Creative energy it comes... it goes....

For over year I have had a break from all things arty, this is not to say that in this period I haven't created and dabbled with making and creating, just there has been lots going on which needed my attention and energy and the need I once felt to create diminished dramatically.
I have a good feeling about 2015, it's going to be a year of adventure, love and positive energy. There can be too many toxic things going on in our busy lives which can divert our attention and take up too much emotional time which leaves us feeling meh at best.
So here's to a positive outlook for all, we can all achieve and do the things that we want if we take control and responsibility for ourselves, we need to learn to love, to let go and to live our lives for us with those that make us happy, with those that we connect to, a leap of faith that life can be fun regardless of superficial things that we may believe will bring happiness. The basic needs and wants most people can come by... and artistic expression is part of me which I shouldn't suppress, it can be bright or dark, have meaning or total disregard but what I create comes from within and is powered by emotion of that very moment....

Sometimes I'm on to a winner, other times it's crap, but then who am I to judge? art and expression are in the eye of the beholder what works for one may not work for you or I but just as long as it is there as a moment within time which can be captured is what is important.

Comics and Music with the Small Faces (and Regular!) Ian McLagan.

Ian "Mac" McLagan is the king of the British rock keyboard, and he's been in the business since the early sixties, when he backed up blues legends like Howlin' Wolf and Sonny Boy Williamson. He joined the Small Faces, the consummate mod / psych-pop Brit band, in late 1965.  They hit the charts with a vengeance, scoring hits like "Tin Soldier" and "Sha-La-La-Lee" and birthing one of British rock's most beloved albums, "Ogden's Nut Gone Flake." Small Faces served as one of the standard bearers for just plain having a damn good time, until the band dissolved when singer/guitarist/Artful Dodger Steve Marriott left to form Humble Pie.

The rest of the Small Faces promptly teamed up with Rod Stewart and Ron Wood as the (regular-sized) Faces and began another brilliant run, based on Rod's gravelly vocal stylings and bassist Ronnie Lane's sublime folk-tinged songwriting (Go and find some Ronnie - you won't regret it). When that band dissolved in the mid-seventies so Rod could become a full-time ponce, the Small Faces tried again briefly, but Mac began a great session career when that didn't pan out, touring and recording with the likes of the Stones, Dylan and the Everly Brothers.

Thanks again to one of the genuine diamond geezers of rock n roll for taking the time out to do this!  You can read more about Mac here: http://www.macspages.com/

But first, without further ado...

Nine Questions with Ian McLagan!

CM: You said you had a paper round as a lad and you used to pick up American comics back then; what did you read and who was your favourite? Did you ever used to read them back in the 70's as a 'boredom bus buster'? Do you still seem to find yourself keeping up to date with what's going on in the comics world; say, like seeing some of the more recent super hero films that have been released?

IM: I read Fantastic Four and The Hulk, then got the very first issue of Thor, then Spider-man etc etc. I was interested in the art as much as the stories, though I never tried to illustrate, because I wasn’t good enough at figure drawing. I never kept up with comics after that because I was learning graphic art at art school, which soon got buried by my interest in music, and then I turned professional musician, which meant I was doing it full time even though I was broke.


CM: Some of Ronnie Wood's art work seems quite pop-arty and comic book influenced; do you think Ronnie took any inspiration from comics?

IM: You’d have to ask him, but he is an illustrator, so it’s quite likely.

CM: Richard Manuel, Garth Hudson, Rick Wright and Brian Wilson (as a keyboard player) are some of your peers; can you tell us a little bit about what you think and how you rate them?

IM: I wasn’t so aware of Rick Wright’s playing, not really being into the Floyd, but I’ve played with Richard Manuel, and he was a very soulful singer as well as being a great pianist. I’ve met Garth a couple of times and he is a giant among keyboard players, brilliant. I saw a documentary on Brian Wilson and to see him sit at the piano playing Caroline No or any other of those early Beach boys hits, and you realise the whole arrangement is in his piano playing and voice.

Nona: As a keyboard player, who is the best at dabbling on keyboards as a secondary instrument, say like McCartney and Townshend do?
IM: Paul’s a really fine piano player, but you should hear Albert Lee, unbelievably great.

CM: In your book All the Rage, you mention the Marx Brothers.  You see bands from the60s and 70s reference them.  Should they be counted as much as an influence as some other musicans? You guys seemed like you were always up for a laugh, would you say they influenced you with their style of humour?

IM: The funniest people I’ve ever met have been musicians, and I wouldn’t have someone in my band that wasn’t amusing, because you spend so much time together you’d better be laughing because sometimes it’s all you have to keep you from going nuts! The Marx Brothers are still a major influence, as is Jacques Tati, the French actor, writer and director.

CM: American music historians indicate delta blues as the source of inspiration for the British skiffle craze.  Blues music wasn't easily obtained in the States at that time.  How did the blues get to the UK?




IM: It was much harder to find those records in the UK than in the States, I had to mail order them, but once I heard Muddy Waters I had to get my hands and ears around the music. It was, and still is an addiction.

CM: How has it been to connect with the source of blues music- perhaps when you were recording Texas?

IM: I’m outside the current blues scene in Texas, because blues players tend only to play the blues, and I play rock’n’roll as well as other genres, so I’m not the guy that gets the call.

CM: I'm a child of the 90s and Izzy Stradlin' was a major player in music when I was growing up.  You played on his album "Ju Ju Hounds".  Does Izzy take control when he's in the studio, or does he still have the laid back attitude which his image suggests?

IM: He does, but he’s straight ahead and focused, and quite easy going at the same time. Not a stressful situation by any means.

CM: Your band The Muleskinners backed up Howlin' Wolf on his UK tour in 1964-65.  What was it like to be part of Howlin' Wolf's backing band?  And how did that come about?

IM: The Muleskinners were booked by the Marquee Agency, who organised The Wolf’s tour of the UK, and there were several bands they had who backed some of the great bluesman, but we just got lucky, and backed him and Hubert Sumlin on one show, and he liked us so we did a couple more, which led to us backing Sonny Boy Williamson on a couple, and Little Walter Jacobs once as well. The Wolf was very kind to us, and Hubert too was very sympathetic and warm to us. The Wolf was nothing like his frightening on stage persona, he was really sweet to us, put his large arms around us and said, ‘My Boys’.

32,000 Year-Old Plant Brought Back To Life!

A report released today reveals that a Russian team of scientists have discovered a collection of flowering seeds which were native to Siberia, which had been buried by an Ice Age squirrel!

Radiocarbon dating confirmed that the seeds were 32,000 years old.

The seeds which had been encased in ice, were unearthed from 38 meters below the permafrost, retained viable plant material.

According to a new study, the team extracted tissue from the frozen seeds, placed it in vials, and successfully germinated the plants. The plants grew and produced seeds themselves after a year.

This new study suggests that permafrost could be a "depository for an ancient gene pool," a place where any number of now extinct species could be found and resurrected.

Some scientists say regenerating seeds that have been frozen at 19 degrees Fahrenheit  for so long could have major implications on biodiversity, but insight gained on seeds which have been frozen and how to thaw, and sprout them could be very valuable in saving plant species which are on the brink of extinction.

We Are All Gunmen....

Listen to THIS!!!!!

Written by Simon Friend from the Levellers, one the best songs I have come across in many years.

Lyrics to stand by.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jclSQ41NQCc

We Are All Gunmen


No politicians, just compasion
Celebrity, its out of fashion
Innocence dont take a thrashin'
On the playground floor.

Constable paints awesome skies,
Intead of macing suspects eyes
Bankers pay is justified
and all nations come in peace.

We are gunmen all,
the guardians of the watch tower;
Lighting up the beacons
to bring our riders home

We are gunmen all,
the guardians of the watch tower;
Lighting up the beacons
to bring our riders home

Sun rises on the village green
Not digitised on a flat screen
Lovers kisses can be seen
Darkness holds no fear

Everyone drinks socially;
Not because they're crippled emotionally
and all our sleep is trouble free
wrapped up in caring arms

We are gunmen all,
the guardians of the watch tower;
Lighting up the beacons
to bring our riders home

We are gunmen all,
the guardians of the watch tower;
Lighting up the beacons
to bring our riders home

Our hopes are old and dressed in rags
The faded colour of many flags
and the, broken metal of our tags;
keeps this dream alive

Well, mistrust could never last
The future lives and not the past
We are only shadows cast
just trying to hold on

We are gunmen all,
the guardians of the watch tower;
Lighting up the beacons
to bring our riders home

A World United... Monsanto OUT!

May the 25th 2013: over forty countries, hundreds of protests and an estimated over two million people made a stand against food cultivators Monsanto - a company already banned from many countries, but which are still operating in both the UK and the USA.

A business which claims their research into agriculture could be revolutionary - letting farmers grow more, and faster.

But at what cost?

Genetically modified plants are grown from seeds which are engineered to not only resist insecticides and herbicides, but contain added nutritional benefits and increase the global food supply.

Research studies have shown that Monsanto’s genetically-modified foods can lead to serious health conditions, such as the development of cancer, infertility, birth defects and is thought to be a possible cause for the increase of developmental disorders and illnesses like Parkinsons disease. There are loopholes in the laws due to the fact that these foodstuffs are grown from seed.

Now I'm not going to tell anybody what to eat... nor am I going to come on all militant regarding this, as it is none of my business what goes past your lips.

However, I do believe everyone has the right to know what we are actually eating, and if that product contains genetically modified produce and therefore is a health risk. The environmental consequences could be disastrous; GMO effects our biodiversity, making a serious impact, killing wildlife and being a potential catalyst for cross pollination of crops.

Many countries have banned GM produce, as they cannot sell it.

At any rate...

I was one of those millions.

I've done a total of six hours travelling today, to join my nearest protest, where I met a lot of interesting people from all walks of life:

A scientist who worked for Monsanto in Argentina, and witnessed first hand the damage it can do.

Microbiologists, Farmers, Doctors, Students, the young and the old alike.

People willing to speak out, using their professional experience, about concerns and the possible dangers that we are being unwittingly led into.

My usual routine, first thing in the morning is this: running late. Today was no different, so I called a cab to get to the nearest tram stop. On the journey, the usual cabby / passenger chitchat occurred... so it came out where I was heading.

The cabby told me that he admired people like me as I was going out of my way to make a stand.
He was in full agreement with my motivation for going; he didn't want to eat GMO, and said if there had been a protest in Manchester, he would have probably joined in.
But then if the football wasn't on, and so forth...
Due to the length of my journey, I had plenty of opportunity to reflect on this.

It's a great shame that society may agree with something and have some serious opinions on these things, yet this man's voice, for instance, would never get heard as speaking out just would not take priority if it meant doing anything which wasn't everyday routine.

So joining your local Occupy movement might not be for you; getting off your arse in any shape or form might not be for you, but if you are reading this you have one of the best resources of our time at your fingertips:

The Internet.

STAY INFORMED. You get to keep abreast of the facts - facts that our governments won't necessarily tell us. Moreover, at present many of us are not asking for them! Nevertheless, the answers are there to be found.

With a quick internet search, you can find independent research on such matters like Monsanto; google the pictures.

I dare you!

So what's the one thing we all do??

We have to buy food. The best way is to vote is with your dollar, buying organic and boycotting Monsanto owned companies using GMOs in their products.

I hope this has shed some light on the name MONSANTO, which I'm sure many of you have come across today in some way or another...

Take up the torch and find out more. It's your right, and might well mean your health. Or your childrens.

RIP Ray Manzarek

This evening, I learned of the passing of The Doors' keyboard player, Ray Manzarek.
He passed away this morning in Germany after suffering bile duct cancer.

I'm truly saddened by this news; when you read about the death of a public figure, you often feel that it's a shame, and you feel sad for their family, especially when they have left a legacy that means something to you. But the death of Ray feels like losing a personal friend. I feel sad for his family and those who he was close to - but I also feel sad for myself!!

I don't buy into the ''celeb grief mentality'' syndrome, but this time when I say I'm gutted, I am.

The Doors' music has been with me since I was eleven years old; losing myself in the heady melodies and rolling riffs has got me through some of the toughest times in my life.

Their music has grown up with me and has defined some of the key moments of my life, such as hitting puberty and noticing boys for the first time. (Jim)

My father died... and I found solace and comfort within their music, rather than trying to make sense of the concept of sudden death going around your head - and being told by a religious figure that my father was needed for greater things...

Yeah right; FUCK YOU!

but from that moment I realised that all I needed to get through in life was rock n' roll... and to a certain extent, that is still true:

Sneaking into the cinema for my first 18 certificate film, dancing my socks off in the aisles, along with my two best girlfriends, what a wonderful experience.

Teenage years of  getting high with friends; you could ride those organ notes...

Introductions to classic writers and philosophy.

Lusty nights of young romance.

Pilgrimages to European cities.

and then you get a little older and a tad more sophisticated, and you start to notice the sheer brilliance of the musicianship; Ray held it together by holding down that bass line - and keeping it rhythmically tight with John - while from his tactile right hand, the melodies flowed.

I can still lose myself in the music of The Doors  - and do so on a regular basis. I got to see Ray and Robbie play twice; once was a stadium gig, the other a much smaller venue, and each time they blew me away.

When I had just left school, Ray recorded the Myth and Reality double CD where he talked about his time at UCLA, the Blues, Leather Trousers, Beat Poetry and growing up with the Blues and Jazz.

Ray was for real.... he was the nineteen-sixties spirit that I longed to try to get a feel for, and nothing came closer  to that than listening to Ray Manzarek talk.
For myself and kids all over the world, he made it possible to get a feel for what things might have been like.

Whether The Doors are your thing or not, Ray undoubtedly was one of the best organists to define a generation.

Thank you for the good times Ray!

Though you are no longer on earth, your music and energy will flow through the millions who hold your music close every time it is being played.

Please consider leaving a donation in Ray's name by donating to: www.standup2cancer.org

R.I.P 1939-2013

Winsor is awesome!

This blog is about one of my best buddies, this is not the first blog where he has been mentioned.

This blog is about Winsor Hemingway.

Winsor as you can see is my ginger cat.

Over our life time we can choose to share our lives with many pets, and we love them all for all their quirks, but every now and again you get one that is different.

They really stand out, as they are filled with so much character.

Winsor is one of them.

Winsor has been with me from day one, born on the 1st March 2000, one day before my twenty-first birthday.

He was one of five healthy kittens born within a sanctuary, mother Tiddy was only eight months old and had already had one litter of kittens. Two of which came into the sanctuary with her. Mizanne and Snowfeet, both girls.

Winsor along with his sister Nemo, (gingers) were the biggest of the litter.
Bootlace and Shoelace (torties) and little Ted the runt of the litter (black, named after Wildcat of course!)

Over the next two weeks they were all feeding well, except when the time came to go onto solid food, Winsor just didn't ''get it''.

Mum was getting tired of hungry mouths and soon milk had all stopped. Winsor was on formula but still wouldn't accept any kind of solid food.

He watched the others, walked around it and sat in it... just he wouldn't eat it.

Winsor had become the smallest kitten of the litter, he was getting weaker.

Kerry, the vet gave him the once over and found him to have a heart murmur which she thought may be a sign that things weren't quite so well developed as we had first thought.

It was sad news, she told me not to give up, but if he wasn't eating solids within five days, then we should do the kindest thing as he was starting to waste away.

FIVE DAYS....

Getting the lovely night watchman to pop into see him and to give him some formula over night, I had to have him on solids.

It may have not been the ''offical'' way... but it was desperation and his last chance, on day five I bought the most stinky salmon patty I could find, mushed it, opened Winsors mouth and with my little finger placed a great big dollop to the back of his mouth.

It was if something hadn't been triggered in him.

Whether he was just slow on the uptake, poor scent or something else I do not know? but he demolished a whole saucer of salmon patty within minutes.

There was no stopping him once he had started, he soon gained weight and was a happy kitty once again.

It was this time where our bond grew.

Winsor; he is my cat, that's for sure... he stays with me, sits with me, and talks with me.
Ask him a question, he will answer, often with quite an indignant mew.

He was truly my number one furry baby!

But what makes Winsor so wonderful is how he has accepted the other furry friends and of course one of the biggest things, my new number one!! My son...

It didn't matter if my son was crying, shouting, or running around, Winsor takes it all within his stride and has accepted everyone and everything that has come through my door.

What has spurred me on to write this blog is the fact, I'm seeing my ginger buddy become older.
He is getting quite the grumpy old man at times.

4.30 rolls around he is there wanting his dinner.... hovering, mewing, and prowling. He scrambles up the fences and we no longer get his ''gifts''.

He doesn't like going out in the dark and spends most of the time curled up on my bed.

Shadow, one of my younger kitties has started to challenge him for superiority but so far Winsor is holding his place with dignity and laying the smack down with those six toed paws of his.

That's no laughing matter if you are on the receiving end.

So from an iffy start to life, he has grown into one of the most charismatic, handsome and stately kitties I have ever had the pleasure to share my home with.