In the last few months I have had the unenviable task of working through a huge pile of old family photographs and items that needed to be either kept or thrown away. Anyone who has ever been in this position knows how the responsibility can weigh heavily. This can be extra difficult when you areContinue reading “HOW THE BURDEN OF SORTING MEMORIES BECAME A VIDEO TRIBUTE”
Tag Archives: music
HOW NOT TO FEEL OLD IN A MUSIC WORLD DICTATED BY THE YOUNG
Yesterday at the Liverpool Philharmonic Hall in Hope Street, Liverpool, between the city’s two iconic Anglican and Catholic cathedrals, I attended the Music Career Industry Festival. The festival, being organised and run by Sentric Music, a music publisher founded and based in Liverpool but also with an office in London, is mainly for people planningContinue reading “HOW NOT TO FEEL OLD IN A MUSIC WORLD DICTATED BY THE YOUNG”
TRYING HARD TO RECOGNISE THE AMERICA OF MY DREAMS
My grandfather Gordon Ariss from Birmingham UK, boarded the ship HMT Rohna on the 25th November 1943, along with 1,981 American soldiers. The next day the ship was attacked by a wave of German aircraft. They appeared to have weathered the attack until they were hit by a recently devised radio controlled bomb. It provedContinue reading “TRYING HARD TO RECOGNISE THE AMERICA OF MY DREAMS”
ELTON AND THE FIRST CONCERT COVERING FIRST LOSS
Today I saw that Elton John has just turned 77. Wow. Elton was the first live act I ever saw, at the Liverpool Empire theatre on the 4th May 1976 on the ‘Louder Than Concorde But Not Quite As Pretty’ tour that was essentially the tour to support the Captain Fantastic & The Brown DirtContinue reading “ELTON AND THE FIRST CONCERT COVERING FIRST LOSS”
FIVE THINGS I AM GRATEFUL FOR TODAY
What are the main things that we should be grateful for but are most likely to take for granted? Do we ever even think about them until they are under threat? When prompted recently to think of five things I am most grateful for it was good to stop and consider those things upon whichContinue reading “FIVE THINGS I AM GRATEFUL FOR TODAY”
FROM SCRIBBLES TO SPOTIFY – THE UNCOMFORTABLE BIRTH OF A SONG
The insecurity around releasing a song can be creatively traumatic. What if it’s rubbish? What if I’ve inadvertently stolen it? What if I love it and no-one else does? Can I still change my name and live in an igloo without any internet connection? Putting a song onto streaming platforms such as Spotify and AppleContinue reading “FROM SCRIBBLES TO SPOTIFY – THE UNCOMFORTABLE BIRTH OF A SONG”
ELTON JOHN AND MY BIG BAG OF BEAUTIFUL DREAMS
Dreams come in different shapes and sizes. And different packages. They can be private and low-key, they can be brash and bold. They can be sturdy and solid, they can be fluid or fragile. On one particular, crisp October day in North Audley Square in London, my dream came in a big red sports bag.Continue reading “ELTON JOHN AND MY BIG BAG OF BEAUTIFUL DREAMS”
SONGS AND SCRIPTS AND DUNKING BISCUITS 