31.8.09
28.8.09
Stop The Clocks.
A STATEMENT FROM NOEL
28 August 2009
“It’s with some sadness and great relief to tell you that I quit Oasis tonight. People will write and say what they like, but I simply could not go on working with Liam a day longer.
“Apologies to all the people who bought tickets for the shows in Paris, Konstanz and Milan.”
Vikki called me, ironically while I was on her old block having dinner with, of all people, Mr. Gutterball Birthday Boy, to see if I had heard the news. I immediately hung up with her and checked the reliable sites, all of whom were just reporting the above. And what did G and I, lifelong Oasis fans from the start, do? We laughed!! What people, or should I say the Internet, seems to have forgotten (or not been old enough or alive to even know about) is that this happened with Oasis EVERY FUCKING WEEK in the mid to late 90's. Noel quits, Liam no shows, etc. etc. Its just that it's been so long with any real drama from them that this actually seems much more significant. Press releases. Rumours blah blah. What this all means is simply that the spotlight is back on the UK's greatest modern band (i know i know but it SOUNDS cool) and we (meaning me, who them IM's G) will be following it all with great interest until they get back together and make a great album. Hopefully. Regardless, no one is dead, music will come out it and the UK press has fodder for ages now.
As mentioned on my Twitter, you couldn't plot a better career move. Of COURSE they're not done...they never will be. Unlike some bands I've been in of course!
F
28 August 2009
“It’s with some sadness and great relief to tell you that I quit Oasis tonight. People will write and say what they like, but I simply could not go on working with Liam a day longer.
“Apologies to all the people who bought tickets for the shows in Paris, Konstanz and Milan.”
Vikki called me, ironically while I was on her old block having dinner with, of all people, Mr. Gutterball Birthday Boy, to see if I had heard the news. I immediately hung up with her and checked the reliable sites, all of whom were just reporting the above. And what did G and I, lifelong Oasis fans from the start, do? We laughed!! What people, or should I say the Internet, seems to have forgotten (or not been old enough or alive to even know about) is that this happened with Oasis EVERY FUCKING WEEK in the mid to late 90's. Noel quits, Liam no shows, etc. etc. Its just that it's been so long with any real drama from them that this actually seems much more significant. Press releases. Rumours blah blah. What this all means is simply that the spotlight is back on the UK's greatest modern band (i know i know but it SOUNDS cool) and we (meaning me, who them IM's G) will be following it all with great interest until they get back together and make a great album. Hopefully. Regardless, no one is dead, music will come out it and the UK press has fodder for ages now.
As mentioned on my Twitter, you couldn't plot a better career move. Of COURSE they're not done...they never will be. Unlike some bands I've been in of course!
F
24.8.09
Waving Bye Bye
Plugging away here. Since my last message, it's been pretty much more of the same. Late nights at the studio, crooning. Got some parts knocked out. Tried to go a bit further on Friday night, but what I have learned is that I'm better earlier in the day at this singing business. However, the all Spanish language track OUR FAITH is finally done, and I even threw in some falsetto backing vocals, which I love doing. Still got some more to go, but some items have been checked off the list. It's now about placing little pieces of the place.
Meanwhile the artwork moves at a nice pace. My friend Stephen, from the band Great Tiger (http://www.myspace.com/wearegreattiger) is helping us out and rocking it. I wanted to give them a plug here. Hopefully I can snag a remix from them. They're young, hungry and nice guys. Playing soon.
Been getting some MOGpac social time as well. Had a lovely pre-studio dinner with the Mattagement where I downed pretzels, beers and Veal, which is tasty but not good for the frontman figure. Yesterday was my G day, as he and I went to see INGLORIOUS BASTERDS only to have the projector break 5 minutes into the goddamn movie. They couldn't fix it, so the showing was canceled! What the hell! The show after was already sold out so we were fucked and G has to live another day to see his new hero, BJ Novak. So G and I did what men do, we went to Ippudo, drank beer and ate pork buns and later watched Summerslam.
Saturday night, however, was the highlight. Thanks to Vikki, the Mrs and I went to the opening night of the final leg of the final Nine Inch Nails tour, which happened to take place at the teeny tiny (for them) Bowery Ballroom. If you follow this blog, over the last 4 years or so I have tracked Trent's resurrection and it's been nothing but surprise after surprise. Amazingly, this show was easily one of my top ten all time gigs and luckily none of my former or current bandmates were there because I think I was this close to being like LET'S GET THE BAND BACK TOGETHER CAUSE INDUSTRIAL ROCK IS AWESOME. That didn't happen, and I'm back to reality now, but this was one of those very very very special gigs that you take to the grave (relax, you goth). I seriously thought the building was going to collapse, the place was shaking. The musicianship was off the charts and it was great to see it and appreciate it that close up. I am stil shocked they fit in this venue! But what it was really about were the track choices.
Check out this setlist:
1. Somewhat Damaged
2. The Beginning Of The End
3. Last
4. The Collector
5. Discipline
6. March Of The Pigs
7. Something I Can Never Have
8. Reptile
9. Meet Your Master
10. Banged And Blown Through
11. Burn
12. Gave Up
13. La Mer
14. Non-Entity
15. Gone, Still
16. The Downward Spiral
17. Wish
18. Heresy
19. Survivalism
20. Down In It
21. Hurt
22. The Hand That Feeds
23. Head Like A Hole
Encore
24. Echoplex
25. The Good Soldier
26. Dead Souls
27. In This Twilight
I'll get some pix up soon. Now mind, you, the next night Matt saw them do The Downward Spiral in its entirety for the first and probably last time ever. Which is amazing. The other gigs will be entirely different. So I think this entire tour is going to be a win win for everyone who goes to these gigs because they ain't getting the same set twice. It's a culmination of having a great band, a super back catalogue, and a true understanding/rapport with your fanbase. Hopefully some of you will see this. I hope there is a DVD of it, though I heard the Webster douches wouldn't let them film. Livenation, genius a-holes.
Anyway, that's the latest. Hopefully you are watching HUNG, which is amazing. What a show. More soon.
F
Meanwhile the artwork moves at a nice pace. My friend Stephen, from the band Great Tiger (http://www.myspace.com/wearegreattiger) is helping us out and rocking it. I wanted to give them a plug here. Hopefully I can snag a remix from them. They're young, hungry and nice guys. Playing soon.
Been getting some MOGpac social time as well. Had a lovely pre-studio dinner with the Mattagement where I downed pretzels, beers and Veal, which is tasty but not good for the frontman figure. Yesterday was my G day, as he and I went to see INGLORIOUS BASTERDS only to have the projector break 5 minutes into the goddamn movie. They couldn't fix it, so the showing was canceled! What the hell! The show after was already sold out so we were fucked and G has to live another day to see his new hero, BJ Novak. So G and I did what men do, we went to Ippudo, drank beer and ate pork buns and later watched Summerslam.
Saturday night, however, was the highlight. Thanks to Vikki, the Mrs and I went to the opening night of the final leg of the final Nine Inch Nails tour, which happened to take place at the teeny tiny (for them) Bowery Ballroom. If you follow this blog, over the last 4 years or so I have tracked Trent's resurrection and it's been nothing but surprise after surprise. Amazingly, this show was easily one of my top ten all time gigs and luckily none of my former or current bandmates were there because I think I was this close to being like LET'S GET THE BAND BACK TOGETHER CAUSE INDUSTRIAL ROCK IS AWESOME. That didn't happen, and I'm back to reality now, but this was one of those very very very special gigs that you take to the grave (relax, you goth). I seriously thought the building was going to collapse, the place was shaking. The musicianship was off the charts and it was great to see it and appreciate it that close up. I am stil shocked they fit in this venue! But what it was really about were the track choices.
Check out this setlist:
1. Somewhat Damaged
2. The Beginning Of The End
3. Last
4. The Collector
5. Discipline
6. March Of The Pigs
7. Something I Can Never Have
8. Reptile
9. Meet Your Master
10. Banged And Blown Through
11. Burn
12. Gave Up
13. La Mer
14. Non-Entity
15. Gone, Still
16. The Downward Spiral
17. Wish
18. Heresy
19. Survivalism
20. Down In It
21. Hurt
22. The Hand That Feeds
23. Head Like A Hole
Encore
24. Echoplex
25. The Good Soldier
26. Dead Souls
27. In This Twilight
I'll get some pix up soon. Now mind, you, the next night Matt saw them do The Downward Spiral in its entirety for the first and probably last time ever. Which is amazing. The other gigs will be entirely different. So I think this entire tour is going to be a win win for everyone who goes to these gigs because they ain't getting the same set twice. It's a culmination of having a great band, a super back catalogue, and a true understanding/rapport with your fanbase. Hopefully some of you will see this. I hope there is a DVD of it, though I heard the Webster douches wouldn't let them film. Livenation, genius a-holes.
Anyway, that's the latest. Hopefully you are watching HUNG, which is amazing. What a show. More soon.
F
19.8.09
Business and Theft
Oi, this is a random blog. You missed this shit right? I missed you. Goddamn Air Con is not up to snuff here. Fuck that.
God, what is going on. It's that quiet end of August period where I get cranky for the Fall to kick in so I can get to work on some shit. I don't even have my nephew here this time!! But, hey, we're trying to finish an album here, and we even have a list of stuff left to do, which is me SINGING some more. But it's recorded. It's awesome. Sounds great. I listen to it all the time. Brandt knocked this fucking thing out of the park. It sounds huge. We gotta mix it, but a lot of the work is done. I sat in a quiet Irish bar the other night with both Brandt and Ash and discussed the next steps. It feels good.
While they take care of the tech and I avoid the singing, I handle all the "business" that the former guitarist (and possible mail thief) of the aggression would lecture Ash and I about while he was "playing his instrument EVERY DAY" (that dumb fucking story is for the eventual book). What business is this? It's stuff like the album sleeve, which is basically this:
It's a piece from the photographer Grant Hamilton (http://sxseventy.com/), who Jessie turned me onto. I reached out to him and he was VERY cool and agreed to let us use the piece in exchange for using some HF tunes in his documentary about the death of polaroid film. Cool right? Grant and his wife, Sara, are really sweet and talented.
So I am in the process of putting the credits, publishing, etc. all together and the question has been: How to release it? It's been some time since I put out a record and obviously the world has changed , so I think the best thing would be to put it out ourselves, which in the old days was a sign of weakness but now a sign of independence. Also, we've spent so much time on it, that I want it out ASAP. We can get out it out digitally quick and we have decided to press some CD's as well. Because of the digital age, the price has gone down quite a bit. Thus, the new Hypefactor album will come out as a CD in something called an Eco Wallet. It sounds all green, which my Mrs will love, but I couldn't give a fuck. It looks cool. I'd press a disc in radioactive shit if it looked cool. Anyway. It will be a killer album sleeve and an amazing album. I'll probably give it to you.
So in the "Can You Believe This One?" Department, the OTHER former guitarist, the founding one, decides to ask for copies of the aggression back catalogue. Presumably he needs a second set for his second child, which of course, I understand as this child should be started off proper. So me, being truly a NICE MAN, goes and puts together a package of our entire run and even shit he wasn't on, and busted my ass and mailed it out (read: sent the intern to the post office). It arrives the next day and is promptly fucking STOLEN by mail thieves. On Long Island? Wait, what? There's a lot of mystery there as how did he fucking know it was there in the first place, etc. Now when you think about it, who the fuck is going to steal a package of the aggression's history. Then I realized that EVERY former guitar player is out there in Suffolk and is probably dying for copies of the best years their lives. It's like fucking industrial Law and Order. Well this will now lead to the aggression founders luncheon this week in New York City. Yes, another set of discs will be handed over. G has questions.
So this is just a quick update. Hope you're not sweating your fat ass off like I am.
God, what is going on. It's that quiet end of August period where I get cranky for the Fall to kick in so I can get to work on some shit. I don't even have my nephew here this time!! But, hey, we're trying to finish an album here, and we even have a list of stuff left to do, which is me SINGING some more. But it's recorded. It's awesome. Sounds great. I listen to it all the time. Brandt knocked this fucking thing out of the park. It sounds huge. We gotta mix it, but a lot of the work is done. I sat in a quiet Irish bar the other night with both Brandt and Ash and discussed the next steps. It feels good.
While they take care of the tech and I avoid the singing, I handle all the "business" that the former guitarist (and possible mail thief) of the aggression would lecture Ash and I about while he was "playing his instrument EVERY DAY" (that dumb fucking story is for the eventual book). What business is this? It's stuff like the album sleeve, which is basically this:
It's a piece from the photographer Grant Hamilton (http://sxseventy.com/), who Jessie turned me onto. I reached out to him and he was VERY cool and agreed to let us use the piece in exchange for using some HF tunes in his documentary about the death of polaroid film. Cool right? Grant and his wife, Sara, are really sweet and talented.
So I am in the process of putting the credits, publishing, etc. all together and the question has been: How to release it? It's been some time since I put out a record and obviously the world has changed , so I think the best thing would be to put it out ourselves, which in the old days was a sign of weakness but now a sign of independence. Also, we've spent so much time on it, that I want it out ASAP. We can get out it out digitally quick and we have decided to press some CD's as well. Because of the digital age, the price has gone down quite a bit. Thus, the new Hypefactor album will come out as a CD in something called an Eco Wallet. It sounds all green, which my Mrs will love, but I couldn't give a fuck. It looks cool. I'd press a disc in radioactive shit if it looked cool. Anyway. It will be a killer album sleeve and an amazing album. I'll probably give it to you.
So in the "Can You Believe This One?" Department, the OTHER former guitarist, the founding one, decides to ask for copies of the aggression back catalogue. Presumably he needs a second set for his second child, which of course, I understand as this child should be started off proper. So me, being truly a NICE MAN, goes and puts together a package of our entire run and even shit he wasn't on, and busted my ass and mailed it out (read: sent the intern to the post office). It arrives the next day and is promptly fucking STOLEN by mail thieves. On Long Island? Wait, what? There's a lot of mystery there as how did he fucking know it was there in the first place, etc. Now when you think about it, who the fuck is going to steal a package of the aggression's history. Then I realized that EVERY former guitar player is out there in Suffolk and is probably dying for copies of the best years their lives. It's like fucking industrial Law and Order. Well this will now lead to the aggression founders luncheon this week in New York City. Yes, another set of discs will be handed over. G has questions.
So this is just a quick update. Hope you're not sweating your fat ass off like I am.
15.8.09
Proud Uncle
I know I talk about my nephew a lot. He's my best pal. I'm really excited to learn that he's taking his creativity to the next level by not only by continuing his passion, drawing, but also by creating his own blog...Check it out...
http://onekidarmy.blogspot.com/
I'm his #1 fan.
F
http://onekidarmy.blogspot.com/
I'm his #1 fan.
F
6.8.09
Fuck Continuity
Hello from New York. Where we last left off, I was in Los Angeles where I stayed much longer than anticipated. This past Saturday, I raced back on a red eye to see my wife and Depeche Mode. Married life? Remind me...I know I'm married, I remember getting married, but I don't recall being allowed to enjoy it! However, I think the Mrs liked having the place to herself for a bit. I realize now I have to treat this blog like I do comics, without any chronological sense or understanding of the past. Basically, Fuck Continuity...
This was my longest non-shooting related stretch away from New York I think ever. It was a constant routine of WAKEUPWALKDOGMEETINGMEETINGMEETINGANOTHERMEETINGEATMEETINGMEETINGMEETINGWALKDOGHANGOUTWITHLOCALWLDRABBITSLEEP. I had one day off and slept in a bed once in San Diego. However, I did get a lot of quality time with some good folks and animals. I love Vikki's dog, Emmy, and we became BFF. At nights we would visit the local rabbit, which was always fun. The weather was, you know, LA, hot as fuck during the day but nice at night (better than NYC I'm told!). I was racing all day every day and passing out early every night and waking up every morning with kisses from a puppy. I ate (TWO Cabrea trips! 5 In and Out trips, and ye, I bought some home) but didn't exercise nearly enough as I want to and I feel like an entire year of exercising was like destroyed in three weeks. I'm probably overreacting, but you know...
This is where I gotta declare the awesomeness of Vikki, who has become the #1 supporter of all things F in LA. She houses me, she feeds me, and deals with my constant ball busting and general wise assness. In return, I watched the entire first season of the original MIAMI VICE with her, which brought daily joy. Noticed that everyone wore a gold chain back then. She let me walk the dog, which of course, I loved. So big public thanks to Vik who is unfortunately going to have to deal with my annoying ass for the forseeable future. Unless I get a place in LA. But let's not jump ahead.
Vik and I got to hang out with Carrie and Sarrsgard at the ORPHAN premiere. It was hilariously good and not what I expected. I never would have seen this movie otherwise, but honestly I'm glad we did. We went as an excuse to see the elusive Byalick and Vik was dying to try the restaurant the afterparty was being held at. Sarrsgard and I compared wedding notes while Vik ran into very old friends and then she made me stalk Robert Downey, which was silly, cause Byalick woulda introduced us. That man oozes charisma in a natural and unpretentious way. He's amazing. He basically IS Tony Stark.
While this is not chronological, I got to catch up with a lot of my LA friends. It was great to see Leo who, as I type is about to finish his contributions to the HF album this week. he just got engaged. Nice one. Spent some time with my mother in law, who fed me, of course, but then she hopped to the Canadia to hog her grandson, my best pally. I got a lot of Cramp time, which was awesome. both in LA and SD. We had some fine meals and beers. I'm so glad I've got friends like this in that damned city. But here is me and my newest friend, Baby Bea, daughter of the legendary HARBOUR:
San Diego was the centerpiece of the trip. It was nuts. Saw some awesome stuff, including the AVATAR footage, the entirety of DISTRICT 9 (which is now one of my fave movies this year), and the ultraviolent NINJA ASSASSIN, which I have some Korean pride for as Rain is the star, but the movie was just ok. However, fun all around. Except the TWILIGHT panel, which was annoying and silly, but hey.
Comic Con has become Sundance. I realized this while sitting at a table with Freddy Krueger and Vik and staring at agents who were eating and drinking for free on a hotel rooftop. This made me angry. Vik would say belligerent. The Kidd kindly pointed out to me that I too was eating and drinking for free and was in fact double fisting at that moment and I should shut the hell up. He was right.
Here, check this out, you can see me, Vik and maybe Hoffman at the Tron inspired Flynn's Arcade, which was part of the new TRON LEGACY viral campaign: http://www.joystiq.com/photos/comic-con-2009-flynns-arcade-2/2165879/ (THANKS EMILY)
Here's me and the Kidd at the ULTRAFUCKINGEXCLUSIVE (I just wanted to say that) Wrath of Con Party, drunk and ready to watch some wrestling (we accosted the Motor City Machine Guns after this)
This was the total highlight of the Con, lunch with Dave Filoni, the mastermind behind the entire STAR WARS CLONE WARS animated series. Here with my friend Jaime (who does the voice of the bounty under Aurra Singh on the show), Dave drew some sketches in my new ART OF CLONE WARS book. What a treat! He and his crew of Lucasladies are fucking top notch treated me, Kyle and other SW geeks with nothing but first class. They got us VIP into the SW Spectacular, and then we all got hammered later at the Wrath party. Awesome. This was the most surreal lunch ever as it started with Star Wars geeks and then morphed into lunch with the Dandy Warhols. Not kidding.
Anyway, it was great to get a lot of time with friends like Vik, The Kidd, Hoffman, Kitamura, Hans, BenDavid and Amanda, Mel, Jacks, Katz, Marc, Ric, and especially Kyle and Jaime who treated me like royalty. Also fun to meet a lot of new people like Dusty, Jamie, Meagan, Hank, Cindy, The Aspen crew, Daniels, the Machineguns, Jon, Jennifer, and a lot of others I can't think of at the moment.
Then it was back to LA for even more whirlwind adventures. I won't bore you with it all. I'm exhausted typing this. I'm sure I will remember more, but right now, I am sure this is more than enough to satisfy your desire for my written words.
Until next time...
F
This was my longest non-shooting related stretch away from New York I think ever. It was a constant routine of WAKEUPWALKDOGMEETINGMEETINGMEETINGANOTHERMEETINGEATMEETINGMEETINGMEETINGWALKDOGHANGOUTWITHLOCALWLDRABBITSLEEP. I had one day off and slept in a bed once in San Diego. However, I did get a lot of quality time with some good folks and animals. I love Vikki's dog, Emmy, and we became BFF. At nights we would visit the local rabbit, which was always fun. The weather was, you know, LA, hot as fuck during the day but nice at night (better than NYC I'm told!). I was racing all day every day and passing out early every night and waking up every morning with kisses from a puppy. I ate (TWO Cabrea trips! 5 In and Out trips, and ye, I bought some home) but didn't exercise nearly enough as I want to and I feel like an entire year of exercising was like destroyed in three weeks. I'm probably overreacting, but you know...
This is where I gotta declare the awesomeness of Vikki, who has become the #1 supporter of all things F in LA. She houses me, she feeds me, and deals with my constant ball busting and general wise assness. In return, I watched the entire first season of the original MIAMI VICE with her, which brought daily joy. Noticed that everyone wore a gold chain back then. She let me walk the dog, which of course, I loved. So big public thanks to Vik who is unfortunately going to have to deal with my annoying ass for the forseeable future. Unless I get a place in LA. But let's not jump ahead.
Vik and I got to hang out with Carrie and Sarrsgard at the ORPHAN premiere. It was hilariously good and not what I expected. I never would have seen this movie otherwise, but honestly I'm glad we did. We went as an excuse to see the elusive Byalick and Vik was dying to try the restaurant the afterparty was being held at. Sarrsgard and I compared wedding notes while Vik ran into very old friends and then she made me stalk Robert Downey, which was silly, cause Byalick woulda introduced us. That man oozes charisma in a natural and unpretentious way. He's amazing. He basically IS Tony Stark.
While this is not chronological, I got to catch up with a lot of my LA friends. It was great to see Leo who, as I type is about to finish his contributions to the HF album this week. he just got engaged. Nice one. Spent some time with my mother in law, who fed me, of course, but then she hopped to the Canadia to hog her grandson, my best pally. I got a lot of Cramp time, which was awesome. both in LA and SD. We had some fine meals and beers. I'm so glad I've got friends like this in that damned city. But here is me and my newest friend, Baby Bea, daughter of the legendary HARBOUR:
San Diego was the centerpiece of the trip. It was nuts. Saw some awesome stuff, including the AVATAR footage, the entirety of DISTRICT 9 (which is now one of my fave movies this year), and the ultraviolent NINJA ASSASSIN, which I have some Korean pride for as Rain is the star, but the movie was just ok. However, fun all around. Except the TWILIGHT panel, which was annoying and silly, but hey.
Comic Con has become Sundance. I realized this while sitting at a table with Freddy Krueger and Vik and staring at agents who were eating and drinking for free on a hotel rooftop. This made me angry. Vik would say belligerent. The Kidd kindly pointed out to me that I too was eating and drinking for free and was in fact double fisting at that moment and I should shut the hell up. He was right.
Here, check this out, you can see me, Vik and maybe Hoffman at the Tron inspired Flynn's Arcade, which was part of the new TRON LEGACY viral campaign: http://www.joystiq.com/photos/comic-con-2009-flynns-arcade-2/2165879/ (THANKS EMILY)
Here's me and the Kidd at the ULTRAFUCKINGEXCLUSIVE (I just wanted to say that) Wrath of Con Party, drunk and ready to watch some wrestling (we accosted the Motor City Machine Guns after this)
This was the total highlight of the Con, lunch with Dave Filoni, the mastermind behind the entire STAR WARS CLONE WARS animated series. Here with my friend Jaime (who does the voice of the bounty under Aurra Singh on the show), Dave drew some sketches in my new ART OF CLONE WARS book. What a treat! He and his crew of Lucasladies are fucking top notch treated me, Kyle and other SW geeks with nothing but first class. They got us VIP into the SW Spectacular, and then we all got hammered later at the Wrath party. Awesome. This was the most surreal lunch ever as it started with Star Wars geeks and then morphed into lunch with the Dandy Warhols. Not kidding.
Anyway, it was great to get a lot of time with friends like Vik, The Kidd, Hoffman, Kitamura, Hans, BenDavid and Amanda, Mel, Jacks, Katz, Marc, Ric, and especially Kyle and Jaime who treated me like royalty. Also fun to meet a lot of new people like Dusty, Jamie, Meagan, Hank, Cindy, The Aspen crew, Daniels, the Machineguns, Jon, Jennifer, and a lot of others I can't think of at the moment.
Then it was back to LA for even more whirlwind adventures. I won't bore you with it all. I'm exhausted typing this. I'm sure I will remember more, but right now, I am sure this is more than enough to satisfy your desire for my written words.
Until next time...
F