THE DAILY GRIND ON PLANET GOODABOOM

A Merry Christmas to All !!!

2007-12-24T16:04:00.000+01:00

I know I've not been here for a while, been a bit busy with other blogs, but I thought Christmas Eve was as good a time as any to post...and by way of a treat fro those who have suffered long, returning to find no new posts, here's a song I've written specially for Christmas. Its called One Stranger

As Heather Mills McCartney might have put it, I'm finally on the last leg...

2007-11-22T17:24:00.000+01:00

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Incredibly, tomorrow I once again jet off to a gig, for the fifth time this month. Harrogate, in the North of England is my eventual destination. This time, I am going to attempt a multiple stop kind of thing, hoping to call in on friends in Luton, my Dad in Derby, my daughter in Sheffield, my ailing bass guitar in Doncaster and my son in Wakefield, all in the space of 24 hours. Somewhere in the middle of all that, I will be finding time to do a full show with BC Sweet. Then , assuming I have enough left in the tank to make it back to Spain, I can relax a little as we take our seasonal sabbatical, re-emerging as hungry rockers again at the beginning of February.

Wish me luck, it's gonna be a long weekend!

A Gig Too Far

2007-11-15T17:06:00.000+01:00

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I think its midweek. Probably Thursday. But I wouldn’t swear to it! I’m in that no-man’s land, that space-time continuum known as “between gigs”.
I’m semi-recovered from my trip to the West Country in the UK for the 70’s festival last Saturday night. Four days growth of beard, unkempt hair, and I’m trying to get to this Saturday before I have to make myself presentable again. I’m still nursing a dodgy throat which I’ve been unable to shake off for weeks now. It usually just about recovers enough for me to hammer the hell out of it at each gig.

But this weekend…I don’t know if it’s because it’s at a venue I used to play back in the 80’s, or the fact that they want us to play 50% longer than we normally do for the same money. I am pretty sure it’s got a lot to do with the fact that it’s out on a wild and desolate storm-battered coast, somewhere off to the North West of Carlisle. I fly into Luton. The day before. It will take most of Sunday to get there, and I won’t arrive back home in Spain much before 8pm on the Monday night.

My joy of playing is currently a slender thing, stretched to breaking point at having to jump through these hoops. Which side will the see-saw come down on? How long before the minuses outweigh the plusses?
Only time will tell.

Kev Moore

Airline Etiquette, or; Give me a good seat or I'm hi-jacking this Mother to Cuba!

2007-11-07T12:38:00.000+01:00

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I have just returned from playing a Festival in Lubeck, Germany, which involved 4 flights in 28 hours, having to fly via Palma, Majorca from Mainland Spain.

Kicking my heels in any number of departure/waiting/transit/boredom lounges gave me time to ruminate on the modern torture that is air travel. I’ve broken it down into four main bones of contention:

1) Seat Allocation.

Nowadays, not a given, although it doesn’t prevent the mentally challenged myopic woman looking for seat number 236. I have lost count of the number of times the stewardess has to repeat “It’s just your allocation number, you can sit anywhere.”By the time the penny has dropped with these people, “anywhere” is usually in the cargo hold.Like a shining light, some economy airlines still offer you the opportunity to choose your seat, if you’re at the airport early enough. Like before you were born.

I selected an exit seat, needing the extra legroom. “Aisle or window?” I was politely asked. I opted for the aisle. I got the aisle, but not the exit. I attempted to dislocate my knees, so that I might insinuate myself into the miniscule gap between my seat and the one in front. Once wedged, I could observe the tide of humanity coming down the aisle. Which brings me to the next point;

2) Passengers from Hell.

There are a number of types you wish to avoid, but basically we can narrow it down to two.
1) Mother with screaming kids

2) Extremely large person

You definitely don’t want screaming kids near you. They don’t shut up. Ever. And the small ones don’t know how to compensate for the air pressure thing with the ears. It hurts. They don’t know what to do. They cry. You try and put them out of the emergency exit. It’s all very embarrassing.

A word to families with noisy and/or badly behaved kids; If you’re going on holiday- TAKE THE CAR.

Extremely large people can be a problem in several ways. If they sit next to you, your armrest becomes enveloped in the folds of their body. I once sat with such a person and they could only open their dinner tray to their chin. Still, I guess it was easier to sweep the food in…

The second hazard from extremely large people is the one I suffered at the weekend. They sit in front of you. They like to test the “springiness” of the seat, and, even before take-off, see how far it will recline.

NEWSFLASH: This seat is reclining nowhere buddy, my knees are nearly coming out of your face, and I might never walk again but you’re getting NO extra degrees on this angle!

3) The Terrorist Inspired Mini-Industry manufacturing little bottles and transparent bags.

Who said Al Qaeda doesn’t believe in Free Enterprise? Why, singlehandedly they have created a new market for stupidly tiny receptacles for a pointlessly infintessimal amount of hair gel/toothpaste/pile cream etc. Retailers have been quick to jump on the band wagon “catering to our needs” and lining their pockets. There’s even a vending machine at some airports selling empty plastic bags. Now that’s cutting edge commercialism…Oh, sorry, no it isn’t, It’s a bloody great rip-off, I was confused.

So, there we have it. If Mr and Mrs Grey Haired Anglo-Saxon retirement couple from Dorking want to blow up a plane they’ll only be able to take a hundred millilitres of each dangerous substance in a clear plastic bag, that virtually no-one looks at, so that’s all right then,. We’re all safe.

4) In Flight Food

So called because it’s quickly thrown back at the stewardesses.Most economy (i.e.crap) airlines now fail to provide any food unless you provide them with the deeds to your house, so I suppose I should be grateful that I got “food” at the weekend.

On the first flight, a bottle of water and some cheese “snacks”. On the second, a slice of reconstituted Turkey in a J cloth…no, sorry, it was bread. An easy mistake to make. And the Turkey looked like the nearest it had ever been to a bird was the woman who was serving it.

Of course, this freebie food is designed to make you clamour for their executive menu, where you can pay 10 euros for…well, pretty much the same thing, but with some sauce.

So there you have it. If you really need to fly, buy your own plane.

Gone tomorrow, Here today!

2007-11-02T19:44:00.000+01:00

I know I've been noticeable in my absence from these hallowed pages of late, dear reader, so I thought I'd make amends with a pointer to a small corner of the blogosphere that's been occupying my time and my thoughts recently. I'm off to Germany tomorrow for a show with BC Sweet, but right now, journey with me if you will via this magical link, to my scary story:

A PENNY FOR THE GUY

Busy, Busy, and, er....Busy!

2007-10-29T15:38:00.000+01:00

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This week seems to have taken on an unstoppable momentum. Firstly, Miki is preparing a series of Paintings for an International Calendar commission that she's just secured, plus we are re-mounting a new exhibition at the Eyecare centre here in Albir. A new exhibition takes a lot of time and preparation, so we're very occupied with that. I've also just met up with my friend, Norwegian singer and guitarist Jack Bostad, and we briefly discussed doing a few local shows together, which I'm really keen to do, though it will mean some rehearsals. In a week or so Miki and I travel down to Mojacar to mount a new exhibition there, too, with all the attendant planning and preparation. This weekend sees the first of 5 shows throughout Novemeber for my band BC Sweet, in Europe and the UK, so I want to set aside a little time this week to run through the set, as the first show is a big festival in Lubeck, Germany. So, no time to draw breath really! I also just want to remind everybody to check out my Halloween story; Pumpkin Number Six if you havent done so already, its a nice chilly tale for All Hallow's Eve!

Father to Son

2007-10-27T11:33:00.000+01:00

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It's Saturday morning, less than two days since I said goodbye to my son at Alicante airport as he headed home to England. He'd been to stay for a week, The first half spent down in Mojacar (where he lived for a while a few years ago) the second half up in Albir with Miki and I.

It was a joy to see him, but not only that, a joy to see him developing as a young man, his curiosity, his politeness, his humour.
As a musician, I am naturally over the moon at his burgeoning skills on the drums, and his interest, ambition and involvement with his band, Jilambis.

He is performing well at school, after difficult times re-adjusting returning from Spain, he is set to do well in all his exams.

But perhaps just as joyful to me is the fact that he is accepted and liked by Miki.
Children from past relationships can be a difficult bridge to cross, so it means a lot to me that Miki welcomes him.

Pride is meant to be one of the seven deadly sins...well, then I'm one hell of a sinner because I'm seriously proud of him!

Mojacar Village

Wherefore art thou, weary traveller?

2007-10-26T14:38:00.000+01:00

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You may well ask...Indeed if you have been asking yourself what has happened to "Ten Weeks in a Box" Miki and I's Travel tale, it's just taking a short break, while Miki completes an important Art commission, but rest assured it will return next Monday, picking up where we left off in Derby.

In the meantime, why don't you pop on over to The Coffee Cup Club and join in with the conversation and maybe post an entry there yourself. Or, with Halloween coming up, why not scare yourself to death with my new tale for All Hallows Eve; "Pumpkin Number Six"? Its on my Muse on the Rock blog, where you can also find another couple of creepy tales!

That should keep you busy until our travel tales return......

Compliments are always Welcome!

2007-10-24T18:17:00.000+01:00

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While I was down in Almeria province, I used the time to "dismantle a number of our exhibitions in Mojacar, Las Bouganvillas, and Vera, three towns in the region.
We try to refresh the exhibitions on a regular basis, and also give them a small "rest" so that they never become "part of the furniture".

It was while I was removing the paintings at these various locations that I started to get people coming up to me.

"I just want to thank you for these paintings, I shall miss them." - that from a regular visitor to the restaurant, not the owner.

"Are these paintings by your partner? I could never afford any art, but please tell her they have given me great pleasure" - another visitor to one of the exhibitions.

And from Anita, owner of Allegria on Mojacar Playa, where we had a recent exhibition of Miki's flower paintings;

"You are a very nasty man! Look how bare my walls are!"

Of course, it was a little tongue in cheek, and perhaps not exactly a compliment, but well, an indirect one, I'd like to think!

I have to say, these words filled me with pride for Miki's work, it makes it all worthwhile. Mind you, if she reads this, we'll have to widen the doorway to the gallery to get her head in!

The Prodigal Returns!

2007-10-23T15:47:00.000+01:00

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Back from Almeria province, and laden with paintings from our various exhibitions there, not to mention my son, Corey; Miki and I were re-united today. It's been a long few days, and its always nice to come home to the one you love.

I just wanted to put a quick entry in here, to announce my return, so there'll be some more coherent pieces in the next few days hopefully!

I heard some upsetting news while down there about the wife of a friend of mine, who is terminally ill. Hearing something like that, knowing the person, and having seen them not too long ago in robust health, it really makes you aware of our mortality.
The lesson it teaches us is a hard one, but it must be learnt nevertheless. Live for the moment, sieze it, and when you've enjoyed it, sieze another. Our life is precious and all too short, We should squeeze every damn good thing out of it before relinquishing our hold on it.

Dreamtime

2007-10-19T08:07:00.000+01:00

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A quick entry today, before I disappear for a few days; My son is visiting from England, so I'm taking a break!

I had a strange dream last night, where I was wandering around on a windswept mountain, pursued, but not attacked by, an organised pack of alsatians. They gradually herded me downhill until I came to a large abandoned factory of sorts, which had some kind of stage on the front of it. I entered at ground level, through a large shower/toilet area and out into a mud covered room. Everywhere was covered in the thick, wet ooze. A ladder went up in to the next level. That, too, was covered in the glistening mud.

I looked at my clothes and decided I should go back into the shower area, and get clean and leave my clothes there, so I could better negotiate the mud covered room and ladders. As I got there, my pursuers, human, but indistinct, unrecollectable, asked me where I was going. I pointed to the door leading from the shower room. They opened it, but it was just a closet. The mud covered room had disappeared......

Yeah, I know...I'll ring for the White Van!

Let's meet at the Coffee Cup Club!!

2007-10-18T15:53:00.000+01:00

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You know the feeling, you've been working hard, your back aches, your throat is parched.....what you need is a great cup of coffee!

Failing that, perhaps your water has gone off like ours recently, with the storms, or perhaps your kettle has been abducted by aliens. Either way, let me offer you an alternative.

A kettle, Pre-abduction today

Pop along to The Coffee Cup Club set up by Miki, where you can swap paintings, stories and sketches of your favourite coffee cup. It's a fun forum for artists and coffee drinkers alike!

Me and the Boys

2007-10-15T11:46:00.000+01:00

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I just wanted to share with you one of the shots from a recent photoshoot with my cohorts in BC Sweet. The shoot was done up at Thoresby Hall in Yorkshire, or perhaps Nottinghamshire...the boundaries get a little fuzzy around there!

We're entering a busy band period now, with five weekends on the trot, starting with the Lubeck Festival in Germany on November 3rd, so I'm hoping to have shaken my cold off by then! But before that, a visit from my son Corey,
who arrives in a few days. I'm looking forward to getting an update on his band, Jilambis, who he drums for.Corey on the kit

Meanwhile, Miki has been busy dreaming up a new idea: Its called The Coffee Cup Club, click on the link and see what it's all about!

Later, bloggers!

Shameless Plug!

2007-10-14T18:27:00.000+01:00

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Got a few minutes to spare? Why not nominate yours truly in the My Space Intel Supergroup contest!

Its easy; simply check out The Intel Supergroup Site on this link, and paste my URL;
www.myspace.com/kevinandrewmoore in one of the categories (singer, guitarist, whatever) and I might have half a chance of winning a plectrum or something!
A Plectrum relaxing today

Think of it as a blow against the Simon Cowell's of this world!

Thanks!

Simon Cowell being relaxed earlier today

The Rain in Spain does NOT stay mainly in the plain!!

2007-10-12T13:27:00.000+01:00

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Some water yesterday

Look, let's face it, Rex Harrison and Audrey Hepburn, were WAY off on this one.
I'll tell you where the rain is. It's in Miki's atilier, its sheeting down, accompanied by endless, and I do mean endless (12 hours and counting)Thunder and lightning. The roads are rivers. I can only begin to imagine the amount of water deposited on Albir and surrounding areas during the night. The power is going on and off every two minutes. Why is that? What's the connection? Lots of water = no power. Why? God knows there's at least 250,000 volts coming down in the form of lightning bolts, so some sod's got electricity.

Some Wet People recently

I came to Spain for sunshine. I hate the rain. I find absolutely no redeeming features in it whatsoever, I do not find it romantic. Okay, it's life-giving, but let them collect it somewhere else, like Wales.

The day is dark and overcast, the sun has abandoned us, a fairweather friend. In Almeria, I'm sure, it is shining. It´s making me depressed. If you want to know what I look like today, PRESS HERE. For some reason, this area, surrounded by mountains, is a victim of its own microclimate, and those of us that live here, by extension. are victims of it too. I know I'm an easy target for derision here people, after all, some of you have to live in Manchester, so I should shut up and know when I'm well off. But this is a worrying trend. I think the weather is getting worse. Time was, you could rely on Spain for sun. It was synonymous with sun. No longer, I fear. Let us take time today, pointedly, to honour Al Gore, (the guy who is really the president, except it was stolen from him)who has raised our consciousness about climate change, and been awarded the Nobel Prize in honour of it. Mr. Gore, do you think you could have a word about Albir? We're drowning here, bud!

Al Gore is told he has a call waiting from Kev Moore

Still a little green around the gills

2007-10-11T17:50:00.000+01:00

www.goodaboom.com Good evening, bloggers...yes, that's right, in such a weakened state am I , that I can't post an entry until the sun goes down. Having trouble shaking off this cold. Nevertheless, I can report that I have been working hard! I've been modelling for Miki, in a series of drawings. The bulk of the work consisted of me lying down. immobile, doing absolutely nothing. I can report that I achieved this objective with all the aplomb of a professional. I expect to get asked back on a regular basis, following my sterling performance. Future projects I have up my sleeve include;

Sleeping on the sofa
Spending longer in the bathroom than is absolutely necessary
Sometimes moving my head a little.

I'm sure you'll agree, such a full programme is liable to take its toll, so I'm off now to get some well-earned rest.

The Incongruity of a Cold in the Sun

2007-10-10T10:30:00.000+01:00

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It seems, dear peruser of blogs, that I have unwittingly returned from my brief sojourn in Germany with an unexpected memento; to wit, one Germ.
As I write, I gaze glassy-eyed at the computer screen, laden down with the Mother of all Colds. My head is doing a good simulation of being pumped with Cavity Wall Insulation, my nose that of Niagara Falls, and my eyes feel as though the sand from all the Costas has been introduced into them, without anaesthetic.

I’m coughing like an old man, feeling a Winter’s chill, yet gazing out at glorious sunshine and Palm trees. It is an odd displacement. Certainly, I contracted this waiting around at a deserted railway station in East Germany, but one feels you have to actually be there while you’re suffering its effects.

I feel a fraud, languishing, bunged up to the eyeballs, in the Mediterranean sun. Still, better off here, than there, of that I have no doubt.

It started with a sore throat, not the type I get from hard singing, but one that was clearly an infection, you can feel the difference. Then it was downhill all the way. I’m just glad I don’t have a gig for a few weeks. Perhaps there will be time for Niagara to subside, and some men to come and take out the Cavity Wall Insulation.
A Cavity Wall Insulation Man earlier today

Diane of Poitiers - Sixteenth Century Groupie

2007-10-09T10:55:00.000+01:00

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I thought today, as a companion piece to our travel journal, I would write a little about Diane of Poitiers. Tomorrow, in the journal you can read about our visit to Anet, where her Chateau is.It intrigues me as to how a woman like this would be perceived had she lived in the modern age. I think she would have been something of a rockstar groupie figure. By all accounts a good-looking woman, she was also very fit, an outdoors type, and an accomplished horserider. She was to become the favourite of the young Henri II, and I do mean young.Henri and his brother had been incarcerated in Spain at the ages of 7 and 8, and there he had read the tale Amadis de Gaula, a knight errant story, featuring the kind of Gentlewomen Diane came to embody for the young prince. It is thought she became his mistress in 1538, if allusions in their correspondence are anything to go by.
She enjoyed the King's favour, even at the expense of his wife, Catherine de Medici. He built the Chateau de Anet for her,
even entrusting her with the Crown Jewels. She weilded an extraordinary influence for a mistress. With a penchant for posing nude or topless for a series of portraits, her notoriety and influence would have made irresistible tabloid fodder nowadays. Maintaining her looks into her fifties,even her emblem has a touch of rock and roll about it, not unlike one of the Four Symbols from Led Zeppelin' fourth album

Today I imagine she would be viewed part Princess Diana, part Pamela Anderson.
Her influence waned when the King was injured in a jousting tournament, Catharine restricting access to him, repeatedly calling for Diane in vain. When he died, she was banished to the Chateau at Chaumont,where her emblem can clearly be seen carved above one of the fireplaces. She remained there for a short time before moving to her beloved Anet, where she live in comfort, but died in relative obscurity. She was laid to rest in a mausoleum next to the Chateau, but as you will see in our travel tale tomorrow, that wasn't quite the last injustice visited upon Diane.

Immortalised in the 1950's Hollywood Movie starring Lana Turner, Diane remains a Sixteenth Century Pop Icon, who certainly had the X Factor!

Stop the Itinerary, I want to get off!

2007-10-08T11:19:00.000+01:00

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So, there we have it. Another weekend, another show, and, for me, another journey through the hell that is the gig itinerary. Firstly, a 5 a.m. get-up, followed by a 7.15 a.m. arrival at airport parking, and then check in for my 8.45 am flight for Hannover from Alicante. Did I say 8.45? I meant delayed. My flight was posted with a one and a half hour delay, but in the event proved to be a full two and a half hours late! I had my first train booked for 14.06, normally plenty of time, but no, it was not to be. Even a 2 hour delay would not have troubled me, but that extra thirty minutes was crucial. It sent my day into chaos. My train ticket was non-changeable, my card had maxed out and I was at the mercy of the train staff, as I attempted to negotiate the five trains across Germany to the backwater of Meuselbach-Schwarzmulle, or whatever the hell it was called. Something double-barrelled. Meuselbach Tyler-Moore probably. I began my train journeys only an hour behind schedule, immediately coming face to face with German bureaucracy, in the form of a disgruntled train guard (they’d been on strike that week) telling me I was on the wrong train, I was reserved on the earlier one. Tell me something I don’t know, Herr Konductor. I explained about my horrendous flight delay, but he just replied in clipped English; “That’s not my problem!” Not a good start, but I refrained from explaining my position with aid of a fist in his face and thankfully he stamped my ticket, albeit reluctantly. On my arrival in Gottingen, I discovered that the connections did not automatically follow my pre-arranged pattern hour for hour, so I had to get a revised itinerary, after talking nicely to the platform staff. This at least ensured that I would arrive at my destination, but now a full two hours later than planned. At least it gave me an hour to chill in Miki’s old University town of Gottingen. I had a hot brownie (is that legal?) with Ice-Cream in her honour. Well, that was my excuse anyway. Suffice to say, I reached the hotel at 20.30., ate and showered in thirty minutes flat, and was on my way to the gig with the guys at 9, having barely had time to say hello. We actually caught up on news during the gig. The saving grace of this debacle, as always, was the show. A packed marquee in the town square cheered and jumped up and down to our 75 minute set, which we delivered with a verve that belied our travels (The guys had not had an easy trip either)
I was really happy with the show. Amazingly, after 5 hours sleep and a 14 hour travel day, my voice held out, and I felt it was one of my best performances. A brief rest in the dressing room with multivitamin drinks, and a few autographs signed, it was back to the hotel for bed, grabbing scant hours of precious sleep before yet again embarking on another train marathon. Eight trains today, beginning with breakfast at 7a.m. in the hotel. (The owner had to be woken to make it, as apparently they don’t start until 8, and that was when we were leaving.) I think it’s something to do with the fact that the majority of guests were over Eighty, and the extra hour was to allow for the crash cart and CPR. Then Rudi, our promoter dropped me at Meuselbach station, a little one-track one-shack affair in the middle of nowhere, where I spent a captivating twenty minutes watching a couple emerge from a motorhome in the car-park- the guy changing his trousers and shaving alfresco out of a bucket at just 6 degrees centigrade. They’re made of stern stuff here in the East. As I write, I am on my fifth train and its still the morning. I’m on the ICE trains now, which are a cut above the Thomas the tank engine stuff. All has gone smoothly so far. Fingers crossed it will continue. I will return to you, dear reader, when I board the Frankfurt to Dusseldorf express a little later.
An ICE Train earlier today...

Just a little bit later….
Aha! Well, you find me able to put pixel to screen a little earlier than anticipated, having located a power socket between the seats. So the laptop is raring to go. My conversational German, insofar as it pertains to travel, is rapidly becoming second nature. If you can forgive my appalling grandma, I mean grammar, I can ask for all sorts of things. Is the train after this one the Frankfurt train? Which platform do I need? Where is carriage one going to be? Why can’t you get me to the Airport on time? That sort of thing…
Anyway, ”mustn’t grumble” as the neighbour says in The Small Faces’ “Lazy Sunday”, Though I must say this is not really my idea of a lazy Sunday. That would be relaxing in the sun with Miki, eating brioche and curd….
But, as usual, patient and attentive reader, I digress. It was with deceptive ease that I negotiated the changeover between trains in Fulda, I barely broke into a sweat, and found my seat in seconds. German efficiency oiling the wheels of the transport system. Except when they go on strike. Tomorrow.
So, I’m safely on my sixth train, only another two to go, and with any luck, I shall be able to rendezvous with lifelong CHRISTIE fan Reiner in Dusseldorf before boarding the flight to Alicante.

A little bit later still…..
And so it came to be that I made the transition at Frankfurt Station without incident, insinuating myself onto the train amongst the great unwashed. I use the term specifically, because when you are herded into these metal canisters, at close proximity with your fellow man, you are party to intimate knowledge as to whether they are unwashed or not. Thankfully, I had a seat reservation, but all around me, chaos broke out like a rash. A confused American tourist (is there any other kind?) came out with a bewildered, glazed over look when a harried father of three told him his seat was taken.
“Really?” he asked, “where are the unreserved ones?”
“I don’t know!” answered the nonplussed, but clearly fluent in English and reservation-replete German.
And so it continued, from the comfort of my very own seat, I could marvel at my shoulder being used as a butt-rest, large luggage blocking the corridor, hemming me in, and unfeasibly fat German women with bags protruding at obtuse angles, hell-bent on navigating the carriage, and to hell with whoever lost an eye in the process. I have a new take on the acronym for their train service, ICE; Incredibly Cramped Exasperation.
Of course, it being Germany, you might be jostled black and blue or harried out of your seat when you arrive at your destination, but at least you’ll be on time.

15.00 p.m. Dusseldorf Railway station.
Ironically, after a day of impeccable timekeeping, my eighth and final (or so I thought) train of the day was five minutes late. My ironic smile not withstanding, I eventually boarded it for the five minute journey out to Dusseldorf Airport. Upon alighting to the platform, bone-weary, I heard cries of “Kevin! Kevin!” and looked up to see Reiner, number one Christie fan and old friend rushing up to greet me. He gladly took my guitar for me, and I gladly let him, exhausted as I was. We made for check-in. Except I’d forgotten one thing, I had one more train to catch. The Mag-Lev into the airport. Nine today, Fourteen in the space of twenty-five hours!! Am I insane? Probably.

Anyway, check-in out of the way, Reiner and I sat and discussed old times over coffee, he reminding me it was around three years since we’d last met, and he showed me a few photos of him and Jeff Christie, when they’d met up recently at a T.V. show Jeff was filming. He also insisted on phoning a couple of Christie fans so I could say hello!
Sadly, I didn’t have a great deal of time as I had to catch my flight to Alicante, but getting to meet old friends helps the journey a little bit more bearable.
I landed in Alicante on time, my guitar came off the belt reasonably quickly, but then I had to suffer a forty-five minute wait for someone to come and take me to my car. It’s times like this, after 39 hours of almost continuous travel hell, that you really wish you’d paid premium rate in the airport car park. The ability to just get in and go home (I would’ve been nearly there by the time the guy came to take me to my car) is beyond price.
But the most priceless thing is the welcome I get when I pull up outside the gates from Miki. It’s nice to be missed, and it’s nice to come home.

The Complexity of Simplicity

2007-10-05T12:32:00.000+01:00

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I find myself wanting to articulate in these pages, dear reader, a struggle in which I am currently engaged. It concerns the Art of Songwriting, and make no mistake it is an Art, one which any Songwriter will tell you, you are never fully the master of. My struggles began the other day when I composed a new song called "Why" which you may come to hear on our site in the coming weeks, but it has reached its zenith with a song I have had "on the back burner" for nearly eighteen months in acoustic demo form. It is called "The Long Walk Home" and it has a haunting simplicity. My problem, put simply, is this; How can I maintain the beautiful simple quality this song has whilst turning it into a finished article. How much should I add? Does it even need a drum beat? If I leave it so empty, will it lack an indefinable something, or has it already got the indefinable something that may be lost if I over-egg the pudding? The problem lies in the fact that the emptiness of the demo conveys the emptiness of the subject; it is about a man, lost in the arctic wilderness, finally realising that he will die there. If I go in too heavy-handed, it will lose its delicacy, its gravitas. Miki believes very strongly in this song, and has convinced me that I should spend a great deal of time and effort on this song in an endeavour to get the balance right. I think the song deserves it. I confess, I too often settle for a finished result which is often less than it could be, in my eagerness to jump into the next project. In the words of American novelist Stephen King; "Talent is cheaper than table salt, what separates the talented individual from the successful one is a lot of hard work."

Divine Inspiration

2007-10-04T17:09:00.000+01:00

www.goodaboom.com

I seem to have hit a creative streak again, following our return from wandering around Europe. I'm managing to write a little of my novel every day, and I'm coming up with a lot of song ideas again, and finally getting around to finishing some of the unfinished ones I've had lying around for months. We have a new Song of the month for October; Click here to have a listen. It's called "The Heretic's Song" and it's about my disenchantment with organised religion, the hypocrisy of both christian and muslim, hopefully done with a little humour. The lyrics are printed below, including the original last verses, which don't appear in the song, because I wrote some new ones following visits to Canterbury and Chartres on our trip!

I've also renewed contact with an old friend from America, who was instrumental in getting the TUBELESS HEARTS album "Three" into production back in the nineties. I've been thinking about sending him some sort of compilation of my recent solo stuff, and it got me considering putting a proper "homegrown" CD out through the website, raw, as it were, I write 'em, record 'em, churn 'em out! It's got an immediacy that I like. If I can find somewhere to print and package it properly, I think it might be the way to go. Other recording news: Look out for my collaboration with GRAHAM OLIVER which should be out on Angel Air records early next year, and also a project with BC SWEET, where we're hoping to record six Sweet classics in slightly different styles, plus six brand new originals. All in all, a busy time in Studioland!!!
I'm off to Germany this weekend for a show with BC SWEET, enjoy The Song of the month!

The Heretic’s Song

Took a trip to Jesus Disneyland today
Tried to buy the T-shirt but my faith got in the way
Gonna wash in holy water, take a plastic Mary souvenir
Costs an awful lot of Euros, to get your plaque put up in here.

They polished up that church’s gold-anointed crown
When they see that coach load of malades would hit the town
Gonna wash in holy water, take a plastic Mary souvenir
If you could make a small donation, you’re cured, we’ll get you out of here

Help me Jesus, help me please,
Why must we climb these wretched steps upon our knees?
Do you like to, see my pain?
Why does the church endorse such monetary gain?
Hey Mohammed, what’s the score?
Since when did Islam preach a terrorism war?

Thought I’d wander down to Chartres for a while
Checking out the labyrinth while I’m walking down the aisle
Gonna wash in holy water, take a plastic Mary souvenir,
Say it doesn’t cost a Euro, if you wanna spend some time in here

Went to Canterbury cos I’d heard a tale or two
Got to the doorway, said its seven pounds to you
I cannot touch the water, they save it for the chosen few
Since when did crashing God’s house, constitute a pay per view?

Help me Jesus, help me please,
Why must we climb these wretched steps upon our knees?
Do you like to, see my pain?
Why does the church endorse such monetary gain?
Hey Mohammed, what’s the score?
Since when did Islam preach a terrorism war?

(Unused Verses)

Took a trip around the stations of the cross
Seen all those Roman's trying to tell the world who's boss
Gonna wash in holy water, take a plastic Mary souvenir,
Gave birth to all this mass religion
Control humanity with fear

I headed down to see them roll away the stone
Looked out for Jesus, but I was left alone
Saw a Christ on every corner, as I headed home for lunch
You can wait all day for Jesus, and then three come by at once.

Words and Music Copyright Kev Moore 2007

Enough, Already

2007-10-02T21:27:00.000+01:00

www.goodaboom.com

Firstly, I need to say this; I wholeheartedly support all efforts to locate the missing girl, Madeleine McCann.
Secondly, can we please draw a discreet veil over this unseemly farce? The Portuguese police seem to be run by Brian Rix. The daily claims by the judicaria grow more outrageous with every re-telling. Are the Mc Cann's guilty? Possibly, but since when did wildly dramatic accusations by the press become standard legal procedure? When you add into the mix the distasteful "sales push" on the find madeleine site..ONLINE SHOP!! WE NOW TAKE PAYPAL! you have a hysterical circus that does no justice to poor Madeleine. I fear she is being turned into a grotesque kind of cult. It smacks of the mass hysteria in the wake of Diana's death, the millions in some "group hug" grieving process. The headlines say everything; PASSED FROM FRIDGE TO FRIDGE, HIDDEN IN A DEAD ANIMAL'S CARCASS. For pity's sake, dead or alive, give the little child some dignity. Then, only the other day, we enter realms even a fantasist could only dream about; The McCanns claim they are innocent and are prepared to go to jail to prove it! You couldn't make it up. Only somebody is making it up. The loser in this reprehensible charade? Madeleine McCann.

Back and Barking

2007-09-27T09:52:00.000+01:00

www.goodaboom.com

A-ha! Yes, that's right, I have returned, or more precisely, Miki and I have returned, from our epic trip around Spain, France and the UK.I know its not really an excuse for being absent from these diary pages for so long, but by way of an apology, let me direct you to Ten Weeks in a Box, our account, in words, sketches and pictures of our wonderful trip. Each day, we'll be publishing an extract from our travel journal so you can relive the highs and lows of our trip, including one or two rants from me when I got a little stir crazy!

I will try and post on here regularly again, but its a busy time right now. I'm working hard on a novel, and also some new songs for BC Sweet, as we plan to do an album next year. After rattling around in a seven metre motorhome for the past few months, Miki and I are downsizing our driving for a while!

The Travelogue is Updated!

2007-05-16T15:41:00.000+01:00

www.goodaboom.com

Hello everyone, just got back from our latest trip, and we have NEW words and pictures in the travelogue right now, check it out!!

We've been a bit remiss in publishing an account of our journey through Brittany, La Gironde etc, and it will be coming soon, but as a taster, here's a short article that I wrote on our last but one trip...

Oystermen and Cream Teas

I’m sitting here in the picturesque French port of Mortagne-sur-Gironde, the view from our Motorhome is one of gently swaying reeds, tall on the riverbank, caressed by the unruffled serene brown waters of the Gironde estuary. A haven to a myriad of birds, this “gaping mouth” of France is stuffed with a Foie Gras of humanity and wildlife. The quaint wooden huts balanced precariously on spider-legged stilts, home to the Oystermen, punctuate this strange and beautiful shoreline. Their basket-nets hang silently in the windless afternoon, as the last of the ghostly sea mist is burned away by the determined sun.

This coastline is a riddle, one moment there, a moment later gone, sometimes revealed by retreating waters, sometimes hidden by a cloak of mist, that could almost conceal a ghostly galleon from a forgotten age. The Roman church at Talmont-sur-Gironde, once ruled by England’s Edward 1st, still standing defiant on its rock, the rock of its own faith perhaps, a stunning man made sea wall, that protects the church and village, as much a homage to their god as the holy house itself.

The village within this wall, almost English, perhaps a whisper from the past of Edward’s influence, for it reminded me so much of the Cotswolds, but with Crepes, not Cream Teas.

Miki has wandered off to sketch the harbour scenes here in Mortagne, a colourful array of craft, a rainbow moored alongside the dock, masts and sails dance joyfully on a gentle swell and soft breeze.

The sea can be an angry mistress, but right here, right now, deep into the Gironde, it is peace, and tranquillity on the Cote d’Atlantique……

Kev Moore 17/04/07

Keith Webb - A Professional Life

2007-05-01T13:28:00.000+01:00

www.goodaboom.com

The Music world lost a remarkable man some weeks ago. Keith Webb, whose career spanned an amazing SIX decades,from the jazz bands of the 50’s, through drumming for cosmic troubadour Donovan and gravel voiced Terry Reid in the 60's, creating the Prog-Rock band Paladin in the 70's, to working in the 80's with a young Stevie Ray Vaughn. The 90's & beyond saw him backing blues legends in Europe, & playing with The Flying Vultures in Spain. He left us aged 73.

I was incommunicado touring Brittany, and discovered the sad news via an email from Derek Holt from the Climax Blues Band.

Some weeks beforehand, we’d had a coffee together in our village of Turre. It’s an area of Spain rife with musicians, actors & performers. Keith and I gigged a few times last summer, in a band with Robin Sarstedt, good times in the sun. He told me of his plans to visit America & Brazil.Full of life & raring to go.

The tragedy is that Keith left us before writing his memoirs…I was privileged to have him talk to me on many evenings, just sat on my balcony, and the history of rock would come forth, A history he witnessed first hand, and helped to create.

One of the first Plaster Caster subjects, Jimi Hendrix jammed with him, Frank Zappa dubbed him Octopus, in deference to his drumming, he memorably welcomed Led Zeppelin to the USA with champagne on a silver tray, and appeared in the iconic 60’s film “Groupies” as himself, a well spoken member of the rock hierarchy with an wicked wit. The list is endless. He counted Charlie Watts, Keith Moon and Youth as friends.
I was fortunate to have known and worked with him. He was a good friend, and I will miss him.

North for Easter

2007-04-01T10:10:00.000+01:00

www.goodaboom.com

So another Sunday rolls around and Miki and I have decided to take time out from the Street Gallery this week to try and catch up on all things Goodaboom. You will see we have a new Song of the Month for April, Funkktion, which recently received GarageBand.com's Track of The Day Award, and our Photos and comments from our recent European jaunt will be appearing in the Travelogue. Miki also publishes a new "Give me a title" painting today. Being as Easter is almost upon us, Miki and I put our heads together(not easy when there's about 2 feet difference in height) and came up with an idea for a little eggstreme fun. Its Kev's Easter Eggsibition, and its now showing in our 3D Gallery, featuring a collection of daft egg-inspired cartoons and hideous puns all accompanied by a murderous rock version of Irving Berlin's Easter Parade all created by yours truly,and Mildew Bookworm insisted on introducing and hosting the whole thing. We think he's getting a bit pushy, but well, we did invade his planet, so we let him have his own way sometimes.

Tomorrow morning I fly to the UK and face a busy week seeing my Dad, catching up with old friends, seeing family and having pre-production meetings with Graham Oliver for our forthcoming album project, which I'm very excited about. Hopefully I'll get to make some entries while I'm over there. Miki joins me there next Sunday, and the following week we fly to Brittany to tour France for some days in the Boomobile! So we'll have lots to tell you in the coming weeks!

The Rain in Spain (stays mainly in Albir)

2007-03-29T15:34:00.000+01:00

www.goodaboom.com

Drip, drip, drip...Yes, a little taste of England has been with us here in Spain for a few days now. I refer to the seemingly endless downpour to which we have been subjected. I shouldnt moan, it throws the glorious days of sunshine into sharp relief! Anyway, onto more exciting things! For the second time in a few weeks, I've been lucky enough to become recipient of the Garage Band website's track of the day award for my song "Funkktion". My last funk offering, "A Cat called Caramel" grabbed the award too, so I'm well pleased. Caramel's currently No.33 in their chart, and Funkktion's entered at 44. It's also garnered some good reviews. It's a painful process sometimes, when your songs get slated, but either way, its good to get feedback on your music, and a lot of the comments really do prove useful and constructive. You should be able to check out Funkktion on Goodaboom shortly, as I think we'll be making it track of the month for April! Also, look out for our Easter surprise, coming soon!!

Purification

2007-03-27T16:56:00.000+01:00

www.goodaboom.com

So there we were, Miki and I, enjoying the sunshine, minding the Street gallery on a windy Sunday afternoon, when I hear Miki whisper, terrified, under her breath, "I dont want to talk to that woman!!" Now Miki is normally quite sociable with the passers-by and prospective clients, so I was a little surprised by this outburst, until she told me about the woman purposefully heading our way. Unfortunately, she didn't tell me about her until after the event...

Miki pulled her cap down firmly over her face and did a good imitation of being part of the lamp post against which we were sitting. The woman came to me, pointing at Miki's Bullfight paintings and wailing "No bien, No bien!" I grinned at her. I'm good at that. "Espanol?" she asked, rather desperately for my liking. "No!" I replied quickly, for once relieved to be English. She continued to remonstrate about the paintings, saying they should be destroyed. "They're only paintings," I said helpfully, with another, hopefully annoying, cheery smile. She proceeded to burst into tears and head across the street.

Miki miraculously returned to life. "Her name is Puri, short for Purification" she said, "and she believes she's been sent by God to purify the human race."She went on to tell me that Puri apparently has a relationship with a guy, but he's in heaven. Bummer.She's well-known for scrounging cigarettes and alcohol from people on the basis of being, well, loony I guess. I understand she's had a few one-night purifications, too. Care in the community's a wonderful thing. I guess she's really taken her name to heart, living up to the maxim of ritual cleansing:"To Remove guilt, sin or uncleanliness". Except she seems to have got it confused with tomming around and cadging cigarettes and booze out of people. And she sometimes appears normal if she thinks people suss her out.Dont you just LOVE the holier-than-thou brigade? I know one thing, it's given me fresh impetus to finish The Heretic's Song. Every cloud has a silver lining. I wonder if its the one her fella lives on?

There's another definition for Purification in the dictionary:
The Process of ridding oneself of something, harmful, inferior, or unwanted yes, Puri, I'll remember that next time you approach the street gallery!

Disclaimer: The author of this piece strongly advocates the treatment of mental health within the confines of a secure and stable environment. He performed many free concerts for patients in a Mental Health Hospital in his youth.

We're Back!!

2007-03-23T11:29:00.000+01:00

www.goodaboom.com
After completing a massive circle around Europe, taking in 3 countries,3 hotels, and every conceivable form of weather from unseasonable 20+ degrees sunshine in Germany to frankly scary -6 degrees snowdrifts in the Pyrenees, we are back in Albir to begin the task of chronicling the journey, and hopefully entertaining you with our words and pictures. Keep checking in to see new stuff, as we'll be adding items daily. My daughter Hollie has just released her first video with her band Theft of a Doll Its called Blood On Powder Blue, and as her Grandad has just come through a serious but successful operation in England, I'll dedicate it to him...

Baring your Soul

2007-03-12T17:03:00.000+01:00

www.goodaboom.com

I've recently begun publishing some of my music on a site called GarageBand. Its a bona fide site for the promotion of bands and musicians, with an advisory board chaired by Sir George Martin, no less. I've also been fortunate in receiving 2 track of the day awards, and a number of favourable reviews. The review system generates a chart, and its all cleverly set up to encourage you to review other bands material.And thats when things can get a little stickyI've received a couple of killer reviews, likening my music to "swimming around in the contents of someone's gut" and "aw! this is boring!...the band makes me cringe!"
Now, they are small minority, the rest of my reviews, I'm more than flattered by, but why is it that the odd bad one punctures our self esteem so effortlessly, that we deflate in moments?
...
I'll tell you why. Its because as songwriters, we bare our soul. Even if the subject matter is not always drawn from real life experience, the nature of drawing on the depths of your being to create a piece of music leaves us vulnerable and undefended. Then we put our work out there, naked, for the world to gawk and point at. Some would say you need to develop a thick skin to deal with this, but then I think you would lose something essential to the creative process. I need to feel elation when someone gets what Im trying to do, and if the price of that is misery at the few brickbats that come my way, well, I guess I'll pay it.
I've given a few bad reviews on Garage Band. I'm guilty of forgetting there's a human being at the other end of the line who has to read my criticisms. Now, I always make a point of thanking the reviewer if they've given me a good, or even unfavourable yet insightful review.
Today, I got a message from a guy whose song I reviewed a few days ago.

No matter how harsh the comments are, I feel the song is better for it. Thanks again.
Dominik

I had made many suggestions about how he should change the song, I didn't pull too many punches. He wrote to me to tell me he'd acted on a few of my comments prior to putting the song out on a new CD. The CD is to help the children of fallen American Servicemen. Dominik was a big man to take the criticism, and a big man to make this CD. It's worth baring the soul sometimes.

More than a Feeling

2007-03-10T12:07:00.000+01:00

www.goodaboom.com

Friday brought the news that one of the most recognisable voices in rock was no longer with us. Brad Delp, Founder member of Boston along with Tom Scholz, was a big part of the soundtrack of my youth, with what many believe to be the "perfect" single, More than a Feeling, released in 1976.

His soaring vocals were almost beyond belief. Possibly only Queen could rival them for the sheer perfection of production and performance, and we listened to the song, in awe, over and over again. The album was not a disappointment. Track after track of classics assailed our ears. Long Time, Peace of Mind. Boston had just raised the bar impossibly high.

Rest in Peace, Brad. The angels have some serious competition.

A Brush with Poetry on the Road

2007-03-10T00:15:00.000+01:00

www.goodaboom.com

Yesterday, I headed north up the coast to Denia, where we had been invited to present our "Brush with Poetry" show at The La Sella Golf Resort (see photo)
as part of the International Women in Business Day. I was accompanied by our gallery assistant Stephanie, as Miki was busy finishing a portrait for Dutch clients who have to leave for home some days earlier than originally planned, and we simply didn't have enough hours in the day!

We arrived to a bustling main conference room, with a myriad of stalls and displays, and a large stage in one corner. It's certainly a challenge narrating poetry and displaying the corresponding pictures to a room virtually on the move!
I wandered in wearing my trademark multicolour print silk shirt, skull head T shirt, bleached jeans and red timberlands. I stood out a bit. Most of the women, dressed in evening wear, looked at me like I had two heads! Nevertheless, my fashion statements notwithstanding, the paintings and their accompanying music and poetry were very well received.

Back on planet Goodaboom today, we were re-visited by our Norwegian friends, collecting the CD of Faerie Tale. Needless to say, they were unable to resist buying yet another of Miki's paintings, and, although their walls are full, they have now begun to plan where to hang it in their SUMMER house! They have a name for their summer residence; "Blahuset" which means "The Blue House" in Norwegian. I think this painting will fit very well!

A Faerie flies to Trondheim

2007-03-06T17:08:00.000+01:00

www.goodaboom.com

Finally recovering from our Sunday Street Gallery exertions (it normally takes a couple of days) I began the day catching up on my laptop jobs whilst having breakfast. I'd barely got the spoon in my mouth, when were visited by a lovely Norwegian couple who'd bought a miniature at the previous weeks exhibition, and also called in this Sunday to reserve a painting. Today, they were determined to "stock up" on works of art, as they are soon leaving Albir to spend the summer back in Norway. They are quite astute in their appreciation of art, and are rarely captivated, but the woman in particular was in turmoil as she found so many of Miki's paintings she loved, she was struggling to make a choice! In the event they left us with four paintings under their arms, one of which is "Faerie Tale". When told it was inspiration for one of my songs, they asked if they might have that as well, and in keeping with our "Brush with Poetry" series, they are purchasing an exclusive "one-off CD of the song to accompany the painting, but you can listen to it here by clicking on the player!

It's quite dissimilar to my usual song output, being a very basic guitar and vocal, with a little bell percussion and some harmonies, but it doesnt need anything else. As the musician of this outfit, I always love it when we sell one of our "joint" pieces, it's a wonderful feeling. They collect the CD on Friday, which will have a full set of lyrics printed inside. Then I guess, a few short days later, our Faerie will spread her gossamer wings for her flight to her new home in Trondheim, Norway!

Trips, Tracks and Thai

2007-03-03T12:13:00.000+01:00

www.goodaboom.com

Well, yesterday proved to be somewhat eventful. Miki and I took a trip out to Villajoyosa on a beautiful sunny day, and strolled around its quaint, multicoloured streets, grabbed a coffee and generally chilled out. Its a wonderful little village on the coast,and, whilst its undergoing a massive new promenade development, it seems, in keeping with the more forward thinking Spanish nowadays, that its trademark pastel coloured houses are protected by a preservation order. Its nice to know, because its a great, unique little place, albeit strewn with fascinating examples of Spanish workmanship!!(See The Mighty Pen)

Yesterday also found me, or rather A Cat called Caramel, voted track of the day on GarageBand an online music collective with an advisory board chaired by Sir George Martin. At the time of writing, Caramel has climbed to 29 in their chart, so fingers crossed it will go a little higher! Just click on the icon to access the Garage band page and read some of the reviews I've received.

An exciting new project is underway, which I will tell you all about in good time, suffice to say I will probably be going into the studios in May to begin work on an album with some musical friends! So its getting hectic around here, what with Miki's burgeoning Portrait collection. There are so many kiddies, I think we should open a nursery!

What with all this activity, Miki and I took time out to enjoy a nice Thai meal at Sands in Altea last night. Its the cool bar/music venue/restaurant where I caught Frans De Wijs performing last Sunday, and I liked the look of the menu.We don't get out often , so it was nice to chill with good food and a bottle of wine.
By the way, don't forget to check out the new song of the month for March: Strawberry House!

The March of Time and other stuff

2007-02-28T15:03:00.000+01:00

www.goodaboom.com

The March of Time

If you don't have children, it is, I imagine, almost possible to deny the march of time, and live blissfully unaware of your advancing years as life's experiences come your way, day in, day out. But if you are blessed with offspring,the inexorable ticking of that celestial clock grows ever louder with every new birthday, not yours, but theirs! I woke up today for instance, with the knowledge that my son Corey was now a strapping 15 year old, drumming in a band of his own, when by rights he should still be crawling around on all fours and puking up. (Something he will enjoy again when he becomes 18)Nothing focuses your attention on your advancing years more than the seemingly miraculous morphing of your child into adulthood at warp speed. The old saying, "Children are not yours, you only borrow them" rings so true on days such as this. It only remains for me to gird my loins, and march onward into the future, safe in the knowledge that Miki and I, as two incurable kiddies-at-heart, are having more fun now, than I ever did at fifteen! Happy Birthday, Corey!

Other stuff

Miki and I enjoyed our return to the Street Gallery last Sunday, buoyed up by good sales and good weather. I had to leave her to it for an hour or two, as I disappeared to Sands bar to catch a short set by our Client and friend Frans de Wijs, a renowned jazz pianist, who is known for recreating the style of the late Errol Garner. Though I couldnt stay long, it was most enjoyable. I had listened to Frans' work with Thijs van Leer (ex-Focus) on a CD he kindly gave us, and it was nice to catch him live. Another nice surprise was discovering that the venue has its own Thai restaurant, suffice to say Miki and I will be investigating that further tomorrow evening! The thought of a nice meal helped me remain calm as I returned to the Street Gallery and informed Miki that Sands bar was actually about a mile away from where she said it was....I think she thought I needed the exercise!

Unsung Heroes No.2

2007-02-27T12:44:00.000+01:00

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Here's the second in my occassional series "Unsung Heroes" Today;

Glenn Hughes

Glenn Hughes is something of an enigma. World-famous as a Part of Deep Purple between 73 and 76, Vocalist on KLF's Number One hit "America:What time is love?"
he is nevertheless, to the majority of listeners, unknown. His list of collaborators over the years reads like a who's who of rock; Steve Lukather and Bobby Kimball of Toto, Gary Moore, Pat Thrall, Tony Iommi, Motley Crue, George Lynch, to name a few.

He has released consistently stunning solo albums, beginning with 1977's Play me out and culminating in his most recent; Music for the Divine featuring Chad Smith and John Frusciante of the Chili Peppers.

Glenn is arguably the greatest Rock singer of the last 40 years, his range and breadth of styles is simply phenomenal, from the Stevie Wonderesque, Blue-eyed soul of "Coast to Coast", to the straight ahead balls to the wall rock of "Soul Mover" , he never fails to push all the right buttons. His career began in earnest when his band Trapeze stripped back to a 3-piece, and gave the world some of the first Funk-Rock at the beginning of the 70's.
When Purple replaced Ritchie Blackmore with the young Tommy Bolin, Hughes found a soul-mate with whom he could take Purple into funkier territory. The rock fans weren't keen, but with hindsight, the resulting Come Taste the Band album is an undiscovered classic, running the full gamut of musical emotions, from the rocking "Comin'Home" through the funk of "Gettin'Tighter" to the jazzy "This Time Around".

But that album probably encapsulates Hughes' problem in reaching a wider audience. His abilities and styles are so varied, record companies struggle to market him, and partisan music lovers are put off by either the funk, or the rock, or the ballads, depending on their personal preferences. This is why Hughes has a relatively small, discerning, and loyal following. Recently however, it seems the record buying public is accepting a broader view, and steadily, Hughes star is rising once again. Considering the problems he endured through the late 70's and early 80's, self-inflicted, by his own admission, his strength of character to "come back strong" to quote one of his songs, is remarkable. To see him on stage, firing on all cylinders, 37 years after his recording debut, and blowing away opposition less than half his age, is a salutory lesson in how it should be done. Let's hope a new wave of singers and bass players take heed, and learn from the master.

Recommended listening:

Trapeze: You are the Music, We're just the Band (73)
Deep Purple: Come Taste The Band (75)
Glenn Hughes: Play Me Out (77)
Hughes/Thrall: Hughes/Thrall (82)
Glenn Hughes: Feel (95)
Glenn Hughes: Soul Mover (2005)

Old Dogs, New Tricks

2007-02-26T16:34:00.000+01:00

www.goodaboom.com

As we await the Police reunion tour with bated breath, it's perhaps a good time to look at some of the older bands, and ask if they have anything to offer in the 21st century. Is new music so submerged in its own cool, that it is deaf to the sounds drifting up to it from the murky waters of rock music's past?

Today, I'd like to give a shout to two bands, One English, One American, who were thought to have faded into obscurity as the seventies bade a cautious welcome to Punk.

Firstly, Blackfoot Sue This Midlands based band scored mightily with their debut single "Standing in the Road" on the Jam label, the B-side being the equally impressive "Celestial Plain". However, their Second single, "Sing Don't Speak, just crept inside the Top 40. Fate, and record companies were unkind to them over the next few years, as they tried to shake off their ill-fitting Glam tag.By the mid-seventies, as far as the British Public were concerned, they were history.
They flirted with further success through a series of Name changes- as Liner they nearly made the 40, and as Outside Edge the released an album in France, and played Reading Rock in '86.
But enough of this preamble, suffice to say, a reunion album recorded in 98, resurfacing in 2003 as "Red on Blue" firmly gives credibility to the name Blackfoot Sue.

Its a great, no-nonsense Hard Rock album that some of the younger pretenders would do well to heed. The band sadly once again fragmented, but as of January this year, were spotted onstage in London, with the orginal 1972 line-up!

Secondly, Jo Jo Gunne This American band formed by ex-Spirit keyboardist Jay Ferguson struck gold with the classic "Run Run Run" back in '72, but struggled to reproduce their early promise, despite fantastic songs like "Ready Freddy". The band initially featured future Heart stalwarts Mark and Matthew Andes, but a new guitarist. John Staehly was brough in for their Fourth and final album "So..where is the show?" The band had a highly distinctive sound, driving guitar married with pounding piano lines, all dressed up with Fergusons easily recognizable vocals. They floated off the map in the mid-70s and Ferguson embarked on a successful solo career, notably "All alone in the End Zone."

However, following hastily snapped-up CD reissues of their early albums, the rumour mill got busy and in 2005, a brand new album surfaced, "Big Chain" containing new material and reworkings of some of their early classics, played by the original line up! Its a great album, and totally unlike anything else on the market. They sounded different in the 70's and they sound different now. This is classic rock, and like a good wine, it gets better with age!

A Slender Thread

2007-02-24T17:30:00.000+01:00

www.goodaboom.com

In the past two weeks, three things have happened that make me realise our lives hang by the slenderest of threads. My daughter was involved in a car crash that saw her vehicle written off, my Father has to go into hospital for major surgery, and today, in a cruel twist of fate, we learned that Miki's Father (see photo), too, must have major surgery.

All of these things makes me painfully aware of our own mortality, that we are all but a fragile machine let loose in the big bad world, and machines break. It brings into sharp focus the feelings we have for our loved ones, not just those who are suffering the ordeal, but those others close to us. We imagine, against all reason, for a nanosecond, how it would feel if they too were to have a brush with their own mortality, and we shudder.

And yet, my Father, though assuredly worried about his forthcoming operation, seems resigned to the procedure, maintaining his wry humour as the date approaches, and Miki's Father, too, seems to be pervaded by an inner calm that belies his predicament.

Perhaps when you are staring down that barrel, there is a moment of clarity, and these brushes with death actually serve to make us feel exactly the opposite: ALIVE

To the Devil a Daughter

2007-02-23T17:40:00.000+01:00

www.goodaboom.com

This week, I've been lucky enough to have my daughter, Hollie, and her boyfriend staying with me. Hollie has her own band "Theft of a Doll" and their new video promoting their upcoming debut CD has just been completed.
As Miki and I waved them off at the airport this morning, I counted myself a lucky man. Here was a girl who was not only following, unbidden in her Father's footsteps, but who was doing it her way, with a steely determination, and a sensible head on. She is about to complete the final year of her Music and Performing Arts degree, and she intends to get a teaching qualification to fall back on should the band not reach the dizzy heights. She has my natural musical ear, and although not touring and recording professionally as I did at her age,she has studied music notation, and passed exams in bass guitar and saxaphone.
She seems to view her career path with enviable clarity, and I sense she is more at ease with herself than at any time in her young life.
A Father's love for his children is unconditional, but the feeling one gets when you see your child happy with her life, her partner, her future, and above all in the career you too have given your life to, is indescribable. You feel...well, certainly I feel I don't possibly deserve it, but all the same, the feeling, slowly but surely spreads its warmth through your whole being...Pride.

Clone Wars

2007-02-20T21:37:00.000+01:00

www.goodaboom.com

Hello all.

Just a quickie this evening! I'm down in Mojacar for a few days this week, and I was checking up on one of our exhibitions when I noticed some MTV going on in the background in the bar. It was a guy called James Morrison. It suddenly struck me how generic these acts are sounding now. I think you could mix 3 or 4 of these type of semi-rugged slightly designer-troubled guys together and you'd barely notice the join. I think it started with James Blunt, then That Jack somebody guy. Now this dude. The danger is it will spread like viral wallpaper, and everyone will chase the same act/sound and originality will be lost. If you're out there looking for a deal, be brave, try something different! It's all for the good in the long run! End of sermon.....for now!

I've got it covered

2007-02-19T12:06:00.000+01:00

www.goodaboom.com

During a bit of a blog browsing session the other day, I chanced upon a comment by someone about the horrendous cover versions that have been forced upon an unsuspecting public over the years. I left a comment, agreeing, and adding a few candidates of my own. However, it got me thinking about the cover versions that have succeeded in taking a song somewhere else, and, if not improving it, at least given the listener a bearable alternative to the original. So here goes...

Dave Stewart & Barbara Gaskin - It's My Party originally by Lesley Gore, this 80's electronica treatment completely disassembles the original and puts it back together in an interesting and bizzare way.

Dan Reed Network - Money A Pink Floyd classic, this is scary territory for any band, but Dan and the guys grab this track and shove the funk into it. The reworking of the opening bassline and cashtill samples to give it the funk, is nothing short of genius.

Manfred Mann's Earth Band - Blinded by the Light A great example of somebody having a better idea of how to do a Springsteen song better than the man himself, arguably improved by the wonderful Chris Thompson malaprop "Wrapped up like
a douche"

Two other great Springsteen songs leap to mind, "Sandy" beautifully covered by The Hollies, and "Fire" immortalised by The Pointer Sisters. Love him or hate him, The Boss writes a mean song.

Midge Ure - No Regrets Take a classic 60's torch song by Scott Walker, throw in a sprinkling of Ultravox's "Vienna" and you have a great, moody reworking of a great song.

So there you have it. a little food for thought. Covering a classic isnt necessarily a bad thing, but if you're not going to input some of your own creativity, whilst maintaining a healthy respect for the original, you'll be on a hiding to nothing.

As a post script, I've joined the team at AMERICAS METAL where I'll be posting my views in a series of articles on the Hard Rock scene past and present, click on the link and check out my inaugural piece!

The Emperor's New Clothes

2007-02-18T17:01:00.000+01:00

www.goodaboom.com

Afternoon,all. I've just published the following article on my MySpace blog, but I'm in turbo-rant mode at the minute, so I'm giving it the benefit of a double-post in the hope that my blood pressure will ease after learning of the goings-on at The Brit Awards. Read on, and weep....

The Emperor's New Clothes

Is it just me?

There are times when I feel like the little boy in Hans Christian Andersen's tale "The Emperor's New Clothes".

I see an award such as "Outstanding contribution to Music" conferred upon Oasis, and I want to go around shaking everybody and pointing, shouting "but look, at them! they're rubbish!"

Doesn't anybody see this? Do you just have to be uncouth Mancunian louts whose breathtaking bigheadedness far outstrips their talents by a country mile? Is that qualification enough? I despair sometimes. People who can genuinely write a great, well-constructed song like Nik Kershaw are normally dismissed as lightweight 80's has-beens, when the truth is, he's one of the UKs greatest songwriters. So are Difford and Tilbrook from Squeeze. Can anyone honestly tell me that Oasis' song output even vaguely rivals Squeeze's for inventiveness and originality? Have Squeeze been awarded oustanding contribution to music? Didn't think so.

Next years recipient? Jade Goody. Probably.

Counterpoint to Cleaning

2007-02-17T16:50:00.000+01:00

www.goodaboom.com

It's inevitable, unavoidable, and comes to us all. No, not death. Cleaning the house.
So I grasped the nettle, or rather the brush, and set about my task. Actually, cleaning clears the mind, and allows it to wander, and during my domestic chores I idly though back to the classic "Butterfly Ball" album by Roger Glover and friends. Roger, it must be said, had some serious friends...Ronnie Dio, David Coverdale, Glenn Hughes, Tony Ashton to name a few. On the album there is a delightful duet between the characters Saffron Dormouse and Lizzie Bee. It's basically a song about cleaning their house before skipping off to the ball. Whats remarkable about this song is its use of counterpoint. The Dormouse comes in with the first verse, and the answerback from the bee is a completely different melody. The third and final verse is a beautiful juxtaposition of both melodies, totally different, yet intertwining and combining to produce a third verse that finishes the song beautifully. Counterpoint is a wonderful tool in songwriting.

Another classic example is on McCartneys "Tug of War" album, on the track "Wanderlust" where he employs a similar trick, combining the verse and the chorus towards the end of the song to great effect. Check them both out! My song "Miss Hollywood" (still under construction!) will have a counterpoint effect at the end, with three layers. I will bring snatches of the verse in over the chorus, plus have the guitar solo phrases as a refrain underneath. When I've finished cleaning the house....

Bulls, Bookworms and Blogs

2007-02-16T15:39:00.000+01:00

www.goodaboom.com

Why did I have to open my big mouth?

It's a seriously hectic life here on Planet Goodaboom. You drop your guard for an instant, and rashly suggest a new idea, and that's it, mate, you're off down another avenue of discovery, with another song to compose, a poem to invent, and a blog to write!!

Suddenly, Mildew Bookworm, unwitting star of our little film, "The Thief of Hearts and the Firecat", insists on having his origins documented in The Mighty Pen.
He says there's been a clamour from the public, I say he's an insufferable egomaniac, but there it is. I suppose we did invade his planet.

In another spectacular mouth-opening moment, it was suggested that we use some of the larger paintings for our Brush with Poetry performance on International Women in Business day on March 8th. So, at the drop of a matador's hat, I had to come up with Poem, and music for the above painting. Yesterday afternoon. If you throw all the blogs created by this activity into the mix, you're looking at one busy boy.
This is my second foray into "Bull-friendly" music, (check out the "Bullfight" movie of Miki's paintings at the bottom of this blog.)and this time I wanted to add a contemporary menace to the traditional Spanish sounds. It's a challenge, and moreso when you are trying to build the track, but having to avoid drowning out the narration of the poem. This one has a rise and fall, the crescendo achieved by extremely distorted guitar and liberal use of the whammy bar. (tremelo arm for the uninitiated) I've stuck it on a player here, below the painting to which it refers at the top of this blog. Give it a listen, and post your comments if you like!

In the meantime, I'll get started on our next crazy goodaboom idea!

Happy Valentine's Day!

2007-02-14T04:54:00.000+01:00

www.goodaboom.com

Yes, its that day again, spread some peace and love around the world people, you know we need it.

I'm sitting here uploading our new short film (in two parts) for Valentines day, its made by Miki and myself, using her incredible paintings and illustrations, and the help of one Mildew Bookworm,(see photo) who does a bit of narrating. It is 5am in the morning here in Spain, I'm only up becuase the internet seems to be on strike, and I'm having a job getting the files uploaded! But all being well, when the sun rises..(well, by lunchtime anyway) we'll have our new film online for you.

Have a great day, and love one another!

Unsung Heroes No.1

2007-02-13T00:18:00.000+01:00

www.goodaboom.com

Firstly, the answer to my question yesterday; the music for The Old Grey Whistle Test was called "Stone Fox chase" by Area Code 615!
And now,Welcome to the first in an occassional series celebrating the work of singers that don't always get the recognition they deserve. Today:

JESS RODEN

One of the great British vocalists, with an immediately distinctive sound,Roden cut his teeth with the Alan Bown Set in the 60's, achieving a minor hit with the single "Emergency 999". He eventually left to form the band "Bronco" which recorded two albums, which though well received, particularly "Ace of Sunlight" failed to set the world on fire. Roden surfaced again on the eponymously titled "Butts Band" album, a wonderful collection of songs performed by a great band comprising Roden, Robbie Krieger and John Densmore of The Doors, and session favourite Phil Chen on bass. Check out the wonderful "Baja Bus" and "Sweet Danger".

Around this time Roden also appeared on Keef Hartleys "Lancashire Hustler" album with Robert Palmer. Island records then stood by Roden for a string of great albums, both solo and with his band. The self-titled "Jess Roden" album features the wonderful "Ferry Cross". "The Player Not The Game" ia a beautifully made album with the cream of New Orleans session men, including Allan Toussaint. Jess also made a memorable version of "You can leave your hat on " from the album "Keep Your Hat on".
Sadly, he was never destined for the big time, and albums like "Play it Dirty" and "Stonechaser" became the rarities at the back of the record shop. A brief return in the 80's with "Multiplay" by the Rivits and some session work, notably Grace Jones "Nightclubbing" album marked a less productive Roden.

However, in the mid 90's he made a surprise return with a band called The Humans,featuring ex-Strider and Rod Stewart guitarist Gary Grainger, recording one great album, subsequently disappearing from the scene once more following a live album.
This Kidderminster born vocalist has a voice of pure gold, and for most of the record buying public, is an undiscovered gem, check him out!

Recommended:

Butts Band/Butts Band (73)
Jess Roden/Jess Roden(74)
Jess Roden/The Player Not The Game (77)
Jess Roden Band/Play it Dirty, Play it Class (76)
Jess Roden and the Humans/Jess Roden and the Humans (95)

Caramelisation, or The Old Grey Drunk Whistle Test

2007-02-11T23:04:00.000+01:00

www.goodaboom.com

So, I have just returned this evening from a brief trip to Mojacar for a show and the mounting of a new flower paintings exhibition in Vera for Miki.(see photo)
I encountered someone at the gig who had seen me perform several times previously, and who goes by the unlikely name of Snake. He's normally marinaded in a goodly amount of alcohol, so you can imagine my surprise when firstly he recognised me, and secondly, not only remembered that I debuted an original song at the last gig in Mojacar, but also the title!!

He requested "A Cat called Caramel" our song of the month here on Goodaboom. This may seem a small detail, but to a songwriter, to have your song, and its title, remembered from one performance only, is like manna from heaven. It means it passes the test. The ultimate aim is to "hook" your song in the public's conciousness. Its the first, and most essential step to creating a universally popular song.

Back in the 70's there was a wonderful programme on BBC TV called The Old Grey Whistle Test. Certainly, if yo're British, and of a certain age, you will know it. It was the only place discerning kids could find decent music on TV. It played host to classic early performances from Bowie, Montrose, Queen, Little Feat, XTC, to name but a few. The name of the show is derived from Tin Pan Alley legend. Tin Pan Alley being the area in London where all the music publishers were located. It was generally accepted as a rule of thumb that the comparitively elderly heads of these companies were sage in their wisdom, and, if they were found to be whistling the new tunes following their early hearings, they were said to have passed "The Old Grey Whistle test" and were destined for greater things.

In my own humble way, and thanks in no small measure (and he NEVER drinks small measures)to the permanently rinsed Snake, I feel "A Cat Called Caramel" has passed the Old Grey Drunk Whistle Test with flying colours!

P.S. For a bit of fun, see if you can remember the Title of the Theme Tune for the programme, and who it was by! I'll post the answer in my next blog.

A Blustery Day

2007-02-09T18:24:00.000+01:00

www.goodaboom.com

Yikes! Seriously windy here today, and by that I mean, if it wasn't nailed down, it's history...Nevertheless, against this blustery backdrop (not uncommon here in Albir, the favoured form of transport is the kite)I managed to get some spadework done on "Miss Hollywood". I mentioned yesterday that I was having trouble dealing with the lyrics, and I must confess I shamelessly avoided them today, concentrating instead on fine-tuning the lead guitar break and piano parts. I seem to have developed a routine for putting my solos down, which basically is a bit of a no-brainer, namely playing and playing for usually twice as long as the solo section needs to be, then cherry-picking the highlights to create a suitably cohesive and pleasing solo. The editing facility is so precise, I can alter a great deal to change the nuances after I've put the part down, and it's fun to do. It's perpetually a learning curve, writing and recording, and as I'm relatively new to Mac, having suffered for years trying to get to grips with recording on a PC,(I just don't find them user friendly for recording) even more so. I have been scratching my head over a cluster of notes that reoccur on piano through the song, but stop abruptly, leaving a lone note sustaining. Well, today, I solved it! Putting the track into "Magnified Edit Mode" (my term, not Macs!) I noticed a tiny sliver of the three notes peeking out from an edit point. The program was playing these for a millisecond, and not the following notes. Once I'd dug these out, it worked perfectly! Technology is a strange thing...It gives us so much, yet dresses up these gifts in a copious wrapping of havoc!
Consider the wise words of French ex-president Georges Pompidou-

"There are three roads to ruin:Women, Gambling and Technicians.
The most pleasant is with Women. The quickest is with Gambling.
But the surest is with technicians!"

Further On Up The Road

2007-02-08T21:25:00.000+01:00

www.goodaboom.com
What was it Rex Harrison's Professor Higgins was trying to tell Audrey Hepburn's Eliza Doolittle? ah yes, "The Rain in Spain stays mainly in the plain." Well, I've got news for you Higgins old chum, it bloody doesn't! It chucks itself down on Albir for starters. But never let it be said that such aqueous disturbance dampens the spirit of creativity here on Planet Goodaboom, forsooth, nay! We may be a little soggy around the edges but inside there rests a...well, soggier interior....

Anyway, enough of this shilly-shallying. Music note: I'm listening to Slam Dunk by the DLR Band as I write this piece. Ol' diamond Dave's still got it, in my humble opinion. The guy reeks showbiz, and that ain't no bad thing, as he himself might put it. I managed to nail "My Baby Paints The Stars" after the fourth mix yesterday, so thats one down, two to go. Today, I revisited "Miss Hollywood" a song that tips a hat in some small way to Ben Folds, having a fairly piano led sort of groove going on. I'm having two major problems with this one, the first being my quite stunning ability to tie my fingers in a number of the Scout Movements favourite knots whilst trying to play a cohesive and aurally pleasing guitar solo. The second is trying to tell the story of the song. It's a tough discipline,getting your story across in a meaningful way within the confines of a pop song. The subject matter for this was a young starlet trying to reach the Hollywood dream, and being destroyed by a savage and bitchy female reviewer following her first break into the movies (The Miss Hollywood of the title) By the solo, she's done the movie, been savaged, and winds up back as a waitress in a diner nursing her wounds. The next bit needs to tell of the film critic turning up in the diner purely by chance, and I need to punch line the song with the ex-starlet waitress emptying the coffee jug on this woman and humiliating her in front of all her customers. The chorus lyrics will work great here, as the line will have a different meaning after the final verse. However, its proving really hard to get all the explanation of the scenario into the space provided. I'm leaning in the direction of just extending the verse in a totally random way, singing line after line until I've said what I need to, then hit the chorus regardless. This of course is the luxury you can afford yourself if you are not beholden to some record company with a power complex, and here at Goodaboom, the plan is to release stuff on our little label, cottage industry style, and look for licencing in different territories to supplement sales through our site.

Now, of course, we will never sell a million this way, but could I live with myself if I sold a million of the birdy song? That's the kind of damage to mankind inflicted by the likes of Pol Pot!
Check out the lyrics to "Funk Pop A Roll" by XTC from the album Mummer, and featuring our drummer with BC Sweet, Pete Phipps,I think they sum up the music business beautifully..

Funk pop a roll consumes you whole
Gulping in your opium so copiously from a disco
Everything you eat is waste
But swallowing is easy when it has no taste

Until the next time...

Revisiting the scene of the crime

2007-02-06T13:44:00.000+01:00

www.goodaboom.com

Unfinished songs. For whatever reason, I always seem to have a number of open ended opuses floating around on my hard drive. Either the muse has deserted me, and, rather than persevere and spoil a good idea, I shelve it for a while, or, another more immediate idea has come along and hijacked my brain. In my current vein of creativity, the latter is usually the case, and I don't like to turn off the tap while its flowing, so I often tend to start on the new idea straightaway.

But sooner or later, the unfinished songs need to be revisited, and this can be a difficult task. I have earmarked three recently that I want to "put to bed". The first of which is a song I wrote in Bouges, France, last summer called "My Baby Paints the Stars". The arrangement was somewhat dictated by my surroundings, all the instrumentation and samples being done with my portable keyboard and laptop, so it is, unusually for one of my songs, guitar-free! The backtrack I have always been happy with, but the vocal (recorded badly because I forgot a certain cable) I was less enamoured with, exacerbated by an unenthusiastic review from our gracious hosts in Bouges!

So, yesterday, I began to re-record the vocals. This process can be a double-edged sword. On the one hand, my fresh look at the song produced some nice additional counter-harmonies towards the end, which Im really happy with, but as soon as I started recording over the original vocal I felt I was losing something. I think it's true to say that, whatever the shortcomings in the initial performance, or technical drawbacks, there is a great deal to be said for the spontaneity of that first take, which, in this case, was inspired by my surroundings, and the beautiful 17th century chateau in the French mountains where it was recorded. I struggled all day to recapture it. I think its a common problem, I've seen it many times in my career. I remember a band called "The Uncool Dance Band" who recorded locally in Yorkshire as we did back at the beginning of the 80s. They cliched a deal with Polydor, who promptly poured thousands of pounds into their first single, which had none of the magic of their bargain demo. (Its interesting to note that their bargain demo was produced in the same studio and by the same producer as the EP that unleashed Def Leppard on the world)
Similarly, our Portastudio version of "Walk Away Renee" had an atmosphere we never managed to recreate on 24 track with EMIs money. Our guitarist in Tubeless Hearts and Christie, Fos, almost without fail produced his best solos on the first or second take, it then becomes subject to the Law of diminishing returns, the more you chase "the moment" the less likely you are to find it. (We developed the technique of keeping his first solo, whilst other attempts were made, and invariably used the first one!)

I persevered yesterday, and, I think, 90% of the track is how I'd like it. I played it to Miki, who is a great sounding-board, and has good instincts for the "wrongness" in a track, and she immediately picked out three places where the vocal is too hard sounding. I left it for the day, and will return to it this afternoon. I know what I need to do, and that is put myself mentally in that 17th Century room, the half-open shutters filtering the sunlight across my face, a glimpse of Miki, painting, gazing out across the valley, and the vocal line will soften to perfection...

So, in my long-winded fashion, I guess I'm trying to say that although it can be an uphill struggle in the search for the required results, its not an altogether unpleasant business revisiting the scene of the crime!

Note: The photo below will appear in Miki's forthcoming 3D photo exhibition featuring "A Cat Called Caramel" our Song of the Month. You can hear it by clicking on the title!

The Camera Never Lies

2007-02-05T12:31:00.001+01:00

www.goodaboom.com
Having been lucky enough in my career to have been a part of numerous music productions on TV around the world, it comes as something of a challenge to try and make some "homegrown" promo videos, with its zero production values and even less equipment. However, Miki and I like a challenge, and it certainly means that your creativity has to come to the fore when you have no location, no technology, and one camera!

We are currently working on a video for "A Cat called Caramel" which is our Song of the Month for February. The simple fact is, we are enjoying this experiment immensely, and I hope you will follow our journey as our videos (hopefully) get more ambitious and, well, better! In an ideal world with a limitless budget, I would have loved to have shot the story on its two levels; it can be about a real cat, or a "cat" who lives in the city and is usually up to no good! But we are trying to create a moody atmosphere, with me as two characters, a cat-like character, and a regular bloke. Just using simple night-shot and slow/fast effects are already giving the film some mood and pace, and although its obviously done with the simplest means, I like how its complementing the song. But I have to tell you, its important to get it right first time, because once the make-up's off, you really dont want to be re-applying it in hurry!

I've got you under my skin (and I don't like it)

2007-02-03T12:17:00.000+01:00

www.goodaboom.com

Music is a very subjective artform.One man's Metallica is another man's Poison, or so the phrase might've been written. I've long held a theory for example that a "standard" middle-aged person's record collection, who is anxious to appear cool (but achieves the opposite)will look something like this;

Abbas Greatest Hits
Meat Loaf-Bat out of Hell (maybe the other ones, but only if they have Bat out of hell in the title, they dont realise he made any others)
Absolutely loads of ELO, (all featuring Bev Bevans only drum fill)
Saturday Night Fever
Dire Straits, anything really, but must have Sultans and the Brothers in Arms album
and of course, the people's friend Phil Collins. What is it about Mr. Collins? A perfectly inventive and interesting drummer and vocalist with Genesis, but out on his own, vapid wallpaper music from someone who almost seemed to be entwined with the Royal family in the eighties!

Allow me to take the moral high ground for a moment. In my humble opinion, ELO were doomed artistically from the moment Roy Wood (genius) left the band. If you want to hear ELO at their best listen to the singles from 10538 overture (ripped off by Paul Weller in Changing Man) through to Ma Ma Ma Belle. In fact, just listen to The Move, a wonderful band that contained Wood, Lynne and Bevan, and pre-dated the unfathomably far more successful and inspirationally bereft ELO.After Ma Ma Ma Belle, Jeff Lynne and co. lost it. He only climbed the tree of credilbility again with The Travelling Wilburys, becuase, lets face it, if you dont learn anything working with Tom Petty, Bob Dylan, George Harrison and Roy Orbison, you might as well give up!

That said, look at the millions upon millions they sold.So is it just me? I cant listen to their later stuff on the radio without being forced to turn it off! But ELO pale into insignificance when I am confronted by the two mighty pillars of purveyors of annoying music....

THE PET SHOP BOYS AND ENYA

God forbid some suicidal record executive comes up with an idea for them to record together, for I shall be forced to drive up to Millau in France and throw myself off the worlds highest viaduct.(below)
What I don't understand is, Enya's music is supposed to be calming, people use it in these pseudo-new-age health retreats, where the word retreat is just a euphemism for "old decaying manor house we got cheap cos its in the middle of bloody nowhere and we stuck a few sunbeds and a plunge pool in it."
But Enya's music has the opposite effect on me! It makes me want to kill people! Never mind putting Judas Priest in court for alleged subliminal messages, THIS is the real devil's music! Its just so annoying! And yet, her sister Maire, with Clannad, makes perfectly lovely albums. Do you see how fine the line is? Orinoco flow. jesus. "Sail away, sail away sail away." yes indeed. please.

And so, to The Pet Shop Boys. I have just one word, its something like aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaarrgh!!! Neil Tennants effected vocal, achieves something extraordinary in me, it gets under my skin like a mutating virus and I want to die. Couple this with his smug self satisfied "I used to be a crappy music journalist for smash hits and now Im a star so meh" half-smile just puts the bloody lid on it. Id rather have my heart scooped out with a spoon as Alan Rickman's Sherrif of Nottingham once remarked.
If you can bear it, just listen to the way he delivers the line "Picasso and Debussy with a disco beat" and I think that will allow the case for the prosecution to rest, your honour. And befor you ask, I've done my time, I had to play "Its a Sin" by the Pet shop boys nearly every night for two years in a covers band. I'm still on medication.

You can imagine my horror, therefore, when putting a new CD cabinet on the wall the other day, I found in Miki's collection a cassette of the Pet shop boys greatest hits. She denied it was hers, and thereby gave me an opportunity to exorcise my ghosts. I smashed it into little pieces.....

p.s.don't forget to check out my Rant Number Three in The Mighty Pen!

Alternate Title

2007-02-02T11:49:00.000+01:00

www.goodaboom.com

Those of you of a certain age will know that this is the title of a Monkees song, and a good one at that, from the Televisually created pseudo-mop-tops. But today I use "Alternate Title" as the title of this entry to draw attention to Miki's latest feature here on Planet Goodaboom. It's called Give Me A Title and will be a bit of interactive fun for our site visitors, not to mention a big help to Miki and I, as her output is so prolific, we have trouble titling them all! Don't forget to check out Miki's diary by the way, with her thoughts on Birds, Fishes, and Inspector Morse!!
I thought I might share with you a little of the process I go through when titling a painting. I suppose its not unlike when I compose a poem inspired by Miki's work. I imagine the painting as a snapshot of a moment in time, in some other world usually. I try to imagine what had occured before that moment, and what may occur afterwards. Also, what if one could step inside, and take a glimpse around the edge of the frame? What would one find there? These thoughts then set my mind racing, and usually, the poem pours out in a stream of consciousness style. But the salient point is this; my first impression almost always gives me the title. So, if you're up for having a go, check out the larger image of the painting shown here on the Give me a title feature, open your mind..and do it!

By the way, check out the second of my rants in The Mighty Pen, particularly those of you incensed by discourteous driving!

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Apt Pupil

2007-02-01T23:58:00.000+01:00

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I'm sure you recall Miki mentioning in her diary the other day a German man who was desperate for painting lessons... Well, she left the answer hanging, but the idea ate away at her and the result was Goodaskool, launched on our site the other day. Well, no sooner had she done this than the German guy turned up at the gallery, and it now seems there will be some lessons in the real world as well! It's a busy time, particularly for Miki, as we have an exhibition to mount in Albir tomorrow, and then another in Vera on February 10th, when I also play my next show in nearby Turre. On top of this, she has a recently finished portrait, and two nearing completion.

Of course, I am insisting that she helps me with my video for "A Cat Called Caramel" which will be our February song of the month! I'm hoping to make promos for a lot of my new material and launch them simultaneously on Goodaboom and YouTube. The Youtube network has afforded me a look at some gems from the past, most notably XTC and It Bites.
In the case of XTC, and in particular Andy Partridge, the word genius cannot be overstated. The wealth of music this band has given us over nearly 3 decades is simply breathtaking, and as a bass player, Colin Moulding's basslines are a joy. There is a slight connection in as much as Pete Phipps, our drummer in BC Sweet, was the drummer on two of XTC's albums, "Mummer" and "The Big Express" and fine bodies of work they are too!

Then we have It Bites, and an anecdote...back in the early 80's, this big brash lad called Frank used to pester our band (Tubeless Hearts) to get a gig or two together with his band up in their native lake district. It never materialised, but the drummer would occasionally come and see us play, and we heard they'd headed to London to give it a go, and were struggling somewhat, living in a squat. Well, history was kinder, and Virgin signed them up, and they released as It Bites a string of mouthwatering albums. Frank became Francis, and a revered solo performer. They always seemed to be derided in Egremont, their hometown, and we were often asked if we were jealous that they'd outstripped Tubeless Hearts in the fame stakes. My answer, then and now, is "Hell, no!" Bands like It Bites have TALENT. They are the ones that deserve to make it. Likewise XTC. God knows, there are precious few talented acts around nowadays. I remember seeing Ash, hailed as a fantastic young band, appearing live on Jools'LATER show, they couldnt even keep in time for the one chord jam at the beginning! Now compare these "young prodigy's to the 16 year-old Andy Fraser (bass) and 17 year-old Paul Rodgers (vocals) of a young Free...point made, I think?

I heard a story about Francis Dunnery of It Bites. It was said that his older brother was even more of a virtuoso than he was. If that was the case, let's hope Miki's German art student proves to be a similarly apt pupil!

Pets Corner

2007-01-31T12:17:00.000+01:00

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I've never been a real pet lover, nor successful with them as a child. Incidents such as the rabbit my Dad found that died from Mixing his Toasties to the Budgie that escaped are recalled with a shudder. Less Doctor Doolittle, More Doctor Mengele methinks. However, to bring us,albeit circuitously, to the point. Dogs. Never had one. Too much trouble. Here in Spain, there is still an insidious percentage of people, who, when fed up with their animal, simply take it out and hang it from a tree. The brits are no better. It goes something like this.."Ooo darling lets move to Spain and have a better life.. and let's get a dog and everything!"
Six months later, the money runs out, the dream drowns in a sea of San Miguel, and its.."Ooo, I miss me pint down the Cog and Sprocket!" Oh yeah, so keen are they to return to the green and pleasant land, THEY LEAVE THE DOG BEHIND. (You know the type,check out my Poem, "Brit Abroad" in The Mighty Pen section)So, that said, there may be a number of explanations for the large pile of Dog Poo outside Mine and Miki's lovely Gallery. It may have been left by some poor stray who's former owners knew no better. But its likely that its owners (and pardon the pun) just don't give a sh*t where there doggies do it.

It reminds me of a story from my childhood..Up the road, a lady used to run a nice little hairdressing salon from her front room. It was a bona fide business, and was presented well. In the street where we lived dog walkers regularly brought their pets to do their business. Funny, I always thought the sign at the end of the street said Portland Close. I now realise I must've been mistaken. It said "Toilet".
After a number of unfortunate deposits.
The salon lady had taken all she could take, She observed a woman blatantly allow her dog to "ease" (I borrowed this from a Michael Palin book, a beautiful expression!)itself right in front of her driveway. After the woman left, she hurried out, scooped the poop into some tissue paper and followed the woman home. Upon ascertaining her address, she promptly posted it through the letter box! Now, I'm telling you people, THAT IS STYLE! and I for one, am getting perilously close to doing the same if I catch who's doing it round these parts.
There's only one message from Pets Corner today. If you don't know how to look after a dog, DONT.BLOODY.GET.ONE.

Don't Shoot me, I'm only the Phil Lynott impersonator!

2007-01-31T01:57:00.000+01:00

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You Tube. Mmm... In conjunction with the recent crop of videos we are now featuring on our site, they also can be found on that very same worldwide phenomenon.

The viewing figures are rocketing up daily, but now the comments come! Specifically, aimed at my Stars in their Eyes appearance. They are not, it has to be said, overly malicious, but quotes like:

"ahaha, this is funny sh*t!"
and "the dancers are okay"

fail to set my soul alight. But, I'm a fair and reasonable man, and with advancing
years comes a quiet consideration that keeps the indignant rage at bay (just)
The fact is, if you purposely stick your head above the parakeet..(I'm sorry that should read parapet.) oh, hang on, a parrot IS a pet isnt it? But I digress...
Where was I? I can't remember...I don't have an alibi! It wasn't me guv'nor!

Part 2- Kev returns after a lie down...

Er..yes, if you stick your head above the parapet, you should expect some wag to chuck the verbal equivalent of rotten tomatoes at it. so i did. and they have.
I shall however, gird my loins for the coming onslaught secure in the knowledge that Eric Bell, the original Thin Lizzy Guitarist and mate of the late Phil, saw my Stars effort, and said..."Phil surely was looking down on yer, and shouting Jaysus! I tort I was dead!"

A Brief History of Mine

2007-01-30T00:29:00.000+01:00

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How strange, rediscovering your past by unravelling miles of slowly oxidising videotape....You will see the burgeoning collection growing on Goodaboom almost daily, as I sort through the good, the bad and the most definitely ugly in an effort to give you all a taste of my journey through a musical life.

Much more to come, higher rarity value I guess, but diminishing quality! Some of these things haven't aged well, and I don't just mean the hairstyles!!

But...perhaps, having discovered my screen gems, you may hunt a little harder and find Mikis! She is notoriously camera shy, so much so, she makes the Yeti look like a publicity seeking junkie! Not only does she turn away from the cam every time its pointed anywhere near her, but when the videos HAVE been uploaded, she hides them away and doesn't publicise them! Hah! Well, the game's up my girl! Just check out Miki's Frame by Frame section, where she makes the occasional, albeit reluctant appearance on film!

I should think her cinematic career will stall at first base however, as she has just assumed the role of a schoolteacher, launching Goodaskool, an online alternative drawing and painting class. Mmm....I think the pertinent question I should be asking is; How the hell is she going to find time to make my coffee????

Wind and Wuthering

2007-01-28T15:01:00.000+01:00

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Well, everything that hasn't been nailed down here in Albir has probably blown away over the last few days. Miki and I have paid little mind to the gale force conditions outside however, as we have been hard at work integrating our videos into Goodaboom via YouTube. It has been a fascinating journey into the past for me, as I revisited concerts. old friends and musical companions via the clips. We will be expanding the selection week by week, so keep checking in for new additions! There is also a direct link to some of the posters in The Postermanium, with relevant videos of the live shows they advertise!

I was struck by the variety of styles I've been associated with over the years, and the standard of musicians also, such as guitarist Dave Sargent (see photo)Check out his soloing with THE HIT LIST!

I think it's helped me become a better player. We've also begun to make films of Miki's art, and also our travels, you can be sure there will be more to follow! We will also be making an experimantal promo film of one of my new songs, the psychedelic flavoured "Strawberry House". By the way, look out for the new Song of the month in three days time, "A Cat Called Caramel".

In the meantime..we will ride out the storm. It brings to mind my poem inspired by Miki's painting...."How wild the wind, the leaves are playthings in its grasp."
Why not listen to the poem in our 3D Brush with Poetry Gallery?

Bulls on the Playa

2007-01-24T11:42:00.000+01:00

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So, following my show at Rayo Del Sol in Mojacar on Sunday, I spent Monday relocating Miki's popular Bullfight Exhibition from the town of Vera to the Allegria Restaurant on Mojacar Playa. Run by Belgian Couple Erik and Anita, it serves a mix of Belgian and Spanish cuisine, not to mention a massive English Breakfast! (I told you not to mention that:miki)

Anyway, after much thought, the Bulls were arranged in their new corral..Anita was delighted as I managed to cover a few holes in the wall, where it appeared an epileptic builder had been drilling with a blindfold on!

The tradition of the bullfight in Spain has long been a contentious issue, and is the subject of pressure from the European courts..however, I sense that, as with the attempts to tell the Spanish they have to abandon the siesta culture, it will all come to naught. There is a very strong part of me that comes out against the continuation of the bullfight. But how do you remove such deep-seated traditions overnight? As a boy, reading encyclopedias to learn about countries around the world, it was their differences that fascinated me, and the richness of the Flamenco and Bullfight culture defines Spain.
Furthermore, working with Miki, and seeing her create her "Corridas" at first hand, seeing the movement and grace through the Artist's eye, I acknowledge their beauty.
There is one thing I know for certain. Her Bullfight paintings stir something deep down in people. They touch them deeply.There is something primal and fascinating about man and beast in beautiful, violent and graceful harmony.

Return to Albir

2007-01-23T12:03:00.000+01:00

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So I finally arrived back in Albir early yesterday evening, after a busy but productive few days down in Mojacar. My show at Rayo Del Sol went well, and I had many compliments, and indeed, questions regarding my guitars! One guy came over and wanted to know what my 5 string was. I said, "well, it's a bass."
"But basses have 4 strings!" he replied.
Well, to the uninitiated, I guess they do, and I'm sure all the musos out there know this already, but it struck me that the general public might not be so aware.
The 5 string bass came out in the 80's, with a low "B" to satisfy the demands of live work when it came to reproducing some of the deep notes of synth-generated dance music. Indeed, 6 string basses are now not uncommon, I believe that masterful player Nathan East uses one. The fretboard resembles a 6 lane highway!
My first 5 string, which I still have, was supplied to me by Fernandes in Japan, with whom Graham Olivers Saxon, who I was playing with at the time, had a deal.
I used to alternate between that and my Fender 4 string, but often forgot which one I was playing in the heat of the moment, getting some strange notes out of a string I had forgotten was tuned to B instead of E! So I quickly dispensed with the 4 strings altogether, and got a Music Man 5 direct from the U.S. with the help of my friend Barry who runs The Bass Centre in London, and what a beauty it is!

I played "A Cat called Caramel" one of my own songs, for the first time this weekend, and was pleased with how it was received. I may well feature it as song of the month for February, so you can see for yourself! I also dug out even more memorabilia, so The Postermanium and The Discography will be getting updated.

Oh, and the 4 string bass is about to make a reappearance...but that will be a whole new article....watch this space!

When Saturday Comes...POSTERMANIA!!

2007-01-20T19:05:00.000+01:00

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Well, the days have flown by, and its time for me to take my wheels down to Almeria province once again for my show in Mojacar on tomorrow.
I've been rehearsing all week, trying to get a few different numbers in, as much for my benefit as the audiences! So there's a couple of originals by me, plus some classics by various artists such as Joe Walsh, Carol King and Jimi Hendrix. Now THATS variety!

Yes, a busy week it's been, as Miki and I have been working on our newly completed
Postermanium. It is filled with stuff from my own archives, and to this end, Miki instructed me to dig around at my place in Turre last week for suitable posters to include. A number of other things turned up during my search, (besides old socks)and I'll be sharing some of them with you over the weeks. Today, I want to include probably the earliest known photo of me performing. I began on drums, and to my left in the photo is a bespectacled Fos Foster. We are both around 9 years old I think, and we have continued to play together ever since, through many bands, including Christie and Tubeless Hearts.

Please have a look through The Postermanium , it has a wide variety of posters from concerts all around the world, and most are accompanied by anecdotes from the time.
More from me when I return on Monday, including a gig report!

There and Back again

2007-01-18T11:29:00.000+01:00

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Greetings! As you've probably noticed, this is my first diary entry for a few days, the reason being my trip south to Almeria province. My reasons for the trip were various. On Monday, I had a show in El Marchal, a small hamlet near the only slightly larger hamlet of Lubrin, a white-knuckle ride over the mountains from Bedar.
Upon easing my car out of the stygian gloom, I found the welcoming lights of Bar El Paniajo, and a good crowd, many of whom had braved the same mountain roads as myself!
The venue is run by Jessica and Ann-Marie, and they have a very popular restaurant section, judging by the smiles of the customers emerging from their tables.
The atmosphere was warm and friendly, and I performed intermittently between 8 and 11.30, with a small cat curled up behind me by the wood-burning stove that served as my backdrop!

The next morning, I headed to Las Bouganvillas, where I was to mount our Sport for All exhibition. (Check out Miki's diary and also of course, our 3D Gallery of the event) It took some time to get everything how I wanted it, but I was happy with the results. I also found time to reminisce with my friend, drumming legend Keith Webb, about his Paladin days, and his friendships with various rock luminaries, such as Lee Kerslake from Uriah Heep, and Mel Galley from Trapeze and Whitesnake.

I called in at one of Miki's clients, or to be precise, the recipient of a gift of a portrait from one of Miki's clients, a well-known local lawyer. As I went into her newly refurbished offices to leave some of our publicity, her secretary informed me the painting of her children had now become the screensaver on all of the office computers! I also found time to visit Allegria, where our bullfight exhibition moves next week, and I managed some pre-publicity for my show in Rayo Del Sol, Mojacar pueblo, next Sunday afternoon.

The village of Mojacar has always had a kind of magnetism for me. I have been associated with it, on and off, for around 20 years.(I first performed there in 1986 with the bass player from The Ivy League)
Situated as it is, seemingly glued to the mountainside, with its natural mountain stream servicing the beautiful Fuenta Publica, its narrow alleyways and walls could tell a thousand tales.From the roof of my apartment in nearby Turre, you can see the vilage at night, its lights twinkling like a fledgling galaxy, on its maiden flight to join its celestial brethren.

So, with publicity in place, exhibitions planned, and mounted, friends visited and concerts completed, I headed back up the motorway, the lights from the procession of cars turning it into the imaginary silver thread that connects Miki and I at all times. Only the length ever varies, and as I drove,the sun setting behind me, I imagined it drawing in, getting shorter and shorter, until we were together again in Albir.

The Work Verse

2007-01-14T18:11:00.000+01:00

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So, today Miki and I decided to forego the Street Gallery on account of:
1) Her being ill
2) Me being ill (still the dodgy ankle)
3) Possibly the effect of watching 2 complete Inspector Morse episodes in one night
4) Oh, yeah, and LOADS of stuff to prepare for tomorrow!

I have a show down in Lubrin, Almeria tomorrow night, and over the next 2 days I shall be updating the exhibition at El Capote in Vera and mounting the new "Sport for All" exhibition at Roly's in Las Bouganvillas. So today alternated between a little bass practice, and the careful wrapping of all the framed paintings that I have to take with me on the three hour drive tomorrow. Paintings do not travel well, and the way we pack them is most important.

Im also going to take the opportunity to check out another possible venue for both my show and exhibiting. Miki assures me that, far from lounging around and waiting for my return, she will begin work on the new portraits. (See her article)

Given the strenuous day ahead tomorrow, I think I will opt for a double helping of Pizza, and a single helping of Morse this evening.....

Instru-mentality

2007-01-13T18:53:00.000+01:00

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"There's a many a good tune played on an old fiddle." or, in my case, perhaps that should be - "There's many an OLD tune worth fiddling about with."
Let me explain....
Miki has been busy creating her new 3D Gallery on our site, giving you the chance to "wander" around our virtual art studio! She wondered if we could have some background music as you enjoy the paintings. "No problem," I confidently announced. Over the past few months many ideas have been recorded, half-finished ideas, things to work on later, or just a riff or two worth having around. I recalled a track I'd named "Tears and Death" with a view to putting lyrics to it at a later date.I thought it would be perfect for the 3D gallery, so I finished it as a full instrumental, featuring a lengthy bass solo. The title now? "First Bass" geddit? The current exhibition has a sports theme, so I thought.. its a first bass solo, and in some sports, you have to reach first base, right? Yeah, I know, I could've called it "On me 'ead, son!"

Anyway, whilst we're talking about the studio, we have activated my Song of the Month feature, which this month is a small sample of "Ring the Changes".You may remember me mentioning this some days ago in the diary,(See Problem with the Prolific) its one of those "done in a day" songs. Click on the song title to have a listen.Hope you like it !!

Cross My Palm with Acrylics

2007-01-10T18:08:00.000+01:00

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So...the diary...as those of you have already discovered these hallowed pages know, much fun is to be had amidst the ramblings of Miki and I.We became concerned that, as the diaries have grown into an essential part of our site, they were not occupying a position of prominence. What to do? we thought.

Well, first thing, get the diaries up on the tool bar. All well and good. But then we are faced with a new page THE DIARIES. What should we fill it with? At this point our adult selves left the room, and the naughty kiddies proceeded to run amok.
"I want to paint my hand with lots of colours!" said naughty little Miki, and so she did, brandishing her kaleidescope extremity with childish glee. Naughty Kevin sulked for a while before declaring "I want to as well!"
Within moments Miki had turned his fingers into piano keys as he lay his five-fingered chord across the pages...and so, as you see, we have brand new photos to introduce our diary pages to the uninitiated. The adults returned and locked the kiddies away without pizza for a week..but with a half-smile on their faces.....

Street Life

2007-01-07T17:23:00.000+01:00

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Well, "Once more into the breach, dear friends" as some nineteenth-century cannon fodder once remarked, (probably moments before eating a cannon ball)and Miki and I are "dans la rue" again.
It was with great interest that we exhibited Miki's latest Bull painting, (see Fighting the bulls) as we wanted to see the peoples reaction. Well, from the second the wild bulls were let loose on the street, they had a steady stream of admirers! For us, unbelieva-bull, that the public found them so immediately love-a-bull!!!!
It fascinates me, the way Miki's paintings captivate people. They stop, abruptly, and are then slowly drawn in, as if by some Star Trek inspired invisible tractor beam! One lady, Norwegian I think, stopped in front of it and exclaimed, "wow".
She then told us she had just finished her first ever painting, a watercolour, to which Miki replied, "and this is my last!" The woman's husband looked round in horror-"You mean you aren't going to paint any more?!!" He'd obviously never met Miki before, you'd have to put her in a straightjacket to stop her painting, and then she'd probably do it with her hair!

Anyway, enough about the artist, I need to defend the musical corner of Goodaboom!
We are launching soon a new feature where you can preview my latest works, it will be accessible from the Home page. The first snippet in a week or so will be one of the songs I have written with Jaki Graham in mind. Feel free to check back every few weeks or so when I will be showcasing a different original song from my archives.

The Problems of the Prolific

2007-01-05T18:46:00.000+01:00

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Today I had intended to go straight down into the studio (following a hearty breakfast of course) and resume work on two of my songs, "Miss Hollywood" and "The Heretic's Song" , and possibly finish mixing "Baby Paints The Stars". I am somewhat behind with my original compositions, and they are rapidly filling the hard drive, so I thought, today's the day! I had just finished the two songs for Jaki Graham yesterday, and sent them over for her to have a listen. I sat in my chair..and...fatally..I picked up the guitar! That was it, I was off on another idea. Suffice to say, by the time this writer emerged from the studio not twenty minutes ago, I had written, recorded and mixed a brand new song called "Ring The Changes".

I tell you all this, because, it is fair to say, pre-Miki I was suffering from the Mother of All Writer's Blocks, and post-Miki, well, I can't stop! It's a blessing and a curse really, because if I don't get something finished, I'm off on the next idea. I feel I'm shimmering with so many ideas my self is becoming indistinct. (See Miki's computer art)It's like I am frantically making up for lost time somehow, and it's almost as though the ideas were all in there, "backed up" in some inaccessible part of my brain, just waiting for the key to unlock them. The key, of course, is Miki, and the mythological notion of The Muse is brought to life, in her.I seem to be evolving into a beast with many heads, trying to get all these things done at the same time! (see Miki's final computer art illustration) Some days here I can only describe as frantic, brushes and guitars painting symphonies of light and sound, the ideas positively vibrating the house to its foundations. I guess you could say the moment of critical mass as our arts collided was indeed GOODABOOM!

Blue Skies

2007-01-03T12:10:00.000+01:00

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Another lovely day, 2007 starting well weather-wise here in Spain. Miki and I have been hard at work over the last couple of days, Miki in her own personal hell creating a large piece on canvas. (I keep out of the way!) For my sins, I've been down in the studio working on a second track for Jaki Graham. No, the first one's not finished, but Miki suggested I sent two possibilities in different styles, so this one has a slower, more laid back groove. It also gives me some distance from the first one, so when I go back to it, I can listen with fresh ears. It's a common thing in recording, your ears are like any muscle in your body, you overwork them , they become tired.When I was younger, we used to do marathon recording sessions til late into the night, in order to get a song mixed and finished. Invariably, when we listened back the next day, it sounded horrible, because our ears had given out the night before! So, having matured into the quietly studious and considered individual you see before you, I now take a less frenetic approach. By the way, we will be creating a kind of "scrapbook" page shortly, where I will post audio samples of some completed but unreleased original songs, or curiosities such as the Spanish version of Just a Memory, and songs written by me performed by my daughter (with a little help from Dad)The music from her early teens was more dance-oriented, but you can check out Hollie's Metal band Theft of A Doll (see photo) by clicking here

Exhibition at Year's End

2007-01-01T13:25:00.000+01:00

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So, a beautifully sunny final day of the year, and Miki and I were up early and off to prepare the Street Gallery for the brave souls out for a stroll on this fine Sunday morning. And great in number they were too. The gallery was busy for most of the day, with the weird and wonderful cross-section of society we have come to know and love during our time there. However, my good early morning mood was shattered by a diabolical discovery. The previous week, I had left my self-designed and illustrated Drain cover in place over the drain in the street. (It helps combat the somewhat less than Twentieth Century Spanish attempts at Sewage Odour control) Of course, I worried little, secure in the knowledge that such a trifling object would not figure high on the list of the vagabonds and thieves of Albir. But I thought wrong. It had been stolen! I was apopleptic with rage! How dare they! I know it was a rather beautiful black and luminous yellow striped object, and I had had the foresight to sign it, but...REALLY! I'm, not vindictive, but I hope the drugs the miscreant who stole it managed to obtain with the (I'm sure not inconsiderable)sum of money from it's sale, were contaminated and that he died a horrible death in some backstreet gutter with a needle in his arm. I can't say fairer than that, can I?
On a lighter, and entirely unconnected note, a couple of old Norwegian ladies spent some time examining the paintings and I engaged them in conversation. I asked where they were from, and they answered, "Oh,the North". I get this often, particularly with Scandinavians. I spent two years living and working in Denmark, Norway Sweden and Finland, and have played in virtually every town in Norway and Denmark you care to name.
Most assume, understandably, that people will only be aware of Oslo, if that.
I coaxed them further.."Bodo" they replied. "Ah! I lived there for a month!" I exclaimed. Scarcely regaining their composure, they asked the only sensible question,"why?" I went on to explain my days there in a band, and that I had also performed for their Queen. They left quite shell-shocked, I think, after inviting me to their home the next time I am there.
In any event, later that day, we found an unlikely ally in the form of a Belgian chap who walks his dog past the Gallery every Sunday. He sympathised greatly with our Drain cover loss, and was extremely vociferous about his hatred of Spanish Sewage and Drainage, he even offered a dubiously festive and quite frankly bonkers form of reprisal...receding down the street, dog in tow, he shouted, "Send the three wise men to the council with 25 bombs!" Yes, I thought. That would do it. would they be made of Gold, Frankincense, or Myrrh?

A Happy Ending: Well, this morning, the first day of 2007, and my beloved drain cover has miraculously reappeared in Miki's computer.(see photo)Apparently they haven't quite succeeded in putting out the fire at the Council House yet.....

The Closing of the Year

2006-12-30T13:33:00.000+01:00

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Well, we can count the remains of 2006 in hours now...Saddam Hussein got a nasty tickle in his throat, followed by a case of the dropsy Some would say 15 years late, but better late than never.

Had a chat this morning with my friend Keith Webb, a drumming legend indeed, Keith has played, or drank, with them all! He counted Keith Moon, Charlie Watts, and John Bonham amongst his drumming pals. He is the man that welcomed Led Zeppelin to America with champagne outside their hotel on their first tour, and he has worked with Donovan, Terry Reid and his own pioneering Prog Rock outfit, Paladin. You can read about Keith in this weeks Costa Almeria News, just click here and read the whole article in my Archives
.

Ive played a few shows with Keith on Mojacar playa, and great fun they were too!
Sometimes he'd just come over to my other place in Turre, I'd get the kettle on and get him to tell me about the old days! Truly an inspiration, still gigging into his 70's and loving life. He's what I want to be when I grow up!!

Old friends

2006-12-29T15:45:00.000+01:00

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Had a nice chat this morning with my old mate Graham Oliver (see photo)
We regularly catch up with each other on the road, usually in Germany, but occassionally somewhere more far-flung like the States! Last time we were out there (also with his son,Paul, a great drummer) we took a road trip out to Daytona Beach and did a Death-by-Breakfast at Dennys! Graham is one of the true gentlemen of the business, and we are always trying to find ways of doing a project together. Hopefully this will come to fruition in 2007. We got to talking about Ken Hensley,(ex-Uriah Heep) as I've just discovered he lives quite near me here in Spain, and I was wanting to have a chat with him. Graham's met him a few times, and he asked me if I got the chance to ask him about a famous Hendrix Flying V (see photo at the end of this post)that has changed hands over the years..he seemed to think Ken may have owned it once. Graham is a REAL Hendrix completist, so I will endeavour to find out what I can! Still on the Hendrix theme, Graham and I, along with Pete Phipps, our drummer in BC Sweet, are planning to put together a Hendrix show with a view to doing some outdoor shows here in Spain next summer. You'll hear it here first!

Hot off the Press

2006-12-28T14:40:00.000+01:00

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Miki and I received our advance copy of Levante Lifestyle this morning, in which we have a double page feature about our Brush With Poetry project. We are excited about it, and hope it brings us to a wider audience. Click here to read our article. I also was interviewed across the Australia-Spain cyberspace link by Ray Chan about my Christie days. You should be able to read all about it soon on the Christie website

Its a busy day today, as Miki delivers her latest painting (check out her diary) and we prepare publicity for the Street Gallery announcing Goodaboom, and also for my upcoming solo shows in January. My show in El Marchal coincides nicely with our new bullfight art exhibition that commences mid-january at Allegria Restaurant on Mojacar Playa. Run by friendly Belgian couple Erik and Anita, we will enjoy exhibiting there.

The Godfather

2006-12-27T12:08:00.000+01:00

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This Christmas brought the sad news of the passing of the Godfather of Funk, James Brown. This writer grew up to the strains of Sex Machine and Get up offa that Thing. There was nobody, but NOBODY, funkier than Mr.Brown. He was a huge influence on many major artists that followed. Without James, there would have been no Sly, no Bootsy, No Prince. He'd been doing it since the 50's and he was touring until his death (brief periods of incarceration notwithstanding!) With spooky coincidence, we had just watched the two classic Blues Brothers Movies the night before, with Brown as the Reverend Cleophus, so it was fitting that he was fresh in our minds.
I will be trying to write a funk track as a tribute. Its going to be called James. He gave us the funk, we are merely entrusted with it. If he's in Heaven, aint they funkin'now!!

CHRISTMAS DAY!

2006-12-25T13:04:00.000+01:00

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Well, here we are, another Christmas day is upon us. The sun is shining here in Spain, the snow on the mountains all but disappeared, and Im sitting with my feet up watching Rush Live in Rio....bliss!

Had a nice mail from Ray Chan who runs the CHRISTIE website. You can see a couple of pics he's kindly donated here in my gallery. Please support him by visiting www.yellowriver.0catch.com its a fantastic site for the CHRISTIE completist!

A quick word here about a new idea we are promoting here at Goodaboom. It's called "A Song for You" and basically allows you to order a special song for your loved one, or for any occassion whatsoever, tailor-made for them. I will write it in a style of your choosing, and it will be made into a one-off finished CD complete with original artwork. It will also be possible to order in conjunction with Miki, so that we are able to provide you, for example, with a portrait, and accompanying CD, So that you have the ultimate present, a picture of a loved one, and a song about them!!! Check out the order forms and submit them for more information. More details will follow as we develop the idea. The Stars over Desert Springs CD was an example of a commissioned song for a specific event. In the next week or so we hope to have audio samples up and running for your enjoyment.
In the meantime...enjoy that Turkey!

And so to Christmas

2006-12-24T10:41:00.000+01:00

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Well, it's stopped raining here in Albir, but the wind is blowing mightily. Miki and I won't be setting up the entire street gallery today, but we will be going down to the street to hand out our leaflets advertising the launch of GOODABOOM!

We hope you will stay with us through our journey, and check out all our paintings music, features, poetry and stories, and immerse yourself in the Arts along with us!

The cards have been given, and received and hopefully all presents will arrive safely. I believe Santa Clause is sending my son some Cymbals, as he is a young drummer with his own band. Check out the picture of him with my percussionist friend Jason on the ship Ocean Village when we were out in the Caribbean two christmases ago!

The Songwriter's Art

2006-12-23T21:12:00.000+01:00

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I wasn't going to post a diary page here at Goodaboom, but Miki persuaded me that I would have other things that I might want to share that would not sit easily with the stories and poems in The Mighty Pen, and , as usual, she was right!

It has been a rainy miserable day here in Albir as we hurtle inevitably towards Christmas, but the weather hasn't really inconvenienced me as I've been somewhat incapacitated by a severe ankle injury sustained whilst running for a plane after a gig in the UK. (Don't ask)

Anyway, today, I dragged myself down to my sound studio and began work on a new project, namely, writing a song for my friend, the 80's soul star Jaki Graham.

I have pretty much always written for myself, be it solo or as a frontman for a band (with the exception of a string of songs for my daughter when she was starting out, co-written with producer Clyde Ward.) So it was a good challenge when Tony, Jaki's manager and husband, said they wanted to hear anything I might have that I thought might suit her.

I started by listening to a lot of Jaki's stuff (mainly from her '94 album, see photo) and immersed myself in the grooves, trying to imagine bringing the feel up to "now". It had to have a dance feel, but I remember her saying to me once, after I had played her some Mothers Finest (U.S. Funk Rockers) that she wouldnt mind doing something a little rockier. So I kind of took that as my starting point. I started the track with a few keyboard chords and a sax line, before the beat kicks in, so that she could use that section to do some trademark ad-lib vocals, and in the chorus, I underpinned it with some guitar powerchords to give it some bite, but set them back in the overall sound picture.

Its worth mentioning here, the similarity between composing and painting. Miki and I have constantly noticed this since we began working together. When you are working on a song, you have to imagine the "picture " in your head, and place all the necessary components in their rightful place, to achieve the correct balance. Different sounds can colour the piece in a variety of ways, and the smallest change, in, say, the level of the rock guitar on the chorus of this song for example, drastically alters how the song is perceived by the listener.

I think this similarity explains why Miki is so invaluable to me as a sounding board for my early mixes. She instinctively knows if I have too much, or not enough, going on at any given point in the song, and it helps me keep my perspective when I am "too close" to the track.

I needed this song to have an almost subliminal rock kick, but carried primarily by a dance groove. So, half a day's good work, and I have the basis of the intro, verses and chorus. The second half of each verse is almost acting as a bridge, so there is no need for a stand alone extra section. With dance tracks, simple is best anyhow. My big tasks now are to layer some more brass and perhaps a hammond organ in there without "muddying" it up too much, and then crucially, getting a nice balance of everything, so the vocal soars above the verse chords, and comes in with a bang on the choruses. I cant say for sure that I'll be doing much in the next few days, as Miki and I will be fully occupied celebrating Christmas(!) but I'm happy to have got the bare bones down, and I now have a solid base to work from.

We both wish you a great Christmas and New Year!

Kev Moore