All posts by Luke

About Luke

Luke Hurley guitarist and singer songwriter from New Zealand.

At Byron Bay Markets on Sunday 27th

news, ,

Hi everyone – I’m at Byron Bay craft markets on Sunday.  If you are in Brisbane or closer come on by and say hello.

This is how a local website describes the Byron Bay markets.

“Byron Bay’s craft and produce market, held at the Butler Street reserve on the first Sunday of the month, is one of the best in the region. Covering an area of a few acres and arranged in orderly rows, the market offers a vast array of handcrafted wares, locally-grown produce, and artworks of every kind. It’s best to get there early and allow a few hours to take in all the stalls, indulge in some fresh nourishment and feel the culture.

At the open centre of the market ground is a performance space, where you might see fire-eaters, acrobats, jugglers, dancers, contortionists, escape artists, and musicians of every description. Stallholders, in their eye-catching colourful splendour, are a spectacle in themselves. Rainbows, sparkles and angel wings seem to be the ‘uniform’, making you feel as if you truly are in a magical world.

There is some nearby parking, but because Butler Street is a no-through-road, it is easier to park in town and walk across the railway line to the market. Access across the line at Lawson Street and take the first left into Butler Street, or through the car park at the back of the Byron Visitor Centre and turn right into Butler Street.”

Atomic Welcome Back Gig

gigs

LUKE HURLEY performing at ATOMIC CAFE
121 Ponsonby Rd – Sat May 2 – save this date

“A phenomenal talent” – John Campbell

Tickets $20 – Plan now to be there or risk missing out on a rare concert appearance.

luke-hurley-on-the-street-s

Photo by Paul King.
Notes: This is a B&W using a wide aperture so I could get the feel of people
walking past and your static situation. Click on the photo to see a larger screen size (1280 wide.)

Thanks to Paul King for this recent street shot.

More thoughts on The Sound

song lyrics

Here are some thoughts about my song “The Sound.”

100 years ago, Albert Einstein published three papers that rocked the world.

These papers proved the existence of the atom, introduced the theory of relativity, and described quantum mechanics.

Pretty good debut for a 26 year old scientist, huh?

His equations for relativity indicated that the universe was expanding. This bothered him, because if it was expanding, it must have had a beginning and a beginner.

Since neither of these appealed to him, Einstein introduced a ‘fudge factor’ that ensured a ‘steady state’ universe,  one that had no beginning or end.

But in 1929, Edwin Hubble showed that the furthest galaxies were fleeing away from each other, just as the Big Bang model predicted. So in 1931, Einstein embraced what would later be known as the Big Bang theory, saying,

“This is the most beautiful and satisfactory explanation of creation to which I have ever listened.”

He referred to the ‘fudge factor’ to achieve a steady-state universe as the biggest blunder of his career.

Einstein’s theories have been thoroughly proved and verified by experiments and measurements. But there’s an even more important implication of Einstein’s discovery.

Not only does the universe have a beginning, but time itself, our own dimension of cause and effect, began with the Big Bang.

That’s right — time itself does not exist before then. The very line of time begins with that creation event. Matter, energy, time and space were created in an instant by an intelligence outside of space and time.

About this intelligence, Albert Einstein wrote in his book “The World As I See It” that the harmony of natural law

“Reveals an intelligence of such superiority that, compared with it, all the systematic thinking and acting of human beings is an utterly insignificant reflection.”

He went on to write,

“Everyone who is seriously involved in the pursuit of science becomes convinced that a spirit is manifest in the laws of the Universe– a spirit vastly superior to that of man, and one in the face of which we with our modest powers must feel humble.”

Pretty significant statement, wouldn’t you say?

The Sound – Lyrics and (See video The Sound on YouTube)

Notre Dame

tour

Was invited to play in Paris. A few gigs came of this including one on a boat (there is nothing in the world quite like messing about in boats)

It was great to see my friends from Auckland- Madelaine and Aaron- and be able to invite them up to the apartment that I was a guest in. A perfect little apartment right in the heart of Paris.

My hosts had given me the most ideal conditions like something out of a movie….being met at the station and delivered there in a Porsche was just one of the things that went with this dream visit.

Cannot claim to have given much in return and certainly knew no way to be able to live up to the circumstances I found myself in.

I stayed up very late and slept late and explored the vicinity with the wide eyed wonder of a child.

Notre Dame - Western FacadeThe first thing that I noticed was Notre Dame…..a building I have always loved but this time it was real!

What a miracle of architecture. It took a century to build.

Nowadays it’s more of a tourist trap than a building within which to reverence the creator. …

Such kind of worship has given way to a worship of another kind.  No priests in evidence other than priests of commerce.

There is a whole adjacent block dedicated to selling junk to tourists and even a shop inside the church itself.  How did this happen and why do we let it happen? Commerce don’t belong here! It was a holy place now forced to exist for tourism.

It was a church now its a shop. Its surreal. It’s like when a beautiful woman goes on the game and her friends don’t pass any comment.

How DO Christians feel about their churches being offered up to this desperate game?

London, Paris, Gothenburg

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In late November and early December Luke played gigs at number of locations including Paris, London and Gothenburg  as well as other parts of England.

Here are some notes from those shows.

PARIS
Paris is like a theme park full of the expectations a tourist would
have of it.  At Notre Dame there is a strange interplay between the “merchants” and the tourists.

Checking out the local music

No street players in evidence but no shortage of rich beggars. Much intolerance for one and total acceptance of the other. In the vicinity kitsch shops and very expensive cafes abound. A cup of coffee will set you back ten bucks kiwi.

Saint Michel
Played near the fountain and inevitably got closed down. Strange habit of mine playing anywhere at anytime for anyone who will listen.  I call this practice “meet the police”.

Strange how playing gentle music to people is not tolerated anywhere in the world!

The best Paris gig was at the GREEN LINNET.  Check it out if you are a musician. The owner has a very encouraging attitude and easy to work with.

He told me that Rory Gallagher was obsessive about guitar There was nothing else in his life Hope I don’t get like that Love guitar but its not the center of my life.

I guess the center for me is more about people than music. People are endlessly fascinating.

LONDON
A few days prior to my show there it looked like we would have to cancel. There was a concern that I was not going to draw a crowd!

It went ahead anyway and the result was contrary to expectations.  It was a full house. A great atmosphere in that place.  People I had not seen for decades turned up.

Along with a lot of Londoners who were suitably impressed. Can’t help being a bit proud of the way it turned out.

November 28th, 2008 at 12:18 pm Lindsay wrote a few hours after the Alma concert

“Just heard Luke at the Alma. I was worried that nostalgia would have tinted my rosy coloured memories of Luke but he was great! Better than great and better than I remembered.”

SWEDEN

is AMAZING . Played two gigs at Gothenborg University .

Note: If you were lucky enough to see / hear Luke In Paris, London or Gothenburg please write your comments below or send us a review.