Super excited to tell you about my new album with Snow Giants.
Press play and I’ll fill you in. [My favourite track is the last track: ‘All You Have Known’]
Snow Giants
When we play live we have absolutely no set plan. Someone starts and then off we go. The whole thing is improvised.
It’s my favourite kind of music to make because there’s nothing holding you back, and the ideas come from whatever that dark place of no words is :) ‘The Void’, or whatever you want to call it.
Anyway, whatever! I LOVE IT.
So the music you’re hearing was born from the same process. We recorded our improvisations on a particular day last year, and then Ric and Al took that as a starting point.
What they made from the improvisations blows my mind!
They both augmented and shaped the raw material in their own unique ways and added another dimension to our music.
It’s kind of really personal for me, but it’s also surprising because I’m hearing the extra input from the chaps.
So now then, we’ve made this and we’d love to take it further.
The next step needs you!
We need you to tell other people about Snow Giants.
In fact I’ve made it super simple for you. Just copy and paste this next bit into Facebook, Twitter, email or wherever and hit ‘send’:
Here are some pics from last night’s Jane Shore gig at Ealing Town Hall.
Laura Rossi had written all the music and was playing piano & samples, along with Miriam Lowbury – cello, Sophie Langdon – violin, and myself on guitars and glockenspiel.
Classic Cinema Club Ealing and PRS For Music Foundation had commissioned Laura to write an original score to the British Film Institute’s silent 1915 film JANE SHORE, the first British epic and one that rivalled the best productions coming out of Hollywood at the time. Jane Shore was filmed in part at Ealing Studios and produced by Will Barker who founded the original studio and built the complex. The BFI have made a newly restored colour tinted version for the film’s centenary birthday celebration.
Now that we’ve done the first concert we’re taking the show across the country. The PRS for Music Foundation and The Arts Council England have given us some support so that we can take the show on the road.
So, please come along and see and hear it for yourself!
CCCE organiser Alan Granley taking a selfie along with all the excellent people who came out to support the gig and made it into such a great night. Ta!
Sophie Langdon was playing the violin. It’s such a treat to play with Sophie. She’s an unbelievably strong and expressive player.
Here’s Sophie, Laura, me, and just out of shot was Miriam Lowbury playing the cello who’s another stellar player. Miriam and Sophie have played together for years, so it’s great to watch just how easily they connect, and how much they enjoy playing together.
Here’s my setup, Acoustic gtr, Electric, and Glock. We’re set up facing each other which is such a great way to play music together.
So all in all it was an amazing start to the tour. Ealing Classic Cinema Club are doing a fantastic thing in Ealing, so if you’re nearby and like films, I’d highly recommend going along to one of their events.
I’m doing a gig with my wife on Friday [27th feb] in Ealing. She’s written the music to accompany a silent film called Jane Shore. In doing a bit of research she came across this newspaper article from when it was first performed in Ealing 100 years ago. Check it out, it’s so interesting to imagine how much of a big deal this was at the time.
Here’s a transcript, and at the bottom is a scan of the article.
—
The Middlesex County Times, Saturday, May 8, 1915.
A Tremendous Panorama of Spectacular Magnificence.
The Masterpiece Of The Film World,
JANE SHORE
A Story Full of Human Interest, containing 250 Scenes and Miles of Wonderful Scenery.
Apart from the Enthralling Nature of the Story, this Film represents the most colossal achievement of the World’s Film Trade.
FASCINATING and STAGGERING STATISTICS concerning the items used in the Film’s Production.
6000 Atristes, 7 1/2 tons of Armour, 4,500 Battle Arms, 41 Special Trains, 13 cwts. of Snow, 342 Horses and Costumes, Values £7,000.
Showing MONDAY NEXT, May 10th, at the KINEMA, West Ealing.
Book Your Seats at Once.
Times of Showing – 2.20, 4.35, 6.50 & 9 p.m.
FOR ONE WEEK ONLY
—
Our gig is on Friday at the Town Hall in Ealing. Starts 7.30pm.
I’ll be playing guitars and glockenspiel, Laura’s on piano, and there’s Miriam Lowbury on Cello and Sophie Langdon on Violin.
We finish at 9pm and then you’re all invited to join us at the pub :)
He was a promoter in Manchester, and he ran a gig at a pub called ‘The Malt Shovels’ in Altrincham. There were many other gigs/venues that he promoted too, but the Malt Shovels was my school.
I’ve have many many memories of the gigs he put on there. I’m so grateful for the chance to play with, and hear such great music from Mike Walker, Nikki Iles, Gary Culshaw, Steve Brown, Iain Dixon, Norman Brown, Matt Miles, Luke Flowers, Mike Gorman, Katy Ainscough, John Ellis, Joel Purnell, Les Chisnall, and everyone else.
So many musicians!
So much heart and soul.
Norman was such a character. He loved the music so much he’d often shout directions at us like, “FOURS WITH THE DRUMS”! He recorded every gig, too, so every time you played there you’d get a tape of the last gig. Sometimes he’d make tapes of stuff for me to check out.
Here’s Norman on the mic from the end of a gig in Dec 1994 at the Malt Shovels. He was always saying stuff like, “Where do you start with that galaxy of talent?”, “What a stellar line up!” and so on.
If I remember right, this was when John Helliwell, all round good egg and Supertramp saxophonist, had bought a Hammond Organ for John Ellis to play and this was its first outing.
Steve Brown – Drums
John Ellis – Organ
John Helliwell – Saxophone [a big star, come down to our level!]
Matt Miles – Bass
Mike Outram – Gtr
At the end he says, “Thank you very much for your contribution towards the band, and your appreciation towards the music. Thank you very much. Goodnight”.
Here are some pics from last night’s Jane Shore gig at Ealing Town Hall.
