Spent a few hours this afternoon filming a video interview for 'The Festival Of The Moon,' an ambitious art event being staged in Wakefield to coincide with this year's anniversary of the 1969 Apollo moon landing. The actual event will feature virtual reality experiences and other content, plus interviews with artists and other interesting people, (including myself.) My own contribution is about my memories of the moon landing and the inspiration that space travel made on my creative life from a very young age.
The interview, conducted by Judi Alston of the One To One Development Trust, (based at The Art House in Wakefield,) was filmed here in my studio with my (extremely) new computer recording system sitting behind me. At some point in the near future the interview will be available to watch on-line and I'll provide links for fans to access it as soon as they are available. The project is titled 'ZERO GRAVITY LUNAR LIBRARY' and features Virtual Reality scenarios amongst other delights.
As for the aforementioned recording system, it's unfortunately, playing up again. Yet another strange technical problem raised its head today and, try as I may, I can't resolve it. Not that I have any great knowledge of how to sort these complex computer conflicts out.
Anyway, I've been in touch with my good friend recording engineer John Spence and he's very kindly offered to come over on Wednesday to try and correct matters...and to give me a few more tips on how to mix the track that I've somehow managed to record. Hope I can take it all in...
I'm genuinely trying to stay optimistic about the benefits of switching to this software-based recording system but, have to admit, at this stage at least, that I really miss the directness and immediacy of my old Mackie D8B mixing desk and 24/96 hard disc recorder. If only that equipment had continued to function without the problems that eventually led me to take the chance of shifting to Cubase. I guess after nearly 20 odd years of constant use though, it was bound to get a little frazzled and tired. A bit like me, I suppose...
All I can wish for is that these new problems will resolve themselves in time and the operation of the system will become easier for me. But right now, I have a love-hate relationship with software recording, and definitely leaning more towards the 'hate' side of the equation...
Meanwhile, some good news: The 'Old Haunts' album launch event tickets went on sale on Saturday and by Sunday had all sold out, in less than 24 hours! Now the pressure is on and I have to get everything ready in time, including my own performance, to deliver what fans will be expecting of me.
This will include creating videos to project behind the album playback, writing listening notes and explanations for the album's various tracks, plus all the stuff needed to go into the live performance section of the event, (assembling a running order of the backing tracks, sorting out their associated videos and trying to ensure that Andy Newlove can hand over guitar tech duties to Gordon White as smoothly as possible.) Oh, and the task of creating some original artwork to offer on the merchandise stall, plus signing hundreds of pre-release copies of the album to sell on the day. And not to forget assigning various guitars to different pieces of music for the live performance, none of this as easy as you might think.
I take these things on in a spirit of optimism and enthusiasm but then later panic when I realise what's actually involved and ask myself why I didn't take the easier route and abandon these live events once and for all. But there's the rub...as much stress as they present me with, especially in these so-called 'senior' years, I just can't seem to let go of them and simply retire to a life in the studio. Something inside me must still need that contact with a live audience, even if it is only once a year.
Like recording software, performing live is a love-hate relationship for me...
