GREG LARAIGNE - Nothing To Write Home About from David Basso on Vimeo.

2 days...

2 days shooting: going from no man's land to beautiful landscapes,

2 days driving all around Valence (south of France) and it's countryside: looking for dead factories and pretty cottages.

2 days in the cold: cold feet, cold hands, and unluckily, cold tea.

2 days of good times: good talks, good foods and simple things.

2 days about passions: working on a great project with positive peoples and attitude.

2 days we can resume in one word: FRIENDSHIP.

When David Basso, a close friend, ask me to shoot a video of one of my songs, I was scared first but so stoked!

Scared because I've never did a video with my solo project and I couldn't imagine how it was going to turn out.

Stoked for the reasons that David is one of my favorite french camera director in the punk rock scene and also such a nice person, wich is not easy to find in this old damn world.

So, right after christmas with the family, I jumped in my car and drove all the way from Geneva to Valence (ardeche, france) listening to the new Ryan Adams full lenght. Love it.

It was snowing, raining and I couldn't believe that the video was going to look so good!

We were supposed to shoot outdoor and I was pretty disappointed by the weather.

But, play music and go on tour taught me something: you never know where you are going to end up and what's going to happen.

I decided to stop thinking and enjoy the record.

As soon as I ended up at David 's and family house I knew it was going to be a great week end.

We spent time talking about music, tattoos, friends, movies, kids and a lot more personnal subjects, sharing good food.

Then it was time to shoot.

The song we chose "nothing to write home about" used to be a really personnal and painful song, that's why I really wanted something that looks like me.

The whole feeling coming out of this track is all about lonelyness and fate but it's also about not giving up and learning to close some chapters, turn some pages.

David understood exactly what to do and we decided to do something simple and keep the feeling of the whole song.

We spent 2 days outside, in the wind, shooting night and days under 2 degrees celsius.

It was very difficult to keep up the good work and the motivation, and we did our best to not finish it in a bar :) ahah.

But as soon as we looked at the first images I was so surpised about the beauty and the solid aspect of the shots, I couldn't expect something that simple and that nice.

David's got an eye, and he understood me perfectly.As usual, he was really professionnal and he gave his best!

I left his house and family still didn't know what to expect...

Here is the result, and even if I think I didn't do that much except trying to be me, David did a crazy brillant work. I can tell you folks, that putting pieces together is a nightmare, shooting was probably the coolest part...

In anycase, David, Audrey, and kids, I would like to say thanx a million for the good times! And Mr. Basso, one more time: Big up for the great Video!

It's time for me to write another song and name it " good things to write home about..."

To check David's work go here!

Montreal calling.

After all those years in Geneva, after all those good moments tattooing and playing music, and all those good memories, I decided to leave this town for a while.

I’ve been travelling quite a lot those past 2 years, and it’s time for me to set up again and start a new life.

Last summer, spending some times around Canada, I’ve been very impressed about the kindness of the citizens, the energy, and the devotion peoples out there are putting out into art and music. It’s seriously amazing.

It was for me a great source of inspiration and motivation.

As I came back I realised right away I didn’t really belong anymore to Europe that much, even if it was good to see my closest friends and family. A part of me stayed in the other continent…

While I was on tour with Pj Bond, I decided to seize the day and take my chances.

Everything worked pretty well, and I’m actually really glad and happy to announce that, by the beginning of may, I'll be moving to MONTREAL Canada, where I’ll be working @ IMAGO TATTOO fulltime as a permanent artist.

It’s going to be a great experience for me, and I’m extremely proud to join this awesome crew.

Unluckily, friends and customers from Switzerland, I won’t be able to take new big projects, and I will have to do a tight selection for the smallest ones.

I don’t feel comfortable to start tattoos I won’t be able to finish.

And even if I’m planning to come back to Europe once in a while, and guestspot here and then, I have no clue about my schedule yet.

Please, contact me as soon as possible if I started something on you and you want to finish it or if you have a small good project.

Thank you all for your support and your understanding

Sincerely

Hey There,

Since I’ve been back home from touring, I’ve been crazy busy working and I took a little break for Christmas.

It was very refreshing, and I guess I’m back on the map, ready to work as hell.

The European tour with my good friend PJ BOND as been amazing. Saddly, we got stolen, as many bands on tour I guess, but that’s probably the only bad memories of one month playing shows, sharing good moments and music!

We had a blast!

Thanks a million to everybody who gave us a roof, a place to stay, some food, a place to play, and who were there to spend good times with us!

I can't give names, because you are a way too many, but seriously FRANCE, BELGIUM, THE NETHERLANDS, GERMANY, AUSTRIA, and of course Good Old Damn SWITZERLAND, you have been great hosts!

About the music, Here you’ll find great news:

- 1^st , my record is finally ready and on it’s way, it should be out on GPS PROD & SHIELD RECORDINGS for March. I’m really happy with the production, Serge MORATTEL @ REC studio did an amazing job! It’s going to be a beautiful 12 inch record with the cd inside. I seriously can’t wait, it was about time!

- 2^nd, I had the chance to meet last year sir Lino Pacino who just did for me and Pj, some videos from our show in Zurich, a pretty cool interview, and great photographs of us! You can check this out on his website, and on his blog. Everything is not ready yet but there is already a few things. In any case, every pictures and movies are cool to watch on his blogs.

- 3^rd, I just came back from a shooting for a video clip with Sir DAVID BASSO, a great producer, camera director, photographer and such good dude! You can watch his work here! He took the first picture of this post. So, We spent 2 days and one night shooting in beautiful no man’s land places, close to VALENCE in the middle of France! We worked hard, had good talks and good food with his family! The rough shots are seriously crazy nice! I can’t wait to see the video clip… If I have the chance, I will do it again. If you need some videos for anything, please, do yourself a favour, contact him here! You won’t regret it.

- 4^th, I’m opening in Geneva on the 1^st of FEBRUARY for one of the best FAT WRECK CHORDS’band: DEAD TO ME! The show is going to take place at L’écurie, 14 Rue Montbrillant, Geneva. I’m pretty stoked!

Well Folks, thanx for reading this, I’m back in tattooing right know! I missed it so much! Heading up to XXX TATTOO again alongside Rob Koss and the crew for a week! Let’s learn some new tricks.

Then I’ll be back to GENEVA, contact me for any tattoos.

Oh, and by the way, here is an interview we did for a fanzine in Belgium, while we where on tour with PJ BOND!

All the best for 2012, even if some peoples says that it’s going to be the end of the world. I guess for me this new year is just a new turn, the end of a story, but the beginning of a new one!

All the best folks!