Scotland Visit -

Quality quality gig tonight - Bonny Prince Billy. Pictures to come, along with drawings of RM Hubbert's wonderful album launch gig at Stereo on Friday supported by the right rivetingly off the wall 'Tattie Toes', plus some drawings of an alternatively and equally fascinating scientific music, poetry and art night at Inspace with Unravel (Aidan Moffat, Found as well as Chris Meade) last Thursday evening in Edinburgh.

Bonnie Prince Billy plays The Old Fruitmarket, Glasgow as part of Celtic Connections, and courtesy of the lovely Nuala Kennedy who got him over here. 

Bonnie Prince Billy plays The Old Fruitmarket, Glasgow as part of Celtic Connections, and courtesy of the lovely Nuala Kennedy who got him over here. 

Had a lovely rehearsal on Friday with Jer Reid and Monnica Deioanni for our trio piece at Sound Thought, The Arches. Tomorrow having a meeting about the fourth International Women's Day event I'm involved in, plus meeting with the rather fantabulous digital/animatory whizzkid Dave Sapien too for some projected digital drawing chat. All looking real good, enough to get rather excited about.

Aidan Moffat reads as part of the Unravel Installation created by him and the Found art collective with Simon Kirby

Words by Aidan Moffat, members of the art collective Found with Simon Kirby, members of the Electric Bookshop and Chris Meade of ifbook and bookfutures. Very exciting programme/residency with talks on each Thursday up until mid February. Well worth getting a ticket if you can. Inspace is a very exciting multimedia gallery based within Edinburgh university, and they've housed Found's wonderful Bafta award winning Cybraphon project there too.  You can see Cybraphon if you manage the Unravel expo before it finishes.

It's been a busy five days my friends, where I also managed to get my self - assessment/tax shenanigans dealt with, plus got a lovely 24 hours back with my Nana, my Folks, MacDuff the dog and Conan the cat. A good few pictures to upload so look again very very soon. Soon as I get back to my lovely Stockholm tomorrow night and crank up the Scanner. xx

Just before Christmas, Wintercycle, Jer Reid, Music and Art

Wintercycle Duo with Jer Reid - Picture 1 - Wacom/Computer Drawing - 10-15 mins

Wintercycle Duo with Jer Reid - Picture 2 - Paper/Watercolour Drawing - 10-15 mins

The above drawings were done with - and to - Jer Reid's beautiful and inspiring simultaneously created 'soundtrack' on Thursday 16th December as part of his Wintercycle collaborations. A cathartic experience, really quite stupendously wonderful feeling afterwards. My own voice unexpectedly became part of the performance as I spoke throughout on my thoughts of Christmas, family, love while latterly discussing the tenuous process of 'drawing the experience' when drawing from the imagery in my head inspired by Jer's music, recall, distractions, loss and gain via head to hand translation as well as unexpected influences. A gentle but powerful process in an intimate and encouraging space. Some very lovely feedback too. Which is nice :)

Wintercycle is a truly wonderful project, bursting with promise, potential and excitement before each 31 highly unique one-off performances. It's only £1 and every session is recorded sonically, and through Jer's own poetic reflections on his site http://wintercycle.wordpress.com/. An absolute gem to be discovered every day. If you could make one, it would be wholly worthwhile and even enlightening. Every day from 5th December until Tuesday 4th January 2011.

Something completely unrelated but just came across this chap Colter Jacobsen's memory work and found it amazing. http://www.sklatch.net/thoughtlets/memory.html

Also, too late now for Christmas, but my friend put me in touch with this blog and it's got some fantastic stuff on it, with great little background's/reviews too. I'm all up for crafts at Christmas. Next time. :) http://wannekes.blogspot.com/

Remember Remember people. Remember Remember.

North American War

iPod Drawing

Remember Remember

Paper Drawing

Tonight was the EP Launch of renowned multi-instrumentalist and all out music geenyus Graeme Ronald who's birthday it was today, of all days. Cue 'Non-fiery-but-almost-as-equally-fun-firework-stage-set-design by Robbie, Jack and Judd (was also Jack's birthday too). Apologies if I've got one of the artist's name wrong. Judd did the owl on the tree, and the other two did the amazing gadgetry/rest of the wizardry stuff.

Supported by North American War fronted by the sinister yet sultry Anna.

The music by Graeme and his highly skilled troup were on fire themselves. Bloody brilliant. That's all I'm going to say. Oh, and 'Epic'. Okay, that will do now. You'll just have to see RR live yourself if you haven't managed already. Also check out their great video 'Imagining Things' by Gregor Barclay.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3VQbFP5fqfM

Unwinding Hours, Stereo, Glasgow

Unwinding Hours first official gig, at Stereo Glasgow. Meet a chap who's travelled up from Brighton especially for it. Suffice to say he isn't the only one very pleased to see this certain Glasgow Phoenix rise from the ashes of Aereogramme, crowned by the final song of the encore. You certainly can't beat this welcome, and Craig B is thankful, before telling the grinning crowd to shut up. If they want to keep warm on on the way home, there's some t-shirts for sale on the way out. Also they've got a gig in Edinburgh on the 1st of May - apparently buses are cheap these days...his self deprecating wit is most endearing. The gig is great. Holy Mountain are also a top choice of support - 25 minutes of continuous hardcore drumming and jingling metal scrang?? I've no idea how else to describe the duo, but just go experience 'em.

Unfortunately I missed Olympic Swimmers, but hope to catch them again soon.

I've come across a few soundbites affected by the low reverberating notes that seems to bring out some crazy reactions in folk - at the Chemikal 15th b'day, a security guy said his brain was buzzing and that was even wearing headphones, and someone else said they felt like vomiting. Tonight, just before U.H. came on I heard someone behind me commenting that he'd be kicking some holes in the amps if any more of 'that drone' came out of them, someone else agreeing that it was 'unnecessary'. I for one, bloody loved the 'drone'. It definitely added to the final pic. Which I rather like.

I should be so lucky...Zoey Van Goey's Sold Out Album Launch

I am a lucky, lucky, lucky girl. (reference: seeing as how it was Zoey Van Goey's album launch there was an entertaining commentary on what was everyone's first album: Kim's was 'Michael Jackson's 'Bad', Matt 'Best of Hip-Hop? or Rap' (need clarification on that one!,) Michael John admitted to having Kylie given to him when he was about 7, Graeme Smilie's was the soundtrack to Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and Jamie Savage's was Puff The Magic Dragon.)

I am lucky in that I was able to witness the fantastic album launch of experimental pop troubadours Zoey Van Goey at Stereo Glasgow, finished off with a big helping of the Second Hand Marching Band on their encore song. (I did regrettably miss Endor and the Second Hand Marching Band who were both supporting, but hope to catch Endor soon, and draw the SHMB more times than the last 3 attempts!)

I am lucky in that I was able to get in as twice as many folks got turned away as were in the venue. It was very much a sold out gig, and very exciting to be one of the lucky ones to get in. Thank you Martin, Lynda and Zoey Van Goey!

PodcArt's first big night!

Burning Codes

Well technically they did Oxjam, but this was PodcArt's first proper little music package. (Badges included.)

For those that don't know, PodcArt is a great little initiative and platform for musicans, photographers, and artists that hail from or are playing in this splendid country of ours. (That would be Scotland). A very passionate group of music and art oriented folks volunteer their time and efforts into this project and it's taking off like a human cannonball, so it is, and Hinterland are right behind them too. They have weekly podcasts, online blogs and a lovely looking little website where you can catch it all.

I'd known for a while it was going to be Robyn G Shiels, Yahweh and Burning Codes with special cameo appearance by Emma Curran (beautifully done!) However, me like a proper wally with no concept for time constraints, saw on the podcart website a groovey little piece of artwork naming a whole load of musicians, one who I'd drawn recently - podcArts musician of the week and rightly so, Panda Su! Thus I advertised on Facebook (that digital addiction) that a further four bands would be playing - 'Sure,' I thought, 'maybe they're just playing shorter sets?'

(Apologies to all and sundry who read and rightfully commented on my idiotic notion. %-) .)

Thankfully, they weren't all on last night and I had me some quality time to draw. Results below.

Robyn G Shiels

Robyn G Shiels, again.


Yahweh

A Wee Tasty, John Knox Sex Club

John Knox Sex Club, courtesy of A Wee Tasty, the experimental art, music and performance night at Glasgow's Stereo Venue, with club afterwards. Brilliant night, oh yes! More superlatives to come.

Curious, Curious presents 'Jacob Yates and the Pearly Gate Lock Pickers' with 'Sparrow and the Workshop' and 'Washington Irving'

Stereo in Glasgow is possibly one of my favourite venues for it's intimacy, lighting, great sound and rough edges and tonight had the potential for a blistering line up.

However, I recently read a review in the Skinny about Jacob Yates and the Pearly Gate Lockpickers from their stint at 'Hey You Get Off My Pavement' (which had a great line up and which I missed due to other drawing escapades). It suggested they were a bit tame and lamented the split of Uncle John and Whitelock, since all the ex band members were there on the day either in the crowd or in other bands. I have to say I agreed with the article. 'Jacob' and the organist Jamie are the two remaining members from UJaW and while they might have the same skills, bonds and professionalism they had during their former band, the other two members did not appear as intrinsically linked.

Favourite aspects of the performance:
The minimalistic lighting changes from green to blue to red looked great and if I was a photographer I'd be snapping away at Jake's raw performance: as it was I just drew his movements. Jamie's beast of an instrument was the most awesome brooding object on the stage and regardless of hiccups with the ending, 'Maryhill' was definitely the best song.



Of the supporting two bands Sparrow and the Workshop were probably at most ease with their performance and a personal favourite of mine. Jill is a firecracker -her lyrics, voice and guitar picking styles in tune with her gift at storytelling. At times I was reminded of Jolie Holland, but with more bite and agression. Drummer/singer Gregor and bassist/guitarist Nicholas accentuate the heat and the cool, the savage and the gentle. Great stuff.



Washington Irving get better and better, bulking out with more talented and obscure musicans. Joe Black is a terrific young front man and I have no qualms in reckoning he and whoever he takes with him on his musical journeys will produce some brilliant songs and performances.

Great night all in all though, and the tunes were good from what I heard at the start of DeeJay David Barbarossa's set.