Very excited: Uli Jon Roth Sky Academy

[gwEm]

http://www.therobin.co.uk/whats_on/giginfo.asp?gigid=3201

I just signed up. This will be great, I've not been so excited for ages. Managed to get an advance ticket bargain on the trains too - 22 quid include unlimited tram rides in the Wolverhampton area.

Better get practicing to make the most of this.

[richard]

How long is the course ? I've been looking at the Sky Academy site and have to say I didn't really understand much of it. I used to get my guitars set up by Andy who built the original Sky guitars so I got to handle one of the almost completed guitars - strange things.

Hope you enjoy it.

[gwEm]

It lasts for 3 hours and costs 35quid.

I'm hoping for a bit of an insight into his improvisation methods.

[FELINEGUITARS]

hope it's fun....

[Telerocker]

Sounds good, enjoy!

[Philly Q]

Sounds very interesting, but I strongly suspect it would all be totally beyond me.

Looking forward to reading your "review" of the event in due course.  :D

[richard]

I do wonder how much you can learn in 3 hours. Looking forward to your review.

[gwEm]

I do wonder how much you can learn in 3 hours. Looking forward to your review.

I wondered that, and I also wondered how many people will turn up and how personal it will be.

But then I thought, even if I just come out with two or three new ideas it will be worth it.

[Philly Q]

But then I thought, even if I just come out with two or three new ideas it will be worth it.

Presumably there'll be some degree of entertainment involved as well (I mean a show, not canapés and a small glass of chardonnay, of course)

[TheyCallMeVolume]

Sounds awesome, I'd love to do stuff like this, and the workshops, etc.

[Afghan Dave]

Presumably there'll be some degree of entertainment involved as well (I mean a show, not canapés and a small glass of chardonnay, of course)

...If there ain't at least an Iceland prawn ring, I ain't interested.

Hope you enjoy it mate.

BTW - I'm still upset we've not had any Scopions shows in the UK on this latest tour.   :(

[gwEm]

Just got back from the Sky Academy. Overall I had a decent day and came back with a couple of ideas for improving my playing.

Some of Uli's ideas are a bit out there, but he has a really nice way of thinking about music. But I think he goes too far applying it to other fields, there was bit of numerology and pseudoscience in there, some of it far fetched. Evidently those ideas help him with his playing though, which is excellent, so who I am to doubt him ;)

Due to some organisational problems, we didn't get to do any actual playing, which might have provided more direction. I had a good day out as I say, but I do feel like it wasn't quite what I was hoping for. I did get answers to a couple of questions though.

His sky guitar is quite incredible: controls for volume, 3 band active EQ, and a high range gain control... built with high quality components, based on an old mixing desk he liked. I must admit, it does sound good.

[gwEm]

But then I thought, even if I just come out with two or three new ideas it will be worth it.

Presumably there'll be some degree of entertainment involved as well (I mean a show, not canapés and a small glass of chardonnay, of course)

Hobnobs, chocolate digestives, and as much tea as we could drink! I think you'd have quite enjoyed it Philly - based more on melodies than techniques.

[Philly Q]

But then I thought, even if I just come out with two or three new ideas it will be worth it.

Presumably there'll be some degree of entertainment involved as well (I mean a show, not canapés and a small glass of chardonnay, of course)

Hobnobs, chocolate digestives, and as much tea as we could drink! I think you'd have quite enjoyed it Philly - based more on melodies than techniques.

Pretty bloody useless for diabetics!  :x

I jest.... I'm sure I would've enjoyed it, although the hippy pseudo-science would've tried my patience a little.

[gwEm]

Yeah.. I'm willing to accept some dose of that - notes as colours, mediation etc. but it's clear he's lived all his life as a musician and tries to find an explanation for everything in terms of musical theory. I have doubts frankly, but at least he's thought about it, and its less far fetched than certain other theories of the universe that are widely taught. Definite hippy pseudo science though in places.