See you at a show!

It's been quite some time since I put out a fresh commentary on what's going on around me in my take on the music thing... It seems to be a never ending quest to play more music for(and with)more people, have good fun and somehow still keep the wolf from the door.....I have found that loads of playing and fun does tend to distract and confuse that 'ol wolf ..shame by now he's looking a bit shaggy and worn..and I've never felt better!...think I should leave something out for him..

The last year has seen me on a number of tours all over Southern Africa which covered a wide spectrum of audiences and included some great collaborations resulting in some wonderful releases. Included in these adventures are Steve Newman, Ashish Joshi with the SAMA Best Instrumental nominated IN THE CLOUDS album and the JIKA NELANGA album which added Zamo Mbutho, Godfrey Mgcina and Lu Dlamini to the mix. I also had a blast  doing a vocal/guitar album with Albert Meintjes called 'ALGRECKO'. I did some fresh stuff with electro world music group Gordon's Suitcase which resulted in their second album 'Bad Girls Like Good Music 2'.

There have been other special collaborations including work on a new album by London based Julian Bahula as well as Tapelo Khomo(recording and composition), Neil Solomon(recording and compostion) amongst others. There have been some sad losses with the passing of some great musicians including the legendary bassplayer of Chris McGregor's Brotherhood of Breath, Ernest Mothle and the amazing Syd Kitchen who was a member of the Aquarian Quartet with Steve Newman, Tony Cox and myself....their music lives on.. The Aquarian Quartet will continue with the wonderful guitarist and fellow aquarian, Errol Dyers completing the line up.

I often get asked about what I think of the music industry.....hmmmm....well for starters, I am an outsider as far as industrialised music goes. It seems to me that the industrialisation of anything leads to the mass production consideration of, lowest cost, lowest acceptable quality and 'non threatening' creativity....this being interwoven with the fact that so called record companies are, at present striving to maintain their absurd status quo and hold on the market, while the internet seems to be progressively liberating the artist  from the prescriptive clammy clutches of the industry. True liberation will be achieved when musicians have control over ALL aspects of their art and as many middle men are cut out of the picture as possible. The formula is something like this...a few totally non musical folk who see music as a quick money cash cow run the industry of music (record releases and big slices of publishing for desert) ...it's easy to spot them....they have great big offices, expensive cars, holiday homes at the sea and beat musicians hands, down on trips overseas, where they have meetings over expensive meals and stay in luxury while talking 'music business'. As this is unfolding and they are 'harvesting' the musicians money......the musicians keep on struggling to 'make it'.....a rather blurry and fogged out goal at the best of times. Like I said earlier ..hmmmmm

The words 'music' and 'industry' don't belong next to each other, but they are artificially joined at the hip for the maximum effectivity of the industry parasite. I see that the industry has taken some emergency measures to shore up their control over music, media and audiences, with the creation of shows that 'clone' sheep like audiences and provide a ready made brainwashed buyers market for the predetermined styles and results. TV is full of these ...American Idols, SA Idols, America's got Talent..etc

Lucky for me..I never liked Karoake and live music is making a big return.

Got music will travel!!
See you at a show!
Greg

photo: realwiredmusic.com