26 January 2009
New photo blog from Dave's travels
in Italy!
iCon 3 album art released; new tickets on
sale for sold out London performance!
iCon3 Screensaver contest!
Dave guests at Guitar Break
in November 09!
See more of Italy through Dave's Eyes! :o)))
It's the start of a brand new year, and there is just so much new news to tell you about!!!
First off we have another installment of Dave's popular photo blog, containing a whole bunch of new pictures that Dave took on his recent short tour of Italy with fellow guitarist Guthrie Govan, in a band which also featured Guthrie's brother Seth on bass, and drummer Pete Riley...
As you probably know Pete played on Dave's solo album Scarlet, and also with Dave in the Keith Emerson Band... and he's recently contributed his rhythmic genius to the Icon 3 album and will be joining Dave for the Icon tour which kicks off next month!!
We've been pleased by your response to Dave's photos and commentary and are happy to bring you this second of three chapters. Check it out HERE.
iCon News -- Tickets released for London after Sellout; Album Art preview; Screensaver contest; Tourdates
Dave's been pretty busy in the studio with John Wetton and Geoff Downes as they put the final touches on the iCon 3 album and prepare for the tour which culminates in the recording of their live DVD in London. This exclusive show had been sold out for weeks, but the management has just released a few tickets previously reserved for press -- you can find them at www.ticketweb.co.uk by searching "John Wetton", "Geoff Downes" "iCon" or "Wetton-Downes iCon".
We're very pleased that we can give a few more fans the chance to join us for what will surely be a magical evening.
The artwork for the iCon 3 album cover has been released. You will see that it is a stylized and personalized version of the OM symbol.
Coincidently it's similar to the Om necklace that Dave has worn constantly for many years.
It's a sacred and mystical syllable, which defies a brief description but implies a universal "everything", which reflects the diverse nature of the album's material. Here's a picture of the cover:
Screensaver contest
To celebrate the release of the album and accompanying tour, John Wetton and Geoffrey Downes have announced a contest -- allowing someone to create an iCon themed screensaver which celebrates the band, the performers and music in images with or without music.
Here are the details:
John Wetton and Geoffrey Downes are pleased to announce a contest which will allow fans to design a special slideshow to commemorate the release of the third iCon studio album.
The slideshow should contain images relating to John and Geoff and/or their music. They may be of the artists (solo or with iCon) or representative their music. (Please be sensitive to others and do not include images that may be considered offensive by another person, race, party or creed.) Slideshows may also include music relating to the artists, but it is not required.
Submissions for the iCon slideshow contest must be in either .mov (QuickTime) or .wmv (Window Media Player) format with a maximum resolution of 640 x 480. Google's free Picasa software (Windows & Intel Macs) or Apple's iMovie are two options that can be used to create the appropriate movie files.
The winning screensaver will be chosen by Mssrs. Wetton and Downes and the designer will receive tickets to the sold out performance of the limited audience London concert which will be recorded for DVD, CDs from the band and solo cat alogues, and meet the band. (If the winner cannot make the London show, another Icon or Asia show will be offered).
The new album will be released worldwide on Frontiers in the first quarter of 2009. All contest entries must be provided for judging no later than 10 February, 2009. Please email screensaver entries to iConDVD@aol.com. This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it . (If the completed file size exceeds 10MB, please email first for alternate submission instructions.)
iCon Tour Dates
There aren't many, but we hope you will join us for iCon's performances in Japan (8 shows, four cities), Holland and London. It is certain to be a very special experience for everyone involved and you will find surprise guests at certain shows :o))
Check out the TOUR DATES page for more on when and where the concerts occur. All are in February.
Dave to guest at Guitar Break 09
It's never too early to think about booking some time at a Guitar Break weekend! Dave was one of the most popular instructors at the ACM in Guildford, but frequent tour commitments have prevented him from returning to the classroom. His instructional skills are available on DVD, but most people find that they learn a lot more in a live setting.
This year, there's an opportunity to do that in November!! Here is the advertisement that Guitar Break are running in music magazines:
You can learn more at www.guitarbreak.com
There is an exciting year coming up. Watch for more from Dave as he continues to work with favourite collaborators like Murray Hockridge, Wetton & Downes, Guthrie Govan and others!
We know this will be a year filled with an extraordinary excitement and look forward to sharing the journey with you.
Ps: Dave should be out celebrating his birthday on Sunday the 25th
...but he is celebrating it in studio rehearsing for the iCon tour.
Happy Birthday Dave!