Louvaine 16th December 2007

Louvaine 16th December

We playing at a bar in South London in a week or so. And the bar's closing, so we get to drink it dry :)

Post Arch Aid

Simon (drummer) has quite a philosophical approach, and after this gig he said "Well, it's all a learning experience". And I learnt that sitting outside for an hour (we were supposed to play at 7.30, but didn't go on until 8.30) meant that my hands froze. And while Simon quickly realized he couldn't spin his drum sticks, I quickly realized I was having trouble playing at all.

And things got worse: my guitar went out of tune during every song. I've no idea why, but first the A string, then the E string, then the B string. I would play a power chord, discover that it sounded shit, guess which string was playing me up, and quickly shift to playing that chord in a different position. Which would have been ok had my hands not been frozen.

After four songs (we were playing a short set - there were seven bands due to play), I was glad it was all over. I thanked the audience, my guitar strap came off, the leads came out, and I looked up to see the rest of the band staring at me. We had another song to go. Sheeesh. Plug back in, strap back on, and we knock out 'Too Drunk Too Fuck'. In this case I was too cold to play. And slightly too wired. But since a disastrous Inn On The Green gig I've learnt to play it cool with getting wasted before playing. Now I've learnt too stay warm too.

As for the Gibson going out of tune, well, that I don't know about. I was weighing up between taking the Fender Strat and the Les Paul before the gig, and Kirk (my son) recommended the Gibson because of the sound. Which was a good call - it sounded great. Just wish it had stayed in tune too. Perhaps locking tuners are in order.

Arch Aid

Scuzzers

Karim (from Firemouth) is trying to raise rent after Railtrack repossesed their studio. We're playing in place of a band that dropped out. If I can get a babysitter...

Gig details here

Practices for upcoming gig

A couple of practices under our belt, with a couple of new songs (including one I wrote many years ago currently getting reworked as a Scuzzbuckets song) in preparation for a gig on the 23rd of September.

Boys Are Back In Town

Well, almost. My hike in the States for a month, Jamie's work/holiday in Brighton and the States, and Gary's trip to Spain has meant we've all had an extended break and are itching to get back gigging.

Gary's due back in a few days, so hopefully we can hit the studio again and get back to speed with some new songs (covers and originals).

But family in Australia mean Gary will only be back for a short while, so chances are we'll only squeeze in a one gig somewhere.

Even professionals...

Great view of a recent Vancouver gig from a humble Stewart Copeland

Inn on the Green, Second time around

As we come off, the guitarist/singer from the next band says "How do we follow that?" and that's as much praise as you could ask for. Sure, we weren't a 100% (finishing on a song we had only recently learnt wasn't wise), but we were a 100% better than last time we played here, and more importantly: I enjoyed playing this time. The songs were tight and even if Si had been drinking all afternoon, he's still too good for it too really show.

Chris came with a couple of cameras and filmed us, so it will be interesting to look back and see how we perform. I tend to enter my own world, concentrating on not screwing up, and it's easy to forget to look up every now and again and smile. After all, people have paid to be there. Gary and Si have that down, and Jamie is a stage presence unto himself.

With the offer off a lift back home (well, back to a local pub) I pop back stage to get my stuff as the band that followed us on is coming off. I've missed their entire set. The guitarist asks me if he sounded in tune, obviously worried. "You sounded fine," I lie. "Great set." It ain't easy getting up in front of a crowd in place you don't know, so anyone that does it deserves a pat on the back, but I still feel bad I didn't hear them.

Highlight of the night? Their music may not have been entirely to my taste (my Michelle Shocked days are long gone), but the Siskin Sisters showed how to entrance an audience with some of the finest cleavage I have ever seen. Highly recommended, especially if you catch them in a Jazz bar where they aren't followed by the Scuzzbuckets...

Scuzzbuckets next gig

We return to the "Inn on the Green" in Ladbroke Grove next Friday. We wanted to play first, but I think we're second in the line up. Hoping to have Chris bring some cameras and film it.

www.iotg.co.uk

Oooops...

We're playing in three weeks at the Inn On The Green on June 1st, not May 25th as I mentioned in a previous post.

Gig details!

After a flood of emails*, here's some rough details of our next gig. We've been asked back to the 'Inn On The Green' despite me being so wired last time that the only recollection I have is of me playing our tightest song** wrong, and playing another at a different tempo to the rest of the band, who were obviously wrong and just getting me back. =/

So... Friday May 25th June 1st, 'Inn On The Green'. We're one of three bands, and we're pushing to go on first (before playing: less time for me to drink, after playing: more time for me too drink = win win).

The other two bands are a couple of girls on keyboards (alriiiiight) and The Dead; which is impossible to find on MySpace, so I've no idea what they're like. Probably freakin' awesome, though.

Expect flyers soon, as I've offered to knock some up.

*a comment to my last post
**Dead Kennedys - 'Too Drunk Too Fuck'

Marvin video

Here is a video I shot (while dancing) of Marvin playing at Pile On.

The Wildhearts, Koko, Camden

Wildhearts, Koko, Camden
Originally uploaded by wetwebwork.

Caught The Wildhearts at Camden with Sam last Sunday. One of those bands that I wish I could go back in time and discover earliar (even though I heard them for the first time a couple of years ago, they already dominate my last.fm played list).

Scuzzbuckets, Evershot, Dorset

Scuzzbuckets play Evershot, Dorset
Originally uploaded by wetwebwork.

Evershot was great. Gary (bassist) and I caught a train down on Friday morning. This is after practicing Thursday night, and then me rushing off to catch a French band called 'Marvin' playing on a barge on the Thames near Vauxhall, who were amazing. They were a drummer, guitarist and the cutest French girl on Keyboards playing at a venue organized by a friend from work who put me on the guest list to see them play. And they rocked. A combination of heavy metal and jazz.

Then a few hours sleep and down to the studio/ex doctors surgery to pack all the gear in the van, see Simon (drums) off in a van, and then a lift from Gary's Mum to the station. Quick pint before we board the train. Two hours later we check in to a hotel in Yeovil (the closest we could afford to stay in near Evershot), when Simon and Jamie (singer) arrive, we head off to Evershot to set up.

The hall was something else. Old school play sets on stage, a bar out back, and if someone had set up a bake sale in the back of the hall it wouldn't have been out of place. Jamie and I head off to the nearest pub (an old local with a ten pin bowling lane and Polish staff, natch) because the singer and lead guitarist really shouldn't be worrying about the sound and lights and plugging stuff in. And we happen to be totally imcompetant and get in the way. But we'll learn. Who knows? One day there might be someone in a pub who can clue us in.


Fame!

Having learnt the hard way a week back playing the Inn On the Green in Ladbroke Grove, I know I can't play if I'm too wired, so I take it easy. Doesn't help the nerves, though. Especially as 'Something Blue' are playing great. The hall is fairly full, a strange mix off Mum's and daughters - including one in a prom dress - and local kids out for the night, as well as some old Jazz heads.

We're on for the middle set, and our meagre six song set is going to whip by. But we're on form, the kids are dancing and cheering, and the only song that trips me up slightly is AC/DC's 'Live Wire'. I just haven't got the timing on the opening nailed. And my finger's give out before the solo (we're playing the whole set at a faster tempo that normal). But when the set's over the kids are begging us too stay on; they've had their fill of blue's, I suspect. They even want to have a vote as to whether we stay on or 'Something Blue' come back. But I convince them that the next half will be great, and we get off.

And now I can drink!

Marvin

Marvin
Originally uploaded by wetwebwork.

Marvin playing on the Thames (well, a barge on the Thames, but I've forgotten the name of the venue...)

thursday practice...

So we're suppsed to practice before the Dorset gig , which is on Friday night. But the bassist has been sorting out provisions and rushing around getting our amps and PA and mikes and mixing desk and drum kit from the last place we played (on Sunday night) and is absolutely trashed. And he's having a slight paranoia attack. This is normally the point at which he would disappear until he recovers, but we need to practice. I was hoping we could add an Arctic Monkeys track to our set, and add a song to our set we need to, as if we're a bit hyped we can quite easilt tear through out 7 song set in 15 minutes.

The drummer coaxes him out and we meet down our studio. And have to cart the equipment in from the van and set up. Our bassist does an admirable job of co-ordinating things, helped by our drummer who desrves a medal for having the patience of a saint.

Me and the singer are little more use than a condom machine in the Vatican, but what the hell, we're new to this.

We get the drum kit PA and Marshalls in place, and go through some of the songs that have been giving us grief, mainly AC/DC's "Live Wire", which I screw up the timing on the beginning chords every fuckign time, and the Kaiser Chief's "Everyday", which is lacking arrangement wise given that we're covering the keyboard and guita parts on one guitar, and the singer isn't that confident with the song.

And then we try the Artic Monkey's "Bet that you look good on the dance floor", and after I tear a nail off playing it (ouch ouch fucking ouch), we decide we won't have it tight enough to play tomorrow. Shame. We bring "God Save the Queen" back into the set, which given we're already playing two Pistols songs means we're in danger of turning into a Pistols tribute band. Here's hoping there are some Pistols fans in Dorset. It's their lucky day...

We call it quits at a reasonable hour, and pack the gear into a car and a van, and I dash off home to drop off my guitar before heading out to try and catch the band Marvin. I arrive in time, a bit worse for wear, and meet a bunch of people from work who are even more wrecked than me, and catch an superb set by the band. And their keyboard player is to die for, and it's her birthday. Their set is cut short by our crappy licensing laws, but I pick up a cd (it's ripping now).

So all in all a good night. Now I just have to wake up in time to get to the studio tomorrow before heading by train to Dorset.