Update

I've been quiet. That's only cause all I ever read is about how gravity is a myth and that in actual fact the earth sucks. Living in Colombo, that's actually all we ever see too. So I've made a conscious effort to keep away from adding to the glum soup. That mindset stopped me pondering out aloud my horrible work place, increasingly irritating, irritated parents (I'm still to get used to living with them all over again), the fact that pay day is turning out to be a myth with the ever increasing cost of living and the horrendous exams looming up ahead. So anyway, GF and I picked up a kitten a few days back. It was one of these fellows and boy is he cute! He's a little bigger than my palm and extremely playful! I shall put up a few pics soon. Any ideas for names anyone? Wanted to head down to marine drive today for the Mini Rally. However, the damned guilty conscience, brought about by millions of loose sheets of notes all over my bed, kept me at bay. Another time maybe. Had a crazy jam session sometime last week too! It ended up being 3 stoners and I, playing random riffs and chanting random lyrics and recording on the spur of the moment. Some of it sounded really funky! We might get together again, when the 3 of them are less stoned, to try and work something out of all that. Anyway, enough of my mindless, meaningless verbal diarrhea. Carry on on your way then.

3 Chord Charlie

Inbetween mulling over world peace and the like, I actually got to debating the local music scene with a friend. Being a world class guitar hero (cough cough), and my friend a chart topping drummer (cough cough) (note to self - take something for the cough!), who is maybe only second to RD, we'd like to think we know a thing or two. It started with Onstage, and the fact that only 12 bands are in the competition this year. Drummer loathes all things Onstage, whereas I don't mind it as it is a great opportunity for bands to get some gig-time under their belt in a city where there really is no scope or hope for original music. So, as you guessed, he was mighty pleased that there were only 12 bands (the number having halved from last year) and I obviously wasn't. We soon got to this huge debate about the difference between potential and talent. Maybe I'm an optimist, but if I see a great guitarist who can, for instance play catchy leads and sing at the same time, or a bassist who has a great groove and lifts the song, I'm quick to label him/her as talented. However, drummer doesn't agree. He gives them a maximum rating of potential. He says he needs to see more of em to give them that esteemed compliment. A typical Sri Lankanism. I love being a part of live music. Not all have a great talent as musicians but it takes a lot of balls to stand up and be counted. Most, if not all, musicians will tell you there's no greater feeling than playing live. So if I do see a band live who are trying to make original music work, I try not to diss em. I try to see em for what they are doing as a collective. I admire them for the fact that they got up on stage. But in Sri Lanka, our audiences quickly get bored if the bands are not as good as what they would expect from maybe a Counting Crows concert. They are quick to say the band is shit and walk out. There's no room for constructive criticism or scope for musicians to improve. But when musicians are as critical as the audiences are, then there is really no hope. Oh well. Excuse my rant.