Month: December 2011

Pre-final mix track from the new Elephant Shelf Album recorded at Saint FM studios produced by Pete Crisp who produced the recent Hokie Joint album – the song and the album demonstrates the band’s move to retro style and sound

A fairly normal day. Went for a Band rehearsal and murdered some Duke Ellington and Gershwin and did some fairly Jazz flavored blues stuff too. Actually it was not too bad and will be starting to work its way onto Delta Ladies gigs as this sort of stuff seems to go quite well. I suppose its a bit different from Blur covers!

Fairly knackered after the rehearsal I must admit though. Gave the thumbs up to a promotional video for a track from the forthcoming Elephant Shelf Album which Vicky Martin has put together from still images.

Then off to St Albans for a drink at the White Lion which is a bit of a Tuesday night habit. Had some surprising and slightly unsettling news when I got there which I may write about in a week or so.

I spent most of the night wide awake though as if charged with adrenaline which is not at all like me and may be the effects of the meds I am taking. After months of exhaustion and lack of drive its a bit of a shock to the system so I don’t know if its good or bad frankly. I should be working on a new composition but I can’t keep my mind on just one thing at a time right now.

Tomorrow should be a half-day in the studio for the last 2 tracks for the new Elephant Shelf album which feels like its taken for ever, but actually hasn’t really. Will there be jumbo kit-kats on offer at the local supermarket still?

We did a Christmas Eve Delta Ladies gig in at a small pub in Gravenhurst, and it went very well and we got this message;

“Ladies – I want to say a very BIG thank you for last nights performance. You were just outstanding and I am so pleased that you honored me with playing on Christmas Eve. This is my first attempt at a Christmas in the Green Dragon and you certainly exceeded my expectations. You got the customers joining in and the feedback I have had was ‘When are the girls returning?. I had a few customers come down late in the evening because a couple of the others had rung them and told them to come and watch your gig as it was a real performance worth watching and listening to. So all it leaves is for me to say Vicky , Di and Robbie of course, Have a wonderful Christmas and thank you again for the best evening I could have wished for. Hope to speak to you again very soon to book a few more dates. Lots of love, Tina and Zack xx –
”
Which I was rather chuffed with as Christmas Eve is often a rather thankless task, but this was fun.

I seem to have got very wound up today, for no logical reason that I can think off. The trouble is I can’t put energy in to anything useful as my concentration span has shrunk to zero. Its a bit like waiting for a storm to pass in one sense really, you just have to let it blow over I guess.

Yesterday I had a jazz rehersal for our other,other musical outlet and it went quite well, thoughs it a bit different from most of the other stuff as there are dots to be read. All being well in a month or two we will launch our new venture on an as yet unsuspecting world!

I am not looking forward to Chistmas much as I always get overwrought and wound up about stuff, I have always found it to be a very uncomfortable time of year and tend to feel ill at ease. I also tend to get very morbid at this time of year too. HO HO Humn Bah Humbug and stuff. The Christmas decorations in the Kings Road are quite jolly though. Its not bad for window shoping thoughs that really all I do these days.

4 gigs last week which means I can afford to buy some Christmas presents almost. Good fun but I felt it a bit physically with the problems I am having with my back and ribs at present.

http://www.patient.co.uk/doctor/Tietze%27s-Syndrome.htm

Anyone else had this? Its a real nusiance as its FFing painfull and sneaks up on you unexpectedly. Sometimes its caused by the aftermath of a chest infection or sometimes just by over straining something.

Now we are not out giging till Christmas Eve though I have quite a few things to sort out this week.When you get use to being busy its odd having a bit of time to spare really though I will be using it to practice, but trying to remember not to over do it of course.

 

3 gigs this weekend one on Thursday at Cafe Rouge in Highgate that was mellow but good fun and we have been invited back in January if all go’s well. One up near Baldock which didn’t go quite so well as they normally have 80’s cover bands so a very retro duo was not quite up their street.

On Saturday night we were at one of our favorites, the Belle Vue in High Wycombe with full band. It was a very lively night and good fun.

The live sound of the band has mellowed somewhat though its actually more energetic, and we had some very complimentary comments from the punters who are mad enough to comeback each time we are there, and so must be real gluttons for punishment. It was pretty much a party atmosphere as everyones really getting into the mood for Christmas and the band was in a somewhat joccular mood too

I record most gigs on a small pocket recorder to get a real ldea of what we sound like, thats very revealing too, sometimes when you listen back its good news and sometimes its awfull! Last nights was mostly pretty good. We put audio clips from the live stuff on the website now. We used to do a lot of video, but its impractical in a lot of places, though we should really get some new stuff done for publicity purposes.

I haven’t been working on writing solo stuff  though as I have been doing a lot of studying and practice and I have felt rather uninspired. Some stuff just never seems to sink in. Also I am not a big fan of Christmas though as a child I really enjoyed it a lot. New Years Eve is always a good feeling though and I try to look back at the good things that have happened though the year.

 

 

 

Suddenly from out of the corner of her eye Diana saw a rapidly approaching cluster of hemidemisemiquavers and a key change 😉