from a voice plantation: September 2008

come to our show at the Cross Kings, next Monday, 06.10.!

"when i'm pretty presents...

Plus - dark, brooding noise-pop with improv elements. www.myspace.com/mmmplus

The Flying Gambino(s) - solo set from Frank Gambino - Velvets and Kinks influenced lo-fi guitar pop

The Nanny Maze - retro-futurist electropop and new wave - analogue electronica with proper songs.www.myspace.com/thenannymaze

and a solo laptop noise set from Simon from Amy Blue. www.myspace.com/amyblue

DJ Tricyclic Looper

Monday 06. October.

20 h, £ 3.-- on the door

The Cross Kings - Jester Bar

York Way, near Kings X tube and rail

"

flyer by Ave, photos are by Keith from the last show, our tenth anniversary show, when we were all wearing wigs (we might do that again! well, I seem to have taken to the idea of doing this every time, as I feel it gets me "into character") also expect a very different set this time, we rehearsed on Sat and it sounded really good... a couple of songs we never played before, three old songs, two of which we haven't played for years, and generally a slightly different vibe... but we'll see how it works out! I know it's a Monday but it's a good lineup so fingers crossed it will work again!

Scotland: Glen Coe

rainbow on the way from kinlochleven

glen coe from devil's staircase

some pics from an epic walk i took on my own while we were in fort william in the scottish highlands. i took the bus to kinlochleven then walked a part of the west highland way, up into the barren hills then through a plateau to a pass, then through the devil's staircase into glen coe. while i was walking on the west highland way most people came the other way, at one point it looked like rain but apart from a drizzle it was fairly dry, just a bit cloudy, the scenery got very majestic and wild up there. but glen coe was even bigger, a real trip. i walked the whole valley, on paths and the old road running parallel to the fairly busy road, eventually arriving at a lake, after which a smaller road first led to the great clachaig inn, a favourite for walkers and backpackers and along through some woods to the little village of glen coe where i eventually picked up the bus back to fort william, all in all about 8 or 9 hours but i wasn't rushing it... there was definitely something ... haunting about this famous, utterly desolate and romantic valley. most people experience it while driving through it, maybe stopping once or twice at one of the many parking spots to gawk and take pics, but the slo-mo speed of walking is more appropriate to its truly epic scale, you tune into it, the sequence of towering mountains is truly awesome. weirdly, it seems it isn't particularly popular with walkers, i guess the road maybe puts them off, and the paths weren't always clear, and quite muddy in places. i was the only walker there anyway, as far as i could see, wheras the west highland way was quite busy. i hadn't even planned to do the whole thing but i kind of fell into it once i started it. anyway, it was memorable, one of the more intense walks i've done recently...

Scotland - return to Colonsay

on the ferry from Oban - a very scenic ride and it turned into a nice evening too!

the "paps of jura" in the distance

arriving in colonsay in the last evening sun

the view from the veranda of our s/c "island lodge". the crappy old stereo soundtracked this view fairly frequently with Teenage Fanclub's fine "Thirteen" album as well as the first "Neu!", both bought at Avalanche records in Glasgow, a nice old-school indie shop just a flight of steps up from Queen Street station where the West Highway Line begins. I'm turning into a Fannies fan fan fan..., and this is what i looked at...