IS THIS SHIT?

Don't like something because someone said it's good. What the fuck's the point in that? Only like something because it moved something in you which in turn made something in you. Otherwise you will still feel numb when you are wearing the right band tshirt, have bought the right CDs and are hanging out at the right places.

Yep.

That's even worse than having no passion at all - the greatest crime is having fake passion for things. Then you become obsessed with the wrong angles and create shit music and think you're cool but know you're a twat.

This blog is pure conjecture. I personally use it as a way of talking to people as I can never really communicate well or what I actually want to say unless it's via a written medium. But that is just me and most humans can do the whole conversational face to face thing way better than I can. For me this is the best way I feel people can get to know me. In person I am too intense, I get embarrassed by this intensity and then act distant and aloof in an attempt to disguise it when all I want to do, if I like you, is spend hours around you and in your company. But you will never know that.

Anyway, please don't read this thinking that the artists mentioned are the only thing I like and if certain artists aren't mentioned, then I don't like them. Not at all. Also don't read this and think you need to go away and listen to bands I've mentioned. You may listen to them and get nothing out of them and still feel numb. For me, these artists I talk about have pulled me out of numerous black holes in my life. They could or could not do the same for you. Challenge the words on this page. Don't think these words are right. I may be wrong. I most probably am wrong.

Just whatever you do....Please just make your own mind up. For that is something which must be embraced, celebrated and preserved. One's own beauty of thought. Not mine.

For some reason, I think Alain De Botton would agree. He's a legend and I want to hang out with him.

D-Bird

Can't You Want To

I really enjoyed last night. Lauren and Kerri are great hosts!

My DJ set last night for those vaguely interested (in roughly the right order):

Bjork - Army Of Me
Smashing Pumpkins - 1979
Hole - Garbadge Man
The Knife - We Share Our Mother's Health
Pavement - Rattled By The Rush
The Breeders - Safari
Nirvana - Aneurysm
The Raveonettes - Attack Of The Ghost Riders
Ciccone Youth - Making The Nature Scene
Telepathe - So Fine
Rogers Sisters - Never Learn To Cry
Wildbirds and Peacedrums - There Is No Light
Patti Smith - Kimberley
The Pixies - Tame
Pearl Jam - Even Flow
Hole - Jennifer's Body
Nirvana - School

D-Bird

NOKI!

Sometimes we get asked about fashion influences/designers we like. We are all into a range of stuff (mostly old band t shirts and vintage - me, and sex shop stuff - X-Bird and C-Bird) however we have come across a wonderful designer based in Brick Lane who we all love called Noki.

He gave us some stuff to wear for shoots and gigs a few months ago and we shall in fact be wearing some more of his stuff for upcoming gigs/shoots. We felt it was important to support local designers and as our requests to wear clothes by well-known brick lane vintage shops were turned away, we were very happy to be taken under Noki's wing and show our support in return.

His clothes appeal to each of our tastes. They are recycled vintage pieces that are really spectacluar. Check him out if you are interested: http://nymag.com/fashion/fashionshows/designers/bios/noki/

Keep it real, keep it east!
D-Bird

Electrolytes smell like semen

Here's us hard at work in the studio last week recording with Tim and Jim. This song is called Smear and we'll reveal the other 2 songs we did in due course.

Apparently there is footage of 3 Birds tripping out during the final night in the studio. As to whether this footage will be released for general public consumption, we are currently unsure.

D-Bird

The big question

We often get asked which bands influence us and if I can be quite honest with you this question always daunts me as I never really know how to answer it. ‘Blasphemy!’, some of you may think as this is a bold statement coming from a ‘musician’ but hey, I’ll be the first to put my hand up and say there is so much about music and sound that I have yet to discover and learn about. After all it was the whole idea of learning and understanding music that got me hooked in the first place.

Mainly when I listen to music I dissect it into different sounds. I can listen to it as a whole but afterwards I will pick out sections I am drawn to. I can be inspired by the tone of a voice or the way in which certain words are accentuated. I can be inspired by the rhythm and the timbre of a drum or the state of hypnosis a bass riff will lull me into. It’s strange because I’ve only just realised that I don’t necessarily categorise music into bands or genres but tend to categorise them into sounds. Of course I can love a song as a whole but it is certain aspects of a song that will keep me hooked. Understanding the way in which I listen to music is such a personal breakthrough for me as before it was something I couldn’t quite grasp. When I listen to music I love I will be utterly engrossed until I decide to stop hitting the repeat button, ultimately I wouldn’t be creating music if I wasn’t in love with it but there doesn’t seem to be one band/musician/artist out there who I deem an inspiration enough to bring me to the point of creative epiphany- this may be because I am more inspired by certain individual sounds that make up a song as a whole.

Some people can reel bands off the top of their heads like free running water then dive head first into a deep musical debate for hours- I am by nature not one of these types and in the past I have been made to feel that I am not a worthy music fan because of this. To be quite honest I have sometimes found people with such profound knowledge on the subject intimidating and pretentious. Thankfully many of the people I have met don't fall into this bracket but still it's hard not letting these few get under my skin. There have been times when I have been caught up in a debate and have been made to feel an opposing opinion was wrong. I feel that all opinions on such creative matters are never wrong as a certain sound or song will evoke different types of emotions in everyone. After all isn’t this supposed to be what the beauty of music is? I suppose I am a music novice who has been caught in the storm completely by chance. I didn’t start dreaming about music until I was in my late teens and before then I can’t really remember what I was dreaming about. I do remember feeling utterly consumed by frustration, resigned to the fact that I was about to live my life exactly as my parents had pre-planned for me (finish A-levels, go to university, get a good job, get married, have kids, get a mortgage..) This frustration only abated when I started making films at 17 it was also around this time that I started listening to music. I guess you could say it from then that I fucked up my Mum and Dad’s 5 year plan for me. At the time I was also really into Andy Warhol’s films and would make short video montages of my friends and I getting drunk and sleeping rough in Trafalgar Sq when we missed last trains home. All my early video work was silent as I found the idea of creating sounds for my own work daunting. At the time I felt music was something out of my league and felt more at home sticking to a medium I felt completely comfortable with. Now looking back, it was all about self- confidence and getting the balls to step out of my comfort zone. When I think about how I used to be I find it absolutely shocking- I feel like it is only now that I have developed a voice, understood the worth of my opinion and developed a fucking personality. Oh dear god. If I try to psychoanalyse why music didn’t have such a bearing on my life until later on, maybe it was because at the time I wasn’t ready for it.

X-Bird

Connie Culp

Whilst I was in the waiting room at St Barts Hospital last week, I had nothing else to do but read the Metro back to back for at least an hour. I was pretty stunned when I came across the story of Connie Culp.

Connie is the first person to ever have a face transplant in the US. Her face was blown off by her husband 5 years ago who attempted to kill her and then himself. He failed on both accounts and was sentenced to just 7 years in prison. I will commence my rant about international prison laws another day.

The before the shooting, before the face transplant and after the face transplant pictures of Connie are astounding. I, like a lot of people, have moments of being terrified about the way I look and what people think of me. All my inner insecurities seem so absurdly trivial when I look at these pictures.



I cannot imagine what this woman has gone through - being shot by someone you are in love with, surviving it, seeing him put behind bars and living with the constant physical reminder of what he has done to you plus on top of it all, being ostracised by society because of your appearance - something you had absolutely no control over. In the interview I read, Connie described that one of her lowest moments was when a child said to its mother, "I thought you said monsters didn't exist but there's one right there."

The most startling point about the Culp case is the fact that Connie has publicly forgiven her husband for what he did and is waiting to be reunited with him on his release from prison. I just cannot get over this. Is this a god-like level of forgiveness or just madness? I have no idea. Is it a classic case of Stockholm syndrome where the victim sympathises with the aggressor? Perhaps.

The two points I have taken away from all this is to try and accept myself and my appearance a whole lot more and to also chill out about people and not jump the gun and lose my temper. Whether you look at Connie Culp as the epitome of a modern survivor of a woman or as a slightly confused abused wife, her story must be made an example of and remembered.

D-Bird

Thanks Tim!

We've just got back from a few days recording in Crewe. Everytime we've been somewhere, it feels like we've been away for ages. I think some people are like 'what, so you're back already? Didn't even miss you.' It's odd because we have such long and hectic days that a week seems like a year with the amount of things we do in it.

Anyway, I was slightly perturbed about how everything would go because I was feeling very, very low last week before we went. After Camden Crawl and before Crewe, I had the worst week I've had in a very long time. Nothing particularly happened...nothing was particularly bad...I just fell into a deep black hole and felt like there was no way out. I've realised that the worst thing to do is shut yourself away from people when you feel like that. I tried to avoid all contact with people and when I did speak to anyone, it was pretty negative and confrontational and I have no idea why. I really have to thank my sister, Grace, the girls and Polly for pulling me out of such a dark place. If any of you ever feel like that, do make sure you confide in at least one person.

We've recorded 3 amazing tracks with Tim and his engineer Jim. We are so incredibly happy with them and can't wait for you to hear them!! Tim's studio is a great little hideaway with bedrooms, kitchen and an absolutely massive lounge. We had such a cool time there and had a little party last night as it was the last day in the studio. This involved a few drinks and dancing to a random selection of records. Good times!

I really like Tim. I love how he supports new bands and new music. He's supported our band for a while now and makes every effort to come to our gigs and to hang out. He really gets our music and where we're coming from and this helped make the recording process so cathartic and enjoyable. I hope all of you have the opportunity to meet him at some point.

You will of course be the first to hear/know about the tracks so stay tuned!!
D-Bird