tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-94787592012-02-03T21:47:20.063ZArcane EnigmaDavidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02224281291267345984noreply@blogger.comBlogger5621100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9478759.post-6186142102260230882012-02-03T21:47:00.000Z2012-02-03T21:47:20.071ZConstruction
I am busy rebuilding the Arcane Enigma studio at the moment which has eaten up time as I test idea's , search online & spend , spend, spend! Having decided on a basic layout & a selection of gizmo's & guitars, my evenings & weekends are spent travelling around guitar shops & perusing online catalogues.
All this feverish work has not made me popular with certain parties as I neglect things, like Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02224281291267345984noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9478759.post-52517861194200117932012-01-27T01:03:00.000Z2012-01-27T01:03:15.924ZThompson Twins
Cameron & Clegg... one is a lizard who would eat his young & the other in a previous life posed as a Ken doll. One tells us in very sonorous tones that" we are all in it together". The other one tells us that taxing equality is something" they are looking in to".
At any given press conference one can replace the other and state the same case.
Like all Thompsons...they are worthless liars.
Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02224281291267345984noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9478759.post-57380690873897064642012-01-21T18:18:00.003Z2012-01-22T04:31:46.641Z2011
2012... looked a lot bigger from the outside... But still, here we are. lets all gather round a pile of burning Euro's while I take stock of what last year meant to me......
Manchester Airport.. Escape from the Stone House, Specks visit to Yorkshire, Damien Hurst in Leeds, Oakwell Hall, Birthday in York, Visits to Scarborough, David Hockney, Bill Nelson Biography & gig - Leeds , Riots in Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02224281291267345984noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9478759.post-66798484189086642062011-12-18T19:39:00.000Z2011-12-18T19:39:55.132ZAnticipateIt has been a busy & sometimes melancholy month, what with my Uncles passing & saying goodbye to a very old friend. I managed to avoid any thoughts of shopping by doing it all on line at home, so much easier. I have some things to buy for breakfast on the big day that will give me a little taste of New Zealand here in the frozen North, then it is off to my Mother's to cook her & my rellies a Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02224281291267345984noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9478759.post-74259626274659519352011-12-02T23:57:00.000Z2011-12-02T23:57:18.402ZYokeTonight we are in York for the weekend, a good hotel, a night out & a promise....Bliss.Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02224281291267345984noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9478759.post-51180633616209330902011-11-28T18:56:00.003Z2011-11-28T19:11:31.604ZBurtonWhen I was a VERY innocuous third former at Morley Grammar school I heard this....I have loved Dylan Thomas's prose ever since, Richard Burton ( Who I discovered later narrated it ) was born for the task. I hope that children are still listening to this now.
Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02224281291267345984noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9478759.post-90460212920736792612011-11-26T00:17:00.000Z2011-11-26T00:17:06.894ZFuneralNorman died last week & the funeral is on Monday. The last of three brothers on my paternal side. They never got on with each other, keeping up with the politics of their relationship was a training ground for Israeli / Lebanese negotiators. They were not men you hugged. They did not understand the concept of " Taking part " Only the winners got a prize at the end. His generation never "had it Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02224281291267345984noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9478759.post-75755791666311056212011-11-21T19:29:00.001Z2011-11-21T19:29:18.058ZOffspringThese photo's arrived in my mail Box this morning, Lunchbox & Speck at Armageddon & The Zoo in Auckland. Wish I had some of that weather here right now.
Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02224281291267345984noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9478759.post-55241312427208216662011-11-10T09:55:00.000Z2011-11-10T09:55:47.206ZWrapping
I know it is Christmas soon, not because of the endless stream of advertisements on Television, not because of the decorations both tastefull & gaudy adorning the streets & shops. None of these things register with me that Christmas is coming.
The real reason I know it is on its way is because my children’s Christmas wish lists arrived in my mailbox this week. To me that is the best Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02224281291267345984noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9478759.post-28613471885889150382011-11-05T14:03:00.003Z2011-11-05T14:06:28.526ZBUT IN THIS MOVIEDavidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02224281291267345984noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9478759.post-48993122227362587752011-11-05T13:35:00.002Z2011-11-05T14:11:12.127ZSHsssss OK ... ButDavidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02224281291267345984noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9478759.post-50775502350416880442011-10-29T09:37:00.000+01:002011-10-29T09:37:25.661+01:00BrothersI have on my paternal side two Uncles , Norman & Jimmy. My Dad was the eldest of the three brothers, but they were all characters. Jimmy the youngest was deaf & dumb, though it did not stop him from having numerous wives & girlfriends. He died in his sleep after a trip to Spain with his latest conquest, aged in his seventies. What a way to go. His infrequent visits were always great events for meDavidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02224281291267345984noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9478759.post-76760806594312779072011-10-24T09:39:00.000+01:002011-10-24T09:39:51.179+01:00DONEDavidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02224281291267345984noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9478759.post-43597686527559232042011-10-20T16:26:00.001+01:002011-10-21T08:33:11.464+01:00Tea LeavesI spent some time doing this today....after burying a friend...
Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02224281291267345984noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9478759.post-11516114283800903342011-10-12T15:27:00.000+01:002011-10-12T15:27:55.683+01:00For MiffTwo lost explorers are running through the jungle to the incessant beat of drums...suddenly the drums stop.
" Shit " says the first one " Now we are in trouble" ...." Why ? " says the second, to which the first replys " Bass solo ! "Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02224281291267345984noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9478759.post-76665195252967943382011-10-10T07:24:00.000+01:002011-10-10T07:24:49.688+01:00WadsworthHere is some more of Edward Wadsworths work.
Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02224281291267345984noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9478759.post-85567990914385175912011-10-07T12:14:00.000+01:002011-10-07T12:14:29.942+01:00Vortex
Tomorrow I am travelling to Cleckheaton to visit Prospect Street & Waltroyd Rd the two home locations of local artist Edward Wadsworth.
Wadsworth came to prominence in the early part of the century as a member of the Vorticist movement of artists who were influenced by the Futurist movement but who saw themselves as a balance between the organic & the machine worlds. Their works are abstract Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02224281291267345984noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9478759.post-67344104263195938452011-10-06T19:15:00.000+01:002011-10-06T19:15:13.226+01:00Steve Jobs
Steve Jobs, co-founder of Apple and the mastermind behind an empire of products that revolutionised computing, telephony and the music industry, has died in California at the age of 56.He founded Apple with his childhood friend Steve Wozniak, and the two marketed what was considered the world's first personal computer, the Apple II.
Jobs initially hid his illness but his startling weight loss Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02224281291267345984noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9478759.post-41781824768271317702011-10-03T17:41:00.000+01:002011-10-03T17:41:55.809+01:00New Track Mix 004 New Track 0ne mix 004 by dt156 ="http://soundcloud.com/dt156">dt156
Here is the latest mix with new added guitar solo courtesy of John M.
Preparing now to put down the vocal tracks, this may take some time. Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02224281291267345984noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9478759.post-15054046863035178092011-09-28T12:19:00.000+01:002011-09-28T12:19:00.706+01:00Cover upFINALLY SOMEONE SAYS WHAT WE ALL HAVE BEEN THINKING
Rihanna was forced to cover up after the farmer whose field she was using to film the video for her new single objected to her "state of undress". The singer, was filming the video in a field in Bangor in Northern Ireland when farmer Alan Graham asked her and her crew to stop as he believed her "state of undress" was inappropriate.
Speaking Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02224281291267345984noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9478759.post-32281024758728306332011-09-23T21:53:00.000+01:002011-09-23T21:53:16.754+01:00SupriseAn old friend called unexpectedly on my doorstep today. I have not seen Brian since we left school & went our separate ways in the world. It seems that a chance meeting with my mother had revealed to him my whereabouts & there he was on the doorstep!
It was amazing to see him, soon armed with coffee we settled down for a long catch up.
After he had left it struck me that here was another old Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02224281291267345984noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9478759.post-61658734097115557552011-09-21T20:43:00.000+01:002011-09-21T20:43:54.390+01:00Telharmonium
Dr. Thaddeus Cahill, inventor of an electric typewriter, was designer and builder of the first musical synthesizer and, by default, originator of industrial muzak.His final design for the Telharmonium was completed in 1906.
This electro-mechanical device consisted of 145 rheotome/alternators capable of producing five octaves & was controlled from two touch-sensitive keyboards. Cahill's machineDavidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02224281291267345984noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9478759.post-12068247130179720282011-09-12T19:59:00.002+01:002011-09-12T20:08:20.161+01:00Retrospective # 13
Echo & The Bunnymen " Heaven up here "
This came out at a time of change in my life, the casting off of a long term relationship, stepping out in to the bright pink, blue & grey Eighties. I had new friends & a plan. This album along with Joy Division, Pere Ubu & Wire provided the soundtrack to the start of that decade for me.
This was big, moody music, cinematic in it’s approach & very Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02224281291267345984noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9478759.post-15919245980647690002011-09-10T19:54:00.000+01:002011-09-10T19:54:51.610+01:00FootyRugby world cup time is here again, so I am not sure if this blog will contain much more over the next few weeks, you have all been warned. I saw the AB's play Tonga on Friday, they looked very fast & slick in the first half but struggled to gain momentum in the second. It was a comfortable win but the word from friends in NZ is that they should have won by a lot more.
This morning it was the Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02224281291267345984noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9478759.post-41678930762821533642011-09-05T20:11:00.001+01:002011-09-05T20:30:57.626+01:00TechniqueOne of the recent books I have finished, is " Shadowplayers " by James Nice. The story of Factory records from it's early beginnings in Manchester to it's eventual financial collapse after years of mis management in the Nineties.
The story veers from mirth inducing stupidity to dark thought provoking actions. It is well written & researched with an almost obsessive attention to detail, featuringDavidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02224281291267345984noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9478759.post-4908957662910417342011-09-03T15:07:00.002+01:002011-09-05T06:24:29.255+01:00Crooked Crooked Mile by dt156
Here is a good reason why I want to sing these songs again, it is about my adopted home town, it shows us at our earliest, first time in a studio together, but already you can see a melding of generations...none of us the same age..but thinking in the same direction. The " Crooked mile " refers to Scarboroughs South bay, The North Bay, is under developed & let loose Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02224281291267345984noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9478759.post-8456035717873532532011-09-03T08:48:00.002+01:002011-09-10T19:28:29.557+01:00Diligence
Recording John's track was a productive session, involving recording my first vocal for someone else in at least 10 years. At first the task looked simple, but as I listened back to the finished take something was missing. I sang 3 separate vocal parts before I was happy with the final performance. Time flew bye & it was good to be stretched creatively as I would not apply such diligence to my Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02224281291267345984noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9478759.post-53162247069792220542011-08-25T19:57:00.001+01:002011-08-25T20:02:29.537+01:00O.K. So here is the finished musical bed. It needs my buddy John to spray lead guitar all over it, so that I can edit down the bits I need to 8 bars. I know.. overkill for 8 bars, But you have to give musicians time to explore all the alleys leading off the main street. In return I will put a good vocal track down for his song,I hope... It is a kind of musical bartering, swop you this bar, for Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02224281291267345984noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9478759.post-30107479060517400472011-08-20T21:40:00.000+01:002011-08-20T21:40:40.016+01:00Winter
I am soooo glad I missed this one. This is the Beehive in Wellington four days ago.Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02224281291267345984noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9478759.post-58385250541351179962011-08-16T20:47:00.000+01:002011-08-16T20:47:26.004+01:00ReunionSoon it will be the August Bank Holiday, how time has flown since my arrival back on these shores, summer will soon be over ( to be honest I am still waiting for it to begin) it could be worse though I could be in Auckland right now where they have just had their first fall of snow in over 35 years.
Next weekend I am away on another writing session with John who has been mailing me idea's every Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02224281291267345984noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9478759.post-2342742207569193012011-08-12T11:47:00.001+01:002011-08-12T11:52:18.868+01:00RiotWith news full of the disturbances in the UK I will let Frank Zappa put in to words exactly how I feel about the situation.
Wednesday I watched the riot . . .Seen the cops out on the streetWatched 'em throwin' rocks and stuffAnd chokin' in the heatListened to reportsAbout the whisky passin' 'roundSeen the smoke and fireAnd the market burnin' downWatched while everybodyOn his street would take a Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02224281291267345984noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9478759.post-70716776275311482552011-08-07T21:48:00.000+01:002011-08-07T21:48:37.115+01:00New Track 001 Mix 002Here's a second mix for this track with a few changes, it's now a lot tidier & organised along with drum fills & cymbals etc. I will leave the original mix up for a week or so before I take it down so you can compare them. New Track 0ne mix 002 by dt156 Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02224281291267345984noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9478759.post-58128147037953028052011-08-06T17:45:00.000+01:002011-08-06T17:45:11.769+01:00Gone
Speck is now back in Auckland after a long holiday here in Yorkshire. The place is empty without her around. So here's to the next visit when she brings Lunchbox with her as well.Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02224281291267345984noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9478759.post-70524667819844137502011-07-25T21:32:00.000+01:002011-07-25T21:32:42.050+01:00InterviewMany thanks to Steve for letting me reproduce this & asking me the questions !!
Do you work hard on tracks or does it come quite naturally ?
It varies, some idea;s come very quickly & the track can be written & mixed in a day, others take time, they have to be squeezed out of the ether & some sadly die on the vine.The longest a track has stayed on my hard drive & been completed is around 18 Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02224281291267345984noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9478759.post-55088809380683528982011-07-25T17:40:00.000+01:002011-07-25T17:40:38.931+01:00ShameAmy Winehouse found dead at her London home. What a sad waste, a young girl who really never stood a chance. Her career virtually over after the release of Back in Black.2010 has come and gone and there was no new album. Only shambolic performances & a cancelled tour.Her personal problems were legendary - especially her addictions to alcohol and drugs.The infamy overtook the artistry and she Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02224281291267345984noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9478759.post-63685680755782749932011-07-20T09:49:00.000+01:002011-07-20T09:49:00.825+01:00New Track Mix 001 New Track 0ne mix 001 by dt156
This is the first rough mix of a new track, no vocal as yet, but I have a lot to write about, so it should not be too long in the works before completion. Let me know what you think.Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02224281291267345984noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9478759.post-17646954638280854522011-07-19T17:56:00.000+01:002011-07-19T17:56:03.604+01:00Gildersome Green
This is Gildersome Green, just across the road from the apartment. It is a place that holds many memories for me, it is also a place I thought I would never see again !
When I was young it was Wembley Stadium & Lords all rolled in to one, endless games of football , countless overs of cricket were played out on its grass.
It is of course in these " PC " times out of bounds as far as any Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02224281291267345984noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9478759.post-35232132422751494932011-07-18T20:04:00.002+01:002011-07-21T08:45:34.951+01:00QuestionsTell me about the shirt you're wearing?
It is a grey short sleeved shirt purchased in Auckland.
What's currently bothering you?
The weather, work, people, stuff.
What do you currently hear?
The sound of the kettle boiling.
When was the last time you had your hair cut?
No idea.
When were you last outside?
a couple of hours ago
What time did you go to sleep last night?
At approx 2.30 am I haveDavidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02224281291267345984noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9478759.post-38325609453675452752011-07-16T02:41:00.001+01:002011-09-12T19:48:43.523+01:00Retrospective #12Fashion - Fabrique
This is not a well known album by a band that did not get much further than a cult following in the early Eighties, but it was purchased after hearing an extended mix of the song " White Stuff " on a NME sample cassette tape. ( For younger readers cassette tapes were ferrous oxide tapes that we recorded music on, to to carry it around with our Walkmans .. for Walkman see Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02224281291267345984noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9478759.post-82153226487296105372011-07-13T19:19:00.000+01:002011-07-13T19:19:34.312+01:00SHEEPDAMIEN HIRST
Opens Friday, 15th July until Sunday, 30th October 2011
" A major new exhibition of work by Damien Hirst will be coming to Leeds Art Gallery 15th July. The exhibition will be coming to the art gallery on The Headrow from July to September 2011 as part of the national ARTIST ROOMS programme which will see collections of modern and contemporary art held by Tate and National Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02224281291267345984noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9478759.post-15095739391756897742011-07-12T14:52:00.001+01:002011-07-21T08:46:34.420+01:00SHALLOW" He moved from paradise to a place that was half as nice,
For a woman who would drop him for a new pair of shoes..."Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02224281291267345984noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9478759.post-46655412248110908412011-07-09T17:24:00.000+01:002011-07-09T17:24:22.412+01:00Lonesome DaySong 5 Western Springs, Auckland, March 28 2003
Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02224281291267345984noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9478759.post-2276402704473097842011-07-06T17:52:00.003+01:002011-07-06T17:54:13.581+01:00MateI used to have a really close friend who I could share everything with, then something happened to change the dynamic of our friendship. I don't know what I said or did, but communication between us has dried up to a trickle.
I keep the lines open just in case I am wanted for help or support, but the reality is that I may never see or hear from this person again, which is a real shame, as they Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02224281291267345984noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9478759.post-36246484117383435422011-06-27T09:30:00.001+01:002011-06-27T15:20:10.638+01:00Gig, Beer, Wine & FoodBack home after my trip to Scarborough, what a satisfying weekend away, I met up with Miff at the station & before long I was in the garden, beer in hand, chewing the fat over old times & planning new ones. John showed up during the afternoon & stayed an hour or so, which gave us the opportunity to busk a few Sharp Practice songs in the garden as well !
Then after an excellent dinner prepared byDavidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02224281291267345984noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9478759.post-56727994283737942422011-06-23T18:44:00.001+01:002011-06-24T13:45:03.186+01:00GigThis weekend I will be travelling to Scarborough to meet up with my old band Sharp Practice. It has been some 14 years since we last performed together, I think it was around two weeks before I departed for New Zealand. I have not played a live gig since. The reason we are hooking up together apart from churning over old times is to discuss the possibility of a ‘ one off ‘ gig , a chance to play Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02224281291267345984noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9478759.post-62770834665678941662011-06-20T09:38:00.002+01:002011-06-20T18:42:19.680+01:00EgoWhat a very satisfying weekend, on Saturday morning I caught up with my aunts & uncle who spend most of their time in France, it was great to see them & they took an instant shine to Speck, It was a very enjoyable lunch.
In the Afternoon I met up with John who is a musician friend from some thirty years ago. We spent the afternoon up until 7pm writing music together, a fantastic experience afterDavidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02224281291267345984noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9478759.post-52171325120105020292011-06-19T12:41:00.000+01:002011-06-19T12:41:29.246+01:00Clarence
Clarence Clemmons sax player with Bruce Springsteen has died, I feel honoured to have seen him play with Bruce, the band will never sound the same again.Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02224281291267345984noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9478759.post-72876212320012615822011-06-17T19:59:00.000+01:002011-06-17T19:59:53.304+01:00Tetley's
A sad day today in Leeds with the last shift leaving Joshua Tetley's brewery & beer production been transferred to Wolverhampton of all places. Carlsberg who owned the brewery just want to sell a prime piece of land in the centre of the city & stuff everyone else.
Above are the famous Dray hoses that were a common sight around Leeds when I lived there.
It is a shame that what was once the Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02224281291267345984noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9478759.post-2193409120209023682011-06-15T13:15:00.000+01:002011-06-15T13:15:05.276+01:00AeroA wet weekend curtailed many of the events that I had planned for Speck but she was happy to just laze around the house watching the rain fall. This coming weekend we will be apart for a day & an evening as I have my first musical collaboration in 13 years with the opportunity to write with an old acquaintance for the first time in some 30 odd years.
I will be spending Sunday visiting my AuntsDavidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02224281291267345984noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9478759.post-69166885508694408842011-06-09T18:12:00.005+01:002011-06-09T18:15:21.535+01:00Sleep By Wires Sleep by wires
This is my first posting on Soundcloud & Now after this I can share some selections from my new collection ! Let me know what you think...Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02224281291267345984noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9478759.post-24193866447131896892011-06-08T19:53:00.000+01:002011-06-08T19:53:06.489+01:00Bitter sweet : A remark you madeThe last time I played this track, I stood on a deck in the bush in Titirangi with the volume so low, that the local Cicadas & birds picked up on it, a moment of bliss that should have been shared.
Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02224281291267345984noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9478759.post-81141180852470545732011-06-08T19:30:00.000+01:002011-06-08T19:30:00.202+01:00Ultravox !Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02224281291267345984noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9478759.post-29525086914541720272011-06-07T12:47:00.000+01:002011-06-07T12:47:29.634+01:00RushentMartin Rushent the recorder producer responsible for among other things, the Human Leagues ' Dare ' album, passed away yesterday aged 63.
Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02224281291267345984noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9478759.post-1413908029347195782011-06-06T12:53:00.003+01:002011-06-06T12:55:15.589+01:00SpentBack to work today after a really enjoyable weekend, I met up with a very old friend on Friday & I have to say imbibed far more than I should have, we spent the entire evening re living past adventures & plotting some new ones. It was 5am before my head touched the pillow & mid day before I was up and ready to face the world.
Caits came round almost as soon as I was awake, leaving me a few Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02224281291267345984noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9478759.post-44367215747775503242011-06-03T13:11:00.000+01:002011-06-03T13:11:22.074+01:00WeekendIts Friday again ! Doesn't the week flash by when the weather is reasonable & you have lots to look forward to? On Friday I am meeting up with a long lost friend so Speck has been banished to stay with her Grandmother as I suspect it will be a very late night. To compensate her for this I am taking her to Leeds on Saturday. for shopping & sightseeing. Spare a thought for the Enigma's wallet !!
Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02224281291267345984noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9478759.post-44680936902300121752011-05-31T13:01:00.000+01:002011-05-31T13:01:06.468+01:00WhanauYesterday I had lunch with my cousins from Dad's side of the family, it was great to meet them all again & spend an enjoyable afternoon catching up. It has been far too long since we all sat down together & the event was made especially pleasing because I was able to take Speck along, she was too young to know who they were when we left for NZ. Yet despite this she coped really well & was made toDavidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02224281291267345984noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9478759.post-31983581427277371062011-05-29T12:42:00.000+01:002011-05-29T12:42:07.893+01:00HebdenA busy weekend so far, on Friday evening I took speck over to the Hebden Bridge blues festival to watch my friend Chris play at Nelsons wine bar in the town. It was a great evening with lots of audience participation & Speck truly enjoyed herself.
On Saturday we moved in to our new apartment which was not as hard as it sounds, it is nice to be here I have to say, especially after feeling like aDavidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02224281291267345984noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9478759.post-79821207999292542642011-05-25T18:47:00.000+01:002011-05-25T18:47:26.628+01:00The Past...Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02224281291267345984noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9478759.post-54232153470943456762011-05-25T17:59:00.000+01:002011-05-25T17:59:43.522+01:00Two moments in time... I took delivery of my copy of Bill Nelson's live recording at Metropolis studio's today..pre ordered of course, but a word of warning if you are a casual listener to Bill's work it is not for you.
It is totally for the BIGGEST FAN ! Wannabees need not apply.It is a moment in time as Bill runs through his years with Be Bop Deluxe to the present.
The playing that captured me Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02224281291267345984noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9478759.post-78065590375456306232011-05-24T05:30:00.000+01:002011-05-24T05:30:03.431+01:00PlaceIt is not fair having to go to work when your daughter is in town !!Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02224281291267345984noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9478759.post-27969133418000607002011-05-22T10:47:00.000+01:002011-05-22T10:47:36.340+01:00LagUp early yesterday morning for the drive to Manchester airport, time spent nervously watching the arrivals board & then there she was ! I have to say that the dust at the airport made my eyes water!
After a long emotional hug it was then the return journey back to Yorkshire for Speck to meet her Grandmother who she has not seen for 5 years, more emotional hugs & then time to let her get used to Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02224281291267345984noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9478759.post-14348127554946255342011-05-20T05:28:00.000+01:002011-05-20T05:28:03.290+01:00FlightSpeck is on her way
CX108 Auckland > Hong Kong 20 May
13:20 DepartedDavidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02224281291267345984noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9478759.post-55013177930542614582011-05-18T20:05:00.000+01:002011-05-18T20:05:37.297+01:00Kia Ora Caits...Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02224281291267345984noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9478759.post-17312386571864315382011-05-18T19:31:00.000+01:002011-05-18T19:31:27.662+01:00FlawedDavidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02224281291267345984noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9478759.post-48108993085274990322011-05-16T20:04:00.001+01:002011-05-16T20:05:30.674+01:00BlueI had a wonderful night out in Colne with Mr Martin ( The man with the hat) on Saturday, apart from some great blues music, I met & listened to this man.Tom Attah http://www.tomattah.com/ Apart from been a wonderfull guy I have never seen anyone with such attack to an acoustic guitar. I STRONGLY suggest you check him out if he is in the area. Not only is he talented, but he is one of life's Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02224281291267345984noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9478759.post-66821789821407661102011-05-14T12:51:00.000+01:002011-05-14T12:51:06.635+01:00MancTonight I am heading over to Manchester with my old mate Chris to watch him play a blues set there.
I have no doubt that it will be entertaining. Seeing my old friends still playing live has made me want to do the same. Something I have not done since I left Yorkshire for New Zealand....Can I still cut it after so long ? Don't know the answer to that one, but I have a planned reunion with my old Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02224281291267345984noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9478759.post-67059013015049897432011-05-11T19:51:00.000+01:002011-05-13T21:38:08.473+01:00Speck
My daughter Speck arrives in Manchester on the morning of the 21st .. I cannot wait to see her, excitement at the prospect of hugging her again & having her stay for a couple of months will no doubt keep me awake monitoring her flight the night before. It is better than waiting for Santa when I was a kid !
So many things to show her & so many people friends & family I want her to meet. This is Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02224281291267345984noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9478759.post-87916440341363167742011-05-07T21:36:00.000+01:002011-05-07T21:36:43.356+01:00Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02224281291267345984noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9478759.post-44736601463674490402011-05-07T20:18:00.000+01:002011-05-07T20:18:26.933+01:00REvisionA mammal
A Musician
A Father
A serial procrastinator
Happy
A reader of books
A critic
A blogger
Creative
A cook
A freight forwarder
Tenacious
A planner
A son
A friend
Obsessive
A walker of forests
A lover of visual arts
An uncle
Trouble
High maintenance
An Anglo Saxon
A wine lover
A computer user
A Caucasian
European
Heterosexual
An improviser
A libertarian
A Yorkshireman
An insomniac
A hater ofDavidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02224281291267345984noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9478759.post-53502101954058704692011-05-07T11:23:00.000+01:002011-05-07T11:23:35.556+01:00MemoriesDavidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02224281291267345984noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9478759.post-28024132134881177252011-05-06T19:00:00.000+01:002011-05-06T19:00:14.425+01:00CloseDavidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02224281291267345984noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9478759.post-19995553200670448642011-05-05T18:26:00.000+01:002011-05-05T18:26:31.933+01:00GoldenOn Sunday I am going to make a special pilgrimage back to Harthill, a place I have tried to capture so many times musically, yet each time I feel I have fallen short of the mark. Apart from recording some “ Ambient “ noise I will jot down some notes as well, hopefully to guide me when I try to capture why this abandoned house that hardly exists anymore means so much to me.
It is not a building Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02224281291267345984noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9478759.post-15527163085364425022011-05-05T12:53:00.001+01:002011-05-05T12:54:41.943+01:00HUNTApart from the prospect of a very boozy night out with my old mate George on Friday evening, I have house hunting this weekend ! Ah the joys of settling back home !
I also have new works hours commencing next week & a change of role so things are moving along well.
Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02224281291267345984noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9478759.post-25636271634239059042011-05-05T05:41:00.000+01:002011-05-05T05:41:56.039+01:00DAYSNew Days
Though despair overwhelms
distressed minds and endings
seem inevitable.
Hope comforts
the weary and new days
shall dawn brighter horizons.
Jackie Ellis Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02224281291267345984noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9478759.post-2153670750650796532011-05-04T12:21:00.000+01:002011-05-04T12:21:55.943+01:00PBThis must be a record, in the country 3 months & I have already moved to my second bank.
My new personal Banker said they prefer to be called " PB,s "... not " Bankers ". A small thing but they will always be " Bankers" to me, question is, will I be changing banks again in a couple of months !
Listening to:
Jeff Beck
Weather Report
Steve Vai
Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02224281291267345984noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9478759.post-83568843814443405552011-05-02T22:11:00.002+01:002011-05-06T13:49:34.755+01:00PAST
While bleating on about what Arcane Enigma, as a studio meant to me, here are some memories from Ten plus years ago. This was when the studio was located in Titirangi, Auckland
Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02224281291267345984noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9478759.post-55315728043895567502011-05-02T15:25:00.002+01:002011-06-15T13:17:23.103+01:00Polymnia
I hate artists promotional clips for their music. I hate them for only one reason. When I was young I would rush down to the music store, spend all my money on that weeks single, which had been carefully chosen after reading the weekly music press over & over. Once I had that piece of vinyl in my hand and on the turn table, it would be dissected bar by bar. Next would come the lyrics, I would Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02224281291267345984noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9478759.post-16914608702350785112011-05-01T20:30:00.000+01:002011-05-01T20:30:38.915+01:00MuseIt has been a productive if somewhat isolated weekend, working on tracks for a collection I started putting together after arriving here in Leeds. I have around seven tracks waiting to be mixed & another three, I am still working on. Potential tracks for the collection are :
Asphalt Ripples
Boiling Deep
Alone
Emotion Imparted
Fever Food
Fractal Shadow Forge
Murex
Soul Zone Detox
Technology Park Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02224281291267345984noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9478759.post-7639440175222446082011-04-28T12:52:00.003+01:002011-04-28T12:52:11.896+01:00SalariumPay day today & I am one happy camper......Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02224281291267345984noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9478759.post-60527048750166919382011-04-27T12:56:00.001+01:002011-04-27T20:36:03.906+01:00Poly Styrene.
Poly Styrene, best known as the frontwoman with 1970s punk group X-Ray Spex, has died. Styrene was receiving treatment for an advanced form of breast cancer when she passed away yesterday (Monday 25 April). She was 53.
News of her death spread this morning, with fans expressing sorrow at her passing.A spokesperson for Styrene confirmed her death this morning, saying everyone around her was Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02224281291267345984noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9478759.post-13566230601581578732011-04-25T15:29:00.001+01:002011-05-05T05:43:28.367+01:00Happy
I had a wonderful afternoon walking around Oakwell hall's grounds & getting a little more in touch with my roots.
To be honest I feel rootless, a transient. This is the land of my birth but it feels a million miles from what I am used to. Hard to sit in a glade of tree's & listen to the sound of traffic, instead of Tui's.
Listening to:
Aluminium Primitive.Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02224281291267345984noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9478759.post-21080304064248568832011-04-22T15:25:00.000+01:002011-04-22T15:25:06.513+01:00MouseThere are people out there who love every pitfall & every piece of ground that is sent to try us.
I am glad thay have something to do, its beats watching F1 every weekend & pretending you have done something creative,
Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02224281291267345984noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9478759.post-57817582786731933432011-04-17T20:16:00.002+01:002011-04-20T04:51:16.782+01:00Harm
I have tried to stay away from this issue on my blog, but I feel it is better to let it be out there than hide it inside. My baby girl was admitted to Starship hospital last week after harming herself & been at risk.
It is not an easy road to go down as a parent who is 11,600 miles away from the source of the drama. I spend everyday riddled with guilt.
The voice inside my head asks " Why did youDavidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02224281291267345984noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9478759.post-82636773049373414142011-04-17T01:12:00.000+01:002011-04-17T01:12:27.316+01:00Song to the SirenLong afloat on shipless oceans
I did my best to smile
til your singing eyes & fingers
drew me loving to your isle.
And you sang sail to me , sail to me,
let me enfold you.
Here I am, here I am
waiting to hold you.
Did I dream you dreamed about me ?
Were you hare when I was fox ?
Now my foolish boat is leaning,
broken lovelorn on your rocks.
For you sang touch me not, touch me not,
Come back Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02224281291267345984noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9478759.post-57866506886429999842011-04-15T05:36:00.001+01:002011-05-14T12:38:19.232+01:00SolitudeIt is the end of my first productive week & the weekend is a few hours away.
I've nothing at all planned so I guess it will be a quiet one.
Work has been interesting, busy & a challenge. Which is just how I like it. I have spent the best part of every day walking around the enormous site that my company occupies, spending peraphs only an hour or so at my desk updating stock figures. With all Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02224281291267345984noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9478759.post-41466517879528512812011-04-11T19:34:00.000+01:002011-04-11T19:34:43.069+01:00DisclosureFirst day at the new job, stereotypes all around. It is not easy when you arrive at work & no one is expecting you, but after a brief wait a very dissorientated person approached me to ask if I was Arcane Enigma, after a full disclosure of the facts we agreed I was that person. It was apparent that I knew more about my first day than she did. Hey Ho Lets Go !
I was asked if I had my contract of Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02224281291267345984noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9478759.post-83950318968178829612011-04-08T16:31:00.001+01:002011-04-08T16:58:06.665+01:00Lucre
So after two months the big telephone call finally arrived & I commence work on Monday.
Not bad if I say so myself!! Now to start my new life in Yorkshire properly.
Listening to:
FreeDavidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02224281291267345984noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9478759.post-4657673044462014922011-04-07T05:26:00.000+01:002011-04-07T05:26:09.509+01:00MONEYIt has been a steep learning curve the last few weeks as I try to make myself a productive member of society, happy to say that the last 14 days have been encouraging, hopefully there will be an end to my enforced rest soon.
I have to come to see since my arrival back on these shores, how driven some people are by money. Prizing it above everything else in their lives. It is not my place to Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02224281291267345984noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9478759.post-89477336223746589562011-03-16T09:28:00.001Z2011-03-16T09:30:36.527ZDaughter
Yesterday was Speck's sixteenth birthday & the first one I have missed. Somehow talking on the phone & on Skype was not the same. She recieved her gift on the day, which was good timing on the Post Offices part & will be having friends over this weekend.
Hard to believe that it has been sixteen years ! It has been rewarding watching her progress from a baby girl to a clever, spirited, young Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02224281291267345984noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9478759.post-87400282799802148412011-03-06T07:15:00.004Z2011-04-07T07:35:45.204+01:00Hop
Last week I travelled to " The Hop " in Leeds to meet up with my old friend Chris ( Pictured on the right of me in photo). He was playing at the bar so it was a chance to see him in action & catch up. It was great to see him & he has not changed too much, greyer in places but still the same ebullient character.
The lower Briggate area of the city has changed so much in my time away, it is full Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02224281291267345984noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9478759.post-65822845607399055012011-02-27T17:44:00.004Z2011-04-07T07:36:28.924+01:00Mange Tout ?Last night I attended a charity dinner at a local Hotel, featuring a lauded chef who I had never heard of, well I have been away for a long time ! It was a pleasant enough evening made better by the company of friends which was helpful as the meal itself left a little to be desired.
Now I know that it is very churlish & poor form to criticise food presented at a fund raising dinner, but as this Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02224281291267345984noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9478759.post-26552787096941006522011-02-19T20:31:00.001Z2011-02-19T20:33:20.886ZWhiteWhat's that white stuff ? Snow ? Have not seen that for so long....make it go away.Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02224281291267345984noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9478759.post-21744312452875108452011-02-14T01:42:00.003Z2011-02-14T01:47:13.431ZVIBESo, two weeks in to my return and a time to take stock. Since arriving my experience has been positive, apart from getting used to the narrow roads & traffic. I had forgotten how close to the kerb vehicles drive & how close to the vehicles you are !I have resumed my love affair with the Yorkshire countryside, the moors, the hills, the seashore, even the weather has not managed to dampen my Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02224281291267345984noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9478759.post-73773132705179765802011-01-31T07:13:00.005Z2011-04-08T06:01:08.614+01:00Weekend
What a busy week it has been, I traveled to Scarborough on Friday evening to meet up with Miff & his wife. They are old friends from my days playing in the Scarborough area in a band that was together for 10 years, so we must have got along ok!
It was a great evening catching up,reminiscing about all the fun we had when we were playing. The meal provided by Mrs. Miff was excellent, this was Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02224281291267345984noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9478759.post-1027409309829135312011-01-25T06:19:00.004Z2011-05-14T12:36:43.402+01:00HereArrived back at 6.00 am in to a dark Manchester Monday, weather not as cold as expected.
Then a car ride across the Pennines trying to take it all in & back to see Mum for the first time in 5 years. Big hugs all round. Finally unpacked just in time for a visit to the pub for lunch then home for a cat nap.
Evening spent on the sofa with wine & much chatter.
The weekend involves catching up Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02224281291267345984noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9478759.post-38080207604854040132011-01-14T18:19:00.003Z2011-05-14T12:41:36.061+01:00LastToday is my last Saturday shift at work, my last day is on Wednesday. Then it is time to pack & spend my last 3 days in Auckland with Lunchbox & Speck before jetting off to to England. Cannot say I am going to miss the company I work for, but it has been interesting.
Much more interesting are all the events planned for my arrival in Yorkshire. Cannot wait.Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02224281291267345984noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9478759.post-19766748082060823592011-01-10T17:42:00.003Z2011-06-03T13:50:11.224+01:00DepartureSo, its time to say goodbye to New Zealand, on Sunday 23rd January at 07.15am I set off back to Yorkshire. There are so many things I will miss but so many things I am looking forward to doing & rediscovering.
It will no doubt be a dull grey chilly morning in Manchester when I land, the first stop on the way bac,k will be to call in to see my Mother for the first time in 4 years. Then unpacking Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02224281291267345984noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9478759.post-12825600641512438492010-12-27T23:03:00.000Z2010-12-27T23:04:09.317ZAshesHumiliation of a century", "Pathetic Aussies hit Ashes low", "Ponting's men humiliated" -- local newspapers pulled no punches after what one described as Australia's "worst cricketing day for 100 years".I am loving this on TV at the momentDavidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02224281291267345984noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9478759.post-72100046760688389722010-12-17T23:32:00.001Z2010-12-17T23:34:06.077ZBlake Edwards: Hollywood film director dies aged 88The American film-maker Blake Edwards has died in southern California at the age of 88." Breakfast at Tiffany's " Enough Said.Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02224281291267345984noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9478759.post-30656325833623142102010-12-17T23:30:00.000Z2010-12-17T23:31:26.048Z'Captain Beefheart' dies aged 69 American musician and artist Don Van Vliet, best known by the stage name Captain Beefheart, has died aged 69.Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02224281291267345984noreply@blogger.com0