i love taking off in airplanes! watching the landscape reveal itself in more and more dimensions initially, before reducing itself to only two as we gain altitude.
today, as we take off in zurich, i watch the forest descend and reveal turquoise melt-water rivers rushing and meandering through glaciated valleys; lakes so clean that you can jump in them naked and drink her colour up; snow-capped peaks - shining and melting, feeding the rivers in this july heat.
i travel today with the scent of an edelweiss plant, gifted me by the wonderful people at kulturfestival, where we played a concert last night, in the courtyard of an ethnology museum in st. gallen. i'm not sure how well this alpine rock plant will survive in the bruxelles climate - i'll figure it out... maybe i should water it with ice!
Thursday, 16 July 2015
Tuesday, 7 July 2015
where are the audience?
each summer, especially in ireland, i notice less and less people attend the summer festivals. this summer, one festival that i was meant to play at got cancelled due, in no small part, to low ticket sales.
where have all the people gone?
i think the simple answer is that they are hiding behind ticket prices. furthermore, i imagine that those who do put their hand in their pocket and go along, are shocked out of future festivals by the 7-euro sandwich, the 6-euro beer and similar.
so i guess the question should be: why are festivals, and the amenities provided at them, getting so expensive? especially in a climate where festival-goers have less and less money themselves.
i began to piece together an answer this summer as i read about the amounts of money that certain bands demand and the shrinking amounts of funding and sponsoring available to organisers.
what can we do to try and reverse this?
firstly, why should any band's festival performance cost upwards of 500,000-euros before expenses (and i feel i am being extremely generous with this amount - a tenth of this should be largely adequate)?
a knock-on effect of these astronomical costs is that the pool-of-fees remaining for all other acts is reduced significantly. this means that the acts who agree to play, either take quite a blow to their fee or, if some of the medium acts don't take that blow, the smaller acts will most likely not be paid anything at all. also, it can lead to line-ups that are mostly pants!
with my own independent projects in which i am singer and bandleader, floatinghome (www.floatinghome.org) and lord altmont (www.facebook.com/lordaltmont). i constantly find myself in situations where i can't pay the musicians adequately (myself included, of course).
i would love to see a situation where festivals stop geographically blocking bands and instead work together with local programmers to ensure diversity in the festivals. i would love, also, to see a situation where bands charge honest fees for the case presented (i understand that it can happen that a band need be flown in). i feel that this would in turn reduce ticket-prices, allowing festival-goers to go to more festivals, so no-one looses out - bands play more shows (and we love to play) - festival-organisers can realise their dream festival - bookers and programmers see better crowds at the shows - festival-goers have a more diverse selection of events to attend, and can afford to attend several and not just a single festival each year.
-----
secondly, why should vendors need to sell their wares at such insane prices?
i presume that the cost of permission to sell at these events must also be increasing, but if heineken sponsored the event, does it really cost them so much to justify selling their beer at such exploded prices? and for other non-sponsor vendors, i presume the price of their license has been driven up by many of the other points raised in this article.
i know we can find more honest companies with better work-ethic and better selection to offer festival-goers! in this magical new age of the return of the small-scale crafts-people there are so many quality options that are not more expensive than the current big distributors rates. if we start working together with them, everything will grow cheaper as we grow together... if a small business can predict demand for their product, they can increase efficiency, reduce cost and adjust the scale of production accordingly. this helps remove spikes in demand, thus increasing the consistency and quality of the product, creating more regular employment, and hence making new festival-goers - everyone wins!
-----
thirdly, what can we do to get by in a time when sponsorships are reduced?
i have recently been talking to friends who work in the domain, and i learned that some of the smaller festivals find themselves with a page full of sponsors just to pay the acts, before any other costs are considered. i guess, also, that if ticket sales are down, certain less-important things get overlooked and the festival experience becomes less comfortable.
there are so many festivals popping up around the country and some of them appear to be working in competition with each other. i feel this to be counter-productive. there could be the same number of festivals with reduced costs and they could all be really nice, if they were to work together... there is no point in suing a festival because their name and vibe is similar to yours, give them a shout and see can you work together to reduce costs. rent the gear together to get a better price or hire caterers and security for several events at the same time (again, they will be better able to predict demand for their service and will be therefore more efficient); maybe one of the festivals have gear that they own that they could share with the other, and vice-versa, so both could avoid the astronomical rental price on a backstage tent, or the second stage monitor desk...
festivals could work together to increase ticket sales: for example, persuade the audience of one to attend the other (i am aware that one inevitably happens before the other, but i am talking about a longer-term plan than a single festival summer); a reduced ticket price if tickets to both are bought at the same time; a shuttle from the site of one to the other, so transport need not be such a problem (i am assuming here, of course, that the dates of the festivals are not the same). maybe, a mention on the timetable of the other, even a discount coupon.
lets try to keep festival-goers going to festivals!
where have all the people gone?
i think the simple answer is that they are hiding behind ticket prices. furthermore, i imagine that those who do put their hand in their pocket and go along, are shocked out of future festivals by the 7-euro sandwich, the 6-euro beer and similar.
so i guess the question should be: why are festivals, and the amenities provided at them, getting so expensive? especially in a climate where festival-goers have less and less money themselves.
i began to piece together an answer this summer as i read about the amounts of money that certain bands demand and the shrinking amounts of funding and sponsoring available to organisers.
what can we do to try and reverse this?
firstly, why should any band's festival performance cost upwards of 500,000-euros before expenses (and i feel i am being extremely generous with this amount - a tenth of this should be largely adequate)?
a knock-on effect of these astronomical costs is that the pool-of-fees remaining for all other acts is reduced significantly. this means that the acts who agree to play, either take quite a blow to their fee or, if some of the medium acts don't take that blow, the smaller acts will most likely not be paid anything at all. also, it can lead to line-ups that are mostly pants!
with my own independent projects in which i am singer and bandleader, floatinghome (www.floatinghome.org) and lord altmont (www.facebook.com/lordaltmont). i constantly find myself in situations where i can't pay the musicians adequately (myself included, of course).
i would love to see a situation where festivals stop geographically blocking bands and instead work together with local programmers to ensure diversity in the festivals. i would love, also, to see a situation where bands charge honest fees for the case presented (i understand that it can happen that a band need be flown in). i feel that this would in turn reduce ticket-prices, allowing festival-goers to go to more festivals, so no-one looses out - bands play more shows (and we love to play) - festival-organisers can realise their dream festival - bookers and programmers see better crowds at the shows - festival-goers have a more diverse selection of events to attend, and can afford to attend several and not just a single festival each year.
-----
secondly, why should vendors need to sell their wares at such insane prices?
i presume that the cost of permission to sell at these events must also be increasing, but if heineken sponsored the event, does it really cost them so much to justify selling their beer at such exploded prices? and for other non-sponsor vendors, i presume the price of their license has been driven up by many of the other points raised in this article.
i know we can find more honest companies with better work-ethic and better selection to offer festival-goers! in this magical new age of the return of the small-scale crafts-people there are so many quality options that are not more expensive than the current big distributors rates. if we start working together with them, everything will grow cheaper as we grow together... if a small business can predict demand for their product, they can increase efficiency, reduce cost and adjust the scale of production accordingly. this helps remove spikes in demand, thus increasing the consistency and quality of the product, creating more regular employment, and hence making new festival-goers - everyone wins!
-----
thirdly, what can we do to get by in a time when sponsorships are reduced?
i have recently been talking to friends who work in the domain, and i learned that some of the smaller festivals find themselves with a page full of sponsors just to pay the acts, before any other costs are considered. i guess, also, that if ticket sales are down, certain less-important things get overlooked and the festival experience becomes less comfortable.
there are so many festivals popping up around the country and some of them appear to be working in competition with each other. i feel this to be counter-productive. there could be the same number of festivals with reduced costs and they could all be really nice, if they were to work together... there is no point in suing a festival because their name and vibe is similar to yours, give them a shout and see can you work together to reduce costs. rent the gear together to get a better price or hire caterers and security for several events at the same time (again, they will be better able to predict demand for their service and will be therefore more efficient); maybe one of the festivals have gear that they own that they could share with the other, and vice-versa, so both could avoid the astronomical rental price on a backstage tent, or the second stage monitor desk...
festivals could work together to increase ticket sales: for example, persuade the audience of one to attend the other (i am aware that one inevitably happens before the other, but i am talking about a longer-term plan than a single festival summer); a reduced ticket price if tickets to both are bought at the same time; a shuttle from the site of one to the other, so transport need not be such a problem (i am assuming here, of course, that the dates of the festivals are not the same). maybe, a mention on the timetable of the other, even a discount coupon.
lets try to keep festival-goers going to festivals!
Friday, 23 May 2014
dave's eyes
DRAWING by david hedderman, "the artist"
... the sounds... a baby crying; another laughing; music in the distance - "is that live?" asks dave; birds singing over the rooftops; billie holiday on the radio; a conversation between a fashion designer and a jewlery designer in the next room; charcoal on wood, like chalk on a blackboard; my breathing... it's peaceful here in this yard, hidden in the heart of kreuzberg!
our afternoon began slowly, sitting on the rooftop with tea, looking out over berlin - sun warming our heads as the clouds rolled around the horizon... chatting about friends, adventures and the breeze...
sitting by the window, in the studio now, making more tea - there's three good infusions on these leaves - dave moves the canvas around...
closer...
closer...
closer
"does it bother you, me being this close?"
"not at all!" i quite like it actually - i've never been drawn like this before - it feels nice...
walking around the room, he runs at the paper - no sound...
walks back, comes at me, then the paper again - no sound...
he stills, slowly scratching the first marks...
walks backwards again...
"i'm having difficulty finding you!"
... slowly back to the paper
... i let my mind wander...
... the paintings... stacked against the walls... a canvas, awash with blue, with a figure holding balloons; three heads, like an over-exposed sepia print - a close-up at a party; boys playing at the edge of a pond, one reaching in; now rachels plays on the radio; a room, a familiar room, like the lobby in the old DDR media building on nalepastr...
dave, standing above me, close; left arm bent slightly forward with putty and charcoals; right arm poised to scar the page - each time with a line or an arch or a blotch that goes a step further toward defining me; takes three steps back, head cocked; looks down his face at the canvas; makes a motion in the air; lunges forward, coming to rest with his right foot resting on the easel; scars the page with the same motion;
eyes darting to my version of me;
to his version in progress;
reading me intensly and scribing his findings to the blank parts of the page...
dogs at a junction - five dogs, then i see only four, then three, then two, then one, as i find my point, one eye higher than the other - head of a terrier, a brown blotch over his left ear, the scar from where the ear was before, perhaps?, the beginning branches of a tree in the sky - a hint to why the shadows are as they are! - a work in progress - running? walking? his right leg like human, but perfectly dog, stray lines, like seams yet to be covered over - perfectly imperfect, mysterious light by his front left leg, he's nearly left the painting; top three floors of a building afloat, waiting to find their link to the land, waiting to land...
... i let my mind wander...
an edible euro with a bite taken out of it on a white portion of wall, fashion designer with strong hands and pretty face walks back and forth with cuts of material...
dave's markings get stronger...
he walks back, cocks his head and sees something...
walks faster to the page, eyes dart back and forth from me to paper to me to paper, from me to the image of me forming...
he stands back, pauses
... i let my mind wander...
like the tides, his wanderings and strokes grow more intense, faster and stronger, he moves! dancing - it's beautiful to watch...
"i'm really enjoying this" he says as he slows down and the intensity subsides,
"it's you!"
and it is... splashes of colour - just enough to balance the darkness in the eyes - a darkness that i wasn't feeling today, but he recognised anyway - i've seen me look exactly like this in concert shots, when i allow my innermost come out and play - he saw through my good mood!
"you have so much expression in your face - it changes so much", he says,
"i thought i was being relatively blank, it must change with the music!"
dave lies down on the couch by the window, as the sun sets through the potted plants outside... he stands up, turns the easel to face him, lies back down and after a few seconds, announces
"i like it"
"me too", i add... "it's me!"
www.davidhedderman.com
> the sitters
> aidan
will be hanging in rha, dublin between 27th may and 09th august, 2014.
WORDS by aidan, "the sitter"
:: 15.08.2011 ::
... the sights... to my left, in the middle of the studio is stood an easel with a large blank page upon it... to my right, a bright window, split into smaller squares with two segments open, allowing in the summer evening slowly changing colour outside; by the window, a spider plant pushing out of its pot is sat beside a wooden box, bubbling over with different shades and sizes of charcoal and puttyrubber; at my right knee is a long coffee table, slightly chaotic with jasmine tea, bread & hummous, my notebook, pencil and a pair of cameras:: 15.08.2011 ::
... the sounds... a baby crying; another laughing; music in the distance - "is that live?" asks dave; birds singing over the rooftops; billie holiday on the radio; a conversation between a fashion designer and a jewlery designer in the next room; charcoal on wood, like chalk on a blackboard; my breathing... it's peaceful here in this yard, hidden in the heart of kreuzberg!
our afternoon began slowly, sitting on the rooftop with tea, looking out over berlin - sun warming our heads as the clouds rolled around the horizon... chatting about friends, adventures and the breeze...
sitting by the window, in the studio now, making more tea - there's three good infusions on these leaves - dave moves the canvas around...
closer...
closer...
closer
"does it bother you, me being this close?"
"not at all!" i quite like it actually - i've never been drawn like this before - it feels nice...
walking around the room, he runs at the paper - no sound...
walks back, comes at me, then the paper again - no sound...
he stills, slowly scratching the first marks...
walks backwards again...
"i'm having difficulty finding you!"
... slowly back to the paper
... i let my mind wander...
... the paintings... stacked against the walls... a canvas, awash with blue, with a figure holding balloons; three heads, like an over-exposed sepia print - a close-up at a party; boys playing at the edge of a pond, one reaching in; now rachels plays on the radio; a room, a familiar room, like the lobby in the old DDR media building on nalepastr...
dave, standing above me, close; left arm bent slightly forward with putty and charcoals; right arm poised to scar the page - each time with a line or an arch or a blotch that goes a step further toward defining me; takes three steps back, head cocked; looks down his face at the canvas; makes a motion in the air; lunges forward, coming to rest with his right foot resting on the easel; scars the page with the same motion;
eyes darting to my version of me;
to his version in progress;
reading me intensly and scribing his findings to the blank parts of the page...
dogs at a junction - five dogs, then i see only four, then three, then two, then one, as i find my point, one eye higher than the other - head of a terrier, a brown blotch over his left ear, the scar from where the ear was before, perhaps?, the beginning branches of a tree in the sky - a hint to why the shadows are as they are! - a work in progress - running? walking? his right leg like human, but perfectly dog, stray lines, like seams yet to be covered over - perfectly imperfect, mysterious light by his front left leg, he's nearly left the painting; top three floors of a building afloat, waiting to find their link to the land, waiting to land...
... i let my mind wander...
an edible euro with a bite taken out of it on a white portion of wall, fashion designer with strong hands and pretty face walks back and forth with cuts of material...
dave's markings get stronger...
he walks back, cocks his head and sees something...
walks faster to the page, eyes dart back and forth from me to paper to me to paper, from me to the image of me forming...
he stands back, pauses
... i let my mind wander...
like the tides, his wanderings and strokes grow more intense, faster and stronger, he moves! dancing - it's beautiful to watch...
"i'm really enjoying this" he says as he slows down and the intensity subsides,
"it's you!"
and it is... splashes of colour - just enough to balance the darkness in the eyes - a darkness that i wasn't feeling today, but he recognised anyway - i've seen me look exactly like this in concert shots, when i allow my innermost come out and play - he saw through my good mood!
"you have so much expression in your face - it changes so much", he says,
"i thought i was being relatively blank, it must change with the music!"
dave lies down on the couch by the window, as the sun sets through the potted plants outside... he stands up, turns the easel to face him, lies back down and after a few seconds, announces
"i like it"
"me too", i add... "it's me!"
www.davidhedderman.com
> the sitters
> aidan
will be hanging in rha, dublin between 27th may and 09th august, 2014.
Tuesday, 31 December 2013
where he lay
and they lay there together
where words are as rare as diamonds
and each one as perfect
she promised to return and left him lost
.
.
.
he lay facing the wall
staring at the line cast by her shadow
in the morning light
after time
she walked silently through the door
sat down
and allowed the room to fill with her scent
.
.
.
with his nose
he turned out of depression
and into her arms
the wall dissappeared
where words are as rare as diamonds
and each one as perfect
she promised to return and left him lost
.
.
.
he lay facing the wall
staring at the line cast by her shadow
in the morning light
after time
she walked silently through the door
sat down
and allowed the room to fill with her scent
.
.
.
with his nose
he turned out of depression
and into her arms
the wall dissappeared
Monday, 3 December 2012
winter break
winter entered vioently and suddenly last wednesday night while we slept. there we were at midnight standing outside the venue in regansburg in the mild autumn rain and on thursday morning, a freezing snowy world awaited us outdoors. last night, nature repeated itself in bruxelles, with our first snowfall at about 3am - it had been rained on and washed away before this morning, but watching the snow fall on the rooftops opposite as i fell asleep last night was quite beautiful!
wallis and i have just arrived home after a long tour ending with some arena dates with german singer, ina müler. on arriving in belgium and before getting home, i met up with the italian weather ladies in the very special bar des etoiles - an intimate woodland venue perched on the top of a hill in the countryside near ottignes with a warming welcome, a brilliant sound system, an open fire and an beautiful audience warmed by it.
this thursday 6th, i am going to play a solo show alongside ivan tirtaux, one of my favorite bruxelles singers, at another lovely intimate venue, le chat borgne in bruxelles... in the mean time, i've been putting together remix packs for anyone who may want to fuck up my songs (see here for more) - a lovely way to end a heavy touring year. please join us at the show or on the mixing desk!
then it's time for two weeks of christmas markets and mulled wine before popping back to dublin for the festivities - this break is the longest i've had since feburary... ten months of touring - the ups and downs, the highlights - so many, dornbirn for birthday champagne stands out! the spills, the thrills - lots of thrills - but not much sleep - time to play catch-up :)
wallis and i have just arrived home after a long tour ending with some arena dates with german singer, ina müler. on arriving in belgium and before getting home, i met up with the italian weather ladies in the very special bar des etoiles - an intimate woodland venue perched on the top of a hill in the countryside near ottignes with a warming welcome, a brilliant sound system, an open fire and an beautiful audience warmed by it.
this thursday 6th, i am going to play a solo show alongside ivan tirtaux, one of my favorite bruxelles singers, at another lovely intimate venue, le chat borgne in bruxelles... in the mean time, i've been putting together remix packs for anyone who may want to fuck up my songs (see here for more) - a lovely way to end a heavy touring year. please join us at the show or on the mixing desk!
then it's time for two weeks of christmas markets and mulled wine before popping back to dublin for the festivities - this break is the longest i've had since feburary... ten months of touring - the ups and downs, the highlights - so many, dornbirn for birthday champagne stands out! the spills, the thrills - lots of thrills - but not much sleep - time to play catch-up :)
Monday, 23 July 2012
press for our (aidan & the italian weather ladies) debut album, "le grand discours"
in march, we released our debut album in germany. because of this, the press has mostly been german, and my german is not very strong! we've spent the past few days tracking down and translating what various publications have been saying about our album. it's funny to read how people hear it... some say its a light and fun album, while others say it's a rich meloncholic album! most loved it, some hated it, but, thankfully, there was nothing in-between - happy my music, at the very least, moved you :)
i try not to read stuff written about me, anyway - my objectivity suffers and my ego grows, but i found myself obliged to do so this time. so, in the heights of my ego, i thought i'd share some snippits with you... i think i kinda learned something from it! now, learn with us (lets not forget the italian weather ladies)...
"evokes an enormous mental cinema of images and feelings. 7/10" - crazewire
"welches ein enormes Kopfkino an Bildern und Gefühlen hervorruft. 7/10" - crazewire
http://youtu.be/nRPVPBlTpPE
"it's simply wonderful melancholic music orchestrated with a full band... Highly reccommended! 6/6" - stadt magazine
"De la musique mélancolique tout simplement merveilleuse orchestrée par un groupe complet... Vivement recommandé! 6/6" - stadt magazine
"ist es einfach wunderbar melancholische Musik in voller Bandbesetzung... Ein absoluter Tipp! 6/6" - stadt magazine
http://youtu.be/8JsdiTiowGM
"an infinitely rich, moving and natural piece of folk art, which offers continuous surprises. A diamond debut." - glitterhouse
"De l'art folk infiniment riche, touchant, naturel et toujours surprenant. Des débuts 18 carats!" - glitterhouse
"ein unendlich reiches, bewegendes, natürlich fließendes Folk-Kunstwerk entstehen, das immer wieder neue Überraschungen bietet. Ein Debut-Diamant." - glitterhouse
http://youtu.be/3kmj3PQBtEU
"beautiful songwriting debut for the year-end list... stunning. 4/5" - schallplattenmann
"Joli travail d'écriture qui aura sa place au classement de fin d'année... Magnifique! 4/5" - schallplattenmann
"wunderschönes Songwriting-Debüt für die Jahresendliste... atemberaubenden. 4/5" - schallplattenmann
http://youtu.be/4CZMvoGGCOg
"There is so much to discover in "Le Grand Discours", people who love Elbow, Nick Drake and John Martyn, will accept it with open ears." - Suite 101
"Il y a tant à découvrir dans "Le grand discours". De quoi ravir les oreilles amoureuses de Nick Drake, Elbow ou John Martyn." - suite 101
"Es gibt also viel zu entdecken auf „Le Grand Discours“, das Menschen, die Elbow, Nick Drake und John Martyn mögen, mit offenen Ohren aufnehmen werden." - Suite 101
http://youtu.be/lJzArCM1MvA
"repeatedly enchants the artist's audience with simple, effective melodies and his unique voice. 9/10" - powermetal
"Immer wieder verzaubert der Künstler seine Zuhörer mit einfachen, wirkungsvollen Melodien und seiner einzigartigen Stimme. 9/10" - powermetal
http://youtu.be/k9TVYCffHEE
"Very melodic, very quiet, very skillful: Belgo-Irish singer/songwriter pop." - Frankenpost Magazine
"Sehr melodiös, sehr ruhig, sehr gekonnt: Singer/Songwriter-Pop in irisch-belgischer Zusammenarbeit." - Frankenpost Magazine
http://youtu.be/xGO6d1c8C0c
"Aidan is an artist with heart and soul."
"Aidan ist ein Künstler mit Leib und Seele."
http://youtu.be/AiJnMeGhB3k
if you have thoughts or feelings about the album, please share them - amazon allows user reviews!
buy "le grand discours"
i try not to read stuff written about me, anyway - my objectivity suffers and my ego grows, but i found myself obliged to do so this time. so, in the heights of my ego, i thought i'd share some snippits with you... i think i kinda learned something from it! now, learn with us (lets not forget the italian weather ladies)...
"evokes an enormous mental cinema of images and feelings. 7/10" - crazewire
"welches ein enormes Kopfkino an Bildern und Gefühlen hervorruft. 7/10" - crazewire
http://youtu.be/nRPVPBlTpPE
"it's simply wonderful melancholic music orchestrated with a full band... Highly reccommended! 6/6" - stadt magazine
"De la musique mélancolique tout simplement merveilleuse orchestrée par un groupe complet... Vivement recommandé! 6/6" - stadt magazine
"ist es einfach wunderbar melancholische Musik in voller Bandbesetzung... Ein absoluter Tipp! 6/6" - stadt magazine
http://youtu.be/8JsdiTiowGM
"an infinitely rich, moving and natural piece of folk art, which offers continuous surprises. A diamond debut." - glitterhouse
"De l'art folk infiniment riche, touchant, naturel et toujours surprenant. Des débuts 18 carats!" - glitterhouse
"ein unendlich reiches, bewegendes, natürlich fließendes Folk-Kunstwerk entstehen, das immer wieder neue Überraschungen bietet. Ein Debut-Diamant." - glitterhouse
http://youtu.be/3kmj3PQBtEU
"beautiful songwriting debut for the year-end list... stunning. 4/5" - schallplattenmann
"Joli travail d'écriture qui aura sa place au classement de fin d'année... Magnifique! 4/5" - schallplattenmann
"wunderschönes Songwriting-Debüt für die Jahresendliste... atemberaubenden. 4/5" - schallplattenmann
http://youtu.be/4CZMvoGGCOg
"There is so much to discover in "Le Grand Discours", people who love Elbow, Nick Drake and John Martyn, will accept it with open ears." - Suite 101
"Il y a tant à découvrir dans "Le grand discours". De quoi ravir les oreilles amoureuses de Nick Drake, Elbow ou John Martyn." - suite 101
"Es gibt also viel zu entdecken auf „Le Grand Discours“, das Menschen, die Elbow, Nick Drake und John Martyn mögen, mit offenen Ohren aufnehmen werden." - Suite 101
http://youtu.be/lJzArCM1MvA
"repeatedly enchants the artist's audience with simple, effective melodies and his unique voice. 9/10" - powermetal
"Immer wieder verzaubert der Künstler seine Zuhörer mit einfachen, wirkungsvollen Melodien und seiner einzigartigen Stimme. 9/10" - powermetal
http://youtu.be/k9TVYCffHEE
"Very melodic, very quiet, very skillful: Belgo-Irish singer/songwriter pop." - Frankenpost Magazine
"Sehr melodiös, sehr ruhig, sehr gekonnt: Singer/Songwriter-Pop in irisch-belgischer Zusammenarbeit." - Frankenpost Magazine
http://youtu.be/xGO6d1c8C0c
"Aidan is an artist with heart and soul."
"Aidan ist ein Künstler mit Leib und Seele."
http://youtu.be/AiJnMeGhB3k
if you have thoughts or feelings about the album, please share them - amazon allows user reviews!
Tuesday, 19 June 2012
livingroom concert video: believe by aidan
livingroom concert video: believe by aidan
live at darmstadt, 22nd november 2011
captured by bedroomdisco.de
last summer, i came across the living room concert concept when i received an odd email from my friend elvy, advising me that he was doing a show in bruxelles but he couldn't tell me where! it had been some years since i had seen him perform so, even though i wasn't sure if i would make the show, i signed myself up as an audience member... i did make the show (nearly a half hour late!), and it was the lovliest and most intimate show i had been to in ages - about 30 or 40 people sitting around in a gentleman named frederick's home. frederick opens his doors to strangers for the love of music - the same spirit that i imagine public houses to have been conducted in, before 1869, and the way i wish people were still free to act now.
it was for this reason that, last november, when we were booking some shows, we tracked down some of these unique venues: home concert in bruxelles, where i saw elvy, and where i hope to play during the soon-to-be-announced september 2012 tour with ben kritikos; motoki wohnzimmer in köln, who are so successful that they rarely get around to emails; bedroom disco in darmstadt, who organised for charlie barnes and i to put on a show in a student-appartement kitchen last november; ...
this show was a very special show... again, 30 or 40 people, almost sitting on top of each other... full of energy and involved - you had to be - it was a kitchen with 40 people rammed into it! at the start of the evening, we all grabbed a cushion and had a great feed, before charlie opened the show. he played a great set, with his off-the-wall live sampling and effects... this was the 3rd and last show that charlie and i were doing together, after this show, he was returning home to leeds, and i was continuing the tour on my own - it couldn't have been a more perfect final evening - dominik looked after us so well and put us up in his home when the time came to find a pillow to fall on... i can best describe my show by sending you to the video that was filmed there by jochen and dorota:
this is where music lives :)
www.floatinghome.org
www.facebook.com/floatinghomemusic
www.facebook.com/lordaltmont
live at darmstadt, 22nd november 2011
captured by bedroomdisco.de
last summer, i came across the living room concert concept when i received an odd email from my friend elvy, advising me that he was doing a show in bruxelles but he couldn't tell me where! it had been some years since i had seen him perform so, even though i wasn't sure if i would make the show, i signed myself up as an audience member... i did make the show (nearly a half hour late!), and it was the lovliest and most intimate show i had been to in ages - about 30 or 40 people sitting around in a gentleman named frederick's home. frederick opens his doors to strangers for the love of music - the same spirit that i imagine public houses to have been conducted in, before 1869, and the way i wish people were still free to act now.
it was for this reason that, last november, when we were booking some shows, we tracked down some of these unique venues: home concert in bruxelles, where i saw elvy, and where i hope to play during the soon-to-be-announced september 2012 tour with ben kritikos; motoki wohnzimmer in köln, who are so successful that they rarely get around to emails; bedroom disco in darmstadt, who organised for charlie barnes and i to put on a show in a student-appartement kitchen last november; ...
this show was a very special show... again, 30 or 40 people, almost sitting on top of each other... full of energy and involved - you had to be - it was a kitchen with 40 people rammed into it! at the start of the evening, we all grabbed a cushion and had a great feed, before charlie opened the show. he played a great set, with his off-the-wall live sampling and effects... this was the 3rd and last show that charlie and i were doing together, after this show, he was returning home to leeds, and i was continuing the tour on my own - it couldn't have been a more perfect final evening - dominik looked after us so well and put us up in his home when the time came to find a pillow to fall on... i can best describe my show by sending you to the video that was filmed there by jochen and dorota:
this is where music lives :)
www.floatinghome.org
www.facebook.com/floatinghomemusic
www.facebook.com/lordaltmont
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