Achieving your goals

I wrote this article a while back for some students, who were questioning how does one go about achieving your goals? Well, I can't say I have all the answers, but there are certain tactics you can employ to help you achieve your goals. Be wary though, that you should not just focus on the goal and miss out on the journey that you are undertaking to achieve it. Every step is important on your journey, embrace each step and learn something from it, also be alert to the fact that your destination to the goal might change because you discover something else along the trail."When I grow up, I wanna be a famous Rock and Roll guitar player" - Mr VaiI have read something similar to this lesson before a long time ago in an interview with Steve Vai, and it is something I have been trying to do for a long time, not just with my guitar playing, but in life in general. For me it is like climbing a mountain, the goal is to reach the summit, but to reach the summit, there are a lot of steps to get there, so saying to yourself 'I am going to take 20 steps today', is away of breaking the goal down into manageable chunks.I have a combination of higher level goals, and then smaller goals. All part of SMART system I have been using from many years

• Specific – target a specific area for improvement.
• Measurable – quantify or at least suggest an indicator of progress.
• Assignable – specify who will do it. (ME)
• Realistic – state what results can realistically be achieved, given available resources.
• Time-related - When will you do it by

So to give you an idea, some of my bigger goals, are to continue generating an income through guitar and music related activities, be my own boss, play live as much as possible and to hopefully create something that inspires one person on this planet, or at least is something that makes them happy, just like the music of so many has done for me. These are the higher level goals, first step I would recommend is taking time, as much as time as you need to think of what your higher level goals are, and write them down.What next? Well, the smaller steps I take to the bigger goals are to continually look for opportunities to meet and play with other musicians, from small bar gigs through to the larger function gigs which I do. I try and write as much music as possible, as well as practice areas on the guitar which I think are my weakest. The next biggest goal is to find my own unique guitar voice. When I daydream, it is about playing with awesome musicians and getting lost in the moment.To achieve this I have realised that (thanks to studying at Berklee!) there are quite a few holes in my knowledge, and by working on these smaller goals, will put me in a better place to achieve the bigger ones. One of my current weaknesses is - my ear, thus I am working on ear training. my technique, I have reached a barrier on what i can do, I need to move over this barrier and get out of a rut (thus I am taking these courses), my fretboard knowledge and my song knowledge (I have played thousands of songs, but keep forgetting them) and finally my brand and image, I have to believe that I am a guitarist to be one, this is something Steve Vai talked a lot about when I studied under him at Berklee.I have been very fortunate to do many interesting and exciting things in life, but every since I was knee high to a grasshopper, there is literally nothing in my life which gives me the true inner happiness of playing guitar and I mean that either hammering out riffs along with a record, or a dodgy duo gig in a rough pub to being on a massive stage, or even at rehearsal. The feeling of locking in, being in the pocket, those moments when you transcend your body and become the music (without I hasten to add any artificial or chemical encouragement). I do it for that, those moments when your body has a haptic sensation caused by the simple vibration of molecules of air, be it something you have created or someone else.I also get the same kinds of feelings when you create a new sound from scratch, a sound which perfectly meets the expectation of the visual element, or the composition which transcends notes and fits perfectly with the visual to make you feel some form of emotion. I am still a small fish in a big pond, but if for these reason I do this, because nothing else comes close to creating the same levels of fulfilment, satisfaction, joy, despair, worry, happiness. That is why I bother, and it is feast and famine, sometimes you have to dip back in to other income streams, but for me there is no escaping it.

• Set down on paper you goals, really take some time to think about them.
• Take small steps everyday towards them, some days you will take lots of steps more than you thought, others you might not take any or fall back a few, it doesn't matter as they average out.
• Enjoy the journey, be open to the fact the goal might change and that you discover something else along the way that brings you happiness.

I'd love to hear how you go about achieving your goals...leave them in the comments below.EnjoyPeaceNeil

Inspiration

Inspiration is a very interesting topic, so I thought I would dedicate a blog post to thinking and discussing it. As a lecturer it is a concept which I try to communicate how import it is to find inspiration in whatever form it takes, and going with inspiration you feel to creating your art. I personally, go to a number of places for inspiration, primarily it is the music and performers of my formative years which provide the greatest amount of inspiration, and probably one of the biggest of those is Steve Vai. Although, inspiration for me can come from a variety of different sources, it is just a case of being open to it and seeing how an idea can inform the art you are trying to create.

Going back to Steve Vai, I remember reading his Martian Love Secrets series of articles in Guitar World (around 1988 something!) and it really did change my world. The ideas (some of which have already been touched on in my blog and in my book), really resonated with a young me, and changed not just my perspective on guitar playing but on life as well) These days, thanks to the internet, I find inspiration in so many different places and through so many musicians. I have always been a massive fan of a wide range of much from Blues, Soul, funk and Motown and have really been inspired by the musicians who formed it basis and in particular their stories. BB King has become a massive inspiration for me, and the ability to be instantly recognisable by one note and the ability to make one single note convey so much emotion from joy to sadness, is a massive motivator for me when trying to be inspired to create new material. Thinking of how others are able to create so much feeling within a simple vibration of air molecules is something which continues to inspire me.

I find that I gain a lot of inspiration from outside of music, from all kinds of creative fields, and sometime (bizarrely) people who are doing well in their lives. In particular, thanks to things like TED talks, I have found inspiration in many of their differing talks, in particular in 'just going for it' with life and doing what you have to do. You make your own life and you only get one shot, so you have to make it the best it can be. In fact, whilst not a TED talk, this video of Steve was incredibly inspirational.

Steve Vai on How to be successful

I have also just watched a fascinating documentary about The Creative Brain: How Insight Works, which provided some fantastic information about how creativity works, and how, most importantly that when the mind wanders it is at it's most creative. The programme looks issues around that ' moment when a light goes on in your head. In a sudden flash of inspiration, a new idea is born', something I am sure we can all relate to. I found it particularly interesting that the mind seemed to be at it's most creative when the person was not just doing nothing at all, but mindless (no pun intended) tasks (e.g. arrange bricks into the same colour), this would explain why perhaps we have our best ideas in the shower or out for a walk or when meditating on an idea.

I have also found that working with other people, such as students, other tutors, musicians and creatives who tend to be incredibly supportive and inspirational, sometimes in very small ways, but each inspire me to want to do more with the guitar, my music and my art and showing me that everything is possible.

In short I tend to take inspiration from everything around me, no matter how small and yes I think it is to create inspiration, by getting into the right state of mind, or being around creative and inspirational people. That would be my advice today.

Enjoy

Peace

Neil

The music 'business' and some of the new myths

So, I just came across this fantastic blog post from the band Pomplamouse and it makes fascinating reading on the current state of the music 'business' and some of the new myths surrounding revenue streams and the profitability of touring. I put the word business in quotes as it seems that the traditional music business/industry we know is in it's dying stages, a mammoth of a beast, too greedy and slow to turn itself around and look for new and sustainable revenue streams. Rather than the approach of suing it's customers, the ones it had already fleeced several times over with new formats (cassette, mini-disc, CD) and remasters etc, it could have look at what was happening and adapt and actually give consumers what they wanted (which appears now to be streamed music...although that personally doesn't interest me).Streaming is interesting, it has become normalised with the younger generation, to the point where, when you do the maths, teenagers now were being born as CD's were loosing out to MP3. The younger generation only know mp3s, just like your parents only knew vinyl or 8 track, and not wax cylinders! It is a shame, mp3 is a compressed lossy format, you are paying for a substandard product, but then again most people are listening it to it through very substandard equipment (iPods, mobile phones, headphones on buses etc). Streaming gives you the song you want to hear now, when or where ever you are, that is pretty fantastic when you think of it. Do we really care anymore about the quality, or even listening to a product in full? I remember the days when you would pour over one album for weeks or months (or even years), but now listen to 2 minutes of a track, move on to the next one by a different artist. The attention span is dying, because there is so much other content to draw us in, so much content which is Free.So how do we make this work?If I knew that I would be pretty well off by now, but what I think the Pomplamouse article highlights is that, whilst they toured at a loss, they treated the whole process like a commercial business project, they paid themselves a wage, they treated every aspect like any other small/medium business might approach selling, from a bakery to a shoe shop, and I think that this is to be admired. Like any business too, they ran at a loss in their first attempt (lets equate that to year), we all know it takes a number of years for a business to turn a profit, so they are doing very well. Why do I think that, because I am sure that the next tour they do will have more people, they can up those numbers, they can sell additional product in the mean time. Mostly importantly, they are in control, they are not in debt to the big corporate music 'business' which is like an ocean liner trying to turn in a port, they are in control of their business and it succeeds or fails in their hands. Think of your music, band, creative venture as a business, treat it like a business, promote it like a business and hopefully you will find that this might be the new way!PeaceNeil

Apple Macbook Pro and Logic rant

So, this is where the story starts, I got nearly 6 years out of my MacBook Pro, purchased in 2008. Fantastic for a computer, let along a laptop. I did so much work on it, recorded albums, mastered music, composed for orchestra and film, with no real problems (aside from the logic board dying, lucky under Applecare) and most of all, it still works (ish), can be used for a bit of web browsing, the odd bit of writing, but since updating OS's, particularly to OSX Lion and now Mavericks, it can't handle much any more, but in it's heyday it was pretty awesome (sadly though, now it makes this sound!).So I was waiting and waiting for Apple to update their range and now they have…..and I can safely say that this will probably be my last apple computer. What has happened at apple? Do you make computers any more or are you just a communications company? How can my new machine be worse that my old one?? I have written in the past about the Logic X situation, and also the fact that there is still no Apeture update (don't worry Apple, I have since moved hook-line and sinker to Adobe, using Premiere, After Effects, Audition and LightRoom). But what is this about,glued memory for example, therefore no longer able to upgrade in the shop or anywhere. Why have you taken features out of iWorks apps to make them compatable with mobile devices!?!? There are no Thunderbolt peripherals and those that exist are prohibitively expensive when compared to standard devices. Realistically for those on a budget you can only afford a tiny hard drive in this day and age!! But more importantly this...I have Been using Logic since it's Notator days, and whilst I have had flings with other software, I always come home to Logic. But, I think the writing is on the wall, we have been to relationship counselling, but there doesn't seem to be a compromise, in that how can continue loving you when I give you all the latest things in terms of technology and yet you refuse to run one load of Kontakt and an Omnisphere and shock horror...one...yes one audio track, without you breaking down and spluttering and causing me to have to freeze you all the time. As you probably know I am also a big advocate of the other Daw in my life (thank goodness for this world where we can see other DAWs) Digital Performer, and whilst I think it is superior in many ways, plus the dev team don't hide behind the ....oooo we are SOOO f'ing cool Apple and can't tell you anything because we will blow you mind.....yeah Right Tim, that boat has long since sailed!....I struggle with song writing and composing the way I like to compose in DP. It is a personal thing, but I like to (perhaps lazily) work with midi regions and drag them around etc etc which you can't really do in DP, of course there are ways to do it, but it doesn't quite gel with my creative mind. Audio wise DP is awesome, love tracking and editing with it...but just wish I could get the bounce to mp3 to work like it does in Logic, and the export to movie like it does in Logic. Perhaps I need to also have a look at Cubase. One other reason being that I am starting to get sick of the over pricing of Mac and the move away from a computing company to being a communications company. Perhaps very very very sadly in the next few year might have to start considering a move to a certain Beige Box system. Uncertain times for sure. When did we stop talking Apple? All this could be solved with a call, a note, acknowledge our existence....So...Cubase...DP....ProTools?Okay I get it Apple....planned obsolescence!!PeaceNeil

Letter to the media production industry (Betty TV)

This letter has started to appear on Facebook and on other news and social channels around the place, and It is a really excellent letter and deserves to be shared far and wide. The 'work' for free culture prevalent in the creative industry really is scaling new heights. I know that it is nothing new and has been happening for centuries, but it seems that it is leeching out and is becoming norm rather than the exception.Now I wouldn't mind so much if it was certain instances, but it seems that is massive discrepancy between what people will happily pay for 'fluff' and what they will actually pay for creative services. Sure we'll spend 10's of thousands on a launch event, but nothing on the content creation. I don't want to say that it is just musicians who get subjected to this WOF syndrome, it seems ubiquitous across the creative industry.At the end of the day, it seems that it is either all or nothing. Those at the top of the tree (the labels, organisers, film executives etc) get paid fantastically well and now a majority get paid 'nada', at the very, very least there should be minimum wage implications. I have experience, the 'it will be great experience for you and great for your CV' doesn't cut it too much these days, or in the band situation....you are paying for the room hire, the bar staff, the caterers, the food, the little paper things that go on the table, the wraps that go around the chairs to make them pretty....but you think the band (whom have dedicated years...yes YEARS...to learning, perfecting and polishing their skills) to do it for nothing.....because your cousin who plays a bit said he would do it for nothing.As a band, we turn up on time (usually hours and hours before the event), we bring all our own equipment (paid for by magic perhaps?), we sit around for hours waiting, we adapt to crazy demands on schedule and repetoire, we do always with a smile, we play/perform/entertain for two whole hours (imagine two hour workouts!), we constantly monitor the situation to make sure everyone is happy (and safe), we have to deal with drunken and disorderly (and sometimes very out of order and inappropriate!) behaviour, we have to reason with revellers as to why they can't play our instruments (oh I play a bit isn't a reason I am going to let you loose on my work equipment!) and then once wait until everyone has left before we can even begin to think about going home. 12 hours days are the norm. Now don't get me wrong I am not complaining, I love it too much, I am just suggesting that some people out there think that this isn't worth anything, not worth paying for...I am just trying to give an insight!           The text is here :-

"I am sick to death of your hollow schtick, of the inevitable line 'unfortunately there's no budget for music', as if some fixed law of the universe handed you down a sad but immutable financial verdict preventing you from budgeting to pay for music. Your company set out the budget. So you have chosen to allocate no money for music. I get begging letters like this every week – from a booming, affluent global media industry.Why is this? Let's look at who we both are.I am a professional musician, who lives from his music. It took me half a lifetime to learn the skills, years to claw my way up the structure, to the point where a stranger like you will write to me. This music is my hard-earned property. I've licensed music to some of the biggest shows, brands, games and TV production companies on earth; from Breaking Bad to The Sopranos, from Coca-Cola to Visa, HBO to Rockstar Games.Ask yourself – would you approach a creative or a director with a resume like that, and in one flippant sentence ask them to work for nothing? Of course not. Because your industry has a precedent of paying these people, of valuing their work.Or would you walk into someone's home, eat from their bowl, and walk out smiling, saying, "So sorry, I've no budget for food"? Of course you would not. Because, culturally, we classify that as theft.Yet the culturally ingrained disdain for the musician that riddles your profession leads you to fleece the music angle whenever possible. You will without question pay everyone connected to a shoot – from the caterer to the grip to the extra – even the cleaner who mopped your set and scrubbed the toilets after the shoot will get paid. The musician? Give him nothing.Now let's look at you. A quick glance at your website reveals a variety of well-known, internationally syndicated reality programmes. You are a successful, financially solvent and globally recognised company with a string of hit shows. Working on multiple series in close co-operation with Channel 4, from a west London office, with a string of awards under your belt. You have real money; to pretend otherwise is an insult.Yet you send me this shabby request – give me your property for free. Just give us what you own, we want it.The answer is a resounding and permanent NO.I will now post this on my sites, forward this to several key online music sources and blogs, encourage people to reblog this. I want to see a public discussion begin about this kind of industry abuse of musicians … this was one email too far for me. Enough. I'm sick of you.NJ White"

I am finding the 'work for free' creep is occurring further and further across the industry now. I am working with editors, DOPS, camera persons, sound recordists (in particular), post houses all being asked to do gratis work (in their best interest of course)....oh and please make sure you bring your own kit!! I am in no doubt that I am very fortunate to have paid employment in this industry (and a lot of the work isn't creatively inspiring) but the work for creep is starting to have a massive impact. Hopefully this letter will start an interesting debate.EnjoyPeaceNeil

The end of the album?

Very interesting piece in The Guardian today about recent album sales figures in the US! This is certainly something I have discussed here before, but it is certainly yet another indicator of a nail in the record industry's proverbial coffin. But I really don't see this as doom and gloom, the industry has changed, and it is all about changing and innovating within. In a sense, it feels like we have almost gone full circle.....remember it that in the 50's and 60's that the single was king. Elvis, the Beatles, Motown etc was founded on single sales not albums. Albums came later. I think that the situation we have today is one were we need to refocus on writing sh*t hot songs again, not worrying about filling 80 minutes of medium with mediocre fluff and with the social distribution channels open to us today, it is really possible to generate an incredible following for an excellent work. It is also important to remember that with models 'you' the artist are in control much more than you would be working in the traditional record industry model, something else to embrace.So, find you audience, connect with you audience, give your audience what they want, and I am sure that they will repay your work....and remember audiences don't have to be large as a loyal and engaged audience is worth just as much, if not more!Having said that, as I type this, I am currently listening one of the best albums of all times, Jimi Hendrix's Band of Gypsies!EnjoyPeaceNeil

When it all goes wrong and how to deal with it! Gig Nightmares

So we all know things can go wrong at gigs, and on the whole, no matter how prepared you are with the best gear it still happens.If you think about it, a gig is a very complex beast, and with each connection, piece of cabling, power source, light, pedal, you are adding to the complexity of the system and also adding another point of failure. Having said that, even if you just plug a guitar straight into an amp, there is still the possibility  that it won't work…it could be a bad lead, valve, pickup or you could break a string.Now I have been doing this for more years than I care to think about, I have had so many things go wrong over the years, and as such I like to think that being a good boy scout, I am always prepared. But the point is how much back up is the right amount. I appreciate that if it was a tour like U2 or Iron Maiden, each element has redundancy built into it, there are two or maybe even three items taken, each which can be easily switched to given a point of failure. But what about us guys at the other end of the spectrum? How many amps is it feasible to take with you for example? Should you have a back up for every pedal?The answer is a relative to the situation. On the whole, my backup situation is a

• back-up guitar (always on stage ready to go),
• a very cheap Behringer GDI-21 direct box with amp modeller (as an amp replacement),
• strings and a couple of leads.

That pretty much ensures that I can play a gig in the worse case scenario. (Main guitar has a fault, amp has a fault, wireless has a fault). I would hope that pedal wise they all won't break at the same time, but I guess it is a possibility (I hope I am not tempting fate!)So it was a complete shock that at a gig on Saturday my amp started making the strangest of noises, a really nasty horrible distortion, of course this happened at the exact moment we had to be out of the sound check. I didn't have any time to really get to the bottom of it. I took my logical approach and worked through the signal chain quickly. Guitar directly in to amp, fine (although quiet), amp into first pedal fine, amp into other pedals (fine), amp in to Nova System…distortion.Okay, so I took all the pedals out and guitar plugged into Nova system …distortion. Hmmm and over all level was low. Unfortunately at that point we had to leave the stage. In my head, it was either Power tube issue or Nova Issues (but what!) Fortunately, the venue was close to home, and we weren't on stage for a couple of hours, so I went home to get  another amp (otherwise it would have been the Behringer!).Due to the nature of the event, I had to wait until the moment we went on stage to switch amps. Anyway, just before starting, quick strum on guitar showed that there was at least sound with the new amp. Four notes into first song, nothing!! Okay, so before going on, I had changed batteries in my wireless pack. Unfortunately the ones I had picked up were dead!!! So quick change of batteries (yes I did have another back up) and I am back in action….but no, the amp (the new one) was still distorting!! Okay, so it had to be the Nova system, so quickly taking it out of the loop and leaving only distortion pedal and a wah, that was my gig….but we got through!! Oh wait a minute, then the wireless IEM packed in as well, batteries were fine, but was dropping out like crazy!! So out with the monitoring too. Now that was one fun gig!!Having backups certainly took the stress out of the situation, I knew that I could put on a show regardless, just not ideal. Having said that having other units fail at the same time was very frustrating and obviously sod's law! The lesson to be learnt from this is about being systematic in your approach to trouble shooting. If I have had more time, I would have been able to find out the point between the Nova system and my amp which was causing the problem.Roll forward to the next day, Guitar into amp, no problem. Check valves (no problem), Nova into amp….PROBLEM. Check levels, all fine, check input gain structure…PROBLEM…..yes the problem was somehow the input gain was being very sensitive to the guitar pickup and causing horrible overloading into the amp. I have been running this set-up for nearly two years with no issue, and without changing the setting. But it had changed slightly, a ghost in the machine? Again something I would have checked eventually had time been on my side, but a relief that it was nothing terminal (dead valves!).I love my valve amps (as you know if you read this blog), but when something like this happens (even though it wasn't necessarily their fault in this occasion), it makes you realise and remember how fragile those little light bulbs actually are and how temperamental they can be. A case for solid state perhaps? Given that I played a show on my backup amp, with two pedals, it also goes to show that nobody in the audience could give a flying monkey if you are using valve or tube! So I might consider solid state again…..maybe….nah!It is also a relief to see that it happens to the best of us! Steve Vai's amp blows ampLesson :

• Have a back up of enough gear to allow the show to continue (not a back of every element. This will relive your stress.
• Prepare for everything going wrong at once
• Take a systematic approach to fault finding (work from one end to the other, breaking the system down into testable chunks)

Good luck!PeaceNeil

Massive Attack V Adam Curtis Manchester International Festival 2013

I am not sure how to review this, because when I left the venue I was pretty much speechless! I am very, very rarely blown away by something but hand on heart this was one of the best experiences I have ever seen/had. Sure there has to be a caveat or two, and yes I may have some bias (which I will explain) but...wow, wow and WOW!

Mayfield Depot

Firstly, the venue of Mayfield Depot was inspired, I am truly passionate about the aesthetic of urban decay, I love brutalist architecture and concretism, along side the architecture of the industrial revolution. Fortunately, living in Manchester I am surrounded by exquisite examples of old factories, industry, dreams of an industrial metropolis, some of which has now been regenerated, but a majority where nature is reconquering the industrial dreams of the past, a return to form. A fleeting reminder that decay comes to us all, and the earth will subsume us all in the end. But it also represents the human spirit of the dare to dream, buildings and monuments to achievement, to challenge and solve social problems, to follow Sci-fi-esque dreams of futuristic living (Fritz Lang's Metropolis for example and the rebellion against art deco), yet failing and creating social decay and misery. This is in contrast to the architecture of today, with it's disposable ethos and short redundancy lifespan..... lifeless glass boxes on steel frame constructions, all personality removed, the call centre approach to living, shallow construction, cheap materials, no self-determinationism just a temporary throwaway construction, with thin walls, and lifeless laminate.

I have always wanted to go to into Mayfield depot, having spent endless hours viewing it from platform 14 at Piccadilly station. I am enthralled and fascinated by urban exploration, yet is isn't something I haven't really ever done (probably because of the potential illegality of it....and not having the time), so I am a passive viewer through sites such 28 Days Later and totally in awe of the spaces (and the people who capture) photographed. Needless to say, I was totally enthralled by the space, it was perfect, from the old signage, random ancient graffiti to the intricate Victorian brick work.

I am so inspired, and I just have to put on a multimedia experience in this venue, this is my new goal...watch this space!

Massive Attack 

So, my Massive Attack bias comes from the fact that they formed a large part of  the soundtrack to my life in London. Providing the perfect balance to the endless commute, traversing the overland railways from New Cross in the South (when I was at Goldsmiths), the decay of the North London Line from Gospel Oak to Willsden Junction in the west and Islington in the east to the daily commute through the deep tunnels of the Northern Line from Kentish Town to Moorgate, Liverpool Street or Tottenham Court road. Massive Attack was the perfect tempo'd soundscape, floating above the clatter of tube train bogies against  steel track and points. The passing of floursence of stop after stop, creating the tinted expressions of people's hope, despair, dreams, love, hate, anger and thoughts, against the cold glass windows. Keeping me safe from harm.

Without wanting to spoil it for anyone, I think those going thinking this is a Massive Attack gig will be disappointed, those going will an open mind will be taken totally by surprise!! The music was perfect for the narrative, sometimes providing a joyous soundscape against the images of hope of people in Communist Russia (The Archies - Sugar Sugar) juxtaposed against the haunting nature of Nirvana's version of 'where did you sleep last night' was something to behold and will stick with me for a long long time.

Adam Curtis

My biggest bias is probably in relation to Adam Curtis, I love his film work and without is probably my biggest influence in my day job as a film maker, I would love to be able to produce such well argued, thought provoking, self-revelatiory films, using such powerful imagery. Again, as explored above, I love cold war imagery and in particular the film aesthetic of the 50's and 70's, along side the realisation of the power of fear, and the construct of the growth of capitalism, neo-conservatism and globalisation, creating 'norm' people based on statistically based data analysis of the past, thus managing all risk.....'if you liked that, then you will like this'.

I am now going to go back and watch each of his films again especially, The Century of the Self , The Power of Nightmares, The Trap: What Happened to our Dream of Freedom and  All Watched Over By Machines of Loving Grace.

I am not going to post to much of a review as I don't want to spoil it for anyone who is about to see it. But as a feat of art and technology it was immense, the message which whilst drawing on Curtis's work of the past, is strong and clear through out, with a personal touch, there is humour in the despair, and despair in the hope. There is a strong sense in the hope of the past, and the more recent culture of fear (Blair/Clinton era politics), the notion that analysing the past will keep us 'safe from harm' in the future, yet results in control by fear. He touches again on his idea that any deviation from a statistically correlated 'norm' is something which can be 'fixed', usually by the use of drugs such as prozac, the endless categorisation of disorder into a treatable problem. Rather than take risks, challenge the norm, challenge society, the neo-con ideology of managing risk through computational methods such as game theory, which led to the global financial collapse, when fear was removed, because risk was managed, packaged and syphoned off failed. When the owners of the 'data' started to manipulate it to their own means (Enron), the system collapses in on itself, and there are no longer any 'heroes', who put their own lives on the line for the bettering of society (the scientists who encased the reactor at Chernobyl in a cement sarcophagus, who knew they would die a horrible death), rather is it is a about self betterment, yet we are always comparing ourselves against a 'norm' provided by the 24 hour rolling media, trying to sell us 'product' or lifestyles which are the norm. The narrative in-dispersed with humorous, harrowing, amazing, haunting, engaging imagery and audio from the period, as well as following the stories of individuals through out. The story of Russians dreams of america, the first rock concert in Afghanistan, the dreams of ideal cities, the heroin trade which grew out of a fail attempt at bettering a country, the disney idealism, the death of New York in the 1970's, the lies of Donald Trump, casinos, the growing insanity of those who put the systems in place, the art of rebellion, and the images of the Taliban, all worked together to tell a powerful story.

All this with against the backdrop of Massive Attack basically doing cover versions, was truly something else, the russian song will inspire and haunt me for a long time, in it's beauty, simplicity and message.

Great art in my opinion is something which makes you think, grounds you in the moment, brings your life experience and hopes and dreams to the fore and inspires you for the future and makes you become a better person. This had it all

PeaceNeil

DON'T PANIC

I just stumbled across this post I wrote a while back on another site, not sure what I was on that day, but thought I would share it. I still stand by what I wrote, and also think it ties in with current changes in the creative industries as well.Enjoy!

DON'T PANIC :) We are living in interesting times! What we seeing, as I have been babbling on about for a while now, is the death (or should that be transformation) of the prevalent ideologies of consumerism and capitalism and a transition to a new period in human history (which tends to happen every 3 generations), more than likely we are entering a period of a technologically controlled Totalitarian dystopia. It is our 'Fin de siecle', brought on by having more stuff than we know what to do with and no worth or value from our peers, leading to boredom amongst the youth and celebrated decadence promoted at the norm. The lies fed to us by politicians and I am sad to say the media are so transparent that they induce cynicism in the populous. We are witnessing a change in the balance of power, a change in value systems, and a change in the basic humanity of large parts of the population. The false gods of commerce and entitlement are crumbling! (I'm not a socialist by the way, just a realist!) 

PeaceNeil