt, I could tell from the first few seconds of conversation that I was talking to a good man, he told me he'd built this business from the age of sixteen and had just recently procured a venue for the shop.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">I felt safe giving away my laptop and he assured me he'd have it back to me the day after with a bigger memory at an easy price of £120.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Absolutely incredible service and price in comparison to the couple of hundred I would have had to pay taking it to an Apple shop, not to mention the extra time it would take them as a big business with lots of slow turning cogs.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">So the next time your laptop breaks or you decide you need a new one I humbly suggest that you <a href="http://www.uksl-ltd.com/">check out UK Student Laptops</a>.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbnBUndhUu_zcMeyaTzun3qDPLwU7WpNmzGpwKBkR5KvZ7BnKwzMFf56-FA9ENbk_pWikFTi26K-WBM0nRylM7ytKIgwSktQNkh_UKAjVu775rCluTWyZuORjkiUoz8e6fKlnzKhrvLRBB/s1600/contactsign.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 177px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbnBUndhUu_zcMeyaTzun3qDPLwU7WpNmzGpwKBkR5KvZ7BnKwzMFf56-FA9ENbk_pWikFTi26K-WBM0nRylM7ytKIgwSktQNkh_UKAjVu775rCluTWyZuORjkiUoz8e6fKlnzKhrvLRBB/s320/contactsign.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5683470352624027922" /></a>Plugged.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1647644083268601747.post-42415249630043844402011-12-07T16:49:00.014+00:002021-01-24T16:34:16.332+00:00Being without technology in a technologically reliant age.<div style="text-align: center;">It's something most people don't think about in their day-to-day lives, but our society and our culture is being wrapped around technology without us even noticing it.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">When I found that my lap-top wouldn't turn on, I wont lie, I was pretty pissed off. However, I resolved that I would get over it and would live on life as normal, I promised myself I wouldn't simply keel over at my lack of a prosthetic technology-limb and begin crying softly into a sock.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBE8IOfHZTq1Tp8b1P8C7bHkNXSYHRHbnoMTEDmKDtCDCakpmBBmhLgGu8XwylEeNQFpfVXFTmaJBr4lTU0TUnlb1THR9c2WIAePPo-xIu5KUfzI-HTxuFwYpX3jxvcLwosrK5T7XBHFth/s1600/1234834286KDu47o.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBE8IOfHZTq1Tp8b1P8C7bHkNXSYHRHbnoMTEDmKDtCDCakpmBBmhLgGu8XwylEeNQFpfVXFTmaJBr4lTU0TUnlb1THR9c2WIAePPo-xIu5KUfzI-HTxuFwYpX3jxvcLwosrK5T7XBHFth/s320/1234834286KDu47o.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5683452780920154338" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">How am I supposed to move on with my life</div><div style="text-align: center;"> when I'm still in disbelief as to whether or not it's butter!?</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">As some of my friends know I've had a period (huh huh) without a laptop for the last two days and it's strange just how much I've missed it. I found I needed it for entertainment, for music (which I very surly missed) and to keep up-to-date on current affairs. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">I did literally find myself in my room, staring at a blank wall. I tried to snap myself out of it, I got a small wind up radio from the bath-room and placed it atop a box, turned it on and tried to think of something to do. I lit some incense, sipped some fizz, scratched my head, laid down, sat up, made noises with my mouth, coughed, sniffed, did a small dance to no music, and just generally existed. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8_n7llm9fkiGWiM616GVjhJ_wvr0ZADJCxtTGOr12q3MMoAER_rCAjpNulx753F7jJRk8fjetIWHAYdYMBgd8jZtNbrBDFq4K7f5s_SvRTF8wS9Oy85kUHX-GBZjnIyA-VwHWAL9Zvbl_/s1600/1240945025E7qk1t.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 120px; height: 120px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8_n7llm9fkiGWiM616GVjhJ_wvr0ZADJCxtTGOr12q3MMoAER_rCAjpNulx753F7jJRk8fjetIWHAYdYMBgd8jZtNbrBDFq4K7f5s_SvRTF8wS9Oy85kUHX-GBZjnIyA-VwHWAL9Zvbl_/s320/1240945025E7qk1t.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5683454595469694114" /></a>Existence...</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">This was ridiculous, I liked to think of myself as someone who didn't need technology to fill my life, I liked to think of myself as a free-spirit bouncing from place to place on life's drifting whims. But indeed I'm more of a shell fish, deciding that actually it's bloody cold out there and i'd rather stay inside with my technology thank you very much.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">In the end my super productive day consisted of not going out anywhere because it was windy and rainy and, besides, I had nothing to do, sitting in-front of the TV looking for something good to put on, which, of course, there never is, and staring dumbly into space, playing with my belly-button.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Although I did make this for my tomato plant.<br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPsfdhsAxjXmmdCKRyUsDJ65CaO_JFfL6TlSEGBqR3VyNTzANHuDKeM8G20KKu5fDve044wLWnWa5Gd1RnRhiQ8REwf1rw9_OMJWkYeA1HIg0m_Lq-f5Uv_X7BicolWfdirqwhoatvfXER/s1600/Tomato+Plant.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPsfdhsAxjXmmdCKRyUsDJ65CaO_JFfL6TlSEGBqR3VyNTzANHuDKeM8G20KKu5fDve044wLWnWa5Gd1RnRhiQ8REwf1rw9_OMJWkYeA1HIg0m_Lq-f5Uv_X7BicolWfdirqwhoatvfXER/s320/Tomato+Plant.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5683451315212765474" /></a>Oh look, a tomato plant.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">So it wasn't all bad.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">I think it's interesting to consider, though, the amount we rely on technology now-a-days to live a normal life; people once dreamed of a time when computers would do all of the menial jobs for us, leaving us free to pursue far more important things. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Maybe all those dreams of android housemaids and cyber-kenetic prostitutes are closer than we think...</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih9nGyBqHN7dg-dqqvI15fctAp8G42z-AAyrYrbKOK6HKOuH4HN2OsUE2RXQvrs5tqeLMuG40N5yasoz119W9g7zllCaUrVIVtDc0RkPOqc9tMg0BtVWmnkUVmEuXXXYcMM5kDrQnS_iEO/s1600/1268620815QkVd9W.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih9nGyBqHN7dg-dqqvI15fctAp8G42z-AAyrYrbKOK6HKOuH4HN2OsUE2RXQvrs5tqeLMuG40N5yasoz119W9g7zllCaUrVIVtDc0RkPOqc9tMg0BtVWmnkUVmEuXXXYcMM5kDrQnS_iEO/s320/1268620815QkVd9W.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5683456031819788450" /></a><div style="text-align: center;">One day...</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1647644083268601747.post-10742174034922024522011-12-03T11:56:00.003+00:002021-01-24T16:36:30.679+00:00Pretty Purple Plimsolles<iframe width="500" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/8x8v8gBMnWE" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe><br /><br />Here's a performance poem I wrote last year and just got round to recording :)Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1647644083268601747.post-47707751952334676602010-11-13T17:04:00.002+00:002021-01-24T16:37:22.389+00:00In My DayHere's a little something I found as I was archiving some of my older stuff on this site. Hope you enjoy :)<div><br /></div><div><br /><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" color: rgb(66, 66, 66); line-height: 20px; font-family:'Courier New', Courier, FreeMono, monospace;font-size:14px;">In my day, we kept ourselves occupied with networking sites, or computer games, with lag, that would sometimes just turn themselves off for no reason.<br /><br />In my day, if the internet went off, you just got on with it, or you had to go all the way downstairs to turn it on again.<br /><br />In my day, if you wanted to get somewhere you got in a car, with petrol that exploded, and you would sit in traffic jams for hours on end and everybody crashed.<br /><br />In my day, bad weather would bring the whole country to a standstill, and everybody got a day off work.<br /><br />In my day, news papers would twist the truth to sell more copies, and everyone was afraid of guns and drugs and teenagers.<br /><br />In my day, we were afraid of terrorists and reliable energy and global warming.<br /><br />In my day, the whole world was unstable and everyone was quarreling about everything.<br /><br />In my day, things were simpler, better.</span></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1647644083268601747.post-36917343622280947682010-11-07T15:39:00.002+00:002021-01-24T16:37:27.540+00:00BLacK NoIZeInteresting things going on with the black project at the moment, finally managed to procure a mixing board from a very kind man from next door.<div><br /></div><div>If you haven't already heard <a href="http://www.ourstage.com/tracks/GGJOMVHDEYHI-ud-the-helix">UD233</a> then you can <a href="http://www.ourstage.com/tracks/GGJOMVHDEYHI-ud-the-helix">HERE</a>. It's the first song from the Black Noize project which when finished will probably contain around four or five tracks, all with a different specific feeling to them. At the moment I'm working on the second song, which has a far more airy and dreamy feeling about it, and am into my second version (basically the first one turned to pot, but I put it down to experience and am starting afresh with some of the better ideas from the original).</div><div><br /></div><div>I'm using www.last.fm to host all of my music, and putting it all up on there for free download, I will also, however, be putting higher quality downloads up on megaupload, the links for which will be displayed on this website.</div><div><br /></div><div>There's also a possibility of at some point releasing the tracks on CD, although this is far off in the future and the music will remain free to download. Big plans ahead, lets see how it goes :)</div><div><br /></div><div>Other than that not much going on in the world of writing, just a whole load of boring uni work like book reports (Urgh). Had the family round yesterday which was nice, had a lovely meal and went to see a comedy act in the city. Anyways, now I have a printer so I can build up a pile of printed work (Yay).</div><div><br /></div><div>Ps. I've had to change the original name from Black Noise to Black Noize for copyright reasons.</div><div>Pss. Also, hopefully soon we'll have some artwork designed for UD233 up soon, courtesy of <a href="http://davnid.deviantart.com">David Pringle</a>, a photographer whose work can be found <a href="http://davnid.deviantart.com">Here</a>.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1647644083268601747.post-57563959981950060172010-09-20T15:09:00.004+01:002021-01-24T16:37:52.129+00:00Shits and gigglesBut slightly less giggles. <div><br /></div><div>Woke up this morning with what I assumed to be a hangover, even though my last nights escapades hadn't seemed too expansive. It soon occurred to me, however, that this was not entirely the case (although I'm sure it mixed in there somewhere) favoring my rather disgusting symptoms instead to food poisoning. I'm blaming it on some rushed rice I cooked the evening before, before heading off to a street party. </div><div><br /></div><div>I'm not going to go into it a great deal as I'm sure your imagination can fill in the gaps, I can tell you however that it relates to this post's title. The illness left me flitting between my room and the toilet before I forced myself out of the dorm to catch a bus up to the campus. On the way up I met a rather nice young lady who just so happened to be doing the same course as me, which was a good thing, because I had no idea what time I was meant to be there (well, actually this is a lie, I vaguely remember a drunken conversation in which eleven o'clock came in somewhere), and had no idea what room I was meant to be in. Everyone on my course seems rather nice, and I had a chat with some people on the way down in which I met the aforesaid 11 o'clock guy.</div><div><br /></div><div>Needless to say I am yet to eat, the fear of bringing it up again putting me in a rather useless position in which I'm hungry, have food, but cannot eat. As for the street party last night, I'm afraid I don't remember much of it and may well have made a considerable fool out of myself.</div><div><br /></div><div>Anyway, to all those people I met and gave out cards to with this address on it, Hi, to everyone else, until next time...</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1647644083268601747.post-53305909050810069442010-09-19T12:04:00.000+01:002021-01-24T16:37:50.653+00:00The university of DerbyIt seems whenever I start one of these posts I'm apologising for not being frequent enough with my updates. This time my excuse is rather less noble than "I was too busy", because I've been filling my time instead with going out and getting idiotically drunk, either in the run up to going off to uni in order to efficiently say goodbye to my childhood friends, or while actually at uni in freshers week (or freshers fortnight in my case).<div><br /></div><div>So far I've totted up half a day and one night in student halls and have managed in that time to meet rather alot of people through slightly tipsy escapades in which I've wondered around the city of derby with some people I'd never met before (and I'm sorry, were quite boring), got lost, and ended up grabbing a taxi to the main campus where I was told the party would be terrible. This however was not the case, and although queuing for half an hour to get a drink was rather frustrating, did sedate my crave for flashing lights and loud music.</div><div><br /></div><div>In and amongst that I have managed in fact to do no writing whatsoever, my plans to finish off The Chase have been put on hold for the foreseeable future, or at least the foreseeable future in which alcohol and good company flow freely and are relatively within budget. Instead I've decided to update my blog with boring facts about my life more regularly, more for my own benefit than for that of others, as I can't seem to remember a great deal of what's happened during the past month or so (I'm sure this is in no small way accounted by for the aforementioned excessive consumption of poison) and I can hopefully use this as a reference point, or to look back and laugh at my own stupidity.</div><div><br /></div><div>That's it for now folks, until next time.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1647644083268601747.post-42333562947620506932010-09-06T10:55:00.000+01:002021-01-24T16:38:00.736+00:00Reading in Reading, Walking and CampingPretty much sums up what I've been up to for the past couple of days.<div><br /></div><div>Reading was and excellent festival (the bits that I can remember) and apart from a rather disappointing example of bad showmanship from the pre-madonna Axl Rose, I found most of the bands to live up to my expectations. Didn't get much of a chance to write in between hangovers and drunken escapades, but took my note book nevertheless in the vain hope that some random strain of inspiration might come spinning into my head.</div><div><br /></div><div>I then had around two days to recover before being whisked away by my father on a walk from my home in Hertfordshire all the way off to Southend. It was great fun, save the freezing cold nights in my microlight sleeping bag, curled up with every single piece of clothing I own wrapped about my person, and amounted to a rather impressive 45 miles in all.</div><div><br /></div><div>Now I'm back in the home town and have finally managed to grab some time to myself to update this little blog of mine. As for actually doing any writing I'm afraid the since the last post I've been relatively unproductive, and by relatively I mean I've done nothing.</div><div><br /></div><div>Hopefully get some stuff written up this afternoon, before I wonder off to Camden Town to perform my last ever gig with StereoTypical before we bugger off to Uni. Lets hope the bloody tube workers actually bother to do their job and don't go on strike.</div><div><br /></div><div>Until then...</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0