For the past while I've made a conscious choice to model Calm here. I theorize that you come here for a time out. See a certain conceptual clarity in the Stormcellar, eh, eh? Big brainy think think!
I also theorize that I come here to keep a record of what we're up to, rather than some accidentally-semi-autobiographical-semi-confessional...no hang on, if I was unfettered this site would be a lot more out there with more hand puppets.
Mr Wizard has put a strict limit on such things.
But definitely more Blue Oyster Cult.
During Band Driving sessions I'd get complaints if I played this :-)
What the heck. My favourite guilty pleasures.
Ahem. Moving right along.
I don't believe any conscious being can withstand the 24 hour news cycle of constant alarm. During actual crisis, the first rule is:
There's a 'perfect storm' set of circumstances that seem to demand your attention and then feed off it. Yuck.
Somehow our online world wants your everlasting attention permanently and wants you to stay in a heightened state of alarm to keep you viewing. (hell no).
Writing this blog started so that some friends and family who were o/s, some in harms way, could have something to read about that took their mind off where they were at. (see a parallel yet?)
Dad told me of letters that he read when he was In Country, how he would treasure the mundane, normal elements of life. That stuck in my mind.
I think we qualify :-) blogs about driving to gigs. The PA breaking down. Traffic. Set lists. Making sandwiches.
We started this to provide a little solace to people we love.
I write knowing that this blog has a readership (me chief tech nerd, me got stats) yet I don't expect you to read/view/listen/watch or even come to a show.
We have another phrase in Band Parlance: This is a voluntary organisation :-)
We make the stuff we make, do the stuff we do, and you're always welcome to join us when we're doing it, when or if it suits you.
Yeah I'll climb down from the soapbox, but so much is going on that makes me want to say something, then I realise the correct and useful thing for me to do, because we really are your friends in the stormcellar, is to be that place of safety.
Soapbox over.
Videos! New Videos! I want to make some more videos!
With the new album coming along, there are 9 songs close enough to Synchronise with a video. So it's time to make some.
But let's take a look back at some concepts from the last 10 years of making stormcellar videos.
- we make what we can, when we can, with what we've got.
- the band hates being in clips
- making videos is easy. Making good videos is harder.
- I only make something when I get a concept that we can carry out.
- I've got scripts for just about every song.
- I don't often get to make the clip I want LOL (MORE DRAGONS!)
That's one of the reasons clips don't necessarily coincide with the arrival of the song.
Right now I have 9 very good candidates to choose from.
So why am I back to thinking about Light In The Distance from Hired Guns? (sigh).
To be fair I have been out doing some research on ideas for Heavy Weather, from the new album.
I've been checking out an amazing online weather simulator. How cool is this? here's a video
Here's the link to the site.
The internet is full of wonders:-)
The theme of this 10th year celebration of making stuff is to make more stuff.
I've asked the chaps to consider doing a clip. Bill and Rosie are very arty. Rosies shots are top notch.
I've also considered doing a 1 week challenge and seeing if we can't make 1 video a day. Why not?
For the time being, I'm going to go back, listen to the mixes, keep thinking and then go to the web and find more stuff.
Expect more stuff soon.