Tag Archives: Luton

 The Passing Of Gregg Herbert

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We were saddened by the news that Gregg Herbert passed away. The only consolation is that he went peacefully in his sleep.

That a man who could happily admit to go sliding into the grave screaming ‘what a ride!’ should be so peaceful about it gives us all hope.
Gregg’s funeral was almost like an anti funeral. Sure we cried, but by god we had a good laugh too. We know that is what he would have wanted. So we heard about his life that was over all too soon and the packed crowd that came to see him off listened respectfully. (Although when the lady orator whilst relating an anecdote about Gregg’s life admitted that she had never woken up in the morning on the dining room table with someone hoovering beneath, there was a quip from the crowd of ‘well there’s always tomorrow’ which gave us a high comedy moment, and we knew Gregg was laughing wherever he may be).

The wake was like Luton’s punk reunion with members of Gregg’s past bands there and friends from gigs and the alternative Luton music scene. He was a drummer, and a mighty good one too.

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His drums sat on the stage at the wake, surrounded by photos and posters. There were a lot of happy memories and a good piss up by the bar to see him off.

Gregg last played drums with the Flexy Boys, a dynamic Luton band featuring the Stevens brothers. However, Gregg had been in other bands over the years. Irritant springs to mind, and Spon mixed the CD they made a few years ago, collecting the material together and bringing this heavy heavy stuff to the masses. It was not for the faint hearted!

Gregg was also in The Twitch, described as a ‘noisy Luton pub rock band’ some members going on to form Alice’s Orb. My personal favourite band featuring Gregg was The Rattlesnakes. Everything was right about this band…from the name to the attitude which was cheeky punk of course. I never saw them live – they were a few years before my time, but footage and material that survives shows a vibrant, powerful enactment of all that was punk, from the hair styles to the swearing and the talent of keeping it together to perform when most people would probably be on the floor.

The Rattlesnakes were a golden moment in the Luton Punk Scene, and it seemed appropriate for their version of ‘Tough Shit Wilson’ to end Gregg’s funeral. It WAS tough shit and we had to get through it and say goodbye to a bloke who had made such an impression on so many people. It really was incredible that he had brought everyone together from Luton’s alternative community, and beyond. Many who have left came back to pay their respects. The bonds of comradeship of this community held together by its love for what makes Luton great – its alternative music scene – was really touching. The strangest thing was that it felt like he was going to come through the door at any moment.

At the end of that day distant friends had been found, and a few new friends had been made. We lost Gregg but will not forget him. We have the music, and the memories, and have inherited a backdrop which is too big for the house.

Thanks Gregg.  RIP

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Tributes

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Earlier this year I had sad news of the demise of two people who I held as friends, although I do not see them very often.

Sadly Bob Hill passed away in Kent, it was a shock and I think my friends down there are still reeling. Bob was an incredibly talented man, he was a designer, architect and builder. He worked mainly in England’s South East and London I think, and I am sure his work will live on for centuries. Knowing him for a few years I appreciated his generosity and sense of humour.

As I reflected on him and his life I realized that Bob had subtly influenced me and I hadn’t even realized it. As I struggled to come to terms with his passing a tune entered my head and I realized it was the theme from the Worzel Gummidge children’s series. The reason for this was because the last time I visited Bob and his wife he had recommended I watch these kids videos, and I sat up at night and saw a few episodes. He just told me – ‘they are good, I don’t know why, but there is something about Worzel Gummage, you should watch them.’ I remember after a couple of episodes thinking – ‘I could write stuff like this, perhaps I should have a go at writing children’s stories.’

Looking back now I wonder if that was what Bob was getting at? I wonder if he recognized that type of creativeness in me, and without saying it he gently guided me into thinking of it myself? It was not long afterwards that I began writing ‘The Exploding Birthday Cake’ the first in the Gwubbins the Witch series for children. I didn’t realize until the sad news about Bob that he had been the initiator of this creative process.

Bob Hill

Bob Hill

The second person to cross over was a friend to me when I was a teenager, just before and after I ran away from home. Lorna was married to Brian. This couple allowed me as a feral kid into their home. I had a lot of respect for this couple because they chose their lifestyle, didn’t hurt anyone and accepted kids like me.

I was eighteen when I said to Lorna that I was going to get a tattoo. She looked at me and said ‘why don’t you think about it for five years?’ Years later I realized that was the best advice anyone could have given a headstrong kid of that age.

Lorna from Luton

Lorna from Luton

What really fascinated me about Lorna was that she was into magic and Tarot. My life moved on, but because of Lorna’s influence I acquainted myself with Tarot and became a reader and wrote books about the cards. I discovered that the Tarot held a structure, and suggested a framework for building a fulfilling life which I could not relate to anywhere else. From Tarot I discovered Buddhism and tarot encouraged me to travel.

One year I went to Lorna’s house for a Halloween party and it was the highlight of the year, for Lorna was a witch, of good intentions of course. This is how I will always remember Lorna and Brian (both now have passed on), they lived to enjoy life without apology, they understood that gaiety nurtured the soul, they loved music and were open to the mystical. They enriched their lives with magic – sometimes I thought their house was like a fairy grotto!

Lorna at Halloween

Lorna at Halloween

My life was very different from Lorna’s – I wasn’t into children and her children were everything to her. Yet, when we met up again years later we still had a connection, we did not judge each other and I always felt that she was my friend, despite rarely seeing her.
When she died her kids were young adults, they made her funeral into a party because that is exactly what Lorna would have wanted.

It was a privilege to know these people who both passed before their time. I am sad at their loss, but rejoice in the goodness that they gave to their family and friends and the  influences that they had on me.

Both were very different people, but both would have said the same thing – ‘Be the best you can be.’ May they rest in peace.

Spring Equinox Blog 2013

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The long winter of 2012 has dug in its heels and is still with us this March 2013.
In the week between Christmas and New Year we produced a one off original Diamond Seeds podcast. Ella Jo as ‘EJ the DJ’ charted the music made in her home town of Luton, a place renowned for terrible architecture but which actually has a pedigree stock of music which flourished in the post punk era. Airspace was provided for an archive of this music and a little history given about the bands and their stories. In years to come we expect this Diamond Seed Podcast No 5 to become a valuable resource regarding the social history and musical legacy of an English town in the early 1980s. Great bands from the present also feature, showing how the music scene has remained an important and innovative aspect of the town, even if the authorities and wider population mostly ignore it!

Since the beginning of Winter, Diamond Seeds has supported Ella Jo’s decision to release some of her writing work in ebook format, due to hefty publishing costs. Thus ‘Journey of A Tarot Reader’ can now be found on Smashwords  as well as a book explaining how a trip to India cast light on an aspect of the origins of Tarot itself.

To create awareness of her work and introduce her books, Ella Jo released a free ebook  about her experiences of reading Tarot. Using autobiographical material and containing suggestions for a Code of Practice in Tarot Reading, she issued the ebook ‘How to Read Tarot with Confidence’ two weeks before Christmas 2012. By the end of March the downloads had reached over one thousand and was being read across the world. All this before the official release by the publishers! (No longer Available)

Staying with the writing bug, Ella Jo began 2013 with a brand new project, branching out into children’s fiction with ideas for a series of friendly bedtime stories about a witch and her adventures (First story due for release in April 2013).

Music-wise, Ella Jo’s new album, Almost Anglo Saxon is progressing slowly as and when time will permit. In March, as the weather took a turn for the worst and the temperature dipped horribly, Fliddling Flick came to stay and laid down some beautiful violin tracks for some songs on this album.

Fiddlin Flick

Laying down the violin tracks for ‘Ethelread The Unready Blues’

Spon has been involved with creating UK Decay’s new website – designed to provide updates for the adventures of the band since it reformed. The old site is still available for memorabilia from the bands early days. The new website is dedicated to providing current information for those supporting this incredible resurrection. UK Decay were in the studio recording new material in 2012 and April 2013 sees the release of their album ‘New Hope For The Dead’ containing brand new UK Decay tracks.
Visit the UK Decay site  for latest feedback and gigs to be announced for UK Decay.
The single Killer and B side, Heavy Metal Jews, is available April 2013 in white vinyl no less!

We have scattered dreams with Diamond Seeds – watch as those seeds live and grow!

News update for Diamond Seeds

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English Winter Weather Dec 2011

English Winter Weather Dec 2011

What a winter!

After re-locating to the English countryside, it became painfully clear that we had one wood burner to warm the whole house through the most severe winter since 1963! The burner, like a hungry dragon, needed nourishment day and night; so valuable time was spent, seeking, gathering, and sawing wood. Not only did the fire need to be fed regularly, but with sensitivity (damp wood did not catch alight and dry wood burned too fast) – it was quite a responsibility, which could not be neglected and took a lot of coaxing. Although our fire strategies worked, there was little time for much else, so Diamond Seeds was put on the back burner while we sustained life through the cold.

Ella Jo’s winter gigs

Having missed a gig at Bedford Esquires with the Nimblewits, and another at the Hat Factory in Luton, Ella Jo hauled herself to Luton’s Castle Tavern on December 11th. Relieved to see some friendly faces, her gig was like a coming home party! Familiar with the Lutonian banter, Ella Jo hailed the spirit of the crowd and banged her way through some songs without a set list. The anarchic atmosphere in the pub brought out her busking character – the crowd picked up on her cheerfulness and agreed that it had been worth getting out of bed for!

EJ Castle Tavern Dec 2010

EJ Castle Tavern Dec 2010

The Castle Tavern gig was arranged by Marianna – the promoter and arranger of Luton Aid, a day of live music held to raise money for charity. Back in the summer of 2010, Ella Jo had played for this event at Luton’s Hat Factory to a very attentive crowd – the character of the audience made her feel as if she was performing in an auditorium! This was a high point in the summer, as Ella Jo felt that audiences were beginning to connect to her performances and enjoy her material as a folk artist….

The ghoul of winter flu and colds hacked our lungs as we spluttered our way through Christmas, and a couple of Ella Jo’s gigs got cancelled…..only a back log of the Peep Show series could cheer her up and things looked better as the New Year rolled in…..Although the winter season isolated us and tested our strength, we were still able to appreciate it’s beauty, and fiddled with our projects whenever our frost bitten fingers thawed a little….

Winter Haw Frost in December 2010

Winter Haw Frost in December 2010

In February Ella Jo met up with the Nimblewits again as she supported them at the Foresters Pub in Bedford. Her gig did not go as she expected….The Nimblewits were using disco lights and the box was placed on the floor to the side of EJ’s performing space. The main lights went out and the disco lights jumped into life. Ella Jo proceeded into her set blinded and distracted, finding it hard to see her set list! In a noisy pub atmosphere this gig was a bit of a challenge – but then, that’s what playing live is all about….

Richard, the drummer of the Nimblewits remembered a song from years ago and requested ‘God Made Television’ – Ella Jo performed these two verses acappella, the first time to an audience for over 20 years – it can be found on her album, ‘Attitude is Everything’…

Ella Jo supported Seth Lakeman at his gig at the Hat Factory Arts Centre in Luton in March 2011

Ella Jo supported Seth Lakeman at his gig at the Hat Factory Arts Centre in Luton in March 2011

Her latest gig to date, (March 11th 2011) has been to support Seth Lakeman, when he played at Luton Hat Factory whilst on tour of the UK. Seth Lakeman, from Devon, is an English folk singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist – playing the violin and guitar amongst other instruments. Being nominated for the prestigious Mercury Music Prize it was no surprise that the gig sold out – and Ella Jo played to her largest audience yet….. It was an invigorating experience, with a welcoming audience and good technical support….

Having damaged her thumb five weeks before, and being unable to practice for the gig, she bit the bullet for this one – but she found herself at home with the audience, feeling a connection and getting comfortable to play for forty minutes. Reflecting on those precious moments on stage, she is philosophical :

‘Although the audience want to know the artist, the ultimate relationship lies between the listener and the song’s performance. In that forty minutes the songs were all that mattered. I put my heart into manufacturing these entities of expression, in the moment, to connect to those who were ready to listen. Nothing else mattered as we shared in the music – it seemed that many in the crowd felt my passion and understood. – it was a very special time….Seth Lakeman and his band played a fantastic gig that night and it was a real pleasure to support him, I recommend his music to all those who love feisty folk music!’

Nostramus Spin off project - Dark Ambience - The Hidden Core THC Album

Nostramus Spin off project – Dark Ambience – The Hidden Core THC Album

Recently released – THC (The Hidden Core) Dark Ambient album is a spin off project by Nostramus. ‘A feast of soundscaped nightmare visions and eclectic journeys. Culled from the darker psychotropic-fuelled imagination of the Big Eye, Bud Brothers and Nostramus’s Steve Spon – edited and re-mastered in 2010 from tracks originally recorded from 1990 – 1996.’

Nostramus Drum and Bass

Nostramus Drum and Bass

The fantastic ‘Doomsday Dot Com‘ by Nostramus will be the next release on Diamond Seeds – a prophetic gathering of Drum and Bass tunes and samples. After the Japanese earthquake it seems that time has overtaken some of the themes and has left Spon from Nostramus wondering what the reaction will be to his material. He says that all the material on the album pre-dates the horrific events that have burdened Japan. The album is a tapestry with a strong musical current, including samples which expose media hysteria amongst other, lighter themes. The album itself is a comment on the phenomena that shape our early 21st century; times where fear is founded for some, and a plaything for others. He exposes the human responses to dealing with a world that we cannot control including elements of superstition, anger and the need to release stress in a musical whirlwind of joy. Nostramus encompasses all these emotions, waltzing the listener through a reality check – reminding us to question our distorted world, keep our feet on the ground and trust our senses. The delight in this work is the unceasing movement between light and shade, the highs and lows, the scowls and the smiles…..Was Drum and Bass ever supposed to go this deep?

As for Ella Jo, history has inspired her to write an album about the Anglo Saxon era. As no music survives from this time, there is much room to be imaginative and she has invented songs about Anglo Saxon events. This folk album will be named ‘Almost Anglo Saxon’ so that purists will not be offended, and she has already had a lot of fun composing songs for this project…With a handful of songs left to write, recording should begin in late 2011.

Matthew Adams Folk Artist from Devon

Matthew Adams Folk Artist from Devon

Exposure for new musicians

People may be aware that we want to support up and coming musicians especially in this time when the industry is so difficult to break into. We are pleased that Matthew Adams has been in touch with us, and coming soon is a review of this up and coming folk artist….

Good News about our album prices

Last but not least, we have recently revised the prices of our albums when purchasing physical CDs from the supplier, www.kunaki.com

You can now obtain each album for approx £10 – inclusive of shipping – making them a great bargain for music lovers!

www.diamondseeds.co.uk

Update – the news from Diamond Seeds this Autumn

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Well it’s been a few months since we had the chance to update this site – it’s been a busy old time! The summer is nearly over and we are settling down to web stuff yet again.

The hard work has been paying off and there is now another book available on Diamond Seeds Publications, the second issue of Tarot Decoded – for the High Priestess Tarot Card. The research for this book by Ella Jo Street resulted in giving more than a simple explanation for the card; it is probably best described as a pagan source book. Reading back the proof copy has been a pleasure – this book really is indispensable for understanding the meaning behind the card and gives a complete mythology into the background behind magic with a factual look at witchcraft, designed to educate and widen the horizon of those with an interest, and enrich a reading for anyone training in the art of Tarot Reading!

Next up we have not one but two CD albums now available from the genius fingertips of sound-master Steve Spon. He tells me that he will be writing a new album with his band UK Decay this year, so we are lucky he has made time to re-mastered and release two eclectic albums first conceived in the 1990’s. It seemed touch and go to the outsider who may have wondered at leaving one CD in the freezer for a week, but when it was time to dust it down and record it onto modern equipment the icicles dripped dry and the music was re-born!

First album to hit the light of day was the Nostramus Earthlights album. A long process of digging out the masters and re-booting them for today’s technology began in December 2009, but this summer all was completed and the world was blessed with some magnificent intelligent Drum and Bass – reborn. There are classical elements in this album which makes no apology for having a life force all of its own. As with all of Nostramus’ material it enriches the everyday experience of music into a festival of warped realities and harmonic vapour trails. Listening to it I firmly believe that Steve Spon writes sound tracks to sci fi movie’s that haven’t been thought of yet! The tunes and the sound-scapes create inspiration for anyone with a vision for art or film; in short, he is way ahead of his time.

And it’s not like the stuff I’m hearing is complicated. It goes from pretty moments to dark tragic times – all eventualities may be present, yet it is timeless and simple without being repetitive. Spon’s other new album, under the name THC, is called Dark Ambience, and I swear it actually breathes. For my taste, the music really has reached another level with this album – and I think the genius was born of pain and passion which was sieved and refined into the most delicious mix of tunes and rich instrument sounds – as if it were a magic music box found in Merlin’s cave – reflecting the future into the present whilst mixing up sound elements from the past; there’s something reassuringly recognizable – only to disappear into weirdness that is nearly hypnotic. My copy of this CD is already nearly worn out!!!

The summer was topped off by a couple of gigs that went well – UK Decay played again at Blackpool’s Rebellion festival, this time in the picturesque Winter Gardens, and Ella Jo played an enjoyable hour at Luton Fringe Festival giving her songs an acoustic airing to an appreciative crowd.  She said, ‘I got to the bottom of what caused my legs to shake on stage – it stopped when I stopped wearing heels, and I do so love my boots, but in the end, wearing sandals cured the problem!’