She looked up at the sky and exclaimed “Look there is an aeroplane” I responded in my usual patient and humouring way......” We are indeed by Heathrow Mother dearest” she then tried to point out that the plane was really low....... how she thought that the passengers might disembark I can’t imagine ........parachute ...free fall......teleportation ....worked for Star Trek although Mr Sulu has inadvertently teleported into some jungle inhabited by gay ex police chiefs and people that eat kangaroo balls. I’m half expecting ...or rather hoping Kirk is going to appear and zap Paddick and friends and teleport Sulu off .........it would only be back on the enterprise that they would realise that Sulu has in fact turned gay too....but anyway I digress....Mother Dearest not content on pointing out the obvious ...like around one of the busiest airports in the world there would be planes flying around, we went to get petrol at a petrol station and came out with yet another statement ........”ooh I can smell petrol” ?!?!?!?!?!?
We were on a quest to prepare for the evenings surprise birthday party for Wifey and knowing her recent partiality for mead ...I went to Morris and Doris (Morrisons) on the way out I searched furiously for my car park ticket ...could of sworn I gave it to Mother dearest.....suffering the Barrage of abuse about putting things in a safe place I searched myself like a man being eaten by fleas.....there was nothing for it ....go to the grumpy man in the kiosk and admit I’d lost the ticket....”Sure I didn’t give it to you mother Dearest?” my voice disappearing across the car park as headed off to get another ticket and probably a hefty penalty......to my surprise the blokey bloke didn’t charge me and i raced towards the barrier with my fresh new ticket............Mother Dearest then produces the original ticket ...”oh you did give it to me “ she said all innocently ....AAAAAAAGGGGGHHHHHHH!
But even the escapades of MD couldn’t distract my delight that Spriggan Mist have been asked to play at a Festival in Cornwall on Midsummer Solstice. The Festival is The Three Wishes Faery Fest a three day event 19th -21st of June 2009. It’s run by one of the three singers in the band the Daughters of Gaia who made contact via our myspace . We are going to play Saturday afternoon and Sunday afternoon we are really looking forward to it .....we’ve also been asked to do a charity gig in Weymouth in the new year too but more on that another time when we have more details.
So the hard work begins now, the new album needs to be released and backing tracks from it need to be produced and rehearsed and adapted for live performance....................
By for now ...be blessed!
Thursday, 20 November 2008
Wednesday, 19 November 2008
Tis Wifey's Birthday
Happy Birthday wifey.......I'll apologise to the neighbours for the North American Flute being played at Stoopid O'Clock!........enjoy
So yes as you can see I have renamed the blog....."Life at the low end" made me sound like a depressive and although at the time I thought it was a play on words ....not all of my blogs are funny. So when I am being serious I just get the feeling that the blog appears like I'm not a positive happy kind of bloke . So the new name..."Highs at the Low End " still keeps the play on words and still gives it the bass perspective but it has a positive meaning.....after all life is to be enjoyed and for Spriggan Mist the sun is shining.
bright blessings!
So yes as you can see I have renamed the blog....."Life at the low end" made me sound like a depressive and although at the time I thought it was a play on words ....not all of my blogs are funny. So when I am being serious I just get the feeling that the blog appears like I'm not a positive happy kind of bloke . So the new name..."Highs at the Low End " still keeps the play on words and still gives it the bass perspective but it has a positive meaning.....after all life is to be enjoyed and for Spriggan Mist the sun is shining.
bright blessings!
Saturday, 15 November 2008
Wax on my fingers
Hello all you blog fans ...have you missed me? course you have ........well I can explain my absence i have been extremely busy burning the candle at both ends as well as in the middle.In fact my candle is just a mush of molten wax dripping down my fingers......but hey that's Rock 'n' Roll.
The 3 daft monkeys were indeed awesome as usual Dark Marge came up from the sticks and ended up buying their CD and T-shirt he even tapped his foot at one point! but then this is the bloke who admits to turning to the sky menu on the telly just to hear the annoying lift type music (kind of like the stuff Mr T listens to when not listening to his dodgy 70s porn music)
Keeping on the "monkeys" theme we missed "the last train to Bracknell" (clarksville? .....) and ended up in Staines...the evening was nicely rounded up with us being dropped to our car by the Police......ahem nuff said.
So we rolled into our beds at about 2 am. We got up at about 6 am listening to the sound of the Marge who doesn't sleep anywhere but on the floor being jumped upon by our 4 year old mini minx who was being supported by her older brother Rockstar. We dropped in on mother dearest eat her out of bread and bacon and set off to Croyden for Witchfest which ended with Katherine Blake of the Medieval Baebes playing a set with her solo band...... if that makes sense.....followed by The Dolmen who were .....very very lively but by that time we were pooped! we arrived home late chattering about what a wonderful weekend it was!
This week has seen Wifey's creative vein stretched even further with even more songs coming through . At this rate we will have enough for next years album......!!!! It would be nice to have the time to record them and then there is the small matter of Christmas which brings on even more musical opportunities in the form of "little baby Jesus" and "Oh little town of Bethlehem"....
After the usual dull doldrums of a working week (and trust me my job is dull at this time) this morning we prepared a picnic and set off to Avebury and spent the best part of the day looking around the stone circle...a truelly magical place it is too. Standing stones are quite dear to our hearts having adopted the stone for the cover of Konditions of change painstakingly brought to live by the Dark Marge. Wifey got a flash of inspiration from the stones and a tune came to her whilst there we have been rehearsing it tonight until the Mead that we drank (purchased from Avebury ) has rendered Wifey incapacitated on the sofa (she did do the driving today!) Avebury will be a place we will go back to I'm sure.
The 3 daft monkeys were indeed awesome as usual Dark Marge came up from the sticks and ended up buying their CD and T-shirt he even tapped his foot at one point! but then this is the bloke who admits to turning to the sky menu on the telly just to hear the annoying lift type music (kind of like the stuff Mr T listens to when not listening to his dodgy 70s porn music)
Keeping on the "monkeys" theme we missed "the last train to Bracknell" (clarksville? .....) and ended up in Staines...the evening was nicely rounded up with us being dropped to our car by the Police......ahem nuff said.
So we rolled into our beds at about 2 am. We got up at about 6 am listening to the sound of the Marge who doesn't sleep anywhere but on the floor being jumped upon by our 4 year old mini minx who was being supported by her older brother Rockstar. We dropped in on mother dearest eat her out of bread and bacon and set off to Croyden for Witchfest which ended with Katherine Blake of the Medieval Baebes playing a set with her solo band...... if that makes sense.....followed by The Dolmen who were .....very very lively but by that time we were pooped! we arrived home late chattering about what a wonderful weekend it was!
This week has seen Wifey's creative vein stretched even further with even more songs coming through . At this rate we will have enough for next years album......!!!! It would be nice to have the time to record them and then there is the small matter of Christmas which brings on even more musical opportunities in the form of "little baby Jesus" and "Oh little town of Bethlehem"....
After the usual dull doldrums of a working week (and trust me my job is dull at this time) this morning we prepared a picnic and set off to Avebury and spent the best part of the day looking around the stone circle...a truelly magical place it is too. Standing stones are quite dear to our hearts having adopted the stone for the cover of Konditions of change painstakingly brought to live by the Dark Marge. Wifey got a flash of inspiration from the stones and a tune came to her whilst there we have been rehearsing it tonight until the Mead that we drank (purchased from Avebury ) has rendered Wifey incapacitated on the sofa (she did do the driving today!) Avebury will be a place we will go back to I'm sure.
Friday, 7 November 2008
tis' the Weekend
Are you fed up of hearing about the credit crunch? Barak Obama? how that saggy faced Judas type turncoat anus Harry Redknapp is transforming Tottenham Hotspur? Yeah me too. In fact last night I said to Wifey "Wifey I'd rather watch Eastenders than the news".......the news is more depressing than Eastenders even with that icon of depression that is Dot Cotton who would challenge the Pope's faith in God... "If there was truelly a God he would zap Dot Cotton into Oblivion for being the most annoying person in soap land" Bazza chapter 153 letter to the blogites.So what is all this Americanism crud anyway...I mean what's with the Trick or Treat culture now.....where's the penny for the guy? and what happened to a good old fashioned recession...why is it called a credit crunch? sounds like Kellog's latest creation in more ways than one.
Anyway thank God it's Friday ...and yes ..it's 3 daft Monkeys tonight in Soho. The DarkMarge is coming up from the Wicky wicked wild wild west and is going to sample a bit of 3dm mania.....I defy anyone with a heartbeat not to at least toe tap to the Monkeys live.........then tomorrow Wifey,Marge and I are going to an all day festival ....should be really cool.
A great way to end a week of work......I have been in my current carreer for nearly 13 and a half years doing various roles but the last 7 months have been the worst by far . I took the wrong path and I have made a decision to put wheels in motion to sort this out today!!!! Punching the air and putting on my bestest Mel Gibson war face and shouting out loud......"Freedom!!!!!!!"
I'm often accused of flowering these blogs up but I swear (quite a bit at the moment actually) but I swear that the following is true ....imagine the face of a poor unsuspecting mobility scooter dealer in town sitting in his shop mulling over the latest edition of Dribbly chariot trader when in bursts Mother dearest having screamed her ferrari (red mobility scooter) to a halt outside forcing several pedestrians to dive for cover . She marches up to the counter and forces the hapless mobility matey's jaw to hit the counter as she proudly says to him.....
"I am in need of a Screw!"
Anyway thank God it's Friday ...and yes ..it's 3 daft Monkeys tonight in Soho. The DarkMarge is coming up from the Wicky wicked wild wild west and is going to sample a bit of 3dm mania.....I defy anyone with a heartbeat not to at least toe tap to the Monkeys live.........then tomorrow Wifey,Marge and I are going to an all day festival ....should be really cool.
A great way to end a week of work......I have been in my current carreer for nearly 13 and a half years doing various roles but the last 7 months have been the worst by far . I took the wrong path and I have made a decision to put wheels in motion to sort this out today!!!! Punching the air and putting on my bestest Mel Gibson war face and shouting out loud......"Freedom!!!!!!!"
I'm often accused of flowering these blogs up but I swear (quite a bit at the moment actually) but I swear that the following is true ....imagine the face of a poor unsuspecting mobility scooter dealer in town sitting in his shop mulling over the latest edition of Dribbly chariot trader when in bursts Mother dearest having screamed her ferrari (red mobility scooter) to a halt outside forcing several pedestrians to dive for cover . She marches up to the counter and forces the hapless mobility matey's jaw to hit the counter as she proudly says to him.....
"I am in need of a Screw!"
Friday, 31 October 2008
Spriggan mist -musicians wanted
Spriggan Mist are currently looking for musicians to perform live. We are looking for dedicated ,easy going musicians age and gender not important that like our music with the view of doing a few gigs in the spring into summer. Rehearsals will be about once fortnightly (maybe a little more frequent leading up to a gig).
Musicians needed
Drummer/percussionist..
All considered but would love to hear from a bodhran player too.
Recorder/tenor recorder player
A recorder player /guitarist would be ideal (for 3rd guitar pieces)
Singers
Lead /Backing male female we'll consider anyone.....a singer musician again would be ideal .
Want to hear from any musicians with an interest in our music so email on
sprigganmist@sky.com
Musicians needed
Drummer/percussionist..
All considered but would love to hear from a bodhran player too.
Recorder/tenor recorder player
A recorder player /guitarist would be ideal (for 3rd guitar pieces)
Singers
Lead /Backing male female we'll consider anyone.....a singer musician again would be ideal .
Want to hear from any musicians with an interest in our music so email on
sprigganmist@sky.com
Tuesday, 28 October 2008
New Spriggan Mist song- "Reflections"
Music by Maxine Cilia (2008)
Maxine Cilia--Recorder , Tenor Recorder ,Fife Electric Guitar
Baz Cilia- Bass
Reflections has been knocking around for a few months now, originally under the working title of "mist clearing". It was whilst playing around with the keyboard for the "Visions of Mist " meditation CD that Maxine discovered the main tune of this song. She recorded it and left it in the "maybe bucket" I put a bass line to it and again it got left to one side not making the final cut of the visions of mist CD with us favouring the more subtle Cernunos and Hathor tracks. Maxine decided that we ought to replace the keyboard with recorders and she set about re recording with Tenor Recorder, recorder and for the first time a fife that can be heard towards the beginning of the track off in the distance. By now we had called this track "Reflections" although Maxine had in her mind The Oak King and the fact that it was autumn and it signified Oak King had laid to rest. Whilst researching the Oak king I found online on the Fairy Encyclopedia
"The Oak King exists in the pagan lore of western Europe as something more than a faery but less than a God. He is the king of the waxing year and the other half of the Holly King, the king of the waning year. From Yule to Midsummer the Oak King reigns, taking over the mantle of rulership from the Holly King.
In many pagan Yule rituals this struggle is acted out between two coven members who portray the two kings, who are really only reflections of each other. Though they fight and one pretends to die, it is merely the other half of himself resting until it is his turn to reign again."
To us this means the track had to remain as reflections. So as you listen to this track join us in wishing that the Oak King is having good rest and we will meet him again after Yule.
Maxine Cilia--Recorder , Tenor Recorder ,Fife Electric Guitar
Baz Cilia- Bass
Reflections has been knocking around for a few months now, originally under the working title of "mist clearing". It was whilst playing around with the keyboard for the "Visions of Mist " meditation CD that Maxine discovered the main tune of this song. She recorded it and left it in the "maybe bucket" I put a bass line to it and again it got left to one side not making the final cut of the visions of mist CD with us favouring the more subtle Cernunos and Hathor tracks. Maxine decided that we ought to replace the keyboard with recorders and she set about re recording with Tenor Recorder, recorder and for the first time a fife that can be heard towards the beginning of the track off in the distance. By now we had called this track "Reflections" although Maxine had in her mind The Oak King and the fact that it was autumn and it signified Oak King had laid to rest. Whilst researching the Oak king I found online on the Fairy Encyclopedia
"The Oak King exists in the pagan lore of western Europe as something more than a faery but less than a God. He is the king of the waxing year and the other half of the Holly King, the king of the waning year. From Yule to Midsummer the Oak King reigns, taking over the mantle of rulership from the Holly King.
In many pagan Yule rituals this struggle is acted out between two coven members who portray the two kings, who are really only reflections of each other. Though they fight and one pretends to die, it is merely the other half of himself resting until it is his turn to reign again."
To us this means the track had to remain as reflections. So as you listen to this track join us in wishing that the Oak King is having good rest and we will meet him again after Yule.
Saturday, 25 October 2008
Slap pop
So they all laughed in the Council Office when I told them. Wifey had a similar response at her office. "Level 42 ????" they all said scoffing. I pointed out that Mark King is just an awesome bass player with his percussive slap pop style. Anyway it was at the Royal Albert Hall and as I had never been there I was looking forward to it .
Now upon entering the hall which I must say appeared smaller than on telly. I noticed by looking around me that the make up of the audience was predominantly over 30 perhaps mostly late 30s and into 40s 50s and I would say 99.9% white........which would account for the fact that no one could dance....seriously...it was like watching your parents at a family wedding...everyone knows white dudes can't dance (Eddie Murphy talks about this at length on his Delirious Video).
The band were however really really good and King did not disappoint . The band as a whole were really tight especially Mark King's trousers he has (like a lot of us) eat a few pies since the 80s. The concert flew by and the encore of "Chinese Way " was brilliant.
Now I like my live music and yeah I will wear a band t-shirt maybe get quite excited and jump up and down at the likes of Kula shaker ,U2 and Wolfmother concerts but I was doing my usual people watching and saw in the seats in front of the stage (about half way down ) two blokes. They were like Tweedle Dum and Tweedle Dee they were about 25 stone each and had shaven heads. They were obvious Level 42 fanatics as they were wearing American Football shirts with Level 42 on the back...matching ones of course . They were well into them and you could see them stood up even in the ballads much to the annoyance of a small woman behind them who remonstrated profusely.You can tell a fanatic ...they will look to the sky and lift their arms up like they are saluting the heavens at certain points. They will also shout out the most obscure song the band may have released on a B side before they were famous demanding they play it. As they walk out after the concert they will also use the bands first names and say stuff like" Mark played well tonight...yeah yeah they didn't play ( naming that obscure song again ) though"
I also noticed that Level 42 fans don't air guitar....oh no ...they air bass...and slap and pop their chests like the Bass maestro himself .
It was a great night and I'm glad I endured the scoffing........anyway off to do some slap pop .
Now upon entering the hall which I must say appeared smaller than on telly. I noticed by looking around me that the make up of the audience was predominantly over 30 perhaps mostly late 30s and into 40s 50s and I would say 99.9% white........which would account for the fact that no one could dance....seriously...it was like watching your parents at a family wedding...everyone knows white dudes can't dance (Eddie Murphy talks about this at length on his Delirious Video).
The band were however really really good and King did not disappoint . The band as a whole were really tight especially Mark King's trousers he has (like a lot of us) eat a few pies since the 80s. The concert flew by and the encore of "Chinese Way " was brilliant.
Now I like my live music and yeah I will wear a band t-shirt maybe get quite excited and jump up and down at the likes of Kula shaker ,U2 and Wolfmother concerts but I was doing my usual people watching and saw in the seats in front of the stage (about half way down ) two blokes. They were like Tweedle Dum and Tweedle Dee they were about 25 stone each and had shaven heads. They were obvious Level 42 fanatics as they were wearing American Football shirts with Level 42 on the back...matching ones of course . They were well into them and you could see them stood up even in the ballads much to the annoyance of a small woman behind them who remonstrated profusely.You can tell a fanatic ...they will look to the sky and lift their arms up like they are saluting the heavens at certain points. They will also shout out the most obscure song the band may have released on a B side before they were famous demanding they play it. As they walk out after the concert they will also use the bands first names and say stuff like" Mark played well tonight...yeah yeah they didn't play ( naming that obscure song again ) though"
I also noticed that Level 42 fans don't air guitar....oh no ...they air bass...and slap and pop their chests like the Bass maestro himself .
It was a great night and I'm glad I endured the scoffing........anyway off to do some slap pop .
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