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| Hey-Hup-La! |
Wednesday, 31 August 2011
Tuesday, 30 August 2011
Monday, 29 August 2011
Sunday, 28 August 2011
More Cheap Instrument Music, Dismantled Wooden Myrna Loy.
Some time ago I was asked by Mr. Frank Key of Hooting Yard if I could re-imagine the traditional folk song 'Dismantled Wooden Myrna Loy' and perhaps make it relevant for today's modern music consumer.
I couldn't be arsed so handed it over to the Midnight Car Park Ramblers with the instruction to construct an appropriate setting which I could then sing along to.
Here's what they did with it:
Dismantled Wooden Myrna Loy
My people are engaged in heated negotiation with the Hooting Yard Morris Dance and Esoteric Wrestling Team's people in an attempt to persuade them to interpret the song through the medium of dance, handkerchiefs, and half-nelson.
I couldn't be arsed so handed it over to the Midnight Car Park Ramblers with the instruction to construct an appropriate setting which I could then sing along to.
Here's what they did with it:
Dismantled Wooden Myrna Loy
My people are engaged in heated negotiation with the Hooting Yard Morris Dance and Esoteric Wrestling Team's people in an attempt to persuade them to interpret the song through the medium of dance, handkerchiefs, and half-nelson.
One Cannot Afford Cheap Bongos.
I was merrily, if a little cack-handedly, laying down a 'groove' on my bongos when I heard an almighty CRACK!
This is only half the crack, the other side looks just the same.
So, I had a set of bongos but they disintegrated and now I'm furious.
So, I had a set of bongos but they disintegrated and now I'm furious.
Saturday, 27 August 2011
Friday, 26 August 2011
Thursday, 25 August 2011
Wednesday, 24 August 2011
Tuesday, 23 August 2011
The Neck of the Woods.
"The Neck of the Woods" is my title for a horror movie I intend making.
As yet I don't have a plot, a script or any bodies but I do have a 19 second clip featuring my protagonist:
As yet I don't have a plot, a script or any bodies but I do have a 19 second clip featuring my protagonist:
If anybody wants me I'll be behind the settee.
Cardboard Reality Interventions 2011: 235
Bersted 23/08/11:
I mentioned in the previous post that this intervention is intended to depict the fall of Icarus.
The root to this site involved a scramble along a deep ditch:
It was worse than it looks.
On my return journey I nearly trod on this:
The root to this site involved a scramble along a deep ditch:
On my return journey I nearly trod on this:
I'll call it 'the dead bird in the ditch incident'.
Monday, 22 August 2011
Experiments For Today. 01
The Biscuit Tin and Broom Pole Slide Bass (BTBPB)
Last Friday Mystic Roger visited, gleefully picked up the BTBPB (for the first time mind you) and played a stunning version of Heartbreak Hotel on it.
I am now convinced Mystic Roger could literally get a tune out of a cheese roll.
We discussed the finer points of the BTBPB.
We tried playing it with a glass bottle neck which was disappointing.
Mystic Roger suggested maybe using a steel sting rather than the wound nylon string I'd put on it.
I put a steel string on today, the results were disappointing, I put the nylon string back on and all was well again.
The Red Curtains.
I have a set of red curtains I use as a back-drop for various visual projects.
I screwed 2 cup-hooks into the attic ceiling and, using a bamboo pole, hung the curtains up.
Now what?
"LINDA!!"
I am now convinced Mystic Roger could literally get a tune out of a cheese roll.
We discussed the finer points of the BTBPB.
We tried playing it with a glass bottle neck which was disappointing.
Mystic Roger suggested maybe using a steel sting rather than the wound nylon string I'd put on it.
I put a steel string on today, the results were disappointing, I put the nylon string back on and all was well again.
The Red Curtains.
I have a set of red curtains I use as a back-drop for various visual projects.
I screwed 2 cup-hooks into the attic ceiling and, using a bamboo pole, hung the curtains up.
Now what?
"LINDA!!"
That's what.
C.R.I. 235
Whist working on CRI 235, based on The Fall of Icarus, I photographed one of the components and produced this:
Which I really like.
I'll call it 'Leap'.
I'll call it 'Leap'.
Sunday, 21 August 2011
Terracotta Plant Pot Repair.
It's a shame when a good-sized plant pot decides to fall apart.
I refit the pieces and wrapped some copper capillary pipe around the pot:
I lined it up with the ridges and twisted it up tight with a pair of pliers.
It fell off.
I re-fit it and tightened it even more.
I repeated this process three times:
Then I planted a box bush in it:
It fell off.
I re-fit it and tightened it even more.
I repeated this process three times:
Come Into The Garden.
Along, long time ago our garden looked like this:
A flat concrete surface suitable for car parking.
Two brick planters where built (the one in the picture is 'L' shaped).
Planted up with various bedding plants.
Today the garden, from about the same position, looks like this:
To the right it looks like this:
To the left it looks like this:
I can't actually cram everything into the camera so these edited highlights will have to do.
Been a bit of a bumper year up to press.
Two brick planters where built (the one in the picture is 'L' shaped).
Planted up with various bedding plants.
Today the garden, from about the same position, looks like this:
Been a bit of a bumper year up to press.
My 'Track of the Week": 'Blaze Away' (Holzmann) Performed by Raymond and His Famous Banjo Band. (Updated)
ALL TOGETHER NOW!
"Oh! What a pity she'd only one ti..... etc."
ahem,
Or, should you prefer:
ahem,
Or, should you prefer:
We'll make a bonfire of our troubles and we'll watch them blaze away and when they've all gone up in smoke clouds, we'll never worry should they come another day and as the bonfire keeps on burning, happy days will be returning, while the band keeps playing we'll let our troubles blaze away Here we are, there's work to do, and don't let troubles trouble you. Bring them along and we'll burn them up, bring them along and we'll burn them up ha ha, ha hey Start and throw them right into the fire Watch the flames go higher and higher Blazing away, blazing away, oh, come along bring your worries round today. We'll make a bonfire of our troubles and we'll watch them blaze away and when they've all gone up in smoke clouds, we'll never worry should they come another day and as the bonfire keeps on burning, happy days will be returning, while the band is playing we'll let our troubles blaze away. In answer to Mr. O.F.'s comment: I thought I'd seen the biggest banjo in the world at last year's Wukulele Festival:  But I was wrong, obviously. |
Car Booty and Why It's Best That Linda Goes By Herself.
I go to car boot sales but very rarely by anything.
I enjoy looking at the booter's exhibitions of possessions they find surplus to their requirements.
I'm not a natural shopper.
Linda is a natural shopper, I had jobs to do this morning, she went off to a car boot sale with 'G' who's looking for Barbie dolls (he's already got the biggest collection in the U.K.)
What treasures she's returned with!!
It's got a crack in it but having filled it with hot water then letting it stand for over an hour now, it doesn't seem to be leaking.
A woolen dress that tells a story in pictures of cats, clouds and toadstools:
Two pairs of sandals:
I'll call him 'Simon'.
I enjoy looking at the booter's exhibitions of possessions they find surplus to their requirements.
I'm not a natural shopper.
Linda is a natural shopper, I had jobs to do this morning, she went off to a car boot sale with 'G' who's looking for Barbie dolls (he's already got the biggest collection in the U.K.)
What treasures she's returned with!!
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| A Teapot |
A woolen dress that tells a story in pictures of cats, clouds and toadstools:
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| A Pretty Frock |
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| Sandals |
Which she has decided to mix and match.
...and a special present just for me:
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| A Rat |
Saturday, 20 August 2011
More Cheap Instrument Music, Duck Don' Wannit.
Linda can do her 'Tales of the Unexpected' dance to this one!
(Even though she finds the kazoo part 'horrifiying'.)
The Whirle Banjolele No.4 Manufactured by Winsor of Birmingham.
I bought this banjolele at a charity shop several years ago.
It's a Whirle Banjolele No. 4 (stamped on the head-stock) manufactured by Winsor of Birmingham.
I did what research I could and found out this type of uke was mass produced during the 30's & 40's and it would originally have been strung with steel strings.
It was strung with nylon strings, the skin was flapping like an un-guyed tent and the tuning pegs had long given up the ghost.
I hung it on the wall and let it gather some dust.
Fast forward to me starting to pay more attention to uke playing and thinking "I could renovate that banjolele".
So, I tried fitting a set of steel stings.
Because the tuning pegs were unreliable my findings were inconclusive.
I took the banjolele to a local music shop to ask the advice of Ian (an instrument repairer).
My plan was to source some alternative tuning pegs or machine-heads then fit them myself.
Ian me asked to leave it with him so he could have a root about for something that would do the job.
I left the shop and forgot about it.
Couple of weeks ago I remembered the uke again and went back to the shop.
"I finished it" announced Ian as I walked trough the door.
He'd fitted a set of banjo tuning pegs:
Little on the large size maybe but I was happy that I might have a usable instrument.
The only down-side being that I'm strapped for cash at the moment and the £42 quid the work cost was a bit of a stinger.
Still, worth the expense to have that usable instrument, right?
This b%&£^*d is impossible to tune.
I carefully tune each string till the tuner indicates the note is spot on.
I re-check the tuning.
I play a chord.
What!!??
I check the tuning again, I measure the scale length to make sure the bridge is in the right place, I check the tuning again.
I may as well try to platt fog.
It appears that I have yet another unique sounding instrument.
I'm going to restring it with nylon strings (a proper uke set) and hope that does the trick.
In the mean-time I'm having great fun recording with it even though playing it is a little like flaying my fingers with an egg-slicer.
And for fans of labels, here's a blurred picture of the headstock:
I did what research I could and found out this type of uke was mass produced during the 30's & 40's and it would originally have been strung with steel strings.
It was strung with nylon strings, the skin was flapping like an un-guyed tent and the tuning pegs had long given up the ghost.
I hung it on the wall and let it gather some dust.
Fast forward to me starting to pay more attention to uke playing and thinking "I could renovate that banjolele".
So, I tried fitting a set of steel stings.
Because the tuning pegs were unreliable my findings were inconclusive.
I took the banjolele to a local music shop to ask the advice of Ian (an instrument repairer).
My plan was to source some alternative tuning pegs or machine-heads then fit them myself.
Ian me asked to leave it with him so he could have a root about for something that would do the job.
I left the shop and forgot about it.
Couple of weeks ago I remembered the uke again and went back to the shop.
"I finished it" announced Ian as I walked trough the door.
He'd fitted a set of banjo tuning pegs:
The only down-side being that I'm strapped for cash at the moment and the £42 quid the work cost was a bit of a stinger.
Still, worth the expense to have that usable instrument, right?
This b%&£^*d is impossible to tune.
I carefully tune each string till the tuner indicates the note is spot on.
I re-check the tuning.
I play a chord.
What!!??
I check the tuning again, I measure the scale length to make sure the bridge is in the right place, I check the tuning again.
I may as well try to platt fog.
It appears that I have yet another unique sounding instrument.
I'm going to restring it with nylon strings (a proper uke set) and hope that does the trick.
In the mean-time I'm having great fun recording with it even though playing it is a little like flaying my fingers with an egg-slicer.
And for fans of labels, here's a blurred picture of the headstock:
Friday, 19 August 2011
Cheap Instruments. (Getting Down With My Bad Self.)
So, that line up would be:
Winsor Whirle Banjolele. A cruel egg-slicer of an instrument that is virtually impossible to tune.
Blue Moon Tenor/Baritone (still not sure which) ukulele.
Biscuit Tin Broom Pole Slide Bass. Proving to be one of the funniest instruments I've ever played.
A Washboard.
Hmmm, now that's what I call broken!
N.B. No alcohol was consumed during the recording of this piece but a substantial amount needs to be ingested in order to facilitate anything like enjoyable listening.
N.B. No alcohol was consumed during the recording of this piece but a substantial amount needs to be ingested in order to facilitate anything like enjoyable listening.
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