mental notes of my day today...

I lost faith in humanity today... a girl I know told me that when they issued a warning in New Zeeland about the possibility of a tsunami coming their way, that people actually travelled out to the coast in the droves to view the wave!

Faith restored... I saw an old mate that I managed to upset, along with his entire work place, with some comments I posted online about 'restaurant bill paying etiquette', and he desided to walk with me to where I was going because I think he actually likes me still.

I lost faith in humanity today... I watched some city worker twats give money to a homeless guy, and started drunkenly asking him questions about being cold loudly in the underground for all to hear, they love the power that gives them, ah, those fucking suited smug faces!

Faith restored... the man in the cafe asked my mate where his tattoo was from, he said 'India', the man said 'you dont look Indian', I said that he should see him with a turban on! My mate laughed... good bloke.

I lost faith in humanity today... I put an add up to rent my room out EXPLAINING that it was not including bills, and lots of people called me up and were disappointed it wasn't including bills, and its ONLY 300 quid a week!

Faith restored... my bandmate Fisher's girlfriend made him a cake like a fish!

A thought...

I've no idea who reads these, but i know someone is, so im starting to think i might put down some thoughts and ideas i have now and then.
Only this was on my mind this morning, its something chris had said in rehearsals last night.
We had our usual feast beforehand, which left hardly time to rehearse, but never mind.
I'd had a few wines with the meal and had to cut chris's hair (I cut hair if you didn't know).
He was telling me a story about a gay friend of his that was once dating this deaf guy... well suposedly this guy had to jot down on pen and paper each sexual move he wanted to perform and agree on it be for he carried it out!
It just seemed so odd to me, why couldn't he just get on with it? or do hand jestures? or even say it? was he mute?
I dont even know if this story is real.

Elbow at the O2

Now there are things you need to know about this band to me... I love them, always have.
I've seen them 5 times over about 9 or 10 years, from a half sold out gig at Southampton uni, and an acoustic gig in stockholm, the pyramids in Portsmouth, and all the way to Wembley and now the O2 arena.
I was reluctant to go I must admit, the idea of seeing anyone at the O2 is a turn off to me, and like most music snobs the thought of kids talking, fat women in way to small band t-shirts and familys with huge foam hands all clapping and merry is sickening.
However, I was enthralled, and I joined in heartily which may not be very cool to admit but I dont really care.
I really think Guy Garvey is amazing at building the bridge between fans and band, a hard task when you're in an arena of 10,000 people!
And still writing cracking songs... amazing sound and lights and I was happily sat down with a beer in my hand throughout.
It was truely the best I've seen them without a doubt, they have become one of the majors.

First days of spring

I was thinking in the week, as you do while looking out to the street with the sun making everything glow and turn serene, making you feel suddenly awake, about what the perfect songs to listen to would be and here is my instant list i wrote down and thought id share:

1. Jimi Hendrix, The wind cries Mary
2. Sparkle Horse, More yellow birds
3. Sebastian Tellier, La routinelle
4. Van Morrison, Sweet thing
5. The Isley Brothers, Summer breeze (cheese but class)
6. Beach Boys, The warmth of the sun (or anything by the Beach boys!)
7. Madrugada, Majesty
8. Beirut, Postcards from Italy
9. Dr. John, Such a night
10. The Flaming Lips, The spark that bled

Enjoy the sun everyone!

Lord I Tried

Lord I Tried by David Moore and the Oars

So this is the last of the songs from the album to go up.
Its a song that was completely over loaded with instruments, and then was stripped back to its simplicity thanks to Sue wanting to keep the song as close to its original state.
It was first laid down as a demo just piano and vocal so thats how we began for the first part of the track and gradually adding the pieces.

Its pretty vulnerable in lyrics and I personally liked the way the song takes you on a journey.

Hope you enjoy...

Listening to...

Im currently listening to Abigail Washburn 'City of refuge', the song 'Dreams of nectar' really stands out, its has mixes of folk, blue grass, gospel and country in there, which im all for.
There are moments of real quality in it, and very thought out production, not sold on it all, but i just started listening...

Walden

I was asked by a woman today how it felt to have recorded my album.
I told her that it was so great to finally get those songs out of my system, they weigh around your neck till they're finished off, not that I hate them, its very much the opposite.
In a good way waiting gives you time to think about what you really want to say to the world with your music, and often enough I alter them as I go.

This made me think of a quote by 'Henry David Thoreau' in his book 'Walden' one of my favourate books I recently read, he wrote: 'Say what you have to say, not what you ought. Any truth is better than make-believe. Tom Hyde, the tinker, standing on the gallows, was asked if he had anything to say. "Tell the tailors," said he, "to remember to make a knot in their thread before they take the first stitch." His companion's prayer is forgotten.'

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walden

Web site baby!

So theres a new web page up guys:
davidmooreandtheoars.com
Check it out, thanx to Rob Boynes' designs and Phil Westburys expert knowledge as a programmer im now a proud owner of a web site, looks pretty sharp and there is alot more to come with videos and gigs etc...
Laters all...

Summer

Summer by David Moore and the Oars

Hey all
So, after a 15 hour session in the studio at London Bridge with Sue and Laurence i think we are all exhausted.
It seems we are pretty much done for now until the rest of the album comes to be mastered, but the tracks are sounding lovely, with a new one 'lord I tried' coming in about a weeks time so make sure you check it out.

Summer is a fairly obvious and instant track and always has been, and i never like to give away to much about my songs, but this one definately came from that possitive place we all find draws us in to London. Funny how it feels west coast in a way, maybe that trip to California rubbed off on me. I hope you enjoy it to.

The Peanut factory

The Peanut factory is a ware house space in Hackney Wick.
Its typical for the area, most of us know them for there rough round the edges, should be uninhabitable charm, yet we love to go to them.
We love the freedoms that come with it, and for those of you that are a tight bastard, its a cheap night out.
Great gig, good music and lovely people.
I think you could feel that spring is here, a sense of optimisum in the air where people go out on saturday to embrace something rather than hide away from the dank and cold winter that seemed to go on and on.
The first gig of many to come!

All Of My Days

All Of My Days by David Moore and the Oars

Hey all
Check out this track, it was recorded in the dead of night in Sweden in the cold and snow in January, with all of us drinking too much rum, and at the end of an intense week recording and just verging on having to drive Cristiano to the airport.
Cristiano (my Italian gypsy friend on drums) hushed us all quiet and told us to imagine ourselves at a funeral procession walking down a dark street with each of us carrying the corners of the coffin...

With the room silent the song began to hum on the harmonium and we just laid the track down in one take and in the end we all got up, packed up and took Cristiano to the airport to say goodbye after our week of magic recording the album together.
That was the last time i saw him, and this memory makes me miss him alot, he's touring with a circus somewhere in Europe now, hope we get to play together again sometime mate.

The Devil and Daniel Johnston

As alot of people did (in England it seems anyway) I missed out on daniel johnston, and my initial reaction to his music was not a good one.
But a cover by Nina Persons from 'the Cardigans' solo band 'A camp' of the song 'walking the cow' turned me on to his music.
If you can sift through the endless work he has made you might find things you really like, and i love 'somethings last along time', its really a moving song, and seeing the film just adds more emphasis to the lyrics.
But be warned, alot of it is very off the wall and disconnected, and in some cases you cant imagine how this guy ever made anything audible.
Its a clear insight into the troubled mind of Daniel like so many before him, yet there is something so pure and innocent about it all...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wJZOe65eA4Y

Blogotheque

Check out this site, there are huge archives of bands playing unplugged all over the place, it so refreshing.
Personal favourates are 'Arcade fire' in a lift and 'the plastics revolution' on a boat with a mariachi band. Oh and cant forget the local natives video, its in a shopping centre somewhere... class


 http://www.blogotheque.net/spip.php?page=cae_all&lang=fr

Harmonium

Check out my new harmonium here, its beautiful, and sounds amazing, there is something so wonderful about these old instruments, electric free, and raw.
very gypsy.
I found it in a music shop in Camden, well worth the expense.