tollboothmusic

22/05/2025

13/11/2022

Well, it was a busy show so understandable that i didn't get a chance to grab a single snap during the run, but a massive well done to the entire cast and crew of Shrek staged by Phoenix. Every performer can be so proud of the effort they put in. It looked great, it sounded awesome (if i say so myself) and the whole thing was a joy (a stressful one, but still a joy) to sit down and mix every night.
As ever, my particular thanks go out to my Cast family for all their talent and experience.
Lee Walker 's lighting design looked epic, particularly when dragons were involved.
David Griffiths staging and flying was impeccable as ever.
Tony Powell did some follow spotting
Samuel McCarthy-Robinson kept the whole thing running smoothly - the boy is a great stage manager if you ever need one!
And my particular thanks to my Sound 2 (and thanks to Phoenix for letting me have one!) Dana Murrin who kept the mics going throughout, and for keeping me going despite migraines, feeling dizzy and generally being grumpy. You make get-ins and out true fun. You are a legend my friend. :-)
And go on, to Ian Coley - why not... you pulled off a great show Ian, well done sir.
And a little thank you to the patient principals who we pushed and pulled around with often experimental mic placement but stillpulled off amazing performances...
Brendan, Jack, Harriet & Phil. All awesome.

18/09/2022

I am so sorry to be hearing of the decline in Mike Rimmer's health. I first met Mike nearly 30yrs ago and he has always been the most joyful, supportive and loving commentator on my musical life thru various bands and solo projects as well as my growth as a producer.

One of my happiest memories was trudging over to Stoke to spend the evening as a guest/irritation on his show. We had huge fun from start to finish and talked long after the show went down.
He is everything a music journalist should be: erudite, honest, pragmatic, funny, supportive, insightful, but most of all joyfully warm about music as a whole.
I learnt so much about the music industry, how to survive as a muso in it, and how to remain humble & gracious at all times.
He is also a splendid example of what a human being should be. He always made you feel welcome and accepted in his presence, and that everything you said, despite evidence often to the contrary, was important to him.
My thoughts are with you my friend.
Paul D
(Ascent, Eve & The Garden, Helen Turner & solo)

17/10/2021

Apologies for radio silence over the last month. Between a packed live theatre programme and design work for spooky season, it’s been a bit full on. Apologies to friends and family who think I’d got squirrelled away in Shatner’s hand luggage.
Thanks particularly to the ever supportive Jane Toodles Davies who I basically haven’t seen for a month and my lovely colleagues who have put up with me being the archetypal permanently exhausted pigeon and even helped arrange last minute leave days so I could finish design work which I love.
Thanks also to Screamfest and Firefly Creations for their ever enduring trust in my creative sound output and ability to keep delivering work in insanely short periods of time.
My work can be heard in two new events at ScreamFest this year, FreakOut on Tour (a revamp of the hilarious 2016 FreakOut) and Theatre Noir, a new scripted event, as well as old faves, Love Hurts & HillBilly Joe’s Zoo.

I’ve also been delighted to have been providing the sound design and engineering for Phoenix Theatre Company’s brilliant production of The Addams Family this week. It’s been frantic and packed but the onstage performances from the entire company have been brilliant.

09/03/2021

The Phantom Tollbooth is unashamedly my favourite book. It’s magical as a young teen read but, It needs to be read again as an adult to appreciate the truth and insight in its few short pages. Milo’s journey inspired many aspects of my outlook on life, so much so, that I named my studio after the book in 1997. Journey well Mr Juster.

Norton Juster, author of the beloved children's book "The Phantom Tollbooth" died yesterday at 91, due to complications from a recent stroke.

14/08/2020

Been a delight this week to be putting some exhibit voice-overs and SFX soundscapes together for the amazing National Emergency Services Museum in Sheffield as they get ready to invite visitors in again. The team have been working really hard on new exhibits so if you think you’ve seen everything, think again 🙂
Follow their page for more info, but thanks to the team for their lovely response to my work!

11/08/2020

10yrs ago, tollbooth got involved with this unique company and it completely changed almost entirely what i did as a sound designer. i can’t even guess at the numbers of hours dedicated to GNG work over the years and the Terabytes of data in music, sfx, foley, soundscapes and VOs i produced for them over so many events. They were some of the tightest deadlines i’ve worked to but some of the most creative briefs ever from the fertile mind of Mr Gary Crompton. working for GNG directly led me to work with some other brilliant folk in the industry as well, and i can’t thank Gary enough for giving me a try when in my first and only ever truly cocky pitch turned round to him and said “Your sound is rubbish, i can do so much better” and for some reason he believed me. over the next few years, Gary somehow got out of me some of the wildest, most creative design work i’ve ever done, prompted me to develop new and unique foley and writing techniques, learnt so much about sound elements, structure, dynamics and pace, but mostly, what it was like to work in a true misfit co-operative of diverse joyful creatives. all experiences that serve me well every day of my career still.
thank you GNG, it was a wild ride, but one i will always treasure and be thankful for. cheers chaps.

Deranged Live is an intense, high octane, horror themed walk through scare attraction maze utilising live actors, multiple special effects and psychological ...

08/10/2019

I think we're close enough to press night to announce that once again this year I've had the absolute pleasure of working with the design team at ScreamFest in Burton to bring yet another new attraction to life with noise.
This year's brief was crazier than ever but it's been a massive hoot to design sound again for the mighty Andrew Porter of AJP. All of the team at NFAF and ScreamFest are genuinely amazing people and do a stunning job year on year to bring amazing family entertainment to this time of year. All i'll say this year is.....yeehaw!

Screamfest 2019... for the fright of your life!

12/07/2019

there’s a bazillion files open on the desktop, enough soft synths to burn a hole thru the earth’s core, and a bag of Buttons - yep, must be sound design in the apocalypse level heat again!

21/05/2019

Utterly chuffed that the attraction we designed/created/composed/voiced for last year at Burton ScreamFest, Insomnia, has just won an industry ScareCon award. Huge congrats to everyone involved, especially Julie Tickle, Andy Porter and the Robinson family for all their amazing design, construction, make-up and costume work. Thoroughly deserved gong!

31/01/2019

Georgie Booth - not just you then.......... :-)

24/01/2019

Don’t do this often but some really nice feedback from a gig i mixed last night for Higher Rhythm at Cast.
Loved Lio’s set, some really soulful vocals and lush arrangements, reminded me a lot of Permission that we engineered/produced way too many years ago now!