News: Gospel Music Ireland launches

It’s only being going for a very short time – one week to be precise – but I thought I’d draw your attention to the Gospel Music Ireland website. According to founder Godfrey Chimb, the intention is for the site to be the ‘premier Irish resource’… Show them some love, people… Continue reading News: Gospel Music Ireland launches

Secret moves, partially revealed…

I’ve got to be a bit more careful with my Facebook status updates.

You just never know who’s reading, and – more importantly – how they’re going to respond.

Secret Moves

One lovely afternoon a short while ago, I was making really good progress on some of my UKGospel.com projects.

I was so chuffed that in the heat of the moment I wrote something like ‘making secret UKG moves’ as my Facebook status update.

Signposting…

Background: I post several status updates a day on Facebook and Twitter, the vast majority of which are links pointing out a lot of the good work that people do out there.

I also post random notes about more mundane stuff happening around me.  As you do.  The ‘making moves’ update was one I thought no one would notice, let alone respond to.

Less than a minute after posting it, I get a few ‘tell us’ responses, which – strange as it sounds – caught me totally by surprise.

Moves revealed

I told that nosy lot they had to wait, and pointed to the (rather obvious) clue in the  status update: the word ‘secret’…

But now, I can let a few little kittens out of a rather big bag:

Continue reading “Secret moves, partially revealed…”

Random – Fact V Fable (2): Mainstream v Christian Lyrics

Fable: The ‘mainstream’ will get turned off by overtly Christian messages and lyrics. Fact: the evidence suggests otherwise. In an age where Kanye West‘s hard core Hip-hop image didn’t prevent him from releasing ‘Jesus Walks’, and DMX was happy to put out ‘Lord Give Me A Sign‘, and over here people are happy to go properly mad for songs with titles like ‘Head, Shoulders, Knees … Continue reading Random – Fact V Fable (2): Mainstream v Christian Lyrics

Random: Fact V Fable (1) – UK gospel v industry

Fact vs Fable Series Intro: OK, guys: I’m on a roll now, and I can’t stop…  Off the back of my recent industry-style notes, I’m bringing you an occasional series of thoughts under this Fact vs Fable stream. It’s actually quite simple:  I’m looking to highlight thinking/attitudes within our industry that have somehow over time evolved into solid, almost incontestable ‘facts’.  While I can’t suggest I’m … Continue reading Random: Fact V Fable (1) – UK gospel v industry

Random: 200 words Christians shouldn’t use

The other day I came across a press release that recommended 200 words councils shouldn’t use in trying to communicate their messages. They included the following classics (suggested alternative in brackets): Blue sky thinking (thinking up ideas) Cross-fertilisation (spreading ideas) Coterminosity (all singing from the same hymn) Seedbed (idea) Horizon scanning (Why use at all?) Predictors of Beaconicity (Why use at all?) Thinking outside of … Continue reading Random: 200 words Christians shouldn’t use

Random: Videos I Like (4)

Here’s a question that’s probably going to split us down the middle: What’s better: firebrand gospel preaching (that works well in church but few other places), or just doing good works that inspires all that come in contact with you…? And yes, it’s a loaded question. Watch this video (if you’re reading this on my Facebook profile click the picture to see the video on … Continue reading Random: Videos I Like (4)

Random: So MJ gets your cash, then…?

Early this week: saw some exasperated status updates on Facebook from people trying to get Michael Jackson tickets. Later this week: More happy updates popping up as people start tracking down tickets. Got me thinking: so people are happy to pay a minimum of £50 (I hear) for MJ, but our promoters seem to be struggling to pack out small to mid sized venues charging … Continue reading Random: So MJ gets your cash, then…?

Random: Videos I Like (3)

The fallout over my ‘Hit Your Friend Hard’ (blog below) yesterday (imported from the official UKG WordPress blog into my Facebook profile)  was so much that today I’m giving you guys some light relief… It’s a television advert.    A very efficient, attention grabbing one at that. Nothing to do with the UK gospel scene, but it’s currently one of my favourite TV things for a number of reasons. It’s … Continue reading Random: Videos I Like (3)

Do your friend a favour: Hit them hard…

Man with Boxing Gloves

I spend a significant part of my week outside the UK gospel scene’s self-contained bubble: Media Guardian for news, and BBC 1Xtra for radio (I rarely miss Ras Kwame and Twin B‘s 100% UK shows).

I also indulge my old-school Reggae interest by trying to catch up with David Rodigan on KISS as often as I can.

So what’s this got to do with UK gospel music…? Continue reading “Do your friend a favour: Hit them hard…”

Random: ‘…Blimey! That’s rather good, innit!…’

Going through my WordPress blog today, looking at some of the old entries and just making sure all the links and bits and pieces were working, I came across my MySpace page, (which I haven’t been back to for an age as it’s allllllll about Facebook at the moment) Anyway, I stumble upon my very good friend Lisa Mayers’ MySpace page as well, and had … Continue reading Random: ‘…Blimey! That’s rather good, innit!…’