It’s 2026 and as I updated my web server, the original layout to the website broke. So this is why things look more basic. Let’s call it version 3.0. I am not restoring the old layout, the content is still there.
To those wondering what happened since the last entry over 11 years ago: I’ve been busy with other things. Am I still making music? Yes, now and then. Will I release anything? Maybe! Will I perform live again? Probably not.
I can’t tell you the future. Embrace the uncertainty.
It’s been a little quiet lately, but that’s because I teamed up with a colleague as Moonlight Snackbar for a gig at the Technival where I performed a few years back solo. We’re basically doing a live DJ-set with some of the best dance songs of the past decades mashed together. Sort of like 2Many DJ’s. Sadly, it’s a closed party and invite-only for people who work at OGD. But if you’re friends with some one who works there, you can tag along with them.
I moved the site to a new server! B-sting.com has been kindly hosted by Jocelyn of Sugarcube.net for a few years, but since I got my own server at Pretty Hate Machine (not-related to the NIN album), I moved all my sites there. This one has been last to move, because migrating WordPress was a new challenge to me.
Yesterday the booking form for a gig couldn’t be filled in and e-mail sent to any address on the domain wouldn’t arrive for a few hours. Woops! But that’s fixed now.
Now that that’s out of the way, maybe I should get back to what I was planning to do, namely get EP02 out that I promised in my New Years post? About that: three tracks are pretty much done and might need a bit of tinkering before I’m completely satisfied. Then there’s also the issue of track 4. Every EP needs at last 4 tracks.
So right now the main obstacle is to create track 4. Granted I have plenty of half-assed ideas and experiments lying about, but stomping an actual track out of it is easier said than done. Wish me luck!
I wish you all the best in 2012! Hopefully we’ll see each other a lot more in 2012 and hear even more. Speaking of which; I think an EP is coming this year! As a teaser, the title is in the picture above. I think I’ll have to explain that one, but I will later (cool points for any one that knows without using Google). All in good time. Patience!
Yet another Rotterdam venue is closing its doors. After medium sized venue Watt being dropped by the city council, the smaller ones are starting to fold. Waterfront was destroyed in the merger with Watt. Heidiger is gone. The FFWD dance parade was no longer welcome. Dizzy was closed, but luckily re-opening soon. But for how long? Rotown and Baroeg are the last small venues to hear live music.
I saw this coming and this is why I decided to chose home-gigs as an alternative. But many Rotterdam musicians do not have that option.
Maybe it’s time for the old model of illegal gigs in unlicensed locations to be put into use. Last put to use in a period where Rotterdam became synonymous with a genre of music: gabber. At least then all the voters who are responsible for the devastating culture policy of the city of Rotterdam, will have something to really complain about. Make some noise for Rotterdam.
Bands and musicians of Rotterdam, I await your illegal rave flyers.
Remember I released the song Perfect back in March (you can still download it for free here)? Well, it now has a music video I produced all by myself:
The reason I made the video was to make a simple point: making music videos is something you can do all on your own. Just like you can do many things as a musicia/one-man-band yourself. I like to call it DIAY: Do It All Yourself. Granted, making it yourself means it won’t be as flashy and slick as one from a record label. And maybe it’s not something people will want to watch over and over. But actually creating something and putting it up on YouTube requires nearly zero budget. The rest is creativity, resourcefulness and hard work.
I’ll let you in on a secret. I shot this video with in one afternoon with just one camera. And not even a video camera, a digital still camera with video option (a Panasonic Lumix DMC-FS6 if you must know). I used a microphone stand as a tripod. No really. I planned out what I wanted to shoot and what shots I needed. Then just filmed myself like crazy. I edited al the shots together with Lightworks, a free video editing program. I’ll admit, it took me a weekend long of swearing and cursing to learn how it works and to get it to do what I want. But I did, and got a result. Kudos to the guys at Lightworks.
Due to being busy with work and other stuff , it took me a month to complete, but if I’d add up all the hours I actually put into it, I think it could’ve been done in three 8-hour working days, maybe even two if you worked all day. I could’ve picked any of my songs, I picked the one that was currently easiest to make a video for at this moment. Plus now I have some practice and know what the possibilities and limitations are when I want to make something better. And I especially know to watch out for continuity errors now. LOL
I had great fun in that van, kindly borrowed to me by the organisation. (And again my apologies to the owner for breaking her car key.) I played a 6-hour long set (with breaks, phew) in which I entertained the audience with a song or 2, or 3 or … well some stayed quite a while. At a certain point there was even a queue outside the van. I handed out a few cards to people so hopefully some more gigs will come from this. I loved how I kept getting a lot of requests for Thunderstruck (the AC/DC song). People even told their friends to come listen to that specifically. And people seemed very curious about my stories about my Casio SK-1.
I’d like to thank the organisation & volunteers of Car Art, my lovely girl who played roadie and everyone who dared step into the van. You all made this one of the coolest gigs in my life … so far. ;)
With the first launch gig done and two festival appearances confirmed Headphones@Home by B-sting is now officially available for you in the Netherlands and Belgium! Read more about it on the Headphones@Home-page (in Dutch). In short, I’m doing private headphone gigs for 4 special people (like you!) in special locations, either paid or in trade for something you can help me with.
If you want to book a gig (even for a regular venue), you can go to the booking-page and request one. Still in doubt? Come see me play at Cart Art this Sunday 4th of September or at Technival next Saturday the 10th of September.
The
news was already out before the weekend, but since I was at the Lowlands (as a visitor still), I’m a few days late for the confirmation. I’ll play at the Car Art festival in Delft on the Sunday 4th of September 2011. For the theme of the festival, I’ll be playing in a car (or more precise an old van, probably). Though people can easily walk in and out, there are very limited seats available (4 at a time), so be sure to be there in time. Tickets for the festival are available here.
Besides me, the weekend long Car Art festival offers a wide variety of theatre, art, music, film and poetry centred around the theme of cars. You can find the program here. Personally, I’m quite curious about Anatopia who will play on Saturday. Looks promising!
For the people who didn’t spot it on Twitter or Facebook yet, I’m the first confirmed musical act of the Technival festival in Delft on the 10th of September 2011. The Technival is organised by my awesome day-job employer OGD ICT-diensten and consists of crazy technical sessions (building a trebuchet, Robot Wars, a Foosbal clinic, etc.), fun fair attractions (bumper cars, cotton candy, lots of fun things for the kids, etc.) and of course music. And a biergarten. More events should be announced in the coming weeks, but I’m honored to be first on the bill. I won’t be doing a headphone-set there, but we’re looking into making it a little bit special none the less. Fingers crossed.
The event is invite-only, so if you want to come make sure you become an OGD-employee, marry one, become the child of one or at least be a good friend of one who can take you along.
