Top 3 Gigs of 2008

(In date order):

Autechre on 4th March 08 in Hearn Street Car Park, London
Great atmosphere, nice vaguely illicit sort of vibe, great venue (it was actually a car park with a roof over one end). The boys played brilliantly in the usual laptop style; more accessible than recorded, and nice and loud. Left with cold feet.

Efterklang on 3rd April 08 at Pressure Point, Brighton
Nice intimate venue, brilliant playing, music from all LPs, fantastically talented multi-instrumentalists. What a frontman. Left with a huge smile on my face.

My Bloody Valentine on 23rd June 08 at Roundhouse, London
Amusingly loud; earplugs mandatory (takes the top end off, but can still hear the tunes). People without plugs were wincing and/or running away. Cue the usual "wall of sound" cliché. Brilliant. Left with my jaw open.
...
Speaking of the last gig reminds me of two further things: first time I was ever handed earplugs at a gig was Dillinja's Valve system (and you really could feel the bass in that one). And the other was seeing Glenn Branca playing the South Bank about 15 years ago - and watching confused classical buffs leaving the hall in droves. Rock and roll.

An Introduction

Right, thought I'd kick off my entry in to the Blogosphere by giving you a bit of background, together with the inevitable Top 3 list. I'm a frustrated DJ/musician living in Brighton, UK with a small family, who spends too much time and money on tech, records and booze. I've built up a small studio, had the occasional bit of local airplay and played a local DJ gig or two.


(Some records, some decks, and some synths (more later on those later, probably).

Musical taste is predictably wide-ranging (do you hate this phrase as much as I do? It normally means some pop music with a bit of Vivaldi's "Four Seasons" thrown in for variety, or is that just me?) but includes electronic(a) (ambient, dubsetp, d'n'b, techno, 70s German), post-rock, minimalism (from Reich and Riley to Kompakt), pre-war Blues, Vivaldi, et cetera.

Why am I doing all this? Simply to share ideas, gather ideas, and get feedback! (So go easy with me, it's my first time.)

Oh, and that list? ...