Michael MacLennan

Because obviously, of all the places you can look and books you can buy, the freakin' WASTELAND is where you're going to be informed of the complex situation and how it developed over the last 50-odd years...

If you were going to check a movie preview this weekend, it really should have been A History of Violence. Now there's a hell of a film... PS Green Street is also pretty terrible, and features one of the worst 'cockernee' accents I've heard in a long time...

An option Bounce a ball for 10 minutes, while counting the bounces. Then do it again, and see if you can beat your record.

Isn't a 'scene' a type of cat? No way do I want to be part of a cat.

And then I wonder why people think I'm gay... did a pretty damned good job though' date=' given the condition I was in. Maybe if this journalism lark doesn't work out I can open a nail bar. Anyway, here's Subsistence at the Lemon Tree... [img']http://myspace-385.vo.llnwd.net/00218/58/36/218616385_l.jpg And Sirius! One I took in February 2000 at the Malt Mill, back when they were still an indie-rock band and sounding more like Led Zeppelin-meets-Pink Floyd, old-school style...

Yay, I found the old Subsist website! Most notable for the Subsist guestbook reminding of the time there was a combined Aberdeen band night out (starting at Ma Cameron's I think), where we all got wrecked, and I painted Lambo Nero's nails in the upstairs part of the Palace, downing so much aftershock in the process that I was barely functional before the next night's gig supporting Earthtone 9...

I thought so, I swear that he looked about 20 years younger when he was onstage at that point (I'd had a lot of wine by this point), and I'd become almost obsessed about whether or not it was him... hopefully he was too engaged in the performance to notice me staring at him in some weird, psychotic way.

All I remember of Filthpact is being obsessed with wondering whether their drummer was the same guy who organised the punk gigs at Drakes back in the days of yore, because he looked much younger on stage, if it was. At my stage of drunkenness, the idea had taken on a Hawkings-like level of complexity. Anything that jogs the memory must be welcomed, I guess...

Popcorn Fiend Now for a stupid question... I know why you'd have a music band page (for promotion, etc), but what do people have their own page for? What do they do with it, or do in myspace? I don't mean it to sound as though I'm casting aspersions on those who do have personal spaces, I'm genuinely curious. Do people use it for making friends... maybe for chatting people up? Tell me. TELL ME!

They put on an amazing performance at Leeds, the fact that they're all only 17 or so astounds me...

It's strange, my feeling was the same as last year... ie, absolute regret the day after (due to alcohol, of course), and then come about a week later, much joy about taking part in the whole occasion, and eager anticipation for the next event... Having said that, there's no way I'm staying sober till I play next year, as all the hobos around me get wrecked and I try to maintain an air of dignity. Also, I'm taking more warm clothes because it was freaking freezing once the sun disappeared. PS All the pegs had been taken out of my tent too, I was grateful no idiots did jump on the tent this year as I needed it for Leeds the next week, and really couldn't afford to splash out on a replacement. PPS A Gavfest CD? Tell me more. CDs are ace.

I was wanting to start a mailing list again, and was just wondering what was best for this sort of thing? I used to have a bravenet account, but not sure whether or not to go for that option again...

Hey, if you want the Popcorn Fiend fudge theme, it's available to download on my myspace page, so you don't have to go to the bother of making an MP3 . Ohh, the memories...

When I was getting the shuttle bus back from Leeds festival (to the train station) I started talking to the girl next to me, and when I mentioned I was from Aberdeen she mentioned My Mind's Weapon. Which I thought was pretty cool, just talking to somebody random out of 60,000-odd people, seems like all the work the band are putting into things is paying off. So all credit to you guys, cool to see Aberdeen people working hard to make a success of what they're doing. Incidentally, when are the band playing the Barfly?

From NME.com: WARNER TO LAUNCH REVOLUTIONARY NEW RECORD LABEL WARNER is setting up a revolutionary new record label. The music giants are getting ready to launch the e-label which will do away with CDs in favour of releasing a small numbers of tracks at a time to be known as clusters only on the internet. New bands and artists will be signed to the label without the pressures or costs of recording, manufacturing and distributing full albums. Warner chairman Edgar Bronfman Jr said: Our most important job is to work with artists and help them hone their craft. Bronfman said that too many young artists were being dropped when their first albums did not sell enough copies. He explained: While the old system allowed an artist time to develop and grow, today's business is such that an initial commercial failure for most artists means they no longer get a second chance." Bronfman added that artists are less likely to be dropped by the e-label before they reach their full potential and Warner will be able to track which artists become fan favourites. He said: "At this new label, an artist can develop in a supportive, lower-risk environment. An artist is not required to have enough material for an album, only just enough to excite our ears. "Rather than releasing an album every couple of years, every few months the label will release 'clusters' - three or more songs - by an artist. And, finally, and perhaps most revolutionary, artists retain ownership of their masters and copyrights while signed to this label, Bronfman added. According to BBC News, Bronfman said that Warner were excited by the power of digital distribution now available to every potential artist. We see our mission as not to control the means by which artists' voices are heard, but to amplify those voices. He continued: And the more those voices are amplified and distributed through more and more channels, the more we empower consumers to make emotional connections to the artists and music they most want to hear." The chairman said that the e-labels success would be measured by our ability to identify and develop powerful creative voices. "As a music company, we also understand that our ultimate success lies not in preventing people from getting what they want but in providing it to them in new and exciting ways. ________________________ I mean, obviously there's scepticism regarding it being a major label involved, but apart from that this is the sort of way I imagined things going. Artists retaining copyright, perhaps smaller but more frequent releases (I've always planned on only releasing EPs as Popcorn Fiend), cutting down on the costs that makes promoting new artists so expensive, and hopefully allowing them to find their own market, before sinking lots of advertising money in. For a starting attempt at such an operation there'll undoubtably be lots of flaws initially, but I think on the whole this is a positive development, and could be a very good thing for new artists looking to get off the starting block, especially if other labels (including indies) start to follow suit. So, what do YOU think? [asked as I wave a finger in your general direction]

I've started trying to use Live properly, got 4.1 a couple of months ago and been using the tutorials provided with the program, which are excellent. When I played at gavfest as Popcorn Fiend, I used the program for the full performance, synced with Reason for 3 of the songs, with one solely played using Live. I'm still a beginner with it, but the performance capabilities are ace, I fully intend to 'play' it within a band sometime. I've also used it for recording, obviously not as complex as Cubase, Sonar, etc, but I like it for simple recording as it's so intuitive, and very easy to use. All in all, it's one hell of a program, I just need to build up a library of samples for using live, both audio and midi. It's also easy as hell for syncing keyboard buttons etc. In short, I love it. PS Live 5..0 apparently now has some right-click options, not that it's something I've missed from using version 4.1

I haven't seen the show yet, though can't wait to see it on Wed. However, I think Lapsus would seem a more appropriate support for The Dresden Dolls if they'd the drummer had been there too, as there is that similar combination of crashing drums with intricate piano parts that works splendidly (if only I could play the piano). I think because of the drummer cancellation it made the dolls more obviously melodic in comparison. As for the comment about personal reasons, people skip work for 'personal reasons' all the time, family issues, etc. Somebody being in a band doesn't mean they have to compromise their personal life, there are quite a few acts (such as Radiohead, for one obvious example) who manage to keep their private lives quite separate from publicity material. Besides, if Oasis could carry on touring without Liam Gallagher, and Metallica without James Hetfield, I'm sure The Dresden Dolls can get away with a solo show from the songwriter and main performer without alienating those who've come along...

Err, yeah, imagine people wanting to sleep in some sort of relative peace... though, to be honest, I wasn't bothered thanks to the anaesthetising effect that far too much wine had on me. But it was another great event, I think my favourite band of the night were Project Ven-Hell, which was also accompanied by one of the most hilariously inept attempts at a human triangle I've ever seen. I was also touched by people asking for an encore at the end of my set, when I'd thought it was going so badly I was going to abandon it midway through. And it was also fantastic to make friends with so many people, knowing that by the next morning I'd forget ever having met them, and will probably have the exact same introduction and conversation with them next year at Gavfest, if it's on...

By the way, if someone can give me a lift to the train station circa 930 on Sunday morning, I'd be megapsyched. Just a heads-up there.