Wakey! Wakey!

Last night I went to a very intimate gig Upstairs at the Relentless Garage in Highbury, London, to see the incredible band Wakey! Wakey! Some of you might know who I mean if I say that the lead singer is Michael Grubbs, of One Tree Hill fame. With the set list including the songs 'Dance So Good', 'Brooklyn' and 'Light Outside', Grubbs had the 150 person audience in the palm of his hand within seconds, his beautiful voice and haunting lyrics ringing true in the hearts of every person there.

Wakey! Wakey! album artwork

"So yeah it feels bad now, but it's gonna get better someday" is just one such line from the song 'Almost Everything' that makes me love this band. It's just so perfect...it's applicable to any situation and is uplifting even in the hardest of times.

And what can I say about the man himself? Michael Grubbs is a very very talented man, a true artist. And he's really funny too - he was cracking jokes all the way through the set, even telling one about Kid Cudi getting kicked off the Lady Gaga tour for an altercation with a fan, regarding an unfortunate misunderstanding over some wallet throwing!

It's on nights like these that I'm reminded why it is I love music so much. When the artist just loves to play, and when every person is a true fan, there for the music, not the celebrity, or to jump on the bandwagon.

I even got a photo with Mr Michael Grubbs, the star of the show!

The gig was so small that it wasn't even the whole band, just Grubbs and his violinist, making it even more special...I'm not sure how many times that's ever going to happen again.

These guys are going places, and fast.

If what I've described sounds like it's up your street, then the full band will be playing another gig at the same venue in January, check out their website for more details.

I'm Baaaaack!

I'm well aware I've been pretty absent recently, apologies for that...life's been pretty hectic. Oh, and my laptop broke and I've only just gotten it back...a month later!

So what's been happening, I hear you cry?!

Well...where did I leave off? I was back in London after numerous holidays and fun travels and before long the monotony of being in one place was really starting to get to me. So fortunately I managed to get week's work placement at Tiger Aspect (a TV & Film production company) in the editing department, which was amazing as I got to really experience how it all works in post production and I actually got to sit in my own edit suite and play around with a cut of the BBC programme 'The Deep', as well as working with a director to put together a rough cut of a pitch video for a new show.

Tiger Aspect Avid Edit Suite

It was so much fun working there, and I really hope to go back in my Christmas holidays...it really has just confirmed that editing is definitely what I want to do after Uni, and now I'm so excited to get stuck into my final projects and just work on my craft.

I would have love to do another week at Tiger, but I'd already made plans to go with a friend to Paris the following week to see Canadian band, Stars.  Time for another adventure...but more on this another time - out escapades deserve their own post I think!

For now, I'm back in Falmouth...term has started and I'm finding that 3rd year is freakin' terrifying! On the plus side though, it'll all be over soon and then I can disappear off round the world!

Oh, and I got a car. A Seat Arosa. He's a beauty. Bucket List Number 49 - complete!

My lovely car...any name suggestions?

That's all for now. Byeeeee
x

Music Music Music

In order to be a bit professional I've decided to keep my films (uni or travel etc) and music separate, so I've created a youtube channel just for music, where I'll be uploading videos of me playing guitar and singing mostly covers as well as doing the odd original song. There's a few up now, and I hope to do some more very soon.

I hope you enjoy them and if you've got any requests for songs, just let me know.

http://www.youtube.com/user/rusjafostermusic

I Wrote A Song

I wrote a song. It's not very good I don't think, but I was messing around on the guitar yesterday and this is what came out. It doesn't have a name. for now I'll call it...

...Lost Myself

I cover my heart in armour
To protect myself from
Your prying eyes

There was once a time that
I wouldn't have
I was an open book
You could read every page

But somehow
As I've got older
I only got colder and
I lost myself

I want to lose myself in you
I want to lose myself in you
I'm waiting for the day when I wake up
And it all comes true

What does everyone around me see?
Is there something I'm missing
In this whole life?

Could I be a bit more trusting?
Then maybe I'd learn and
Give up the fight.

But somehow
As I've got older
I only got colder and
I lost myself

I want to lose myself in you
I want to lose myself in you
I'm waiting for the day when I wake up
And it all comes true

I want to lose myself in you
I want to lose myself in you
I'm waiting for the day when I wake up
And it all comes true

There has to be a day when I wake up
And it all comes true

These Are The Best Days Of My Life

My time in Falmouth this year is drawing to an end; I'm off back home to London in a few days, and to be honest I'm actually pretty excited. This usually buzzing beach-side town is getting more quiet and emptier by the day, there's only two of us left in my house now and I have to say I really don't like the soundless space. I can't wait to get back to a city and spend time with my family for a few weeks. Then I'm off to Europe for a month!

But before I get ahead of myself, I'll just back up a bit to the BEST weekend of my year so far...GLASTONBURY! I was a glasto virgin and it by far exceeded my (very high) expectations. The weather was beautiful, the bands were amazing, but most of all, it was the atmosphere and general happy vibe that I loved the most. Everyone was just so...chilled.

There's so much I want to say about it, I could go on forever. So instead here's my Top 5 best bits:

1. Spending 6 hours in the John Peel Tent and succeeding in getting right to the front for Mumford & Sons
2. Seeing Frank Turner do a secret gig to about 100 or so people at Strummerville Campfire - basically a little shed next to a campfire...amazing
3. Stevie Wonder...'nuff said.
4. Sitting in the fields of the Pyramid Stage, with Jack Johnson playing as the sun went down on the last evening.
5. The people. One example being when they wouldn't let any more people into the 'football fields' to watch the England v Germany game, we found two girls listening to the match on a radio and soon there were about twenty total strangers crowded round this crappy stereo all cheering and shouting. It didn't really matter that we lost...we were at glasto!

So that was Glastonbury 2010. Am I going again next year? You can bet your life on it!
Bucket List Number 36 - complete!


Now my sights are set on the next few summer months, and a good few months they are going to be, I can guarantee that. I'm off to Italy then France on family holidays, then from France I'm heading to the Greek island of Samos to visit a friend before spending some time in Athens and exploring a bit of what Europe has to offer. Fun times before the hard work and stress of my 3rd and final year at uni begins. I can't wait.

Until next time. Over and out.

Sing-a-ling

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d6eY6N8rkUM
Me having a little sing song. not perfect but enjoy.