Mr Marks and Mr Spencer

Today's blog comes to you courtesy of Marks and Spencer.

A nice lady brought in three tubs of Marks 'n Sparks cakes for us to eat in the office today. I have been enjoying the rich chocolatey-ness all afternoon and by way of a congratulations to St Michael (and all the other saints who work in the Marks and Spencer cake kitchen) I felt it was important to do a little bit of free advertising for them.

Buy M&S cakes. They're really nice.

A couple of ROOTS reflections

Just got home from ROOTS... it was a jolly good weekend; it's definitely spawned many good blog thoughts too!

Firstly, it's amazing how much effort is put into an event which lasts 65 hours (and that includes sleeping time!) It does beg the question 'should it be longer?'. I'm not sure; I suppose the main problem would be finding a week which everyone can make...so that means school holidays. Unfortunately Spring Harvest has the monopoly on Easter so we'd have to find another place in the calendar... or would we? I dunno...all I know is it's very short at the mo

My second thought is a bit more substantial and I'd really like to hear some thoughts on it...

Part A: I spoke to a lady who told me a story about when she met Jeff Lucas (although this story isn't about Mr Lucas nor is it about Star Wars). Apparently she approached Mr Lucas and complimented him on his speaking; which he was very thankful and humble about. She went on to explain a small gripe she had in that some of his stories were very much for 'Christians' and went over the head of her non-Christian husband - she then recounted how she paniced that she'd offended Mr Lucas when he said 'Oh, I'm sorry, I thought this was a Christian conference?!' and he moved onto the next person waiting to chat to him...

The first thing I thought was: "Was Lucas right to say that?"

Part B: Chell and I were chatting about the Parklife campsite. We were sad that this year (more than ever before?) there seemed to be a bunch of people who weren't at ROOTS for any decent reason? Drinking and smoking seemingly any time of the day. Random acts of violence and bullying. Thieving. Hormone charged teens (and older) hunting each other down; primal predators and their prey. It felt like an alien world walking through the campsite - certainly not a home from home for a community of God's people...

The first thing I thought was: "So, should we be hardline on rule breaking?"

The next bit: I think these two stories are linked closely; both in the way we think of ROOTS as a conference and the way we discipline and protect it's delegates. I'm not sure what the official stance is on this but my feeling is that ROOTS is a whole lot more about the discipleship and renewal of God's people, and a lot less about evangelism and people who aren't Christians? Maybe I'm wrong but I think Jeff lucas was maybe right to say what he said (Although he clearly misheard the heart that was asking him the question in the first place). Maybe I'm wrong but how about we change tact in the campsite...afterall, what's the point of rules if we don't enforce them? We simply say in the registraion pack, if you break the rules, you'llbe sent home with no refund. Isn't that the way it should work?

I'm sick of a minority who want to take advantage of the multitudes of young people in the army who are opening their lives up to God and wanting to be 'transformed' in their communities. I think as leaders we owe them this?

What do you say? Am I too hardline?

BIG APOLOGY

For quite a few weeks now I have been sad that noone has posted any commetns on my blog - however it would seem that I am an idiot...

I accidently chose to 'moderate my comments' and didn't notice! - what a muppet.

So big apologies to all you my good friends - thank you for your lovely comments...they are insightful and beautiful...like all of you!

(And I've deselected that stupid 'Moderation Station'!)

Yellow Hell Stink Seed

It seems as though some farmer is having a bit of a joke - pretty much everywhere my eyes look I see the stuff...

I have written a poen to explain my plight:

Tis yellow in colour and stinky of smell...
You find it in fields and bouquets in hell...
The crop that I speak of is surrounding my pad...
This Oil Seed Rape...drives me stark raving mad...

I hope you like it - it took me quite soom time to find those rhymes

Here is a picture of my plight:

Hairy Tales and Nursery Grime

It is I'm indicative of an arty brain when in the time it takes for the sign in page to refresh to this writing_your_blog page I have considered two meaty subjects already:

1 - I love my iPod - it is so swish. It also has a lovely new coat which I bought for it. See through and well'ard. Tehnology and beauty mated and 5G iPod was created!
2 - My hair is far too long now....must...get....hair...cut....urgh....swallowing hair....mmmmph

Enough.

Matt White threatened me the other day. I work with Matt - he is a fine colleague to work with...fantastic sense of humour, kind and generous to the extreme and, so I thought, a man of God... that is until he threatened me the other day. He said that I am very likely to have my blog link removed from his blogpage list because of inactivity. Which is fair enough - but why do it so violently? Why not, over a sugary tea and some chocolate hobnobs, gentle caress the subject round to support me and strengthen me in my lack of blog-ness?

Hmph *cough* (That's the hair again - urgh, it's getting caught in my fingers..dsahionlvknxzcjkv vdnsuvisv...

He-Man and the Masters of the Universe

I liked this; it made me laugh... so I thought I would share :) 

Ebay disgruntlement

Is it me or has Ebay suddenly got a little bit rubbish recently?

I dunno what it is but I don't seem to be able to find anything that I want without having to trawl though hundreds of 'commercial' product adverts - it really clogs things up and slows things down... there must be some way they can thin out these adverts and stop people from bulk adding loads of the same thing?

Does anyone else feel the same way?

Supa-shopper

Nowadays supermarkets can provide you with a cheaper alternative to most of the leading brands. However, I feel that there are a few consumables which one should not compromise on for the sake for a few pence. They are:

1) Tomato Ketchup - Needs to be Heinz
2) Baked Beans - Need to be Heinz
3) Frosted Flakes - Need to be Kelloggs (i.e. Frosties)

Art

I generally like to say something pretty outragious or generally wide-sweeping a few times a year, here's the first for 2006:

ART IS FOR THE ARTIST. IF OTHERS ENJOY IT TOO; THAT'S A BONUS!

Before you reply and tear it down (which you're welcome to do) I'll give you some context. I wrote this down last night. I'm currently experiencing a bit of a dry patch creatively; post-album bends I suppose. I was reflecting on what it is that holds me back and realised that, apart from lack of time, one thing is that nowadays I tend to filter every idea through a seive of 'What will he/she think', 'What will the Christians think?', or even 'What will God think?'...

I came to the conclusion that this really isn't the right way to do it. It's not that I don't care what people think - because obviously you want people to like your music if it's going to sell...but trying to predict a reation or prempt which box I'll be squeezed into is a waste of effort. Feels like I'm throwing out ideas prematurely and it's time for that to stop!

One thing Bob Dylan said was that a song-writer just needs to keep writing songs... Song after song after song after song - and eventually they'll bump into one that's great. I've always tried to buy into that school of thought but I realise that recently I've ended up thinking way too hard - trying to make the picture appear all at once out of thin air rather than by gently drawing a line at a time.

I guess I just need to buy more pads of paper...

VORTEX

(...Matt continues...as if he hasn't not written his blog for a month and a week...)

Welcome to the busiest and most exciting blog on Blogger.com. Welcome in to the most exciting breaking news-reel in middle England.

I've heard this evening from fellow blogger Mr White that some people just come on here and fill their blog space with mindless drivel. I can't believe that people would use good internet space and fill it with rubbish...

Take Lard for example...talking and talking but he don't care. And Gandalf Graham - he's a big softy isn't he. You'd've never known it from that hard-man-picked-a-fight-with-a-dump-truck-and-won exterior. Bless him and all that read his drivel. And then...take Mr White himself...his entire blog birthed from his iPod update down-time. Crazy. What a rambling vortex we've all been trapped in - I doubt we'll ever escape...

BV Magik

At last I've come around to doing my blog again - I realise that leaving it a month between blogs isn't exactly rivetting stuff...but hey, if you're that desperate for a read then visit Mel's blog. She's always going on about something. (Some people have too much time on their hands - luv you Mel! ;-)

Here is a piccy from 2 days ago - we were back in the studio laying down Backing Vocals: Jon and Paul adding sonic delights til the cows come home. All I got to do was whisper and scream on Hope and now, two days later, I still can't talk properly.

Tonight Paulo and I went along to THQ (Salvation Army speak for Head Office) to hear the ISB play in their rehearsal room. I'm not sure if I've mentioned it before but we have asked them if they would be kind enough to play on our album and they have said yes! They are playing on a track entitled 'Take Broken Me' - if it works out well (and it should do because they're very good indeed) then we will have a great track on our hands when the whole lot is added together. We then shared a very tasty Nandos together with some of our friends from the band. All in all jolly good fun.

On the way home, whilst listening to the minidisc recordings we had made we decided to record some train noises...which proved to be amusing. The trains at Ingatestone Station never sounded so good! Hopefully our quest for special effects will make it onto the album!?

Well it's bed time I suppose. Tomorrow is another day and I intend to use it well. 

Final reflections from the first week

The last night of our recording extravaganza (week 1) has arrived (Didn't blog yesterday - ran out of time because of guitarin'). Below you can see a nice little piccy of me playing my acoustic - I think I was playing 'Take Broken Me' at the time.



It's really good to hear the album coming together now. It's been a good week - I've done guitars for 5 tracks and it's sounding pretty good...I think. To be honest there've been moments when my nerves have set in. In our little world we've been looking forward to doing this album for a while now so our expectations are set sky high! I'm sure you can understand it's potentially a long way to fall.

I've had the chance to play some lovely guitars and go through some nice amps too. We've also had some lovely visitors turn up on our doorstep: Matt, Lard, Si, and of course Rufio, Laws and Chellber! It's all been a jolly nice experience really.

Oh well...home time for now.

Doing the Levski Lunge...hey!

I felt it was important to update the blog to show a piccy that I like. Below you can see Levski lunging into his bass part - quite animated I'm sure you will agree. Loving the shadows too.



We're nearly finished the Drums and Bass for the entire album - by this evening I should be tackling the first guitar parts. It's now that I start to worry - it's not generally my playing that holds me back but more finding quality tone to use and keeping the 6 stringed beasts in tune. Those two things can take all the time away if you're not careful - at least I just got the guitars set up which is good news.

Anyway, I'll probably write again before the day is out. Our friend Matt White is visiting us down here today - so we're having a jolly good news up. Oh, and I had Ham, Brie and Cranberry sandwiches today - which was nice, but I'll probably not go there again.

Making a start on Tuesday...

Today I woke up in my little room in our little 'Artistes Flat' and stumbled into our lovely warm shower. Once I was finished (And had got dressed) I met the other Electralads for breakfast in the west wing of the flat. Much fun and merriment was had by all.

We headed down into the studio for a 10 am start - and as you can see below it has been quite an instense affair. Trev, intent on doing a great job, will not be swayed by the camera and focuses completely on Pro Tools. Lev has noticed said camera and, after preening himself gently, has leant back on his chair displaying his manly frame. Jon sits quietly in the back ground (Just like when we're on stage) and reflects on which sandwich he is going to choose for lunch whilst battling the demons which tell him again and again to chomp on a biscuit.



Obviously you can't see what I'm wearing or doing but I can tell you right now - it's awesome. I'm sure we could start a caption competition from some of these piccys...

Anyway, we've got three songs done so far - drum and bass. We're now starting on another track which we hope to get done before lunch...and the sandwich shop is good! I can forgive Jon for day dreaming about that lemon mayo and turkey banquet...

Day 1 in the recording studio

I thought it would be good to put up some an early pic from the sesh - here's one of Jon boy getting his sound early on today (if you look carefully you can see little ol' Levski in the control room). It's all great fun - looks like I'll be posting a few things on here over te next few days.



As for me? I'm just sitting here in the control room while Jon and Paulo keep it real and lay down some solid rock foundation...on today's menu is 'BREAKOUT' - the album opener. J-Money is working up a sweat and has twinged a nerve in his neck. Nice.

Hair today...blog tomorrow

There's a few things I need currently and one of them is a haircut. The other is one is that I really need to go to bed; but I promise only after I have written my blog will I do the later. And the former? Well, much to my mother's dismay, that will have to wait...ahh, the life of a rock and roll uber-star.



Just look at all that hair! I don't think I have ever been so hairy - of course those who know me (and I mean really know me) will understand that I have virtually no hair anywhere else on my body. (Much like a hairless cat, or a tibetan monk). Sorry, really that was just an excuse to use that 'Hello' program - blatant. But I hope you like the piccy anyway!

So, once I've gone to bed and got up it will be time to travel to the recording studio to lay down some phat tunes with my mates Paulo and J-Money - the other two thirds of Electralice. Can't wait to get groovy in the st-st-studio. Very excited...can you tell? Maybe that's why I can't sleep?

Anyways...I really had better go. Carus was a laugh tonight - a very intimately sized group. Maybe I'll tell you about it one day...

God bless us, everyone!

I've got a brand new combine harvester!

Well, not quite but I am very very excited at the moment cos I've got a brand new computer and I'm very pleased with it! Chell keeps calling me a 'pointy head' but i don't mind really cos I am a bit of a geek - and it's flash.

We played a phat gig last night - at a Student Union bar in St Georges Hospital Medical School (Or summit like that - the name was long anyhew). There were two other bands on the bill - the CU band from the college and a band called Note For A Child - who are signed to Ebb&Flow (Another one of the ICC subsidiary brands). Note For A Child are great - haven't heard much like them before in Christian music - some really nice beats and ambience all round. Good job - I bought their albums; always good to show support with the reddies.

Electralyte go into the studio next week. It hasn't quite dawned on me fully just yet but this could be the start of a significant next chapter in my life - really can't wait to get my hands onto my geetar and start strumming some tunes onto tape. I'm really hopin' that this stuff is good and that we're not gonna be disappointed with our performance. I don't think that'll happen though...

We're looking to have strings and brass on the album so I'm kinda looking forward to that - in an intrigued way. Never done 'owt with proper bo strings before!

Now off to kicks Mitson's butt on a game of Day of Defeat! Booyakasha! Bomballareena! Ciao!

Arty strop

Isn't amazing how quickly we loose confidence in ourselves. Especially us arty types. I just read a review of the Electralyte performance at Greenbelt (http://www.crossrhythms.co.uk/articles/music/greenbelt_05/16004/p3/) and that instant feeling went right through me and made me feel unsettled.

Yeah, sure we know that the gig was rubbish - on stage sound appalling, too many miles for too little time but even so this one guy's comments have affected me.

I don't know but I'm fairly sure that it's at these moments that I can hear God reminding me that I'm His - not just as an 'instant pick-me-up' but to remind me not to get on my high horse. For the last few months we Electralyte folks have had people surrounding us with encouragements: which always feels wierd and really awkward to accept... so I want to take this little opportunity to thank those closest to me who support and love me no matter how 'arty' I'm feeling.

William Temple (when he was alive he was Archbishop of Canterbury) suggested a definition of humility as being this: 'Humility does not mean thinking less of yourself than of other people, nor does it mean having a low opinion of your own gifts. It means freedom from thinking about yourself at all.' I pray I can get there one day...

Back in action

I've felt it bubbling for some time now. That feeling that there's something missing in my life; that whale sized hole in my soul that tells me somethings wrong. And then I saw the light. I've realised that it's time to write my blog again! Time to return to the fray. Time to embrace the mind numbing twitterings of a million would-be poets.

I do realise that I haven't written for ages. If you were an avid Matt reader (for all 6 episodes!) then I do apologise - but most probably I'm writing to myself so no worries there then.

The last few months have been absolutely manic. Manic for the band: we've done loads of gigs and events; we've signed a record deal with ICC records; we've nearly sold out of CDs; and we're recording a new album in Oct/Nov. Manic for me: I've moved house (to the beautiful Essex countryside...no...really!); I've started a new job (At London NE DHQ of the Salvation Army); I've had my car written off again and I celebrated my 26th yesterday. Old man Matt!

I'll leave it there and come back with something a bit more in depth one day soon. Have fun!

Tomorrow never comes

Sooo, I'm not very good at keeping the old blog updated then? If there's anything the past few months have taught me then it would be that! Ha! It's now April and I haven't posted since January - I will really try to improve my posting frequency...

Thanks for all your lovely comments on my previous (now ancient) post - lots has happened since then but not much to make me change my mind on that subject (yet).

Today I had a really interesting discussion with some friends about my personality. Those of you who know me will understand this more than those of you who don't. I was trying to suss myself out as a few of my close friends have described me as quite an unusual chap. I really like this description although I couldn't say why!? I hope it is a 'positive unusual' rather than the opposite. With that in mind I reflected on my life as a Christian

I try to live a life as a Christian, but within that I am not prepared to put on a big show for my non-Christian friends pretending I am something I am not. Paul (as in the bible - important guy - lots of new testament - used to be Saul? You got him) speaks about pressing on towards the goal and running the race. It's always this 'pushing forward' imagery - as if he realises that he will never quite be there but will always push as close as he can towards Jesus. His hope is based in constantly aiming to be a better man tomorrow than he is today.

My prayer is that whilst I am always pushing onwards towards worshipping God from a deeper place within me, loving my neighbour more truely and walking closer to Jesus that I will always stay true to who I am currently. That I will continue to show my weaknesses as well as my strengths - that I will continue to communicate my struggles as well as my victories. The last thing I want is for people, Christian or otherwise, to see me acting out an unattainable life, putting on the 'performance of my career' everyday and never quite facing up to who I am once I come off stage.

Lots of tired thoughts there - what do you think?