Crud's musical endeavours 2012/13

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Arthur Crud

Crud's musical endeavours 2012/13

Postby Arthur Crud » 22 Jan 2012, 19:42

Out of the blue and coincidentally I got invited (mith my bass guitar) to 2 seperate jam sessions this weekend.

Both look like they might end up with some kind of low key public events by year end.

Haven't really made music or picked up the bass for 6 years or more but the folk I'm jamming with are a mixture of understanding or in a similar position.

One combo - let's call them 'Shot' although I hope they change the name because all I can think of is people saying "they should be" or pointing out it's only one vowel away from 'Shit' - is bass/ guitar/ drums/ sax and plays a mix of originals and Cave/ Cohen/ MGMT/ Beatles covers.

The other combo - let's call them 'Steamboat Safari' although I hope that's just some indiscriminate scrawl on the spine of the book of chords/ lyrics that the band leader gave me and not the real name cos it sucks - plays mainly originals plus a medley of The Who's 'Dreaming from the Waist/ Won't Get Fooled Again/ Sparks'. Speaking of The Who - the band leader is a more obsessed Who fan than anyone I've ever met - he's given me a massive list of DVD/ soundboard audio Who stuff I can access and has an open line of communication with Irish Jack for/ with whom he has collaborated on books/ blogs. Weird but great to meet someone like this in Auckland. Other than that the drummer was in a proper kiwi punk band 'The Steroids' and toured NZ with the Boomtown Rats back in '81. They have a wonderfully set-up praccy room under the house with PA, drums, keys, amps, guitars, mics and it's just around the corner. Sweet!

I start this thread to keep me on the straight and narrow, practising every day, and to report my progress.

This may be the only post.

:lol:
Last edited by Arthur Crud on 17 Mar 2013, 20:08, edited 1 time in total.

Arthur Crud

Re: Crud's musical endeavours 2012

Postby Arthur Crud » 22 Jan 2012, 22:44

Dances With Difficulty wrote:Break a string Kev!

Cheers Kev - I'm dusting up on my technique using a very useful book produced by a UK band called The Surge - it's called 'Play In 15 To 25-ish Seconds'. Have you heard of it?

Arthur Crud

Re: Crud's musical endeavours 2012

Postby Arthur Crud » 24 Jan 2012, 05:12

Dances With Difficulty wrote:
Arthur Crud wrote:
Dances With Difficulty wrote:Break a string Kev!

Cheers Kev - I'm dusting up on my technique using a very useful book produced by a UK band called The Surge - it's called 'Play In 15 To 25-ish Seconds'. Have you heard of it?


It's a classic.

Here's something to inspire you :lol:



I saw it!!

6:12 "Kev Stout - vocals" and then that CD cover!!

I feel perspired.

Arthur Crud

Re: Crud's musical endeavours 2012

Postby Arthur Crud » 06 Feb 2012, 21:08

Monday Feb 6th - had my second practice with Steamboat Safari (or SS as I'm now wont to call them) and this time the other main man turned up as well so we ran through some of his songs - light-hearted and jokey foils to the other song-writer's more po-faced efforts.

Now I like a good spliff but always avoid it before playing music because, well, I'm just not that good. But these guys smoke for the Universe. One joint after another all afternoon. Of course I join in but it affects my playing.....so now I gotta manage this....

They're very organised. They want to do an open mike night soon.

I must practice more.

Arthur Crud

Re: Crud's musical endeavours 2012

Postby Arthur Crud » 19 Feb 2012, 20:42

3rd rehearsal with the SS yesterday. I've been putting in about an hour a day practising scales and other fingering techniques and it's paying off - I'm definitely adding to/ filling out their sound and we're actually starting to sound like a band here and there. We now have a digital recorder so I have a full CD of the repertoire which is really going to help.

As I mentioned, the band leader is a massive Who fan. I gave him about 20 boots I had downloaded - surprisingly hardly any of which he had. Why surprising? Cos he texted me to say he had sorted all his Who stuff into one folder on his hard drive......202Gb !!! :shock:

We're planning a Who summit soon to compare our motherlodes and co-drool.

If any of the 202Gb comes my way youse fullahs'll be the first to know ;)

Arthur Crud

Re: Crud's musical endeavours 2012

Postby Arthur Crud » 26 Feb 2012, 06:44

Roger me sideways with a succession of large spherical objects if we don't have a gig in 2 weeks. A paying gig. But not just anywhere...oh no - at a Bogan/ Chav/ Westie party deep in Bogansville. But not just any party...oh no - a party following a day of drag-racing/ burn-outs and no doubt full of testosterone filled petrol heads (with even worse boyfriends) looking to 'Rawk!!!'

The Cramps at Nappa State Mental Hospital springs to mind. With us as inmates, on paper.

With a setlist of covers and originals that includes The Buggles, mass murder in Dunedin, B. Spears and sheep-shagging (literally. no time for irony with this lot) the thought of it is so terrifying it's not bothering me. Honest.

Still practicing like a maniac when I can be arsed. Fingering, 5ths, always listening. R & F'n R!! :D

:?

Arthur Crud

Re: Crud's musical endeavours 2012

Postby Arthur Crud » 06 Mar 2012, 01:11

All hail Rescue Remedy!

Well this has been a very steep learning curve for me and has forced me to practise every day now for 2-3 hours. As it should be I guess.

I've come to the conclusion, after listening to our praccy sessions, that I'm at last competitive......and it has to be said it's because the others aren't that good really either.

However, we've had our last practise, we've got the matching shirts, I've got a bass amp to use on the day instead of DI thru PA, we've got a 14 song setlist and we're as ready as we'll ever be. I'm keeping things simple which is also as it should be for bassists I reckon.

Apart from the first class weed a couple of other bonuses have been hanging out a bit with the bandleader. We had a wee jam at my place bass & acoustic guitar and in that no pressure situation I learnt a lot about scales and how they sound and what works for me to play. I also realise (and this will seem infantile in it's simplicity to some of you) that learning an instrument is all about combining 3 elements - understanding written instruction about notes, chords and scales; understanding how those notes relate to the fretboard/ keyboard of your chosen instrument and then training the fingers. Once all those 3 elements begin to gel I can see whole new vistas of wonder opening up.

Also as I mentioned the bandleader is a Who fanatic so I've swapped my Quadrophenia Director's Cut box for his Pete Townshend 'Lifehouse Chronicles' box for a few weeks. Never seen one before. Always wanted a copy. Couldn't afford one.

Additionally he lobbed me around 30CDs of live Who gigs which, when combined with his 202Gb which we didn't have a cable to do a transfer on, I will 'cough' at in due course...

4 days and counting......

Arthur Crud

Re: Crud's musical endeavours 2012

Postby Arthur Crud » 06 Mar 2012, 08:52

Dances With Difficulty wrote:Will you be building a wall Kev?

Psychologically, on the night? YES.

....which reminds me - the RW gig was pretty damn fine even though I don't usually go for the pyrotechnics.

John Cooper-Clarke in a coupla weeks tho ;) with Johnny Green (ex Clash road manager) doing spoken word as support :?

Arthur Crud

Re: Crud's musical endeavours 2012

Postby Arthur Crud » 15 Mar 2012, 01:30

Well...yes....it was a strange affair...

The venue was a large concrete warehouse at an earthmoving firm just northwest of Auckland.

There was a 'burn-out' area fenced off to one side and a procession of vehicles proceeded to spin around, raising clouds of smoke (hopefully) until their tyres burst to the delight of the assembled 100-200 bogans/ westies/ chavs who were feeding on hotdogs and beers from the bar.

I was first to arrive and noticed the other band ('Siddic' I think they were called - a 3 piece punk/ thrash/ metal band of quite young 'uns) had set their gear up and totally dominated the small stage. They were cool though letting us use their PA, bass and guitar amps and most of their drums (we brought all ours along but there was no point breaking theirs down etc etc)

And so, after the burn-out finished most people left and we got the nod to start. The acoustics inside were boomy and bouncy so everyone else stayed outside. We spread our 14 song set over 2 1/2 hours with breaks in the hope someone would come and watch us....they didn't and we played to about 10 people max! :D

Already there are splits within the band:

Drummer and wife don't like ukelele player's songs or the fact we have to wear silly matching shirts, nor I suspect do guitarist and girlfriend; guitarists songs are like long-winded practice jams which seem to change length evary time we play them and they're not the most intiutive songs to play anyway (despite some great hooks and riffs); in short.....we're boring as well as under-rehearsed :D

I see now there are 2 factions - guitarist and ukelele player. Each pushes their own songs, neither are compatible. Each promoted their own upcoming solo gigs (to no-one) during our set....I haven't heard from anyone since.....I think she's all over and to be honest I'm keen to start work with my other ensemble mainly cos they're mates.

Great experience though and my playing was ok - especially through the punky guy's rig...I was told to turn down a few times :mrgreen:

Here's the only photos I got, of us setting up.....note ukelele player and drummers wife and son (in black). Note my 'axe'. It was cold.

Image
Image

All abooooo---aaarrrddd the Steamboat :|

Arthur Crud

Re: Crud's musical endeavours 2012

Postby Arthur Crud » 15 Mar 2012, 22:49

Dances With Difficulty wrote:Thanks Kev, but I meant John Cooper Clarke.


:lol:

:|

:oops:

:cry:

:P

Arthur Crud

Re: Crud's musical endeavours 2012

Postby Arthur Crud » 18 Mar 2012, 06:30

Rehearsed with Shot (they should be) today.

We're playing a half hour set on April 7th at the Rakino Island 'Jazz' Festival.

5 songs:

Hallelujah
Henry Lee
Blister in the Sun
Electric Feel
and one original.

Sounding ok actually!

Arthur Crud

Re: Crud's musical endeavours 2012

Postby Arthur Crud » 06 Apr 2012, 01:37

Last run-through today and then it's off to Rakino at sparrows fart tomorrow. Weather is looking fab. We're on 12-12:30 and the water taxi back is at 5pm so I intend to get regally bladdered once the gig's over.

I still don't know whether there'll be

a) power
b) any amplification whatsoever

...should be fun :roll:

Going to see Steamboat Safari main mover and shaker play a solo gig tonight.

Arthur Crud

Re: Crud's musical endeavours 2012

Postby Arthur Crud » 10 Apr 2012, 00:59

Dances With Difficulty wrote:Pics and review please ;)


Image

relaxing post gig


Arthur Crud

Re: Crud's musical endeavours 2012

Postby Arthur Crud » 03 May 2012, 12:39

hot from the Rakino Island News

Image

Arthur Crud

Re: Crud's musical endeavours 2012

Postby Arthur Crud » 31 Jul 2012, 01:32

Well I've done sod all musically since the gig above except one practice with the remnants of SS at the bongo players house. She's learning drums and has bought one of those rack-mounted digital drum kits. Me want one.

Apart from that it's just been putting together something for BCBs 1967 project. Was gonna work with a mate for that but he couldn't commit so I knocked it together myself - a great learning experience if not a great sound...

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Re: Crud's musical endeavours 2012

Postby beenieman » 07 Feb 2013, 01:31

Any updates?
One night, an evil spirit held me down
I could not make one single sound
Jah told me, 'Son, use the word'
And now I'm as free as a bird

Arthur Crud

Re: Crud's musical endeavours 2012

Postby Arthur Crud » 17 Mar 2013, 20:03

beenieman wrote:Any updates?

'SHOT' have been in intense rehearsals (well, a couple of bashes round at my mate's house to knock out the setlists) for our triumphant return to the Rakino Island Arts Festival on Easter Saturday. This year we get two, count 'em, two sets.

Arthur Crud

Re: Crud's musical endeavours 2012/13

Postby Arthur Crud » 02 Apr 2013, 21:31

And of course the 2 sets went by in a flash. The 10:30 am one (what kind of rock n roll hour is that??) was politely greeted by the small crowd. By 2:30 pm things were humming a bit more and set 2 had much more bite. We were joined by a couple of locals for some of the songs - one bloke on spoons and another audience member who leapt up and blew harp on a couple of numbers. Gives you an idea of how serious the gig was. Had a long chat 'backstage' (the boat shed) with the guitarist from the proper jazz band. We talked strings, instrument action and as he's a qualified music teacher he slung me his card in case I want a few lessons....which I've been thinking about anyway.

I don't think I'll be back next year....it's a hassle getting there and back with gear and I think my mate's ego has been sated for now...he's in danger of his co-islanders thinking he's a bit bonkers to be honest...


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