CURRENT THINGS & REFLECTION
START OF BLOG – Eleven days until I attempt to run two hundred and sixty eight miles in seven days or less, I’m feeling better and the cough has gone. It’s June and I’ve had the central heating on because the weather is grim and cold for this time of year and I can’t seem to warm up in the house, maybe I should get some carpets?
BLOG SLACKNESS and MUSIC – I’ve become so slack at using my blog, (I’ve banged on about that before) it seems to take me ages to upload photos I might have took from some various trip last year and to actually write a blog. Most thoughts I have tend to be lyrics and music so any kind of song writing/demo-ing has to take preference over pretty much everything else in time that fills a day apart from family stuff which goes at a thousand miles an hour with two very active, happy, sad, laughing, crying, screaming, cheering, emotional, beautiful little females. 2019 started very pro-actively and a load of new material has been recorded for a future project of which I’m very exited about it. It’s weird, conceptual and about something I’m fascinated about. Hopefully there’ll be more news on it soon. I’ve also just started writing some nice rough demos for new BirdPen material which leads me nicely into the next bit of the blog.
The BirdPen tour earlier in the spring was good and big cheers to anyone who came to see us out on the road. I’d also like to add a massive personal thanks to anyone that donated some money to us via merchandise, music or kindness following the news of Pledge Music’s disastrous, terrible, fucked up, stealing, bullshit collapse of the company. Of which BirdPen and many other bands have been financially shafted and had money that was pledged by the fans stolen! I sincerely hope a full enquiry is held and we all find out how and why this happened. You can read our full statement on the matter at the BP website here – www.birdpen.com
The Archive tour a few weeks back was brilliantly great and to have played three concerts of 3 hours each was a new milestone for the band. The rehearsals were very intense ( as always) and after everything ended I was left feeling quite exhilarated, celebrated and exhausted. I thought Tequila was my friend. We broke up, it was my entire fault but our affair has hit hard times and we need some space from each other. On a sobering thought I’m looking forward to the full tour this autumn fully celebrating the band being 25 years old visiting places we’ve been and places we’ve never seen! I’ll try and do a blog about it (yeah right, as if!).
Check out the forthcoming tour dates and get involved: www.archiveofficial.uk
RUNNING STUFF – I’ve notched up a fair few miles already this year and haven’t ran a race since last August, Last year I was happy to have reached running one thousand miles within the year and a friend joked that this year I’d get in fifteen hundred miles. No chance I thought! but now, I might get closer to that than I thought possible. This hobby of mine is expensive on all fronts, financially, time, and the stress on my legs and body…..but it’s what I do and when I’m not doing it, I miss it terribly and I don’t feel like me. I’m happy and fortunate to be fit and healthy and able to use my body this way and its a real buzz like no other when i’m out in the middle of nowhere. One day I will take up bowling though, hotdogs and beer ahoy! STRIKE!!!
With running, when I decide on a race/challenge it gives me real focus and something to work towards, hence why I chose to enter the Spine Fusion Race – A 268 mile race along the entire Pennine Way in the UK and to also enter the UTMB again. It was January, It was grey I needed something for the year, I needed to change some patterns in my life and in doing this and continually writing new material, everything has really given me the boost I needed for this years achievement goals.
Training had been going really well until a couple weeks ago when I got a bit ill which is so frustrating, ( Tequila chuck up and ill add ons perhaps? ) but it went to my chest and I had this quick annoying cough so went with the rule of anything below the neck, then rest, which I did. I’m not overly sure how much more training I can realistically do before attempting The Pennine Way. I’ve never ran more than 100 or so miles in one go so the thought of 268 isn’t overly computing in my brain if I’m honest, maybe that’s a good thing? Maybe not? I’m looking forward to it which is good but I’m not overly stocked about not being aloud to have a support team as I quite like friends and family being there to give me water melon, coca cola and crisps to raise my spirits, but I suppose it will bring a new dynamic to it all and I imagine the official crew involved will be great. There are cut offs along the way and there’s a seven day limit to completing the route, I hope the weather is kind and I make it over the Scottish border to triumph! It has to be good prep for this years UTMB I’m thinking and having already completed that course in 2017 I’m really looking forward to tackling that beast again and hopefully finishing again. That place has such a strong pull with its wondrous mountains, lakes, air and amazing atmosphere. It really is a magical place and a special event of which I’m proud to be part of again. I’ve even got a magazine doing a feature on me all about it and a race report but more news on that soon, you’d think I actually knew what I was doing!
SIGNING OFF – WOW, I actually did TWO blogs in a couple of weeks! The one before this was a load of photos I took when BirdPen went to China at the end of last year so have a goosey if you fancy.
This is where I’m at right now and I’ll see you out there yeah.
Oh and here’s me crashed out after getting home from tour with my youngest using me as a pillow.
I am Dave Pen
WHEN WE WENT TO CHINA
I had the pleasure of playing two shows in China with BirdPen late last year in Shanghai and Beijing. It was a wonderful cultural experience for us all. It really made me think, when you start a project with your mate in a bedroom and end up many moons later travelling halfway across the world to play the music you created to a thousand or so Chinese people, It’s well, awesome really.
I went for a mooch in both cities but didn’t have too much time so just snapped what I found interesting at the time. It was cold but great.
Xièxiè
I am Dave Pen
A HANGING TOWEL
AIR CONTROLLED
AMONGST THE VEINS
BLACK LINE VIEW
BLURRED CRACKS
BRICK DESIGN
CASED MEMORIES
CEILING
CORNER
CRACKS
CROSS OVER COMMUNICATION
DRYING TIME
EVERY DAY OF EVERY YEAR
EVERY EYE
F.B.M
FADING FINANCE
FALLING AWAY
FANTASTIC DOOR
FEAR FROM THE NEIGHBOURS
FUME DRYING
GODS
GUARD DRAGON
HI HONEY DID YOU HANG OUT THE MEAT?
HIGH TILES
I LOOKED UP AGAIN
I SEE A FACE
IT’S OVER
LAND OF THE GOLDEN SUN
LEANING AGAINST THE BLUE
LEFT ON 01
LIGHT TEMPLE
RED SUN MATERIAL
MY OTHER CAR’S A BIKE
NEIGHBOURS
NO TRUMPETS AT SEVENTY
NOT LEFT WITH MUCH
OH SO…..
ONE IS MISSING
ORDERS
PUT POLES TO USE
RANDOM NUMBER
RED & PEACH
SPIRIT LIGHT
STAY SAFE WORKERS
STRAWBERRY’S HELP
THE CLOWN KEEPS LAUGHING
THREE SETS
WALL
WINTER REACHING
WIRE TIME
BLUE NEON AT NIGHT
BLUE SIGN
DOWN THE BUND
VEGETABLES ARE GOD
I LOVE YOU
I LIKE THIS ONE
LIGHT SAIL
ONE MAN IN THE WINDOW
V’S & W’S
RED RULES
I LIKE THE COLOURS
RED STAIRS
UNDER THE CONCRETE SUN
UNITE AND REMEMBER
SKYWARD 
WORDS
LONELY
PAST & FUTURE
REMINDERS
RED FLAG
GOLDEN BEAM
IT WAS WORTH THE 60 MINUTES
Been a while, back seat in the corner next to the window as always. No table and all seats facing forwards this time so it’s got potential to be the mute seat. Conversation in the front three rows is flowing about food, I’ll stay quiet for now as just ate a ham and cheese sandwich.
This morning before leaving for our first show in over a year I went for my first run since breaking the sub 24 hour time in my last event and attempt at running one hundred miles, 22 hours 58 minutes was worth the two blisters. I picked up no other injury’s and I’ve now fully recovered after a couple weeks R & R. I feel even closer to the South Downs way after that mammoth task. The Alps still remains a challenge and I’ve a couple months of training before getting back there to attempt the TDS race, tag lined the UTMB’s wild sister so that should bring a fair bit of effort out of me, my legs and my mind. I’m strangely looking forward to it as always.
Meanwhile back in the van….
We are on route to our first BirdPen show in over a year, a festival in Belgium so I have positive buzz notes floating about as it’s always such a welcoming country for us.
Mikes been banging on about some Norwegian cheese we should all try, Jacobs at hand but he lost the knife so we have to try and tax one from somewhere.
Nibble nibble then, in a bit again.
Monday morning, thoughts and reflection from the van:
The cheese was nice but there’s been way too much bread intake and not enough cooked things over the last few days on this trip. Arriving somewhere in the middle of nowhere in the dark to an unlocked guest house with nothing inside doesn’t really bring warm comfort or sunshine vibes to seven slightly weary men who’ve just spent almost 13 hours in a van. The towels finally turned up and mine smelt like Rover the Labrador had dried himself and slept on it after a dip in the local stink stream, which was nice. More bread and waiting around awaited the day.
Arriving on site the lovely organisers had arranged a nice big television for us backstage to watch the world cup competition of kick ball. We scored six and they only scored one. More waiting, watching more kick ball and mooching about filled most of the rest of the daylight hours with a grey school diners meal thrown in for an attempt at stomach comfort.
I think for the first time in my life I might have enjoyed the setting up and packing down/ loading the van than I did the actual gig. I’m kidding of course ( or am I ? ) but the show had its problems as it’s been a while and with new setups and bits of tech, things can take a little while to bed in I suppose. It got better after the glitches and sound problems thankfully and the crowd were tip top as always in Belgium so cheers to you all for being there and being cool.. It’s good to be back but there’s work to be done from our end. Our Sundays evenings accommodation saw us stay in a quirky guest house with a huge porcelain chicken on the stairs and a massive long tap in the bathroom. I finished the night eating Crisps for fucks sake.
Here’s that really long tap.
And here’s me thinking about things with the chicken.
It took another twelve and a half hours to get home.
Carry on.
I am Dave Pen
MIND IN THE MIRROR
I’m a little obsessed with mirrored images. I use a simple app on my phone. I like how it creates a whole other world from something as simple as a tree or a building or clouds and so forth. Here’s a load of mirrored images I’ve made over the last few years. I hope you enjoy them and they don’t give anyone a headache.
All images were taken and are owed by me!
I am Dave Pen.
BITS OF STUFF
Greetings to you all out there in cyber space land. I’ve have just returned from a very much needed rest of eleven nights on a Greek island, the time spent close to the ocean and in the warm sun was splendid.
Just before I left I was in the studio with Archive creating some new mad other worldly banging tunes. Prior to this we’d played our first festival of the summer in Germany alongside Mogwai, it’s always a strange feeling when you share a bill with other artists who have inspired you along the way. I wonder if this still happens to lots of other people in my situation? I hope so. The journey home ended up with me sweating it out and staring at a square on the inside of my bunk until my eyes slowly closed over the course of what felt like forty-five minutes.
The BirdPen latest album has been generating some good reviews and its great to see the LTD Edition versions of the gatefold White Vinyl albums available. Check it out:
Bird and myself have been back into the studio, which we set up in the surroundings of the New Forest down here in Hampshire to start writing what will be our fourth album. It’s early stages but 9 new songs have been created in the first writing/recording session. We are due back in next month for session number two. No need to speak about what the concepts of the writing are about yet as ‘In The Company Of Imaginary Friends’ is still very fresh in the mind and I’m looking forward to getting out and playing the songs live again this Autumn/Winter.
I’ve been delving back into the twisted tales of the dark sinister minister Mr Jim Jones again lately. I read Deborah Laytons book ‘Seductive Poison’, which is a brilliant haunting insight into the world’s most famous cult leader and his followers of the Peoples Temple. The faiths he was preaching about in the early days were that of a pure world with no fear or hatred and to then end up a paranoid junkie manipulative mad ranting demon bringing the deaths of over 900 men, woman and children just reeks of mad sinister evil. I found a link to the final forty-five minute recordings in Jonestown but couldn’t really bring myself to listen through it all. It all really creeped me out for a Wednesday morning so I went and mowed the lawn instead.
We’re back on the road again this week heading back to Germany for the Southside and Hurricane festivals. Always some top acts at these two festivals so will in doubt have a mooch and lend my ears to a few.
Might shove some random poems up on here at some point soon too. I’ve been jotting down rhyming ramblings a lot lately and I should get them off my Phone and up on here.
I don’t blog enough these days either.
I am Dave Pen
THE LAST HURDLE
On the train heading to the studio up near Cambridge to do some writing and recording. The sun is flickering and flashing through the trees and windows on the train, that’s a certain way to trigger a migraine. I’ve had to put my sunglasses on, I look a bit like a jackal with my black hat, black puffa coat and now black sunglasses, I have no intentions of starting a fire and I’m not carrying anything illegal. I’ve been on a blog lull of late and haven’t entered anything since the big slab of photographic evidence from The Quest for Mont Blanc. That seems far away now but I know she is still there waiting and taking anybody who chooses to attempt to summit and touch the top of her head. So from the open space way up on top of western Europe’s highest point to the crammed stuffy germ filled carriages of trains zooming to the capital of England. Nobody wants to sit next to someone else, including me if I’m honest and I’ve been carrying the lurgy for a few weeks now. Starting from my nose to my head, then my limbs and now my chest, which is just where I didn’t want it to set up phloem camp. Its hit me hard enough to have to cancel my final endurance test of the year which was my first ultra marathon of forty five miles down on the Dorset coast this Saturday. I’m truly gutted, I wanted to sign the year off with a big test and now I cant and it’s made me itchy and irritable. Fuck you germy virus fucks. Get out and don’t come back no more.
I’m not sure why I’ve not blogged of late, maybe I’ve been doing too much and finding the actual time to sit and write out what’s happened seems like a memory slog . A few random past thoughts are – Touring with BirdPen across Europe was like the miles we covered, some were long and slow and some went quickly and I enjoyed most of the ride, a record new zero funds made on the merchandise in Stockholm, a blown tire on the Autobahn, shady Czech traffic cops, horrible Swiss border Nazi’s, tambourine thief’s in Berlin, chocolate cake in Bern, happy faces at the front of the crowd, serious arm crossers at the front of the crowd, nobody at the front of the crowd. Dancing till dawn, coffee and doughnuts, good luck charms, welcoming promoters, backstage invaders, going deaf and vomiting, needing sleep and needing more sleep. The birds will always find the antennas and we will continue to transmit.
I’m on route to the studio to record vocals and guitars for new Archive material, Darius and I spent a day together last week demoing some ideas which I’m exited about, we then spent six hours watching a world war two three part drama and ate lots of food. Perhaps we were fuelling up for the oncoming fuzz marathon of playing live in 2015. Next year will be full on from what I can see and the new album, which is called Restriction, is out January 2015. It will be great to get it out there on the road. So 2015 will bring a whole wedge packed whack of new sounds. I will have three albums out by the end of spring. Archive – Restrictions in January BirdPen – In The Company Of Imaginary Friends in March and We are Bodies in April of which The Kendal mad man Robin Foster and I just mastered this wonderful album in Abbey road. Always a special place to work and topped off nicely by getting to see Underworld perform live straight to Vinyl in Studio one, what a nice way to celebrate finishing the album. Sometimes my job is truly the best job in the world! I don’t know how I’m going to remember all the words I have written though.
Final words and am gonna close this one, I’m DJ’ing with the Manglebird and a bunch of dear friends this Saturday, then off Warsaw and Berlin for Restrictions playback party’s next week. I have to admit I’m gutted my legs wont hurt, guess I’ll open the sets with Road to Nowhere by Talking heads. I am Dave Pen
Saver Destroyer
I’ve been busy packing up copies of the new BirdPen Saver Destroyer E.P and Global Lows albums to send out across Europe. Hope the fans who ordered like what they hear. I think it’s a cool E.P and it feels good to get out material we have recorded a little while ago. tor interested folk The track ‘Goodnight from the Green Bear’ was Produced by Darius keeler with us and the drums were played by the Seagull. The artwork design was designed by myself and is a captured still from an Indian ceremony that I was allowed to film whilst travelling around southern India a few years ago.
Also on the E.P is a cool Moody remix from my good friend Robin Foster. You can hear it below:
The Ltd edition E.P and Global Lows Album are available to buy from the BirdPen website shop here – http://www.birdpen.com/shop
Cheers everyone for supporting what I and my good friends create. I salute you all x
I am Dave Pen
SORROW VIDEO
Am loving the video for the Ltd Edition single release of the song Sorrow. Big thanks to Benjamin Lussier and Freakz Films for their hard work in making it.
A few limited edition singles remain for purchase at http://www.birdpen.com/shop
I am Dave Pen
Waiting for the train
A blog from July I forgot to post:
As said in previous blogs I always end up getting a really nice plush hotel room when I have only a matter of hours to collapse on the bed in my clothes and head to the land of nod for a far to short a time. This was the case after BirdPen’s performance at the Les Ardents Festival in Liege , Belgium. We haven’t played any festivals this year and this is our only major one this year. Accompanied by two deaths and a black umbrella for Only the names change we put in a full intense and fuzz filled BirdPen show to an early but enthusiastic crowd. So many ideas roar inside my head when in the BirdPen world and the gel of the band has really come together playing live. The energy is always at 100 percent and as soon as the first notes are played every stress or troubled frustrated thought seems to drift away.. I’m not being romantic with this here but it is the truth and that’s how I feel and this is my blog so I can write what I like . We are still trying to get Global Lows out which is frustrating but the fact that we played that festival without a manager without a publisher without a record label without a press agent without any financial backing. Armed with just a booking agent who believes in what we do makes it even more special, because I believe we where there on our own merits. Things get done because of belief and thanks to a few people that have believed in what we do, we have and can accomplish so many things.
My eyes feel so heavy, I arrived at the train station at 7.40am thinking I had plenty of time to get the 8 am train to Paris via Brussels from Leige.. I waited in line until 8.07 before I got a ticket direct to Paris that would be leaving at 9.49. Now I’m writing this trying to stay awake before being asked many more questions from journalists about the new Archive album. Simple love songs but done in a very un orthodox way. Processed crunchy beats like a machine with a broken heart. I’m writing this whilst the video to Roxette’s “It must have been love” is playing on the TV screen in the coffee house I’m sloped and typing in. Love songs huh? These Danish eighties haircuts don’t even come close to Conflict, or Wiped out…(They are new Archive songs by the way) and With us until your dead is a great album and I’m looking forward to it’s release.
The woman serving in the coffee house has a haircut from the eighties, big with lots of chemical hairspray with a splash of red on the front.. Proper European, time warp and timeless buffon hair do. Where are the shoulder pads to match? And Joan Collins?
There’s a spider crawling along the woman’s bag who is sat in front of me, I don’t like spiders at all. Never have done and never will, I wonder if they the most feared of creatures by human beings on this planet.
My head feels warm, my eyes feel heavy and this seat is aching my ass. I hope the slugs haven’t eaten my lettuce back home in the garden.
Good morning.
I am Dave Pen
One gig in Cherbourg
Evening:
Left when the sun had gone down, a cheeky burger on the way to the forest to collect the gear.
Arrived at the port then got on the boat, I drank water then went to the tight fit borstal type cabin. I drifted off after watching the TV show Luck.
Morning – Far to early:
Didn’t sleep too badly considering all the man breath I’d been breathing in and was suddenly awoken by medieval type music being played throughout our cabin. I imagined we’d gone back in time into some weird type historic world and would have to play the gig on loots!! “Arrrhhhh” apparently captain jack sparrow lives around these parts according to the welcome video. Words again in a bit yeah.
We decided to take a stop at Omaha beach seeing as weren’t far from it on our destination to Cherbourg. At 8am a low mist covered the area of the four mile beach where we stopped and stood. The haze of the early morning February sun and a chill in the air gave the place a very somber yet tranquil atmosphere. “A remembrance of souls that fought to make us free.”
Night time – Driving through the fog:
We played the show in an Italian theatre built in 1882 called The Trident. It was a magnificent and beautiful theatre as you can see by the photos below.
Night time – Still driving through the fog:
With tired eyes and sleepy heads as the condensation runs its way across the inside of the window next to me we headed back to the port to get some small time to shut eye.
The fog the fog the fog.
Early hours…….
The shut eye episode got delayed as the twunts at the hotel decided to sack it off for the night and went home, I’m now sat in a Mercure hotel lobby in an aluminous green chair waiting for a room to sleep for four and a half hours. I’m drifting in and out trying to focus on the painted psychedelic fish on the walls.
Got a room, had a bath, went to sleep, got up, came home.
I am Dave Pen
5 Days 3 Gigs
TUESDAY
Wipe, wipe, wipe, the windscreen wipers wipe. January rain and drizzle streaks its way across the wind-sheild of the cheap splitter van as we motor it down the M25. Stef on sound up front next to Mike who is driving. I’m typing will breach on drums has his head against the back of Stefs seat and is trying to catch some zeez !! Tim is waiting for us round the roundabout. Still in the UK.
We drove onward on the big train that runs under the sea. Then drove more in the rain. We stopped off somewhere to eat as we knew when wed arrive at our destination there would be nowhere open. The town we stopped in was quiet and we couldn’t find anywhere to eat, one restaurant had the rocket prices of 58 euros a main snack so we didn’t enter the cash snack pit. We were just about to succum to an Istanbul kebab shop when we jolted left to check one last time if anything else could savor our 5 hungry beaks and there hidden behind lights , the words pizzeria !! Thank you god of Italian cuisine blessing us from the rainy clouds somewhere in France.
Sadly my carbinara wasn’t great and it came with a raw egg yolk sitting all orange in a half shell which I found slightly unappealing. Its still raining I have no idea where I am. I finished reading the white tiger and am now watching Woody Harrelson in the film Rampart. It’s a quite depressing story about a quite fucked up Los Angeles police officer.
WEDNESDAY
Slept quite well after watching the end of the Nordic sci-fi horror movie that is Troll Hunter and there were bill goats in it.
More driving with a William S burrows documentary for company and tomato soup from a vending machine.
“Hang a left” Mike says to breach who is driving. We have finally arrived at a gig.
THURSDAY
Gig in Bordeaux was great all be it a few ghosts in the machine sending a few things odd here and there.
It’s always the case though it seems, when you arrive late at a nice hotel and have to leave first thing in the morning that you get the nicest hotel you’ve ever had. My bed was wider than my height on all four sides, sofa, massive bath etc… Good to get some short comfortable sleep, which I usually miss when, I’m away.
Punctuation was strong though the next morning and we ate breakfast with the business tie men all around us. Got back in the condensation vehicle and headed off to Paris. The sat nav says turn left in 300 miles, time to crook my neck in an uncomfortable visit to the land of nod I think, will type soon yeah.
I woke up and wiped the wet window next to me clear, the January sun at last shone through the speeding motorway trees and lounged upon my face for a few lazy minutes.. Serotonin levels are low at the moment. Grey is such a tired colour.
On the grey note I decided to watch the Oliver Stone biog movie that is W. A film about that cretin George W Bush, I like Josh Brolin ever since his days in the 80’s mega skateboard film “Thrashin” but he didn’t look neither younger or older in the past and present times of silly old W. Interesting film I thought and the congress of lizards that they all were and are is quite creepy in some scenes. Oh and old lizard face Condoleezza Rice’s voice was way over the top, might as well have given her a fork tongue and be done with it. Mice anyone ?
FRIDAY
The paris show was just awesome. A great crowd and a great atmosphere inside yet another boat. I like boats but don’t mind if I never play on one again, I always feel I’m gonna clock my head on a low rafter or steel beam and the soft swaying that occurs when waves hit the boat makes me feel drunk when sober. Also for some strange reason there were mosquitoes everywhere , in January!! I was paranoid of swallowing one whilst bellowing out some words live on stage, luckily this didn’t happen. It was good to see friends and musical acquaintances after the show and I steered clear of any booze instead settling for lemonade or limonad’ or what ever..
I zonked out after a midnight sat nav tracked greasy Maccas hunt and slept well.
On our way to Liege now and I’ve been reading Jon Ronsons The Psycopath Test. Am I or aren’t I?
SATURDAY
The show in liege was bright and warm. A wide stage and a bigger venue of which we were happy to see nice and busy. The new material has been going down really great and feedback has all been highly positive. Beers, whiskey and champagne went down a treat, obviously not all together in a weird booze filled fucked up cocktail though. We left the venue late and found a quick Turkish slab snack shop and scoffed, we then found the hotel. My room was like a shallet ice box with those kind of rubber-ish curtains u get in caravans. I ran a bath to warm up and then dozed for 4 hours before having to set off for the homeward bound trip back to the village. A massive thanks to everyone involved with these shows and a high salut to all our fans, be back soon !! I finished The Psychopath Test, I’m not one by the way but we all have tendencies for sure. Stay sane people.
I am Dave Pen
January – Will you ever change?
Must get down the gym, must run, must eat well, must drink well, must get second album released, must read more, must communicate better, must write more.
Mustn’t drink too much, mustn’t over do it, mustn’t eat bad food, mustn’t be selfish, mustn’t take drugs, mustn’t sleep in, mustn’t give up and mustn’t surrender.
January, such a strange month when people think they can change there lives because the date of the new year subconsciously says you should. When advertisements now tell you to watch your weight, get fit and get healthy when only a few weeks ago they were telling us the complete opposite, get fat, eat, drink and spend what you know you don’t really have.
For me this year I will try as every year I do, to follow my instincts, be true to myself and make the most of what I have, when I have it.
So far this month I have visited Belgium and will again next week with France in the hot pot as-well, have helped in the orchestral recording sessions for Archives new album, which sounds really awesome, drank lots of homemade juice drinks, ran miles, lifted weights, read two books and produced material for a new musical project with a female solo artist I am working on. It’s early stages but the songs are sounding dark and moody. Everything else I’ve done has been in my mind and nobody is aloud in at the moment.
Here is the surrender video I made last year and have now made public for the whole interweb to mood over.
ON a music note about other bands I like the new Maccabees album “Given to the wild” Even if someone did say it sounded like the soundtrack to the Lion King..
I’m hanging up now as have to go down the mirrored sweat box and pump some aluminium.
I am Dave Pen
Last Time For This One
I’m sat on the sofa in the basement at Eve Studios listening to Jim mixing the drums. He is making them sound fat like a whale with a huge hunger problem who’s stomach is saying “give me some nosh that’s loaded with fat end”, all the while the snot drops keep running at quick speed from my nostrils. Its really hard to try and avoid a cold sometimes, especially when a few days ago everyone in the supermarket is either sneezing on the fruit, coughing on the veg or breathing germs on the eggs.
I tried to escape it but failed when I touched my mouth at some point in the last 48 hours. Man, woman germs everywhere.
The crazy Northerner is on his way to the studio to laugh loud and bring cheer to the walls of a quiet curry house. Hope a hot Indian can help bazooka this cold away.
The snot drops have almost dried so now I just feel bunged.. We managed to neck some ale then bashed the window to the con club. The gun slinging owner releasing we weren’t stray booze dogs on the scrounge for grog, let us in to sit and chat into the late hours. Under the cosmic bar tenders strange musical guidance of Gong blasting out over the out dated hi-fi speakers hanging from the tobacco stained ceiling, we chatted then made our way back to the vicarage. I sneezed and fell into bed.
The Studio needs more ram in the brain.. It keeps glitching and causing delays. Maybe the machine has a viral cold too? This bunged up main frame needs a shot of first defence to clear the micro chips. Apart from the small nagging problems the tunes sound really great and Jim is making it sound sonically awesome..
In between important issues such as the mix, the pool competition is hotting up and is currently two matches to one. Chalk up then!!
After a few days of patiently mixing, cabin fever struck, so we ventured onto the streets of Stockport. Upon Arrival at one of Romley’s fine drinking holes we discovered a barrel sized woman slumped over with her face in a pizza.. Once inside we were informed by the Son Druid’s companions that she was now knickers-round-ankles flushing her self esteem and dignity away for the roaming zombies to have a drunken laugh at.. Oh the shame. The second drinking hole was mainly full of men with cropped haircuts and lager arms and what could be better than a karaoke machine to add to the entertainment. The hyenas were scratching their claws on the grog stained dance floor, growling at the mere few females and trying to impress them with silly dance moves.. After the Michael Jackson Medley enough was enough and we left. After Mangles frantic phone call search to find another drinking hole, nothing came up trumps, so we made our way back to Eve to learn bad songs on the piano with the Son Druid. I eventually fell into bed, am awake now and must drink water.
It’s the last morning so I take one last stroll down to Bredbury Square, a bag of Sausage rolls, some bran, some coffee and a round of eggs to say cheerio.
Ten Songs – thought about, written, recorded, overdubbed and now mixed.
Cheers to everyone who has made this album with us.
Now onto the next phase, that’ll be interesting.
The pool competition ended 5-1. Who do you think won?
I am Dave Pen
Nature Regulate – Live Video
Below is a video of Nature Regulate performed live in Belgium . The footage was shot in Leige at the Tipi club.. It was a great gig from what I can remember and I like the feel of the video footage. It’s also on our news page on the new BirdPen website so if you haven’t checked the site go and have a look as it was made by Myself and The Manglebird and most of the photos which are on all the different pages were taken by myself apart from the live and promo ones (Obviously) !!
Enjoy the vid Folks, more BirdPen news real soon.
Cheers
I am Dave Pen
White Teeth Ride..
I stood in line waiting to board the plane.. Long queue, lots of faces and 4 huge TV screens.. No calming countryside collages or national geographical landscapes were being shown on the TV’s to help calm the possible nervous flyers like myself.. Nothing calming indeed, instead sky news were playing an anniversary special on the days events of the terror attacks of 911 !!! This was unbelievable and just adds to the strange claustrophobic feel of airports and the longing closed in-ness of planes, they might as well have had that film “Alive” showing or episode one of the TV show “Lost” Who ever was in charge of that remote controller was either drunk or has a very dark sense of humour.. You will confront your fears with the airline company that are Easy Jet, whether you like it or not !! Any Brandy and Valium anywhere?
I didn’t wake up on a desert island I didn’t wake up in the sea or on the concrete. I awoke in a bed with a large window looking out over the Swiss mountains with a valley below me.. The peak of a mountain covered in snow was towering through the clouds.. I later found out the mountain is called “White Teeth” which seems very appropriate for it…Two giant white ended mountain teeth smiling up at the sun.
After sound check we were invited to a house in the mountains for wine tasting and a jazz version of Nature Regulate.. This is not what we do on a regular or ever basis so it was a nice experience and the owners where very welcoming and kind.. As BirdPen we do end up seeing and experiencing some cool, beautiful, odd and never run of the mill things and we meet some interesting and kind people, it all makes the whole concept and feel about what we do complete and just a touch on the unknown and strange side of things.. Just how we like it !!
We played the Festival performance to a half moon of gathered faces along with two sides of kids being sick, people huddling at the bar and a general feel of drunkenness for the mountain youth in the air.. After the show we hung at the bar until seeing my own face reflecting back from the beer keg and along with Tim’s classic drunk line of “ I’ve spent all my wine on booze”, we decided that 3 hours sleep was very much needed before going home, so we left with three kisses each on various cheeks, slept, got up, got in a van, slept, got out, got on a plane, got on a train, got in a taxi, got back in a taxi, went to a football stadium, we won..
Fuzz pops anyone?
I am Dave Pen
A GIG BY PLANE
And so I call a taxi, pay by debit card because the cash machine is out of order again then I buy a new railcard and buy a ticket to the airport. I fell asleep and woke up with a stiff neck and a headache, got a cheap expensive coffee and shared a twix with the Manglebird. Arrived at the airport, lugged the heavy pedal boards around, found a bar ordered double rum and cokes, queued up, emptied my pockets, took my belt off, took my shoes off, got my laptop out of my bag and went through the metal detector. I’m safe…Right ?? Found another bar had more rum then found a drinks promo bar so drank lego man sized free sample of something, thanks!! Waited…. Got on plane with orange coloured wings.. Read my book. Had a very cheap expensive drink. Got picked up in a large Mercedes van. Low roof in the carpark, lights out in the van, very dark motorways… Got to Grenoble, found Stef, found a bar, had drinks then had a Batman kebab.. Got key to hotel room, brushed teeth, wrote this bit and am now gonna watch Orka the killer whale starring the legend Richard Harris and fall asleep.
Fell asleep, woke up, got picked up, went up the mountain in cable car to kill some time before sound check. Pedal board broken and not working, fixed it, sound check was sounding immense, fat and fuzzy.. Did interview, ate some food, got dressed for gig, in black of course. Waited…..Intro…. The mashed up blend of Scott Walker and dialogue from Alfred Hitchcock’s The Birds sonically swirling around the tent… Walked onstage and played one of the best gigs we have done this year.. Came off stage, chatted to the Boxer Rebellion – great guys, great band.. Signed albums, had beers, watched The Boxer Rebellion with drinks.. Felt happy, felt drunk, said goodbye then went to the hotel.
Woke up at stupid o’clock, still felt drunk and sleepy, got in the van, fell asleep, queued up for ever…..And ever…..And ever.. Got on the plane with orange wings, fell asleep, got on train.. Didn’t fall asleep.. Got home, spoke to my vegetables growing in my garden, now watching the Stuntman starring the Legend that is Peter O’Toole.. And wrote this.
Till next time
I am Dave Pen
The Dead Factory
I made this a few years ago and thought i’d re-post it here on my blog, Enjoy !!
JAWS – A journey about pulled teeth and beyond
I am avoiding twiddling with the small piece of stitched string hanging at the back of my mouth.. Having teeth pulled is never a nice experience and my latest venture proved to be a horror show in the big white chair under the beaming white light, the light is so damn bright they give you Elvis style sunglasses to wear.. I wonder if this adds to the joy of the dentist’s entertainment as each poor sweet toothed soul lays back in the torture chair… So to cut to the chase whilst heaving out a wisdom tooth the size of a small child’s fist the dentist fractured a small piece of my jaw causing it to split the upper part of jaw skin.. Perfect just before venturing out to play a run of 4 shows in 6 days..
So Day 1 included a 24-hour delay due to the mongy skills of un communicative people that run the hire van company and not bothering to tell us we had been downgraded to a van far to small for not only the equipment but also the 5 people that would be travelling in it. Pick up the goddamn phone and tell someone when you change the arranged plans people!!!
So beyond schedule we travelled back to the land of strong beer and fine chocolate..(Belgium). Arriving under dark clouds and the night sky we avoided the heavy rain showers that seem to be plaguing central Europe at the moment.. Sun, wind, rain, thunder, clouds, sun, wind. Gusts, heavy rain, clouds, sun etc etc …We found solace under a marquee that sold cheeseburgers we ate, watched the rain stop and left for the hotel.
In the sack with lights out I watched David Cronenbergs surreal head fuck film version of the William .S. Burroughs novel “Naked Lunch” the film frying my eyes and brain like a dotted mushroom.. Of to Interzone with the tapping of the beetle brain asshole speaking words of Clark Nova.. I fell asleep.
2 days later I’m sat on the train with a stomach like an old empty biscuit tin.. Only crumbs remain in the pit and I need to fill this tin up.. My confusion and alien communication breakdown finds me wondering the space station in a lost land of confusion then find myself sat in the wrong seat. I move and find another empty one.. The sting of the stitches holding my gum together at the back of my jaw feels strange and I am avoiding touching it in any way but am growing tired of eating on one side of my mouth.. Also the healing of the gum and the stitches combines leave an odd copper like taste sensation in my mouth every morning when I wake up.. Money taste grim, so does my gob.
So now super speeding along the super train highway on my way to rehearse then perform my first live show with the man from Kendall who is lost somewhere in France that is Robin Foster, I can reflect on the last couple of days..
We got lucky with the weather and it didn’t rain for our Saturday night Festival performance in Liege. Its been a long time since we played a festival but so we weren’t the quickest at getting things ready to roll and hit a few snags along the way but we played the show to an all of a sudden decent seven or so hundred people sized crowd.. the microphone kept giving me little electric shocks on my lips though which was a bit fuzzy.. I worried slightly cause what with the luck I’ve had with my mouth over this last week the last thing I needed was it to be blown up !! Teeth for shrapnel. Teeth flying everywhere messing up beer and burger time, what a bummer that would have been. Apart from that we enjoyed the show afterwards we all sipped beers and ate chicken legs. Hats of to the caterers at this one the food was grand.
1 day later we awoke had vending machine caffeine granules with hot water and false milk, drove to what seemed to be the middle of nowhere where I thought there would be around 50 people living at the most.. I was wrong, the festival was like a village affair but was rammed with jolly folk from Belgium, France and Germany, a large selection of bands from around the globe where here to help the Belgians celebrate their national music week.. We were happy to be part of it and put in a wicked gig that we all thoroughly enjoyed. Cheers as always to the folk that travelled from places to see us and for the kind gifts you gave us.
3.2.1 and your back in the room ( well Train ) …..I found a crumbled cake in my bag, its not enough and the bar on the train is closed.
The Empty Biscuit Barrel continues……..
Found my way to the destination I needed to reach and entered a very busy rehearsal room with Robin foster and hid band and an Orchestra made up of kids and adults plus lots of people who I’m not sure what they were doing or why they were there. I sweated a lot and slightly got the fear as we went through the songs I would sing live the next day.
The show was good and a decent crowd were there to see us play our first show to promote Robin’s second album.. For it being summer time it’s not that warm and through the chill, rain and sunshine I’d managed to pick up a head of snot and bung that has teased and annoyed my head, throat and nose..
I managed to end up Dj’ing that night although the DJ’s in charge didn’t seem too welcoming to me and a mad man dressed up as a bear wearing ski goggles.. They reluctantly gave it up and we mixed some old, new, rock, fuzz, electro and bop to a few crazy drunk folk.. I’m chuffed I played Freeman Hardy Willis by Aphex twin and Squarepusher though, even if it did bomb !!
That’s all I can remember right now so I’m gonna end this and blow my nose.
Bye
Dave Pen's Blog 