IN THE ATTIC 2

Great news, the CD burner worked, and I've done some more on my new song, I've wanted to write this song for ages, I've written the title in many of my song book's, but until now, haven't found the song. Well, the song is called 'Bacteria', I won't explain any further, apart from saying it's a bit punky and I'm working on it at the moment, thank's to everyone for giving me great feedback, I really appreciate it.

But, much more importantly, the show is back, you don't have to wait any longer, below I've posted a link, just in case, IN THE ATTIC 2 starts tomorrow at 7pm London time.

To watch the show you will need to click here to view.

Hope everyone gets a great feed, please leave any request's you have of me here, song's you'd like to hear etc...GMaS

mikey

BUSY...

I've been very busy, firstly finishing recording my new song, although there was a glitch, my CD burner started playing up so I bought a CD cleaner, and have done it several times, and yet to try and re-burn, as it were, I'll try again later. Also, directly after finishing recording 'We will fix it', I've started writing another tune. It's slightly unusual for me because it's a bit punky, well, we'll see how it goes. I love writing, it doesn't come easy sometimes, but to be working on new material is the best.
Indy's got his second guitar lesson tonight, then me and Rene are off to a family event that I cannot escape.
I'm spending the day working on the new stuff, but will try to burn the CD later, I've posted up another drawing taken from an old song book, it sound's like your really enjoying my little doodles, that's good. It's really nice to see them again, and it's fun trying to remember what I was feeling, although I have a terrible memory.
Hope you are all doing well, I can't believe IN THE ATTIC is nearly upon us again, it's going to be amazing, just two day's to go, well not even that really. Anyway, still at number 4 on IAC, which is great news, thanks you guy's, keep playing them. Take care everyone and GMaS.

mikey

We Will Fix It...

I've been really busy today and yesterday recording my new song, I'm not completely sure about the title but I'm going with 'We will fix it' for now. I've done the drum's( in responce to the reason why I don't use a live kit; it's just not feasible within my tiny studio at home, and I probably couldn't record them as well as they have been recorded on the sample, as well as the noise aspect) the main guitar and a bass, as well as the vocal. There is a possibility of some string's in there as well, but they'll be staying small. I've just been over to brother Shaun's and been finishing off the greenhouse, it's like our new den.
I forgot to mention that I've started giving my newphew Indy guitar lesson's, we had our first lesson on monday evening. My sister Lorraine bought it for him for Christmas, but he's a great student and we are steaming ahead, I want to keep it fun for him though. Nothing worse than boring music.
I'll work some more on the song tomorrow, hopefully get the string part down. Hope everyone's doing good, In the Attic 2 will be upon us very soon and I'm very excited, I've got some great new useless fact's, the new song's to play, and some great new stories for you.
I've posted up another drawing from an old song book, hope you like it. Let me know what you think, take care all, and GMaS.

mikey

Endless Drum Loop's...

Excellent news everyone, Plasticine has gone up to number 4 on the Alternative chart of IAC. Thankyou everyone playing the song's, I'm not getting caught up I promise, I'm just happy.
I've been helping brother Shaun with his greenhouse, and can say, that the construction has been a complete success and it looks great.

Today, I started on the drum track for my new song. It's not my favourite part of the song making process, only because I have to wade through endless drum fill's trying to find the few that work. But I've mapped out the song now, and the drum's are sounding cool, I'm going to leave it for tonight, just thought I'd blog about it. Back to work tomorrow, I'm sure I'll get the drum's done, and then I can put a guitar down, cool.



I've posted up a drawing that was in an old song book, I spent the other day scanning in more artwork of mine, and thought you'd like to see it. Let me know what you think.
Hope everyone's good, I'm really glad that I got started recording the new song. Really looking forward to IN THE ATTIC 2, take care everyone, and as usual, GMaS.

mikey

LIFE DRAWINGS...

Here's some life drawing's that were on display at my first independant exhibition, I didn't have the money to frame these peices, so they were layed on fabric and covered with glass. I have alway's loved life drawing. I hope you like these drawing's, although there not the best photo's, you get the general idea.

Great news, I'm back up to number 5 on the Alternative chart of the IAC, I promise I won't get caught up in it this time, but thankyou for playing my song's everyone. Still haven't started recording the new song, and still writing the song for Jed.

Also, really looking forward to the next season of ITA, I've really missed it, well, not long now! Hope everyone's doing good, and taking care, thanks for all the shout's.

GMaS

mikey

VITRIOL VENTRICLE...

As requested, here is some more of my art. This painting entitled 'Vitriol Ventricle' measures 8ft by 4ft and is made of iron oxide, sulphur and carbon on canvas. This is one of my favorite paintings and is currently in our hall way. This painting was shown originally at 'The Institution' Art exhibition in 1996 I think. This painting has several sister paintings in varying sizes.
I won't explain the thinking behind this peice, but ask for your own idea's of the reason's behind this one. What is it, what is it all about, and why? GMaS!

mikey

Flying lesson.

Here's some polaroid's Rene took of me before I had a flying lesson, my Dad had bought for me as a Christmas present. It was a couple of years ago, I've got short hair, I quite like it.
I'm nicely colour coded with the plane, as you can see.
When I was a child, I wanted to be a pilot, as well as an astronaut and racing driver(formula one), when I grew up, but now that I have grown up, I can say that although I loved the flying lesson, I haven't taken any more.
I really like these photo's though, I had a great day.
Hope everyone's doing well, thanks for all the shouts, take care people and GMaS.

mikey

Recovered...

Hey there people, I've recovered from my upset on the IAC Alternative chart, and I don't mean that my position on the chart has improved. What I mean, is that, through kind words on my blog, and an overview of all of this, I now realise that whatever charts say, they are just charts.
Great news, I was playing my Ukulele yesterday evening, and came up with a little song for Jed, my newest nephew. It is really lovely, and it choke's me up a bit when I play it. I went round my brother's house this evening and played the song so far to Jed, and may I say how well he's doing, and how beautiful he is, and well let's just say, he liked it, but not after I'd been playing it for ten minutes, I must remember to leave my audiences wanting.
So, thanks everyone for lifting my spirits, still no art today, I'll see what I can do...

Take care people, and GMaS.

mikey

What's going on?

What's going on? Yesterday, I reached my highest position so far on the IAC, number 3 on the Alternative chart. I was over the moon, as you can imagine, but then last night, whilst Rene was on the computer, I heard her say that I had gone down to 9 on the chart. How could this be possible I thought, dropping six places in only a couple of hours.
Well, I suppose it serves me right, getting all excited like that. It is a shame though, silly or what.
Anyway, no art today folk's.
Hey, but thanks to all of you for still playing the songs, I love knowing that they are being listened to. Stay healthy and happy people and GMaS.

mikey

PS: Put 1st of March in your diary's everybody, IN THE ATTIC is back!
And, I particularly loved the Marvin Gaye song 'What's going on?', an absolute gem....That's all.

Self portrait's...

Here's a self portrait that's half way through being painted, but I actually prefere the painting at this stage, to the finished work. I was about 23, I think, but the painting wasn't finished for another couple of years, and took on many more guises. I not completely sure if it is finished yet, this painting sit's in the corner of my studio behind my guitar case. It was shown at 'The Institution' Art exbibition, it measures 17 " by 24" and uses a wide selection of materials. Which do you prefere?


Hey great news, I'm up to number 3 on the Alternative chart IAC with Plasticine, thankyou to everyone who is playing the tunes, keep it up. Let me know which painting you prefere, so take care and GMaS.

mikey

Body and Soul under the waterfall.

Here's a painting that I started some time in1991, and finished after returning from Indonesia. The painting show's two self portrait's, one squatting down, one standing, underneath a waterfall. The waterfall scene was taken from a photo montage I made from a series of photograph's taken within the Panandaran Nature Reserve, Java.
Actually, this very painting was the primary reason for my going to Indonesia, I wanted to paint an animal/human like figure in a jungle, I was seeking the primitive. Although when I was intially mapping out the painting, working on the composition, I realised that painting a jungle or rainforest was almost completely imposible from sourced images. I sold my car and raised extra fund's and flew to the cheapest destination along the equator, and within the rainforest belt area.
Within the first few months of my travel's in Indonesia, I had walked in the rainforest, and taken countless photograph's. I stayed on and taught English, but eventually came home and finished the painting.
Although when I eventually completed the painting, it seemed that I had brought my soul home with me. I really like this painting. It measure's 6ft by 4ft, is an oil on canvas, and is owned by my brother Shaun.
I hope you like my painting, let me know what you think, good or bad? Thanks for all the great feedback and comments, hey great news, I'm up to 4 on the IAC{Alt-chart} with Plasticine, Tourist hasn't moved though. It's still great news, thank's to everyone who's listening. Anyway, take care people. GMaS

mikey

THE FACES...

Here's some ceramic work I done when I was about 16 I think, it was about the same time I was painting photocopies of my face rolling across the copier, I've already posted up that painting, but I'll post it again here and now.

To make the faces, I first took plaster cast's of my face, but filling a plastic bowl with plaster, then plunging my face into it, it was great fun, although when the plaster goes off, it creates alot of heat, and it got quite toasty in there.

I'm at number 6 on the IAC with Plasticine, and number 7 with Tourist, Come on Ryan is a little further back, on the Alternative chart, and on All genre's, I think I'm at 27 and 30, so nearly on the first page. It's really great, I love it, thankyou so much everyone who's playing my song's. If you haven't played them, why not have a listen, my IAC page is on my LINKS.

Flying along with my new tune, I'll be able to start recording very soon, hurray!

I'm also really looking forward to the new series of 'In the Attic', I hope everyone will be tuning in.

Hope everyone's good, GMaS.

mikey

VIVARIUM

Here's a painting I done when I was about 17, it's called 'Vivarium' and it is an oil on board. I was inspired by Frank Auerbach, but wasn't rich enough to buy paint in such large quantities, so I bought a bag of pigment and some linseed oil, and found my own colours, like brick dust, charcoal, earth and some paint. The pigment, which ironically is colourless, added with linseed oil and a colour is what oil paint is. Using paint this heavily was a great experience, I was able to add pebbles and even dead insects. The picture show's a front side view of the aquarium I kept at college, housing my frogs. There was a resevoir of water in the bottom, and plants growing, it's technical term is vivarium.
As I remember, this painting was massively heavy, and I think it still exist's, but I'm sure the colours have faded. Anyway, to answer a question, I don't paint at the moment, and actually I haven't painted in quite a few years. I still draw quite regularly, but music takes up all my time now, I still paint pictures, but hopefully in people's heads.

By the way, you must catch up on the Indonesian blog, I know I've been slack but it's really getting good.
Thanks for all the comments, take care and GMaS.

mikey