23 weeks later...

My 35 year career, like a bubble floating on water, was there and then it was gone..

I've currently got two projects confirmed. One has the lead performer unable to attend indefinitely due to a serious health issue, the other is on the brink of being shut down by Covid regulations..

Oh my..

Boat Life - Serengi

No more Adelante as we swap being narrow-minded for something a little wider in scope..

Boat life

Back on Adelante for the summer.
I even found some Liverworts.

VDMX based video synthesiser

Dug out an old unfinished project and finished it..
I'll be using this a lot as it has waveclock built in.

Godzilla - MIA

Sadly, my ToysRUs Godzilla that I bought in Fukuoka on my first visit to Japan over 20 years ago has now been missing for 6 months.
Godzilla came to every gig with me for 2 decades or more. As well as protecting my equipment while I was at lunch, Godzilla also doubled as a sound level indicator - if it was too loud, Godzilla would fall over..
Last seen prior to my moving out of the last house. Hopefully now living on Monster Island..

Almost work - WNBC.london

Live streaming - well until it was blocked by FB. Isn't technology wonderful

Pandemia-one month in

Dear Diary.
Today I put the cat out. Except I don't have a cat.
My offer to return to the NHS has so far not been taken up, which isn't such a bad thing tbh, given the risks involved. All the same I was a little disappointed, having drummed up the courage in the first place. I still have regular nightmares about that job. I can't even bring myself to say it's name. It's always the same dream, just in a different place. I've gone back to resume work, though I didn't really want to. It's disgusting and grim, just like it always was. I rarely feel any relief when I finally wake up, as even waking life is just a special kind of dream, just a way of delaying the inevitability of it all.
The upside of being a fully qualified medical technician is that I have little to no worry about catching anything. I learned the hard way how not to touch my face with my hands. That and the fact that you can only catch a contagion if it's there. Figures are still very low in this part of the country, not that you can trust them at all.
As for what's left of my career, there is almost nothing. Even when we come out the other side, while there will still be plenty of freelancers, it's highly likely that all the major events companies will have gone under. I guess we just have to wait and see. but that's what we do best. Waiting and seeing.

Pandemia...

it looks like everyone who works in Showbiz is going to have some down time this spring..

I might even go back to work for the NHS, but let's see...

Gigs

Bands

Birmingham - Digifest

The oddest thing just happened. The client was talking to some guys who were doing some interactive holographic video and they were telling him about this legendary bloke in the industry who is like a mentor to people who everyone looks up to. The client said to them, “come over here and I’ll introduce you to him” and he brought them over to me. 

I’m quite overwhelmed tbh.

Video video

Desk Op on a promo in Clapton.
We lost an hour over the in-ears.

I still don't understand why

It's National Gorilla Suit Day

It's National Gorilla Suit Day

There is also something else going off today, not sure I can remember what it is..

8 days in the dark

Desk Op for a very long shoot.
I've spent literally days watching strangers eat popcorn

Hawk Kings

Promo for The Orb.

I had this dream a few years back about the renowned Astro-Physicist Stephen Hawkwind

Back on Set - Black Island Studios

Another early morning/late night doing projection and playback with yet another NDA.

After what happened this week, I think I actually earned a cold beer .

Flood

Hard to believe but this is a colour photo. It actually is that grey here.

Stuck in the middle

Back on Adelante for some solo down time.
Only way in or out is by Kayak as the Thames has burst its banks.
The river is barrelling past and shows no sign of going down.
It's going to be a quiet Saturnalia -

3 years

Beats - AJ

Out in the Londons for a change

Grey Cup - Calgary

It was cold, boy was it cold

Kuwait Airlines - Kuwait

More high jinks in the desert.

Cargo - Watershed

What you might call a 'snug fit' installation for an art piece in Brizzle.
As always, rabbits out of hats for Holotronica

Vodafone - Women In Work

a bit of camera on a day out in Newbury

Cowtown - Canada

Much confusion after I am asked to go to Calgary - but with no clue why or how. Just get on a plane and we'll figure it out...

Blimey

Dubai - Holotronica

Yet more show saving, this time in the fierce summer heat of the UAE.

Beautiful Daze Festival

Using the new rainbow projector system..

Can't win 'em all - Toogether Festival

Jeez, there is simply almost nothing good to say about this gig other than I am glad it's over.

Been around The Orb

The Orb tour is finally over, for me on visuals anyway. They have a couple of more shows in Japan and then 4 or 5 more in the UK. I dressed as Eric Morecambe during the last track and 'went home' across the back of the stage, much to the crowd's delight.

The highlight of the 40+ shows for me, was me offering Fil £5 if he stole Gaudi's Theramin, which to his credit he duly did. I was setting up my kit when Fil ran past holding the Theremin, being chased by Gaudi..

Oh hum, back to the real world tomorrow, maybe

Blue Dot - Holotronica - Klick Klack

My digital camo seems to be working just fine.
Finally got to use my Arborist climbing kit, mainly due to the rigger being 6 hours late..

Winding down

Sadly all good things must come to an end.
Preparing for the last few shows of what started out as a 12 date tour and ended up as over 40 shows with The Orb.

The Orb - Chester

Someone leaned over the rails at the end of the show and demanded that 'those people covered in glitter should dance for The Orb'

Anglia Studios Norwich

It's the quiz of the week

Back at the old Anglia TV studios and it's our first multiscreen show in a while.

An 8-Bit coincidence

Added some 8-Bit graphics to the start of the show and would you believe, someone posts this the same day...

The Orb - Inverness

With live Sitar this time, from Suns Of Arqa - Wadada.

Beardy Weirdy

A detour back in time for The Orb to a land of psy-trance and composite video in the MegaDog tent at Bearded Theory Festival.

I had a wonderful time and didn't want to leave

Back on The Orb tour

A banging night in a crowded venue in Verulamium.

Someone asked me to turn up the Aircon during the show..
I mean do I look like an AC engineer?

What The Floyd - Tour of the Orkneys & Shetland

We were so far north that the north was 200 miles south of where we were.
Six back to back shows, clean air, some colourful 'local' characters and some cracking performances.  Even the local papers loved us.

Orkney News: "the light show was superb"

The Orb - Mackintosh Church Glasgow

At the last church The Orb played at, the Christian staff were less than friendly and didn't hide their disapproval, but this venue had wonderful people and amazing architecture.

photo Ross Siddle.

Orb Sound System

A bit of a busman's holiday - in the audience for a change.

Re-textured - Queen Elizabeth Hall

Photo - Terry Choggis

The Orb

The Orb in action

pic Justin Gimblett

On tour with The Orb

Tempted live - Duran Duran

As promised, onstage video for Tempted shot by Nick Rhodes, Nefer Suvio and yours truly..

Apocalypse Now

Sailing the dutch barge narrowboat Adelente down the Shropshire Union Canal can get a little like a Francis Ford Coppola Movie at times.
There are some very unusual people here on the canals, and I might be one of them.

Devil's

A day well spent, filming My Bad Sister for Duran Duran live.
As usual, a spiffing time was had by all..

Canary Wharf

A late night light test for a big mapping project next year.
Client EMF

Day off? No chance

Most kids want to borrow the car, or need a new iPhone.
This one wants visuals for a show in Vegas.

Ibibio Sound Machine

Very excited to be working with this super cool band