Once again i’m out in Doha avoiding the terrible British weather. This time i have a meeting room all of my own so i’m in charge of video & Powerpoint as well as sound this time! She’s a great little room with, as always in Doha, a top spec setup. Hmmmmm BSS graphics are just lovely aren’t they! We’ve just finished the Global Innovators 2013 conference and now we are heading into the first day of the meeting of the Supreme Education Council. All this and i’ll be back in the UK by the weekend! Shame I’ve had no time to make it up to the Moto GP!
Latest
“Sounds a little bit 90′s”
The fruits of my labours have ripened and for the last few days I’ve been constantly playing with a bunch of 90′s midi gear (For the technical folk – Electribe es-1 + Ea-1 + Yamaha RX21 + BOSS DD-3 + internal feedback loops & various rack multi fx units = fun!). It’s nice to get away from the box and finally play something “live”. Even if I do just end up creating 20 minute cacophony i am am certainly having some fun. Many thanks to the Royal Mail and all those wonderful people putting old gear on ebay. I’ve got a few bits to ebay myself – perhaps I should start showing the love and giving some of my gear a new lease of life in another home. I’m just another sampler and a decent singing voice away from a live show now….perhaps I’ll spare you and keep it to the spare time 
This years “Projections”
Having just returned from a job in London i’m starting to think about the 2013-2014 financial year and what it will bring. Will we have another busy summer? I sure hope so. It sure looks that way thus far. Armed with experience & a driving license i’m hoping I can get round to even more jobs this year! Only time will tell but as the sun starts to rear it’s head and us techy types come around from hibernation I think there is air of confidence in me and my colleagues for the year ahead. Be it pointing projectors at the Intercontinental Westminster, editing from home or doing audio in exotic far away lands I know that my heart will always be running 110% for the project.
On the Hunt
So today i’m on the hunt. Makes you appreciate that this last year I’ve had work thrown at me from left right & centre. Well the cold of January has set in now so it’s time to edit those CV’s, dial those numbers & type those emails! Hopefully I can muster up a plan to get out of this snow! Until then I say……”Anyone got any jobs for me?”
Burnin’
Not only is Burnin’ a wonderful, harmonious, synth driven classic by Daft Punk but it’s also what i’ve been doing with a hell of a lot of CD’s as of late. All part of my New Years resolution to pay more attention to that wonderful art of simultaneous playback, of bandwidth fusion of the mix and the blend. I guess in a way I fell away from my love for the turntable, neglecting mixing & delving into deeper into sound and tech. Well now It’s time to pay some more attention to that mass of gear I live with, even if it is only to put a smile on my face.
Happy Hogmanay
So,
Another Year has drawn to a close. It’s been our biggest so far. I’ve had chance to work with people from all over the planet. My Arabic has improved as has my Spanish, unfortunately my French is still lacking despite the efforts from my two favourite French sound techs! My international English is fantastic, my german weak!
The best thing I’ve bought this year? A flight pillow – the thing has made my life heaven – even beats the Arduino I bought myself for X-mas!
The best thing I’ve learnt this year? Stick your neck out.
The best thing I’ve done this year? Wondered round the middle east alone.
The best place I’ve worked this year? The Shard was pretty tall!
The best gear I’ve used this year? Has to be anything by BrikWorm (these guys have literally made my year heaven with their toys! ( http://www.brikworm.co.uk/ )
The best song i’ve heard this year? Don’t be silly…..
The best piece of software I’ve come across this year? Meyers Prediction Software – hours of fun this one!
The things i’d change about last year? Be more vigilant, clients aren’t always 100% now are they!
The wisest words I heard in 2012? “ye cool, one second, i’ll just pull a projector out of my ass” (anonymous Canadian fellow)
Funniest technical issue of the year? Chasing stray cats out from under stages before they soil the place!
Biggest change of the year? Loving my almost instantaneous defeat of Vertigo. Now found clambering round grids, climbing ladders & working in cherry pickers around the globe!
Hopes for next year? Do more sound Op work & work on my basic DMX skills…….Not to mention A nice new car 
There’s probably a world of questions about the last year I could whine on about here. I think the most important thing I’ve taken away from the year is the experience, friendship & encouragement of all the people I have worked with over the year. For every nugget of advice, for every golden token of tech trick & for every job that has come my way – thanks
See you all in 2013
This is new Ice age
Hi all. Sorry that the website has frozen over. I’m working on yet another UN gig out in Qatar. The air-con is on far too high. But i’ve been having fun setting up a few rooms of audio and looking after a few of the local guys. I’ll write soon I promise. But getting some sun is the first thing i’ll do when I get a second – blogging can wait sorry. The UK is going to be cold this winter!
Knots
Mostly tying knots at the moment. Hitches & Swiss, Hitches & Swiss.
Some more eye candy
Hi,
Just added a few more snaps to the “look” page of my portfolio. Just a few things i’ve been up to recently
ADMIN ADMIN ADMIN
So i’m entering into my 6th month of this financial year 2012-2013 of our/your or everyone/ no one’s Lord. Time to look back and start on the wondrous task that is getting my accounts in order. What a joy. Time to flex excels auto summing muscles. I received a call from the wonderful people HM revenue & customs today. To my surprise rather than a grilling over my first years tax band, or demands for down payments I was met by piles of good advice on how to avoid paying any taxes at all! It seems that the wonderful lady on the other side of the phone thought i’d be best making investments in myself rather that pay any taxes in this the early stages of my career – “an remember if you don’t need to use up your capital investments this year don’t and save them for next year.”
I guess us self employed folk, that can’t afford to waste precious pennies on accountants. Are sympathised with & just perhaps regarded as valuable in society. I mean how much money have you brought into the UK from overseas lately? Perhaps, just perhaps the ‘man’ has realised that little old me is struggling by and he’s giving me a pat on the back for saying no to the dull, low paid 9-5 that people with an upbringing like mine are destined to serve in. A chance that the benefit & education system in this fine land has given me.
Never mistake humbleness for a lack of aspiration, that would be a grand mistake to make. For now I’m positive, the work is coming in and the tax man in my friend. I’m sure this will all change by the time i’ve done my accounts & received my first National Insurance bill. Maybe I missed out on Monte Carlo this time, maybe offers like that only come once in a lifetime. C’est la vie – one thing I know is I don’t dream of tax havens & off shore accounts. I dream of giving back to this wondrous society that we call Great Britain. These two islands on the western stream of okeanos – this elysium
