Splashy'd in mud

It all started in the Mud and the rain… but then the sun came out to play again.
Wow what a weekend – I’m just starting to feel a little more normal again two days back from Splashy Fen, getting in was a bit of a nightmare after sitting behind 2 km’s of cars on a muddy road I realized that leaving the evening before would have been a good thing.

As it turned out though we managed to avoid such a long wait, and ended up driving into Splashy in a 4x4 instead of our beat up old 1300 corolla (she’s been to many Splashy’s – about 10) which was a good thing because I don’t think we’d have made it in otherwise with the condition of the roads.

The Rain that was pouring down on Friday very generously stopped long enough for us to set up a hasty camp, make a quick meal and open up a drink to ease away the stresses we’d just endured getting to our little camp on the hill, before opening her taps again, by then though we were attired in boots and waterproofs and didn’t mind so much.

Unfortunately there were a few Bands I missed, that I would have liked to have seen, but the new ones I saw made up for it.
We stepped into the Music tent in time to hear Don Clarke’s starting an encore of his Splashy song which set the key for the weekend, time to sit back and enjoy the music and soak up the atmosphere. Friday night we were wowed by “Zoe and Somebody’s child” “Dan Patlanski” (the dude can play) and “Goldfish”.

Saturday we woke a little fuzzy from the night before, but with the sun shining, so decided to take advantage of the weather and take a swim in the river – Trudging along in our Gumboots the morning was spent wandering around stalls and visiting friends camps and generally passing time. The Line up for Saturday was looking Good, and we knew we needed to be at the one Stage when “Roly Struckmeyer” (love his stuff) he was followed by “Cabins in the Forest” “Vana” “Guy Buttery” and then “Josie Field” All awesome. Then in the evening we were blown away by “The Arrows”, “The Rudimentals” “Southern Gypsey Queen” and “Tree 63” (Who really are an amazing world act).

Sunday was a day mostly spent relaxing for us as we were playing that afternoon, so I didn’t spend too much time watching Bands. The Nerves were running freely when the band stepped onto the stage, but that’s whay you reherse, so instinct takes over, as usual the set passed by rather quickly for us, but we had a lot of great feedback, and earned ourselves some new fans. The songs went down really well, especially “Splashy Fen’s coming Back Around” which we were asked to do an encore for.

Sunday evening was a time for us to kick back and relax one final time before the long haul home on Monday, Fortunately on Saturday And Sundday there’s been enough Sun to dry out the roads, leaving us with a clear run. I got home took a long hot Shower and cuddled up next to my already sleeping lady for a restful nap… ...and joined her in her dreams of music and people dancing.

TGIF

Flying mind - right …. No sorry wrong….. Okay I’m loosing it just a little, been hunched over my computer the last couple days drawing strip Maps for our publication, and right now my mind feels a little stripped. Staring at this computer screen has burned a big blank white space onto my brain.
My eyes just want to roll themselves up in my eyelids and hibernate – hot summer days are NOT meant to be spent staring at a computer screen, jumping Jiminy cricket!
Okay all’s not lost it is Friday – it is Friday - ohmmmmmmm … concentrate on your inn… concentrate… no don’t concentrate its Friday, no concentration, we’re having a concentration strike over here. Click your mouse and pretend, click your mouse and pretend, and hum yourself a happy tune…. mmmmmmm

Favourite songwriters No.8

It has been ages since I’ve posted anything I know, just out of it and getting caught up in different things, so thought I’d make up for it my doing three posts today. Okay they’re not all interesting or informative but hey I’m trying. Riiiight so this ones supposed to be the next in my line of Favorite songwriters – I was introduced
To this Newton Faulkner's music by my brother on our recent UK visit, since then myself and younger brother have been loving the music the more we listened to it – I can’t profees to know a great deal about the man, other than he has an amazing talent, so a copied a bit of his Bio from his website, click the link through to get a taste of what he sounds like – I love “Gone in the Morning”

“Newton Faulkner is a 22 year old English singer songwriter with a wistful smile and phenomenal dreadlocks. But you’ll already know him as one of 2007’s most striking musical arrivals, clocking up a Number One platinum album, sell-out UK tours and a growing legion of passionate fans. This is an old fashioned word-of-mouth success story from an artist with simply stunning songs and an astonishing virtuoso guitar technique.

So just what is that Faulkner sound? It’s acoustic guitar like we’ve never heard it before. It’s things done to six strings that will boggle the ears and eyes. It’s a throaty but gentle blues croon that speaks of backwoods, beaches and the badlands of, ah, Surrey. It’s t*u*n*e*s, the likes of which have become a word-of-myspace cult across the Cornwall surf scene and landed prestigious support slots with Jack Johnson’s cult buddy Donavon Frankenreiter.

It’s a genius cover of Massive Attack’s Teardrop dropped into a set to silence a rowdy crowd whilst supporting Paulo Nutini during the World Cup or the Python-esque wit with which Newton Faulkner is fast winning over audiences across the UK.It’s this inventiveness – this esprit de gig – that made this 22-year-old from just outside London one of the most buzzed-about DIY artists of 2006. With no promotion and bugger-all money his first release, last spring’s Full Fat EP, reached Number One on Amazon’s singles chart. The shuffling beats; Faulkner’s laidback scat singing and gutsy holler; the chewy blues riffs; the ‘tapping’ of strings – these had (pardon the pun) struck a chord with anyone who had stumbled across his shows in the south-west, causing the low-key release to sell-out its 3000 copies. With his wonderfully dexterous approach to guitar, Faulkner is as exciting to watch as he is to hear.”

Okay I’ve been tagged by noodle – the big problem is I don’t have seven people left to tag. So the question is this do I just tag the one solitary blogger left for me to tag or do I ignor and carry on – alright I’ll play along

7 random or weird things about yourself

The rules are as follows:

1 Link to the person who tagged you
2 Post the rules on your blog.
3 Share seven random and/or weird facts about yourself on your blog.
4 Tag seven random people at the end of your post, and include links to their blogs.
5 Leave a comment on their blogs so that they know they have been tagged.

7 Random Facts About Liam

1. I have a weird fear of swimming in Deep Water, where I can’t see what’s beneath me, but I confront it at every chance I get.
2. I am burnt to a crisp after this weekend
3. I’m a closet philosopher
4. I’m right handed, but left eyed, this means if I’m aiming a bow and arrow or paintball gun I suddenly become left handed.
5. I have a fertile imagination, and when I was younger (and sometimes still now) I used to spend most my days living in my own completely different world, Kinda like Calivin form Calvin and hobbes.
6. Somedays there’ nothing I like more than to be completely covered in Mud or Soaked by the Rain.
7. I still watch Saturday morning Cartoons, and plan to for the rest of my life.
   

I'm Going to tag…

Caroline

Yougs

Drink Deeply the light

The world is grey without the light, to cast into contrast the shadows and darkness
We are limp flaccid forms without our life that cast into contrasts our emotions.
We live and breathe, sigh and heave, toil and trample our days away.

Let cascade the musical light, which gives life and makes all things bright.
Let Laugh and dance and play, let love and hold and pray
This sad and beautiful song, that tugs and draws us along.
And the rest won’t come, but enrichment can flow from an unending tap and let overflow your cup.

Drink deeply, but not in excess, for this mead like all is best shared with our fellow men.

The Year gone by...

The year is almost and an end, it had past me by before I felt it begin… I’ve been reflecting recently on the year gone by, places I’ve been things I’ve done, people I’ve got to know and love.
There’s a lot I wish I’d had the time or made the time to have done. I would have liked to have spent more time with certain friends, and kept more in touch and up to date with what’s been happening in all their lives.

It didn’t all start so busy, but towards the end of the year it all seemed to turn into a mad rush for the finish – trying to fit in all those last minute things you kept putting off. In a few weeks I fly to the UK to visit family and friends over December and January, and right now it feels like I’m in a bit of a rush preparing all I need to have done before the trip. It is something to look forward to though.

So what have been moments for me to remember this year… I met a wonderful woman, I became a very proud uncle, I played some amazing gig’s with the band, The Springboks won the Rugby world cup, I spent some amazing time with great friends. Had deep meaningful conversations with people.
I learnt to open myself up a little sometimes.
I learnt that I can deal with important responsibilities in work and handle them, even if it does make me seem a bit more moody with friends and family.
I learnt that sometimes Keeping quite and to myself isn’t always the best way to deal with things on your mind, and that having a friend to talk to even if they don’t know the answers lightens the load.

I realized that we are all one human population, and the problems we face in the world are ours as a group – but that sometimes you don’t seem to have an impact the worlds problems (and so shouldn’t get frustrated or stressed) but you can impact the world of someone just by taking the time.

Thank you to all my friends, family loved ones and strangers I’ve met who’ve guided me through this year, who’ve taught and tested me.
May God bless you all.

New toon

Here’s the first of a probable series of a strip I’ve been working on - I work for a Caravan and camping magazine and so thought it apt to name my Characters "Toe & Hitch" - I hope you like it let me know what you think.