Justin Summerton - painter

Paintings and a concert

Hello friends check out these images taken at Justin Summertons studio. You might recognise the surreal Wanaka picture we have used for Happy Isles. It’s stunning to see the textured original. It’s wild. Justin has the work that would justify big recognition and he doesn’t push it. Someone needs to support this work…

 

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Voila! the original

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It’s truly great… it brings joy to the soul. He should be a household name but you know how the art world goes. Dire Straits sums it up In the Gallery

Valley Baptist Sat 19th SeptDid two gigs in the weekend Blueskin Gallery Waitati and Best Cafe Dunedin. As before we got capacity audiences and this Saturday there is the concert at a hall next to a church. Am told its a great room but have yet to check it out.

Here are the details. Click the event link below. Ticket link is on the event page with the map etc.

Happy Isles at Valley Baptist Sat 19th Sept

Discovered in the last two shows an amazing sound from using an Aer Alpha linked to a QSC speaker. Such a full sound by this little boost.

When I started out you could never get a sound so big from equipment so small and easy to set up. You also wouldn’t get the promo that automatically comes from social media. In those days it was hard work getting the word out and grunt work gettting a pa set up.

Nowadays it’s a breeze.
use the computer/smartphone as a way to ” output” as apposed to “input” and these advances become tools of personal progress whereas if their use is merely for entertainment and once removed experience these same technologies can depricate our lives. Instant idiot… Just add Disney. Its a tool or a trap and when applied to gigging let’s face it….

Performing musicians get a huge benefit from this technology. The gear is way better and cheaper and lighter and the word gets around without posters paste and hard graft trying to get promo from reluctant media outlets. The key thing is to share the music you have mastered. Get out and play to anyone who will listen. Play like a bastard.

The Grateful Dead had it down. They knew decades ago that its 99% about playing live and unlike most other celebrated namos they virtually gave away the recording side and positively encouraged their fans to bootleg the shows.

Like it or not that’s the way it is now. The recording side ought to be promo for the live shows not the other way around. Must confess though… I love that huge lush high rent LA sound that Joni Mitchell got from hiring the best session players in the world and letting them rip.they sure made her sound fantastic and let’s face it…. Without them she was just a lonesome warbler like Joan Baez. Don’t get me started. And when Joan yodels..its like Vogon poetry.

My fav album from Joni. The Hissing Of Summer Lawns. She’s got the heavyweight players on that little gem and that’s what inspired me to do High Risk. There are some great players on that including Iain MacCleod from shooglenjfty…. He even played with Afrocelt.

But you know what? It always reverts back to simple unless you have OPM backing you. Other people’s money. But don’t forget. They need it back and they need a plan and you gotta tune to their dance. Rather than that why not be relatively free and play and sing on your lonesome to anyone who invites you. But try not to Yodel.

(If you are in the South Island am want me to play at your place / home / work please give me a call on ‭Tel ‭+64 21 025 92919‬ )