I need some advice here, maybe this could be a readers’ poll? I’ve been working on the live album DVD and got the footage of Ascension Band looking and sounding pretty good. There’s also a recording of my solo set at Happy in July which it would be good to include – but if I do that will it unbalance everything, making it look like it’s all about me?
The video of my solo set’s pretty unmusical - guitar/tape noise and spoken word, slightly theatrical – the visuals add a good dimension and it’s in b&w, probably wouldn’t work with just sound. It occurred to me that a way to balance the disc out would be to include footage of one of Nigel’s bands or solo performances, but unfortunately there’s no suitable video available at this time. If I wait a few months there could be. Ascension Band’s a collaborative venture, with he and I taking two of the main roles. I’m the organizer/composer and he’s the musical director, so including video of his stuff would provide a good counterweight to my solo set. This seems to be the best way for me to work, find a more technically accomplished musician to help get my ideas into shape and provide a setting for my abrasive sound-scribbling – Paul Winstanley and Mike Kingston have fulfilled that role in the past. And an album for me is not just a bunch of stuff thrown together, it needs to have a definite shape or overall arc.
So I could a) wait til Nige does a suitable performance that gets videoed (next year some time, thus making a delay and requiring the ‘Live 2004’ title to be scrapped), b) release the disc with just me and Ascension Band, c) cut my solo set out, or d) scrap the project entirely. Which should it be folks?
I had a productive evening with Nigel on Friday designing the poster for the gig on the 18th (Newtown Community Centre, 7.30pm) – it looks great, but I’ll leave it til closer to the date to post here. Keep you in suspense. We also listened to the recording of our last group jam, and it wasn’t perfect but definitely moving in the right direction. It should be something really special by the time the Fringe Festival comes around. We’ll also have a party after the gig on the 18th so maybe I should consider that my birthday celebration – I turn 26 this Thursday and haven’t organized anything for it.
I’ve also got a solo acoustic gig on the 17th at Photospace Gallery with a couple of other guys – it’ll probably feel a bit like a warm-up for the following night, but warm-ups are valuable for building momentum. It’s the acoustic/electric yin and yang. I think I’ll go out of my way to make this one mellow and tuneful (by my standards). I’ll have to come up with some kind of good flyer too. And of course there’s the usual problem that spending time on music takes energy away from jobhunting. At least I don’t have any course requirements getting compromised now.
I’ve actually been feeling fairly content the last week or two, gigs coming up give me a focus that keeps depression at bay – but it’s scary how fast the dates are flying past. My travel savings plan is going nowhere, and won’t move until I start earning. I’m working on my own projects now, which is good – but they don’t pay. In fact I’m losing money on the whole music thing, have done since I started, it’s a bit of a black hole.
I often wonder if I’m strangling my music by writing about it all the time on the weblog. Really it’d be much better if a critic were willing to put the time into my music and interpret it. But none seem to come forward so I end up doing it myself. I’m sure other people could pick out things in the music that I wouldn’t have spotted – so far it’s just brief reviews comparing me to people I haven’t listened to. But we also need a reviewer to come along on the 18th – if you can publish a review somewhere I’ll be happy to put yr name on the door…
http://fiffdimension.tripod.com
Posted by fiffdimension at December 5, 2004 10:34 PM | TrackBackI'd talk to Nigel about it. What does he think? That way, you're consulting him without just leaping forward. What does he think about how additional material might affect the context of the material you've both made? For me, I want more, always more on a DVD. Not that I ever buy DVDs much. My ten cents...a
Posted by: arcite at December 6, 2004 08:22 AMWe'd already agreed to include some video of the Chandeliers at the Cross, but the video that exists needs to be synched up with a decent sound recording - the camera sound is all distorted and in mono. That could take a while, and the Chandeliers are kind of a pop band. Seeing all those girls dancing enthusiastically at the front would make an amusing contrast from my video where you can see people with their fingers in their ears in a couple of parts but there's not really any musical common ground with what I do. Whereas something like Nigel playing solo piano would work really well, only there isn't any footage of that yet...
Posted by: Dave at December 6, 2004 02:24 PMA couple of potential reasons why you should proceed with the Acsension Band / solo set DVD as planned:
1) If you wait in hopes that you get some good footage of Nigel, it's quite possible that the DVD never really gets finished. Use your momentum while you've got it... you can always make another DVD later if you want.
2) It's okay if the DVD is largely centered on you.
Just another angle on the question. Whatever you do, don't scrap it entirely... I favor assembling whatever you've got now as best you can, then moving on to the next project, knowing you can come back and make changes to this one later if you think it's needed. Of course, I can't even get through the early stages of any of my projects, so take my advice with a grain of salt if you like. ;)
Posted by: Sister Novena at December 6, 2004 08:45 PMThanks Amy, but you're my biggest fan... anyone else have a more objective opinion?
Posted by: Dave at December 6, 2004 09:45 PMi reckon more on a dvd is better
what about some practice outtakes and jamming with spoons?
Posted by: kemel at December 8, 2004 12:01 AMFair enough. :)
Posted by: Sister Novena at December 8, 2004 08:30 AM