The Genesis Revelations

In the last days of 2010, I was interviewed for DUSK magazine (an Italian Genesis enthusiasts publication) by Mario Giammetti. The interview centres around:-

• My involvement with Genesis.
• Their search for a replacement lead singer.
• The initial recording sessions for the Calling All Stations album.
• My early work and the Wild River album. 
• My recent work with Big Big Train and the release of our Far Skies Deep Time ep.

The interview came out in the Christmas edition of DUSK (in Italian). I am pleased to announce that the interview is now available in English. 

If you are curious and would like to read it, please click here

Ciao

David

Photograph of David Longdon by Amy Mumford:- Aug 2010

BBT CGI ?................. LOL

CGI Picture of David Longdon by Jared Jackson 01/01/11

'After a text from Mr Spawton, Mr Longdon senses another epic is on the cards...'

Taken from the forthcoming PC Game*

BIG BIG TRAIN

Out of Aubitt

Only £39.99*

* = This is not true!

2011

Antifreeze? Check!

Flask of black coffee? Check!

Sandwiches? Check!

Sounds for the duration of the journey? Oh Yes!

So there I was, travelling down to Southampton on the 28th of Dec 2010 to attend the drum tracking sessions at Aubitt for the next Big Big Train album, English Electric .

The Christmas card weather in the UK over the last few weeks has made for some breathtakingly beautiful and dramatic scenery but rather hairy driving conditions. Poor visibility, cars speeding up then slamming on the breaks only to proceed at crawling pace once more. Repeat ad infinitum....

The brilliant sunshine, ethereally glowing behind banks of fog and mist, made for some very beautiful skies. Reminiscent of a Turner painting.

It's always good to to meet up with Greg, Andy and Rob again. Despite the road trip down to the south of England being a three hour drive for me, The Train manage to get together quite often throughout the year. The company is always good humoured and often hilarious. In stark contrast to our melancholy sound and serious nature of some of our material.

I met Nick D'Virgilio and his family for the first time. On the afternoon of the 28th, we were working on drum tracks for three songs I've contributed to English Electric. Nick is a very musical drummer and added much to the tracks. He is professional and able to swiftly adapt to anything we threw at him. Everything he does has a compelling groove. He is highly attentive to details, the mood of the pieces and the sounds he brings from his drum kit. I know he's a bit of a drum octopus in the world of professional drummers and I fully expected his playing to be as breathtaking as it usually is. The main thing that impressed me was how he engaged with the material. How he listened and understood what was needed. What a great musician he is.

Despite it being the first time we were all together in one room (Dave Gregory not included - we'd see him in Winchester on the 29th for a photo shoot), in between tracks it was just like any other band in a recording studio. Out came the stories, the banter and the jokes.

I spoke with Greg last Sunday who has been busy laying down bass parts over the past few weeks and he's delighted with the energy of the rhythm tracks we've got down for English Electric. All being well the first track may be with me by the end of this week!

I can't wait!

Happy New Year

David

Merry Christmas

I would like to take this moment to wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. A big big thanks to all Big Big Train spotters and enthusiasts for your relentless well wishes and support. We've received some incredible reviews concerning Far Skies Deep Time over the last few weeks. 

Greg, Andy, Dave, Nick and I will be at the English Electric drum recording sessions and photograph shoot which will happen in between Christmas and New Year. I'm really looking forward to getting the drums down on the new material. Strangely enough it will be the first time that all five of us have been in the same room at the same time. Life imitating art!

We've been busy preparing the audio files for the next album and adding them to Pro Tools. After the drums are down the rest of the instruments will be added and layered and then it's a questions of polishing the performances until they gleam.

 I don't know which instruments I'll be playing yet I'll have to wait until I have an overview of the album. Usually the instrumentation suggests itself depending on the themes, characters and locations within the works.

In addition to this I have been writing scenes for the Big Big Thing. I've had a rough structure of events for some time and have initially been immersed in research for the characters, places and theories to support the story. 

I'm writing the story in prose with notes and sketches which will help structure the narrative and pace of the piece along with the lyrics.  It's a large task but it's getting there and the characters are evolving in a natural way. They've begun to have a life of their own. As promised I'll keep you informed of developments.

Mario Giammetti's interview with me concerning my involvement with Genesis and the Calling All Stations album is now available in DUSK magazine. I will put a link to the English translation as soon as it is available.

Greg and I have been interviewed for Classic Rock Presents Prog magazine. So expect some BBT coverage in the new year.

So, that's all from me for 2010.

Have a wonderful Christmas and all the very best for 2011

Peace

David

Watcher of the Far Skies...

Far Skies Deep Time is now out there in the world and many fine people are saying some very fine things about it. I'd like to thank all Big Big Train Spotters for the continued support and best wishes you've sent our way. 

I've been rather quiet blog-wise recently. I've been busy delving into my past... my past... my past........

I've always felt a little uncomfortable talking about my Genesis vocalist auditions because it was a big deal for me at the time and it was something I had to move on from when it was over. It was something I thought I had moved on from.

To be honest, I think I've avoided taking the time to look back and properly reflect upon it. It's been a fair few years now since it happened and my modern life in the 21st century is so busy with family life, work stuff and Progressive Rock shenanigans... it's tricky finding the time.

Gregory Spawton is rather keen on Genesis (as some of you may know) and he has on occasion, gently asked me about the recordings I made with them, only to be answered with grunts and scowls. As far as I was concerned it's history. Over and done... 

One silver morning Greg said that Mario Giammetti, a notable Italian journalist, wanted to interview me concerning my experience auditioning and working with Genesis on Calling All Stations. Mario is the guiding light of Dusk Magazine (an Italian Genesis enthusiasts publication) 

Mario's many questions were detailed and made me carefully consider the order of events. So I've been going back through old cassettes, diaries and pictures from that period. I knew it was going to be a huge task because once you take the lid off something like this, one thing leads to another and more questions are born. 

Despite my initial worries about raking through old memories, I found the whole experience very cathartic. Mario was fabulous and I came away from it feeling like I've addressed a few issues, had my say and lain a few ghosts to rest.

The interview will be available in Italian in Dusk magazine. For those of you who do not speak Italian (myself included) there will eventually be a link established to direct the curious to an english translation of the article.

When it's available I'll post it here.

Ciao

Photograph of David Longdon by Amy Mumford, August 2010

Exploring New Spaces & Reinventing Ourselves

Not long now until the e.p release date and so it's all systems go! The publicity is in place, the layout of the artwork is being finalised and the Far Skies Deep Time mixes have been given one final loving polish.

Some BBT spotters have wondered how the Brel element on Far Skies Deep Time will sound. Although The Wide Open Sea features a trace of the late Jacques Brel as the narrator, please don't expect me to be singing in the style of Mr. Brel. I've also tried to resist the urge to break into an outrageous Belgian/French accent! 

I've now managed to set up my music production equipment in our new family home. There is beauty and simple pleasure to be found in planing the signal flow and layout of various pieces of hardware. 

My family and I have been busying ourselves unpacking the boxes that we recently packed so frantically and discovering the tempo and heartbeat of our new surroundings. Exploring the new spaces and reinventing ourselves. Learning how we will live... here. 

The alchemy of the internet has eventually been established over this last weekend and emails emerge from Mr. Spawton and Mr. Poole, aboard the Big Big Train.

Big Big Train July 2010 
Left to right:- Andy Poole, Dave Gregory, Greg Spawton & David Longdon
Photo by Amy Mumford

Full steam ahead lads!

Far Skies Deep Time e.p release date

The Poole and The Aub have finally completed the mixes for the Far Time Deep Skies e.p, shortly before The Aub had to dash off and do the live sound for the Spock's Beard european tour. Jim Trainer has been finishing off the images for the artwork. Greg and I have been busy preparing promotional material for the release. Things like this...

Ladies & Gentlemen

the 

Far Skies Deep Time e.p 

will be released on

25th October 2010

Please note

For the first two months of release

the e.p will only be available to people who are on 

the Big Big Train mailing list

.....

Join the mailing list at www.bigbigtrain.com 

I've been running on silent in blog-land for the past couple of weeks because we (my family and I) are in the long and drawn out process of moving home. I finally reached the point where I had to dismantle and box up my studio earlier on in the week. I have been recording in a converted attic room for the last six years and although it may convey a romantic, poetic image to the casual reader... in reality it gets very closed in when I stand up. Often resulting in me either banging my head, the headstock of my guitar or both. Not for much longer though my friends because by the end of this week, I shall have a proper designated room in the new place. Hurrah!

Once upon a time, when I was younger and the world appeared to be much simpler, I seemingly had plenty of time to do things that did not revolve around the demands of offspring and the increasingly time-thirsty world of work. I had time to sing and play music at my leisure...

Earlier on this year, a bout of laryngitis had taken it's toll on my voice and in order to pull out all the stops for the Far Skies Deep Time vocal sessions I began giving my voice a regular work out. I vowed to keep up the pace and practice religiously.

David Longdon: 'Sea & Sky' Aug 2010

Photograph by Amy Mumford

So, cassock on and prayer shawl in hand I have been stealing occasional moments when I can run through a few things and blow the cobwebs off my vocal chords and get my fingers moving across the fretboard.

Afterwards, I feel entirely euphoric. I have now performed quite a few sets for Jerry and Beavis*

Got to go. Must put more things in boxes.

peace

David

*My two nonchelant cats.