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Oct 24.2009
It’s a very rainy day here in Woodstock. I spent the morning watching John Huston’s “Reflections in a Golden Eye.”
What a strange and mysterious movie. I really loved the visuals in that film so much. It was created with so much joy for life, even if the film is filled with pain.
This film featured some of the most exciting moving photography of horses I have ever seen. And the way the image was very golden, but with subtle hues emanating.. such inky blacks! I wonder how they created the effect. Today no doubt it would be done with a computer, but.. something is lost really with the digital method.
I think we have too much control over every least aspect of a film’s look with computers. There’s something to these older methods which have more of a sense of mystery in the way they are processed. I believe as artists we really need to let control of some aspect of the works creation, leave some massive aspect of it to chance, or to elements that, well, maybe are not completely outside of our control but are alive and have their own rhythms not created by us!
EXCITING!!!Oct 11.2009
Hooray!:
Oct 09.2009
We knew there had been a journalist at the show - Sylvain had been asked questions about the instruments after the show. So it was a matter of just waiting! This morning I found his review, and it’s a really good one! Thanks so much!!!
Fredo Viola Brussels 2009 review
An emotional end to the first leg of the tour…Oct 08.2009
Tomorrow I return to Woodstock. I’m feeling so relieved and happy to be returning. Life on the road is hard for me, as I don’t feel comfortable carting my stuff around. I always worry I will lose or break something. I guess I did better than I expected dealing with this kind of stuff. What was the biggest and happiest surprise was how much I enjoyed performing.
The last show in Brussels was absolutely my very favorite. Me and the guys all the way there were very tired and cranky with each other. We got defensive, emotional, maybe a little childish too. But I think down deep, or maybe even not so deep, we understood it was just fatigue and a desire to be hooooooooooooooome. So it wasn’t really so serious.
The hotel we checked into was wonderful - really grand and comfortable for a change. And the venue as well was lovely. Having been refreshed by a shower and a rest we just decided to make this one the best performance. During the show I announced this was our last one and that we were going to really give it our all. The audience responded enthusiastically, and what proceeded was our most loving, emotionally charged show yet. During the performance of Puss I saw three people in the audience simultaneously smile with joy and it almost made me want to cry, I was so happy!! I felt so much love for my wonderful friends who were playing with me (quite opposite from the ruffled feathers of the morning’s drive!) It was such a great crowd too. We took another crowd shot!
Afterwards I met my good friend from France, Anne-Cécile as well as a person from em411 who I have known without ever having met for at least five years. Bodo!
We all went out to have some drinks and it was just so completely joyful and satisfying. The show had gone very well. Indeed, the TOUR had gone well! We had learned so much about each other and now we had a nice three week break before the last two week leg of the tour! What could be better??!
Prix Constantin nomination!
Oct 08.2009
I was nominated today for a Prix Constantin in France! The Prix Constantin is like the Mercury award, which recognizes new artists… The cool part is that me, Ben, Jasper, Sylvain, Graeme and possibly Charlie as well will be televised performing in the Olympia Theatre, a very famous, awesome venue where Edith Piaf has performed, along with generations of amazing artists! Quite a bit of luck!!! Anyway, wish me luck!