Hurricane Lulu

Conquering Animal Sound

2011-02-02T06:40:00.000-08:00

Oops, a bit last minute of me to blog... I'm supporting Conquering Animal Sound tonight at ye olde Adelphi club in Hull. Sorry bloggage has been sparse lately. I've got myself into some joyous trouble & will be having a baby this Spring :0 Lulu xXx
Conquering Animal Sound + Hurricane Lulu + One Man Band Wednesday 2nd February
@ New Adelphi Club, De Grey St, Hull
Tax: £4 / £5 otd
*message me if you are not a member, I have £4 entry tickets*

Magical Glasgow based electronic duo. .. a penchant for cheap keyboards and children's toys. Their live show is something of awe-inspiring greatness, creating loops, beats and samples out of anything and everything with Anneke's sumptuous vocals carrying the sounds to what seems like a new world. "

Open mic crawls

2010-09-13T09:55:00.000-07:00

I've taken to hitting undisclosed open mics & singer-songwriter nights around the country in recent weeks. I spend a fair amount of time travelling up & down the UK anyway, working & visiting family, so it makes sense to. I haven't been advertising these too much. I think people tire of 'come to my gig INYOURFACEness'. It's so nice being free to ramble onto any place & actually do some sight seeing. And of course, the best thing... being able to play to a new, unsuspecting crowd. Terrifying, but fun.

If you found my blog because you have seen me out - please do stay in touch. For those in the more regular haunts, I haven't forgotten you & I'll be back! ... Lulu xXx

Dear Dee Dee

2010-09-07T15:15:00.000-07:00

Dear Dee Dee,

This week I find myself in the Vale of Evesham, away from you again. I hope the bear is looking after your meat tooth & general fussing needs! The course has been good thus far. A lot of stuff on apple macs today, but onwards to the grit of Final Cut Pro tomorrow. I do love film editing.

In the very short time I was driving back to my hotel this afternoon, the sky released an ocean of water. It then broke into sunshine & the grandest rainbow appeared over the River Avon. A big bubble bath, a good pot of olives to snack on, two hours of practice on Electra (my new electric violin... still getting acquainted) & a South Bank Show documentary on Steve Reich (recommended by someone at a gig) .... all makes for a good night.

Is it terrible of me for not really to wanting to learn to play other people's music? When I try, it often just veers off into improvisation. So many ideas to stumble over & not enough time to get these tunes out from my head. Just sounds, constant sounds, coming back to torment me. I fear I'm going over to the dark side & I don't want to worry your big mog head. Cats shouldn't have to stress about such things. It's all about the balls of wool & the fish for you, I know.

Let's do some catnip soon,

Lulu xXx

Ms Rosebud

2010-07-06T21:59:00.000-07:00

Rosebud is a very old girl, made in 1880, England, out of exotic Rosewood. She's no Stradivarius. The maker is not even known, but she sings well & smells good. This week she's been pampered: new strings, a new end stop & a good polishing. At the moment Rosebud likes Nigel Kennedy & the Kroke Band. She does not like Pagannini at all, & agrees that he is the devil.

What's in the case?

2010-06-30T07:45:00.000-07:00

Note to self:
Don't ever joke with airport security about what's in the case.
[Custom tommy gun case, 1928]

Dr James's Fever Powder

2010-06-18T05:01:00.001-07:00

Whilst wombling round Falmouth town with Mumrah, I found a cabinet of curious medicines. So what is this 'fever powder'? Opium ? Whatever it is, it certainly gave me the seaside munchies.

For the lyrically banging

2010-06-16T09:09:00.000-07:00

I went to see my mad cousin Fiona play Manchester's Parklife Festival. Later I played a set at Paradox, 'a night for the lyrically banging'. Fiona tells me her & Lauren wanted to put on a night for spoken word / poetry without all the poncy stigma. I'm used to lugging around instruments, but these folk were getting up to the mic with just words & voices. I think you've gotta have some balls to do that. Punk band Government Death Epidemic (they shout their name 24 times in their first tune) created a mosh pit that looked set to cave through the ceiling. The Scrotes (my other cousin Louis plays in) turned up for a monster jam at the end.

At the start of the night, a Manchester scamp adorned the room with "sticky plants & council rose". Beauty!

PARADOX ON FACEBOOK

Italian songs on Cornish beaches

2010-06-11T01:12:00.000-07:00

This week I will be mostly listening to... Italian songs. I'll go away with my gypsy rig (violin & loop pedal) to play a gig in Manchester (Saturday 12th @ Fuel) then head straight down to Cornwall. I'm looking forward to singing loudly like a loon by the sea. It's hard to let rip in a terraced house with paper thin walls. Bring on the empty beaches...

Lulu does 'interior design' (!) (new segment)

2010-06-08T10:20:00.000-07:00

So what does a girl do when not brought any flowers? If she has any sense, she makes a rather dashing PERCUSSION POT! If you see this next in 'vogue homes magazine' (does that even exist?).. then remember, you saw it here first!

Send pictures of your fun filled pots to -
handsomejam(a)gmail.com
Or maybe not....

Lulu x

The Tape Test

2010-06-03T10:43:00.000-07:00

For a few years now, Jack Black has reminded me of my boyfriend Joe . Last summer, I was clearing out my car en-route to the scrapyard (thank you government - scrap scheme = perfect timing) . Amongst the black metal tapes, I found Belle & Sebastian's 'The Boy With The Arab Strap'. Now I don't know who left this in my car, but it was about as funny as when someone tried to sneak a Meatloaf vinyl into my collection. So I shoved it on whilst I was washing the dishes & when Joe came back home, what did he do? This exact thing ...

Mariee Sioux, Georgina & Hurricane Lulu - Sat 29th May

2010-05-16T02:49:00.000-07:00

New Adelphi Club, Hull
Mariee Sioux - A captivating Californian folk singer / guitarist blessed with the voice of an angel. Mariee has recently played gigs with fellow Nevada City musician Joanna Newsom.
'Full of Folksy breath and bittersweet syrup, Sioux crafts sorrowful organic sounds and scenes of ancient history... Enchantingly visceral at times, Sioux's songwriting is hard edged, gorgeously poetic and, well, graphic. The result is an overwhelmingly expansive sound that, while darkened by meticulous fantasy, is uplifted with a soft woodland warble.'
+ Georgia Seddon - A wonderful Scottish singer-songwriter who can also be found touring with her father, Mike Heron, of folk legends The Incredible String Band.
+ Hurricane Lulu - Yorkshire based musician who uses voice, violin & 'magic boxes' to create a glorious one woman choir & orchestra.

'Here' film & soundtrack - view online

2010-05-06T07:03:00.000-07:00

Here - Philip Larkin from Classlane Media on Vimeo.

Earlier in the year I scored & recorded a soundtrack to a short film made by some fantastic film makers at Classlane Media. Based on Philip Larkin's poem 'Here', it is part of the commemorative Larkin 25 celebrations. The poem is read by actor Sir Tom Courtenay & the film shot around East Yorkshire, Hull & out towards the North Sea at Spurn Point. It is now doing the rounds at film festivals in the UK.

The Yorkshire Post writes of the film - 'the area's ethereal beauty and the searing loneliness of the Holderness plain where "silence stands like heat" shines through'. Classlane recently tweeted - 'Just received a lovely note from Sir Tom Courtenay saying he thought our Larkin film "very beautiful". Top man.'

The Whalebone - live

2010-05-03T23:43:00.000-07:00

'The Whalebone' - one of the last songs yet to be recorded for Salt in Wires. Built entirely from vocal loops. I tried it out live for the first time at the Adelphi in Hull. A chap called Eddy who films a lot of gigs there caught it on camera :0 (Check out the 'NoddyGuevara' channel on YouTube for more clips)

The Whalebone

A curtained tail and concubine cockle-shelled cooing lips
Roll of bone, does calve up & calm the mind
7 days, for 7 days I've been kicking rats off this raft
With the strangest of feelings, of something following me
So I root around, searching for the shiniest of peripherals
I hold it up, & then I see
On the seventh day. It was on the seventh day
On the seventh day I saw the whale.
Moving, we keep on moving
Keep the corners flat, score then fold
Take two ebbing tides tired of towns & car park lots
Since Thursday last I've been your meal & you my only friend.
You, my meat, my only friend
You may meet my only friend
A curtained tail, carving round in circles
A curtained tail is better than a smile
If I were Hull bound, I'd take you down The Whalebone
tell all the lads, that I was the greatest Whaler
And we would bask as one
Just as long as I had my harpoon gun. My gun.
Moving, we keep on moving
Keep the corners flat, score then fold
Take two ebbing tides tired of towns & car park lots
Since Thursday last I've been your meal & you my only friend.
Moving, the whale keeps on moving
Warm gills, gills that keep us breathing
Calling, the North-East girls are calling
Since Thursday last I've been your meal & you my only friend
You, my meat, my only friend
You may meet my only friend
Tell all the lads, I am the greatest whaler. The greatest whaler.
Tell all the lads, I am the greatest whaler. The greatest whaler.
My bonny lass, I am the greatest whaler. The greatest whaler.
My bonny lass, I am the greatest whaler. The greatest whaler.

Carla Bozulich, Cello Playing Francesco & cats in an old Italian house

2010-04-15T05:53:00.001-07:00

Playing the New Adelphi Club, Hull
2nd May
Carla Bozulich (voice, guitar, effects & electronics)
Francesco Guerri (Cello)
Sup: Hurricane Lulu (voice, violin & magic boxes)

It is great news that Carla Bozulich (Constellation Records) is returning to Hull. This time she plays in a duo with Italian cellist Francesco Guerri. I was lucky enough to see Carla's 'Evangelista' whilst playing with Awash With AntleR *see bottom* a couple years ago. On 2nd May, I'm supporting as Hurricane Lulu (mostly Rose, my violin & I) . As my project is still unravelling, I'm not going to give too much away for now. I really hope you can make it. It should be a pretty special night. Lulu x

'I'm in the countryside outside Bologna in a big, ancient house playing music and cats with an awesome colleague / friend, Francesco. The paint is peeling. Giant fireplace warming my feet. We're making pasta with herbs that grow wild in the hills...All that other stuff can kiss my ass.' Carla Bozulich
(Official newsletter, 15th April)

*** For our 5 hard core Awash With AntleR fans (you know who you are)... Having been a bit more Hull bound this year already, professional tea & cake sessions with Sally & Emma have once again commenced. There are quite a few things lined up this summer. Please see http://www.myspace.com/awashwithantler for dates***

I love Radio 3! And pretentious prog rock too. There, I've said it :0 :0 :0

2010-04-12T07:16:00.000-07:00

Distressed by waking up to hard edged news each morning (I prefer reality to kick in post cup of tea & shower), I've re-tuned my radio alarm to the soothing sounds of Radio 3. I know, this officially makes me very old! It also potentially beats my winter obsession with 70's pretentious prog rock. Ok, my long suffering boyfriend may argue about this. Now I set 'sleep' to the obscure sounds of Appalachian folk, sperm whales, & the clicky clicky sounds found on Late Junction. The wake up call of cheery 'classical lights' however, is not always to my bitter tastes. Bring on the darker pieces.

Bach's Chaconne for solo violin

PS. DID I TELL YOU ABOUT THE BAND I'VE BEEN OBSESSING OVER ALL YEAR???? DID I (?)

My film score to 'Here' - premiers at 'Glimmer' film festival

2010-04-07T03:56:00.000-07:00

I have scored & recorded a soundtrack for a short film! Voila, le speel ... It is a contemporary adaptation of Philip Larkin’s 1964 poem 'Here'. Read by Sir Tom Courtenay (seen playing the Ukelele & calling Barbara 'Barbara' in The Royle Family) , the film journeys through Hull and East Yorkshire, seeking the characters and landscapes that inspired Larkin nearly half a century earlier. It will be premiered on Tues 20th April at the http://www.hullfilm.co.uk/webdocs/HF_brochure_web.pdf">Glimmer short film festival. This will also be the first time I have seen it on a big screen, so pretty exciting in all.

Lulu x
Classlane Media in association with Larkin 25
Featuring: Sir Tom Courtenay / Director: Dave Lee / Camera: David Stubbins / Editor: Andrew Olssen / Score: Louise Bennett

Images (of)

2010-03-24T11:07:00.000-07:00

Amplifying a violin

2010-03-24T05:39:00.000-07:00

Occasionally people ask how I rig my acoustic violin for the stage. I AM NO FREAKIN' EXPERT, but I can describe my set up along with some of the joys & difficulties I've come across...

Pickup
I use a Fischman v-100 pickup. This was fitted at Beverley Music Center & they did a brilliant job. It fits into a specially crafted slot in my bridge - by the E string. It sounds great, is very discreet & easily detaches. (I will take a picture of my violin & post it soon)
http://www.fishman.com/products/details.asp?id=59

Beware !!!
I used to have an awful Barcus Berry pickup that attached to the wood using a sticky pad. This quickly degraded, made a mess of my violin & sounded horrible. One man in a guitar shop in Brighton suggested I drill a hole into the body of my violin. You should never have to do this. Run for your own & your violin's life.

DI box
When playing in bands, I've often plugged straight into the PA / mixer system via an active DI box. Although this means less equipment to buy & lug around, it is not my favourite method. You really have to rely on the extraordinary talent of the soundman to sweeten the sound using reverb, equalisation & general witchcraft. It can sound quite dry & scratchy otherwise. Top tip here, don't ever piss the soundman off & always buy him / her a drink.

Acoustic Amp / Electric Amp
My favourite method by far is plugging straight into an acoustic guitar amp. There are lots on the market, some rather expensive, but I've still found some cheaper ones to be ok. You can get some really meaty, interesting sounds out of an electric guitar amp if you're not fussed about re-creating a natural sound. They're not strictly designed for the V-100 pickup though (mis-matching impedance). If I have the option, the acoustic amp will always win.

Pre-Amp
Something I'd like to try is a Fischman acoustic pre-amp. This is designed to work with my particular pickup (matching impedance). On a practical note, you can sweeten your pickup sound beforehand by tinkerring with the EQ, then plug into a DI going straight to the mixing desk. I wonder if this would be a nicer option than lugging an amp around? One of the beauties of the violin, after all, is its gypsy, light-travelling nature.
http://www.fishman.com/products/details.asp?id=19

For further reading I've found a very good site here -
http://music.calarts.edu/~chung/gear/vioamp2.html

Good luck & let me know how it goes,

Lu x

Transylvania

2010-02-19T01:29:00.000-08:00

January / February spent in Transylvania, Romania :0 Waltzing powdery snow, blood & howling wolves!

All Night North - Larkin 25

2010-01-26T09:00:00.000-08:00

I was in the recording studio on Friday with the lovely Awash With AntleR ladies, engineer extraordinaire John Spence & James Orwin of the Philip Larkin Society. We were recording a track that sets Larkin's poem 'Far Out' to music. It will appear on a compilation cd out in June 2010, called 'All Night North'. It is part of Hull's commemorative programme 'Larkin 25'. We can't wait to hear the whole cd, which includes many other musicians doing takes on different poems. There's more information about the project here -
http://www.larkin25.co.uk/

Photos courtesy of Jim Orwin

John seemed surprised that we wanted to put some 'Alka-Seltzer' down.

The joyous sound of Alka-Seltzer dissolving in pint glasses.

The wooden box doubled up as Sally's stomp box.

Mixing time! 3 part vocals, piano (moi), viola (Sally) & drums (Emma).

Emma having a well deserved tea after nailing the drums in two takes.

The finished track is one part fizzy, two parts prog, three parts gregorian chant. We can't wait to hear the whole cd!

2nd Kitchen Cast

2009-12-19T16:40:00.000-08:00

NERD ALERT!!! Electronic circuits & bent toys used to help create an electric storm soundtrack: Kawasaki keyboard, pink barbie violin & a photo resistor with blinking LED oscillating audio circuit.

Upcoming Hurricane Lulu gig

2009-11-17T12:08:00.000-08:00

Exciting & nerve racking news. I will be doing my 1st Hurricane Lulu gig a week today (Tues 24th Nov) at the Adelphi Club. I'm supporting New York band DUFUS, described as ' a Downtown pagan mystery meeting'. Joseph, who does some of the artwork, will be joining me on guitar . I'm wheeling out my organ. Hope to see you there :) Lulu xXx

New Adelphi Club, De Grey St, Hull
Doors 8pm / Tax £5 /£6.

Gossip & golden leaves

2009-10-28T10:37:00.000-07:00

With Autumn in full swing now, I'm looking forward to tucking back down in Yorkshire with hot winter soup, hot mog cat & hot log fireplace (once it is swept!). I've been flitting around a lot in recent months. I've loved spending time with my family in Cornwall, watching live gypsy jazz by the harbour & testing my green kayak before the Atlantic turned too cold.

I shall be uploading my 2nd 'kitchen cast' soon. It has nerdy electronics & bent circuits. With any luck I'll be half way through recording my mini album by Christmas. A nice Yorkshire man I work with, who used to record brass bands, is mastering a couple of tracks in exchange for a pint & pub grub.

Lulu xXx

1st Kitchen Cast

2009-10-02T03:28:00.000-07:00

Welcome to my 1st kitchen cast. Just some of the instruments used on Stormy Grace: carboot keyboards, teapot, thunder, kaossilator & am radio. Plus a tune sampler at the end. That's me & my brother in sail boats. I wrote some of the song on this day.

Lulu xXx

Appearing on some compilation albums

2009-09-28T04:15:00.000-07:00

The Bison tune I made & recorded with Awash With AntleR can be now found on a number of compilation albums. A few months ago Channel 4's tv programme 'Secret Millionaire' visited Hull. The Warren, a young people's project was given loadsamoney to set up a record label, maintain the studios & help support young musicians of the city. Here are the first fruits... State of the City: a 41 track double cd compilation. I picked up a copy from all round super bloke Stew Baxter the other night a Howe Gelb gig at the Adelphi (who, by the way, looked like the dog whisperer & made me want a gravelly voice... Howe that is). The cd really is a top class production & the music is mightily diverse.
Available to buy online now. More information here -
http://www.warrenrecords.org/#

As a result of our show at the wonderful Puppet Theatre in Norwich & meeting Mr Alex Carson, we are also on the Bare Feet Records #2 compilation album.
(Featuring: Scraps, Alex Carson, Tom Hardman, Belinda Gillett, Awash with Antler (US!),Sula Deane, Max Avis, Sam James Hill, Chessboard Fanatics, Rory Mcvicar, The Middle Ones, Alloy Ark, Triple Rosie.) Cds are £4 & can be found here -
http://barefeetrecordsmusic.bigcartel.com/product/socks-are-for-sissys-compilation-2

Also, earlier on the year we were put forward by Alan Raw (BBC Introducing) to appear on a Yorkshire showcase cd set up by the Timeless Music Project. This was handed out to peeps attending SXSW in Texas. More info here -
http://www.myspace.com/timelessfestival

Introducing Lulu's Muffin Kitchen

2009-09-20T13:36:00.000-07:00

Started the day programing beats for my island tune & got really racked off trying to learn my new edit program!!! So I sketched down some words for a different melody I've been humming in the shower & filmed it in my evil lair, & posted it on YouTube. I have since taken this down, as it was just a test & I thought it a bit pants really.

I probably shouldn't be revealing tunes in such raw format, especially with whiskey throat from the night before. You'd never get Helen Daniels, the extraordinary painter from aussie soap Neighbours doing that! She'd always wait until things were finished before flouncing them around the walls of her poor neighbours' unsuspecting homes.

Anyhow, I am going to dedicate a section on my youtube called Lulu's muffin kitchen ...intended for all things doughy & uncooked. They'll be a new film every month or so.

http://www.youtube.com/user/hurricanelulu#play/user/2A3B5EEAFF3F143F

Album Sampler : Roll the Death Ship

2009-09-12T15:00:00.000-07:00

A snippet of the opening track for Salt in Wires - indian harmonium, violin & voice. Filmed in the creeks in Cornwall. I think maybe I've been watching too many horror movies lately. :0 :0 :0

These lines trailing across the ocean
Salty lines, beating with our voices
These miraculous storms come in every one hundred years
You would like the tropics, you were a hula hula dancer
These miraculous hands
These miraculous hands
Roll the death ship it is coming
Stall the death ship, it is coming
I've been on this shore too long
I've been on these shores too long
These miraculous minds
These miraculous minds

Leeds Festival '09

2009-09-01T05:23:00.000-07:00

A knackerring weekend sound engineering & camping out at Leeds Festival :-0 Got to see most of the BBC Introducing Stage. Greatly enjoyed hearing Radiohead play songs from Kid A & In Rainbows. My highlight, by far, was Faith No More :) I'm a big fan of pretty much whatever Mike Patton does (Mr Bungle, Tomahawk, Mondo Cane), so this was a real treat. He was wearing silver pants & had a very shiney bottom. Amusingly, they kept on breaking into the Eastenders theme music. Now I'm back, I've had a 1 hour long shower to make up for the two freezing showers I had; one at midnight, one at 6 in the morning. I have caught up on some sleep. Waha! I am edging to get stuck back into some music, itch itch.... We did get in one campside drumming jam, but the spoil sport sound police threatened to throw us out. Why? because the children were sleeping. THE CHILDREN WERE SLEEEEEEPING wtf*K!!!
Tomahawk -

CD case - electronic instrument

2009-08-25T04:29:00.000-07:00

Have just come across this wonderful cd by Moldover. He has turned his album case into an actual instrument! Most swish.

I have been busy mixing Stormy Grace . I had to re-do some of the drums, as I originally recorded them in straight from my zoom drum machine as a stereo track & it sounded well naff (not even in a cool lo-fi way). So I separated all the beats out, mixed some together with the kaosscilator & real recordings of me playing drums, teapots & table tops, panned them round, ran them through some effects & fattened them up a bit. Voila, they are starting to pulse & ripple now :) I need to get my circuit bent AM radio working again (which I accidentally destroyed) ... oh & I need an old typewriter... This will have to all wait till I get back from working at Leeds Festival this weekend.

Electric Violin

2009-07-18T01:47:00.000-07:00

Well I have been having fun this week :) Here's a 5 string electric violin. The extra string on the bottom is the one a viola would have (C3) which makes for beefier, bassier sounds :o Yum. It sounds just as good as it looks. Peter & the good folk at Beverley Music Centre let me try it out. They run a workshop on Wednesday nights, so you could learn to make your own. Fun as that sounds, I'm fear I wouldn't have the time to do that. I doubt I'd match the craftmanship on this instrument anyhow. I'd like to get one custom made up at some point. Yah, it is on the wish list! (It turns out the man who made this instrument, Collin, is the brother of the hurdy gurdy man of Hornsea who repaired my harmonium)

Lu x
ps. Do get in touch if you play the electric violin. I'd be curious to hear about your experiences.

http://www.beverleymusiccentre.co.uk/

Illustration exhibition

2009-07-14T02:43:00.000-07:00

Illustrations of my band, Awash With AntleR & I, made by the multi-talented Joseph Payne are appearing at an exhibition in London this week. The exhibition is on 16th - 19th July at the Islington Business Centre.

More info here -
http://www.newdesigners.com/page.cfm/link=7

Joseph's Flickr -
http://www.flickr.com/photos/23joseph32/sets/72157623706417817/

PS. Joe has since made a wonderful illustration for my tune 'Stormy Grace' which I cannot wait to post ...

Hurricane Lulu

2009-06-20T07:58:00.000-07:00

2009 / 2010 Release date tba -
Under gestation, mwahaha. A secret love affair with the violin, pump harmonium, beeps, beats & bent circuits. It is currently sounding like a dark death ship in the night! ... a tropical storm ...electrical interference... a haunted lighthouse... ok, that will do for now...

I'll be blogging more on this. Please, you are most welcome to join me. It may help me to stop going mad!

Lu x

Gigography

2009-06-14T02:37:00.000-07:00

Please email me if you'd like to book me (Hurricane Lulu) or the band I play with (Awash With AntleR) -
handsomejam@googlemail.com

Hurricane Lulu = Lu + voice, violin, loops & effects.
Awash With AntleR = Lu, Emma, Sally + vocals, violin, viola, keyboard, stompbox, percussion & drums.

Lu x

Hurricane Lulu
2010
4th Aug: Mr Wolfs, Bristol
3rd Aug: The Front, Falmouth
12th June: Paradox @ Fuel Bar, Manchester
2nd May: s/ Carla Bozulich, Hull
29th May: s/ Mariee Sioux, Hull
2009
(organ set w/ Joseph on guitar)
24th Nov: New Adelphi Club, Hull

Awash With Antler
2010
31st July: Traveling Curiosity Show @ New Adelphi Club, Hull
20th June: Beverley Folk Festival, Beverley
10th June: CD Launch - 'All Night North' - Larkin 25 Hull
28th May: Eskimo Stage @ Springboard Festival, Cottingham
30th May: King Billy @ Springboard Festival, Cottingham
2009
30th Jun: Springboard Festival, Cottingham
13th May: w/ Elizabeth Devlin @ New Adelphi Club
13th Mar: EP party @ New Adelphi Club
22nd Feb: The Puppet Theatre, Norwich
7th Feb: s/ Sparrow & The Workshop @ The Packhorse, Leeds
6th Feb: The Boathouse, Cambridge
1st Feb: BBC Introducing Sesh, Radio Humberside & Leeds
2008
20th Dec: DIY HI5 xmas hosted by The Rocky Nest, Hull
8th Dec: Seaside FM acoustic sesh, Withernsea
4th Dec: Fucked up Thursday @ Dry Bar , Manchester
26th Nov: s/ Finley Quaye @ New Adelphi Club
18th Nov: w/ Anathallo @ New Adelphi Club
31st Oct: Halloween - private party, wilds of East Yorkshire
16th Oct: w/ I Concur @ New Adelphi Club, Hull
21st Sept: s/ Slow Club @ New Adelphi Club
12th Sept: w/ The Notebook @ The Lamp, Hull
16th Aug: s/ The Cave Singers @ New Adelphi Club
1st Aug: w/ Sunny Day in Glasgow, BRAINLOVE FESTIVAL, Leeds
27th Jul: Film Fun @ The Lamp, Hull
12th Jul: Newland Ave International Festival @ The Lamp, Hull
21st Jun: Summer Solstice @ The Boathouse
8th Jun: Cottingham Springboard Festival, Cottingham
14th May: w/ King Creosote @ The Lamp, Hull
26th Apr: Paul Burwell Tribute Party @ The Boathouse
25th Apr: s/ Carla Bozulich @ New Adelphi Club, Hull
13th Apr: s/ Curtis Eller @ New Adelphi Club
29th Mar: Funky Fundraiser @ New Adelphi Club
26th Mar: Cabaret night ‘Off The Road’ @ New Adelphi Club
1st Feb: Saturday Night Live @ Beverley Memorial Hall, Beverley
29th Jan: s/ Anni Rossi @ New Adelphi Club
27th Jan: BBC Raw Talent – acoustic - BBC Radio Humb & Leeds
5th Jan: Suck My Sound live radio sesh, Manchester

Assorted 2004 - 2007
Hull Community Voices @ Pearson Park Grassroots Fest
Hull Philharmonic Orchestra @ Hull City Hall
Iceland Airwaves Festival 2005 (w/ SMS), Iceland
Captain Xmas @ Glass 2005, Manchester
Assorted solo shows -
1999 - 2002
Busking in Brighton's 'The lanes'
The Pressure Point, Brighton
The Jazz Place (Miss Navaho) , Brighton
The Fishing Museum (w/ Bonnie) Brighton
Hove Peace Festival, (w/ Square Cow), Hove
Sallis Benney Theatre, Brighton
Going back, back, back in time ...
1992-1999 Nerd alert! Too many concerts to mention :0
Brighton Youth Orchestra, Brighton
Manchester Symphony Orchestra /Symphonia, Manchester
(including tour to Valencia, Spain '93, Manchester Bridgewater Hall, Manchester Town Hall, Royal Northern College of Music)
Manchester Classical Guitar Ensemble
(Royal Northern College of Music)

Suck My Sound Podcast

2009-05-10T20:49:00.000-07:00

I spent last weekend working on a new music podcast with my good friend Leanne. We used to do a radio show together on a small station in Manchester (WFM), then our old school friend Sarah took over when I left. Lea is now going to be doing a quarterly podcast, & I'll be helping out with some 'shed sessions' where I can. The next one is likely to include Norweigen, saw playing Ragnhild of 'The Bee's Neice' :)

SPRING PODCAST featuring The Joy Formidable, Magic Arm, Phil Eddleston, snack time & live shed session. Listen here -
http://www.suckmysound.org

Awash With AntleR gig - 13th May

2009-05-08T11:05:00.001-07:00

Awash With AntleR's wonderful next grand cabaret show ...

We will be appearing with Elizabeth Devlin from New York, who sings & plays the autoharp beautifully & happens to have one of the nicest websites I've seen for a ages -
www.AllAreRelative.com

Handmade Electronic Musical Instrument Workshop - AMSTERDAM

2009-04-28T12:00:00.000-07:00

I’m just back from a week away in Amsterdam, where I attended a brilliant workshop: ‘Handmade Electronic Musical Instruments’ with Nicolas Collins at STEIM. Day 1 started with making 'electronic percussion' out of a raw loudspeaker, 9V battery, coins, and scrap metal (used as variable resistors). Voila, electronic maracas! We made & played around with contact (piezo disc) & coil mics. Then on to the circuit bending :) We each dissected a battery powered AM radio, laid our hands across the circuit boards & found marvelous sounds in the short circuits! Using the musical toys we were asked to bring, we tried to locate the resistor which controlled the clock chip and replace it with a variable pot = cheap, & fantastically weird alternate to a drum machine.

Days 2 & 3 got stuck in to making circuits from scratch, first on breadboard, and then soldered. This included an oscillating circuit, controlled with photo sensor resistors sat on top of blinking LEDS (my fave), a dirty sounding modulation circuit, a mixer and a phaser. I came away with bleeping, clicking, flashing circuits to use in my music. I need to box them all up now though! Nic had some examples where his circuits were housed in cigar boxes & old tins. I’m full of new ideas for recording techniques. The best thing about this course though is that it’s shown me how tactile electronic instruments can be, & has opened up many possibilities for using them in live performance. Watch this space!

Some other pics ...

View from my secret annexe -

Hot melted mograt & mozzarella pizza. Quite a speciality !

Westerkerk Clock Tower (view from fleamarket)

Canal boat garden.

Cornwall - March '09

2009-03-26T20:00:00.000-07:00

I'm in Cornwall at the mo, staying with my family. I've been most busy, going out with my laptop recording the sea, talking to the wind in the trees ;) and making a wee film. It's been a great week. I even managed to do a bit of sailing, coffee & ginger cake, carboot & fleamarket rumaging & mountain biking too :)

Sat 21st
Went to a great gig at Miss Peapods in Penryn. Peter Walker (60s American guitarist) & Nancy Elizabeth were playing. I'd seriously check Lancashire lass Nancy out. Her music is sublime. She sometimes plays harp & piano, but used guitar on this gig. According to her website, she's working with a Japanese electronic artist on her next album. Now this I can't wait to hear! -
www.myspace.com/nancyelizabethcunliffe

This morning, my brother & I hired sail boats at Stithians. The sun was shining & we had the whole lake to ourselves! I managed not to capsize on this occasion. I'm at my folks' house now, but am leaving soon to walk round to my brother's house for tea & a cowboy film. He'll no doubt subject me to a whole night of excerpts from his 70s prog rock / folk record collection...which I've seen & heard all before :0 :0 :0 Maybe there'll be a couple of obscure additions of bearded ones playing psychedelic flute whilst riding a unicorn.

If you can get round the gurning, it's a great tune. Jethro Tull -

Sun 22nd
Up at arse o'crack this morning to go to a carboot sale in Hayle. Picked up 2 keyboards (1 midi controller, 1 broken vintage organ (I will try to repair) (pictured bellow) & one obnoxious, rock star-esq, fake fur coat, which is rather smelly & needs a good Atlantic airing. Set up camp in the kitchen. This is where I'll be programming some beats using my laptop, kaosscilator & zoom drum machine.

Tues 24th
Big bike ride today to Portreath (Bissoe trail) through old mining country where the water still runs red! Very sore bottom :0

About

2009-03-19T20:00:00.000-07:00

Hello, I'm Lu Lu. I'm 28. I grew up in Manchester (UK) & Brighton & now live in Yorkshire, where I work as a Broadcast Engineer. My family live by the sea in Cornwall, so I spend as much time as I can there, kayaking, sailing & surfing. I play & collect lots of musical instruments. I started learning the violin in primary school, then took up classical & electric guitar, piano, singing & drums later on. I've recently moved away from the piano & now prefer organ & harmonium. Gotta love those bass pedals, stops & pumps!

The accordion is next. I've a trombone too, but I'm going to keep that as my comedy instrument. No offence to trombone players, some of my best nights out have involved a trombone. It's just that I am truly terrible at playing wind instruments.

I like dissecting electronic equipment. I'm at my happiest writing songs & tinkering with sounds. I've a bit of a penchant for rumaging around fleamarkets & carboot sales.

My absolute dream job would be to write & record music for films, or to re-form the BBC Radiophonic Workshop & spend all day making weird & wonderful sounds. Sadly the BBC no longer has a sound effects department :(

I'm going to be mostly blogging about making my record. I've always wanted to make one, but bar a few EPs & unreleased tracks, no album as of yet. I feel like it is now or never! So I am locking myself away. Please, you are most welcome to join me. It may stop me getting all Jack Nicholson about it.

You can contact me via email here -
info@hurricanelulu.com

Hurricane LuLu on MySpace

Hurricane LuLu on YouTube

Awash With AntleR on MySpace

Stormy Grace

2009-03-06T15:43:00.000-08:00

Still images of wee films I made in spring time, by the Cornish creeks. I went out into the woods & recorded the sound of the trees, which were creaking & swaying in the sea wind. I recorded some instrumental parts of my tune 'Stormy Grace' here, the rest I will finish back up't north in Yorkshire.

Red Accordion

2009-03-04T10:45:00.000-08:00

Carboot find of the century! Bartered one early morning with Captain Bird's Eye, on a Cornish field for this red beauty.

Discography

2009-03-01T03:28:00.000-08:00

Hurricane Lulu - 'Salt in Wires' (2010)
Coming soon.

Awash With Antler - 'Channel 16' (2008)
4 tk EP
Available on CD for £4.00 (free postage & packaging for UK).

Tracks:
1) Bison
2) This Desert
3) Voodoo Greengrocer
4) Blizzard Lemons

Tks 1 & 2 written by Lu / AWA.
Tk 3 written by Sally /AWA.
Tks 1,2 & 3 instrumentation by Lu, Emma & Sally.
Tk 4 written by & performed by Lu & Joseph Payne.
Cover design by Emma Booth.
Tks 1, 2, 3 recorded at Fairview Studios by John Spence.
Tk 4 recorded by Lu in 'Le Shack'.
CD mastered by Andy Newlove.

"... a musical space that definitely sounds very much their own...an almost orchestral canvas over which their edgy and sometimes shy vocals, pour strange melodies and descriptive, dramatic dialogues...hugely original." Manchester Music Online

"In short: haunting, lush and magnificent." Mike Reynolds, Sandman Magazine

Listen to Awash With AntleR tracks here -
www.myspace.com/awashwithantler

Louise Bennett - 'Go Through Your Wardrobe' (2002)
4 tk EP - limited cdRs - no longer available -
1)Waking
2)Blackbird Song
3)Pie Dough
4)The Wildwood

Strings, spoken word, electric guitar & synth bass, classical guitar, woodland footsteps, bird song, cake making utensils. Recorded & mixed by Lu at home in Brighton / Friston forest, & studios at Grand Parade.

Coming soon :

Paintings + Doodles

2008-12-01T06:04:00.000-08:00

India trip

2008-11-20T10:30:00.000-08:00

Last November, I travelled around India; Mumbai, Dehli, Agra & Goya, using train, plane, boat & rickshaw ride. The whole experience left me a bit shell shocked & baffled. I picked up my beloved harmonium from a music shop in Mumbai called 'Furtados'. It was not fun trying to get it back on the plane! I've been meaning to post some pics & big speel on here for a while. I know I'll never get round to it, so here are just some highlights -

How the 'pancakes' are done in Dehli -

Living rooms in Colaba market -

Temples at Elephanta Island -

Swimming in Goa -

Divali lights -

My friend Leanne digging a fabulous moustache.

Gateway of India, Mumbai. Got up at 6.30 to go do the laughing yoga! Seriously funny & rather surreal. You can see the circle of people just to left of the lamp post. A man was spreading bird seed. The pigeons looked a bit less mangey than the ones you see pecking around Piccadilly Gardens in Manchester, UK.

An outing with the harmonium back in rainy England.

(c) Ian Rook photography

Iceland

2008-09-15T03:44:00.000-07:00