ProudBlog

Using Bluetooth to Promote Your Band

Administrator — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 09:27:00 +0000

New Song - Mistaken

Administrator — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 21:33:00 +0000

I am pleased to present the final piece of the puzzle of The Lost Album: a new song called Mistaken. Written in Dorchester in a period when I was waiting for work to come in, I was surprised by how happy this song sounds. My original idea was to turn it into a song I could sell to publishers in order to get a deal - but when I finished the final pieces of the jigsaw yesterday I realised that I'm never going to let this one be sung by anyone else!

You can play the song here -

{play}images/songs/mistaken_080214.mp3{/play}

or download it by right-clicking here.

I hope you like the song. It's a bit scary as I've been hiding behind this Lost album for a while - it's meant I don't need to release any NEWNEWNEWNEW material. Now I'm going to be focussing on the next release I'm gonna have to pull my finger out! First thing I need to do is find a name... Wish me luck!

Make Your Ears Proud

Song Progress Update

Administrator — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 00:19:00 +0000

Coming very soon to olivergearing.com...

The final release of the lost album!

The first track of my brand new loud rock album

A new live lineup that will blow your mind...

Watch this space...

Hertford House Hotel

Administrator — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 02:42:00 +0000

What a great venue Hertford ouse Hotel is!!! I played a set for 30 minutes, and it went down really well! Next stop for me will be to book some gigs near Luton and St Albans plus some more in London. If you want me to play near you, drop me a line with a suggestion of where I can play and I'll get it organised!

Make Your Ears Proud

CDs will soon be pressed!

Administrator — Thu, 28 May 2009 19:06:00 +0000

New song! Your Choice

Administrator — Wed, 27 May 2009 00:56:00 +0000

So it's with slightly baited breath that I release Your Choice {play}images/songs/your_choice_080214.mp3{/play} for the world to hear... This is a very poppy song, which isn't a sound I've messed about with previously. I wrote this whilst walking(!) which is something I've started to do more and more. By the time I got home the chorus was spinning round in my head so much that I had to grab a guitar and get it out. Much like Eddie finds in The Dark Tower by Stephen King, creating something from nothing is a bit like revealing something that's already present. The trick is to get the sound (or wooden carving as in Eddie's case) exactly like you imagined it. Harder to do than it is to say...! So enjoy the listen - and if you haven't already - go ahead and read The Dark Tower by Steven King!

Lyrics

It's been seven days since you said you're gonna call me back,
I think that's long enough to say
That you never wanted to promise you'd ever be anything else than what you are,
Now I've come to realise

That I want to be loved,
Don't want to be just someone you think of when you're low.
I told you to go,
But you say "hello".
Didn't you know?

That I won't pretend that you didn't hurt me.
And I won't pretend that there's nothing wrong.
So if you pretend that everything's O.K.
That's your choice.
That's your choice.

It's been twenty days and you say you don't understand.
You say "nothing's got to change."
But how can nothing change but the way I pretend everything could be a happy end?
Now that's just wrong.

'Cause I want to be loved...

Chorus

I told you I would go,
And I want to let you know,
There's nothing you can do to change my mind.
I promise you this time,
There's nothing left of mine...

'Cause I want to be loved...

Chorus

Student loan deflation

Administrator — Wed, 20 May 2009 13:11:00 +0000

Slightly off the music topic here, but I couldn't help but mention this.

Anyone taking out a student loan after 1998 was told that it would follow inflation (i.e. the value of the money borrowed would not increase)
We are currently in deflating economy (-0.4%)
So surely our student loans should be reduced by that amount?

I'm afraid not. The government are keeping the level at 0%! If you think this is wrong, then sign the petition below!

Visit this link to sign the petition

As part of the generation that was herded into University, I feel that the government have a duty to make good on their promises from previous administrations. Rather than spending all our money on mortgage payments for country homes they never visit!

If you think I should stick to blogging about music - let me know on the shoutbox!

Make Your Ears Proud

Eurovision: A good year!

Administrator — Wed, 20 May 2009 09:16:00 +0000

XXX Gig change in date XXX

Administrator — Mon, 18 May 2009 17:19:00 +0000

Hi guys

My gig at The Hertford House Hotel has been rescheduled to 11th June.

Sorry for any inconvenience caused for any plans you may have made!

Please see previous blog for map

11th June 2009

Hertford House Hotel

1 Fore Street

Hertford

SG14 1DA

Joomla Music Component

Administrator — Wed, 13 May 2009 23:25:00 +0000

Firstly a thanks to Dan Scott for this awesome tool. Anyone who wants a simple yet effective method of organising their music collection on their Joomla powered site should look no further!

You can download the tool here:

In a nutshell:

The tool allows you to define Artist, Album, and Song.
You can link to any mp3 files you have uploaded on your site.
You can upload front and back artwork to be displayed
You can add a description of the album or biog.

Now then - how to implement...

Download the tool
Install to Joomla in the normal way
Go to Components / artist and add a new artist.
Go to Components / album and add your first album for this artist. Fill in the parameters as prompted (N.B. to show the music player you must have the josdewplayer installed - click here to get the player.)
Go to Components / song and add your first album for this album. Here you can choose the track number, and select your song from a drop down list. Any song in your images/songs folder is selectable!
Final job is to add your albums as menu items! On my site I have a main menu item called 'Albums' which points to my latest release The Lost Album, and then there are three further nested menu items for my complete discography.

Easy peasy - any probs give me shout on my contact page and I'll see if I can help!

Songs must be in images/songs

Artwork must be in images/albumart

Make Your Ears Proud

Next Gig: Hertford June 11th

Administrator — Mon, 11 May 2009 17:48:00 +0000

On 11th June I am playing in Hertford for the first time in a while! The venue is The Hertford House Hotel, and I have not played there before! I'm on at around 8.30pm - so get there around 8m, grab a beer, and enjoy the night! If you're a map sort of person, please use the below - otherwise full details can be found beneath:

{mosmap lat='51.796019'|lon='-0.078514'|zoom='13'|text=''|tooltip='Hertford Hall Hotel - 11th June 2009'|marker='1'|zoomType='Large'|zoomNew='1'|zoomWheel='1'|showMaptype='0'|dir='1'}

Date: 11th June

Time: 8pm

Hertford House Hotel

1 Fore Street

Hertford

SG14 1DA

Just me and a guitar and you...

Make your ears proud

Website now fully translated!

Administrator — Sun, 10 May 2009 12:06:00 +0000

A Song About Bullying

Administrator — Sat, 09 May 2009 10:25:00 +0000

Years ago I wrote a song called 'Make Them Go Away', and released it as part of my début album The End of Daydreaming. The song dealt with bullying, specifically at school. Since then I have been inundated with requests by teachers and students; to use the song in their classrooms, play the song as part of a festival, and to use as the soundtrack for videos! The blog before this one shows how JS has used the song to make his video 'Ryan's Story'. The other video that has been made is a UK Government department video which is named after the song! Watch it here...

{youtube}FzWUgZ9f6Lc{/youtube}

Advice for those being bullied:

Don't suffer alone - tell an adult sooner rather than later.
Tell more than one person. If the response is not what you'd hoped for, tell another. Give accurate examples of what was said and done.
Record every incident in a notebook
Try to completely ignore the bully, and stay out of their way as much as possible.
Don't try to 'stand up' to the bully. This is what they want.
And most of all - focus on you. The bully will not be in your life forever. You will.

Make Your Ears Proud

Ryan's Story: A video using Make Them Go Away

Administrator — Mon, 04 May 2009 10:28:00 +0000

I recently heard from a guy called JS, who has used Make Them Go Away in a video. This is the second time my song has been used in a video, and I'm very proud. This true story of a suicide needs no preamble by me - please just watch and be moved. {youtube}USWudr04L5w{/youtube}

The lost album rediscovered!

Administrator — Sun, 26 Apr 2009 05:32:00 +0000

Web Design

Administrator — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 17:36:00 +0000

Boston MA

Administrator — Sun, 19 Apr 2009 16:42:00 +0000