Jig Blog

Avatar: a big h3Dache

I finally got around to seeing Avatar 3d yesterday.

Can I suggest that if you've never seen a 3d film before, don't pop your 3d cherry with an epic that seems to be about 9 hours long.

If you want to know why I felt it was a truly rubbish movie, check out my Jiggers facebook profile from today where I discuss it in laborious detail. 

The main problem with 3d is that you have a huge screen in front of you, and only certain sections are in focus: the bits you're *supposed* to be looking at. I don't know why, but I want to look at every possible section of the screen, and take in all the details. So I ended up with a rather distracting headache. I often just took off the 3d glasses (which cost 80p, mind) and watched it all "in blurry".

To find out more about "h3daches", see this article

Look at this...Don't look at this? Actually, I think I'd prefer to not look at any of it, James. It's a lovely sunny day outside in *actual* 3d. I might go and appreciate that instead.

Update: Jiggers Ceilidh Band on Scotland's BBC Live hogmanay show?

I have a theory that if everybody spoke like Robbie Shepherd, there wouldn't be any wars.

Sadly, this year the Jiggers ceilidh band will NOT be performing on Radio Scotland's live Hogmanay show. A bit gutted. That would have been fun. It was an honour to be asked, though! We've got some of our musicians playing at Hampden, others at the Hilton, AND (to further disappoint those of you who like fortuitous alliteration) at the Mormon Church. (maybe they could call it a Hootenanny?) It's going to be a pretty tight stretch as it is...

Good news, however, is that I discovered the DV tapes from the original BIG JIG were NOT corrupted after all, it was just the video camera I was playing them in! D'oh! Well, that means that I'll have TWO events to get a new Jiggers video from (the other being the Wee Jig on Saturday night there). So all in all, things are going OK.

 www.bbc.co.uk

Big Jig video : Strip the Willow instructions

I've finally gotten around to getting the video from the first Big Jig off of 8 digital video tapes. Unfortunately, the tapes seem corrupted somehow,which is quite disappointing... I think I have a "be Kind Rewind" video jinx thing going on...

***edit*** 11/12/09 as it turns out, the videos WERE working after all...I'm currently editing videos for both the Big Jig last year and the Wee Jig last month. Expect new "moving picture!" videos in the new year... ***edit***

Luckily, I recorded the audio separately so here's a promo video I put together with some stills (courtesy of good pal Simon Varwell) using the good ol' Windoze Movie Maker. It's hard to capture the energy of your typical Jiggers Scottish ceilidh using static images, but it'll have to do until we get another video made! (maybe the Big Jig 3 beckons?)

Star Wars Uncut: could this be a cult smash?

Made entirely by fans doing 15 second segments each.

Top 10 records every wedding DJ needs (no 4.)

Hi all. Back from a nice blog-holiday break with...

Top ten records every wedding DJ needs: no 4

Scissor Sisters: I don't feel like dancing.

Ironically of course, play this record at a wedding, and people do.

It annoys me that the Scissor Sisters made this record. It’s just the right tempo for the “walking to the dancefloor dance”. Since I don’t tend to play more than one song by the same artist (unless it’s a very long DJ set), it means that I rarely get to play what I think is their absolute best single, the abounding-in-funk, groovetastic and often forgotten-about “take your mama out”.

Still, lyrics in the chorus for this record deserve a special mention, just because they’re especially indecipherable (how many teenagers know what "that old joanna" is?). 

“I don’t feel like dancing when that old Joanna plays, my heart could take a chance but my two feet can’t find the way, you’d think that I could muster up a little soft-shoe gentle sway, but I don’t feel like dancing, no sir, no dancing today”

PS Don't you love that fun Youtube video?