guitar

Session Guitarist

I just had the most amazing guitar session… on my own. My stepbrother’s band are about as active as half of England’s batsmen today… so I’m writing some music to my songs, and it’s going fairly well. I know my guitar as well as you do, and I have only guitar effect, namely "overdrive", so the results are spectacular if not completely useless. But I’m working on riffs and frameworks for "Sinner In Your Eyes" – and I’m going for a Dream Theater effect. And I’m getting to where I want to be, even though it will of course be nowhere near Dream Theater standard. Oh well…

...with one reply so far.

Subdued

Although I expected my exam results to be disappointing, I didn’t expect them to that disappointing. The stark reality is that a first is pretty much beyond me now. This annoys me somewhat, as I only really have myself to blame.

I let myself get distracted by any small thing. My bedroom has a computer and a PS2, and my guitars. If I’m not in my room, I tend to be on my laptop. Over the last semester I built three websites from scratch – one for me, two for others. My note-taking technique was as bad as they have been since I have been in education: higher or otherwise.

So that’s my wakeup call. And I didn’t have to wait long in the day to discover where others succeed where I haven’t: discipline. While others can come in from uni and do some work, I tend to switch off completely and do anything non-constructive.

However, I really want to start recording my music, but it’s so much effort. I just need some encouragement and motivation. Rather like my uni work in so many ways…

...with 3 replies.

Busk Idol

In a joint venture between NSR FM and The Gate, there is to be a competition called Busk Idol. There will be a competition to find four of those with musical talent to busk in The Gate, and keep the money they earn. The Gate will then match what has been earned and donate it to Tiny Lives in the Royal Victoria Infirmary.

I would be tempted to enter, but there are several things that stop me:

  1. I will look like a right wally;
  2. I don’t have a full-size acoustic guitar;
  3. I have only one song in my set, and I haven’t completely finished it yet;
  4. I would have to enter by recording myself on camera (which I don’t have);
  5. I’m not convinced I can sing – and I suspect many will agree.

As such, I’ll pass on this one, and I will instead opt to finish the songs and try to record them.

...with no replies just yet.

Burns Baby, Burns

I want this guitar.(Please.)P.

S. It’s only about £700…

...with one reply so far.

Sittingbourne 2006 #1

Adam’s Party

Well I got off the train about 4pm and walked through Sittingbourne, smiling away – I was back in town! I saw Chris Williams on the way to Sittingbourne Rec (“Albany Park”). Caught up with Adam, Pole, Lauren and some other people as they gathered in the park before we set off to Gore Court. Adam – such a nice bloke (not a boy any more!) – carried my guitar as I had one of the scariest phone conversations I ever had. Not very nice to hear that kind of thing.

But anyway, to the party. I really enjoyed it. After a couple of drinks, I started chatting to everyone! The bands were really good as well, interspersed with songs from The Mighty Boosh. Have a cup of tea!

Adam got wallpaper-pasted, I just received an email sent to everyone that was there asking what happened to him that night! I can only help him up until the party finished, as I went back to Pete and Donna’s, while he was probably having God-knows-what pierced by Pie. But I hear good things happened after I parted with them, which is indeed very good.

Back to the party! I had a good chat with Ayshe (Adam’s Mum) and Steph, and her boyfriend, and Rhys too… he was playing Lemmings. Bless!

Anyway, that was probably the best 18th I had gone to! Shame I never heard Hello by Lionel Richie being played!

...with no replies just yet.

Stardom Can Wait

I am a little disappointed tonight because I won’t be performing on stage. I thought that I might have played guitar and sang at my friend’s 18th. Thing is, I said I would if he would play bass. He saw the light. But I should still be going to his party, and I should still be seeing many of my Sittingbourne friends!

However, I am a little (more) disappointed. Phil can’t come up to Durham, and Colin has a lot of stuff on. Whether Anthony would want to come up on his own now remains to be seen, so that’s a little disappointing. Wow – three disappoints in one post.

But on the bright side, I am deliriously happy!

...with no replies just yet.

Pain Is Close To Pleasure

My wrist bloody hurts. I probably have repetitive strain injury (RSI) from continued writing, typing and… playing my guitar. I have an exam tomorrow afternoon (oh yes, an afternoon exam!) so I have stopped revising for the night. I am finding it difficult to revise effectively at the moment. I can’t quite put my finger on why. Noise distracts me. Silence distracts me.

Silence distracts me because my mind tries to fill in the void. So I think about my muses, my past, and my future.

Oh my future. I know everything that is going to happen up until 2nd June. Two days. After that, anything could happen. 5th-8th June should be when Anthony, Colin and Phil come up. 9th June I’m down to Sittingbourne. However, at the moment, I’m going to have try to hide somewhere in Sittingbourne overnight so that I might not be attacked by drunk/high/normal scallies. Or I could blag a place to stay. So if I send you a text tomorrow, it is because I do in fact love you very, very much!

...with 8 replies.