The euphoria and hope generated by Bob Geldolf’s Live 8; the attention their rock concerts and marches had focused on the meeting at Gleneagles has put pressure on the world’s leaders to do something about climate change and the desperate poverty in Africa.

Although these areas are in dire need of attention will they solve the causes of pollution and poverty? Is there somewhere else we should be looking?

This Volume of Xan Phillips presents speaks to Tim Walker the Campaign Manager for Adbusters. They call themselves a global network of artists, activists, writers, pranksters, students, educators and entrepreneurs but underneath they have some very serious issues to talk about.

On the surface they suggest you participate in a “Buy Nothing Day” or not watch your television for a week, or even put up some of their spoof adverts (left).

These suggestions are laudable and easy to implement but you might find them too simple or ineffective to pick-up and run with.

More hard-hitting is their Un-Brand America campaign for July 4th, which replaces the Stars and Stripes flag with ‘Logos and Stripes’, and the inventive “True Cost Economics” which encourages students to question the economic curriculum and those who teach it. All of these subjects and more are covered in our interview with Tim Walker.

This interview with Henta Ellis was held at the Guildford Spectrum, a leisure centre on the outskirts of the town, which is almost home to podcasting.

Well, Adam Curry lives here sometimes and mentions Guildford occasionally in his podcast.

Henta Ellis also lives in Guildford and although she has never met Mr Curry she has done some work for him indirectly.

In December 2005 ? she contributed vocals to the Podsafe for Peace ‘If every day were Christmas’ track in support of UNICEF ? a project initiated by the ?God of Pod? himself.

So it made sense to hold the interview somewhere in Guildford, which was open at night and didn?t have too much going on in the background.

Henta is a classically trained pianist and has been composing for about 20 years. She writes in her home studio using Cubase SX and mostly virtual instruments for her recordings.

The Tolkien Society was formed in 1969 as an attempt to bring the works of JRR Tolkien back to the academic halls from where his tales were written.

As the joy of reading Lord of the Rings spreads so does a wave of artistic inspiration sweep out of the groups and societies that spring up in cities and towns of the loyal fans.

These groups write articles, paint pictures and create art that is closely associated with the books.

The archives of the Tolkien society are brimming with this memorabilia, collected from around the world.

They also collect merchandise from publishers and the like and I am sure you can imagine how much more there is since Peter Jackson made his fabulous trilogy.

Before the second film, Two Towers, came out I did a two hour special on 1350AM GU2 about Lord of The Rings.

We played music from the first film, listened to people’s opinions on the film and also heard from Pat Reynolds who is the archivist for the Tolkien Society.

Taking part in a demo is great fun. You get to walk with a group of like minded people, shout about things you care for on the streets of your city, while the traffic waits for you.

On December 3rd 2005, from Bangladesh to Venezuela, people took to the streets to focus world attention on the effect mankind is having on Earth’s environment.

Saturday December 3rd was chosen as it bisects the two week Climate Conference being held in Montreal. This conference is the first ‘Meeting of Parties’ who are engaged in the Kyoto Protocol, the protocol which the United States and Australia have yet to ratify and the protocol which the UK government seems to be wandering away from.

We walked and talked with the London demonstration. We recorded their views, rants and chants. So why not download this podcast and become part of the International Day of Climate Protest.

It was a musical whim that took Emily Burridge to Brazil in the early 1990’s and this visit inspired her to record “Earth Songs” her first album.

She was then asked to perform this piece at the 1992 Earth Summit in Rio. Here she met up with some indigenous tribes and formed a strong bond with one in particular – the Xavante.

In collaboration with the Chief (left) they formulated a project to benefit the community – the Xavante Centre of Herbal Medicine – and on returning to the UK she founded a registered charity “Indigenous People’s Cultural Support Trust”

The project gained support from both organisations and individuals and over the next four years Emily regularly lived and worked amongst the Xavante. The centre was inaugurated amidst festive songs and dancing in January 1998 (below).

Emily was invited to make an audio recordings of both groups and individuals and over the years compiled a library of their traditional singing.

These recordings are now being integrated into her new production “Bridge Between Worlds”, an orchestral work written for full orchestra and featured ‘cello.

We caught up with Emily just before she returned to Brazil to play the finished result to the Chief and his tribe. She spoke to us of her plans, what is was like living with the Xavante and she played us some of her new album.

It was a piece of music by Emily Burridge that first drew my attention to the Day of the Dead celebration .

While living on the East Coast of Brazil, studying folkloric music, Emily recorded a procession of people ecstatically shouting out the names of their patron saints as they converge on the town square. This had been after a day of offering prayers at all the sacred sites in the area.

She incorporated their celebration into a haunting piece of music using her ‘cello and featuring percussionist Milton Fiori

So to visit Laurie Lipton’s exhibition was not surprising from the subject matter but the quality of the work took my breath away.

The exhibition was held in a room at the Melia White House Hotel in central London, next to Regents Park.

The walls of the room were not white but an oppressive black and the lighting minimal. To me this made her work standout like teeth in a skull’s head.

The room was dressed by Michael Lapsley from the Victoria and Albert Museum and you’ll also hear from him in this feature.

Although Laurie Lipton was the first person to graduate from Carnegie-Mellon University in Pennsylvania with a Fine Arts Degree in Drawing (with honors), Laurie Lipton is self taught.

In this interview you will hear her talk about how she became an artist and how she learnt her skills. She also explains how the Day of The Dead festival inspired her and she’ll explain some of her drawings; how she composed them and some of the hidden meanings.

In October 2005 I went to Madame JoJo’s in Soho’s Brewer Street to witness the first night of a new monthly “stand up drama” event in which a number of actors, either invited or coming as a result of auditions, get five minutes on stage to perform in front of an audience which has paid good money to get in.

The aim was to give new and established actors an opportunity to experiment with new writing or perform to invited agents/casting directors.

There was a great feeling in the venue and an atmosphere of encouragement rather than competition.

While we were there we interviewed the director Melissa Leigh, all the actors taking part and featured Jason Wing (left) who was performing a piece he had been working on for some months.

This is the short version, the long one was just well…too long ;-)

Donald Pass is an artist who has witnessed the Resurrection, this is what he saw…

“Everything began to change and a tremendous darkness surrounded me. The whole landscape, churchyard, near and distant fields, seemed filled with thousands of figures Stretching to the horizon. In the blackness was a tremendous light; large winged figures with faces like lions … A veil had been lifted and I would never again see anything in the same way.”

This was a great story to cover and I must thank Jackie and Donald Pass for letting me interview them. What they have to say deserves to be put into film; the vision turned into an animation and if you have the money I’ll do it for you.

Donald Pass’s story should be seen and heard in cinemas around the world. If you don’t have the money to make the film then just buy one of his paintings!

The text below below is copied from the Outsider Art gallery and there is more information at the Raw Vision web site.

“In his drawings and paintings Pass strives to reveal something of the great mystery which underlies existence; of the spiritual presence embodied as image. His visionary art speaks simply of extraordinary things beyond understanding.”

The music in this item is used with permission by Marcus Davidson and comes for the dance production Awakenings.

And you can see more of his paintings at the Outsider Art Gallery.

We beat the Bogans!

I had to go. I was drawn like a moth to a flame, or even a fan to match. When you have been watching one of the greatest sporting contests all summer; when you have been telling any Australian that would listen “England are going to win the Ashes”, then you should be there when they do. A triumph of determination and team spirit.

Monday 12th September 2005 was a tense day. The fifth day of the final match. At one point it looked like England had blown it but then Kevin Pietersen pulled it together and steered England to victory.

This audio download is a montage of sounds and interviews from the evening. We might to a long version but for now this is it. I hope you enjoy the feelings it revives! Well played the Aussies and well played England, delighted to have been there at the end.

If you don’t know what the Ashes are about then visit the wikipedia link below!

The conclusion of our visit to The Social is a talk with Bruce Bickerton, the artist behind Alucidnation.

He was playing live that night using a mixture of keyboards, computer and vocals.

Bruce has a distinctive singing style, some would call it truly English. His his first Album ‘Induction’ was picked up by Big Chill Records after one of his tracks went down a storm at the end of a fantastic festival / week long party in Naxos, Greece (2000).

Bruce was playing at at The Social during Chris Coco’s Balearica evening. As the club was getting busier we decided to go outside and catch the last glimpses of daylight in the warm London air…

We strive, we do, to bring you new and exciting people who have either great thought or cool sounds.

In this volume we speak to Declan Flynn, the man behind Al-Pha-X. You may well have heard his music on some of the Buddha Bar albums. If you judge you buying by the reviews on Amazon then his music is a must have.

We met up with him at The Social during Chris Coco’s Balearica evening. The background music was loud, the conversation stimulating and we eagerly discovered interesting facts about his music and his latest album “A Plea For Sanity”.

He also gave us his honest thoughts about record labels and the joy of being on iTunes.

This is part two of our feature from that evening. In Volume 25 we met Chris Coco, BBC Radio 1 DJ and compilation maker and in 26 we’ll be hearing from Alucidnation.

For the lazy the term “Art of the Insane” sums it up in a neat and simple package, and this package is then left dormant in the mind. Beware the sleeping giant, this art form is out to get you!

It will invade your ideas and beliefs, twist your notions of madness and probably inspire you to put pen to paper or brush to canvass.

By calling these artists insane you belittle their creations and their humanity. They might have diseases and conditions that can be clinically defined by psychiatrists but their paintings speak beyond these boundaries.

Until I met Henry Boxer I had never* heard of Outsider Art, the term better applied to artists who had developed their skills independently of tutors, teachers and “the acceptable way of doing things”.

A good example is Edmund Monsiel, an untreated schizophrenic, who produced a body of exquisitely detailed drawings, often with messianic and religious inscriptions, on scraps of paper. These were only discovered after his death.

The Henry Boxer Gallery has exhibits at the New York Outsider Art Fair every January and the 20/21 Century British Art Fair every September. He is also a director of the magazine Raw Vision. I visited his private gallery, mid-August, 2005 and we talked about Outsider Art and other parts of his collection.

*On reflection I have seen an episode of The Simpsons in which Homer is ‘discovered’ as an Outsider Artist.

This interview is with Warwick Davis, a short actor, who’s first ever role was as Wicket the Ewok in Return of The Jedi.

He has also appeared in other Star Wars films, in Harry Potter films, and as the lead character in Willow and many Leprechaun movies. Most recently he featured as Marvin the paranoid android in Hitch Hikers Guide to the Galaxy.

As far as I was concerned interviewing Mr Davies was a honour and the closest I have been to someone who took part in the Star Wars saga.

In this podcast you’ll hear about how it all began, what he does to get into a role and most importantly that he is the only human to have played the part of Yoda….

When the term classic is given to a piece of music it is usually associated to an album that has sold millions of copies. Not to one that very few people know about!

Another Fine Day’s album, Life Before Land could well be a sleeping giant. It was recorded between 1991 and 1994 and is considered one of the best albums to mix natural and electronic sounds.

We met up with Tom Green, the man behind the sampler, at the launch party for the re-release of this wonderful piece of music. As there were no other visible journalists attending we are going to claim this is an exclusive!

The album came out in May 2005 and we think you should buy a copy for every person you love. And make this a classic that has sold thousands!

It was an experiment in sound recording and also a very positive chat afterwards. The participants didn’t realise they were being recorded until later and no doubt they were well aware of each other while they were spouting forth.

On the left was Mark Campbell, he is a whistling busker from Wolverhampton. He is also blind. In the middle was Gypsy Tom, the street preacher, telling the world about God and Jesus.

Meanwhile I was sitting on the steps to the right of the photo above, in between the first two pillars. In my ears I had binaural microphones, designed to reproduce the actual sound of the world around me.

If you listen to the first part outside, wearing headphones, you should get an excellent and spooky effect. Close your eyes and you will be transported to Guildford High Street on the 6th August, 2005.

Once it has finished we talked with both participants and found out why? And for how long?

It was before we walked into Reading Town Hall that Eric Bibb’s voice and guitar wafted our way. The singing was laid back and soulful; the melodies uplifting. We knew we were in for a treat.

He dresses simply and he wears a hat but you don’t need much more when you have such presence.

It was one of those interviews where you really, really hope you recording equipment is catching every word because if at the end of it you had to say, “I’m sorry Mr Bibb something went wrong with my minidisk!”, you would be heartbroken.

This time it all went well and Eric gave us a very good ‘rap’ about why an American really enjoys living in England and about serendipity, or maybe the cosmic fate that seems to be bringing everything together for him now.

We also spoke to Clive Barnes, his slide guitarist who gives a great insight into what it is like to perform with this troubadour. And we spoke to his loyal and surprisingly large body of fans who adore him.

Eric Bibb’s next album is A Ship Called Love and was released in the UK on 25 September 2005. It will be available in shops and online at Amazon

You should have a copy on your collection as the time is right for Eric Bibb.

When you have a load of good songs, some train sounds and a podcasting ability then it makes sense to throw them all together and give it a fancy name. Plus we can rely on the lovely Jenny to lend her luscious tones to the beginning and presto hey we must have a hit!

All the music on this podcast comes from Guildford in Surrey, UK and we kick off a new song from Raising Sand who are an excellent four piece rock band. Legend has it they were dipped in a bucket of blues when they were born. Well worth seeing live and as this song is called Dirty Weekend I’ll leave the rest to your imagination.

We carry on with the blues for the next two songs. The first is the next single from the Martin Harley Band – titled Carnival Girl it comes form the album Money Don’t Matter, both of which are available to won, love and cherish – soon.

Then we have more new music in the shape and sound of Jay Carter. Not only is he a young and gifted guitarist but he also teaches it too. This is a new composition and recording from him. It is called Make Your Change.

Next stop is Greedy Fingers, or Mr Greedy as he is sometimes known. He’s a producer and recording artist who works with a variety of people. The rappers Cage and Necro feature on his album Shady Sirens as well as this track I Sell Rhymes Like Dimes performed by Greedy Fingers & MF Doom/Megalon

The we have a chalk and cheese moment as this track slips quite nicely into When You Get to Heaven by Henta. We featured her in Volume and by now if you are listening to the podcast I hope you are suitably impressed by the quality of musicianship coming out of Guildford. And it continues with…

Hipslinky, the band with the best name in the world. This track is a b-side. It is called Time Comes Around was the second song to Had It Occurred To You? Both of which should appear on the next Hipslinky (great name) album

The last two artists, or stops, on this Long Slow Train to Guildford both begin with a W. But that is probably the closest either gets to the other. Rob Blackham’s latest project is called Way Out Cinema and this piece of music is a demo of the song Choose.

And we end with the other W – Wonderland Avenue. I haven’t seen Trisco (the man behind the desk) for a while as he’s been gigging in Russia and might even be doing a set in China. This piece of music is called Get Back and I can only describe the style as Hard Dance – I’m sure it’s not known as that but you should get the drift once you hear it.

And that’s it, we arrive in Guildford.

Not only is Guildford the spiritual home of podcasting but we also have a wealth of new artistic talent around the town and you are going to hear some great songs and of course some more poetry. Underneath it all, a thunder storm recorded in June 2006.

The first band in this podcast is the youngest group in Guildford that I know of. When ‘Arthur’ recorded “Heart Stopping Specialist” two of them were only 15 years old! They are being courted by record companies across Europe but are going to finish their studies before they think about a future in the entertainment industry.

http://www.myspace.com/arthurmusic

Next up are three acts that will be performing on the Ents24 Stage at Guilfest, the three day music festival in Guildford (14th – 16th July 2006)

First we will hear Newton Falkner. This was recorded live during my show on 1350AM GU2 at the University of Surrey www.gu2.co.uk in early 2005. Since then he has been championed by BBC Radio 2 and The Independent of Sunday and in 2006 wowed the crowds at South by South West in Austen Texas.

He’s a great singer/guitarist and improved his skills at the Academy of Music in Guildford which is the main source of new talent in this town.

http://www.newtonfaulkner.com/

On the same day and a little bit earlier is another great singer/songwriter – Alistair McCowan. He was the former bass playing front man of Redwood. He’s ditched the four string for six and released a great solo album called “Why Can I See Stars”. The track I’ve picked from it is “Long Lost Friends”. It has a great sentiment, a lovely flow and full of summer fun.

http://www.alistaircowan.com/

The final link in this Guilfest puzzle is the person who is probably most responsible for the rise of Open Mic Nights around Guilford. Due to the popularity of his evenings of songs and revelry Gavin Thomas inspired others to start their own nights.

Out of this came the Guildford Songwriters Night, a evening where you had to play your own compositions and the audience was expected to listen and not chat, talk or laugh. This too was popular and so it makes sense to play a recording of Gavin Thomas singing his lyrically song “The Game”.

http://www.gavinthomas.com/

If you are going to Guilfest Gavin is the compare for the Ents24 Stage and will be playing a selection of songs before the first act each day – so get there early on Friday and hear Gavin, Alistair and Newton perform live. It is also on BBC Radio 2 and hopefully they might play a recording for these fabulous acts. So if you can’t get there due to the English Channel, Atlantic or Pacific Oceans then listen online

http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio2/events/guilfest06/index.shtml

The next voice, and it is just pure voice, comes from Anan Tabbush. She is a folk singer/song-writer currently gigging the acoustic scene around London and South East England. She plays in a variety of bands as well as singing with the Tabbush Sisters and runs two community choirs, Brighton Vox and Guildford Vox.

http://www.myspace.com/annatabbush

Every podcast we try and have some poetry and this one comes from Gareth Strachen. He is English but spent some time in Canada running a furniture store and has also confessed to working in a book shop. He back in Guildford and planning an evening of poetry. This poem “New Mood Rising” is excellent.

It gives a great perspective on old age a subject that will become more important as the baby boomer generation suddenly realize that their working time is up and retirement is rearing its ravaged head. It is also gives an interesting perspective on shop working.

And we end with two songs about breaking up with your partner. They perfectly sum up the difference between men and women: how they think, how they react and what an ‘ending’ means to them.

The first is from Susie Clar ke who is currently working with a variety of groups as well as being a solo artist. She is currently recording an EP with Nick Sowden the producer for Anna Tabbush and you can hear work in progress on her MySpace page. The song I’m playing is called “Like A River”.

Those interested in trivia might like to know that Susie and her father took over the same bar that Gavin Thomas used to run.

http://www.myspace.com/susieclarke

In complete contrat that runs into a raucous piece of rock and roll from Carter Brown – a Guildford band that I met on MySpace. I love their sound and can’t wait to see them live. Spill magazine said this about them: “If you like music that lays it’s nuts on the line, tries to snog your sister then drinks you’re last bottle of vodka. Carter Brown are you’re band… very cool indeed!!”

http://www.myspace.com/carterbrown

There aren’t many artists from Malawi who have been able to make an impression in the West; this band has the energy to accomplish such a task.

The Sangalala AfroBlues Band represents a unique collaboration of Malawian musicians put together by an emerging artist named Kenny Gilmore Gilmore. Together they have created a new style of music which has captured the heart of the nation. They call it ‘AfroBlues’.

When Kenny Gilmore visited the UK in 2006 Xan Phillips interviewed him about the band, music in Malawi and the influences behind their latest album ‘Ngati Mafunde Mafunde’. The conversation is interspersed with three tracks: Musade Nkawa, Ngati Mafunde and Phwando.

There aren’t many artists from Malawi who have been able to make an impression in the West; this band has the energy to accomplish such a task.

The Sangalala AfroBlues Band represents a unique collaboration of Malawian musicians put together by an emerging artist named Kenny Gilmore Gilmore. Together they have created a new style of music which has captured the heart of the nation. They call it ‘AfroBlues AfroBlues’.

When Kenny Gilmore visited the UK in 2006 Xan Phillips interviewed him about the band, music in Malawi and the influences behind their latest album ‘Ngati Mafunde Mafunde’. The conversation is interspersed with three tracks: Musade Nkawa, Ngati Mafunde and Phwando.