A low key rehearsal tonight.

Sometimes a full-on rehearsal with full stage equipment is what's needed, at others it's a low key affair like the one shown here (from a few weeks ago). The girls from the band and I are doing the same sort of thing tonight to prepare for a very special private event in Liverpool.

Hayley on mini-kit

Smiley Simon

Me

Em


More photos HERE

Notes from a small Cafe - YES!

Me at Cafe yes, with the world's smallest gig-amp (unless of course, you know different?)
 

I would love to play more cafe gigs as part of my acoustic series of shows and here again, I got the chance to dip my caffeine-loving toe (what?) into such waters again, this time in Blythe Bridge's fab community cafe - Cafe Yes!, a friendly place which lived up to the community spirit suggested, not least because all the home-cooked food was available on a "pay what you like" basis. Nice :)
A recent trip to Preston meant an obligatory look around the local music shops and I came accross this tiny amp, sounded alright and I used it for just a little boost so I could get away with the more delicate finger-picking I do without feeling I had to thrash the strings.

 

Great at The Grapes



The Grapes in Stafford is to be highy recommended, great atmosphere, music-loving crowd, cool venue and fab real ale. I also felt the inspiration from my hero,Spidey,  vibing his image on my strat from the other end of the interior. This all helped in our fully recovered mode, we were ON FIRE! Also to be recommended, original Alt-Punksters Some-Day. Awesome stuff, check them out. Thanks to all the friendly people we met, especially those who bought CDs, hope you enjoy them. All in all great fun and a fitting finale to the current run of BYs gigs.

Spidey slumped above the entrance, lyrics to classic songs everywhere you look.



Alt-Punksters, Some-Day were our hosts, and they were GOOD



Indeed!

Boxjam Phoar! (the show must go on and all that...)

The old show-biz adage "the show must go on" was very much to the fore of my mind as we prepared for this years' Boxjam IV, or perhaps "Boxjam Phoarr!" given the immensely talented bands and soloists playing, literally too many to mention without forgetting to leave out some of the best artists I've seen (ok heard) so, sorry in advance.... I'd pretty much been in bed since the Levenshulme festival (see previous post) with a fever and was still very much within it's grip.

Human Condition were on stage as we loaded in and sounding even better than before, I think Abbie's vocal confidence had grown allowing her to take flight over Mat's mega-keyboard sounds. Then we had the chance to really enjoy Benjamin Bloom, a real musical showman and talented pianist (throwing in plenty of classical references into this pop-oriented set) before our set, and Chimps On Death Row in full-on rockster mode after us. Hayley Strangelove introduced us on stage, herself a "must see" musical phenomenon. Our set was so short by our usual standards that it flu by (get it?) and I managed to enjoy a misery-free half hour just running on adrenaline!

Post-Chimps, I ambled  over to the Acoustic stage to see the wonderful George Borowski (allegedly "Guitar George" of "Sultans Of Swing" fame, which was a piss-take of the band seen by writer Mark Knopfler was it not???... but that's another story). Anyroadup... I'd "seen" George on youtube. It doesn't do him any justice at all. The man is a troubadour, a story-teller and something of a home-spun shaman. Go See!

Mahoosive thanks to Simon and Tina newbury of Simon J. Newbury Photography for organising, raising all the dosh for Oxfam and taking the black and white shots here. Hats off to you! x 




Thanks to Abbie from Human Condition (& "A band, A Badger & a Blog") for this pic.

Em giving it some keys. Photo Tina Newbury.

Hayley giving it some stick. Photo Tina Newbury

Me nearly giving it some puke. Photo Tina Newbury.



Simon Zenning the bass. Photo Tina Newbury.