17.12.07
26.11.07
buRn baby buRn
i scaLded my hand first thing this mOrning fiLLin' up a water bOttLe.
i didn't mean tO...
aLL i can say is...OUCH!
12.11.07
sinead
at the rOyaL festivaL haLL this eve ...
Sinead O'Connor, Royal Festival Hall, london
Gospel truth from an unpredictable and inventive performer
By Elisa Bray
Published: 13 November 2007
Sinead O'Connor was never afraid of making a statement. Since shaving her hair in defiance of stereotypes, at the peak of her fame she tore up a picture of Pope John Paul II on television. A decade later in 2003 she announced her retirement, threatening to end a 20-year career which had taken unexpected twists and turns from her early days as an alternative solo artist to traditional Irish folk and reggae. Her collaborations are wide reaching too from Sly & Robbie to her recent duet with Ian Brown on his anti-war song "Illegal Attacks".
On her last tour she bemused audiences by playing solely reggae numbers from her covers album Throw Down Your Arms, having for a long time eschewed the songs of her early career.
Tonight the ever unpredictable artist abandons the Hare Krishna-style dress of recent performances, and instead wears a dark androgynous suit more fitting of a pop star. But most surprisingly of all she embraces her commercial successes, returning to the early hits which first made her a star in the late '80s and early '90s.
Beginning with "The Emperor's New Clothes" from her chart-topping second album I Do Not Want What I Haven't Got, she gets the excited cheers that are just the beginning for her largely crowd-pleasing set. Her band are lively, playing the Irish whistle and soaring fiddle to effect in songs such as the Celtic reggae "Lamb's Book of Life".
O'Connor is also inventive in her performance. In a particular highlight, the a cappella "In This Heart", the crowd is silent and captivated as she begins alone, joined by first the female bassist's voice, then female violinist and finally the male guitarist, all providing richly melodic harmonies. It is beautifully moving.
But elsewhere while she makes chat with the audience, getting the odd laugh for her charming wit, for a singer known for her passion she is oddly distant at times, keeping a downward gaze, or appearing distracted as she looks to her band members or the sound technician. Still, her voice keeps your attention. "Nothing Compares to You" is an undoubtable treat though her voice prefers the lower register and she altogether bypasses the highest notes. But the song she wrote aged 17, "Never Get Old" which builds up to impressive crescendo is swept off to another level by her voice so powerful it causes echoes to ripple through the Royal Festival Hall. The juxtaposition of the acoustic song that follows contrasts beautifully, fragile vocals of truth and justice over her gentle guitar playing. It's one of just a trio of songs from her latest offering Theology, based on Biblical scriptures rich in classical strings. Explaining how to promote her ecclesiastical album she had to speak to the Christian media, she wittily recounts how a small percentage were annoyed at her suggestion that maybe God doesn't want war. She dedicates "If You Had a Vineyard", which quotes Isiah, "to the Christians who think God likes war".
But for all the dissidents, the fans' cries of "I love you" in between songs, proves O'Connor still has the power to captivate and compel.
Sinead O'Connor, Royal Festival Hall, london
Gospel truth from an unpredictable and inventive performer
By Elisa Bray
Published: 13 November 2007
Sinead O'Connor was never afraid of making a statement. Since shaving her hair in defiance of stereotypes, at the peak of her fame she tore up a picture of Pope John Paul II on television. A decade later in 2003 she announced her retirement, threatening to end a 20-year career which had taken unexpected twists and turns from her early days as an alternative solo artist to traditional Irish folk and reggae. Her collaborations are wide reaching too from Sly & Robbie to her recent duet with Ian Brown on his anti-war song "Illegal Attacks".
On her last tour she bemused audiences by playing solely reggae numbers from her covers album Throw Down Your Arms, having for a long time eschewed the songs of her early career.
Tonight the ever unpredictable artist abandons the Hare Krishna-style dress of recent performances, and instead wears a dark androgynous suit more fitting of a pop star. But most surprisingly of all she embraces her commercial successes, returning to the early hits which first made her a star in the late '80s and early '90s.
Beginning with "The Emperor's New Clothes" from her chart-topping second album I Do Not Want What I Haven't Got, she gets the excited cheers that are just the beginning for her largely crowd-pleasing set. Her band are lively, playing the Irish whistle and soaring fiddle to effect in songs such as the Celtic reggae "Lamb's Book of Life".
O'Connor is also inventive in her performance. In a particular highlight, the a cappella "In This Heart", the crowd is silent and captivated as she begins alone, joined by first the female bassist's voice, then female violinist and finally the male guitarist, all providing richly melodic harmonies. It is beautifully moving.
But elsewhere while she makes chat with the audience, getting the odd laugh for her charming wit, for a singer known for her passion she is oddly distant at times, keeping a downward gaze, or appearing distracted as she looks to her band members or the sound technician. Still, her voice keeps your attention. "Nothing Compares to You" is an undoubtable treat though her voice prefers the lower register and she altogether bypasses the highest notes. But the song she wrote aged 17, "Never Get Old" which builds up to impressive crescendo is swept off to another level by her voice so powerful it causes echoes to ripple through the Royal Festival Hall. The juxtaposition of the acoustic song that follows contrasts beautifully, fragile vocals of truth and justice over her gentle guitar playing. It's one of just a trio of songs from her latest offering Theology, based on Biblical scriptures rich in classical strings. Explaining how to promote her ecclesiastical album she had to speak to the Christian media, she wittily recounts how a small percentage were annoyed at her suggestion that maybe God doesn't want war. She dedicates "If You Had a Vineyard", which quotes Isiah, "to the Christians who think God likes war".
But for all the dissidents, the fans' cries of "I love you" in between songs, proves O'Connor still has the power to captivate and compel.
29.10.07
mOby @ MOS
i recentLy started wOrking for Fifth Avenue PR. They represent Loads of big artists, and loads oF upcoming big artists... part of the perKs incLude vip status at places like Ministry of sOund. spike+1 got to see mOby dj saturday nighT, and best oF aLL, gOt tO meet him as weLL. :)
8.10.07
25.9.07
mOvin' on uP
mOvin' hOuse this weekend. ahh...baCk to the world of flatmate-free liFe,and a pLace to me seLf =:)
behind baRs
pLayin' a benefiT gig this saturday nighT. not yur usuaL funKy hOuse. cOme on out for a unique niTe of sOme punKy stuFF. and perhaps some oF yur oLd favOurites!
28.8.07
MOdified ampLifieR
my new t-amp sOunds great. but i wasn't too keen on the design. sO took it upon myseLf with some heLp from my persOnaL audiOphiLe speciaList tO dO a little re-design. i've gOt a thing for cardboard these days...
22.8.07
14.8.07
anOther gRad pic
dad sent the pics he tOOk frOm the London visit. i Love this one frOm graduatiOn. too bad we didn't accept ouR dipLomas with our hOOds up! i think this shouLd be the new Look.
happy LittLe t-amp
this LittLe guy is just as pOwerfuL as amps that cOst hundreds of pOunds. its cOmpact, pOrtabLe, and onLy sets you bacK 25 quid. happy day...
18.7.07
10.7.07
"Get In My Spike."
I nicked this linky from a
portLand mate Sid.
You type in yur name,
and yur name gets 'sloganized.
have yourself a gO...
http://www.thesurrealist.co.uk/slogan
The Spikey Bear That Likes To Say Yes.
portLand mate Sid.
You type in yur name,
and yur name gets 'sloganized.
have yourself a gO...
http://www.thesurrealist.co.uk/slogan
The Spikey Bear That Likes To Say Yes.
1.7.07
25.6.07
21.5.07
behind every gReat man...
...is a gReat woman.
i did a photoshoot yesterday for my artist friend Scratch. It's for an exhibition coming up on gender roLes. a bit trippy tO see what yOu might Look like if you were the opposite sex,innit?
i did a photoshoot yesterday for my artist friend Scratch. It's for an exhibition coming up on gender roLes. a bit trippy tO see what yOu might Look like if you were the opposite sex,innit?
16.5.07
this week's 'scOpe (+see poLL beLow)
ARIES :
"The Only Three Questions That Count" is the title of a book by Ken Fisher. I'm stealing it to use as the theme of your horoscope. So your next assignment, should you choose to accept it, is to craft three essential questions that will guide your journey between now and the end of 2007. These queries should excite your natural curiosity about the life issues that matter most to you. They should be carefully and precisely formulated. And they should motivate you to keep your mind wide open and hungry as you hunt for more insight into your most bafflingly interesting mysteries. (Rob Brezny, http://www.freewillastrology.com)
"The Only Three Questions That Count" is the title of a book by Ken Fisher. I'm stealing it to use as the theme of your horoscope. So your next assignment, should you choose to accept it, is to craft three essential questions that will guide your journey between now and the end of 2007. These queries should excite your natural curiosity about the life issues that matter most to you. They should be carefully and precisely formulated. And they should motivate you to keep your mind wide open and hungry as you hunt for more insight into your most bafflingly interesting mysteries. (Rob Brezny, http://www.freewillastrology.com)
13.5.07
eurOvisiOn 2007
i was expOsed to my first EuroVision experience last nighT. MY vote was for ukraine's Verka Serduchka with their bizarre polka-technO and fabuLous costumes. this is one of those european obsessions which can't be expLained in words. One must experience it to understand what it's aLL about...(stiLL not sure if i get it yet)
5.5.07
one-eyed caT
cat-sitting hectOr this weekend.
he's completeLy blind...
reminds me a bit of a tim burton
characteR with thOse stitches.
18.4.07
big chiLL open dex
got a phOne caLL last night to be a participanT. tonite is the night...
gOt my 20 minute set all sorted. crOss yur fingers & tOes.
Running order is as follows;
20.00-20.20 – Alex Stewart
20.25-20.45 – Dixy
20.50-21.10 – Papa John
21.15-21.35 – Apollo Sky
21.40-22.00 – Thee HausfLy
22.05-22.25 – Flangella
"The heat winner will be announced at the end of the night and will play a set on next Sunday April 29th at 17.45-19.40.
The DJ who the judges think played the best set will be asked back to the final in July. The winner of the final bags the festival set, with groupie-laden international fame and fortune just around the corner. Probably."
10.4.07
stinK at the T-baR
yesterday was bank holiday, and is always an excuse to have a party in London. I went to´StinK´ at the T-Bar.A free all day event featuring some of my favourite music artists & djs including Dinky & Damian Lazarus. One of my highlights of the day...I bumped into a bloke at the bar when i first arrived. He turned around. I said my polite english 'oh, sorry' ... minutes later...got the guts to say in a shy voice...'are you Damian Lazarus?' (yes) 'wicked!' and finished up with a quick 'my name is spike...what time are you playing?' danced my arse off till 2am (ish). Met loads of great peeps too. Next one is 7 May. iF you be in London, there's no excuse to NOT be there...
1.4.07
31.3.07
happy biRf-day...tO me =:]
March 31 is the 90th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (91st in leap years), with 275 days remaining.
Date of conception was on or about 8 July 1970 which was a Wednesday.
As of 3/31/2007 6:11:29 AM EDT You are 36 years old. 432 months old. 1,878 weeks old. 13,149 days old. 315,582 hours old. 18,934,931 minutes old. 1,136,095,889 seconds old.
Your age is the equivalent of a dog that is 5.14637964774951 years old. (You're still chasing cats!)
You are intellectual, kindhearted, and loving. You enjoy music and have an artistic temperament. Women born on this day make devoted wives and excellent mothers and are the very nucleus of the home. [Arliene B. Clark/Fortune-Telling Birthday Book]
Your birth tree is
Hazelnut Tree, the Extraordinary
Charming, undemanding, very understanding, knows how to make an impression, active fighter for social cause, popular, moody and capricious lover, honest and tolerant partner, precise sense of judgement.
(i never knew i had a 'birth tree! no woder my favourite candybar is the kinder buenO!)
Date of conception was on or about 8 July 1970 which was a Wednesday.
As of 3/31/2007 6:11:29 AM EDT You are 36 years old. 432 months old. 1,878 weeks old. 13,149 days old. 315,582 hours old. 18,934,931 minutes old. 1,136,095,889 seconds old.
Your age is the equivalent of a dog that is 5.14637964774951 years old. (You're still chasing cats!)
You are intellectual, kindhearted, and loving. You enjoy music and have an artistic temperament. Women born on this day make devoted wives and excellent mothers and are the very nucleus of the home. [Arliene B. Clark/Fortune-Telling Birthday Book]
Your birth tree is
Hazelnut Tree, the Extraordinary
Charming, undemanding, very understanding, knows how to make an impression, active fighter for social cause, popular, moody and capricious lover, honest and tolerant partner, precise sense of judgement.
(i never knew i had a 'birth tree! no woder my favourite candybar is the kinder buenO!)
26.3.07
23.3.07
19.3.07
15.2.07
8.2.07
7.2.07
2.2.07
18.1.07
10.1.07
6.1.07
v&a vOlume
1.1.07
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