Hi there

I'm Stuart Gilmour, one of the directors of this here Void Avoidance Ltd, therefore it has fallen upon me to write the first blog for the site. I thought therefore it might be interesting to blog a little about Void Avoidance and its relation to the music industry.

So Void Avoidance is a Limited Company right, that sounds big doesn't it, in a way. In reality it's two young men, with a passion for people and music with a bit of paper saying they are a limited company. I mean it is legitimate and so on, registered at Companies House, the tax men have even sent us a welcome letter which is nice.

Thing is, we could be two young guys trying to help folks out here and there, but we really want to help folks out, thats why the Ltd thing started. I'm 27 years old, I've been in a lot of differnt jobs, working in retail, coffee shops, working with the disabled, the dying (Palliative Care), the elderly, I even tested out youth ministry in a church for 6 months. I've had many experiences, been to the U.S.A. many times, visted India and may even have the privelage of visiting Africa this year. Currently I work for Positive Steps a charity based in Scotland that does great work with the homeless, rehabilitated, mentally ill and those with HIV and AIDS, my job is going into schools and teaching PSE (Sexual Health, HIV and AIDS awareness, drug and alcohol awareness etc),

yet, despite all these great experiences and jobs I would rather work for Void Avoidance.

The reason being is that I believe in it. Void Avoidance is on the front just another promoter, another label, another this and that, another couple of people trying to do something involving music. If that was the reality or the only drive behind it, then I would not have formed a Ltd company.

You see Void voidance has two 'meanings' if you will.

The first is: Helping the musicians within our ethos void the music void.

The music void, is hard to explain cognitively without examples in reality. A band within the music void, plays their music to the same crowd, in the same bar, in the same town for 3 years and then splits. A band in the music void feels like their efforts are pointless, no one cares, no one listens, they feel disenfranchised because their music doesn't fit the mainstream.

We hate to see that happen to good musicians with something great to offer the wider music scenes ad communities. I hope that is explained accurately enough.

The Second is: Helping people avoid the void, yes, just the void.

Emptiness, isolation, depression, low self-esteem, and all the other 'dark' places people find themselves in. Now it may seem a bit above our station to think we can help with that, but the truth is all people can, if we can help pur people into those dark void like places through our neglect, ignorance, arrogance, selfishness and so on then we can help bring them out of their through our sharing of; peace, love kindness, hope, patience, forgiveness and so on.

We take our example of this from Jesus Christ and try to show it not through preaching and making religious stipulations and/or prerequisites on those we work with, but through our sincere and honest work ethic which is most definately not forced.

The music industry is a tough thing to be involved in, no matter what your role in it is or what level you are at, wouldnt it be nice if we had the support of music 'communites' as oppossed to music 'scenes' where people come and go, only know your nick names or tha band that you are in, only want to know you when youre played on the radio or when you are seen on the right stage.

I experienced this in Livingston Scotland and woul love to see this happen organically in Glasgow Scotland, anyone with me? Yes, I have experienced snippetts of this in Glasgow and so often those guilty of 'shallowness' often aren't even aware they are that way, often becuase it's a learned behaviour and is so prevalent everywhere it's hard to even notice it. Heck, I'm guilty of it attimes, and I do have to check myself every now and then.

Anyway Part two, Void Avoidance's retion to the Music Industry.

I don't even know what the music industry is, to me it will always be, no matter how far Void Avoidance manages to go, a big scary monster with sharp claws and fang like teeth. I know, I know, it doesn't have to be viewed that way, and it may come across as judgemental to say so, but I reckon for a lot of us, that is what it is.

And Void Avoidances relationship with it? Unstable? Enemy? Friend?

Well certainly Void Avoidances relationship is not an enemy of anyone in various roles within this monster of an industry that is genuine, sincere, honest and fair in their treatment of the music and the people that created it, afterall thats what it is about right, and I am sure there are tons of folk out there like that.

Friend? I don't know, i'm not burning bridges, this is a new venture in a way for me and Steven, I'm not sure what a friendhsip wit the music industry would look like. Can you be friends with someone who sees you and your music simply as a money making possibilty?

Isnt that what we are doing, arent we just part of the music industry simply by starting what e are starting?

I suppose you're right, yes we want to sign bands, promote bands and sell their products to make money, yup you got me there. Difference is maybe, we care...

My musings will continue at a later date

this is by ni means a finished blog

Stuart