Music - Back Home

Music - Back Home

So! After the last few classical blogs, time to pick-up with my music story. I left you at the end of GlasgowUniversity, a very very big part of my music education. Isn’t that the time of your life (age, not solely Uni but it can be and is for many) that plays a HUGE part to lay some foundations? As I’ve said, it did for me!

After a hard (and great!) 4 years studying (9-5, 5 days a week + homework by the way) it was time for home as I didn’t have a job lined up. Regretfully? Maybe, but that’s old hindsight now.

I was only not-working for a matter of days before I got some employment, and with friends who also love music, that element was kept alive and healthy! Sharing new tastes etc. kept everyone happy. Not many are fans of my diverse electronica though! (However, modern electronic music does seem to incorporate it a great deal. I win!)

Quite some time ago now, but I do recall seeing Orbital for the first time at Creamfields in Liverpool 2001 and it hit the spot! This tune playing from the album In Sides, is one of my favourites and it gives an idea of the liveness!

2002 Change

I got a job directly using my degree and became a Harrier aerodynamicist, dealing with the vibrations of ‘stores’. The video doesn't show any real store vibration, it's a naked Harrier, but that was my baby! Stand forward the Beach Boys (as mentioned before) ‘good vibrations’, and how kind of fitting; maybe! (can't say what I was analyzing!)

Later that hot year it not only a Glastonbury year, but also a UK performance by Eminem at the Milton Keynes Bowl that I can still remember well as it was fantastic, but no sound clips due to his many taboos! [my blog aye, but…!] Then following a quick’ish random trip to Monkey World we (that was me, Al and Fran) headed to Glastonbury 2002, my first festival, which was unique with the only complaint that it was too hot! An amazing musical holiday for us all!

Hightlights? Many! But to have seen Orbital do their festival thing blew my mind. Faultless! Faithless were outstanding! Coldplay rocked too. Others? Erm…Rod Stewart?!

Glastonbury 2003 then had to be done after a thoroughly brilliant 2002 experience and was unsurprisingly good too! (REM, Steve Harley, Moby). Bit of drizzle and rain but no cause for complaint!

Job change pretty much meant I missed 2004 but 2005 could not be missed, I had the bug! (White Stripes, Coldplay, Basement Jaxx) Again, musically and atmospherically superb!

There (‘05) with my then other half, famous mud – it did the Glastonbury stormy thing and lashed down none-stop – and I didn’t see Coldplay yet heard. MS proved a bit too much for me and I listened to Coldplay off my arse in the middle of the muddy field!

The other event I attended that year was ‘Last Night of The Proms’ and what a show. Best fireworks I’ve ever seen!

10. Home again!

I left my last full time job in 2006 due to looking back now, largely health reasons. (MS. Boo) When I got back here, I bought a second-hand violin to attempt to learn to play, but dexterity said no! Fair enough, can’t do everything! Did see The Prodigy again in the Metro Arena though, 2nd time since first time ‘97!

In the following months, I did slowly build classical and electronica collections. One of my favourite pieces of classical music, which I’m sure you’ll have heard on an advert or 2… Carmina Burana, and when I saw it was being performed in the O2 I just HAD to and see! Superb opera (not that I had  or have anything to compare to!)! 
But. When I saw in an O2 email that the Star Wars Story was to be performed by the LSO as well – London Symphony Orchestra – Again, just had to go!

Best classical seen. Even Sharon was converted!

At that time I was receiving the Classicfm magazine, and I entered a competition to see Howard Goodall in Manchester, with fingers crossed. His music at the time was from his album “Enchanted Voices” claiming “The unique sound of 21st century” and the female voices were almost ‘hard to believe they’re human!’, the chance of seeing them live was a chance I had to take and I won! I am NOT religious at all even though his music sounds that way, I’m a TUNE man.

I have been to The Sage to see bits and pieces which sound as they should there (acoustically perfect)! And as a committee member of the MS Newcastle & Gateshead I was quite involved with MSLife 2009… A different story and a successful story! (I did have a little bit play on the decks!)

So that brings us up to now - 2010s anyway! Coming soon!
Comments welcome always - I know its not as fluid as other blogs!