The Neverending Story

Hello readers. I thought I should check in and say hello in case any of you think my project has ground to a shuddering halt. Not the case at all! This morning I finally finished a skeleton index for the book (I call it this because it contains all of the keywords but not the accompanying page numbers - these will inevitably change when the book goes to a publisher). A citation section is also complete but I want to double check this for accuracy and I've also been adding some anecdotes and making amendments based on information I learnt on my trip to Berlin in June.

I've had some highly encouraging feedback from the people in the process of checking the book (can't disclose any specific information right now) but they have very busy lives and several projects currently under development. No matter. I have been assured that they will be back in touch when they have had sufficient time to read my draft carefully.

So, it's all about patience. Please continue to tune in, folks. I actually think that not having to rush things at this point is probably a positive thing, as it allows me to check, to fine tune and to add additional material that will make the finished product slightly better.

We shall arrive and you will be able to read. It just takes time...

Museum Piece VII

Three fascinating clips featuring Ashra circa 1981 have appeared on YouTube, all of which were originally broadcast by the Barcelona-based television channel TVE as part of their show Music Express.  The first two are live performances, both recorded in March. Ashra play alone and then join the Spanish band Neuronium for a lengthy jam.  

Another clip, recorded a month later, shows the band being interviewed in Berlin. The audible language for all of this (some of which is overdubbed) is Spanish. Perfect for Spanish speakers but for everyone else the visuals are very interesting in their own right. The band can be seen playing and chatting in Manuel's Studio Roma and shortly after this they would all go their own way for four years. Manuel's E2-E4 was just around the corner...

Thank you to Marco for posting these.

Happy Birthday, MG!

Here's wishing Manuel Gottsching a happy 60th birthday! Have a great day!

MG Live in Poland 2012

As part of the celebrations for his 60th birthday Manuel Gottsching is playing E2-E4 live tonight (8th September)  at the Kopernikus Centre, Warsaw, Poland. Visuals will be provided by the legendary Joshua Light Show, famous for their spectacular work accompanying acts such as The Who, Jimi Hendrix, Led Zeppelin and Janis Joplin at the Fillmore East, New York. For more information about this free concert see here.

Postcards from Arran

Greetings all. I'm doing my bit for the Scottish Tourist Board here by sharing some of my photos from my visit to the Isle of Arran last week. Arran is off the west coast of Scotland and is separated from the Hebrides by the Kintyre peninsula.

Spot the deer in the photo above. They are there if you look closely enough.

These photographs were taken during a walk at Drummadoon. King's Cave, located nearby, is thought to be the place where Robert the Bruce hid after suffering defeat in a battle with the English (this probably happened in 1306). After seeing a spider repeatedly failing but eventually succeeding to spin a web in the entrance of the cave he found renewed inspiration to fight again.

Across the water in the photograph below you can see Kintyre in the distance. In the early '70s after the break-up of The Beatles Paul McCartney came here to escape the media spotlight. It also later inspired his famous single.

Sky (also known as the wee boy) can be seen in the photo below. This gentle natured dog belongs to my mother-in-law and father-in-law.

The mountain to the right in the photo below is Goat Fell, the highest peak on the Isle of Arran at 2,867 feet.

Who's that bloke?

The hills shown in the photograph below are known as the sleeping warrior.

Before I go the news re: the book is that it is still being checked on the run-up to publication (although not by myself). I'm not able to say too much about this yet but stay tuned and all will be revealed in due course! Thanks for your patience and for following the blog. More soon...