'memories, dreams and gleaming guitars' 'Memories, Dreams And Gleaming Guitars' is a unique, one-off event. It weaves together various threads that have contributed to the fabric of my creative life. The title of the event gives an indication of what these threads might be but the dominant theme is autobiographical. I've always been fascinated by the role that memories and dreams play in our inner lives. We are shaped as much by what we remember and dream as by what we experience in the present waking moment. We are not so much a product of actual events as of imagined ones, remembered ones, wishful ones. We create ourselves, moment by moment, according to a self-written script, a script, more often than not, followed unconsciously. As an artist, I've been in the fortunate position to be able to experience the boundary between the actual and the possible, the real and the imagined. Sometimes, I've been able to play hopscotch over the cracks, to the extent that the ensuing dizziness has made it difficult to distinguish one world from the other. This is something I like. I find it instructive, occasionally enlightening and above all, beautiful. Artists sometimes resort to the complex metaphor of 'alchemy' to describe the process by which they arrive at their creative goal. In similar fashion, I would say that my 'prima materia,' ('prima materia' being the base-matter upon which the ancient alchemists attempted their form of transmutation,) is myself, or at least my inner life. Much of what I've applied my creative energies to, whether musical, visual or the written word, has been part of an ongoing attempt to disperse the clouds of confusion, to negotiate the maze of identity, to grasp the thing that makes the clock tick. The old admonition 'Man, Know Thyself...' whilst something of a cliche, is one of the strongest motivating factors for creative work and it is certainly a compelling component of my own. I've reached a stage, (and an age,) where I've felt the need to take stock of where I've come from, to try and understand why things have gone in certain directions rather than others and to see if there are any more pieces that can be fitted to the puzzle of 'self.' As part of this process, I began, a few years ago, to write my autobiography. It is ongoing. I'm also working towards creating a film/video piece that will capture elements of my life in visual terms. (Using semi-poetic symbolism as part of the story.) The title of the video autobiography, once completed, will be 'Ghosts Etched On Glass.' Right now though, it is still a work in progress and I am gathering together various materials that might be suitable for inclusion in the project. I have already begun to work with some of this material but in rough sketch form, an early attempt to get to grips with the fundamental problems of presentation and style. The 'Memories, Dreams And Gleaming Guitars' event will showcase some of these sketches...Two pieces as stand alone video presentations and one as a backdrop component to the live concert performance. The longest of these sketches, titled 'Memory Codex Number One,' has been screened only once previously, at last October's 'Nelsonica 06 Convention' in York. It deals with an evocation of my early life in Wakefield, from birth through to my art school years. It also features a specially composed and recorded 38 minute continuous soundtrack titled 'Dreamland Illuminated.' The second presentation piece is titled 'North-East' and consists of footage gathered whilst revisiting some of the seaside haunts of my childhood on the North East Yorkshire coast. It portrays some of the melancholy that the passing years have brought to those places but also some of the beauty. This will be its first screening. The third autobiographical piece is part of the live performance backdrop projections and is titled 'Only A Dream, But Nevertheless.' It lasts for just over 12 minutes and gathers together footage I took in recent years whilst re-visiting my birthplace of Wakefield. It documents the areas I frequented as a child but as they appear now in the 21st Century. Again, there is a feeling of melancholia as many of the sites visited are either in a state of decay or have been dramatically changed since my 1950's childhood. This will also be a first time screening. There are other visual items being premiered. One is a kind of gallery / installation video lasting 17 minutes. It is called 'The Enlightenment Engine' and is a minimalist piece featuring a specially composed ambient soundtrack. Another performance backdrop video, titled 'Neon Lights And Japanese Lanterns' features footage shot in Tokyo by myself. Again, these pieces have been created exclusively for this concert. Along with the visual and musical components, the event will feature a live on-stage interview / chat between Senior Lecturer Simon Warner and myself. I know from past experience that Simon will provide the audience with a thoughtful and entertaining presentation, bringing an extra dimension to the event. The live musical performance has been constructed to reflect on some of the themes hinted at above. It will be totally instrumental and lean heavily in the direction of my more introspective, quieter work. It will be of special interest to those listeners who have enjoyed my 'Crimsworth,' 'Neptune's Galaxy' and 'Dreamland To Starboard' albums. The set list features several brand new pieces of music plus some that have only ever been performed once before. There are a few older pieces scattered throughout but these have been chosen for their compatibility with the overall concept of the performance. I will also be performing a 'cover version' of a vintage instrumental, a rare inclusion as many of my audience will appreciate. The live concert sound will be mixed by my long-time studio engineer/collaborator John Spence and the concert's video projectionist will be Paul Gilby of Sound On Sound magazine.
Another feature of the event will be the opportunity to obtain a copy of my 'Gleaming Without Lights' album before it goes on general sale. We are hoping to have some pre-release copies available for sale at the concert. For tickets please contact Leeds University. Click Here. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |
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'GLEAMING WITHOUT LIGHTS' 'Gleaming Without Lights' is a limited edition 'side-project' album. It is Other tracks on the album compliment the general mood of atmospheric The track listing is as follows: 1: 'Gleaming Without Lights.' |
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