Unless anything else comes up, my next exhibition will be a solo show at the Frank Café Bar, on the Welsh Bridge in Shrewsbury running throughout October. There will be a private view launch night, on Tuesday October 2nd. to which you're all invited! It'd be fun to see just how many visitors turn up on the strength of this MySpace mention.
Yes, it's pretty much art and music for me. At the moment I'm mainly using acrylics as I like its versatility, but am now finding certain limitations that oil wielding friends aren't experiencing.
Recently, I have been approached by visitors to my exhibitions and my online galleries to buy my paintings and have subsequently parted company with several of my favourite pieces. At first I was very reluctant to bring myself to actually let them leave. However, I don't have infinite storage space here at Castle Calamity - and a few extra bob in my pocket is always nice! So, paintings like 'Upwards at 45°', 'Daydream 1', 'Raven' and 'Jazz Tree' along with a few others here, are up on walls elsewhere - being seen and hopefully enjoyed by a new bunch of folk.Several of my paintings can been seen in my 'pics' area. Some of which have already been sold, though. Click the link above.
This cube thing's great isn't it? Just click on one of the faces to see one of the paintings, properly. Clever, eh?
Making art and making music. What more can you ask for?
I am a father of two boys who are a constant revelation to me. With them and my wife I enjoy living somewhere just off the map, where it's green and lumpy. Away from noise and urban stress.
Don't let common sense get in the way of having a great time.
...myself aged 17.
I'm currently listening to:
My sister Hannah Beanie
Cinematic Orchestra
Dreadzone
Homelife
Polar Bear
Coldcut
Apollo 440
T.REX
Gotan Project
Koop
King Tubby
Secret Machines
David Holmes & The Free Association
Sparklehorse
Julian Cope
Nightmares On Wax
Bonobo
AIM
John Barry
Carmel
Jacques Loussier Trio
Kinobe
The Wonder Stuff
Zero 7
Horace Andy
Blue States
Jah Wobble
I also play drums. Between the late 70s and 90s I played in various rock and post-punk bands, recording and gigging around Britain. Now, following what must have been a twelve year lay-off, where I tried out real-life, I've started again. In fact I've been back at it for a few years, now! I've got an even better kit, as well as lots of hand percussion instruments - including congas, a couple of djembes and all sorts of tinkly rattly things.
This time I'm coming at it from a slightly different direction. In the intervening down-time I'd been listening to a lot more varied and emerging genres. Reggae, Jazz and lots of World Music has been filling up my CD racks. Also, making a difference is the fact that I'm not part of a group of people playing for the sole purpose of 'making it'. Those desperate, wasted days never presented the level of 'success' those bands sought. I'm not that sure many bands do actually achieve the level of established career security a lot of people enjoy who have proper jobs, anyway. No, I'm enjoying myself, sitting behind my kit and creating a groove with like minded heads who want to just get the immediate fulfilling reward of the moment. That does for it me. Playing music because I enjoy it. Over the last few years I have played a few little gigs with some lovely people. Okay, so it's not the Marquee or the Astoria this time round - but it's a lot more fun.
While I'm not currently in a proper, permanent band, I do enjoy jamming with a fine bunch of people, including my good friend Capt. Chaos (bassist with Cappil 10) with whom I enjoy creating dubby funk and jazz workouts. He has been very instrumental in turning me on to a lot of musical influences that might well have passed me by. I'm sure he'd say the same of me. We'll often travel to gigs in other parts of the country - or just sit and listen to each others new discovery on our soundsystems.
I also jam with a few muzos on a fairly regular basis at a little pub, out in the sticks local to where I live. It seems to attract some very talented musicians and singers, all eager to jam and perform. There are a bunch of mad jazzers in Wolverhampton too, who I occasionally hook up with for an evening of noodling improv. However, in recent months something more established and permanent does seem to be taking form. The Wolverhampton thing now has a singer, and, should we actually start meeting more regularly, might actually start getting a set together. Also, the local arrangement with Capt. Chaos seems to be going the same way! We have just recruited a very good guitarist - and more recently a chap who uses a device called a Kaoss Pad to manipulate sounds. Watch this space for developments on at least one of these fronts.
Among my favourite drummers are John Bonham - probably the big influence on every rock drummer around. However, he was a good jazz and funk drummer, too. You can hear it in there, even on Led Zeppelin's more rocky recordings! A more recent discovery is Seb Rochford, the big haired jazz drummer of bands like Acoustic Ladyland and Polar Bear - the latter of whom I had the great pleasure of seeing live recently.
Before I was even interested in playing drums, we had already lost the legendary Gene Krupa. He was the man who made the drumkit an instrument that belonged at the front of the stage!Other great drummers, who left a mark on my playing and appreciation of drumming include Martin Gilks, formerly with The Wonder Stuff. I had the great honour of seeing him at work on many occasions during the late 80s and early 90s. A nice chap, no longer with us, sadly.
Fuzz Townshend, here as one of my 'friends', I have seen play with PWEI and Bentley Rhythm Ace, but it was with a Birmingham band called PigBros that I first really noticed his style. His kit, at that time, included an old metal bath tub! His drumming can currently be heard with Pama International. I've not managed to see them live yet, but fully intend to soon, having recently got their 'Trojan Sessions' album!
Rat Scabies (formerly of The Damned) and Jet Black have also left their mark on me in equal parts.
My tastes in film are rather ecclectic; Some of the films I have enjoyed have been rather low brow and mainstream - some a little more er, arty.
It depends on my mood, but 'Magnolia' and 'Human Traffic' rate highly as my favourites at the moment. Stephen Poliakoff, Jean-Pierre Jeunet and Peter Greenaway films are also nicely diverting. But I do also enjoy movies like 'Blade Runner'.
Recently, I discovered 'The Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou'. A movie by Wes Anderson, starring Bill Murray.
Murray's acting career has been on the up since 'Groundhog Day', I think. I'd always lumped him in with the likes of Chevy Chase and Dan Ayckroyd, but he seems to be a little more discerning about just who he works with these days. His integrity is rewarding him with some marvelous roles in some excellent cinema. I also enjoyed his performance in Sofia Copolla's 'Lost In Translation'.
I recently saw Howl's Moving Castle on DVD and can't recommend this beautiful, intricate animated fairy tale enough! It's dark and twisted but just draws the viewer into it deeper and deeper. I just wish I'd been able to witness this visual feast on the big screen.
Thankfully, I did see that Manga classic Akira in its fullsize cinematic glory on its release, though.
I enjoy most 'off-the-wall' comedy: UK TV series like 'Greenwing', 'Spaced' and 'The IT Crowd'.
60s kitch series that I grew up watching are still quite fascinating, to me. I love the Avengers and The Prisoner for their odd surreal take on drama.
I've always been a big fan of the various series created by Gerry & Sylvia Anderson. Shows like Thunderbirds, Stingray and especially his first move away from Supermarionation, UFO; an amazing science fiction series aimed at a more grown up audience - but even at just nine years old I loved it!
American TV comedy has come on in leaps and bounds over the last few years. 'The Simpsons', 'Malcolm In The Middle' and 'My Name Is Earl' are all big current faves at Castle Calamity.
Recently finished Ben Elton's latest, 'Past Mortem', a grisley murder thriller cum comedy A clever idea; a serial killer getting victims via 'Friends reunited'.
Some rock biographies, like Julian Cope's 'Head On', too.
I also enjoy graphic novels and aren't to ashamed to admit it, so there! I'm currently enjoying Alan Moore's 'Promethea' series.
Marc Bolan was always one, during my school years. An usually pretty little guy who following a spell as the guitarist and songwriter in 60s proto garage band John's Children, formed the extraordinarily prolific Tyrannosaurus Rex, a truly ground breaking acoustic duo. Then moving off in a totally different musical direction; creating T.REX the early 70s glam rock superstars. A decline, a comeback - then championing Punk and winning acclaim from a whole new audience - and ultimately dying in a car smash whilst still young and beautiful. All this and he never even reached the age of thirty!!
Others included Comander Ed Straker of 60s TV show UFO,
Jeff Astle of West Bromwich Albion
Alice Cooper, through the 70s and into the early 80s. I always wanted him to go back to playing with his original backing band, though.
and Kwai Chang Caine!
Various others have come and gone, but somehow I've always kept tabs on any news of newly unearthed recordings or footage of T.REX.