life travel

Well then, been a while since I last said something...<br /><br />Christmas was quiet, dull, so I guess that was a good Christmas, sat around a lot, watched telly, ate, argued with the family, typical stuff...<br /><br />Got back on the 28th and did a surreal gig with Jim, just the two of us, tried several new songs I'd written and then we did a few improvised songs together, it was most amusing and there was a fair audience to...<br /><br />We also had a great gig on the 30th at The Pop Art Birthday at Lark in the Park, you can see some great photos <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/mapsmagazine/sets/72157594449794529" target="_blank">here</a> taken by Paul Maps... As you can see we now have a new guitarist, welcome 'Dan Lobster'. Jim and I also sat on a Questions panel and took part in Indie win lose or draw, all great fun.<br /><br />New Years eve was an odd one, sat about most of the day, dropped by on Chez Fruitbat to visit Les & Crissi and watch Time Team with them, then off to a party of a guy I used to work with which was pretty cool and I met his three foot Marijuana plant called 'Nicky'. Then Arran and Lydia turned up and convinced me to go to another party, where I never quite felt happy, so left about 2ish but it took ages to get home and I saw so much obnoxious behaviour it really depressed me... New years day was pleasant, took a very long walk from Aldgate to Tooting to meet Jim and a few others for Dinner...<br /><br />Then today I started working my way through the list of places I want to visit before I leave with my old Flatmate Carrie, though Westminster Abbey and St Pauls were stupidly expensive so we only ended up going to The London Museum instead and then a quick wander round the National Gallery...<br /><br />I recorded a new track over Christmas to, at the request of a guy in Australia who wanted to remix it, it's a live favourite called 'AAA', take a listen at <a href="https://www.chinchilla-music.co.uk/music.php" target="_blank">www.chinchilla-music.co.uk/music.php</a> where you can hear both remixes, or at <a href="https://www.myspace.com/chrischinchilla" target="_blank">www.myspace.com/chrischinchilla</a>.<br /><br />Overall though I've been feeling strange the past week, everything is in motion now for my return to Australia, booked the flight, visa is being processed and I can't wait to be there again, not least because I get to meet a lovely Lady again, but also because it has not taken me long at all to become fed up with London again, and be reminded of all the reasons behind this feeling, I'm just killing time at the moment, I can't wait until I can finally start something new and move on from a lot of past. I'm rambling slightly, it's hard to put some of the feelings I have on the subject into words without going into a lot of things from my past, I guess it basically boils down to "That was me then this is me now", I want to live a different life as a different sort of person, but when you're constantly surrounded by the trappings of old you, and some of those trappings refuse to give you a chance as the new you... If that makes any sense...<br /><br />Suffice it to say, I'm very excited, after a while of talking about it, I'm finally leaving the UK to pastures new...

Been rather lame with blog posts recently, you see I'm know self-employed, so not only do I have work to do, but when I don't, I have to look for work... On top of all that I'm arranging my trip to Australia...<br><br>Also, I haven't posted many articles or reviews recently, because I finally have a paid writing job which is taking up most of my time, now it's finally launched I'll start telling you about some of the stuff I'm posting there, more of that later...<br><br>Firstly a few news titbits that caught my eye...<br><br><a href="https://www.musictowers.com/NewsFeed/ViewArticle1969.aspx" target="_blank">New Chart Rules</a><br><br><a href="https://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/01/03/armed_cop_challenge/" target="_blank">Armed Cop Challenge</a><br><br><a href="https://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/01/08/crimean_dolphin_attack/" target="_blank">Dolphin Attack!</a><br><br><a href="https://www.wired.com/wired/archive/15.01/khipu.html" target="_blank">And this is very interesting...</a><br><br>I took a trip to the Museum of London and think I might have found the roots of the North / South divide in country and London Terms, I was going to post photos, but they didn't come out very well...<br><br>In the museum is a map of Roman Briton, South England is called "Britannia Superior", North England "Britannia Inferior"...<br>As for London, it seems that in times gone past the City, i.e. the North, built a wall round itself, to protect itself from invaders, no thought for the south though...<br><br>Big Brother : Not something I'd often talk about, but I gather some fellah from The Towers of London is in it this time, I wonder if their career will experience the same turnaround the Ordinary Boys did? It may intrigue you to know that both bands share the same press company... And that some time ago I spoke to Preston, after the second album had been released but pre-BB, and he confided in me that he had no idea what was in store for them, the second album, not being that well received...<br><br>Now, me and the Macaca Boys have been recording of late, we should have some results very soon... It was an odd process, a little bitty and isolated from each other, but that was the same way we did the Art Brut album and that came out OK...<br><br>OK then, now it's finally sort of on the way... Well it's in Beta stages, but go and have a look and submit suggestions for improvements, here's the site I've been writing for of late : <br><br><a href="https://www.indieoma.com" target="_blank">www.indieoma.com</a><br><br>At the moment it just has articles from my Australia music special, but very soon it will have stuff on : Antifolk, The Hot Puppies, The Answer, Bass Clef, Billy Ruffian, Brinkman, Dead Disco, The Mighty Roars, The Pipettes, Simon Breed, Twisterbait, Nosferatu D2, Blah blah blah, Rose Kemp, 28 Costumes, Billy Brag, The Indelicates, Alpha Saloon, Ashok, The Hedrons, Passenger, Voicst, The Wednesday Society, Natsuo Chiyoda, Some Velvet Morning, Summer Holiday, Dan Sartain, Indigo Moss and more...<br><br>Unfortunately I can't post the articles here, but I am slowly catching up with all the other reviews I've written, and will get them up soon...<br><br>Chinch out xx

The feelings of frustration and slight depression abated this week, maybe it was a lunar thing, there was an eclipse here last week, and maybe a seasonal thing, who knows...