Metamatic Forums Socialising The Green Room Music outside

Does anyone else here play music outside very often?

Fascinates me how you get different things from an album playing it in different environments.
In age where many of us listen to music through headphones rather too much, it makes a refreshing change to actually 'release' the sound and let it float around an open space.

I've just played Drift Music in the garden.
It was as if I'd never heard it before

Hi Martin
That sounds like a good idea. I guess John's ambient music would sound wonderful outside. Don't think I'd dare play something like C & B though.
Peter

Music can work well outside, and I would imagine that the Cathedral Oceans albums would work really well.

As long as it doesn't disturb the neighbours... though where I live they usually have their car stereos blaring out with nasty pop music (to co-incide with compulsory weekend car washing), so I wouldn't even try to play my music outside because it would be ruined!!

Interesting point about headphones though - for the past 2 or 3 years I've hardly played albums on the proper stereo system. Every day there's something on my ipod or computer. It's rare these days I stick an actual CD in the player, and it's a shame.

Hi Alex
Having had the pleasure of visiting your house Alex I know what you mean about the compulsory car washing. I wouldn't be too keen on upsetting my neighbours either.

I tend to listen more nowadays to music on my MP3 player. Or my other option is to play music that I have on my PC though the stereo to save keep changing disc's.

I guess at the Isle Of Wight Bestival John will be playing outside. So for whoever goes that'll be a new experience.

Peter

He might be in a tent... they tend to do that to electronic artists!

My neighbours have a drum kit, bass guitar, and amplifier in their "dining" room.

Not too worried about upsetting them. :p

Occasionally, they have a nice "bohemian" evening, and move out to the back garden, with their acoustic guitars.

That's what lawn sprinklers are for.

Much of the 'The Garden' was recorded outside, by all accounts. Presumably the nearest neighbour was several miles away otherwise it could have ended up being an EP...

Didn't John spend time walking in Yorkshire prior to recording THE GARDEN?

I vaguely remember he began his walk at Fountians Abbey, but can't remember where he finished it. Fountains Abbey is a beautiful place, with vast grounds & historic ruins. I took a holiday there about 16 years ago.

There was an interview with John in either NME, Melody Maker or Record Mirror about the walk.

http://www.fountainsabbey.org.uk

Does anyone have any further information about the walk and/or interview?

for the last two weeks i've been playing cathedral oceans 123 in buchanan galleries in glasgow city centre ,i'm tryin to bring a bit of tranquility to the place, but all i've managed to do is start a music war with a juice bar!

I think it was probably lots of walks rather than one long one?

I am also thinking the interview that refers to this best may be from "In The City" in 1984:-

"The Pictures in the Church Book were taken in various parts of England. I decided to walk through various parts of the countryside where I knew there were overgrown buildings and gardens and ruins…Some of the photographs too, are actually two transparencies superimposed or montaged. This creates an effect of complicating the architecture and the foliage. Some of the places that I visited and photographed on my walk that can be visited are Rievaulx and Fountains Abbeys in North Yorkshire - two beautiful ruined medieval Abbeys. Rousham Hall in Oxfordshire - one of the earliest landscaped gardens in England, with many strange old statues and waterways. Scotney Castle, Kent, a ruined house overgrown by roses, surrounded by a moat of water lillies and black swans. At its best in summer, a riot of flowers and foilage.

Not sure if we're allowed to quote this here, but I'm sure bits will be edited if not.

Hope this helps.