Figtree Food and Music

New song and Clip for "Elizabeth David" by Richard Lawson

2011-03-03T06:28:00.001+11:00

"Elizabeth David"...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jjC-YsKvPmU

A tribute to arguably the 20th Century's foremost cookery writer, Elizabeth David. She revolutionised English and European cuisine and opened the door for so called "Foodie" culture which still exists today. It features historical photos/original recipes and photos of her dishes and books. Richard Lawson ...noted Electronic musician and composer from Australia is also a cook/sometime farmer and "foodie" and whipped up this whimsical electronica piece whilst musing over the great womens life
This song was originally called "Cold Chipolata" because I was experimenting with Hot Chip like Musical structures...its not going to be on the upcoming Bread and Water release slated for June 2011.

A new show in a new town!!

2011-02-25T18:34:00.000+11:00

I have a last minute show coiming up tomorrow night at Roths Wine Bar in Mudgee starting at 7.30pm. It will be acoustic and will showcase one or two new songs Ive been workin on over the last week or two. Very excited to be back on old stomping ground and it will be the first solo gig Ive done in Mudgee

Death Knell for Excelsior Hotel Sydney

2011-02-22T05:57:00.000+11:00

Hi All
Another venue bites the dust with the sale of The Excelsior Hotel this week
http://themusic.com.au/newsletter/#excelsior-hotel-faces-unknown-future
After years of supporting bands and events.....

Audio Gourmet ...UK Net Label

2011-01-10T08:29:00.000+11:00

Ive just stumbled across this label/project via Sophie Hutchings thru my facebook.....
Harry Trowell is an avid ambient nut/musician/producer and has set up a great little label putting out free music under the creative commons licence and samplers under 15 minutes
Nothing with a discernible beat is used so that frees up the parametrers quite a lot
Have a look at his Audio Gourmet website and support....who knows you may even find me on his roster soon
Cheers
Richard

Figtree at Shoalhaven Food and Wine Show

2011-01-08T07:27:00.000+11:00

Hi All
This weekend of 8/9 Jan Figtree is at the Shoalhaven Food and Wine Show exhibiting/selling our Tapenades. Last year they had over 6000 visitors and some stalls sold out on the Saturday by lunch so we have benn warned . Over 100 stands from the area with food and wine and we are well cooked up [hopefully]

Stephen Cummings...a revelation

2011-01-06T09:55:00.000+11:00

Ive just stumbled upon Stephen Cummings website and his huge back catalogue and books....not by accident...I was looking for a like minded individual...in a state of emotional undress.
I first twigged when I saw his post on facebook this morning that he was disconnecting from social networks and writing a chapter a day on his "Train sessions"
Little did I know he is also a counsellor and a writer as well as singer for the great Australian Band 'The Sports'
There is some hope for me yet
I am writing but never publishing...that book of short stories will out itself oneday...but at present I am too busy trying to make a living for myself and Trish making Tapenades
Looking at Stephens work and reading the review of his Memoirs I did find a soul not unlike me [sorry to repeat] and his Spiritual Bum blog is looked forward to
Adieu

Richard Interview on 4ZZZ Tonight

2010-12-15T11:06:00.000+11:00

Hi All
Sky from the War is Peace show on 4ZZZ will be doing an indepth interview tonight on his show
You can stream here
http://www.4zzzfm.org.au/nowplaying/index.cfm?action=dsp_show&showID=171&day=4
He is agreat champion and really got my take on classical ambient music

Bells sirens and memories by Richard Lawson

2010-12-10T18:26:00.000+11:00

This is the 3rd feature clip from Richard Lawson's Figtree Renaissance II album. Inspired by sirens of the sea and bells from yesterday.....gorgeous visuals and medieval imagery of sea monsters. Mandolin and Double Bass by David Sparks of Pirate Studios Tathra
Enjoy......

Lime Spiders QLD Shows

2010-12-07T08:33:00.000+11:00

The Lime Spiders will playing at Coolangatta Hotel Fri 10 Dec and then onto Step In Brisbane on Sat Dec 11
Last shows for 2010

Radio Interviews 4ZZZ / ABC South East and Shoalhaven FM

2010-12-07T08:25:00.000+11:00

Have some interviews coming up on War is Peace on 4ZZZ with the wonderful Sky. She played Gulaga and Transport from the Figtree Renaissance II CD. That should be on air Mon 12 Dec
The ABC South East interview live to air with Tim Holt went really well and awaiting a podcast or link
Margaret Gillespie will be featuring me on 'Let the good times roll' on Thur 23 Dec

There are still some other shows that are in line to play Figtree Renaissance II and we will keep you posted

Electronica Show Playlist Nov 30 'Kraftwerk'

2010-11-29T18:13:00.001+11:00

The Electronica Show with Richard Lawson
9-11pm Tuesdays on Shoalhaven FM 104.5fm/92.3fm/99.7fm
http://www.shoalhavenfm.org.au/presenters.html#Richard_Lawson
http://www.facebook.com/richard.lawson1#!/pages/The-Electronica-Show/164804830208353

Playlist Nov 30 2010
TONIGHT IS Kraftwerk
www.kraftwerk.com

Kraftwerk Space Lab
Kraftwerk Kometenmelodie 2
Kraftwerk Radio Activity
Kraftwerk Tour de France
Kraftwerk The Model
Kraftwerk Trans Europe Express
Kraftwerk Kometenmelodie 1
Kraftwerk Autobahn
Kraftwerk Neon lights
Kraftwerk Pocket Calculator
Kraftwerk Numbers
Kraftwerk Music non stop
Kraftwerk The robots
Kraftwerk Computer Love
Kraftwerk Morgen Spaziergang
Kraftwerk Dentaku
Kraftwerk Mitternacht
Kraftwerk The Man machine

Playlist #19 [New Australian] Nov 23 Electronica Show Shoalhaven FM

2010-11-22T21:52:00.002+11:00

The Electronica Show with Richard Lawson
9-11pm Tuesdays on Shoalhaven FM 104.5fm/92.3fm/99.7fm
http://www.shoalhavenfm.org.au/presenters.html#Richard_Lawson
http://www.facebook.com/richard.lawson1#!/pages/The-Electronica-Show/164804830208353

Playlist # 18 Nov 16 2010
TONIGHT IS NEW Australian Music including a brand new selection of unsigned artists trawled from Bandcamp and Souncloud and Unearthed

Gypsy and the Cat Jona Vark
Electric Sea Spider Crayons
Oranje In my arms, we begin
Re enactment Nintendogs
Hailer Let it ride
Chris Mitchell 128
Duble dropa Robot Juice
Warm Winter Sky Gatehouse St
Cut Copy Out there on the ice
Loopsnake Seekae Void Remix
Defocus Surround
Raven/Peter Hollo Luminous
Trans sat Blue Mountain
Grun Common seabirds
We say Bamboulee Waiting in Wisconsin
Big Blue You are the one
Art vs Science Poulez Vous
Tame Impala I don’t really mind
Raven/Peter Hollo and so it goes
Loopsnake I speak no Americano[drift mix]
Lanie Lane What do I do
Hailer Let it ride
Grun Angry Bees
Max Smart To the Max

Airplay for Figtree Renaissance II TRACKS EVERYWHERE

2010-11-20T15:46:00.002+11:00

Hell yes
The CD is getting airplay on a few different radio programs...
Andrew Maxam from FBI' Radios 'Liquid Electric' played Eagle last night
4ZZZ played Transport last week and followed it up with Gulaga this week...amazing!!!!!and
ABC South East is featuring me next Friday at 10am...I might even be doing a live to air with my old mate from Lime Spiders/Pirate Studios Dave Sparks...fingers crossed on that one
Shoalhaven FM have been playing 'Glass Forest" and "Bells , sirens and memories"

All in all pretty full on and more to come yet
Richard

Playlist #18 [New Electro Pop] Nov 16 Electronica Show Shoalhaven FM

2010-11-15T22:04:00.001+11:00

The Electronica Show with Richard Lawson
9-11pm Tuesdays on Shoalhaven FM 104.5fm/92.3fm/99.7fm
http://www.shoalhavenfm.org.au/presenters.html#Richard_Lawson
http://www.facebook.com/richard.lawson1#!/pages/The-Electronica-Show/164804830208353

Playlist # 18 Nov 16 2010
TONIGHT IS NEW ELECTRO POP

Gypsy and the Cat Jona Vark
Cut Copy Voicesin Quartz/Hearts on fire
Justice New Jack
Bloc Party Huntin for Witches
Beach House Norway
Roisin Murphy Overpowered
Digitalism Zdarlight
Chemical Brothers Burst Generator
Air How does it feel to feel
Calvin Harris Merrymaking at my place
PNAU Wild Strawberries
Fatboy Slim Brimful of Asha
Basement Jaxx Intro/Hush Boy
Hot Chip Slush
UNKLE Cant stop
Klaxons Golden Skins
LCD Soundsystem Daft Punk at my house
Daft Punk Television rules the nation
Chemical Brothers The Golden Path
Air Cherry Blossom Girl
Panda Bear Comfortable in Nautica
Radiohead Jigsaw Falling into place
School of seven bells Half asleep
The ruby Suns Closet Astrologer

Playlist #14 [Ambient] Nov 9 Electronica Show Shoalhaven FM

2010-11-08T19:11:00.000+11:00

The Electronica Show with Richard Lawson
9-11pm Tuesdays on Shoalhaven FM 104.5fm/92.3fm/99.7fm
http://www.shoalhavenfm.org.au/presenters.html#Richard_Lawson
Playlist # 17 Nov 9 2010

TONIGHT IS AMBIENT CHILLZONE

Daniel Lanois/Brian Eno/Roger Eno An ending/Ascent
Moebius/Roedelius/Plank/Eno Johanneslust
William Bowden Lady of the lake
Lanois/Eno/Eno Deep Blue Day
Grun Hasina
Brian Eno Slow water
Arvo Part Fratres
Enya Lothlorien
Clannad Harrys Game
Eno Becalmed
Andrew Thomas Wilson Movement One
Steve Kilbey Napoleans Army
Moebius/Roedelius/Plank/Eno Two oldtimers
David Sylvian Nostalgia
David Bowie Art decade
Moby Down Slow/Inside
Vangelis Memories of green
Tangerine Dream Love on a real train
Not drowning waving Water drops
Phillip Glass Powaqquatsi

Electronica Show Playlist #16 'Roxy Music' Feature Artist Nov 2 2010 Shoalhaven FM

2010-11-01T18:30:00.000+11:00

The Electronica Show with Richard Lawson
9-11pm Tuesdays on Shoalhaven FM 104.5fm/92.3fm/99.7fm
http://www.shoalhavenfm.org.au/presenters.html#Richard_Lawson
Playlist # 16 Nov 2 2010

TONIGHTs FEATURED ARTIST IS ROXY MUSIC / BRYAN FERRY

Roxy Music In every dream home a heartache
Roxy Music For your pleasure
Roxy Music Remake Remodel
Roxy Music The thrill of it all
Roxy Music Sentimental Fool
Bryan Ferry Heart on my sleeve
Roxy Music Same old scene
Roxy Music Out of the blue
Roxy Music Triptych
Roxy Music Both ends burning
Roxy Music The Bob
Roxy Music The Bogus Man
Roxy Music Love is the drug
Roxy Music Over you
Roxy Music Strictly confidential
Roxy Music Editions of you
Bryan Ferry Sea Breezes
Bryan Ferry Lets stick together
Roxy Music Three and nine
Roxy Music Eight miles high
Roxy Music Flesh and Blood
Roxy Music She sells
Roxy Music 2HB
Roxy Music Chance meeting
Roxy Music Nightingale
Bryan Ferry Casanova
Roxy Music If there is something

Horse and Camel CD Launch 30 Oct

2010-11-01T02:25:00.003+11:00

The weather cruelled the numbers a bit at the launch of Figtree Renaissance II at Horse and Camel but those that were there enjoyed a mix of the album ,some spontaneous compositions plus some guitar favourites...special thanks again to Bruce and Janinka...the best wine bar on the South Coast

Here are some fab piccies by Trish

Check ya

Rich

Record labels: Change or Die!!

2010-10-30T08:24:00.002+11:00

Trish found me this article on the changing landscape of the music industry and some of the statistics are very frightening for majors...its a lot worse than what I thought and backs up my approach to indie/alternative music even more
http://www.gizmodo.com.au/2010/03/record-labels-change-or-die/

2nd Film Clip 'Transport' from Richard Lawson album Figtree Renaissance II up on youtube.

2010-10-26T10:47:00.004+11:00

Hi All
Here is the 2nd clip from the upcoming 'Figtree Renaissance II' ALBUM.
Its here on youtube
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-OsYuo1ggYc

The song is called 'Transport', and in my head images of traffic busily beavering way into the city at night have stayed with me since I wrote it in April 09. The song originally was a rock song and is to be heard on 'Bread and Water'...only available online
Then I had a little outro added onto the original...classical in make up...it took on a life of its own and is now a stand alone composition
The images are all clip art apart from some on the ground scenes around Sydney shot by my Lovely wife for Puddleduck Photos
I hope you enjoy it...I certainly found myself drawn into its narrative
Cheers
Richard

Photos from Richard Lawson / Figtree Renaissance II Kiama Arts Society Show 22 Oct 2010

2010-10-25T03:22:00.003+11:00

Here are some shots from the weekends debut performance by Richard Lawson of the new CD Figtree Renaissance II. Plenty of great feedback and a sign of things to come. Music ands Art

Cheers

Richard

Electronica Show Playlist 'Euro Pop" #15 Oct 26 2010 Shoalhaven FM

2010-10-25T03:13:00.002+11:00

The Electronica Show with Richard Lawson
9-11pm Tuesdays on Shoalhaven FM 104.5fm/92.3fm/99.7fm
http://www.shoalhavenfm.org.au/presenters.html#Richard_Lawson
Playlist # 15 Oct 26 2010

TONIGHT IS “EURO-POP” ELECTRONICA

Genesis Invisible Touch
Orchestral Manouvres in dark Georgia
Korgis Everbodys gotta learn
Bowie Sound and Vision
Kraftwerk The Model
Simple Minds Glittering Prize
ABC Poison Arrow
Duran Duran Planet Earth
Visage Fade to grey
Gary Numan Cars
John Foxx Europe after the rain
Ultravox All stood still
Digitalism Pogo
Justice D-A-N-C-E
Air Sexy Boy
Daft Punk One more time
Cocteau Twins Blue Bell Knoll
New Order Blue Monday
Joy Division Love will tear us apart
Flowers We can get together
Sparks When Im with you
Roxy Music Virginia Plain

Music for Films 7 Live debut Figtree Renaissance II

2010-10-22T10:15:00.003+11:00

Well here I go...into the land of Figtree Renaissance again and playing live.
I havent played keys live for sooooooooooo looonnggg and especially not the Figtree Renaissance stuff. Its now under my own name granted but the meat of the music came out of Figtree Renaissance whose first CD in 1995 started me on that road.
Since then Ive been diverted into Folk music with Blue Valentine and Home Rule and Garage Punk again with various Lime Spiders reformations and cheesy Euro Pop dance with FTR.
All I really wanted to do was this music for films. Be it soundtrack/instrumental/ambient...it was always a vehicle for musical dreaming.

I set no parameters and there might be elements of classical and electronic in there.
It is already getting rave reviews from friends and acquaintances in the industry including the respected new age artist Fiona Joy Hawkins who has said I definitely have a sound and its great.

Tonight I play at the 32nd Annual Kiama Arts exhibition which is where I want to be exactly. I am playing the whole of the Figtree Renaissance II with backing. I will be adlibbing live over the top of it in a very organic manner...soo I better rehearse again
Wish me luck
Richard

Playlist #14 [Classical] Oct 19 Electronica Show Shoalhaven FM

2010-10-18T21:40:00.001+11:00

The Electronica Show with Richard Lawson
9-11pm Tuesdays on Shoalhaven FM 104.5fm/92.3fm/99.7fm
http://www.shoalhavenfm.org.au/presenters.html#Richard_Lawson
Playlist # 14 Oct 19 2010

TONIGHT IS “CLASSICAL” ELECTRONICA

Arvo Part Fratres
Clannad Theme from Harrys Game
Loreena McKennitt Kecharitomene
Harold Budd Down the fields to the meadow
Libera Vespera
Debussy Claire de Lune
Enya Lothlorien
UNKLE Lonely Soul
Andrew Thomas Wilson Movement One [Beginnings]
Libera Mysterium
Moby My weakness
Figtree Renaissance Epitaph
Midnight Oil Outside World
Phillip Glass In the Upper room [Dance V]
Penguin Café Orchestra Music for Found Harmonium
Café del mar Aria 3
Tangerine Dream Song for a whale
Goldfrapp Clowns
Enya Consum Perficio
Bowie/Eno/Phillip Glass ‘Low’Symphony Subterraneans
Kronos Quartet/Hendrix Purple Haze
Justice Genesis
Vangelis Memories of Green

Richard Lawson / Figtree Renaissance II at 32nd Annual Kiama Arts exhibition opening

2010-10-15T09:27:00.002+11:00

Hi all

All welcome and only $10 from 7pm on Friday 22nd Oct at Kiama Leagues Club, Terralong St Kiama

Ive been preparing backings and rehearsing for the upcoming gig performing background soundscapes for the 32nd Annual Kiama Arts Society Exhibition opening night. Kerry Suttonberg, respected local artist and member of the Teal Group recommended me and is a big fan.
Awards and nibblies and I will be performing tracks from my Figtree Renaissance II RELEASE plus some old tracks and new compositions.
Hopefully see you on night
Richard

New jam experiments for Figtree

2010-10-13T12:48:00.002+11:00

Hi everyone
Im trying some new combinations to bolster our Jam range...
Originally we had the 3 tapenades [Garlic and Olive/Fig and Olive/Sun Dried Tomato and Olive Tapenade] and 2 jams...[Pear and Vanilla/Beetroot and Onion]
Im dumping the Pear and Vanilla in favour of Pear/Lemon and Ginger and trying out a Apple/Celery and Mint Jam.
Let you know how they go
Richard

Playlist #13 [Ambient] Oct 12 Electronica Show Shoalhaven FM

2010-10-12T09:40:00.000+11:00

The Electronica Show with Richard Lawson
9-11pm Tuesdays on Shoalhaven FM 104.5fm/92.3fm/99.7fm
http://www.shoalhavenfm.org.au/presenters.html#Richard_Lawson
Playlist # 13 Oct 12 2010

TONIGHT IS CHILLZONE AMBIENT

Stefan Kaske Oxygene 4
Tangerine Dream Love on a real train
Jean Michel Jarre Equinox 5
Brian Eno A clearing/Becalmed
Vangelis La petite fille de la mer
Daft Punk Fresh
Kraftwerk Spacelab
Phillip Glass Video Dream
St Germain Rose Gouge
The Knife Silent shout
Aphe Twin Flim
Chemical Bothers Hold tight London
Air Cherry Blosson Girl
Orchestral Maneuvers in dark Souveneir
David Bowie Art decade
Penguin Café Orchestra Perpetuum Mobile
William Bowden Lady of the lake
Cocteau Twins Lazy Calm
Massive attack Protection
Simple Minds Seeing out the angel
New Order Temptation
Air How does it feel to feel

Playlist #12 [Australian] Oct 5 Electronica Show Shoalhaven FM

2010-10-05T07:40:00.001+11:00

The Electronica Show with Richard Lawson
9-11pm Tuesdays on Shoalhaven FM 104.5fm/92.3fm/99.7fm
http://www.shoalhavenfm.org.au/presenters.html#Richard_Lawson
Playlist # 12 Oct 5 2010

“TONIGHT IS AUSTRALIAN ELECTRONIC NIGHT
FTR Paradise
Cut Copy Time Stands still
Icehouse Cant help myself
Regurgitator Love and Paranoia
Bluejuice Vitriol
Presets My people
Architecture in Helsinki Hold Music
Midnight Juggernauts Into the galaxy
Tame Impala Why don’t you make up your mind
INXS What you need
Happyland Hello
Cut copy Feel the love
Figtree Renaissance Bells of nowhere
Icehouse Uniform
Gotye Hearts a mess
Sneaky sound system UFO
Cut Copy Heats on fire
Urthboy We get round
FTR Egypt

Music for films 6 with Mat de Koning

2010-10-01T07:52:00.002+10:00

http://www.awesomearts.com/festival/view/2010festival/event/39
Some of my music is featured in the upcoming Arts Caravan doco by Mat de Koning
He picked "Undersea" from the Figtree Renaissance II CD... a brooding dark underwater piece which fits perfectly. I ve seen the rushes and they are beautiful. Stay tuned
It will be part of awesome arts festival

Electronica Show Playlist 'German Krautrock' #11 Sept 28 2010 Shoalhaven FM

2010-09-28T12:49:00.002+10:00

The Electronica Show with Richard Lawson
9-11pm Tuesdays on Shoalhaven FM 104.5fm/92.3fm/99.7fm
http://www.shoalhavenfm.org.au/presenters.html#Richard_Lawson

Playlist # 10 Sept 21 2010
“TONIGHT IS GERMAN KRAUTROCK NIGHT
Kraftwerk The Model
Tangerine Dream Dream is always the same
Stefan Kluske Oxygene 4
Can Gomorrha
Digitalism Magnets
Kalanscu Quartet Autobahn [Orchestral]
David Bowie [from Low] Breaking Glass
A new career in a new town
Harmonia Deluxe
Tangerine Dream Love on a real train
Aphew Twin Come to daddy
Can EFS No 7/ Blue Bag
Digitalism Home
Kraftwerk Numbers
Tangerine Dream Rubycon Pt1 Excerpt
Harmonia Notre Dame
Stefan Kluske EQUINOX 5
Aphex Twin Funny little man
Can Connection
Kraftwerk Spacelab
Digitalism Idealistic
Tangerine Dream Burning Bar
Song for the whale
Can EFS No 8
Digitalism Jupiter 1 and 2

Lotsa Gigs in October for Upcoming cd releases

2010-09-26T17:44:00.003+10:00

I have a few shows lined up fOR October from Festivals to markets to wine bars to art shows....A lot happening...this is the busiest Ive ever been!!!!!!!!!!!

Fri Oct 1 Tea Club as part of Manse Teacher/Student night playing in Guitar mode
Sat Oct 9 Bowral Growers Market in Instrumental Ambient mode as a preview of upcoming Figtree Renaissance II RELEASE
Fri Oct 22 Opening night Kiama Arts Society 32nd Annual Art Exhibition [Kiama Leagues Club] in Instrumental AMBIENT MODE
Sat Oct 23 Kiama Produce Market at Black Beach Kiama [TBC] in Guitar Mode
Sun Oct 24 Kangaroo Valley Folk Festival [TBC]
Sat Oct 30 Horse and Camel Wine Bar Bermagui Figtree Renaissance II CD LAUNCH
Cheers
Richard

Electronica Show Playlist "Ladies Zone" #10 Sept 21 2010 Shoalhaven FM

2010-09-20T18:27:00.002+10:00

The Electronica Show with Richard Lawson
9-11pm Tuesdays on Shoalhaven FM 104.5fm/92.3fm/99.7fm
http://www.shoalhavenfm.org.au/presenters.html#Richard_Lawson

Playlist # 10 Sept 21 2010
“TONIGHT IS LADIES’ ZONE”

Susanna and the Magical Orchestra Love will tear us apart
Maggie Reilly/Mike Oldfield Moonlight Shadow
Groove Armada/Fatboy Slim I see you babe
Klaxons Atlantis to Interzone
Roisin Murphy Overpowered
Architecture in Helsinki Heart it races
Basement Jaxx Take me back to your house
Chemical Brothers Song to the siren
FTR Purple Patch
Inertia vs Sophie Sugar The System
Sneaky Sound System UFO
Happyland Don’t you know who I am
Beach House Norway
Air/Beth Hirsch All I need
Enya Orinocco Flow
Clannad Ancient Forest
Phillip Glass/Linda Ronstadt Freezing
Café Del Mar Aria
Tegan and Sara Back in your head
Portishead Mourning Air
Massive Attack Unfinished Sympathy
Goldfrapp Clowns
Siouxsie and the Banshees Strange Fruit
Cocteau Twins Pink Orange Red
Enya Shepherd Moons

Electronica Show Playlist 'Hot chip and Goldfrapp'#9 Sept7 2010 Shoalhaven FM

2010-09-06T19:10:00.002+10:00

The Electronica Show with Richard Lawson
9-11pm Tuesdays on Shoalhaven FM
104.5fm/92.3fm
http://www.shoalhavenfm.org.au/presenters.html#Richard_Lawson
Playlist # 9 Sept 7, 2010
SEPT FEATURED ARTIST HOTCHIP / GOLDFRAPP

Hot chip Ready for the floor
Hot chip Hand me down your love
Goldfrapp A and E
Goldfrapp Strict Machine
Hot chip And I was a boy from School
Goldfrapp Deep honey
Goldfrapp Happiness
Hot chip Wrestlers
Hot chip Shake a fist
Hot chip Thieves in the night
Goldfrapp Train
Goldfrapp Caravan Girl
Hot chip One life stand
Hot chip Bendable posable
Hot chip Over and over
Goldfrapp Black Cherry
Goldfrapp Little bird
Hot chip I feel better
Hot chip Colours
Goldfrapp Tiptoe
Goldfrapp Clowns
Hot chip Slush
Hot chip Were lookin for a lot of love
Goldfrapp Twist
Hot chip Don’t dance
Goldfrapp Cologne Cerrone Houdini
Hot chip The Warning

New Richard Lawson Clips on you tube

2010-09-03T08:32:00.002+10:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e53syWH-dPE
Here is a taster for the up and coming 'Figtree RenaissanceII' Album. Its a lovely little clip I put together to go with one of the lead tracks , 'Glass Forest'. Great forest images and some surreal elements

Electronica Show Playlist "Ambient Chillzone" #8 Aug 31 2010 Shoalhaven FM

2010-08-29T15:41:00.002+10:00

The Electronica Show with Richard Lawson
9-11pm Tuesdays on Shoalhaven FM
104.5fm/92.3fm
http://www.shoalhavenfm.org.au/

Playlist # 8 Aug 31 2010
“TONIGHT IS AMBIENT ZONE”

Enigma Second Chapter
Eno Everything merges with the night
The Cinematic Orchestra To build a home
Phillip Glass Theme from Upper Room
Mike Oldfield Blue Saloon/Tubular Bells II
Icehouse Icehouse
Enya Shepherd Moon
Not Drowning Waving Water Drops
Figtree Renaissance After the Fall
William Bowden Lady of the lake
John Elder Bin Dancing
Aphex Twin Flim
Goldfrapp Black Cherry
Simple Minds Colours fly and Catherine Wheel
David Bowie Weeping Wall
Harold Budd Arcadia/Dead Horse
Penguin Café Orchestra Air
Libera Mysterium/Angelis
Enya Storms in Africa
Moby Rushing
Air New star in the sky
Cut Copy Midnight Runner
Tom Kazas Wednesday Song
Clannad Lady Marian

Live Vid from the Excelsior w Grooveyard 28 Aug 2010

2010-08-29T15:38:00.002+10:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8CjYhS4vCh4
Last night at the Excelsior Hotelwas fantastic with Grooveyard
Havent played together since 1984 but it seemed like yesterday and there will be more gigs
I played some Tambourine and sang half the set to get Sean Maguire in on the action as well

Web Links UP ON Shoalhaven FM

2010-08-21T15:57:00.002+10:00

There is now a link off the Shoalhaven FM website to my show....podsast hopefully to follow
http://www.shoalhavenfm.org.au/profile/Richard_Lawson.html

Playlist #7 [Seventies] Aug 17 Electronica Show Shoalhaven FM

2010-08-17T08:38:00.002+10:00

The Electronica Show with Richard Lawson
9-11pm Tuesdays on Shoalhaven FM
104.5fm/92.3fm
http://www.shoalhavenfm.org.au/

Playlist # 7 Aug 17 2010 Double Play in the Seventies

Speed of life David Bowie
Sound and Vision David Bowie
Autobahn Kraftwerk
Neon Lights Kraftwerk
Virginia Plain Roxy Music
If there is something Roxy Music
Games without Frontiers Peter Gabriel
Shock the monkey Peter Gabriel
La Dolce Vita Sparks
No 1 Song in heaven Sparks
Here he comes Eno
St Elmos Fire Eno
Burning Bar Tangerine Dream
Beach Scene Tangerine Dream
Bizarre Love Triangle New Order
Temptation New Order
Love Song Simple Minds
Life in a day Simple Minds
Pandora Cocteau Twins
Carolyns Fingers Cocteau Twins
Hymn Vangelis
Main theme from ‘Missing’ Vangelis
New Europeans Ultravox
Sleepwalk Ultravox

Electronica Show Playlist #6 Aug 10 2010 Shoalhaven FM

2010-08-10T08:16:00.001+10:00

The Electronica Show with Richard Lawson
9-11pm Tuesdays on Shoalhaven FM
104.5fm/92.3fm
http://www.shoalhavenfm.org.au/

Playlist # 6 Aug 10 2010

Porpoise Song The Monkees
I travel Simple Minds
Nightclubbing Iggy Pop
Sexy Boy Air
Girl U want Devo
Feel the Love Cut Copy
Purple Patch FTR
Going wrong Armin Van Buuren
Rivers of Belief Enigma
Zdarlight Digitalism
Das Spiegel Chemical Bros
Around the World Daft Punk
Exchange Massive Attack
When Im with you Sparks
Lazy Calm Cocteau Twins
Vienna Ultravox
In too deep Genesis
Radioactivity Kraftwerk
Beach Theme Tangerine Dream
Sign o the times Prince
Colours Hot Chip

Playlist #5 [Chemical Brothers] Aug 3 Electronica Show Shoalhaven FM

2010-08-02T17:31:00.002+10:00

The Electronica Show with Richard Lawson
9-11pm Tuesdays on Shoalhaven FM
104.5fm/92.3fm
http://www.shoalhavenfm.org.au/
Playlist #5 Aug 3 2010
FEATURED ARTIST CHEMICAL BROTHERS

Song to the Siren Chemical Brothers
The golden path Chemical Brothers
Music : Response Chemical Brothers
Das Spiegel Chemical Brothers
Hold Tight London Chemical Brothers
Star Guitar Chemical Brothers
Leave Home Chemical Brothers
Marvo Ging Chemical Brothers
Under the Influence Chemical Brothers
Block Rockin beats Chemical Brothers
Hey Boy Hey Girl Chemical Brothers
Do it again Chemical Brothers
Private Psychaedelic Reel Chemical Brothers
Believe Chemical Brothers
Let Forever Be Chemical Brothers
Out of Control Chemical Brothers
Chicos groove Chemical Brothers
Sunshine Underground Chemical Brothers
Setting Sun Chemical Brothers
Asleep from day Chemical Brothers
The test Chemical Brothers
Dream on Chemical Brothers
We are the night Chemical Brothers

Electronica Show Playlist #4 27 July 2010 Shoalhaven FM

2010-07-26T12:41:00.003+10:00

The Electronica Show with Richard Lawson
9-11pm Tuesdays on Shoalhaven FM
104.5fm/92.3fm
http://www.shoalhavenfm.org.au/

Playlist #4 27 July 2010
This week is a very laid back ambient program....lots of time for reflection and lots of .....

David Bowie Art decade
Roxy Music Chance meeting
Brian Eno Becalmed
Harold Budd/Brian Eno Bright stream with small fishes
Andrew Thomas Wilson Movement one
Simple Minds Somebody up there likes you
William Bowden Dream of the currawong
Vangelis Theme from “Antartica”
Phillip Glass Theme form “Powaqqatsi”
Harold Budd Down the fields to the meadow
Enya Cursum Perficio
Libera Jubilate
Figtree Renaissance Undersea
Phillip Glass Theme from “Thin Blue Line”
Tom Kazas Eastern Expanse

Electronica Show Playlist #3 20 July 2010 Shoalhaven FM

2010-07-19T18:10:00.001+10:00

a bit more of a rockin affair this week

The Electronica Show with Richard Lawson
9-11pm Tuesdays on Shoalhaven FM
104.5fm/92.3fm
http://www.shoalhavenfm.org.au/

playlist #3 20 July 2010

fatboy slim Rockefeller skank
tame impala I don’t really mind
joy division love will tear us apart
hot chip and I was a boy from school
peter Gabriel red rain
gotye hearts a mess
prince kiss
simple minds the American
u2 miss Sarajevo
phillip glass serra pelada
sanctus libera
whirling hall of knives 2 bar heater and smoke
brian eno a clearing
Vangelis bladerunner theme
Air how2 does it make you feel
Roisin Murphy overpowered
Chemical bros believe
Justice newjack
Architecture in Helsinki heart it races
Calvin harris this is the industry
Lcd soundsystem tribulations
Portishead cowboys
Klaxons atlantis to interzone
Daft punk rollin and scratchin
David bowie art decade
Roxy music the bob [medley]
Kraftwerk numbers
Basement jaxx take me back to your house

Music for films 5 Sydney Film School

2010-07-15T10:56:00.002+10:00

Hi All
Im in contact with Uracha Oliver and John from Sydney Film School and they are interested in my offer of music for some of their students.
Invited up to screenings during holidays and some of the students will be getting in contact with me in August when they look at post production
Richard

Electronica Show Playlist #2 13 July 2010 Shoalhaven FM

2010-07-11T19:01:00.002+10:00

Hi all
Here is playlist number 2...I had the time of my life last week and still a few mistakes and accidents but live radio is a beautiful thing....any requests let us know

The Electronica Show with Richard Lawson
9-11pm Tuesdays on Shoalhaven FM
104.5fm/92.3fm
http://www.shoalhavenfm.org.au/

#2 13 July 2010

Simple minds new gold dream
Harmonia deluxe
Chemical bros let forever be
Tangerine dream song of the whale
Sparks no. 1 song in heaven
Elbow scattered blacks and whites
Unkle lonely souls
Presets my people
U2 numb
Can tv spot
Café del mar opera interlude
Kraftwerk pocket calculator
Daft punk daftendirekt
Mike oldfield crises
Pink Floyd astronomie dominie
Moby the sky is broken
John foxx burning car
Gary numan down in the park
William bowden lady of the lake

Richards DEBUT Electronica Radio Show on Shoalhaven FM

2010-07-05T18:35:00.002+10:00

6th July 2010
Yes its my first show on Shoalhaven FM
Tuesdays 9-11pm
Here is playlist
The Electronica Show with Richard Lawson
9-11pm Tuesdays on Shoalhaven FM
http://www.shoalhavenfm.org.au/

#1 6 July 2010

Kraftwerk Autobahn
Hotchip One life stand
Cutcopy Hearts on Fire
Vangelis Pictures of green
Roxy Music Remake Remodel
FTR Egypt
Chemical Bros Galaxy Bounce remix
Daft Punk aero dynamic
Iggy Pop Sister Moonlight
Teardrop massive attack
David Bowie Warsawza
Brian Eno quartz
Kraftwerk Neon Lights
Tangerine dream burning bar
Gondwanaland ephemeral lakes
Brian eno slow water
Ultravox sleepwalk
Digitalism idealistic
Devo jocko homo

6 little pieces for film

2010-06-24T00:59:00.002+10:00

Im working on a set of themes ostensibly for film use. Currently in contact with Mat De Koning [Tropfest Best Experimental 2007/Katoomba Best Drama 2010 w Burleigh Smith] and Byron Quandary [Dragonfly Film Fest Winner 2010] re their use but all the same I am using them as a an excuse to come up with the goods
I might also put them together or edit them onto one mp3 for use in email...let me know if you want one
Ranging from Theme for a foggy London night to Theme for the Upper Room...sparse and repetitive
Im keeping the cubase on and returning to it daily ...hourly sometimes
Its raining outside and 1.15am
Nice

Lou Reed "Presents' on ABC Radio National

2010-05-30T19:11:00.002+10:00

In the great tradition of Bob Dylan and his Radio Show and the Cartoonist Robert Crumbs Radio Show ;here in Australia we have Lou Reed presenting the Shuffle on ABC Radio National. He will be presenting all week from 31 May replacing Daily Planet. Lucky Oceans Im sure will be pleased...it sounded like he was when he announced it on ABC tonight

Digital Distribution...Tunecore vs Reverbnation

2010-05-28T07:38:00.006+10:00

Ive just been toodling [???] round on my facebook having lots of fun [sic] with their myband application and Ive been looking at whether to go with tunecore or cdbaby [whom Ive used for the last 3 years] and now I see reverbnation are in the digital picture.
Its such a myriad of options for the digital age and I just commented on Chris Gilbeys blog last night as to the loss of copyright and/or royalties and the total remaking of the buying audience/public. The Lime Spiders have been ticking over sales with the digital side of their last Figtree release "LIve at the Esplanade" FT102 BUT the physical sales have collapsed....ditto for FTR and Blue Valentine.
2 new releases are slated for September 2010 from Richard Lawson and once again the playing field has shifted.

Music for films 4 Vangelis/Bladerunner

2010-05-23T08:42:00.003+10:00

One of my all time favourite synth kings is Vangelis and this is one of his finest film scores from 1983...it includes "Memories of green" a lilting piece which so contrasts with the dark menace of the lead track...love the timpanis in it
Even though it was nominated for a BAFTA for music accompaniment the soundtrack was not released on Polydor for 10 years?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blade_Runner_(soundtrack)

Facebook | Your Photos - Tame Impala Gaelic Club May `16 2010

2010-05-18T09:59:00.000+10:00

Facebook Your Photos - Tame Impala Gaelic Club May `16 2010: "http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2064467&id=1281723901&l=70f3dd6c7d"

Music for films 3 Stanley Kubrick

2010-05-18T08:27:00.003+10:00

http://www.kirjasto.sci.fi/kubrick.htm
One of the most original filmmakers of the 20th Century Stanley Kubrick placed music front and centre in his films...witness "Thus spake Zarathustra" by Ricard Strauss in 2001 A space odyssey....

Facebook | Richard Lawson

2010-05-17T13:27:00.000+10:00

Facebook Richard Lawson: "g'day Richard.playing one of your compositions 'The Odyssey' on my radio show tonight. cheers shaun http://www.wowfm1007.com.au/"

Music for films 2

2010-05-14T19:49:00.003+10:00

John Paul Jones recent of Crooked Vultures and Led Zeppelin reunions still does film work and I spotted him on Brian Enos Music for Films II
John Paul Jones Featuring Jimmy Page ● Jon Anderson - Music From The Film Scream For Help (LP) at Discogs

Music for films

2010-05-14T09:27:00.001+10:00

Mat de Konings 2007 entry for Tropfest...best experimental

Hope to be doing some commission work for him with new Figtree Renaissance instrumental album...soon to be released

Facebook | The Sydney Trade Union Club Revival 1981-1988

2010-05-14T09:23:00.000+10:00

Facebook The Sydney Trade Union Club Revival 1981-1988: "The Sydney Trade Union Club Revival 1981-1988 August 27th & 28th. Excelsior Hotel Surry Hills
The original 1982 line up of The Johnnys (Roddy Ray’da, Graham Hood & Billy Pommer Jnr). Grooveyard,
The Party Bores (members of The Eastern Dark, Trans 262, Psychotic Turnbuckles"

Tuition year begins at Nowra

2010-02-07T16:50:00.003+11:00

I have started teaching out of new studios at Nowra. Situated in "The Manse" at the Anglican Church presbytery in 3 Kinghorne St [Centre of town], I already have up to 11 students...all vocal. Contact me on 0447036783 for details.

Lime Spiders East Coast tour

2009-12-03T08:26:00.001+11:00

Lime Spiders shows are here for Christmas
goto
www.limespidersmusic.com
for details

Richard Solo shows

2009-12-03T08:24:00.001+11:00

Ive started playing solo shows with some of my originals and fave songs in a acoustic unplugged mode and getting lots of work down here on the South Coast....go to www.myspace.com/richardlawsonmusic for photoes and details

Drummer for FTR

2009-07-01T10:32:00.001+10:00

Now FTR has to have a weird line up on stage
Richard on Keys/Vox/Guitar/Programming
Ben on DJ
AND ANNOUNCING OUR NEW DRUMMER ...CHANTELLE
Pics on their myspace
www.myspace.com/officialftr

Blue Valentine moving operations to South Coast NSW 2009

2009-06-18T02:00:00.002+10:00

Yes the roots sound of Blue Valentine
www.myspace.com/bluevalentineaustralia
is now on the South Coast round Kiama/Berry/Wollongong
Looking for guitarist and/or Backing vox

Lime Spiders QLD shows in Sept 2009 and VINYL/VINYL/VINYL???

2009-06-18T01:55:00.003+10:00

Also pricing underway for a double gatefold of Live Album with American subsidiary...stay tuned!!!

Lime Spiders have announced some shows in Sept 2009 at the Miami Tavern Gold Coast and Step Inn in Brisbane....
An undisclosed gig is on the cards for Sydney
www.limespidersmusic.com
www.myspace.com/officiallimespiders

NEW WEBSITE FOR FTR!!!!

2009-06-18T01:54:00.001+10:00

www.electronicpop.com.au
www.ftrpop.com
www.ftrmusic.com.au

ALL GO TO SAME ....YEAH

New Single from FTR,,,Paradise/Cover Girl

2009-06-18T01:46:00.002+10:00

Electro fighters FTR are puting out their 2nd EP called Cover Girl...it features a double A SIDE with Paradise and that clip has been getting a lot of attention on youtube
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0fd9y_f1ZTs
Copies going out now for radio and press...stay tuned
Also on FTR front they are trying out some female drummers for their frenetic live set...piccy here from last years Sugarbowl in Bondi
http://viewmorepics.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=viewImage&friendID=362695284&albumID=830616&imageID=9963547#a=830616&i=9963548

NEW NEW NEW
Rich
17-6-09

Lime Spiders licensed into America, Japan and South America

2009-03-21T12:01:00.002+11:00

April 1 is the mooted day for intended release of Lime Spiders "Live at the Esplanade" which was licensed off the label to Steelcage Records run by the wonderful Larry and Leslie
At press time there was talk of a tour to the states utilising the promoter who sent Radio Birdman and Hoodoo Gurus over
Also in Lime Spiders news....

The live footage from the SPIDERS recent Annandale Hotel (Syd) show has been posted to moshcam.com and the American release of "LIVE AT THE ESPLANADE" through Steel Cage Records is now in production after the usual fine tuning of the cover design. Steel Cage have had a lot of interest in the release, scheduled for mid April...spread the word to your American friends!
Still in the States, the Goo Goo Dolls released "GREATEST HITS VOL 2...B Sides and Rarities" through Warner Bros in Sept '08. This includes both their recorded version of the Spider's classic "SLAVE GIRL" & full tilt live stadium rock version of the song from a concert at RED ROCKS featuring sampling of the original Spiders intro!...THAT song just never dies!

Work starts on new FTR EP

2009-01-20T09:04:00.002+11:00

Work has started on the next FTR EP tentatively titled Cover Girl or Turn to the left....2 songs which will appear. Richard has gathered together all the cubase files they have been workin on over the last 8 months and they tried out some of the songs live.
Recording starts at Pirate Studios on the South Coast of NSW on 28 Jan
Some demos are available to listen to on FTR's myspace...www.myspace.com/officialftr

Cool reviews for FTR Boy Racer

2008-12-08T07:44:00.002+11:00

Getting some good reviews for FTR and their single Boy Racer....

www.drummedia.com.au

likens the band to Basement Jaxxs "Take me back to your house"

Online in Australia at www.dwarf.com.au

Album reviews for FTR:» Boy Racer - FTR
by Erin Lee Tuesday, November 25

When I first listened to this I couldn't figure out if they were serious or not and I'm still not sure, but whatever they're doing it's catchy, amusing and you can't help but boogie around to it!
Boy Racer is FTR's debut EP release. Fronted by a charismatic Swedish opera singer Carina Barbro Hagg, who can often be seen sporting attire from the18th century minus the overwear - corsets, garters, gowns and the barrister style wig to top it off!
The EP is a mix of Rock, Dance, Soul, Funk, Opera and hilarious, cheesy Disco music. I have to say it's so cheesy, it's good! They include Chemical Brothers, ABBA, The Beach Boys, Roxy Music, David Bowie, Spinal Tap and Kraftwerk as some of their influences.
The first influences that came to my mind were the Scissor Sisters and Daft Punk, however some of the beats are similar to that of The Chemical Brothers. The EP is five tracks in total, however the last two tracks are remixes of the first two (I thought maybe they should have got some more songs together before releasing an EP). The first track, light-hearted house tune Boy Racer is not the bogan anthem you'd expect but an ode to cycling and sex, that brings you back to 90s disco and has an irresistible hook and chorus. The promo clip features some special guest appearances by The Presets.
The second track Discover has already been picked up by Radio Basile in Italy and other stations in Florence and Milan. Perhaps Australian radio will pick up some of their own in the near future

Lime Spiders announce Xmas shows for Aust 08

2008-11-29T07:53:00.002+11:00

The Lime Spiders will be playing a few shows over the Christmas period featuring the return of Tony "The Chief" Bambach on Bass and the debut of Tom Corben on drums...Tom is Geds Son!!! Shades of Dweezil Zappa, Jason Bonham and Zak Starr. Richard Lawson has left the band to concentrate on his work with FTR
Dates are
Thur Dec 18 Harp Hotel Wollongong w Pink Fits
Fri Dec 19 Manly Fishos w Happy Hate me nots
Sat Dec 20 Annandale Hotel w Happy Hate me nots

Blue Valentine Summer Festival Dates 08/09

2008-11-27T18:48:00.002+11:00

Blue Valentine have a few dates over Summer 2008/2009 including a showcase at the Gulgong Folk Festival. Jess Grover has slotted right in and the band are set to rock Prince of Wales Hotel Gulgong Sat Nov 29/Sat Dec 27 and the Festival at the Historic Opera House Fri Jan 2.

Lime Spiders "Live/Esplanade" CD picked up in Euro and States

2008-11-27T18:44:00.002+11:00

After their Barn Storming Australian Tour of late 2007 the Lime Spiders took a well earned break. Their live CD has healthy sales thanks to the lively team at Inertia and Figtree Words and Music has secured them distribution in Italy thru Alberto and the Nicotine label and Steelcage Records in the States. This effectively sees them being released everywhere from Russia to Japan and South America....WooHoo!!

FTR debut in Sydney/ Airplay for Boy Racer

2008-11-27T18:33:00.003+11:00

FTR played their first shows in Sydney over the last month. They were invited to play at the overflow site next to ANZ Stadium on Sun Oct 17 at Sydney Olympic Park to over 10,000 cyclists as part of the Spring Cycle NSW. They officially launched Boy Racer at Sugarbowl on Sun November 23 at Waverley Bowlo
Boy Racer has been getting airplay as far away as L'Altraradio in Italy and on SBS Radio and FBI Radio in Sydney while an unreleased version of TREX Ride a White Swan has been getting picked up by FBI as well.

FTR in rehearsals in Sydney

2008-07-25T08:41:00.003+10:00

FTR are in rehearsals at the moment pulling to gether their live set with Ben the DJ and Jos's loops. Details sketchy but Richard is pulling together a lot of it in the home studio in Gulgong and word is it is getting heavier and more freaked out but still alternating between the continuous live set and DJ set
Jos' sample of "the Stroke" by Billy Squire is getting a good mash up with Boy Racer vox

Blue Valentine on the road again

2008-07-25T08:36:00.002+10:00

Blue Valentine will be playing a few shows in Gulgong and Mudgee over the next month or two. They are now joined by Jesse Grover on Banjo and the sound has gone more into Bluesgrass territory...check their myspace for details

Welcome Back

2008-07-03T18:08:00.002+10:00

We had the news disabled for about a year while the myspace pages took up all our energy
But now it is back

The CDs of ftr arrived today...an EP called Boy Racer....should be available through our store page soon

New music from BV and FTR

2007-06-14T11:18:00.000+10:00

Hey groovers
I'll have to start using code now for the bands as the names are too long. Actually FTR has a nice ring to it.

Mastering the Blue Valentine CD next week in Melbourne at Dex Audio. Haven't been to a mastering session since Festival studios in 1994 for the first Figtree Renaissance CD. Work has started on the cover which will be a nice shiny 8 pager with lyrics/recipes/giveaways and horoscopes??

Figtree Renaissance started work on an EP as I said in the last post. You can have a preview of one of the tracks called WYSIWYG
Follow the links to the track
Have a few cool ideas for the EP and one includes samples of Simple Minds and Donna Summer. Very chic but powerful. I'd better not give away too much too soon, but then I could never keep my mouth shut.
A licensing company in the UK called makin-trax.co.uk are interested in licensing the WHOLE first FTR album for soundtrack use in advertising, waiting for a contract proposal to be sent.
Ben Cox [Mixer/Loopman] and Carina are comin up to Mudgee over the next few weeks so we might even end up in the sttudio, who knows, depends on Daves availability. Gimme the computer now!!!!
Carina had a huge gig last week in Sydney for the launch of the charity she has co-founded. She has lots of new lyrics which is good because I have lots of music.

Discovered a really cool act from the UK who rock in a totally different way. The Noisettes sound like a cross between Nina Hagen and the Stooges. Check out their clip for "Don't give up" on their myspace page. One review said she sings like Billie Holiday on PCP. Love it!!

Started 2nd Figtree Renaissance album?

2007-06-07T06:42:00.000+10:00

Last week saw the final mixes of the Blue Valentine CD completed. Tuesday I think. I'm not sure anymore as I developed "Log cabin fever" and started to lose the plot a bit.
Friday and Saturday I went back to the studio to work on "Avenue" and "Wysiwyg", tracks which were put down in 2004 at Sunpower.
I wanted to segue straight into the next project.
In hindsight it probably wasn't a good idea.
There is so much more to Figtree Renaissance, it is a very complicated beast.
Blue Valentine is traditional music. Traditional in the sense that it draws from Blues, folk, country and pop music, It uses acoustic instruments as its base and there is not much keyboard work.
Figtree Renaissance is exactly the opposite. All drum loops, computer generated keyboards and because everything is written on the piano the keys are different from your usual guitar songs.
Dave Miles and I found that we discarded a lot of the keys sounds from 3 years ago, especially on Wysiwyg in favour of new ones created on the day.
We did a lot of editing and a lot of the stuff was still being loaded over from old programs to the new "Cubase" program now up on his dashboard. By the end of the second day we both realised this was only going to be a demo of sorts for the internet site.
I will be taking the plunge into computer composition territory at home with a computer that Dave has built for me in return for drum lessons, so I will be doing a lot of pre production work, bringing down the studio costs.

Cletis Carr [Publicity/webmaster] has established contact with a European licensing company and they have a copy of the first Figtree Renaissance CD. There could be some soundtrack licensing on the way and they have Saatchi and Saatchi on their books.

Editors nightmare

2007-05-10T07:49:00.000+10:00

I haven't posted for a while as I have waited for feedback on the book.
The critics have spoken and the thing needs a LOT of work.
Too wordy, weighty and some passages meander needlessly.
There were some good words as well but as a famous crime writer said "your worst enemy is praise"

I will have to go over it again and cut....cut....cut.
One story looks like it will have to go to the recycling bin for now and may appear at a later date.
Lucky I wrote those other stories recently.
The Blue Valentine CD is taking up all of my time at present with mixing/marketing and it looks like we have Cletis Carr on board to handle Figtree Words and Music marketing/publicity which can only be a good thing.
The book has been shunted to the back of the bus for now, though the printers are ready to go at a moments notice.
Speaking of writing I woke at 3.00am last night, the rain softly falling and the wind creating ghostly noises through the big old house I live in, and wrote 2 new songs.
I even had a dream about 1 of the songs after I went back to sleep involving a Goth girl, a celtic manuscript and a haunting gaelic funereal version of Dear Prudence by the Beatles [all very weird.......who'd want a mind like mine]
One of the songs even has a character already [Maddy Henry], is in B#/C and is 3/4. All the parts are there including an Irish Flute. I better get the guitar and mandolin out this morning

2 new short stories

2007-04-09T09:05:00.000+10:00

If its possible to have writers block and at the same time write 2 new short stories then I am a walking conundrum
I am sitting here staring at the computer screen and wondering where to go and how, why and when.

Have completed 2 new short stories; the ones I was talking about in the last post.
Trivial pursuit and Globule.
Both deal with paranoia and obsessive compulsive disorders. I took a leaf out of Haruki Murakami's book in regards to JUST LETTING THE STORY TAKE YOU WHERE IT WILL. It was a lot of fun!! Both in the first person and so in a round about way are auto biographical.
It was sometimes painful writing them as they could so easily apply to me and its easy to see how a vivid imagination can sometimes tip over the edge into madness. I could have kept writing both of them till the cows came home but pulled up to get some semblance of order and rhythm. I was also spinning myself out!!
Even though I say I have writers block I feel I can easily slip into a rhythm and somehow seem to have found a key of sorts to letting [it] flow.
I suppose subject matter is the problem I face and some sort of timetable for what I am doing.......hence the why and when of the first statement.

A few copies of the manuscript of Flora and Fauna are circulating amongst friends in the business and I am dying to get feedback so as I can take the next step forward. Will they scotch the whole thing as amateurish twaddle? Will I have to rework whole stories or drop some totally.
If anyone is out there reading this you can go to the words page and read 3 for yourself, then you can tell me if they are crap or not.

Am reading something different at the moment and no its not the Regal Appointment notices in the Herald. Its a book that got a bad review in the Herald a few weeks back but also got a vague bak handed compliment. "A taxonomy of Barnacles" by Galt Neiderhoffer, a New York girl who has made [produced] almost 10 films but has made her first foray into the world of novels. I can see why it was criticised for mistakes in grammar/syntax but it is proving a good page turner and I suppose that is all that really matters in the end.

New Ideas for fiction.

2007-03-25T16:31:00.000+10:00

Have a few new ideas already for some new stories.
I have 2 ideas for novellas which I don't relly feel ready to go with and a half developed novel which again I do not want to go with just yet. They may never see the light of day as I have moved on a lot since then, but as ideas they are handy to have around.
Like songs, some of which I rework in different forms 10 years down the line into something totally different they are handy receptacles for a different approach.
The ideas I do have have been kicking around for the last few weeks and come form newspaper articles or just some little occurrence that sticks in my head. One even came to me this morning from a trivia night that my group 'Blue Valentine' played at. I'll write them down before I give away the titles.
As I said in a previous post the first draft of 'Flora and Fauna' Book 1 is ready. I think I can almost safely look at it now as I have read 2 novels [Idea of perfection/Kate Grenville...Treasure of Montsegur/Sophy Burnham] over the last week and there is now a good reflective space between me and the work. Found a brilliant cover idea which is going to be worked up and already have some interesting feedback. Will try to get it up on the website soon.
Book club meeting was last Wednesday night and it is starting to gel as a group. Fantastic discussion and great to get differing views and perspectives on the work in question, which this month was 'The secret river/Kate Grenville. I had to review it in 350 words and had a ball putting on my critics hat.
Fantastic writing/journalism exercise.
It coincides nicely with the start of my freelance journalism course. I now have the first modules sitting in front of me.

The first little blast of winter arrived today and the temperature didn't get over 19 degrees.
Think Lou and me will have a roast tonight.

Crossroads

2007-03-19T06:34:00.001+11:00

Mark this date down.
I am literally at a crossroads........

Its only just colouring outside. Dawn is approaching.
On the table in the sunroom lies the completed first draft of "Flora and Fauna." It has been collated, printed and put together in A5 form and all 14 stories are ready for "reading"
I have spoken before of my "Gang of five". Editors/Book shop owners/Avid readers and ultimately friends whose literary opinions I value and respect.
Now.......finally it is completed to a stage where I am confident enough to show it to the world.
Self publishing is a risky business. One must have confidence in ones own judgment.
Hopefully the input from my critics will propel the work to a fitful conclusion.

I have been self editing for weeks/months now and can no longer see the forest for the trees.
I won't look at it now for a week or two.

Also at the crossroads of music.
The Blue Valentine CD is almost finished and ready for mixing.
The direction of the music coalesced as it went along and a lot of songs and ideas fell by the wayside. Now it seems to have a voice of its own.
I am now collating rushes and takes from the 2004 sessions of the Figtree Renaissance "Stone Fruit" project.
It is the next project to sink my teeth into.
The show must go on

Flora and Fauna Progress

2007-03-03T15:18:00.000+11:00

Only have 3 stories to finish revising to get to the First draft phase.
Fear of flying
The most beautiful couple in the world
Grapes and Lightning
I have been sending the completed ones to Pirie and he has been formatting them into A5 bookform with fonts, woodcuts, etc. They are easier to read and when seen in the actual bookform are better to digest and review.......plus.........................they are easier than A4 to hold!!!!!
There should be 3 to have a look at soon on the WORDS page.
One of the 15 stories, I have decided to leave off the book as it seems to want a larger treatment that isn't served well in short story form. It's called Maze Maker and has 3 different timelines and features a talking/dancing statue from Greek ancient history/mythology. It has become a maze itself and has definitely taken on a life of it's own.
If I get stuck into the last 3 today/tomorrow I should have it all finished and then can finish off the Blue Valentine CD in peace.
Amen

When is history "History"?

2007-02-24T16:26:00.000+11:00

I have read two novels recently based on the the life of Johannes Vermeer, the famous Dutch still life painter circa 1665. One was "Girl in Hyacinth Blue" by Susan Vreeland published in 2000 and the other "Girl with a pearl earring" by Tracy Chevalier published a little later.
"Girl with the pearl earring" is now a feature film starring Colin Firth as Vermeer and Scarlet Johannson as the girl....... It has done very well thank you very much and everyone TALKS ABOUT IT.

If you go to any true Biographical site on Vermeer the details of his life are very sketchy indeed and only 40 or so of his paintings are accounted for. Most are of his daughters, Magdalena and Maria. His wife features a few times as does the patron who is vilified in Girl.... as a lecherous maid molester.
The real life painting of girl........ is of Magdalena and NOT his maid.
To me it has opened up a whole ethical and moral conundurum, of which, I too as a writer have to take heed of.
The book and subsequent film of "Girl with the pearl earring" are far better known than "Girl in Hyacinth blue" which stays closer to the truth.
The portrayal of Vermeer and his relationship with the maid [even though it was NOT consummated in the book/film] to this writer is spurious and smacks of slander. What of the outcry if the sober and pious Johann Sebastian Bach was submitted to the same treatment in a book/film. I suppose the same thing occurred to poor old Salieri with the fallout from Amadeus.
It has opened my eyes as to subject matter and the responsibilities which I have. Not to make easy gain from a real life figure by distorting the truth.
The Irish have a saying..........."Never let the facts get in the way of a good story"
Mmmmmmmmmmm?????

Back in the saddle.

2007-02-14T08:45:00.000+11:00

Had my first students for the year yesterday and have more this afternoon and tomorrow afternoon. The first thing I do with any new student is get them playing a proper beat as soon as possible.....engage them as it were. Get them interested, confident and excited that they can play the damn thing. Then a few weeks or maybe months down the track we get into the more technical aspects of the theory of it.
Work has definitely picked up on the book front and after discussions with Pirie yesterday we have a time frame of one month to get it knocked over and ready for publication. Louise picked up a typo which I had not spotted in one story and Fiona from Blue Valentine and Agnes both picked up on "Boy and his birds" appearing unfinished. I had a quick read yesterday and sure enough a new twist, to the story of the autistic boy who spoke to birds, started to appear....am writing it at the moment
Found the final woodcuts for the remaining stories which are going on the title page of each one and we are now happy with font. I am generally keeping all mornings free to write for 3-4 hours, then all the other projects can happen around that.
Cletis has updated all the pages and new mixes of Blue Valentine Sunpower sessions are up as is the Diary of the making of "Stone Fruit" Also reviews of Lime Spiders Annandale shows and the new mixes of live album which Jason Blackwell is doing at the Opera House.

Blue Valentine had rehearsal last night with Andi and Drew. Our first show with them in this Friday at the Wine Bar in Mudgee and we have evolved a mini-set with them which goes off on a hillbilly'swing/country blues angle and I must admit a lot of that stuff was really rockin'.....Four till late/Robert Johnson...Move it on over & Hey godd lookin/ Hank Williams plus my 3 new originals and some other folk and Irish stuff and new life has been breathed into the Gillian Welch songs....should be interesting. Fairly loose at present but as Andi said "as long as we finish on the same note!!"
Looks like I have finally nailed down Ged to come up during the first week of March to lay down extra guitar/mandolin.

Holidays

2007-02-12T08:45:00.000+11:00

It's been a long time between posts. I've been away up the coast with a "Special friend" and having a very special time. First holiday in years and it was lovely to get the sand in between my toes. Didn't go near a computer or guitar for the whole time. One day was spent at the beach twice and in the pool twice. Racked up a lot of kilometres and saw a lot of NSW. Always surprises me how stunningly beautiful this country is. The area around Gloucester and Dorrigo in particular bear similarities to the Garden of Eden.
Came back to a very sizable inbox and a lot of work and organisation to catch up with.
Have renewed vigour to get the ball rolling this year and get ALL the stuff out ie Blue Valentine CD, Figtree Renaissance Double CD and the "Flora and Fauna" book of Short stories. I'll have to get the skates on bigtime.
Carina is back from Sweden and we are meeting up in Sydney this weekend and might start even doing some shows [Figtree Renaissance] with a pick up Rhythm Section she knows.
I also had inspiration for a novel/set of stories relating to Trees that have been introduced into Australia......Pepper/Willow/Camphor Laurel.......just early days but a good germ of an idea.
To work.
I have to get the second set of 3 stories to Pirie to format with the woodcut title page. He's done the first 3 [Oz, Treehouse and The Cat's Influence] Now I have to pick the next 3 which are ready....or as ready as they ever will be. Work on either Maze Maker/Dysfunctional B&B.

Advance Australia Fair

2007-01-26T06:03:00.000+11:00

Traditionally Australia Day is the hottest day of the year and when I most dream of moving away from the heat of Mudgee to some place on the coast...preferably the South Pole!!!!!
The gig offers have started coming in for Blue Valentine www.bluevalentinemusic.com everything from blackboard appearances at the Cobargo Folk Festival where my good friends in www.wheelersanddealersmusic.com are playing to the Blue Mountains Folk Festival in March.
Ged Corben is hopefully coming up Mid February to put down Mandolin and Guitar on the CD and we have been auditioning and rehearsing new material with some local players. I jammed in Sydney with Ged on some of the new songs I have been writing and he is excited about them as much as me.
I have already started taking bookings for Drum students and only have 4 spots left. I only need 12 students to earn $300 @ week.
Will be going up the coast next week, after out inaugural book group meeting, to sit on a beach for a week before it all gets frantic again.
Happy Invasion Day

Lime Spiders gigs

2007-01-23T09:26:00.000+11:00

Truly awesome!!!
Nothing like playing a www.limespidersmusic.com gig to shake out the cobwebs from your system. 75 minutes of frantic shamanistic mayhem where you are transported to another plane of existence. I once said to friends it was better than sex........and I now think it's on a par at least.
Friday nights gig at the Cambridge Hotel in Newcastle was shaping up to be what is politely phrased "a funeral gig" or in other words a bit of a flop. Not many people [about 100] but boy were they into it!! They were grabbing the crowd barrier and shaking it up and down. One guy was leaning into the speaker box and turning his head around like an old hippie, his eyes rolling back in his head. Ben Gillies the Silverchair www.chairpage.com drummer was in attendance and I had a nice little rave with him and I had a great talk to some fans afterwards until the wee hours.
Saturday dawned hot and I was nursing a bit of a hangover and couldn't wait for the load out and drive back to Sydney to be over. The part of Newcastle we were playing was the West End and it was a dump and seemed stuck in a time warp economically and socially. Nothing has changed much in the 15 or so years since I last played here. I went for a little drive down to the beach end, as I waited for the other guys to surface, and it was much more salubrious with cafes, expensive cars and generally more gorgeous people around.
The drive back seemed to take forever and it was boiling hot on the F3 to Sydney. Lucky it wasn't Sunday we were travelling as a bushfire broke out near Berowra closing it for a day or two.
After a cold shower, feed and snooze back at Ged's place I felt like a million dollars and headed off for soundcheck at the www.annandalehotel.com. Met up with Jay Katz form the SBS Movie show who runs a B Grade movie/DJ night extravaganza out in the beer garden. He remembers me from 3 years ago at the Sounds of Seduction/Flickerfest festival at the Bondi Pavilion when I tried to storm the stage to play a drum solo and get a girl inside one of the go go dancing cages.......Outrageous behaviour but he was good humoured about it and only had words of praise for the Spiders. Also made some good contacts with MMM Radio in Wollongong and Dum Media in Sydney. I'm always networking.......hey I'm a Leo!!!
Soundcheck sizzled/cracked and popped and was VERY LOUD. People were applauding it.
I decamped back to Ged's for a rest and Zen lockdown to focus for the show, arriving back at the Annandale just as the drumkit is being set up. No alcohol and no food for 3 hours before I play. It's just too physical and I am not getting any younger [well maybe in the head!]
The crowd is down on our sellout appearance in May but the gig is a blinder and by the end I had timed my run to perfection and was slamming into the drums fearfully. Consensus seems to be that it was better than the last May gig and we operate more as a unit now. A few of us retire back to a nice little pub on Parramatta Rd.
Sunday is even hotter and it is 35 degrees by 10am in the morning. I feel elated after the gigs and drive back to Mudgee a very happy chappy. Long live the Spiders.

Thinking out loud

2007-01-18T07:51:00.000+11:00

Just came back from my 4km walk. It's about 7.15am Thursday 18 January 2007.
I know this seems silly to be so pedantic about time and dates but I'd like to set the tone for you, also remind myself and check this gismo out.
Came back thinking about the Mandolin I'm looking to buy down here and how I was going to go about learning, playing it and how it would sound on www.bluevalentinemusic.com stuff and finally and most importantly how I would go about singing at the same time as playing it.
Also gave some thought to impending releases on the Figtree label.
After reading a review of some Lime Spiders stuff going back to when we released virtual double A sides.....Slave Girl/Beyond the fringe.....Out of control/Save my soul, it got me thinking maybe, just maybe Blue Valentine should release an EP first up with the first 4 songs from the mooted, virtually recorded album. This would leave us free to concentrate on those songs, get some product out and take more time over the full album, especially seeing as a fundamental change has come over the whole band with the veering towards more Roots music, additions in personnel and the new songs which are flowing......just thinking out loud. I mean who is ever going to read this????!!!!

2007-01-18T06:20:00.000+11:00

Just had an email to the www.limespidersmusic.com website requesting information on Dave Guest who was the first bass player with the Spiders. Considering he played with the band before 1982 it should be interesting to see if Mick can remember or track him down. I think there has been officially 4 bass players for the band including Warwick Gilbert from Radio Birdman and Phil Hall from the Dropbears and Sardine V. Our current and longest serving bassist, Tony Bambach, is definitely the best and the funniest.
The two rehearsals couldn't have been more polarised. Mick was slightly under the weather at the first one and my injured toe on my bass drum foot was giving me grief, making me tetchy and with our overall rustiness it was lucky we didn't break up from the tension which built during practice. Then again the band has broken up and got back together so many times!! The second one was sober and full of fire and brimstone and a few smashed drumsticks. Now for the gigs!!
Mixing of the Live CD is going on as we speak at the mixing studio at the Sydney Opera House of all places. Jason Blackwell does some work there and managed to get us some downtime.

Have some time off in Sydney to myself and have been catching up on some films. Will probably head for the Art Gallery as is my wont and might browse through David Jones Food hall, looking at all the lovely food I can't afford; the ultimate foodie tourism pursuit.

Currently reading Gould's book of Fish, Richard Flanagan.

Monday 15-1-07

2007-01-15T07:46:00.000+11:00

Its the land of blogs.
Cletis my webmaster has introduced me to writing and posting my own stuff which he'll post onto my website. Watch out; I'm cut loose now.
Still have so many things I want to get up and get going with but not being particularly web or IT savvy is difficult at times.
This week is Lime Spiders week. I drive down to Sydney tomorrow for rehearsals Tues/Wed and we play the Cambridge Tavern in Newcastle on Friday and then the Annandale on Saturday. The mythical Live CD we recorded at the Esplanade, St. Kilda in 1998 is being mixed by Jason Blackwell [Megaphon Studio] and Shock Records are set to release it.
Last week was a bit of an epiphany for me as I learnt/wrote about 6 new songs, all firmly entrenched in "Roots" music. Fiona from Blue Valentine has been into that stuff all the time I've known and played with her but I seem to have resisted for some reason. Might be that as a rule I hated country music. The more swing/skiffle/fast blues styles have always sucked me in and everything from Robert Johnson/Leadbelly thru to Django Reinhardt has always excited me.
It started with hearing a Leadbelly track on the latest free CD from the great people at MOJO magazine. "Ella Speed" is a dirty-get down-in the swamp-knuckle dusting-mother of a song and seemed to link to a song that Fiona had just discovered [The ballad of Frankie and Johnny] which Beth Orton does on the Harry Smith Songbook DVD. Both are about murder.
I took to playing that fast style of rolling country blues and before I knew it I was playing some Robert Johnson, Hank Williams songs and had written another 2 [Blown away, From the cradle to the grave] to go with the 2 I had written over Christmas.
Will be looking for a Mandolin whilst in Sydney. Ged's going to help out. I have an old musical friend Andrew Pringle who is a pretty mean Guitarist/Bassist coming over for a Jam this morning and Fi's boyfriend Andy is going to start helping out on Lead Guitar.
The Blue Valentine CD was discussed and it might take more of a Roots music direction with some of the pop songs coming under the Figtree Renaissance tag. Also I think both CD'S should come out at once. That way it will be easier to publicise both at the same time.
Ciao for now.