Let's race the tube...!

Because it's there?! Because it's fun? All of the above... pointlessly fulfilling?

P (h/t Brian P. Smith)

Kicking up Good Vibrations...

Terri Hooley is a radical, rebel and music-lover in 1970s Belfast, when the bloody conflict known as The Troubles shuts down his city. As all his friends take sides and take up arms, Terri opens a record shop on the most bombed half-mile in Europe and calls it Good Vibrations. Through it he discovers a compelling voice of resistance in the city’s nascent underground punk scene. Galvanising the young musicians into action, he becomes the unlikely leader of a motley band of kids and punks who join him in his mission to create a new community, an Alternative Ulster, to bring his city back to life.

Good Vibrations is released in the UK and Ireland by The Works UK Distribution on March 29, 2013.

Air Canada - In Flight Entertainment...

The Lemon Bucket Orkestra, who describe themselves as "Toronto's only Balkan-Klezmer-Gypsy-Party-Punk Super-Band", were delayed on a flight to Romania... what better way to while away the time than play an impromptu gig right there and then?

P h/t The Wedlocks

You would not believe your eyes...

Video featuring iDrum virtuoso sticksman Dan Abbott along with his pots and pans percussionist Jono breaking out some broad smiles in the metropolis of Londinium with some guerrilla busking. Hailing from my local patch of Colchester iDrum is a drummer's collective headed up by Dan who is also a regular member of Psalm Drummers as well as playing for various bands. Dan stresses that iDrum is primarily about having fun, being a tad different from other buskers and definitely not a commercial masterplan. Love the mime to Owl City's single Fireflies too, pukka performance art!

According to Dan the interaction of the watching crowds makes all the serious effort well worthwhile, with folk saying that stumbling across them playing landed up making their day. Young guns have staged dance offs in front of the band, there have been spontaneous break dances and other pro drummers have stepped up and joined in for impromptu jam sessions. Keep an ear and eye out for them as they perform all over the place, check out the various youtube videos.

Film above created by Timecode Cartel.

P h/t Tim Abbott

What's your Blues name?

Thanks to the Huffington Post and some Facebook friends!

Think I'll stick to being Peter Memory Banks ;-)

Which faith suits you?

h/t Peter Ward

Revival comes to West Mersea...

Residents of St. Peter's Road receiving the Wood of the LORD this morning.... a parishioner was encouraged by the new and charismatic preacher saying they would fit in well 'as our services are usually a bit wooden'. We're told the reading was from Isaiah 55:12 along with a relevant chorus.

The good news is the message Sufjan Stevens brings us which I wouldn't have found if I'd not searched for the obvious song!

Hands down for coffee...

P

Some Van Halen Bluegrass Joy...

A brilliant Bluegrass version of Van Halen's epic song 'Jump' sung by front man David Lee Roth accompanied by The John Jorgenson Bluegrass Band on an album I've only just discovered entitled: Strummin' With the Devil: The Southern Side of Van Halen . Although the re-unions with former Van Halen bandmates still happened what is abundantly clear here is how much genuine fun Mr. Lee Roth is having! This is a delightful collaborative re-imagination of classic Van Halen tracks with various bluegrass and US folk music ensembles, love it!

P

Tim Minchin - Away in Some (m)Anger...

This wee ditty from the extraordinary mind and talents of Mr Tim Minchin has been cut from the Jonathan Ross Christmas show because of ITV fearing a backlash from conservative Christibods... Oh dear oh dear... full story on Tim's blog here.

Enjoy, consider this a Seasonal Salutation!

P

Advent music - taking a great idea and...

Taking the idea made famous by Bob Dylan, this video from the small Yupiq Eskimo Village of Quinhagak, Alaska , was a school computer project intended for the other Yupiq villages in the area. Much to the villagers' shock their 'little', project took off!

P h/t Pat Kirby

BBC's Rev Series 2... can't wait!

The new series of Rev returns to BBC2 next week... Episode 1 transmits at 9:00pm Thursday 10th November. Forthcoming episodes feature a trip to the Greenbelt Festival and none other than Ralph Fiennes as the Bishop of London.

P

Not so Rapid now....

Inspired and flagrantly stolen from Phil Ritchie's excellent blog...

P

Subway Sandwich Sensation...

We like this... Featuring beatboxer Yuri Lane demonstrating his technique of beatboxing through a harmonica. An advert you actually want to watch!

P

OK Go show All Is Not Lost...

The latest epic video from Pop Combo OK Go who pretty much came to fame because of their energetic treadmill routine for the song 'Here It Goes Again', one of my all time favourite pop videos. Since then there visual creativity blossomed with the creation of a 'Rube Goldberg Machine' for 'This Too Shall Pass'.

A bonus in the latest creation is you can have your own message included as part of the end sequence:

Try it out for yourself right here!

P

The Peace of the Lord be...

Well, I, for one, can't wait to see this movie based on Don Miller's cracking book 'Blue Like Jazz'. Instead of a 'coming of age' storyline it's a bit more of a re-discovery with some seriously perceptive observations of the church.

Love it!

P

AV for beer-ginners...

The case of the Vanishing Verger...

Sometimes being human is simply not appropriate... after a good day at the office the Church of England acts quickly to cover up any exuberance ;-)

P

Archbishop Rowan busts a move...

Another advert and although it's a rip-off of the famous original YouTube wedding entrance video still made me laugh! Plus I used to live in E17... and we will get a holy day...

P (h/t Pat Kirby)

The President's Speech...

In the wake of the success of the incredible film 'The Kings Speech' comes the trailer for the American adaptation... it helps if you've seen the original, makes this even funnier despite the soft target!

P

Candlemas Rocker Service...

Clearly Archdruid Eileen of the Beaker Folk of Husborne Crawley has the gift of prophecy as the posting on Saturday 29th; 'Middle Age Rocker Service' was somewhat matched by the real thing this Sunday. In many ways 'Middle Aged' is on the gracious side for After The Fire (ATF) and our extra team of acoustic musicians (no Fender Squier but we did have a genuine Dobro) in our nine piece ensemble. Also whilst our repertoire, although ambitious and not quite as adventurous as Voodoo Chile, I must gently point out we did not actually play 'Joy' during the offertory this time...!

Here is the list of spiritual songs we played that formed the Musical Liturgy:

Sometimes - After The Fire
Help - The Beatles
How Deep the Father's Love - Hymn
Ride Back Home - John Mellencamp
Are We Alright - Steve Knightley/Show of Hands
When the Trumpet of the Lord shall Sound - Hymn
I'll Fly Away - Hymn
Dark Side, I'm not an Angel - After The Fire
Time To Think - After The Fire
Meet Me - Rob Halligan
Laser Love - After The Fire
Jesus! What a Friend for sinners - Hymn
Did Trouble Me - Susan M. Werner / Tom Jones
You - Rob Halligan
Here is Love - Hymn

If doubts overcome, then check it out! Download the whole order of service sheet here!

ATF return to the full rock edition later this month, with US made Strats, February 26th, Rock for Fairtrade, Burgess Hill and then a Water project fundraiser here on Mersea Island on 19th March.

P