Keep it Freaky!
Good Lord I've let things slip again.
Story of my life that, its one big slipping thing, tumbling serenely into the gaping chasm of 'I'll do that tomorrow'. . .
Well I'm still here, same old same old. Whats happened since my last amusing update about the 'hilarious' vodka episode in January? Erm. . . Well Col and Ste played a gig at Ste's old junior school in Penketh (now a community cafe). They went down well (apart from starting off by singing a song about prostitution but the luckily the Vicar (who was present as a community leader) didn't seem to notice) but Ste had to fight the urge to go and stand in the corner all night - well old habits die hard. I got a bit tipsy (unusual for me) and subjected the poor vicar's wife to a looong discussion about the South (she was from my neck of the woods and I nearly cried at the joy of hearing a Southern accent other than my own) and Col's studio. When she started to back away looking a bit scared I realised it was perhaps time to shut up. Still she shook Col's hand warmly and wished him luck with his business venture. Hope that means we got God on our side, we could use a bit of help. Perhaps the big man might see his way clear to usher along a mega pop star or two to record - you never know yer luck.
Valentines day came and went, I got the most gorgeous bouquet of multi-coloured tulips and we drank two bottles of champagne and passed out. Who said romance is dead?
Then we come to March and my birthday. Oh yes I've reached the grand old age of 29 and don't I feel it. Doesn't help to have a cheeky young scamp of a 27 year old boyfriend who takes as many opportunities as possible to remind you of your HUGE difference in ages. Its not a huge difference, besides he turns 28 the week after next, so there. Shut up. I booked and long weekend off and it was marvellous! Ste and Fee threw me a glorious party on the saturday night, there was cake and candles, champers and singing and of course. . . Chas and Dave. No party is complete without Chas and Dave. It culminated in being sat on the sofa, very the worse for drink, watching 'Catchphrase' on tv and shouting drunkenly at the screen. The sayings on Catchphrase can be obscure at the best of times so much hilarity ensued as we shouted out our guesses like a little crowd of tourettes sufferers. To add to our joy the next program on was 'Knightmare', that rubbish kids show of our youth when some poor sucker was made to wear a daft helmet and pushed into random rooms whilst his mates shouted at him through an earpiece. What a crock! There's no obvious way to win that damn programme. The hapless pre-pubscents in the episode we watched were duped into believing they were doing well until they suddenly got stopped in their tracks and unceremoniously kicked off for the stupidest reasons, and something which there was no obvious answer to. That show ranks right up there with Ted Rogers' '3-2-1' quiz show for impossibility. Its a travesty I tell you, a travesty!!
On the Sunday we watched Col's uncle sing with a big band at a local theatre. Col got roped into supervising the sound so I got to wave at him sat at the mixing desk from my seat in the audience. It was. . . interesting. Don't get me wrong I love big band, but Frank is the master and always will be! They did good tho and they seemed to go down well with the audience. The highlight of my night was going on stage afterwards and fingering the real live Steinway grand piano (ooer). I mistakenly at the time thought it was the closest I'd ever get to a Steinway. Finally on the Monday Col and I buggered off to Chester zoo. It was bloody FREEZING and there was snow everywhere but I loved it. We saw elephants and a lion and chimps (who were very cool and kept disappearing outside and coming back with great handfuls of snow and ice to munch on), various monkeys, giraffes and orangutans. I love the bat cave they have at Chester, you basically walk amongst the bats and they dive around your head! Its not for the faint hearted, especially when you feel the draft as they zip in front of your eyes. There's a little tunnel you walk through and the young bats were constantly zooming through it. One sped between Col and I, they're so damn agile they rock! The capybura's were hiding from the snow which greatly disappointed me (you still a fan of capybura's grifterasuk?!) but the rhino's were great! They were chillin out eating carrots and generally heffing as they do. We had a great time, even in spite of the school kids who seemed intent on being little twats by screaming and throwing snow, as well as sitting in the way and listening to bad music on their crappy mobile phones. An interesting new annoying habit the scallys seem to have picked up damn them. We were never that bloody annoying! Were we?
So we're nearly up to date, last wednesday as a belated birthday surprise my boy took me to Bridgewater hall in Manchester for a bit of culture. I'm a closet fan of classical music, particularly on the piano, and it just so happens 2006 is the year for piano music at Bridgewater! We watched a Mozart concerto or two and afterward there was a special performance of one of my favourite Beethoven sonata's. It was fabulous and as it turns out Bridgewater is chock full of Steinway pianos! They are on display all over the Hall and are even available to play at certains times of the day. I'm planning to drag Col back there at some point to have a go - would it be considered inappropriate to bang out the theme tune to 'Moonlighting' on a £20,000 grand piano? (Col is a fantastic piano player, I just have strange tastes when it comes to his playing!)
So there we go. In other news the studio is empty and forlorn. It makes me want to cry that such an incredible space is being needlessly wasted day by day. We have a plan tho - oh yes we have a plan. With the guiding hand of Mr Jenners we intend to put together a marketing exercise to put Darkline Audio on the god damn map!! Oh yes, if you book them, they WILL come. . .
Watch this space!
Story of my life that, its one big slipping thing, tumbling serenely into the gaping chasm of 'I'll do that tomorrow'. . .
Well I'm still here, same old same old. Whats happened since my last amusing update about the 'hilarious' vodka episode in January? Erm. . . Well Col and Ste played a gig at Ste's old junior school in Penketh (now a community cafe). They went down well (apart from starting off by singing a song about prostitution but the luckily the Vicar (who was present as a community leader) didn't seem to notice) but Ste had to fight the urge to go and stand in the corner all night - well old habits die hard. I got a bit tipsy (unusual for me) and subjected the poor vicar's wife to a looong discussion about the South (she was from my neck of the woods and I nearly cried at the joy of hearing a Southern accent other than my own) and Col's studio. When she started to back away looking a bit scared I realised it was perhaps time to shut up. Still she shook Col's hand warmly and wished him luck with his business venture. Hope that means we got God on our side, we could use a bit of help. Perhaps the big man might see his way clear to usher along a mega pop star or two to record - you never know yer luck.
Valentines day came and went, I got the most gorgeous bouquet of multi-coloured tulips and we drank two bottles of champagne and passed out. Who said romance is dead?
Then we come to March and my birthday. Oh yes I've reached the grand old age of 29 and don't I feel it. Doesn't help to have a cheeky young scamp of a 27 year old boyfriend who takes as many opportunities as possible to remind you of your HUGE difference in ages. Its not a huge difference, besides he turns 28 the week after next, so there. Shut up. I booked and long weekend off and it was marvellous! Ste and Fee threw me a glorious party on the saturday night, there was cake and candles, champers and singing and of course. . . Chas and Dave. No party is complete without Chas and Dave. It culminated in being sat on the sofa, very the worse for drink, watching 'Catchphrase' on tv and shouting drunkenly at the screen. The sayings on Catchphrase can be obscure at the best of times so much hilarity ensued as we shouted out our guesses like a little crowd of tourettes sufferers. To add to our joy the next program on was 'Knightmare', that rubbish kids show of our youth when some poor sucker was made to wear a daft helmet and pushed into random rooms whilst his mates shouted at him through an earpiece. What a crock! There's no obvious way to win that damn programme. The hapless pre-pubscents in the episode we watched were duped into believing they were doing well until they suddenly got stopped in their tracks and unceremoniously kicked off for the stupidest reasons, and something which there was no obvious answer to. That show ranks right up there with Ted Rogers' '3-2-1' quiz show for impossibility. Its a travesty I tell you, a travesty!!
On the Sunday we watched Col's uncle sing with a big band at a local theatre. Col got roped into supervising the sound so I got to wave at him sat at the mixing desk from my seat in the audience. It was. . . interesting. Don't get me wrong I love big band, but Frank is the master and always will be! They did good tho and they seemed to go down well with the audience. The highlight of my night was going on stage afterwards and fingering the real live Steinway grand piano (ooer). I mistakenly at the time thought it was the closest I'd ever get to a Steinway. Finally on the Monday Col and I buggered off to Chester zoo. It was bloody FREEZING and there was snow everywhere but I loved it. We saw elephants and a lion and chimps (who were very cool and kept disappearing outside and coming back with great handfuls of snow and ice to munch on), various monkeys, giraffes and orangutans. I love the bat cave they have at Chester, you basically walk amongst the bats and they dive around your head! Its not for the faint hearted, especially when you feel the draft as they zip in front of your eyes. There's a little tunnel you walk through and the young bats were constantly zooming through it. One sped between Col and I, they're so damn agile they rock! The capybura's were hiding from the snow which greatly disappointed me (you still a fan of capybura's grifterasuk?!) but the rhino's were great! They were chillin out eating carrots and generally heffing as they do. We had a great time, even in spite of the school kids who seemed intent on being little twats by screaming and throwing snow, as well as sitting in the way and listening to bad music on their crappy mobile phones. An interesting new annoying habit the scallys seem to have picked up damn them. We were never that bloody annoying! Were we?
So we're nearly up to date, last wednesday as a belated birthday surprise my boy took me to Bridgewater hall in Manchester for a bit of culture. I'm a closet fan of classical music, particularly on the piano, and it just so happens 2006 is the year for piano music at Bridgewater! We watched a Mozart concerto or two and afterward there was a special performance of one of my favourite Beethoven sonata's. It was fabulous and as it turns out Bridgewater is chock full of Steinway pianos! They are on display all over the Hall and are even available to play at certains times of the day. I'm planning to drag Col back there at some point to have a go - would it be considered inappropriate to bang out the theme tune to 'Moonlighting' on a £20,000 grand piano? (Col is a fantastic piano player, I just have strange tastes when it comes to his playing!)
So there we go. In other news the studio is empty and forlorn. It makes me want to cry that such an incredible space is being needlessly wasted day by day. We have a plan tho - oh yes we have a plan. With the guiding hand of Mr Jenners we intend to put together a marketing exercise to put Darkline Audio on the god damn map!! Oh yes, if you book them, they WILL come. . .
Watch this space!