Wednesday 25 January 2012

As @amandapalmer says "We are the media"

You may know that I'm running a crowdfunding drive for http://www.standuptragedy.co.uk and http://www.gettingbetteracquainted.co.uk.

You also may know that I'm a loyal promoter and funder of interesting independent art. I have limited means but I give what I can.

If I've ever funded or promoted a project that you do I'd really appreciate some reciprocation.

This is my campaign:



Your contribution would help pay performers and fund interesting audio. Even dollar would be much appreciated. For $10 (£6.50ish) you start getting "perks".

Even if you can't afford to give anything sharing and promoting this campaign to friends with more disposable income would really help too. Compared to most other crowdfunding drives I'm asking for a very small amount but it'd make a world of difference. It's only by supporting each other independently that we can get the art and media we deserve.

Thursday 19 January 2012

I saw The Artist last night:

I thought I was an amazing film. Made me laugh, cry, think, fear, smile, remember and consider.

It's also an example of my favourite kind of art: content and form are so perfectly intertwined that they are essentially the same thing.

Go see it.

Friday 6 January 2012

January 2012 brings news of PROJECTS:

Stand Up Tragedy + Getting Better Acquainted = An IndieGoGo Campaign




I've set up a crowdfunding campaign that will hopefully allow me to pay SUT performers and extend the reach of GBA. Have a look and see what you think, give what you can, and please spread the word: http://igg.me/p/59763?a=126408


Getting Better Acquainted has done a lot this year and will keep on serving up a weekly dose of free conversation in 2012. This is a round up of what I've learnt and what the show has done this year: GBA 2011

In next Wednesday's episode I talk to Karl James from The Dialogue Project. Why not listen to a teaser.

You can download or stream the show from the website or if you prefer subscribe and download via iTunes.


Stand Up Tragedy has it's first live show on Monday 6th February. Tickets for it, and for all SUT nights, are available and if you use the promo code TRAGIC they're a couple of quid cheaper: Click here to book tickets.

We have some amazing people already on the line up. Have a gander at the site if you don't believe me, and that's just the people who've got their act together enough to send us their publicity details!

I'm still looking for acts, although mostly I'm now looking for music acts and rarities, drop me a line if you or anyone you know are interested.


The Reactionaries are playing at the first SUT night, we've written the end of the night sing-along-song that will close every night/episode, and are releasing it for free very very soon. We've also started the process of making our 2nd Album. It's called Bouncy, Poppy Songs About Death and it should be done by July 2012. We'll be debuting some of it on the 6th.


The Plural has extended a little bit into 2012 due to November's technical malfunctions. We'll be making our last track and doing a final mixing and tweaking session sometime over the next two months. It's been a great experiment and has produced some good, some bad and some ugly songs for your listening considerations.


That's about it. I have a few other irons in the fire but none of them are glowing red yet.

Happy New Year!

Dave

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Tuesday 3 January 2012

This morning I travelled into the pasts vision of the future: #WestfieldStratford #ChurchOfApple

I was walking into Blade Runner to visit the Church of Apple. Thankfully the future was pretty deserted at that time.

The Church didn't open it's doors till 10am. The faithful waited in silent contemplation. The doors remained open but you couldn't go in.

Beneath the waiting people's contemplation and their worship there is fear. At the centre, wound round every faithful gut is need, pain, greed and fear.

Fear of what? Of everything. Of yourself. Of the world that surrounds you with its smooth metal and bright lights.

The Westfield centre is a huge mothership. It could be taking off now. Maybe we are consuming in space, up above, and inside. Will we ever get home?

I offended a man in the apple store by suggesting it was silly to refer to their experts as Genius'!

"I think calling them genius' is pretty cool," said the man. I looked round the room. It looked like a space lab. I sighed.

"Look, I'm sure they're pretty intelligent but they aren't Einstein are they?" I said. "You never know," said the man.

Soon afterwards a different man fixed my iPhone. "I don't know why it didn't work. I don't know why it works now!" he said.

Genius!