Dissonanze 8

I chanced across this video of the Dissonanze festival which I thought was pretty cool.

Dan's Graduation

Dan flew back for his graduation yesterday, I went to meet him for a beer. He arranged to meet his mates in the Nightingale Club but thankfully they wouldn't let me in because we didn't have the requisite wristband for graduands. Dan argued his way in but I was standing a little out the way and missed me chance or took my chance depending on which way you want to look at it and caught the last bus home.

Its funny how even though I one lager and one wheat beer I still felt shite this morning. Probably still recovering from the weekend.

I have been converting pretty little pictures from svg to xaml today, a burgled house, a stolen car, a burgled factory....This Silverlight thing seems very buggy, either that or it is clashing with the monitoring software that I reckon that they've installed on everyones machines.

My Weekend

I attempted to have a quiet one this weekend which as always meant that I found myself off my face in some dark club listening to electronic beats. Met up with Joe and to be perfectly honest drank so much that I now have huge holes in my memory. Apparently we went to the Prince of Wales and spoke to Dar. I remember jumping on the bus only to discover that I had no money. I remember going to the Custard Factory and seeing the Deuce Soundsystem lads and some of the people from the Sonar queue 2007. I remember wandering around in a daze. I also remember being in about fifteen minds about whether or not to go home.

I felt awful on Sunday morning but still had to drag myself out of bed to collect Joshua...I felt horrible all day...

I've been drinking far too much lately methinks, not for any reason, simply because it's been there or because I've met people in the pub. I seem to be getting very drunk very quickly, maybe because I haven't being eating a hearty meal beforehand or maybe my body can't handle it anymore or maybe it's because I've been drinking Tennant Super (only joking.)

Gary said that I should know better at my age...but then he is only 23 or something so he would say that. ;)

I've spent too much money too, wasted that should probably read.

Ladies Make Passes at Gentlemen With Moustaches

I'm putting on a charity event, all welcome.

Bah

A belated moan that nobody would come and see the Levellers with me on Sunday. BAH!

Woo Learning Stuff

I've actually had a productive day at work and have learned some stuff! The real crux is when I actually have to put theory in practice...

Reason, Keyboard and Geek Chic

I have succesfully managed to get my (broken) keyboard to work with Reason, hurrah. Now I just nead some ideas so that I can make a million selling single or at least a cult hit or at the least something that isn't just shit noise...any suggestions?

I've been thinking for a while that I'd quite like to have a go at making my own controller type things like this guy but not having an electronics background didn't really know where to start but then I stumbled across Tinker IT who do weekend work shops that look pretty interesting and are a reasonably priced too.

It would be cool to make something like this:



www.monome.org
http://www.larsby.com/johan/moanonme/

bleep.com

Oooooh Artsfest Fireworks

Yesterday was rather entertaining, first up I caught Soweto Kinch - I think he was playing his Jazz Planet song but it quickly descended into a jazz freeform wank session most people including myself looked a bit bemused there were a few fast show jazz nice types seemingly enjoying it.

The Electic Cinema Orchestra playing movie theme tunes along to the films was quite fun, I rather fancied one of the singers, the sun was out for what seemed like the only time this year so far.

After food in the Lloyds Bar (beer and burger number two for Fatboy Hutchinson) was time for the Birmingham Royal Ballet. Ballet seems really odd to me, I'm sure its all rather hard to do but it looks so ridiculous, I prefered the modern dance at Benicassim. One of the ballet dancers had the biggest balls ever!

The main event weeeeeeeeeeeeee bang, fireworks don't really impress me. Glad to see that the had actually spent money on the arts rather than the fireworks this year.

The last part of the night involved faffing around looking for my brother because his new girlfriend had decided to arrive with actually telling him that he was coming or something. Silly girl.

I was a pretty cool day but in someways it is rather embarrassing for the City of Birmingham on the whole the empty, I know we've had a great deal of rain this year and the advertisment of the event was poor but you'd think a city of a million people would be able to get a decent crowd out for what is one of the biggest free arts events in Europe.

Birmingham Its Not Shit (It's Fucking Awful)

I picked up a flier for The Warehouse Project in Manchester, there are an absolutely enormous number of acts playing there over the next three months. Birmingham on the other hand apart from the Eclectricity stuff mentioned below has a few lowest common denominator chavline house and d'n'b nights and as far as I can see on my trawls through the Internet not a fat fucking lot else. I'm heading to the ADE in October and there is so much on over that weekend that I can't actually decide what I want to go and see.

Eclectricity tend to put on a fairly good night, Josh Wink is playing at the Q club in a couple of weeks but that'll be cost the earth and anyway I'm going to see Ellen Allien at Fabric on the same night. Also brum has the Eclectricity "Boutique Festival" which I think means costs about fifteen quid more than a normal a club night, festival my arse.

Tis about time some budding promoters put their arses into gear and organised something interesting - so far this year has been dreadful. I mean how many more times will Pendulum play at the Custard Factory before Christmas?

Right I'm off to the Artsfest to see if that has improved since last year.

Postcard From Callela

Weather is fine. Not doing an awful lot. Wish you were here... ;)

What I Done On My Holiday

Sat on the beach, sat next to the pool, ate food, drank some beer (but not much) and not great deal else. Chilled out. It was rather nice.