18/11/07
Regular readers will remember that I've been taking a course in Cubase. Its a big package, lots to learn, and it helps to have a modicum of musical talent..oh well never mind...anyway it's about the only package I've seen in years that is copy protected - it comes with a USB dongle which has to be plugged in before you start. Its a model the rest of the software industry abandoned a decade ago, but I guess the whole music scene is about ripping off someone's hard work and passing it around your buds, so I can understand their point of view.
Now my PC is a bit of rat's nest of cables, plugs and boxes, so having to grovel behind to plug in the key is a pain. Some time ago, I picked up this handy little junction box from B&Q - its made by Masterplug, and it clamps to the top of the desk. It has a 13 amp socket, with spike arrestor, sockets for your cans and a mic, and best of all, a 4 port USB 2.0 hub. Its currently in use on another machine, so I thought I'd get another.
<Rant>I nipped down to B&Q in Guildford, and looked for it on the expected shelf - no sign. I asked a sales assistant...grrr... Three assistants later, (they now know what a USB is, but I wish they would stop calling it a "plug socket") I was directed to the end-of line bins in the far corner of the store. After ten minutes of rummaging, I found the last one, missing a couple of cables, but otherwise intact, and priced at a handy £2. I took it to the checkout. The assistant looked it up on the computer ("What did you say it was sir?") , no SKU, so back to the end of line bins. Ten minutes later, I was told I couldnt buy it because it had no box, and electrical goods have to be sold with instructions..."But I've just had to explain what it is to four people - and I already have one at home!" "I'm sorry Sir, its health and safety you see." GAGGHH! Save me from the nanny state. Its time to get off this rock.</Rant>
On Saturday, I drove Caz to a gig in Basingstoke, where she was supposed to do a couple of interviews with the bands. I sat in the car park for a while watching a stream of teens stagger past with 3 litre bottles of cider. Two of them actually fell over the bonnet of my car, and I texted my prediction of a ruck. I was a bit reluctant to make the half-hour drive home, just in case I needed to get back there in a hurry, so I drove around the housing estate looking for somewhere to get some supper. What a hole! For the best part of two hours I drove in every direction, past nice houses, with nice cars on the drives, coming back to the church to check every twenty minutes. There was NOTHING for miles - not a cinema, one pub, but NOTHING for the kids to do.
I was depressed to see kids with so little self-control and self-respect, but I can't bring myself to condemn them. Come on Mr Town Planner, dont just build rows of boxes, you need to build communities, where the town doesnt shut down after five o'clock.More power to the organisers of music gigs, and the bands who perform. You're doing more for the community than all the local government to whom we pay our taxes. But kids: if you want to be taken seriously, drunken displays like that dont help your case. The invasion of the hall at the end of the evening didnt help either.
Finally, Wednesday 28th November will see the Riot team driving up to Birmingham. Within Temptation are doing a gig at the Academy. They are also performing in Brixton, which is closer, but it's still an hour and a half travelling, then nowhere safe to park, so Brum is actually easier. We'll just put the Riotmobile on auto pilot, plug in the new album - "The heart of everything" and enjoy the ride.
BTW The album is available at our favourite music store - the Rock Box - for just £7. Beware though, it is a PC-aware CD - stick it in the drive and it runs up something called OpenDisc - some kind of social networking application it says. I suspect it has more to do with screwing more cash out of the punters, or having a look for illegal MP3s on your disc.In my day job as principal engineer at a computer security company, I see all kinds of dodgy software, and I'm dismayed that the publishers saw fit to load this stuff on the disc. I'll email Sharon, though I'm sure she had no say in the matter.
We'll review the gig here on RiotZine. Watch this space.