First post from my new laptop, only mentioned because there is a certain amount of excitement associated when blogging/ typing on something that is pretty cool and functions like a real laptop.
So, nearly 2 months later is quite an improvement from the last 4 month gap. I daresay i'll attempt to be more regular now.
The US was as it was, good time spent flying with some good instructors and good aircraft. Finally flew the mechanical mosquito, the DA-42 Twinstar. With its FADEC system and its 'throttle and stick' controls, there were times when I had to hold back and say 'no crazy shit, no crazy shit !!!' It was quite a blast. Finished al that, got back to India by the end of February. In between, of course, without fail, there was drama involving the one and only Epic aviation, took a day trip down to Florida. It was kind of like visiting home, but the school had changed so much it almost made me a little uneasy to be there. Anyway, that got sorted.
There I am, back in India, waiting to sort out paperwork, and go and do some single engine flying at Baramati to FINALLY get my Indian licence sorted out. As I waited for some paperwork to show up from Delhi, some babu in delhi scratched his nuts, pulled out a stray ball hair an decided that he wanted to change the regulations, and........ he did. It was among the last in a long line of roadblocks faced in the lengthy quest for the DGCA CPL. Boiled down to something that just wasn't worth it with the kind of continuous gambling money required.
End result, that (refer above) has been shelved for now, and I have returned to my non-millionaire ( read as completely effing broke) playboy lifestyle of playing in rock bands, being a leftist, racing sailboats and yachts, being a trained pilot (trained and able only) and generally indulging in other adrenaline rushes. It also means I'm currently on the lookout for a job, something that would be suited to a man ( and i say this in the most non-dramatic yet with a hint of sarcasm and earnestness ) of my talents.
Now, the fun, yet frustrating part. The Lyrical Cynic - Spook's first full length, 9 song album, is almost ready. We thought it was, but then as they say, there's no such thing as a final draft, it also applies to mixes and mastering. There's no such thing as a final mix I guess. We thought we had a ready product, but we sat down, thought, mulled, bashed the idea around, spoke to Zorran and sent it back for another round, with pinpoint specific changes.
We got tee shirt samples, mug samples, and the final cd cover and cd art itself. Shilpa, Anurag's sister, has been kind enough to tolerate Anis and myself through this entire cd artwork and identity process where we've been back and forth over so many sets of ideas and designs and variations and so on and so forth. The good part is, every time we've retreated to our own caves to kind of hash our ideas before coming back to the drawing board to put our heads together, things that Anis and I think of , are strangely enough what Shilpa independently comes up with!!! With the album cover - the exact description of Pedro that Anis gave Shilpa, she had already sent to us before reading Anis' mail. With the cd art itself, Anis and were talking about it, and suddenly she logs into a Google hangout and says, 'boys, this is what I have for the CD art' . AND IT WAS EXACTLY THE SAME THING!!!!!!!
Going into print of all the various items this week. September to April finally culminates in one event (for starters), 9th of April at the Blue Frog - the launch gig. Its us, so nothing huge, nothing fancy, and yet not so simple a launch gig. The plan will be to get people to show up in costumes, masks or other such things if possible. We are Spook right ? so there's got to be something weird going on. Its a pity there's no Friday the 13th in sight .
Sahil couldn't take on the responsibility of so many bands considering he's band mom for pretty much all of them so Hellwind has a new drummer, Pushkar Joshi. That change started on a good note. With 2 jams happening in 3 weeks, and Raj and i starting to track Legends, which is among the sessions which will eventually go onto the EP a couple of months down the line. Though the jams are now in Thane - fun, an extension of the city which I shall now visit on almost a weekly basis.
Its going to be quite a mad week, with rehearsals, getting gear ready, getting stuff printed, running from pillar to post to make sure everything goes off well. Let's hope it does. Maybe the post gig euphoria of success (relative term and more out of hope and faith then anything else) will push me to write again next week.
My mother, grandmother and dear father have been trying to push me to write a book. Back in college, they said - While you can go on doing this music thing that you do, we encourage it, but do it on the side, you need to get through college well and make a career for yourself. NOW, my dad once called me and said - Do what you want on the side, work on your flying licence, do aviation management, music whatever, but I think you should focus on writing a book...hah, the way things change. Trouble is, even if I did consider it, I'd have to disappear from the 'peace and harmony' (read as mom yelling - AKSHAY!!!!!! do this, do that....) and pick a topic to write on, mostly fictional, and everything is already taken. Though sometimes, my mother is right, I could probably come up with a reasonably twisted plot to find my own place somewhere. Que sera sera i guess.
Seems like this new gadget (read as blazing fast Vaio) will push me to write a little more(I am vouching only for this blog). With the changes that should be coming about, and my ever present cynical, sarcastic and satirical take on most things that go on in my life (yes, including life-changing, threatening and 'me-in-trouble' situations) there should be a reasonable amount of inspiration to get down and write.
For those of you who are still reading, I hope that I'm still entertaining you. Up next there's probably going to be a bit of a self gig review and a 101 on the perils of being band manager (goes to venues and begs for gigs) .
Until then,
Cheers,
the Beast.
So, nearly 2 months later is quite an improvement from the last 4 month gap. I daresay i'll attempt to be more regular now.
The US was as it was, good time spent flying with some good instructors and good aircraft. Finally flew the mechanical mosquito, the DA-42 Twinstar. With its FADEC system and its 'throttle and stick' controls, there were times when I had to hold back and say 'no crazy shit, no crazy shit !!!' It was quite a blast. Finished al that, got back to India by the end of February. In between, of course, without fail, there was drama involving the one and only Epic aviation, took a day trip down to Florida. It was kind of like visiting home, but the school had changed so much it almost made me a little uneasy to be there. Anyway, that got sorted.
There I am, back in India, waiting to sort out paperwork, and go and do some single engine flying at Baramati to FINALLY get my Indian licence sorted out. As I waited for some paperwork to show up from Delhi, some babu in delhi scratched his nuts, pulled out a stray ball hair an decided that he wanted to change the regulations, and........ he did. It was among the last in a long line of roadblocks faced in the lengthy quest for the DGCA CPL. Boiled down to something that just wasn't worth it with the kind of continuous gambling money required.
End result, that (refer above) has been shelved for now, and I have returned to my non-millionaire ( read as completely effing broke) playboy lifestyle of playing in rock bands, being a leftist, racing sailboats and yachts, being a trained pilot (trained and able only) and generally indulging in other adrenaline rushes. It also means I'm currently on the lookout for a job, something that would be suited to a man ( and i say this in the most non-dramatic yet with a hint of sarcasm and earnestness ) of my talents.
Now, the fun, yet frustrating part. The Lyrical Cynic - Spook's first full length, 9 song album, is almost ready. We thought it was, but then as they say, there's no such thing as a final draft, it also applies to mixes and mastering. There's no such thing as a final mix I guess. We thought we had a ready product, but we sat down, thought, mulled, bashed the idea around, spoke to Zorran and sent it back for another round, with pinpoint specific changes.
We got tee shirt samples, mug samples, and the final cd cover and cd art itself. Shilpa, Anurag's sister, has been kind enough to tolerate Anis and myself through this entire cd artwork and identity process where we've been back and forth over so many sets of ideas and designs and variations and so on and so forth. The good part is, every time we've retreated to our own caves to kind of hash our ideas before coming back to the drawing board to put our heads together, things that Anis and I think of , are strangely enough what Shilpa independently comes up with!!! With the album cover - the exact description of Pedro that Anis gave Shilpa, she had already sent to us before reading Anis' mail. With the cd art itself, Anis and were talking about it, and suddenly she logs into a Google hangout and says, 'boys, this is what I have for the CD art' . AND IT WAS EXACTLY THE SAME THING!!!!!!!
Going into print of all the various items this week. September to April finally culminates in one event (for starters), 9th of April at the Blue Frog - the launch gig. Its us, so nothing huge, nothing fancy, and yet not so simple a launch gig. The plan will be to get people to show up in costumes, masks or other such things if possible. We are Spook right ? so there's got to be something weird going on. Its a pity there's no Friday the 13th in sight .
Sahil couldn't take on the responsibility of so many bands considering he's band mom for pretty much all of them so Hellwind has a new drummer, Pushkar Joshi. That change started on a good note. With 2 jams happening in 3 weeks, and Raj and i starting to track Legends, which is among the sessions which will eventually go onto the EP a couple of months down the line. Though the jams are now in Thane - fun, an extension of the city which I shall now visit on almost a weekly basis.
Its going to be quite a mad week, with rehearsals, getting gear ready, getting stuff printed, running from pillar to post to make sure everything goes off well. Let's hope it does. Maybe the post gig euphoria of success (relative term and more out of hope and faith then anything else) will push me to write again next week.
My mother, grandmother and dear father have been trying to push me to write a book. Back in college, they said - While you can go on doing this music thing that you do, we encourage it, but do it on the side, you need to get through college well and make a career for yourself. NOW, my dad once called me and said - Do what you want on the side, work on your flying licence, do aviation management, music whatever, but I think you should focus on writing a book...hah, the way things change. Trouble is, even if I did consider it, I'd have to disappear from the 'peace and harmony' (read as mom yelling - AKSHAY!!!!!! do this, do that....) and pick a topic to write on, mostly fictional, and everything is already taken. Though sometimes, my mother is right, I could probably come up with a reasonably twisted plot to find my own place somewhere. Que sera sera i guess.
Seems like this new gadget (read as blazing fast Vaio) will push me to write a little more(I am vouching only for this blog). With the changes that should be coming about, and my ever present cynical, sarcastic and satirical take on most things that go on in my life (yes, including life-changing, threatening and 'me-in-trouble' situations) there should be a reasonable amount of inspiration to get down and write.
For those of you who are still reading, I hope that I'm still entertaining you. Up next there's probably going to be a bit of a self gig review and a 101 on the perils of being band manager (goes to venues and begs for gigs) .
Until then,
Cheers,
the Beast.
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