U2 in 3D

What an amazing experience! Once you get past wearing those ridiculous glasses, you are virtually on stage with Bono and the boys - feeling the energy and enjoying the glow of the live performance filmed in Beunos Aires, Argentina. You strut the stage, glare at the wood finish of the guitars and almost sit at the drums with Larry! It's incredible!

This 3d thing is close up stuff! Trailers for the upcoming 'Dinosaurs' and 'Sea Monsters' movies were exhilarating! But watching U2 in concert made my heart jump! I was struck again by the simplicity of their music and how brilliantly that works for them. And I was impacted on many levels at the way a message can be communicated so effortlessly but so poignantly! Bono, of course, is a champion communicator! You only have to read his book 'Bono on Bono' to see how he breathes in the importance of justice and breathes out action and change! Throughout the concert he cleverly informs - for example about Martin Luther King - and then melodically inspires a change of heart. Love not hate, generosity not greed, peaceful co-existence not war.

If he can stir up a crowd to sing a rock anthem, maybe he can stir up a crowd to make poverty history! To me he symbolises a leather clad messenger of the cross with shades on!

DRIVE ON

Well its been a LONG time since my last post..I am going to remedy that soon. But first I want to show how flexible I am when it comes to being in the driving seat. My recent trip to the USA provided me with some great cars to drive...and here they are.
Guess which one I loved the best????

THANKU BERROW

Just returned from an incredibly enthusiastic crowd who gathered at a 13th Century Anglican Church in Berrow, Somerset. As part of their church celebrations, they invited me with my band to provide an evening of songs and worship. It was wonderful. They listened, sang, laughed and reflected on thoughts of life and God. Thanku to all who came...and made it a memorable evening. They even requested 'Carry The Fire' - a song I haven't sung for well over 10 years..it was very moving as they joined in and seemed to know the tune better than me!!
They were amazed we said yes to a tiny place called Berrow...but I have noticed the appreciation from places that are not saturated with events and concerts to be overwhelmingly wonderful! They really value the visit!

On a different note, the journey home reinforced my dislike of motorway services...after paying a ridiculous amount of money for a hot chocolate...only to be given a cup of hot...still wondering where the chocolate went!

Moving onto the letter N

Well..the time in Geneva and Glasgow went really well. Lots of live music/worship and lots of rehearsing with different musicians...kept me on my toes!! I did the whole trip on Easyjet...and I must confess...the whole system seems to turn people of ALL ages into EASYYOBS...pushing, shoving, queueing....what is it about human beings??? We even gather around the luggage carousal when our luggage isn't coming..blocking everyone else's view!!! I kept wondering how we have all gotten so IMPATIENT.

Today I am off to Nottingham to lead worship at 2 events plus a radio interview, alongside a friend called Liz Babbs, who will provide reflective meditations...

Just heard Annie Lennox is about 2 bring out a new CD...about time!!! She is a very thoughtful lady!!! I like that.

Presence

Had a great time in Fort Wayne, Indiana, teaching a module called 'Creativity, Worship and PostModernity' as part of a contemporary worship course called Presence. The course consisted of 4 separate modules and attracted about 50 students each time.

My title sounds pretty heavyweight, but I loved researching and adding to my understanding about creative / immersive worship expressions and relevant cultural indicators affecting and challenging us today and for the future. We spent a good amount of time constructing a worship experience which was multi sensory and communal. I think it opened the eyes of the students to a wider understanding of corporate worship and areas of creativity and contemplation.

Then I came back to the Uk to teach on a YWAM School of Worship about songwriting. That was fun too...and the students ended up writing some pretty good songs! They were all better than the UK Eurovison song contest entry!!

5 MINUTES ON....

I am posting on my website (www.suerinaldi.net) a new series of semi-edited teachings from my visit this autumn to a great church in Fort Wayne, Indiana. The various talks have been condensed into individual 5 minute soundbites and are in essence, short ventures into creative spaces.
The first in the series is based on a quote by the French painter and artist, Henri Matisse.
“An artist must never be a prisoner. An artist should never be a prisoner of himself, prisoner of style, prisoner of reputation, prisoner of success"
So, if you have a spare five minutes, take a listen...I hope they will provoke and inspire. The first is looking at 'Boxes' and features voices from some of the artists at the creative gathering in Fort Wayne.

GIRLY MUSIC SCIENTIST

It's always good to get the creative juices stirred up by watching someone else in concert or by going to an art exhibition. Last night I ventured to Brighton to hear the unique Imogen Heap. Only recently has she invaded my space but it was an amazingly refreshing experience. She is a girl with gadgets, building up tracks as she plays and handling vocoders and samplers as if they were child's toys. She has an eccentric simplicity and a huge capacity for making music that leaves you shouting for more. She is definitely one artist to look out for. Her concerts are a work of wonder. Long live the spirit of originality!!

I was recently asked a question about how we can stay 'out of the box'. As I was considering my reply, a friend remarked that it's probably best not to get in the box in the first place!!! There were no boxes on stage last night!!

THE MUSIC OF POETRY

I had an inspirational evening watching JANE SIBERRY in concert in London. She delivers her songs with an honesty that unearths a fresh appreciation for melody and awakens a thirst for the story behind the lady who paints a picture book of observations and experiences. In a world that manufactures on a mass scale, she appeared original and unique...gliding from song to story...and I loved it.