Wednesday 31 August 2011

Week Commencing 29th August 2011 (Latest News)

Dear all;

As really stated – I have had an enforced break from creative
Writing projects while my health improves from a recent health
Scare.

However, things are now starting to pick up again – here is
Bullet sized points of what is happening.

1)      A Means to an End recently played with a expanded
Lineup the last Friday night Live gig at Butterflies (Gigs
Bar) where we played a twenty minute set which by all
Accounts went quite well on 26th August 2011.
2)      The band next are due to play next Didsbury Arts Festival
On 26th September 2011 (More details to follow).
In the meantime, we will beginning recording sessions
for our debut EP / album on 12th September 2011.

3)      My and Jeff Dawson (aka Jeffarama)’s debut split book
‘A Means to an End’ is now completed and I have ordered
A draft copy from the printers. This should arrive within
The next week or so, and when ordered should then be
Available to buy from ourselves as a joint book / CD
For around £5.

4)      As a bit of fun to start with, but which I think is
going to lead to an album / EP in the new year is a new ongoing
Project with an young American poet Amanda Silberangel.
Amanda contacted me recently to ask whether I was
Interested in possibly doing a few tracks together viva
The internet. So far, this has resulted in 5 tracks (with
A 6th track now underway) been completed.

The website for this is: http://amandasilbernagelandandyn.yolasite.com/

5)      I will also be discussing soon with Keith Hicc and UK Dragon
My partners in DIH, my first experimental band about the
Long awaited release of our long delayed album ‘Metropolis’
Which should have come out last year but was delayed
For a host of reasons. (There is also talk of a new M.A.N.
Recording session which may happen at the beginning of
Next year from which the third M.A.N.’s tracks will be
Finished off).

6)      More details to follow, but Guitar and Verse, the night I help
Jeff Dawson (aka Jeffarama) run will be moving venues from
October with further changes to also come in the New Year. Watch
This space for further details.

More to follow as always.

Friday 26 August 2011

The End of Summer (I)












Soon Autumn 
will be here
with it's dusty
and driving breeze.

Autumn will hold your hand
when you run
to the train station
every morning
jagged with purpose
like it was
famous for 15 seconds.


Soon Autumn will be here
and on the road again
with leaves dangling
in the middle
of your garden
like a radiogram
of a old film.

Summer will be
dangling from a distance
just slightly out of reach
almost like a party
you had not been invited to
before the cold weather comes,

leaving,

leaving,

you wondering
had it gone
before it had
really started
turning back
to the small ads. 

Sunday 21 August 2011

Adam Lygo - The girl with the leopard in her mouth (Slightly Off Kilter Records)


Adam Lygo – The girl with the leopard in her mouth
(Slightly Off Kilter Records - Poetry Series)

This review has been delayed somewhat because of health
but it’s given me plenty of time to listen to this beautiful
multi layered double CD which in some ways has made
it worth the wait.

Adam Lygo I am familiar through Brighton’s experimental
Scene who describes himself as using from his myspace page
layered guitar loops to explore rhythm, texture and dynamics
applied to a variety of themed albums, from the surreal philosophy
of ants to the inner workings of imagined machines, the emotional
turmoil of opium addiction to a Jungian journey into the minds
maze’.

As much as it may sound hard to believe, and I am familiar
with  a few of Adam’s albums – this is totally different and a
ideal release for Slightly Off Kilter Records and for me as
a poet myself.

In this release, we encounter for the first time I am aware
Of Adam’s ability with poetry which is laced against Adam’s
Fractured tunes and it works beautifully.

Take for example, ‘Reoccuring 2’ which goes for over an incredible
16 minutes (and is not the shortest track on the album either)
and has beautiful lyrics such:

‘Moving away from the happy carnival spirit /
of a seaside town at night /
I drifted into streets with dark buildings /’

Contained within it’s ever pulisating overtones which honestly
Feels like it’s goes on forever and forever in the most blissful
Way I haven’t heard since the early post-rock dreams of
Flying Saucer Attack and Matt Elliott aka Third Eye Foundation.

 This is an album which feels like a series of dreams without
even examining the lyrics (which Adam says are dreams) and
made perfect sense to me at 2am or 3am in the morning, although
I reckon will make just as perfect sense at any other time of
The day, although be prepared for once you get into it, expect
Your dreams never to be the same again.

Very  recommended.

Go here for more details..



Thursday 18 August 2011

Break...

Dear all;

Sorry for the quietness between things on at the moment.

Since my last email, to put it simply my health has nosedived somewhat
and left me to put it bluntly struggling to do much creative wise.

Good news is however, I have started to improve now with the
help of meds etc. I have posted a new poem (below) and have
other pieces on the go.

All gigs have had to be cancelled for me until further notice
for this reason.

Keep an eye on this blog as I shall be back before you know.

Cheers

Andy N

My hometown (New Poem)














You used to tell me
You only loved my town
When it poured it down.

You used to tell me
You used to love
Counting all the drops
That would dangle
Off my roof
Once it stopped
Like it had a mind
Of it’s own.


You used to love looking
At leafs clinging
Onto the old tree in my garden 
And count their lines
Like veins on hands
Which also dripped off
The nearby bus shelter
Over people’s hats.


You loved the black clouds
That hovered by the airport  
Like portals of doom
And people running 
Down the tunnels from the planes
As the rain show down at them
With a vicious push.


A vicious push,
Right up until you were gone 
And the rain 
Carried on saluting puzzled
As I was left
To march back home
Leaving me feeling
Like I had just kissed chaos.