Hello, neglected LJ

[indielove92]

It's been a while. So, some obligatory +/- for this week:

+ :

• Actually looking forward to the gig on Saturday. At first I was really nervous that the band wouldn't pull it together in time, but since the last rehearsal I've kinda entered the mindset of Fuck it, I'm getting to perform The Veils and Slowdive at one of the nicest venues I've ever been

Comments

[indielove92]

I've just come back from it - aside from my sore throat I'd say it went pretty well, and I couldn't believe it when I found out who the judging panel were - only The Divine Comedy! (minus Neil D:) Very surreal and exciting. One of them gave me a compliment too, I can't remember exactly what he said (was too busy internally flailing, I think) but he and the other two guys were really nice and gave some great constructive criticism to all the bands at the end. Oh, and they also kept referring back to some of the bands my band had had declared as influences - Slowdive and My Bloody Valentine being two, and he even referred to Tom Waits at one point! We don't find out the results til about April I think... but I'm not all too worried about whether we get through to the next round or not - it was such a great experience and one I've definitely learnt from. Anyways, sorry I'm rambling now...

And the guy in the video is Jonsi Birgisson - lead singer of Sigur Ros, from Iceland. Interesting comments about the voice, I actually prefer his falsetto - to me it's the most distinctive aspect of his voice but I can see why people might regard it as a bit weak/strained in places.

Ooh yes, do! The Jon McGregor one is definitely of an acquired taste but it's amazing if you do get on with the style of writing. I can't say I've read anything by Henry Miller but I do know the name - what sort of stuff does he write about?

And thank you very much! I'm hoping to try and get my coursework done over this half term break, despite the fact that the deadline was yesterday (and if anyone does call me up on it, then there's always the option of feigning ignorance).

[rjyoaslh]

Wow, that's so cool! I'm really intrigued to know your band's sound - very unique influences! I hope you do get the chance to go on, but as you said it sounds like an incredible experience no matter what. Congrats!

Ohh yes! I couldn't recognize under all those feathers and paint, haha! He had a very soft falsetto, I think I'm just used to really powerful ones like Morrissey and Jimmy Somerville. Either way, it's an interesting voice and I always love those.

I looked those books up on amazon and I'm definitely getting both, they sound really good. The John McGregor isn't available here until the 15th, I think, so I'll order both next week. I'm hesitant about the other one - I haaate that so many gay love stories end in tragedy, it''s just not fair! But it sounds too good to pass up. Henry Miller wrote Tropic of Cancer, Tropic of Capricorn and Black Spring. I loved Tropic of Cancer and Black Spring - his stream of consciousness writing is just incredible, he mixes it with regular prose and they're always written from a personal point of view, you can't really tell how much is fiction and how much is him. I'm reading Capricorn, now. He is a bastard, no question, completely misogynistic, but his writing is too incredible to pass up. He's very cynical, but so am I so I like that aspect, haha!

Ugh, deadlines. Ironic that I chose a career full of deadlines, ha! I'll try the feigning ignorance if I ever get into trouble. ;)

[indielove92]

I'm not sure how far I could stretch the 'band' tag - we're really just a bunch of young people (aged between 12 - 17) at a music academy who have kind of ended playing together once a week at rehearsals... it's not something that'll last but it's been good fun and has provided plenty of gigging experience. I also hope it may have widened the horizons of some of the younger guys in the band who are mainly into the heavy rock stuff... and they do absolutely adore The Veils now so I think it just might have done!

Ooh, excellent! And yeah, I put off buying At Swim Two Boys for about six months after discovering it because it was at a point when I'd just finished From Blue to Black by Joel Lane, which is still by far the most heart-wrenching novel I've ever read, and also happened to revolve around a gay relationship (within a fictional post-punk/shoegaze band!) . One of those novels it literally aches to think about, and yet you just can't stop thinking about it, anyway. I have a feeling that is exactly what At Swim, Two Boys will be like - but being the shameless emotional masochist that I am, I finally caved in last week and ordered it, even though I'd already (accidentally) found out the ending a few days earlier.

And ooh, he sounds a bit like Saul Bellow? Maybe? Like one of those authors who's work tends to be pretty challenging, but never unrewarding. I'm gonna investigate further, I think...

[rjyoaslh]

Aw, haha! Well it's a start, and if you recruited more Veils fans you've done a great deed! :)

Ooh, I definitely won't be reading From Blue to Black, I couldn't take it. I'll just have to break up At Swim with lots of kissy touchy sweetie things so I won't get too upset. But yes, the books I tend to remember are usually the ones that rip out my guts, so... maybe it'll be worth it.

I've never read Saul Bellow, I have Herzog but haven't picked it up yet. I'll have to pull it off of the shelf. Maybe Henry Miller would be a good thing to read with At Swim - when it gets too sad, pick up Henry Miller and you'll be ready to kick some ass! Do you read more than one book at a time? I usually do, though I try to keep it at just two. Once I had four books going and it was a little ridiculous.

[indielove92]

Ooh no, I can only ever take one at a time! (and I'm very slow, even then...)

And four?! Seriously, how did you keep up?