Recoded Exhibition Launch

Took a little wander down to peacock visual arts last night for the launch of "recoded", a new media exhibition running from last night until the 31st May 2008. Definately worth a look I thought.

I was a bit challenged by the "Monument" installation, Pecock digital media geezer and all round good guy Jack Keenan explained that the artist had written a program to scan over 4000 news feeds looking for murders reported and each time the program found one, a ball bearing is dropped from a ceiling mounted device onto the floor of the gallery...didn't quite know what to make of this, whether the ball bearings under my feet made me uneasy, kind of like walking on graves uneasy? or if it was my own curiosity staring at the device almost willing one to drop so I could see it in action and then realising thats pretty much wishing someone to get killed....shudder....definately a thought provoker!

Another highlight, and by that I mean complete surprise was the parkour film shot entirely on a shopping centers cctv cameras and I believe, released to the artists by means of the data protection act. The most surprising thing about this film is the quality of the video, when you think cctv you think crackly, noisy, blocky video but you should see the quality of this stuff, it looks like HD! it could almost have been professionaly filmed, quite unsettling to know thats the quality of video a shopping center gets of you, I'd imagine the increasing number of cameras on our streets would probably be the same if not better...but I'm touching on a whole different discussion here.

My opinion is that Peacock have done well with this exhibition but this IS my kind of thing, although going on the numbers of people in attendance, this would appear to be a lot of peoples kind of thing as well. Looking forward to the rest of it.

0 comments - Posted by mark at 8:31 AM - Categories: Out 'n' About

Foo Fighters Aberdeen gig

"why did it take us 13 years to come to Aberdeen?"...well said Dave Grohl! Absolutely superb gig played at the Aberdeen Exibition centre, this is not the first time that I've seen the Foo Fighters, nor will it be the last. My opinion of them is that they're not the sort of band I'd ordinarily sit and listen to, however, stick them up on stage live and I'd listen to them all night. I honestly cant rate them highly enough for their live performance. And I'm glossing over the fact that some theiving git stole my jacket, it dropped on the floor behind me, so I waited for the crowd to thin out before spending 10 mins scouring the hall for it...nope...gone....still...great gig!

0 comments - Posted by mark at 8:58 AM - Categories: Out 'n' About

Work night out

Had a little work get together last night, you know a good chance to relax a bit, talk about other things, have some food, play some pool etc...

All the office companies were represented, Online Print and Design, Silverleaf clothing and of course...East Coast Interactive.

Everyone was on form, having a good time etc and here's a welcome to Jen, our new member of staff but I feel I must chat a bit about Alex...oh yes...Alex was on FIRE! first Mike left him with all 7 balls on the pool table, then over dinner a sensible discussion over ideas for our christmas do turned into laughter and ridicule as Alex suggested playing pictionary for our christmas event...oh dear...if it wasn't for that, i'd probably have held off the humiliation below but due to the ridiculous suggestion...here's a photo of the black ball on it's way to the pocket to complete the granny...enjoy!

UPDATE

In glorious technicolor with additional girly scream audio, here is the video footage, courtesy of Stuart

2 comments - Posted by mark at 10:02 AM - Categories: Out 'n' About

greatest win ever

"its been described as the greatest win ever"

I am one of the millions of Scotland fans with a sore head today! what an absolutely SUPERB result for us last night!

So, we've now beaten France home AND away in a major qualifier...how many other teams can say that? we celebrated with a ton of beers and my only regret was that I wasn't in Paris with the tartan army last night.

France 0 - Scotland 1

1 comments - Posted by mark at 8:26 AM - Categories: Out 'n' About

Red Hot Chili Peppers and Biffy Clyro

only a matter of hours now...really looking forward to this one although I have a sneaky suspicion that Biffy Clyro might just steal the show for me. I've become a huge fan of "the biffy".

On Last FM, someone shouted "Red Hot chili Peppers are trousers, mon the biffy! and although I've been a fan of the chilis for a long long time, I saw them undone by the Foo Fighters several years back...so lets wait and see...

The Verdict

The positives were flea playing a trumpet solo (never imagined i'd ever see that!) and the only "old" song they played in the shape of "give it away".

Well...I hate to say it but the chilis were a HUGE disappointment, sure, you know about it when they come on stage and because of their reputation, the crowd goes mad....BUT...they've been touring for a good while and in my opinion, their recent music is a droning, samey, winey afair that fails to show what the hugely talented individuals that make the band can really do....in my opinion, they were not the same band I saw the last time.

Other things that bothered me about the gig were the seemingly endless numbers of people stood with mobile phones in the air recording shit instead of enjoying the gig and more than anything, the massive "mosh pit" fenced off, semi circled area round the front of the stage for exclusive "fans"...what a load of bollocks...what happened to the red hot chili peppers?...this was the last time I will go and see them. heartbreaking to see such an overpriced, feeble, sell out, piece of shit concert from a band that I pretty much worshipped since i was in my early teens.

In better news, it was a pleasure to see biffy clyro live, they didn't have the stage presence of the chilis but its early days! I will definitely be going to see them live again.

2 comments - Posted by mark at 9:42 AM - Categories: Out 'n' About

Australian Pink Floyd AECC

Just got back from the Australian Pink Floyd gig at the Aberdeen Exhibition Centre...in a word...superb!

This was the second time I have seen them and I have to admit, they seem to get better and better...perhaps the best cover band I've ever seen.

There's always the niggling thought that going to see a cover band will be a little bit disappointing and in the case of a Pink Floyd cover band all light show and no trousers...not in this case, sure the light show was truly amazing and it was great to see thousands of people enjoying not only the Pink Floyd tunes but some of the bands own work too. Added bonus's were the 25ft inflatable pig with glowing red eyes and the similarly sized inflatable kangaroo (of course!), but the little touch of country and western style Pink Floyd covers during the bands break and the lyric swapping from "...english way" to "scottish way" that kept the crowd buzzing throughout.

If you see them coming to a venue near you, I thoroughly recommend going, I will definitely see them for a third time in Aberdeen when they come back.

1 comments - Posted by mark at 12:43 AM - Categories: Out 'n' About

triptych launch party

went to the launch party of the triptych in Aberdeen last night down at snafu, nothing at all to do with the free bar!

I am personally looking forward to Fujiya & Miyagi, 65daysofstatic, Gilles Peterson, Erol Alkan and Marley Marl amongst others...should be a great little festival this year

check it out in detail here:www.triptychfestival.com

1 comments - Posted by mark at 10:44 AM - Categories: Out 'n' About