Blurbs

30 Jul 2008 - 17:25

Hey Peeps....

Couple of gigs for you if you're about...one of them rather large...

This Friday (1st August), I will be playing at the Pearl and Albert (formerly the Medicine Bar), Upper St, Islington. It's a last minute booking before the monthly residency starts there at the end of August/beginning of September, but if you're about, drop by for a beer!

The following Friday (8th August), I will be playing at the O2 Arena, warming up for Tiesto and doing the after party in the Blueroom. Tickets are going very quickly for this one and my guest list will be limited... bribes are accepted.

Gimme a shout of you're up for it...

J x

23 Jul 2008 - 20:54

Kris Gruber offers a patient, personal service for all types of ‘people’ photography.
Affordable, top quality wedding pictures, whether at a religious service, registry office or civil partnership ceremony, to tell the story of your special day using a blend of reportage and formal images.
Formal and informal portraits, actors headshots, promotional images , school proms and family events all catered for. Please see my website at www.krisgruber.com for examples of my work and further details or just give me a ring on 07846 941687.

14 Jul 2008 - 16:56

Once upon a time there was this young boy who didn't know what he wanted to be when he grew up. All his friends at primary school wanted to be fighter pilots or firemen or policemen or doctors or footballers or racing car drivers or actors or farmers (well one did anyway) or teachers or ballerinas. This little boy had no idea what he wanted to be.

All the way through his schooling he thought about the future but he never came up with the answer he was looking for. He couldn't think of a profession that he wanted to do for the rest of his working life. It wasn't due to laziness, it was purely that nothing interested him enough to be a suitable choice for a career.

He had two loves however, Music and Film. Music was the best option as he had grown up learning all about music. His father was a music teacher and it ran in the family, his parents had met at the Royal College of Music in London and the house was full of scores, records and instruments. At the age of 5 he was put in front of a piano and by the age of 12 had tried his hand at recorder, clarinet, trumpet, trombone, tuba but none of these had lasted long. Mere flings if truth be told. His real love was singing.

He had sung in a church choir since he was 7 or 8 and was a chorister at boarding school which he was at on a music scholarship between the ages of 9 and 14. Alas, being a boy at the age of 14 his voice broke and by the time it had settled he was no longer in fee paying education but at a state school where singing in a church choir generally gets you beaten up. However, this wasn't too disheartening for the lad as the thought of singing the bass or tenor lines didn't appeal to him that much. And besides he had a new musical foray to get his teeth into.

Having reached the point in his schooling where he had to choose GCSE subjects it was a no brainer that he would choose music as an option. But you need to play an instrument to do this! By this time he had given up all the instruments he had played previously and with his voice not really up to the task of associated board standard (or so he decided) a new instrument needed to be picked. Well, being 14 the choice quickly narrowed to 2 options - namely drums or guitar. There wasn't the room for the former in his parents turn-of-the-century country cottage (or at least that was the excuse they gave him!) so the latter it was to be! He took to the instrument quickly and soon became frustrated with the slow pace of the lessons he was having to endure at the hands of a very camp guitar teacher. He found himself able to play and learn a lot more by himself while listening to his favorite bands at home in his room and would often fall asleep on his bed still in his school uniform strapped to his guitar and with his dinner down stairs in the kitchen stone cold!

This new found obsession quickly had him joining bands with school chums and jamming in front rooms for the sheer enjoyment and buzz you get from making music with others. Soon he found himself writing his own songs with his mates and began to dream of rock and roll super stardom! The next logical step was to be able to record the music they were writing together and after a meeting with his school counselor and head of year about his poor academic performance during his first year of A-levels, he decided to leave school and go to a local college to study popular music and sound recording. This led after 2 years to a place on a university degree course in Greenwich, London studying music technology (and I use the term study lightly). This paid off and after a further 3 years the boy had a BA(Hons) in the subject! still baffled at how he had managed to pull this great feat off, the lad went straight out on tour with his good friends who's band had taken off small time as there guitar tech and roadie! This in turn led to 10 years in total on the road steadily climbing the ladder of fame with the band as guitar tech and production manager and travelled the world with absolutely no income what so ever! Needless to say this meant our fellow still lived with his parents up to the age of 26!

However, this couldn't last for ever and when his long suffering and hard working parents selfishly decided to retire and move to the wilds of Wales it left our young man in a bit of a pickle. He couldn't afford a place of his own earning nothing with the band, He couldn't work for the band if he moved to Wales with his parents, he didn't really want to commit social suicide by moving to Wales so this left only one viable option. He had to quit working for the band and find a real rent paying job (which was just as well as I don't think the option of moving with his parents was an option as far as his parents were concerned!).

He managed at the 11th hour to find work in a fairly local music shop which adequately paid the bills but this lasted just shy of a year before he was made redundant due to the shops poor sales. After a few months of panicked career hunting the young man took a 'filler' job as he would describe it working as a bar man in a local pub to tie him over until he could get a proper job. This is where we find him 9 months later, aged 28 and still with no idea what he wants to be when he grows up.

17 Jun 2008 - 09:15

Attention! Jessie has a solo gig down at SIN, 144 Charing Cross Road, on Thursday night. She will be playing along with other LIPA types and will be on at about 9pm. It would be great to see some of you there....

14 Jun 2008 - 08:55

I am currently a Programmer at a arts venue in the West Midlands, programming theatre, dance, music, spoken word and comedy. I have also been known to independantly manage / produce artists and have an excellent knowledge of Live Arts and Contemporary Practise.

12 Jun 2008 - 12:18

Chaps - just to let y'all know

The Canyoneros - Americana orchestra - will be performing at the Horns in Watford on Sunday (15th) from 8 o'clock...

see you there

T

07 Jun 2008 - 11:28

After nearly seven months of late nights last summer, I am returning to Ibiza once again to play another set at the beautiful Bar Zuka, Calle De La Virgin, Ibiza Town on 24th June. If you haven't been there before, it's a superb little bar tucked away in the old town, full of history and set in amazing surroundings. Unfortunately, my private jet has got a brake-light out and the sky police won't let it take off and alas, I can't take you all with me.
But fear not my funky friends, I have a new monthly residency starting 5th July @ Canal Club (upstairs), Caledonian Road, Kings Cross, London N1, with fellow Good Looking Records bods Garramond and Andy Cutler joining me from August.
I'll take a big bag to the white isle and bring back some sunshine and sand in my shoes for those who want some...
Jimmy

05 Jun 2008 - 12:28

Hello ! I have an exhibition at the Cha Cha Cha cafe in Cassiobury Park running from 5th June till July. The are Paintings and Photography of Various Subjects some of which are well established Watford bands. So if you get a chance Please take a look. thanks Robert McHale

02 Jun 2008 - 22:38

hi there ! I'm Rob. I have always been mad about being creative and for a while I was little interested in anything else. I started painting at 6 years old and grabbed a guitar when i was 15 and was given my first camera at 18. I've since moved on to cooking and do all 4 as much as i can to keep me busy. My 'Trade' though is Photography. I'm Available for most social events and have a wide experience in most styles. please feel free to contact me through the site or my other sites www.myspace.com/robertmchale or rob.macca@yahoo.co.uk

29 May 2008 - 10:42

Well, would you believe that Stave number 2 is playing at The Cavern Club tomorrow night?! You should; it's true. It's only a short set, I think, but even so, gigging there is pretty much one of coolest things to say you've done. Staves numbers 1 & 3 are cursing Richard Branson for making train tickets too expensive for us to buy (I was quoted £649 return. Seriously). I wish I could go. I miss her so. Jessie has her own band for the gig and I think they'll be doing all new songs. A slight twinge of something, that might be jealousy that others are singing with her instead of Millie & I, stirs in me. Mostly though, I'm just so proud of her for getting into LIPA, going to Liverpool and making her own musical loveliness.
And I can't wait for the summer when we're all together again. Until then - GOOD LUCK JAZZ!!!
Love Em xxx