Oh Hey, Look, It's All Arty.

I've changed the way this all looks if you've noticed. Spurred on by boredom.

We've done some pictures for the band and I'm working on making them look arty-farty, it's good fun, wish I got paid for it! The result of this is reward enough though.

I've got so many ideas including podcasts, more music to record and all that kind of thing, and I now have the time but I'm just trying to find a career based job, it's heavy going!

Gonna get on now and stop splurting my thoughts out.

Ta-ra!

WOW! Look! A Post!

I'm at that point of the year where everything seems to be getting me down, mainly it's college. It's been gradually grating at me and I think it's reached my core, even the thought of a Tuesday morning brings that feeling in my stomach that seems to go hand in hand with dread, making it a challenge to even think about getting up in the morning.

At first I thought I was just being lazy, which is usually the case, but I'm just not enjoying any aspect of this course any more, the end of it can't come soon enough, I'd like to get on with my life, without having that constant nagging in the back of my head reminding me that I should probably be doing coursework.

Enough moaning though I think, it goes deeper with much more detail but maybe I'll save that for another day. On to more interesting things...

I've been concentrating a fair bit on my photography lately, I've created a website and everything, Flickr is still my first port of call for uploading my pictures, primarily because I'm taking the Flickr pictures to imbed on my site, but also because I think my Flickr page is more likely to get more traffic, I just hope more people look at my stuff, people who aren't told to look at it, people who just stumble across it and like what they see, maybe it'll take a bit longer and a few more practice shots before I get to that level with a camera. Enough rambling, here's some links:

My Flickr, the place to see all my pictures - http://www.flickr.com/photos/amphlett/

and my new flash website, work in progress but getting somewhere - http://tinyurl.com/Amphlett

In other news, The Cheap Day Returns are making great progress on the new tracks, we've decided on two EPs released with a certain amount of time between them, basically because half of the tracks are pretty much ready to go, all mixed up and sounding amazing, while the other half still need a bit of more to make sure the songs have the production they deserve to present them how we want them to be heard. We can't wait for you to hear them, I'm sure you'll be informed when they're available, there will be an endless stream of promo all over the net, and when you see me you'll get quickly tired of me going on about it, there's something for you to look forward to!

That's it for now, it's pretty amazing I've posted at all. More to come I think though, I've got a lot to say at the moment.

Thanks for reading.

Apologies.

Really need to post don't I?

Don't worry, I'll work on something in the next week, talk about the recording or something.

I've probably lost the one person who reads this blog by now...

Flickr Photography

News of the Day
Originally uploaded by Amphlett

If you're not aware I am a bit into photography, My bare amaze GFF bought me an awesome Canon digital SLR camera for my 21st and I've been snapping random shite for ages, some of which I am quite proud of, for this very reason I've set up a Flickr account to share said proud moments with you and anyone else who accidentally stumbles across my page while trying to find pictures of Aphrodite and not being that great at spelling... Like really bad.

This picture on the right is just one example of the exciting specimens that I have uploaded, other than this "news paper on the floor" shocker highlights include; Tessa getting annoyed at the flash, bits of my car and close ups of rain drops on leaves. Excellent! Would be my comment. Feel free to add yours.

I've had to get my practice in as I've been nominated as chief photographer for Rachel's cousin's Wedding and I'm shitting brick factories.

Have a look and let your mates, families and pets know about it if they like that sort of arty-farty stuff.

Thank you muchlies.

Si.

*Generic New Year Heading*

I've started a few posts like this, and this won't be the last time I suspect....

I know, I know! I said I'd update a week later and now, a month later, I've decided to post. In my defence I had stuff on; gigs, Christmas, eating, you know, the usual.

So here we all are in 2010, a new decade, or just another year. To me they're getting almost as often as months, quite scary really, I mean, I'm 21 in a couple of weeks, where did my childhood go!? So, straight down to business, my new years resolutions are as follows:

- More exercise.

- More work.

- Become Rich.

- Fame optional.

As you can see I've got a busy year ahead of me, and I'll need your support. Support my band mainly.

www.johnnyarrow.co.uk

Listen, love, tell your friends, come to a couple of gigs, take some flyers. It's easy, and it's normally free, and I'll love you for it. I'm deadly serious.

We played a couple of gigs before Christmas, they were great, we were recorded at the cellar bar, one of the tunes is on MySpace and I might put a couple more up later. The Purple Turtle was a bit mad, the drum kit was shite. Shockingly bad. But I don't need great equipment to play great, we sounded ace, and it was quite busy. Ace.

Our next gig is at the Oakford in Reading, on the 13th I believe, headlining the BBC Introducing gig. Come to it.

2009 was a funny year wasn't it? Quite a sad one for me personally, losing Timmy, our beloved cat, and at the beginning of the year losing a great great friend in Geoff.

College has become a bit of a bore too, I'm not really learning anything new any more, just jumping through hoops to get grades which means I'm just not inspired to do it, although at least I'm enjoying drumming again, now being the drummer for JA+CDRs, and our new Beatles cover band has really revitalised my love for it. I received a set of drum mics for Christmas and I've set my kit up in my bedroom at my parents house all ready to record, it's like my own little studio, and it's such a pleasure to play it now, I love it. I'm planning on recording a few covers as well as a couple of originals I've written and I'm really looking forward to hearing them on proper instruments, not a shitty MIDI version!

The band has done well in the last year, we play loads more gigs now, and we're getting stronger with new songs and Alex, our new top of the range bassist. This has really helped to boost the band and freshen it up a bit, more songs give us a new experience on stage and I love it. I really want this band to do something, go somewhere because I think it has the legs, we just need the path to walk along. Expect us to release some new stuff in the Spring/Summer, might even get it up on iTunes, so no excuses for anyone! :-D

I'm planning on starting up photography again, helped by my wonderful girlfriend whose massive generosity and endless kindness means she has offered to buy me a DSLR camera for my birthday (a big expensive bastard camera basically) which will enable me to take ace pictures of stuff, maybe even bands, maybe even sell them and stuff. I want this house of ours covered in pictures I have taken. I think I might teach Rach how to use it too, so she can take pics at our gigs.

I'm also thinking about sticking some drumming vids up too, with my new recording equipment I can play along to tracks and film it too. Could be ace, as long as I get one full take without buggering up!

So I hope you have an exciting new year with many new experiences and fun. Because that's what it's all about isn't it? New experiences. I want more experiences. I just need the money to be able to do them! :-D

Happy new year all.

Thanks.