September 21, 2008
BUG 09 NEWS!
LAST CHANCE TO BOOK FOR BUG 09, THE DIRECTORS CUT, THIS TUESDAY 23rd SEPTEMBER!
Last Thursday’s BUG 09 at the BFI Southbank was another hugely enjoyable evening (if I say so myself), filled with the most interesting, unusual and yes, shocking music videos and animated shorts around. As usual between the vids I talked various kinds of bollocks as well as giving a live demo of some on line interactive videos that went down a treat (again, I apologise for the tooting of a trumpet I’m so heavily invested in, but it was the quality of the vids that carried it). Thanks if you came along last Thursday, especially if you were one of the people who came up afterwards to chat and in one case, give me the amazing gift of a can of fish from Latin America with the brand name ‘Fanny’. As we all know, the gift of Fanny is one of the most precious a man can receive so I was humbled. The evening was sold out but we’re putting the same show on again (minus the interview section but plus another couple of great vids) this Tuesday 23rd at the BFI so do come along if you haven’t been able to so far.
You can book for BUG 09 The Directors Cut here
In the meantime, here’s one of the videos that made a big impression the other night. It’s by the Canadian artist Chad VanGaalen and it’s an animated piece he made himself for one of his own compositions. Like so much we show at BUG, it’s a delicious slice of unique vision pie! See you on Tuesday I hope.
September 16, 2008
MOJO SONG WARS NEWS!
MOJO SONG WARS INTERVIEW AND 2 NEW SONGS!
Well, I say songs, they’re more like extended jingles that I did for the music magazine Mojo after their deputy editor Andrew Male came and interviewed us for their website a few weeks back.
Read the short Song Wars interview here.
I love Mojo mag. I read a lot of music and film mags and Mojo is the only one that I have never thrown across the room in disgust. I am one of those men of an uncertain age who has piles of back issues in the attic and occasionally I’ll get a few random numbers down (we call them ‘numbers’ in the sad-mag-man universe) and read a few articles I skipped the first time round or maybe re-read some reviews of albums I’ve grown to love to see if our opinions tally. It’s also interesting to see how the tone of the mag has changed over years. Hey, it’s a party round my way, I tell you!
The other day I was thumbing a number from 2000 and was shocked to find how negative bits of the mag were then. I forgot they used to have an anonymous gossip section called The Walrus that made silly catty remarks about various bands as if someone working at Mojo felt they needed to get a slice of the Pop Bitch cake or something. I’m glad they’ve dropped that. Fuck anonymous gossip sections! Not that I’m in favour of blanket toadying, but I’ve always preferred publications that supply me with dispassionate information rather than ready made carping as if I’m not able to catch my own carp. The day I finally agree to write a bitchy opinion piece for some mag or website is the day you’ll know the vaults of the Banco de Buckles have got very bare indeed (which may be sometime towards the end of this year).
Anyway, as an expression of my ongoing affection for Mojo I came up with these extended jingholes in the style of Beck (circa Odelay) and The Fall (with M.E.Smith’s more recent growling vocal style, although I can’t pretend the music is too similar). They’re on the Mojo website but I thought I’d make them keep-able here.
Rooty toot!
love Adam 16th September 2008
September 11, 2008
6 MUSIC & BUG 09 NEWS!
I HAVEN’T TAKEN MY OWN LIFE!
You could be forgiven for thinking that back in July this year I posted about MeeBOX not being commissioned then immediately sank into a deep sofa of depression from which I have only just hauled myself, hence my lack of on line activity. Nothing could be further from the truth. I’ve been skipping about, dancing and laughing and singing with friends, family and TV commissioners and there was simply no time left to attend to my blog duties. Apologies. I’ll try to reduce the gaps in future.
ADAM & JOE ON 6 MUSIC
In the meantime things have been going well at the Castle, despite it being tough to fit in radio duties with our other work commitments recently. To be specific, Joe has film commitments and I’m trying to reform The Commitments but I’m having trouble with Andrew Strong, he’s a loose cannon I tell you! Because of all this we’ve been doing Song Wars less regularly than we might otherwise but sometimes a show where we have absolutely nothing prepared turns out to be very enjoyable. Whether it’s as enjoyable for listeners I don’t know.
I’m not in the habit of seeking out criticism, either good or bad but a couple of reviews of Joe and myself on the radio were pointed out to me by almost everyone I know over the last few weeks. Amazingly we appear to have earned a regular listener in the form of Telegraph radio critic Gillian Reynolds who makes kind mention not just here but here! I’ll let you know when the backlash starts but until then my Mum and Dad have never been prouder.
Here’s a pic of me and Joe with our Video Wars competition winner Chris Salt, The Saltman, Salty, A Salt With A Deadly Chris, Ready Salted Chris, Sea Salt, Summer Salt etc. A very nice guy and a very worthy winner.
BUG 09, BFI SOUTHBANK, SEPTEMBER 18th & 23rd, 8.45PM
I’ll be back in the warmseat at the BFI Southbank on Thursday 18th September for BUG 09. If you’ve not made it along to one of these, it’s a bi monthly evening of top-notch new music videos, which I host. As well as the vids there’s also an interview of variable ridiculosity with a painfully hip director (Romain Gavras this time I think) and my occasional rambles through the joyous lunacy of the You Tube comments paddock. If it’s sold out, which tends to happen, then why not come along to BUG The Directors Cut the following Tuesday 23rd, also at the BFI Southbank. It’s basically the same show as the previous Thursday but minus the director interview (hence ‘the directors cut’ you see!!) so although my stupid chatter will still feature, it makes for a leaner show overall!
You can book tickets for BUG 09 or BUG 09 The Directors Cut here
Hope to see you there.
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September 11th, 2008