[Live] The Miller Test

Two Miller Test gigs coming up - one tomorrow at the Bully in Oxford and one on Saturday at the 229 Club in London on Saturday the 2nd of June. Jubilee celebrations indeed...

[Gear] No Input Mixing

I hadn't used this mixer for years, mainly because it sounds absolutely horrible and clips the minute you look at it in a very nasty way. It's a Behringer... I won't say any more than that.

Finally, however, I have found a use for it - no input mixing. This seems to be something it is vaguely good at. I created feedback loops all over the place with it as you can see, so every control actually affects the sound and unlike the other TEAC mixer I use for no input mixing, this one works in stereo. Some definitely good fun to be had by plugging and unplugging the connections to create some fairly intense bursts of noise. Interesting that both mixers sound different when you create feedback loops on them and work in different ways. I think I prefer the sound from the TEAC but that is currently being used as a prop in a play. Also, the Behringer is tiny so it's easy to carry around to gigs and stuff.

One really cool thing is that by using the headphone socket for the output the level of the output signal can be attenuated which doesn't happen on the TEAC. This is good because it means you're not just sending peak output to a PA or soundcard.

I used it on Resonance FM - more pics here where I played a couple of sets with Vultures Quartet and Anton Mobin who was over from Paris recording with us and playing live in London.

Anyway, nice to find a use for crappy old equipment that never really worked in any satisfactory way.

I am now wondering what would happen if I start trying this stuff with a 32 channel, 8 buss Mackie desk ;-)

[Update] All sorts of stuff

I just created one of those Facebook page thingies for my music. It's here: http://facebook.com/Astrometria 

I am adding all kinds of videos and stuff to it and it has a gig listing page - although that doesn't mean I won't be posting stuff on this blog or updating my website.

Also, I realise I haven't really been posting much on this blog for the last month or so apart from gig dates. Well, this is because I have been really busy, recording, rehearsing and gigging.

The recording stuff is going well - in fact I will be mixing a new version of Lacrosse by John Zorn this afternoon by Vultures Quartet which will hopefully be released on Zorn's label, Tzadik, along with some of his other "Game Pieces". These pieces are a lot of fun to play will feature guest musicians as well as the normal VQ line up.

The next Vultures Quartet release is currently being mastered - this will be called What's Wrong With Me and will initially be released as a vinyl picture disc (remember those?). It will be coming out on Zos Kia Sounds later this year, followed by a CD release which may or may not have different material on it - undecided at the moment.

So, lots going on and more to be done...

[Live] The Miller Test 10th May

I am playing with the Miller Test tomorrow... here are the details:

THE MILLER TEST IS LIVE AT THE WORKSHOP, OLD STREET, THURSDAY 10TH MAY, 8PM 

(Actually, the website is questionable - here and here might be more useful.)

£6 on the door, no messing about.

[Live] The Miller Test - 100 Club

The Miller Test return with a gig at the infamous 100 Club this Friday 20th April at 8pm. We've been working really hard on our set and are looking forward to playing this gig a lot - should be a lot of fun.

If you haven't heard what we do, you can hear it here on the "Ear, have a listen" page.  

[Live] Shugoran gig - 31st March

I am playing with Shugoran this Saturday, 31st March at Power Lunches in Dalston. It's a Transient Constellations event - always fun and weird. You will not be disappointed.

[Live] The Miller Test at Nambucca

Oh, yes, The Miller Test returns to Nambucca, this Thursday, 15th March at 10pm. We love it in there as the sound is great. So come and have a few shandies and a jump around.

[Live] The French Electric

I am playing synth with The French Electric on Saturday night (10th March) at the Buffalo Bar in Highbury. Should be an excellent night in a pleasant bar...

[Live] Videos added to astrometria.co.uk

Just found some videos online of Vultures Quartet - most notably footage from our 50th gig at Boat Ting in December 2011 and footage from a gig we did at Tate Britain in December 2010. There are some others from The Foundry (with Ampersand) and one from The Others.

I'd forgotten footage existed for these gigs. They're on my website.

Thanks to Giles for recording most of these. You can see more of his films of bands here on YouTube.

[Live] Vultures Quartet Live 18th Dec 2011

Vultures Quartet will be playing a short set at the Mopomoso Christmas Party, tomorrow (18th Dec) from around 7pm.

This takes place at the Vortex in Dalston.

Should be a lot of fun!

[Live] Gig with Vultures Quartet - 5th Dec 2011

I am playing with Vultures Quartet tomorrow night at Boat Ting - the information is slightly incorrect on the Boat Ting website as we are actually playing with Steve Beresford rather than Neil Packer.

This is our 50th gig so far and a bit of a celebration for us. Should be a lot of fun and we all enjoy playing with Steve, which is something we haven't done for a while.

[Live] The Miller Test and The French Electric

I played with The Miller Test on Friday at the Bowery which was a great gig, lots of people there, good venue and more importantly we played well. 

On Saturday (after about 4 hours sleep) I had to run sound again using the dreaded Yamaha 01v. This was for an Amnesty International benefit gig at the King's Head in Islington. The line up included Gagarin both solo and with Roshi on vocals and keyboard - I am something of a fan of the music they create together and really rate Gagarin as a solo artist. He's also worked with all sorts of people, Nico and John Cale  amongst them.

Also playing were the Rude Mechanicals - who are absolutely brilliant fun. 

Grassy Noel was reciting some of his poetry. There's a video of him doing just that at the Foundry on YouTube. Great to see him as I don't think I have seen him since the Foundry closed. Don't get me started on what happened to the Foundry - suffice to say I think it was criminal the way it was closed down and the reasons for it - it was the last outpost of anything decent in Shoreditch - an area which was truly re-established by the artistic community which has now been completely ousted by corporate crap and moronic lowest common denominator "entertainment".  At least the Foundry managed to stick it out for longer than  most.

There were other people playing but I can't remember who they were! Brilliant accordion player and a good singer songwriter.

After doing the sound I had to scoot off to a gig with The French Electric at a burlesque night at Dusk Till Dawn (or what used to be the Archway Tavern). It went pretty well. The picture above is of Simon (left) and Jim (right) at that very gig - thankfully I am not in the photo!

[Live] Vultures Quartet 04/09/11

Thanks to Giles for filming this, our first Vultures Quartet gig for months - I think the first one this year in fact. Went down really well with the audience. We had a lot of friends there this time, so thanks everyone for coming and supporting us - it was a fun night.

[Live] Vultures Quartet, The Cube, Bristol

Vultures Quartet have confirmed a gig at The Cube in Bristol on the 31st October 2011. More details to follow, but needless to say, Will is over the moon about playing a gig on Halloween!

I am sure we will have more upcoming gigs very soon when I get back from Edinburgh and Will has finally completed his PhD thesis. It's about time we did, VQ gigs have been far too thin on the ground this year.

[Live] The Miller Test

Playing live with The Miller Test at:

The Comedy

7 Oxendon Street

London

SW1 4EE

Not sure how much it will cost or what time we are on... as ever, no one has told me ;-)

[EDIT] Hilariously we managed to miss the gig as it was actually booked on the previous Wednesday! WHOOPS!

[Live] Holloway Arts Festival

I am playing live as part of the Holloway Arts Festival as part of the Nameless and Unexplained quintet on Saturday 11th June 2011 at 1pm. The address is:

The Old Fire Station

84 Mayton Street

N7 6QT

As far as I can see entry is free.

The quintet is 

Me - probably playing found objects and percussion

Sonia Paco-Rochia - Bassoon

Arthur Swindells - Brass (Arthur is the live sound engineer for Faust)

Daniel Thompson - Guitar

Will Connor - Percussion (and my bicycle as ever)

But we may well be performing as a sextet as Anthony from Vultures Quartet should be making it down to London and I imagine will be playing acoustic bass.

This is an ad hoc quintet or sextet (whatever it turns out to be).  It will be a 50 min totally acoustic set, totally improvised. I haven't even played with Arthur, Sonia or Daniel before, although I am familiar with Arthur's playing and I am recording some electro acoustic improvisations with Daniel and Will today.

[Live] The Miller Test at Cargo

We're playing at Cargo on Friday 13th May. I don't think we'll be listed as it's a last minute booking (obviously).  We're on at 7.45pm.

We'll be playing a new song amongst the other stuff too.

If you come to see us it's a fiver to get in - the usual price is £20 so if you like the place you can get in for £5 and stay all night. Just think of all the extra beer you can afford...

[Website] Updates

I have finally uploaded the other improvisations from Und to my website. These were performed by me, Seth Guy and Mark Pearce. Mark contributed vocals - some improvised some from texts and some old songs.

Mark also shot a couple of short videos of me and Seth explaining what we were doing and how. I can't say I really like seeing myself talking on film but, it's documentation I suppose.

I've also uploaded two videos of The Miller Test from a recent gig (13/04/11) at Nambucca a brilliant venue on Holloway Road in London. Apparently some of the PA was rescued from the recently demolished Astoria and it really does sound good in there. Turns out it is owned by the same bloke who owns the rehearsal studio we use who very kindly made us a cup of tea when we got there and shouted us a few drinks - not something that happens regularly!

[Live] The Miller Test, tonight

The Finsbury

336 Green Lanes, Manor House
London, U.K., N4 1BY UNITED KINGDOM