just like the clean lines of this project...

Muzak Alchemy Productions

Ok, so finally the dvd "Cabin fever" came through the letterbox and once again the Black Crowes didn't disappoint..
Then this got me thinking...
Now, despite knowing and speaking to a few quality musicians..the main problem you get if your not "all that" is that when discussing anything or projects they tend to ask "how good are the musicians, well, I have to ask"..kinda thing..which is understandable of course..
...so..heres' I, new at the game but enjoying the whole deal who has now decided to do a real Alchemist idea and turn us "shite" to Gold!
As opposed to once again asking around the guys who can't, what about asking people who are actually into having a craic...4 the craic! So, here cometh the "Sunday Klub" at what will eventually be Alchemy productions and studio affairs, which is to say trying to turn shite to gold..which is to say that those who turn up are the Horse type that not only get lead to the water hole but also want a drink and dont have to be forced into the idea of getting a bunch a friends over to a Barn with equipment, some recording gear and a bunch of intruments, and over a long weekend the concept would be to try and get a song together from scratch...all in the name of fun and music!

The whole deal about music is as much enjoying what your doing and if you get the right place , get a lot of beer, some music films and cds, but more important some decent gear that you can play at high level..its the old addage of getting monkeys long enough in a room with typewriters they will learn how to use them and type..(but who will clean the typewriters...)..
So, looking for players with passion and not just a frikken bad attitude! You only need a couple of power chords and some decent pedals and bobs your uncle!!

I'm really passionate about this project! First things first and that will be to try and persuade some mates to come over from Scotland and just have a shut in for a few days!...and regardless of the result, I know that those seconds, hours, days and nights will be a whole lotta fun!

being there and being nice..

...just walking away from the local shop had me wondering out loud if indeed you had to be fucking nice to everybody..pretty sad really..everytime I go into the local shop along the road from work the guy is always trying to keep me there by being pleasant..always opens with the fact that he hasn't seen me for a while..and all the rest..its the usual sales pish to try and rope me in as a more consistent customer..
..and everytime I leave whilst he's still talking...can't be fucking arsed with that pish...sad though as I mutter "mind yer own fucking business"...
..got me thinking about everybody and nobody..the social stigma of "being nice" to just "being nice"...
Reckon its a Skotx thing to being a bitter bastard...but from where I couldn't tell ye..some kind of inbuilt dislike of persons until they prove their worth...seems a bit back to front to the norm..when being nice assists and you get along...all false shite if you ask me..people would fucking hack yer hands off and hand feed them to hungry Otters if they had the chance of getting a ladder rung over ye..
Everyday I watch people with interest...money and position of power is of course a very dangerous position for anybody and everybody...and it amazes me the amount of "I, Brutus" that goes on around the paddock and all for what...seems to be more the case that with that position the once situation of lacking any backbone or character is replaced by some pseudo confidence trixster who weaves and weaves, using every set of stairs possible to accelerate into the fortunes of power...but what of this power...its not real power, its right down there amongst the sewer levels...but thats where most of us are and now and again we get to mix at top table...

Bitter..? No, just very aware...be aware!

whitewash...

Okay...so the guy wears a bucket on his head and a white mask...
But there is a lot more to this guitarist than meets the eye! With a new release of entitled "spinal clock" with songs on a banjo, the guy has covered everytime of music genre but is best known for his rock guitaring.
I found this rather amusing , Ozzy asked the guy to join up with the band and said;

"I tried out that Buckethead guy. I met with him and asked him to work with me, but only if he got rid of the fucking bucket. So I came back a bit later, and he's wearing this green fucking Martian's-hat thing! I said, 'Look, just be yourself.' He told me his name was Brian, so I said that's what I'd call him. He says, 'No one calls me Brian except my mother.' So I said, 'Pretend I'm your mum then!' I haven't even got out of the room and I'm already playing fucking mind games with the guy. What happens if one day he's gone and there's a note saying, 'I've been beamed up'? Don't get me wrong, he's a great player. He plays like a motherfucker."

Guys got a great fingerprint on that fretboard regardless!

And that guitar , has to be said, is at least very original as he is...suits his image.

That Week in 2010...Pt 3

....So..friday and the airport and we decided to wait at the airport for the band we both met and grew to know, Anthrax to arrive from Moscow..However, due to the fires surrounding Moscow they're flight had been moved so we headed into Stockholm with so much to catch up it was daft..
Drop off at the Strand radisson blu ended up with a call to the drummer of the Cult, John Tempesta, and a quick walk to Gröna Lund as they were playing there.
We met up and first things first, wheres the bar? Pistonhead beer lay around as freebies as for the first time I was informed that the beer was free at the Tyroll bar..oh..dear..1 beer ended in around 5 beers and we watched a rather surreal Cult playing as the roller coasters thundered in close proximity and höjd skräck thundered down every few minutes..The show was frikken awesome!

So, shows over and then the party began..had a great time with the band members as we headed into another small live gig and hit the booze..then the message came in that we were gonna head off to either Bruce dickinsons party or Tommy Lees..we ended up at Fredsgatan to the Lee party which was pretty subdeud and by this time of nite with only a hotdog and about 40 beers and chasers it was getting late..
I remember ending up at the Sheraton for a final round with the guys and then Andy and I split back to the radisson, none the worst for wear..or so we thought...
Saturday came and catching up with charley and Scott at breakfast was cool after so many years.
With Frankie not getting a wake up call we had to sort out the cab to Sonisphere which was cutting the time fine for Anthrax to hit the stage..I also managed to get my eldest and his mother a pass and it was pretty awsome getting them onstage to watch Anthrax and Slayer as the rain felt like hell for those 55,000 that had come to the gig that included Motley Crue, Iggy and the Stooges, Alice Cooper and Iron Maiden.

Both shows were frikken brilliant with Anthrax really impressing after so many years and despite a few minor problems with a patch cable they really had the crowd on their side!
I'm actually in this one with my son , stage right.

So...a long day hanging backstage as the rain pounded down and the red bull assisted in what was a very late night before, but it was some pure magic to relive a time phase which I had almost forgotten about due to the other paths that I'd walked down since 92..
Unfortunatly I had to say cheerio to my mate Andy who I will see again and then it was back to reality which another stop over in Stockholm with Mr Nyheter24 which was cool as he was wondering if I'd survived and an x2000 homeward bound to Gbg on the monday..
A week that wont be forgotten for a while for different reasons...
And for those enjoyed the mud at Sonisphere...

That Week in 2010...Pt 2

The holiday that wasn't really a holiday to be honest...
But suddenly in the midst of it came a week..7 days where suddenly everything suddenly had the emotional roller coaster ride that one has a hard time to forget in a hurry...
The week started on the monday...my boss called me...this was most unusual and as I was snoozing and reality snoozing about whatever I kinda gave it a miss..until the third effort..then I realised somebody was trying to contact me about something more serious than serious..
call turned out that a work colleague, friend of 12 years and a guy who I helped get the job into the company, had, on sunday night, told his 3 kids of which one was his, to go upstairs as he finished off some wine and then decided to hang himself..This was really unexpected and once again the initial reaction was one of anger more than empathy..
If you can understand the whys and such like, your kinda too close to that bitter end imo..so not understanding it kinda makes more sense..

Then wednesday came and a trip north to a friend and an Alladins cave of superbikes.I walked away with a classic in a Kawasaki ZXR750R. 1 of 500 made with alloy tank, c/r gearbox, 39mm fcr flats and full jap power engine..ready for collection at some point..Whilst I sat on the bike and tested the reach my brother rang me from Scotland..this is also rather unusual thru the day..I ignored again as I sat on the bike but after the 4th time I answered..
"Remember Richard..the Kawasaki fanatic? He's been found dead floating in the Firth of Forth and Police are looking for people who may know about it"...well..that ruled me out anyway were my initial thoughts...but quite strange that exactly at the same time as I sat on the very bike that Rich would have loved, I get the call of his death..
I moved on to the X2000 and a train to Stockholm.
Thursday ended up in a bottle of Masi and company of people from Nyheter24.
Friday came and I headed to the airport to meet my oldest of friends for a reunion after 15 years..As we greeted we discussed old times and new times and he mentioned how he had met up the week before with Cubic, an old skateboarder who had been involved in a project to build a skate park in Edinburgh and guess who had been helping him and feeling much better after his depression..Richard!I broke the news of the phone call from the previous day..
It was only friday but...well..next up..The Cult All Access..Sonisphere and Tommy Lees birthday party...