VANGELIS R.I.P

More sad news with the passing of Vangelis, legendary composer of many unforgetable tracks and soundtracks including of course, Bladerunner, Chariots of Fire and 1492:Conquest of Paradise. His soundscapes have been a constant of my adult life and it's no exggeration to say that I play a couple of his albums, if not daily, certainly weekly and have done so for years!

There's something transformative about his music so that if I need to really concentrate to get some work done, it can almost instantly transport my mind to that place where I can ignore external distractions and just get on with the job in hand. The only other artists that have this effect on me is the solo work of David Sylvian and to a slightly lessor extent, the music of  Dead Can Dance, but it is Vangelis that I invariably turn to most.

While I never saw Vangelis live like I did my ultimate musical hero David Bowie, he has been in some ways just as influential in shaping my mind and creative thinking. 

R.I.P to an unparalleled genius.

Splendid Day by the Seaside?

Eeek! no sooner are we back from a delightful round trip to Aberdeen for Granite City Comic-Con, we're busy packing our trunks for a visit to the seaside for A Splendid Day Out, steampunk and ice cream, lovely! it's our first time but the event came highly recommended and is, I think, now in its 4th year with this year's expanded show incorporating the 'Arts of Steam', a celebration of the art & writing & crafts inspired by the steampunk genre/movement!

Actually is it a genre or a movement? not sure, maybe we can ask the man who first coined the 'steampunk' phrase himself, K W Jeter who is making a rare appearance to the UK for the festival. Many of course will recognise the name from his lauded Blade Runner sequel novels from a few years ago.

I'll be in the same venue as K.W Jeter in Morecambe's iconic Winter Gardens Theatre, a short walk from the promenade. I'm looking forward to the show, the venue and meeting new people which may well include (separately) a relative and an important Accent UK contributor!