April Playlist - Week 3+4

What I've been listening to lately:

Paloma Faith - New York (Starsmith Remix)

Ladyhawke - My Delerium

Prince of Assyria - What Ever You Want

Regina Spektor - Samson

Alanis Morissette - You Learn

Thriving Ivory - Runaway

Marina + The Diamonds - I Am Not A Robot (Starsmith Remix)

Celine Dion - A New Day Has Come

Red+Blue wrists + Star jewellery

Clothing preview for stage... More soon!




The star above the i in Majik

Rehearsals

I'm rehearsing for the live show as we speak. There are in total 6 rehearsals planned, 1 per week, 1 has already been done. After that it's straight to London for gigs.

Up until now I haven't played live with the project; we've been working on the tracks in the studio with live work in mind. Now the time has come to take this show out on the road!! I'm so excited and very lucky to have a bunch of incredibly talented musicians playing for me, Nick Leigh (Guitar), Chris 'Swanny' Swan (Bass), Ben 'Benny K' Kennedy (Drums), Roxanne 'Roxy' Johns (Piano).

Here's the schedule:

Pre-rehearsal - Musician meets/greets and song introductions - sat 10 april
Rhrsl 1 - Run through tracks - tue 20 april
2 - Have all instrument parts nailed - thurs 29 april
3 - Have all backing vocal parts nailed ready to tell label backing
track revisions
4 - Dress rehearsal + Revised backing tracks run through
5 - Dress rehearsal 2 + Tweaks
6 - Get label down to OK it then gigs

It's all live but I wanted to play with backing tracks as an artistic statement. This is a pop act not a 'band'. Think 90's pop star. Things left on the backing tracks are strings, some effects (backwards vocals), pad sounds, just things to help it sound a little more polished and 'expensive'.

I've put some videos up from week 1 rehearsal on http://www.youtube.com/jackmajiktv - Pretty grim quality, next week I'll be prepared with a HD cam.

Can't wait. Lots of work to do over 6weeks especially with the visuals and styling but well up for it. Will post updates as we go to show sneak peak visuals. It's gonna be inspiring! I want it so that when you look up on stage you're not looking at 5 musicians playing some songs, you're looking at a world. A world of freedom and fantasy that the real world should be like, where anyone can do anything, anyone can say anything, if you want to wear a teapot on your face while walking your dog GO FOR IT! No rules, no limitations, just your mind.

April Playlist - Week 2

What I'm listening to this week...

Spotify link: April Playlist - Week 2

Oceanlab - On A Good Day

Vast - Dedicate (A Place For Me)

James Carrington - Ache

The Ark - It Takes A Fool To Remain Sane

Toni Braxton - Yesterday

Marija Serifovic - Molitva

Skunk Anansie - Because of You

Trentemoller - Moan

To be free

"It's only after we've lost everything that we're free to do anything."

To be free. Do I want it? Yes. But if freedom means no responsibility, no one waiting for you, waiting for no one, what happens with love. And what is love anyway... ultimately it's an illusion to reproduce, a really fucked up one mixed with ideals drilled into our heads since the beginning of society. Rules everywhere. I hate rules. Fuck rules. Who is someone else to tell you what you can/can't do or say. I was thinking about radio/tv interviews earlier and how they wouldn't like it if I said 'fuck' on air. Well fuck you all. F-U-C-K. It's just a word. You don't want your kids hearing it? Well shove it up your fucking ass. It would be fine to say fuck if everybody didn't bring kids up with illusions of the world and all these stupid rules. If fuck was normal to say then nobody would give a fuck. Like cunt. Nobody likes cunt. I love cunt, the phonetics are beautiful, it's a very delicate sounding word if you say it very softly, the 'c' almost sounds like a gasp of air and the 't' is so soft, the entire word almost sounds like a sex noise (pretty appropriate too) and when it comes down to it, life is about sex. Anyway, so I can't say fuck or cunt because some people who I have no friggen idea who they are who don't know me, or you, or adam from adam, or adam and adam's kids (yep.. no eve here, eve can go fuck god like mary did and make another adam; hi christians btw!) said so, and dictated to you that your kids aren't supposed to hear these 4 letter WORDS (?! you what!) and now you believe it and try and enforce it upon me. No thanks. You are fucking crazy mind your own fucking business I don't tell you what to do with your self. The world is way too full of ignorant fucks trying to dictate their ego onto others cause of their own insecurities, failures, negative characteristics they can't deal with in themselves. What the fuck is wrong with you! This whole negative and positive thing doesn't even exist anyway. Everything is unconditional. Seriously, one day the kids will get to my age or usually a bit older I think (mid-life crisis?) and just have a breakdown and realise they are so fucking unhappy and some people won't know why. Well, the answer is cause you have been lied to every day of your freakin life by other people who have been lied to, and you are still being lied to. So next time you see some old traditional 90yr old woman hobbling down the street, shout fuck and you'll see exactly what I mean. The world has got to change. What a load of motherfucking bollocks. Fear governs everything and it has to stop.


The Ark- It takes a fool to remain sane

Whatever happened to the funky race?
A generation lost in pace,
-Wasn't life supposed to be more than this?
In this kiss I'll change your bore for my bliss
But let go of my hand and it will slip out
in the sand if you don't give me the chance
to break down the walls of attitude,
I ask nothing of you
not even your gratitude

And if you think I'm corny
then it will not make me sorry
it's your right to laugh at me
and in turn, that's my opportunity
to feel brave
Because ridicule is no shame
it's just a way to eclipse hate
it's just a way to put my back straight
it's just a way to remain sane

Every morning I would see her getting
off the bus the picture never drops
it's like a multicoloured snapshot stuck in my brain
it kept me sane for a couple of years
as it drenched my fears
of becoming like the others
who become unhappy mothers
and fathers of unhappy kids
And why is that?
'Cause they've forgotten how to play
or maybe they're afraid to feel ashamed
to seem strange
to seem insane
to gain weight
to seem gay
- I tell you this:

That it takes a fool to remain sane
Oh It takes a fool to remain sane
Oh It takes a fool to remain sane
Oh In this world all covered up in shame
(-Oh, take it to the stage!)

So, take it to the stage in a multicoloured
jacket take it jackpot, crackpot,
strutting like a peacock
nailvarnish Arkansas
shimmy-shammy featherboah crackpot haircut
dye your hair in glowing red and blue,

-Do, Do, Do! What you wanna do, Don't think twice,
do what you have to do,
Do, Do, Do, Do, let your heart decide
what you have to do that's all there is to find
Cause it takes a fool to remain sane,
Oh It takes a fool to remain sane
Oh In this world all covered up in shame
Oh It takes a fool to remain sane,
Oh It takes a fool to remain sane
Oh It takes a fool to remain sane
Oh In this world all covered up in shame
-Oh, it takes a fool!..

V For Vendetta

For info on what a 'vendetta' is go to Feud - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia



I was recommended to watch this movie for research for Jack's character. In particular I was told to pay attention to the mask, how the face it has means so many things, you can't tell whether it's happy, sad, good, bad, it is open to interpretation.

The movie in itself could possibly be the best movie I've ever seen. It deals with society and freedom, and from the second it opens to the second it ends every scene is so well thought-out and shot, it is just beauty after beauty. If I hadn't been working my whole life for a career in music, I would love to have worked to be an actor to just play a part in this movie. Natalie Portman is so lucky. She must have loved making this movie.

You MUST watch this movie! Don't want to spoil anything so just check this out: Below is the opening transcript and also a clip from the movie which contains no spoilers so it's safe to watch. It is part of the movie where it doesn't really relate to the story (it does but it doesn't) but for 5minutes or so you get to see a story inside the story. The character 'Valerie' you see isn't a character in the movie. You never see her she's just in this other short story (which is why I said it plays no relevance). The scene just demonstrates how beautifully crafted the entire movie is. PS: Natalie's character is not a lesbian. The movie is not about gays. Sorry to disappoint ;)

Opening transcript:

"Remember, remember / The fifth of November / The gunpowder treason and plot. / I know of no reason / Why the gunpowder treason / Should ever be forgot". But what of the man? I know his name was Guy Fawkes, and I know that, in 1605, he attempted to blow up the houses of Parliament. But who was he really? What was he like? We are told to remember the idea, not the man, because a man can fail. He can be caught. He can be killed and forgotten. But four hundred years later an idea can still change the world. I've witnessed firsthand the power of ideas. I've seen people kill in the name of them; and die defending them. But you cannot kiss an idea, cannot touch it or hold it. Ideas do not bleed, it cannot feel pain, and it does not love. And it is not an idea that I miss, it is a man. A man who made me remember the fifth of November. A man I will never forget.

Transcript from the clip:

I know there's no way I can convince you this is not one of their tricks, but I don't care, I am me. My name is Valerie, I don't think I'll live much longer and I wanted to tell someone about my life. This is the only autobiography that I'll ever write, and God, I'm writing it on toilet paper.

I was born in Nottingham in 1985. I don't remember much of those early years, but I do remember the rain. My grandmother owned a farm in Tuttlebrook, and she used to tell me that God was in the rain. I passed my '11 plus' and went to a girl's grammar; it was at school that I met my first girlfriend, her name was Sara. It was her wrists. They were beautiful. I thought we would love each other forever. I remember our teacher telling us that is was an adolescent phase people outgrew. Sara did, I didn't.

In 2002 I fell in love with a girl named Christina. That year I came out to my parents. I couldn't have done it without Chris holding my hand. My father wouldn't look at me, he told me to go and never come back. My mother said nothing. But I had only told them the truth, was that so selfish? Our integrity sells for so little, but it is all we really have. It is the very last inch of us, but within that inch, we are free.

I'd always known what I wanted to do with my life, and in 2015 I starred in my first film, "The Salt Flats". It was the most important role of my life, not because of my career, but because that was how I met Ruth. The first time we kissed, I knew I never wanted to kiss any other lips but her's again. We moved to a small flat in London together. She grew Scarlet Carsons for me in our window box, and our place always smelled of roses. Those were there best years of my life. But America's war grew worse, and worse. And eventually came to London. After that there were no roses anymore. Not for anyone.

I remember how the meaning of words began to change. How unfamiliar words like 'collateral' and 'rendition' became frightening. While things like 'North Fire' and 'The Articles of Allegiance' became powerful, I remember how 'different' became 'dangerous'. I still don't understand it, why they hate us so much. They took Ruth while she was out buying food. I've never cried so hard in my life. It wasn't long till they came for me.

It seems strange that my life should end in such a terrible place, but for three years, I had roses, and apologized to no one. I shall die here. Every inch of me shall perish. Every inch, but one.

An Inch, it is small and it is fragile, but it is the only thing the world worth having. We must never lose it or give it away. We must never let them take it from us. I hope that whoever you are, you escape this place. I hope that the world turns and that things get better. But what I hope most of all is that you understand what I mean when I tell you that even though I do not know you, and even though I may never meet you, laugh with you, cry with you, or kiss you. I love you. With all my heart, I love you.

- Valerie

Time

I wonder... if we all had only 1 week left to live, what would we do with that time? I bet it's not everything what we're doing now. So why don't we do those things anyway before it's too late... is it cause it's already too late for those things???? Is it ever really too late? Dunno.... if it was then why would we do it in that week... surely that proves it's never too late... ?? going crazy here!!

Videos tomorrow cancelled :(

I was meant to be filming a live session tomorrow for online promo of original + cover songs but it's now having to be rescheduled since one of the musicians didn't realise he's already booked for another gig and the lady filming it (who has the big pro cameras!) also can't make it. I'm bummed. Was well excited to get first videos up. Trying to reschedule a.s.a.p but now it's looking like the earliest I can get everyone free at the same time is mid-April!!! Nothing I can do since I'm pulling favours from everyone and hustling like crazy... Oh, to have money...

Well, anyway. Here's one of the songs I was thinking about covering in the shoot. Tried out a bunch and don't think this is gonna be one I do (just don't think it's the 'right' one), but absolutely love this song and think this section is one of the best parts from any song ever. So simple but so good. Shitty quality recording, just me and my guitar recorded live on my Macbook Pro dictaphone. The real videos are gonna be recorded in super ultra pro amazing HD or whatever the hell they are calling it these days

Coldplay - Fix You

Tears stream down your face
when you lose something you cannot replace
Tears stream down your face
I promise you I will learn from my mistakes

James Dean II

Last week I knew nothing about James Dean apart from the fact I thought he looked very cool and did a movie called 'Rebel Without A Cause'. I've spent a week researching him now. There are some very sad and beautiful things that happened in his life but I'm not gonna cover any details of his life because I think all those details irrelevant. If you want to know them you can go to James Dean - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia and there's also a movie about him with James Franco playing him. What I think is important is what he stood for.

I thought James Dean was this 'Rebel' (a word been thrown about now ridiculously), a bad boy, or that guy at school who is so popular and cool. Well, that is not the case at all. James to me came across like some huge nerd who most likely would be the one in school who gets bullied cause he's so freakin weird, an outcast. To me, there is no mysteriousness around James Dean. It's simple. He lived for his craft. He loved to act. He was a great actor. It does annoy me somewhat that he is actually such an icon now. Not because I doubt he didn't have the talent to be such a well known actor, but because it seems he is so famous because of his attitude towards acting, which was basically, 'Don't act the character, be the character.' This seems pretty straight forward and obvious. If you are an actor, you shouldn't lie, you should act the 'truth'. It annoys me that clearly, this is what an actor should be, and it seems that all these other actors didn't/don't do that, which is why he was different, and why he stood out. Do your job properly or don't do it!!!! Don't half ass anything. If your scene tells you to punch someone cause you're so freakin angry, you fucking punch them like they just cursed over your mother's grave. That's the craft. That's art. The same can be related to anything about life. if you don't do something with everything you've got behind it, to the complete extreme, you're missing out, you're wasting such precious time.

It seems James wasn't afraid to stand up in a room full of people even if he stood alone, which is what everyone should strive for. You just gotta follow your own heart and beliefs and be the best you can possibly be. I do find it so sad that in society, something which should seem so blatantly obvious for everyone to do is just not done. What the hell is going on with the world? Humans are becoming slaves to themselves and prisoners in their own homes and lives. Fuck this bollocks I hate society. I wanna be an animal.













PS: I think the book name 'Portrait of Cool' is so shit and cheesy. I bet if James was alive he wouldn't allow a book about him to be published with that name!

The search for 'Underland'

In prep for another shoot we went out to some different woods this time looking for interest spots. It was absolutely pissing it down with rain just as we got there and half way through we had to stop and take off all our scarves and make a big canopy cause it was just TOOOO wet and cold. We were fucking DRENCHED! Wish I had a picture of us crouched down under this tree with scarves tied in all the branches above us it was just one of those moments you've got to love... we tried to get one but the rain was just so heavy the camera wouldn't focus and everything was just too wet, so we gave up very quickly and just took cover!!!!!!! :)

Found this great little spot just before it started chucking it down, very Alice in Underland-ey! PERFECT for Majik! Look at the lighting! It's SOOO beautiful! And the colours!! Godddddddd! Ignore me in the photo. Imagine the setting now with me dressed up in character with full makeup.. it's gonna be fucking amazing I'm excited to go back and do the proper shots!!! If you look carefully to the right of my head on the tree it also kind of looks like there are eyes coming out of the tree.... I'm thinking this is a job for Mr. Photoshop! I also love the way the tree I'm leaning on is split down the middle. So much character!!! Kind of like a gateway. You could just imagine it opening up and splitting apart. I love this tree!! And if you look behind me to the left in the more zoomed-out pic it looks a bit like fireflies or some kind of magical-ness (did I just invent a word?) in the background. Also considering some kind of photoshopping with my shadow to make it something else? Something creepy. OK I'm going on. Wait for the real pics!! Gonna be good!



Liked this tree stump too. It framed nicely. Nice colours too... Sad that the tree had been cut away though...