The band on the stage.
The band together with Rockstar and mini minx
The Promo
Mini minx......well mini minxing!
The scene of the butchery!!!!!Us drumming in the solstice sun....I'm getting bitten to shreds by gnats and mozis
Monday, 29 June 2009
Faery Fest 2009 ...The pictures
All photos by the DarkMagi
The band on the stage.
The band together with Rockstar and mini minx
The Promo
Mini minx......well mini minxing!
The scene of the butchery!!!!!Us drumming in the solstice sun....I'm getting bitten to shreds by gnats and mozis
The band on the stage.
The band together with Rockstar and mini minx
The Promo
Mini minx......well mini minxing!
The scene of the butchery!!!!!Us drumming in the solstice sun....I'm getting bitten to shreds by gnats and mozis
Thursday, 25 June 2009
Away with the Faeries ...sheep shite and spots
No not some weird and wonderful 80s band names but my weekend at the 3 wishes Faery Fest 2009. What a great time it was too loads of alcohol a flowing but no yobbery no bad behaviour ...we only came accross nice polite people and kids .......and twanging my bass strings and hearing the reverberation aound the festival area was fantastic!!!!!!!hope we get invited back next year I really do .
Drumming at dawn on summer solstice morning at a Wood Henge beside the lake was a real cool experience too ...there was a lone piper dressed as the Holly king and then as the Oak King upon the rise of the Solstice sun ...he was cool........unfortunately this was where I was surrounded by gnats as I drummed the djembe ...Wifey with hers . Went back to sleep in the morning sun and woke up with a face looking like a domino's pizza........had to do the performance with spots.........It was so bad that at the services on the way back from Cornwall I was given a huge wide berth in a queue......
The Dark Marge was a great help roadying for us and I caught him admiring pixie and faery outfits of the younger adult faeries with extreme interest....of course marvelling at the colourful outfits some were almost wearing.........
Spriggan Mist made their debut at the Fest just after six on solstice day evening playing for an hour and a quarter we did well . I muffed up Lazy Stones but apart from that all ok . There was between a hundred and hundred and fifty people scattered around the hill having drinks in the sun ,,,it was a lovely scene and when we played "The Park "to see them all with hands in the air at the chanty bit was a special moment too......
Unfortunately some halfwit oaf set up the video of the performance right by the main speakers so it's virtually unusable cos of distortion .........ok ok twas me.........
So next is the 5th gig .........The school fete....4th July ...........can't wait I have the gigging bug bad ........look out for photies on these pages very shortly.
Drumming at dawn on summer solstice morning at a Wood Henge beside the lake was a real cool experience too ...there was a lone piper dressed as the Holly king and then as the Oak King upon the rise of the Solstice sun ...he was cool........unfortunately this was where I was surrounded by gnats as I drummed the djembe ...Wifey with hers . Went back to sleep in the morning sun and woke up with a face looking like a domino's pizza........had to do the performance with spots.........It was so bad that at the services on the way back from Cornwall I was given a huge wide berth in a queue......
The Dark Marge was a great help roadying for us and I caught him admiring pixie and faery outfits of the younger adult faeries with extreme interest....of course marvelling at the colourful outfits some were almost wearing.........
Spriggan Mist made their debut at the Fest just after six on solstice day evening playing for an hour and a quarter we did well . I muffed up Lazy Stones but apart from that all ok . There was between a hundred and hundred and fifty people scattered around the hill having drinks in the sun ,,,it was a lovely scene and when we played "The Park "to see them all with hands in the air at the chanty bit was a special moment too......
Unfortunately some halfwit oaf set up the video of the performance right by the main speakers so it's virtually unusable cos of distortion .........ok ok twas me.........
So next is the 5th gig .........The school fete....4th July ...........can't wait I have the gigging bug bad ........look out for photies on these pages very shortly.
Monday, 15 June 2009
Humuhumunukunukuapua..is the word
I was tired, very tired I looked around me and it was surreal, all these 10 year olds were doing the Humuhumunukunukuapua, That well known High School Musical song. The 10 year olds were in Hawaiian garb their mums were really getting into it and were doing all the actions on the settee…….what was I doing there!!!!!!!!!
Being on the PTA is no easy feet. It was Friday afternoon and I had been up since the crack of a sparrow’s doodah. The Sharpettes are a group of year 5s at the little’ un’s school that do tribute sketches from High School musical…..now for those of you not in the know HSM is the most annoying nauseating piece of tripe that has ever graced the silver screen…….it’s an American series of films about a group of High School kids that …….well are…musical
It was my job to go and logistically look at their latest work and see what we could do mic wise for the summer fete. So I trundle along to PTA agent Maltese Falcon ‘s house who I must say had it sorted …shove a hotdog in the hands of those kids (siblings etc.).that weren’t taking part shepherd The Sharpettes into the front room and relative order was restored from the previous excited shrill of ten year old girls wearing grass skirts and flowers. They did their performance for me with audience participation in the form of their Mum’s doing the fish noises and rather annoying spitting that is part of the song……….and there I was right in the middle of it not knowing if I should smile……keep a straight face or just make my apologies and vomit down the toilet……
Don’t get me wrong the girls are very good they do all the choreography themselves and learn the lyrics and really pull it off….but HSM is so awful!!!!! Now some of the Mum’s at the school say it’s not dissimilar to Grease in our day…..but that is not right is it?….I mean Grease is the word….It's got groove it's got meaning Grease is the time, is the place is the motion .Grease is the way we are feeling….High School Musical is Humuhumunukunukuapua……I rest my case……
PTA life is rather strange, Agent A came up to me the other day when she was explaining she was onto someone about a rumour and literally told me she should be a detective from MFI…..I ,rather confused asked ….”what , you want to nick people that steel draws and cabinets ?” I realised she meant FBI………ooohhhh….(places palm of hand across eyes and shakes head whilst looking at the floor)
But the School fete is nearly here and the flyer announcing Spriggan Mist’s participation looks like dis!
The third gig went well …we played in the forest in a clearing and played 12 songs including the new one Solstice …….Think we were well received and the mistakes we know we made weren’t glaring and actually someone from work who was there actually came to see me today and said that our music suited the environment and it was a great evening and that he could of sat there all night listening to us having a beer…..
This could be taken two ways and I did ask….(did you expect me not to?)
So our music suited the environment……we were in the woods…..
1. a polite way of saying our music was wooden …..or indeed full of sh1t….as we all know what bears do in the woods
2. Or we captured the serenity of nature and whisked people away on a wave of sublime energy of the forest.
Could have sat there all night listening to us having a beer
1. A polite way of saying …your music sounds better with a beer or it indeed drives you to drink…..
2 The relaxing cold beer was supplemented by the melodic bliss of Spriggan Mist
You can judge for yourself anyway as I have posted up a video on youtube just type in Spriggan Mist live and you will find it………….Curiously enough the video shows The Gurning Gizmo Techno kid and I with green attire…how odd…….we were wearing Black…..Wifey can also see a face in the tree behind Gurno boy ……I reckon it was the forest's way of accepting us as one of it’s own.
Next week is the biggy……..3 wishes Faery Fest…time to iron out the silly mistakes put in maximum concentration and put on smiley face…….lets rock dem Faeries!!!! In a Spriggan Rock kinda way of course.
Being on the PTA is no easy feet. It was Friday afternoon and I had been up since the crack of a sparrow’s doodah. The Sharpettes are a group of year 5s at the little’ un’s school that do tribute sketches from High School musical…..now for those of you not in the know HSM is the most annoying nauseating piece of tripe that has ever graced the silver screen…….it’s an American series of films about a group of High School kids that …….well are…musical
It was my job to go and logistically look at their latest work and see what we could do mic wise for the summer fete. So I trundle along to PTA agent Maltese Falcon ‘s house who I must say had it sorted …shove a hotdog in the hands of those kids (siblings etc.).that weren’t taking part shepherd The Sharpettes into the front room and relative order was restored from the previous excited shrill of ten year old girls wearing grass skirts and flowers. They did their performance for me with audience participation in the form of their Mum’s doing the fish noises and rather annoying spitting that is part of the song……….and there I was right in the middle of it not knowing if I should smile……keep a straight face or just make my apologies and vomit down the toilet……
Don’t get me wrong the girls are very good they do all the choreography themselves and learn the lyrics and really pull it off….but HSM is so awful!!!!! Now some of the Mum’s at the school say it’s not dissimilar to Grease in our day…..but that is not right is it?….I mean Grease is the word….It's got groove it's got meaning Grease is the time, is the place is the motion .Grease is the way we are feeling….High School Musical is Humuhumunukunukuapua……I rest my case……
PTA life is rather strange, Agent A came up to me the other day when she was explaining she was onto someone about a rumour and literally told me she should be a detective from MFI…..I ,rather confused asked ….”what , you want to nick people that steel draws and cabinets ?” I realised she meant FBI………ooohhhh….(places palm of hand across eyes and shakes head whilst looking at the floor)
But the School fete is nearly here and the flyer announcing Spriggan Mist’s participation looks like dis!
The third gig went well …we played in the forest in a clearing and played 12 songs including the new one Solstice …….Think we were well received and the mistakes we know we made weren’t glaring and actually someone from work who was there actually came to see me today and said that our music suited the environment and it was a great evening and that he could of sat there all night listening to us having a beer…..
This could be taken two ways and I did ask….(did you expect me not to?)
So our music suited the environment……we were in the woods…..
1. a polite way of saying our music was wooden …..or indeed full of sh1t….as we all know what bears do in the woods
2. Or we captured the serenity of nature and whisked people away on a wave of sublime energy of the forest.
Could have sat there all night listening to us having a beer
1. A polite way of saying …your music sounds better with a beer or it indeed drives you to drink…..
2 The relaxing cold beer was supplemented by the melodic bliss of Spriggan Mist
You can judge for yourself anyway as I have posted up a video on youtube just type in Spriggan Mist live and you will find it………….Curiously enough the video shows The Gurning Gizmo Techno kid and I with green attire…how odd…….we were wearing Black…..Wifey can also see a face in the tree behind Gurno boy ……I reckon it was the forest's way of accepting us as one of it’s own.
Next week is the biggy……..3 wishes Faery Fest…time to iron out the silly mistakes put in maximum concentration and put on smiley face…….lets rock dem Faeries!!!! In a Spriggan Rock kinda way of course.
Tuesday, 9 June 2009
Number one super guy.....Quicker than a human eye!!
Two stone ...it's official I have lost two stone since Easter Monday .......and when I have just had a morning doo doo it's two stone two pounds but that I suspect is far too much information.
Well the Maltese word for rain is indeed xita (pronounced Shit-a) and that about summed up the weather this weekend really....as we lazed around as a family ensuring that our children watch educational things on the telly like .......the whole series of Hong Kong Phooey (did you know they only actually made 16 episodes????).......I mean he was a 70s Martial arts icon ..............shame he hung himself really .....or was that David Carradine?..........none the less Hong Kong Phooey used to jump into a filing cabinet to get changed ...maybe David Carradine jumped into a wardrobe to do the same and got it wrong trying to emulate the real top dog in 70s chop sockys!!!!!!..........could be?
Before you all call us lazy bar stewards I'll explain why we were chilled as penguins! we have full diaries the next few weekends.
Next week is Rockstar's birthday ...he is 8.........and we are taking him and his partner in crime from many school playground tales of cheekiness and general Tom Foolery to Diggerland in Kent. The next day we are gigging at Phasels Wood in Kings Langley where Rockstar makes his debut with the new line up of Spriggan Mist on " The Park and Orion II"
We have been practicing and may even include a small set of Reels .....my !!!!!how times have changed ........there is me playing the old root and fifths to trad. folk stuff....and loving it.....
I have checked my self ...I don't smell of wet dogs and mothballs ....... yet so I'm not a real folky. Although the clothes I'm wearing on stage will probably get more outrageous as we progress on our musical journey.
Which leads me onto a little pet project of mine.......my aim is to get the Incredible Gurning Gizmo kid in to Spriggan Mist role.......Without doubt he is an integral part of the new Spriggan Mist sound in performance, arrangement and writing........but we need to get him kitted out .....I'm thinking medievel tunics and Harem trousers and sandals ...without the socks ........I'm thinking maybe leather viking belt .......I'm going to send him some links tonight ....I might even run an on line poll.............What do you think the Gizmo kid will look best in sort of jobby.. we have to look good for the Faery fest......with a name like Spriggan Mist ...we have to look medievel or funky medievel .............
Together with The Dark Marge Wifey and I will be shooting up to Birmingham to watch the long awaited Jeff Wayne' s War of the Worlds on stage ...we are taking Rockstar ...but he doesn't know it yet so shhhhhhh!
We arrive back early hours of Saturday morning then set off to Bodmin for the 3 wishes Faery Fest where I think we are playing Saturday and Sunday..........
I can't speak for the rest of our intrepid band of Musicians but I for one am looking forward to Faery Fest. I know we will rise to the occasion we have worked hard and I am going to enjoy every moment of it. As festivals go it is fairly low key although by evening time the Dolmen are playing and they are probably the best festival get up on your feet and dance folk rock type band about and sharing the same stage as these guys will be fantastic.........ok we will have been on a few hours earlier but you get me jist.
Of course it is the summer solstice .....The Oak King triumphs over the Holly King............really looking forward to the whole experience. oh and it's Father's day!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Then the weekend after we off down to Weymouth to visit Wifley's Bro and family ...u know Lil miss Chavster and co!!...then it's all the way to the last gig of the 6 gig run ...the School fete......
So there is loads to look forward to ...I will post piccies and diary bits from all events coz I know you lot will be interested..........oh you're not .....well I 'll post it anyway............
Well the Maltese word for rain is indeed xita (pronounced Shit-a) and that about summed up the weather this weekend really....as we lazed around as a family ensuring that our children watch educational things on the telly like .......the whole series of Hong Kong Phooey (did you know they only actually made 16 episodes????).......I mean he was a 70s Martial arts icon ..............shame he hung himself really .....or was that David Carradine?..........none the less Hong Kong Phooey used to jump into a filing cabinet to get changed ...maybe David Carradine jumped into a wardrobe to do the same and got it wrong trying to emulate the real top dog in 70s chop sockys!!!!!!..........could be?
Before you all call us lazy bar stewards I'll explain why we were chilled as penguins! we have full diaries the next few weekends.
Next week is Rockstar's birthday ...he is 8.........and we are taking him and his partner in crime from many school playground tales of cheekiness and general Tom Foolery to Diggerland in Kent. The next day we are gigging at Phasels Wood in Kings Langley where Rockstar makes his debut with the new line up of Spriggan Mist on " The Park and Orion II"
We have been practicing and may even include a small set of Reels .....my !!!!!how times have changed ........there is me playing the old root and fifths to trad. folk stuff....and loving it.....
I have checked my self ...I don't smell of wet dogs and mothballs ....... yet so I'm not a real folky. Although the clothes I'm wearing on stage will probably get more outrageous as we progress on our musical journey.
Which leads me onto a little pet project of mine.......my aim is to get the Incredible Gurning Gizmo kid in to Spriggan Mist role.......Without doubt he is an integral part of the new Spriggan Mist sound in performance, arrangement and writing........but we need to get him kitted out .....I'm thinking medievel tunics and Harem trousers and sandals ...without the socks ........I'm thinking maybe leather viking belt .......I'm going to send him some links tonight ....I might even run an on line poll.............What do you think the Gizmo kid will look best in sort of jobby.. we have to look good for the Faery fest......with a name like Spriggan Mist ...we have to look medievel or funky medievel .............
Together with The Dark Marge Wifey and I will be shooting up to Birmingham to watch the long awaited Jeff Wayne' s War of the Worlds on stage ...we are taking Rockstar ...but he doesn't know it yet so shhhhhhh!
We arrive back early hours of Saturday morning then set off to Bodmin for the 3 wishes Faery Fest where I think we are playing Saturday and Sunday..........
I can't speak for the rest of our intrepid band of Musicians but I for one am looking forward to Faery Fest. I know we will rise to the occasion we have worked hard and I am going to enjoy every moment of it. As festivals go it is fairly low key although by evening time the Dolmen are playing and they are probably the best festival get up on your feet and dance folk rock type band about and sharing the same stage as these guys will be fantastic.........ok we will have been on a few hours earlier but you get me jist.
Of course it is the summer solstice .....The Oak King triumphs over the Holly King............really looking forward to the whole experience. oh and it's Father's day!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Then the weekend after we off down to Weymouth to visit Wifley's Bro and family ...u know Lil miss Chavster and co!!...then it's all the way to the last gig of the 6 gig run ...the School fete......
So there is loads to look forward to ...I will post piccies and diary bits from all events coz I know you lot will be interested..........oh you're not .....well I 'll post it anyway............
Monday, 1 June 2009
The Incredible Pouting moment
Hey it’s been a while...just been real busy.....well actually Simon Cowell happened to be at The Plough and Harrow pub when we launched the band officially and wanted us to sign a multi million pound contract.......not.
It did however go well . Orion II and The Park could of been better...but even the Park was hailed as one of our best by that mad Scotsman our very own War veteran Jockanese K ......MBE. we certainly enjoyed it and the turn out was good too...lets say the landlord was happy with his takings and that was just from what Road Runner and Diddler were drinking.......our thanks does go out to all who attended and I promise I will bring mother dearest round to each and every one of you to apologise in due course.....lets say the vino was definitely flowing..........all the way into her glass.
The Dark Marge came up from the west country and did the mixer for us .......he did very very well . Spriggan Mist play everything live ...no playback at all but we do lay on the effects big stylie and also Wifey and the Gizmo kids play several instruments..........so there is a lot going through that desk...although he looked somewhat puzzled when I asked him to turn the tambourine up .....hee hee!!!!!!
We have posted a few videos on you tube but the picture quality is poor as it was so dark and the sound would be ok for the usual pub nattering but I have posted them anyway,
So unfortunately as Mr Cowell did not come a calling we returned to our day jobs after the bank holiday....and wifey’s news of telling me she was on a course meant the inevitable.......she would write a song.......Solstice is our new project......and following on from me saying I will not sing any new songs that’s it.........I’m singing this one . Written especially for the Faery fest its about......well knock me down with a soggy chip butty...The Solstice. Early rehearsals prove to be good some refining go do yet though as is true of our next two covers ”sing” by Travis.....now The incredible Gurning gizmo kid has turned this into Pink Floyd meets Travis with an alternative intro......no seriously last night he was there in his own little ear monitored world giving it tons of Dave Gilmour pout as he started to have a moment with his guitar . We have also given the task of singing “lighthouse” by the Waifs to our percussionist The Tomato slayer who I must add has just become a Grandad......So in our last band we had the Holy one just leaving school now we have Grandad......Grandad does however sing very well...kind of bluesy...anyway it’s nice to let drummers get in on the action.....after all drummers aren’t just for Christmas you know.
The last additions to the set list is a whole melee of jigs reels and hornpipes ....where I have actually not the foggiest idea what I’m supposed to play yet......I’ll work something out before next rehearsal
Another new addition to the band is “The Beast”. The Gizmo kids have excelled here......They wheeled in this box resembling a George Lucas created droid....it’s an impressive piece of kit and literally we can plug in to it and Gizmo girl the pinger of phantasmagorical proportions can turn us up down ....off at will ...it can live record on individual tracks and eventually Dark Marge will be able to do front of house by sitting with a laptop on a wireless connection.......So we have the hardware ...the artwork......just need a bit more talent.......
And so as another new working week approaches us like a time share salesman in a loud flowery shirt I bid you farewell until the next exciting adventures of me
It did however go well . Orion II and The Park could of been better...but even the Park was hailed as one of our best by that mad Scotsman our very own War veteran Jockanese K ......MBE. we certainly enjoyed it and the turn out was good too...lets say the landlord was happy with his takings and that was just from what Road Runner and Diddler were drinking.......our thanks does go out to all who attended and I promise I will bring mother dearest round to each and every one of you to apologise in due course.....lets say the vino was definitely flowing..........all the way into her glass.
The Dark Marge came up from the west country and did the mixer for us .......he did very very well . Spriggan Mist play everything live ...no playback at all but we do lay on the effects big stylie and also Wifey and the Gizmo kids play several instruments..........so there is a lot going through that desk...although he looked somewhat puzzled when I asked him to turn the tambourine up .....hee hee!!!!!!
We have posted a few videos on you tube but the picture quality is poor as it was so dark and the sound would be ok for the usual pub nattering but I have posted them anyway,
So unfortunately as Mr Cowell did not come a calling we returned to our day jobs after the bank holiday....and wifey’s news of telling me she was on a course meant the inevitable.......she would write a song.......Solstice is our new project......and following on from me saying I will not sing any new songs that’s it.........I’m singing this one . Written especially for the Faery fest its about......well knock me down with a soggy chip butty...The Solstice. Early rehearsals prove to be good some refining go do yet though as is true of our next two covers ”sing” by Travis.....now The incredible Gurning gizmo kid has turned this into Pink Floyd meets Travis with an alternative intro......no seriously last night he was there in his own little ear monitored world giving it tons of Dave Gilmour pout as he started to have a moment with his guitar . We have also given the task of singing “lighthouse” by the Waifs to our percussionist The Tomato slayer who I must add has just become a Grandad......So in our last band we had the Holy one just leaving school now we have Grandad......Grandad does however sing very well...kind of bluesy...anyway it’s nice to let drummers get in on the action.....after all drummers aren’t just for Christmas you know.
The last additions to the set list is a whole melee of jigs reels and hornpipes ....where I have actually not the foggiest idea what I’m supposed to play yet......I’ll work something out before next rehearsal
Another new addition to the band is “The Beast”. The Gizmo kids have excelled here......They wheeled in this box resembling a George Lucas created droid....it’s an impressive piece of kit and literally we can plug in to it and Gizmo girl the pinger of phantasmagorical proportions can turn us up down ....off at will ...it can live record on individual tracks and eventually Dark Marge will be able to do front of house by sitting with a laptop on a wireless connection.......So we have the hardware ...the artwork......just need a bit more talent.......
And so as another new working week approaches us like a time share salesman in a loud flowery shirt I bid you farewell until the next exciting adventures of me
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