Sense - are you kidding?

I enjoyed reading AmeriNZ's take on a New Zealand businessman who's stumping-up heaps of cash to fund a march which seems to be against laws to protect children from parents who think it's OK to be violent towards their kids.

The issue itself is pretty straightforward, so AmeriNZ didn't talk about that too much, the post was mainly about lazy/cynical use of figures in news stories - it's well worth a read.

And it set me thinking.... as I got a couple of years into my science education, I started noticing that both current affairs and general conversation contain A LOT of personal opinion couched as fact.

I'd hear, for example, the Minister of X Gov. Dept. state personal opinions and present them as national opinion or even worse, objective fact, by saying things like "everyone knows..." or "most of us agree..." and there would NEVER be any data to back it up, never.

Then there are the, ahem, clever ones who get figures from somewhere - I refuse to dignify these figures with the use of the words data or statistics - and start presenting them as proof for their position. And one only had to consider the wording a little, to realise that at best there was a correlation and at worst, mere coincidence or even blatant dissembling.

© http://www.eglobe1.com/word/wp-content/images/photos/Animals/bunny1.jpg

For a couple of years, it really raised my blood pressure. However, this is not good for my health - or people around me who have to listen to me shout at the radio - so now whenever this happens, I try to sing a little happy song to myself, picture fluffy bunnies in a field, nibbling grass and twitching their noses in the gentle breeze.

What I'm trying to say is, you can lead a politician to water, but you can't make him think. (Kinky Friedman)

Let's Have a Minute's Noise for John

Tomorrow is the fifth anniversary of the death of the irreplaceable, irrepressible, warm and knowledgeable, John Peel.

I didn't have a chance to meet him, but he was an audio presence in my life from 1983-2004 and there's still a John Peel-shaped hole in my life.

From first hearing him on Radio 1, showcasing new bands and playing records that didn't get played elsewhere, to his family life-related shows on Radio 4, he was a unique radio voice.

The week he died, the comedian Mitch Benn sang a great song as tribute to him, Let's Have a Minute's Noise for John, the man himself would have approved.

.

Review of Club Sumo launch night

I was going to take last night off, but if Steve can play an hour-long set suffering from flu, I reckon I can manage a post from the comfort of my cosy study.

There was a twist on the usual Sumo Kings set - they'd done a cut-up technique on it, consistently building the energy levels up to our old favourites.

Further twists came from acoustic artist Jasmin Dean singing backing vocals on Oh Rebecca and contributing acoustic guitar on a second song. They both worked well.

Given the tiny stage at Square One, Faz had to contain his usual mayhem, but he managed just enough room to kick over half the drum-kit and stand on what was left.

The DJs after the live acts even managed to get Mr Crewe Blog dancing. So despite the less-than-ideal PA quality, it managed to be a good night.

.

Club Sumo - Saturday Oct 17th!

Edited from the Sumo's press release: an indie and electro-themed club night with a live performance from the Sumo Kings and acoustic artist Jasmin Dean, plus all the best current and classic tunes from DJ Pelvis Resley.

The venue, Square One’s Natalie Hand said: “It won’t be your average night. A lot of effort is going into Club Sumo, there is going to be a real edge to it. “People should definitely come and see for themselves. It will be the ultimate indie night experience for gig goers and fans of indie music.”

Crewe is fast becoming a regular fixture for some of indie music’s most renowned acts. A host of huge bands including Feeder, The Charlatans, Athlete and The Twang and some of the best of Britain’s new talent like Doll and The Kicks and Future of the Left have all chosen to play the town’s venues as part of their national tours.

Now, Club Sumo aims to give the growing scene an added lift with a nightclub experience for the music lovers of South Cheshire - offering a welcome alternative to travelling to Stoke-on-Trent and Manchester.

DJ Pelvis Resley will be playing a variety of classic indie, electro and new and local music. It will be sponsored by Socks, Dougs & Rock ‘n’ Roll, CAT radio’s online new and local music show.

Saturday, October 17th; 8pm-2am; Square One, Mill Street Crewe. In the meantime, take a look at www.clubsumo.co.uk

Club Sumo

Exciting up’n’coming indie band the Sumo Kings, will be starting Club Sumo on Saturday October 3^rd, at Square One in Crewe.

They reckon Square One’s existing night Funk Agenda is great and as there should be more of that sort of event in Crewe, Club Sumo will offer electro, funk and indie, all in one night. Club Sumo will take place every two or three months.

The format will be a mix of live music and DJs, with the night becoming a showcase for Crewe and Stoke bands. The Sumo Kings will play the opening night, plus there’ll be a to-be-announced acoustic artist. Watch this space for more details nearer the time.

.

Art vs Science

Long-term readers of this blog probably know that after a 10-year career in graphics, I changed to science, largely because of the stunning beauty of fish. This has left me loving just about anything that's on the interface of art and science, so inspired by a programme I heard on BBC Radio 4, more of which later, here's a word picture/tag cloud/Wordle of my Master's thesis (click on it to view it larger):

Concept and coding are Wordle ©, content is my ©

Even before I became an egghead beaker-addict scientist, I was aware of beautiful scientific images, such as those from particle accelerators...

© http://www.facstaff.bucknell.edu/mvigeant/univ_270_03/Jaime/HowItWorks.html

... or from atomic structures

© http://jiang.bio.purdue.edu/research.php

...from botanical illustrations...

© http://www.nhm.ac.uk/jdsml/nature-online/seeds-of-trade/page.dsml?section=regions&cat_ref=&region_ID=6&ref=inedible_oil

... to scanning electron microscopy.

(Who knew mosquito hair was so pretty?)

© Geoffery Hunter at http://www.rsbs.anu.edu.au/Images/PicOfMonthPages/06.02PicMonth.php

So I was very excited by this week's edition More or Less - a Radio 4 programme which takes a lively look at how numbers are used in everyday life, the media, public policy, science, etc - with its feature on making art from scientific data. The work that sounded the most beautiful was Aaron Koblin's film of flight patterns in the US and the YouTube clip bore this out.

© http://www.aaronkoblin.com/work/flightpatterns/index.html

But spare a thought for Charles Joseph Minard who in a very pre-computer age (1869), created a striking visual representation of Napolean's army travelling to, and famously retreating from, Moscow.

If your appetite for the art/science interface has been whetted, check out the Wellcome Gallery if you can get to London, or look at their website. Exhibitions have included a look at 1950s decorative patterns influenced by scientific discoveries (a topic I coincidentally, but sketchily covered in an earlier post); links between mental health and art; medicine & war; and much, much more.

For even more art/science, also see the Science Museum, Princeton University and the Arts Catalyst.

Shortlisted for the BT/Remote Employment.com Home Worker Award

I've been shortlisted for The BT/Remote Employment.com Home Worker Award. It's a very nice feeling and could also help distinguish my CV and be a good way to promote my self-employment.

My blurb is:

Mhairi has worked from home for three different charities over the past eight years and although she's not a techy, in each case communication technology facilitated the best of both worlds:
communicating with colleagues and accessing files as if she were on-site, but with the peaceful atmosphere of a home office enabling her to work faster and to make confidential calls.

This combination of communication technology and long-term homeworking makes Mhairi an ideal candidate for the homeworker award.

Mhairi said: "Being shortlisted for such a prestigious award has boosted my confidence and is a great way to differentiate my CV, especially in these testing times.

Somewhere in Cheshire/sometime in August. Sumo Kings: impressions/conversations

By MigratingFishSwim, © Wordle.net

A secret gig, a barn just north of Crewe - ordinary from the outside, painted purple inside; floor layered with the chequered, coloured squares of Sumo Kings leaflets; walls splattered with music posters from Franz Ferdinand to Green Day; acoustic array supplied by a spongy Mr Soft ceiling; audience and band up-close and personal; lights, smoke, heat…

1. The music kicks-off with classic Sumo Kings opener O, Rebecca. I’d been primed to listen-out for the chord changes on the chorus – and yes, they’re crisper, sharper. Suggested by Mike Bell (more on that later), they allow Steve’s voice to come out more, and Faz’s vocal had shifted.

2. Built on Croft Road

3. Perceptive Deceptive - Crunchy guitar riffs from Steve.

4. Space Monkey - sounded snappier, lifted, sharper, zesty. We got full-pelt guitars and drums up to a sudden, dramatic break, which was filled by a communal shout of “Space Monkey has gone missing”.

5. Your Spooky Brain

6. While he Wasn’t in Her – Choppy chords at the back of the chorus. This song captured the Sumo Kings at their best: tons of confidence and drive. Jamie hammering away, literally getting his head down, doing 100-mile-an-hour drumming.

7. Go Slow

8. Monty Man – Steve going all rock’n’roll on our asses, with a super-intense guitar solo as he crashes to his knees on the floor

9. Five Foot Trees - Ad starts gigs quietly, but usually lets go once he’s warmed up and here, he finally went for it

10. AGH/DIH – There’s a punk feel when everyone combines and then lets go, great to watch the Sumos set themselves free on the breaks.

11. Sex Machina – Faz knocking over the mic to climb the disco light-festooned steps, Steve ratcheting-up the guitar, Jamie, while looking scarily fierce, floated the dance-y percussion lightly over the melody

12. Gay Bar – Following-up their appearance on Radio Stoke, this cover of the Electric Six song is rapidly becoming a fixture in the Sumo Kings’ set. People finally are dancing. Argh, what took you so long?! Personally, I’m always moving from the first chord of Oh, Rebecca.

13. Little Buildings – why have I never noticed the reggae influence before? I wonder if this is more evidence of Mike Bell's suggestions? Ad now getting very laid-back, leaning against the door and grinning lazily.

14. Wicked Way – it’s becoming evident how much fun Steve is having when he goes all Jimi Hendrix-style for this one. Faz stops singing to thank everyone for coming tonight and for our support at earlier gigs. Then we get our real reward when he goes for one of his stunts, throwing himself onto the floor and taking half the drum-kit with him. He gets-up again, with a nice shiner from hitting the drums with his face on the way down, but he carries on, so he’s obviously feeling no pain right now.

15. Gay Bar reprise – “This is for you lot, thank you for coming”.

When the Sumos finally wear themselves out and stop, an impromptu karaoke breaks out among the audience, the highlight of which is definitely a complete rendition of Pulp’s Common People, which starts with a new line: “She came from Crewe with a thirst for knowledge”.

Before starting, the Sumos talk about recording their soon-to-released EP/demo; “We were recording around the clock with 5am finishes, even going back to the studio after playing gigs. Mike Bell (the producer) got us to try out new ideas. Mike thought our existing arrangements were good, but his suggestions, based on his experience with bands like CSS and Babyshambles really paid-off for us. Mike ripped-up our rulebook, made us re-think the way we write. He’s getting us to hit ‘em hard, make ‘em want more, make people disappointed when our songs come to an end. We cut segments short and edited some guitar. We’re open to change and suggestions, we want to get signed.”

Richard Barclay, who’s helping the band with their future direction says, “The Sumo Kings’ sound and image is nine-tenths complete, but we’re keeping things local for now, to build a solid fan-base. There’s nothing worse than taking a band to London just to have them disappear and become yet another regional band.”

Forthcoming gig dates, thanks to Gatcha: Moho Live, Manchester (5th Sept); South Cheshire College, Crewe (16th Sept); Manchester Met Uni, Crewe (23rd Sept); The Box, Crewe (25th Sept); The M Club, Crewe (supporting The Twang) on the 30th Sept.

28

Twenty-eight, I rail/

Can you squeeze a life into/

Twenty-eight summers?

Saskia May, Electric Kools and Sumo Kings - three bands for a fiver!

© Alison Barclay

Well done to The Box in Crewe, who dished-up another budget-friendly night of live music.

First-up was Saskia May. They’re a four-piece playing meaty, metally, rocking indie, which varies from thrashy, to the lighter, American end of the indie spectrum, so something to please everyone.

The singer’s petite frame belied a deep, rich, gutsy voice. Her vocals harmonised well with the rest of the band’s sound. Sadly on the night, something wasn’t quite right with the vocals, possibly due to a rushed soundcheck. The guitar, bass and drums all did their job.

Saskia May have a decent sound and they delivered promising material, but I look forward to them gaining more stage confidence and a greater complexity in their playing. I wanted them to show a bit of passion, a bit of movement, a bit of energy - I’m sure they’ve got those elements; they just need to release them on stage.

The Electric Kools came next. They opened with strong, strung-out chords - their musical recipe probably includes three grams of 1960s and a tab of pyschedelia - which immediately demanded attention.

The drums, bass and guitar come together well, creating a cohesive sound. Extracting sitar-like noises from the guitars, while remaining fast and rocky they create a drawn-out and spacey soundscape, akin to late-era Beatles or Kula Shaker. Occasional use of effects on the vocals contributes to the heard-from-a-distance, trippy sound.

Late-on in the set, another influence appears, with the vocals referencing South Asian music. I can’t quite pin it down, but I’m thinking classical Indian chanting by way of 1960s Bollywood soundtrack. The singer has a Roger Daltrey circa 1968 haircut, always good to see a bit of classic retro.

The Electric Kools' set might benefit from more changes in pace, but I definitely enjoyed them, there was energy, creativity and good interaction with the crowd. They've inspired me to re-read The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test.

Playing their first Box headliner were the Sumo Kings. No surprise to anyone when the Sumos kicked-off in straight-at-ya style, the dancefloor filled quickly. The Sumos have been working on a demo EP with producer Mike Bell (Babyshambles, etc) and their sound is definitely evolving; tonight they were sharper, with a paring-back in the guitars.

There’s no shortage of energy at a Sumo Kings gig, epitomised by the crescendos of Steve (guitar and backing vocals) and Faz (vocals and guitar) singing on Five Foot Trees, and by the ferocious, driving drums and bass. At the break of Space Monkey, the Faz directs the mic at the crowd and we duly oblige by yelling, “Space Monkey has gone missing!” right back at him.

After a proper showman build-up, Faz finally jumps off the stage and dances about with his guitar among the crowd. The stage is too high to climb back onto, so he's a bit late returning onstage, but no problem as Steve, Ad (bass) and Jamie (drums) keep it all together. And the audience is able to sing, “You should know, I’m not a sex machina” until he gets back to the mic.

Sometime later, the Sumos pick-up their instruments again, for a very unofficial after-show party, playing a couple of their own numbers and then a few, shall we say experimental, Oasis covers. All in all, the Sumos’ natural mix of mayhem and lightly-worn professionalism.

For a second opinion on the night, take a look at the very funny post by Gatcha.