The quite simply brilliant Nisennenmondai

The Antlers and Dry The River

Link to Timelapse Drawing of The Antlers Inspiring gig. Overwhelming amount of equipment - and that was without the amount which their airline lost. It's been a tough week for The Antlers (US), but great gig tonight with Dry The River from the UK. Two great bands that I look forward to following.

THE MIGHTY 'CIRCLE' + CHICKEN EL DIABLO

Half an hour of Chicken El Diablo



An hour and 15 minutes of CIRCLE.

Today's Inspiration - in Sounds, Visuals and Combos

It's 15.54 and it's dark.  But my afternoon has been significantly warmed by listening to Emma Swift on her show In the Pines - listen here http://ondemand.fbiradio.com/index.php?show=in-the-pines

Having just drawn and experienced the intense and dreamy voice, music and presence of Bill Callahan I was looking up twitter to see what was the current lowdown and found this amazing festival in Brussels happening all this week - http://autumnfalls.toutpartout.be/ - oh boy - it looks Great!

I've also been checking out another blog which has a very nice mix of artwork, listening recommendations, interviews and more.  The artwork is big and bold and the site is easy to navigate, fun and inspiring. I hope I can tweak my own sites to be as simply enjoyable.  Three girls are behind it and they have a few different places online that you can follow and be similarly inspired by.
http://theleftoversessions.co.uk/

I really must limit my investigations online.  One inspiring article can branch out to two or more interesting links and it goes on from there.  I was looking up a video this morning on the band Isosceles and it actually had this very theme running through the whole documentary - ie random inspirations leading onto even more inspirations and even collaborations.  The art of random, and being able to follow the chase.  Anyway, check it out on Central Station http://vimeo.com/29034684 and make sure to see the other 2 parts to it.

Central Station is itself worth checking out and is currently going through a major revamp.  If you are an artist of any kind I would thoroughly recommend signing up and boosting your online presence via their suggestions and be in the running to win some promotion and/or cash prizes. See this link for more - http://community.thisiscentralstation.com/_Central-Station-v2-Latest-News/blog/5449958/126249.html

Finally, some audio visual stimulus.  If you're in Glasgow on the 9th of December I would recommend going to see the one night launch of animator, director, audio-visual chap - Konx-om-Pax.
Details here - http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=317994184893560 including a good few links to his myspace, website and Vimeo - very much worth a watch. His Hudson Mohawk video did remind me of a video from a while back and which I prefer by inimitable and rather brilliant Rachel Maclean for the awesome Phantom Band which you can see here.  It is EPIC!  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yH1qxYG78eQ

Meanwhile on the 9th of December in Edinburgh there is a rather special book launch of the Roughcut Nation project from 2009 which was basically the best Scottish street artists taking over and restyling a part of the esteemed National Portrait Gallery in Edinburgh. It was a fantastic happening, of which the resulting beautiful artwork/installation was divided up and auctioned off after a series of live music sessions involving the great and good in the Scottish music scene.  So now there is a book. And I want one.  (Oh, I suppose I should mention I was actually involved in some live projected drawing work when the marvellous John Knox Sex Club were strutting their stuff there - Magic :).  JKSC will also be there to create music mayhem at the launch.  I would thoroughly recommend the above. It's a free public event but you need to sign up for the free tickets.
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=240242586038219

Finally, a very inspiring audio-visual project by sound artist John Keston where he manipulates the sound and film merely by touching the screen.
http://www.creativeapplications.net/maxmsp/voice-lessons-maxmsp/ 

So after that dry load of information, I really should stick up a drawing to break it up. Words and Pictures and all that. Ah, I'll leave it. I've been inside all day. I'm going out for a jog before drawing at a gig tonight. Walrus (SWE) and Mongst (CAN). It's a 'Mother' gig and I'd highly recommend it if you happen to be in Stockholm this evening.
Details - http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=263291350388197

I'll stick up some pictures of that.

Animations, Videos, Timelapses - Drawings

Lucky Dragons make experimental music, but they are also facilitators for the collective music experience, making music and visuals tactile, celebratory, enjoyable, intriguing, interactive and fun. 

No music created in one evening is ever the same as the next. You will likely walk away from one of these events feeling a wholesome sense of elation, tingling energy and more than just a feeling that you have connected physically and creatively (and perhaps also rather joyously) with other people, music and art.


This is a time-lapse of the iPad drawing I did of their live performance, stroke by digital brushstroke. This may be a sign of things to come.

Polar Music Prize 2011 – Patti Smith and Kronos Quartet

Yes, it’s got to that time of the year again and really rather excited that this time I’ve got full backing and support of those lovely folk at the Polar Music Prize. Unbelievably excited to be drawing the incredible Patti Smith and Kronos Quartet – What an experience this will be! Just got to keep the drawing up to scratch. Draw draw draw.

I’ve just returned from an amazing month back in Scotland where amongst other things, was drawing at a beautiful production of Cryptic’s one woman show Orlando with the impeccably turned out Judith Williams, as well as a hugely fun Cry Parrot show with Foot Village, Bitches, and Ultimate Thrush. Blochestra and Aerials Up at King Tuts and a few other drawing shenanigans scattered around also.

I also had the huge joy of looking after my folks’ B&B for about ten days while they went on their first summer holiday in 12 years – a huge insight in the running of an upmarket establishment that relies on quality, great food, speed, location and great welcome. It is a big leap aside from what my ‘day job’ involves, and a huge amount of multi-tasking, managing a team, and responsibility for the team/home/family pets. I had huge respect anyway for my parents, but my Mum seriously is a wonderwoman for achieving what she does every day, with all the anomalies that each day brings.

I have to say I loved the routine of it, but also the challenge of providing different hot scrumptious breakfasts for a variety of different demands/guests all at the same time, all to their immediate whims. I had a great team working with me in Georgia from Italy, and Gerda from Holland, even my boyfriend Mattias and Dad’s secretary Jackie got roped in to help. It’s the busiest time of the tourist season and I found it immensely challenging and rewarding. I look forward to doing it again some time, but for now am quite pleased to have had a week’s camping holiday since, and now back in Stockholm to garner momentum for my new adventure here. Working Roineabhal B&B certainly put things into perspective

Here’s a tiny selection of some drawings from my recent trip to Scotland.

Foot Village put on by Cry Parrot at NiceNSleazy's Glasgow 16 July 2011 - Paper Drawing

Cryptic's Orlando with Judith Williams August 2011 - iPad Drawing

Cryptic's Orlando with Judith Williams August 2011 - iPad Drawing

Cryptic's Orlando with Judith Williams August 2011 - iPad Drawing

Cryptic's Orlando with Judith Williams August 2011 - iPad Drawing - The Beauty Within

Happy Birthday! The List's 25th Birthday Party

The List has been an indispensable publication regards finding out about things enjoyable, entertaining and enlightening in Scotland and beyond (up until The Skinny came along!). Friday night was it's quarter century birthday.

Fantastic Line-Up, a 'Loud Room' with Come On Gang (First experience of them - Excellent and fun!) King Creosote, Errors - as well as - curated by upcoming publishing company Cargo, a 'Quiet Room', which got less so as the night progressed.

So attached above are a couple of 'mobile phone' drawings, one of the acerbically talented Malcolm Middleton playing beautiful instrumentals with an occasional teasing amount of lyrics as his latest guise 'Human Don't Be Angry', with the other drawing of Alasdair Roberts legendary self.

This was a night off for me however, so I was merely there to observe and listen, not to draw. It was difficult though, and my lack of drawing distracted my attention.

Bear in mind these drawings are less than half the size when I'm actually drawing them. Disadvantage to Nokia 5800 XpressMusic is that it doesn't zoom like Brushes or Sketchbook Pro on your iPod/iPhone/iPad can. You just get what you see though it makes for some interesting stylistic mark making. (These particular pictures were lots of fun to make!) I can admit that. I will.

Sounded like a great line-up of DJs/dance music from the likes of JG Wilkes, Kris Wasabi, Joe Howe and the Pretty Ugly DJs, though I'll be honest, I missed most of them. Also missed Den Haan as spent most of the night in the 'literary' room where I saw the very lovely and superliciously talented Anneliese Mackintosh, RM Hubbert, playing a really heartfelt performance, as well as the young and gifted Allan Wilson who was selected for the very exciting new collection/book from Cargo Publishing - 'The Year of Open Doors'.

Left around 2.15am after the totally magic Graeme Ronald of Remember Remember, his many gadjets, gismos, pedals and guitar, not discounting his can of Iron-Bru. (Also, I swear to god, he has a pedal like the one from the spaceship in Flight of the Navigator, I kid you not!) I can't WAIT for his album launch coming up at Stereo on 5th of November (Remember Remember Kids, Remember Remember.) It will be AMAZING.

I wonder how Hidden Doors went during the weekend. I hate not being able to be in two places, or even 3 at one time, but a girl's got to do, what a girl's got to do. I also missed Ballboy, The Just Joans and The Bobby McGees as part of Edinburgh's Popfest. Grrrr.

Owls, 2nd Hand Marching Band, Sarah Banjo, and RM Hubbert

Yep, as I'm writing this at 2.51am there is an owl hooting in the street outside - brilliant! Hope it eats the slugs and snails that have been massacring my basil and sunflowers. Wee bawbags.

Anyway, asides from that.

Been experimenting with my iPod touch and I think I'm finally managing to make friends with it, though blow me if the rubber bit on the end of my special stylus isn't wearing out and producing burning smells! I have to say, the NOKIA appears much more dependable so far, simpler, although I have just recently purchased 6 new stylus since I've lost 4 already. It's just so easy to lose that darned stylus when you whip your phone out your back pocket/handbag/shirt pocket etc. I wonder how long 6 will last me. :)

Anyway. Just going to upload the iPod drawings I did tonight, plus a few more showing my progression from total rubbish, to getting used to it.

Great night tonight at the 13th note. Second Hand Marching Band, Sarah Banjo (freshly heard and much enjoyed), and RM Hubbert. Class line-up, finished off nicely with Peter, the band leader, leading everyone to sing a chorus at the back of the room, and those that had been notified/seen his posting about writing a verse (see my post below) stood very tentatively around a microphone with their 15 seconds of fame or complete humiliation thrust upon them in friendly manner. I felt the latter.

Nah, not totally. I'm pretty sure my singing was sh**e, as my voice has been locked away in a cupboard for 3 years and I've been shouting through the keyhole all day, hence tonight I was warbling away quite unlike the nightingale I fancied. It's all in the words of the verse right? Ha.

Intense though. Felt like a baptism of fire, but luckily everyone was freakin' nervous so I didn't feel quite so bad. Apparently all the verse writers/singers will get a cd through the post of their efforts. I'm looking forward to experiencing that! ;)

Matt Groening's ATP, F**king Brilliant!

Daniel Johnstone

Matt Groening's ATP - Brilliant! Who did I draw? Well now, in backwards order...Coco Rosie, The XX, Joanna Newsome, Spiritualized, Daniel Johnson, Juana Molina, The Tiger Lillies, James Chance, Amadou and Mariam, The Residents, She and Him, Konono No1, The Boredoms, Iggy and the Stooges and Built to Spill. Back in Glasgow, the sun is shining and Gordon Brown has resigned. The year is finally getting started :)

Drawings will be up by a week today, but for now I've put up the first - Daniel Johnston. Legend.

Big Thanks to Shaun, Stone and Noel for believing in what I do. Big thanks also to Lee, Sid, Dave, Mandy, Martin and the rest of 'em for their help and support too (esp. Sid for his light and Martin for the bottle of water!), even though one of them thought they could do better with their 'Etch-A-Sketch' ;)

Pavement, Barrowlands

Well tonight was an assortment. In thick humid heat, I sweated and shook from kneeling on wooden boards for an hour and a half as I drew Pavement do their f**king good stuff. For my first time at Barrowlands (yes, this is indeed a shocker of a statement) to be drawing the gig that happened tonight couldn't have been a better baptism.
The crowd were indeed baying for more though. So they better come back soon.

After wanking about in the dressing rooms with the band, spouses and friends, it was about time I went, tho' unfortunately I managed to miss my bus and it was another 40 minutes to wait for a new one. I got a taxi. Seeing my large portfolio and judging by my odd sobrietous nature the driver hazarded a guess that I had just finished work and that I was an artist. I told him 'yes', how astute of him, that I was indeed an artist and specialised in drawing events, in particular music. Tonight I had been drawing Pavement.
He thought I meant I was a sidewalk artist. :)

Drawing postage imminent(now posted), but I have taught a full day at school, visited my Nana in hospital north of Glasgow, and then drawn a gig. I also have Black Heart Procession from Saturday to post (now posted!), while also heading on down to Bristol tomorrow which is 2/3s of the journey to Matt Groening's ATP in Minehead. It's going to be ACE! Stay Tuned!!

The Blessing, Fritz's Corner, Stockholm

The Blessing, at Lilla Hotellbaren. Instrumentals were great.

Rufus, Who Else?

Rufus Wainwright, Visuals by Douglas Gordon

The slow exit...

The Slow Exit, before 'black' was added.

The Lighter Half, with candles.

The Walking Song by Kate McGarrigle, 'Because we all want our parents to be happy right?'

The Lighter Half.

The Walking Song by Kate McGarrigle, 'If it's Summer...we'll sleep under the moon'

The Lighter Half.

The Flames Surrounding.

WIDE DAYS - BORN TO BE WIDE - (FANTASTIC) SEMINARS ON THE MUSIC INDUSTRY

Meursault - You Brought Screaming Into The World

Electric Circus, Mobile Phone Drawing

Meursault, with Screamy bit - Electric Circus, Mobile Phone Drawing

Hopeless Heroic, Electric Circus, Mobile Phone Drawing

Hopeless Heroic, Electric Circus, Mobile Phone Drawing

Aaron Wright, Sneaky Pete's, Watercolour

Panda Su at Sneaky Pete's, Mobile Phone Drawing

Holden, Cabaret Voltaire, Mobile Phone Drawing

WIDE DAYS SEMINAR - 'I AM THE LAW - ESSENTIAL LEGAL ADVICE'

Dawn Barraclough, Murray Buchanan, Steven Fisher, Claire Thompson

Moderator: Jen Hunter (Musicians Union)

WIDE DAYS SEMINAR - 'HOW TO GET ON A FESTIVAL BILL'

Pete Irvine (Unique Events/Hogmanay Edinburgh), Helen Chalmers (Wickerman), Dave Corbett (T in the Park, The Edge), Rob Hicks (Rockness, Belladrum), P.C. Rae (Slottsfjell, Norway/SXSW)

Moderator: Vic Galloway (BBC Scotland)

WIDE DAYS SEMINAR - 'HOW TO GET ON A FESTIVAL BILL - CHOICE QUOTES'

Moderator: Vic Galloway (BBC Scotland)

WIDE DAYS SEMINAR - 'WHAT NEXT? - PREPARING FOR THE FUTURE'

Will Page (Chief Economist PRS), Scott Cohen (The Orchard), Andrew Dubber (Birmingham University), Steve Mayall (Music Ally)

Moderator: Olaf Furniss (Born To Be Wide)

WIDE DAYS SEMINAR - 'SPEAK TO THE MANAGEMENT'

Bruce Findlay (Aberfeldy/The Silencers/Simple Minds), Keith Harris (Stevie Wonder), Rab Andrew (Texas/Primal Scream), Grant Dickson (The View/Broken Records), Mark Baillie (Woodenbox)

Moderator: Derick Mackinnon (Born To Be Wide/NFS)

WIDE DAYS SEMINAR - 'GAVIN BAIN - CALIFORNIA SCHEMIN''

OLAF FURNISS'S CLOSING STATEMENT ON 'WIDE DAYS'

If you didn't attend, you'll wish you had.

Excellent seminars, the atmosphere charged with opinions and enlightening comments, a full day of crucial and entertaining information for anyone interested in any aspect of the music industry, all from a notably seminal group of exciting and much-experienced speakers. The bands playing later in the evening showcases are excellent and well worth finding out about if you haven't already. Though I don't have pictures of them from this event, this also includes the Edinburgh based Art/Music Collective 'Found' who are one of my favourites, plus Carrie Mac.

So get on it - Come to the next Born To Be Wide Event. It'll be brilliant.