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mark555

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Blog Entries posted by mark555

  1. mark555
    After last Weeks session in purgatory, this week we auditioned some one who could actually play. We were going to audition two guitar players, but one of them decided to cancel on us because he liked half our song ideas but didn't get on with the other half. Well, at least he was up front about it and saved us the time. We are still recovering from last week when we had all lost the will to live.
     
    So, any way, Dave turned up on time, coming up from the South Yorkshire town of Wath Upon Dearne. Dave came with a Stratocaster, a Peavy valve amp and himself, I like that, just the basic gear, nothing flash, but loads of enthusiasm and a willingness to fit in. We started off the session with A couple of Dire Straights songs, Sultans of Swing and Money for Nothing. I will give Dave his due, he really had the Sultans of swing nailed, both in licks and tone, so plus one for that. We also played Money for Nothing, but the humbuckers on my guitar had the sound needed for that one. Dave is a Strat player, but I think he could do with a 150, it would suit him - but I digress. Whiskey in the Jar went well once we had got the speed right, I think Dave was up for playing and he went off a bit too fast. We slowed him down on it and he was fine. I think he has played it in another band and they played it faster, where as we play it as the record.
     
    We were really pleased that he could pick up some of the songs he didn't know too well quickly enough, and he was fine about us telling him that we wanted some thing playing a different way, so at least we know that we are not dealing with an egotist. We played some great twelve bar rock and roll and we clicked very easily. At the end of the afternoon, we all thanked him for coming and said that we had enjoyed playing with him, helped him with his gear and waved him off. The three of us liked Dave, he had a no nonsense attitude and was easy to get along with, and most importantly he could play and would fit in with us.
     
    We told Dave from the word go that we are seeing three more players next week, so we were up front with him and he was fine, we told him that we would get back to him. I think out of the three players next week, only one of them will be any better, and I want to give this guy a chance. One thing is for sure, we are not going to keep on for ever with the auditions, hopefully next week will see us make our decision.
     
    We are not professional musicians, but we have had a professional attitude, treated people courteously and and it seems to have worked so far. We are all really nice guys, and people have warmed to us, I am hoping that the player we settle on will be able to fit in and just be a nice guy. At least we are not coming home having lost the will to live this week! Next week we will hopefully have made the decision. Thanks for reading.
  2. mark555
    It's been a busy day. Usually on a Saturday morning I treat myself to a lie in bed and get up when I want to and not when the alarm go's off. However, this morning I had to be at church to take my turn with some other guys to clean the building. It's quite a large church building with two wings away from the Chapel area and also the hall, when those two area's are opened it will seat 800 people very easily. So it was a very busy morning and with the early start I was tired before I went to band practice. I work 52 miles away from from home and the 5.15am alarm clock gets to you by the end of the week - I don't suppose I am young any more. So afterwards, it was strait home and load the car up for a noon start for band practice.
     
    We went to our usual rehearsal venue, which happens to be the church hall of one of our churches in the next town. We get it for free and no one disturbs us, plus the fact it is ideal. I didn't really want to have a practice today, but when I met up with the rest of the guys in the band it was good to see them, they are all great guys and we get on really well. Dave had done a self build telecaster and it sounded pretty good, so he had brought three guitars today.
     
    We didn't try to learn any new songs, just play some of the ones we've already learned as we need to have them perfect, although the next song we are going to learn is the old stones hit ""paint it black".
     
    I am getting real grief from my amp right now, it's a fender Hot Rod 40 watt valve amp and I am wondering if it was modded before I had it,(it was bought used about 12 years ago. It seems to be incredibly loud just set on 2 and has no gradual sound increase. I am going to have it looked at as soon as I can afford some spare cash. This month I have so far had to pay £330 for auto maintenance, £200 for our gas boiler to be repaired and that still hasn't cured the fault. So we will have to be patient. I am wondering if the previous owner put different valves in it than it should have. I have decided to get it to a good amp tech as soon as I can afford. Dave, our other guitarist is convinced some one messed with it before I got it.
     
    While we were rehearsing today we got a real compliment. A guy we know who used to see our old band saw us today and said that he was really impressed, he said that two years ago we were just another garage band (Thanks...!!) but now we are streets ahead and sounding fantastic. (It's because we have a new line up and hte dynamics are better). That is good because he isn't a musician but is really into his music, so good feedback from a guy in our target audience age who knows his music. We had to vacate the hall today pretty early because there was a birthday party for an eight year old girl. This kid was hyper - as if she had drunk a crate of Red Bull energy drinks. The first thing she said when she saw us was "are you the music for my party?" When we said no she almost demanded that we were!! I was just glad to pack away and leave her with her worn out parents who looked desperate to get rid of her for a few days respite!
     
    Thanks for reading, it's much appreciated.
    Mark.
  3. mark555
    We all love to make live music with our guitars, and it has been a good nine months since the last band I had put together called it a draw when all of a sudden the other guitar player decided that he didn't want to play in a band anymore. But I can respect that, he was after all, coming a long way and was working some long hours. So, we called it a draw and that was that. However, after a few months had gone by, Tony, our drummer, who incidentally had been brought in by Mike, our old guitarist, got in touch and said we ought to carry on. I was very pleased about that and got in touch with my friend Shaun, our bass player, about getting another guitar player into the line up.
     
    I put some ad's out wanting players interested to contact me, and sadly, very few did. I think that there are many people out there who want to play but perhaps are a bit nervous about doing it, and also guys of my age (50) seem to be more content to have their nice guitars and just enjoy them at home. There is nothing wrong with that of course, but we needed a player who had experience of playing live, and the few that contacted us were people who were looking to be in their first band. Anyway, it turned out that Pete, a mate of mine and Shaun, who we had played with before in a previous band in the early nineties, and recently played in a band with Shaun (that had never got off the ground gig wise) was at a loose end and asked Shaun what he was doing musically, and did he know if any one wanted a guitar player?
     
    So When Shaun brought this to my attention, I thought yeah - why not? Pete is an exceptionally nice guy, not exactly a killer player, but solid and easy enough to get along with and will give a proper committment and not let you down. As I like Pete very much I was pleased to have him on board. Pete is pretty minimal when it comes to gear, two guitars, one of which is a USA Telecaster in bright yellow and an electro accoustic. I myself favour guitars with humbuckers in them for the kind of music we are going to play and I am trying to persuade Pete to get a Heritage or something similar. I have recently bought a Tokai Les Paul which is made in Japan - more of that later.
     
    For weeks we tried to get an initial get together, but at Tony our drummer works alternate shift patterns we can only rehearse every other week. This is fine with me as none of us want this to rule our lives. But illness and severe colds and one of the band members daughter having a brain tumour held us back for at least two months. But eventually we managed our initial get together last night.
     
    The oldest guitar in my collection of four is my trusty old strat which I got about '88 brand new. I have never been fanatical about Fender guitars, but they are what a mechanic would define as a good adjustable wrench, able to fit different nuts. And this is what the strat is for me. It evokes no passion in me what so ever, it's a working guitar, nothing else. My next guitar is my Heritage 555 which fulfills the desire I have had since I was fifteen for a high quality semi - few 335's are even in the same ball park as this guitar, it is in mint condition and I intend for it to stay that way. But recently I have bought a stunning Japanese Tokai copy of a 59 les paul standard. Right now I can not afford a 150, I refuse to buy a modern day Gibson as they are just too over priced and not worth the money. I am pleased to say that the tokai performed fantasticly well, sounded superb and is a match, if not better than the current les paul standards out there in the shops. Tokai's that sell for the same money as Gibson's just leave them hanging on the shop wall, mine was £1000 less than a Les Paul standard and is better - that's the Japanese for you, they take what you make and make a better version of it for less money. These are guitars not only for players on a budget like myself, but for real players who are not tied to having a lifestyle brand guitar just for the sake of it.
     
    The rehearsal went well, the best number we did was the old Thin Lizzy version of the traditional Irish folk song "Whisky In The Jar". The three we want down next are All Right Now, I Can't Get Enough and Rosalie, shouldn't be too hard at all, but I'll bet we get a few more down as well next time.
     
    So now I have three great guitars, nowhere near as many as some here, but they all do an individual job. The next purchase for me is change of amp. However you look at it, the Fender amps they make these days are just not built to last. My ideal amp will be made by a local company called 'Matamp'. Completely hand wired point to point amps, these are as good as anything on the market. A small producer of amps that exports mos of its production the the states, but Andy Powell of Wishbone Ash uses them and they sound fantastic live - they will also last for ever.
     
    But for now, it is a case of getting the show on the road. Watch this space.....
  4. mark555
    We're having quite the time in our band just now, we finally feel we are rid of the troublesome pair that was our last guitarist and his wife. We thought we were rid of them after our last gig but they could not let things go. They were sending us e mails, phoning our bass player, they phones my home to cause trouble but Mrs 555 is not a woman you trifle with. She answered the phone and told Mrs Satan never to call our home again and to stop causing trouble. So far she has not made any further attempts to call our home. They have also tried to cause a lot of trouble for us by phoning our venues and cancelling gigs, telling the venue that the band has split up or changed its name and they would take the booking over. When the venues found out the truth, they were not at all happy about being lied to and being used in some petty game to cause trouble. One venue rang them back and told them that they were now black listed and would not be welcome there again. I cold go on but you get the picture. I cannot believe that we ever got involved with such people.
     
    Over the last few weeks we have been busy holding auditions for a new guitar player. On the whole it's been a pain in the neck. We've had some good players come but some of them wanted to be THE lead player and just have us back them, which is never going to happen because the ethos of the band is to ensure what is best for the band and have it sound as good as possible. We had three guys who said that they wanted to join us and then before the week was out they gave back word, two for the reason of wanting to be the main man in the band and the other because he had decided, in the space of three days to move to Vancouver. We got to the point where we were cancelling gigs so we thought we would just take our time and get the right guy in.
     
    This last week I was looking on a site called "Join My Band" and found an ad from a guy who wanted a band to join and he lived in the locality we rehearse at so I talked with him for a while and tried to ascertain where he is at musically and competancy wise. We decided to meet up this Saturday (today) and have a session. It turns out that Wishbone Ash are his favourite band, as they are very much one of the favourite bands of myself and our bass player, and he is a friend of Andy Powell. We also both know Wishbone Ash's new guitar player. But that is by the by. What it does mean though, is finally there was a guy who would play some Wishbone Ash numbers in the band. So we set it up.
     
    He came at the agreed time, and we had two hours. He had not had time to learn our set having only two or three days notice, so I just asked him to play lead on certain numbers and invited him to take leads where ever I could and he did just fine, so we know he has the ability. We offered him the place in the band and he accepted. When I got home I received a really nice e mail from him thanking us for giving him the job in the band and promising to be committed and to learning the songs we need him to. What more can you ask?
     
    We are slowly building our PA up as we need to do so. Our good friend and fellow forum member Peter Alton is selling some nice speakers, stands and cables as he is thinning his gear out (but not his guitars. On a side note he has just sold a 1962 fender 15 watt valve amp that sounds fabulous). So on Tuesday I will pick those up from Peter who lives about sixty miles from me. Peter is a true gentleman and I consider myself fortunate to have him as my friend. It was Heritage guitars that really sparked our friendship as Peter was working one day a week at a guitar shop (not that he needed to) I used to drop in at and as we got to know each other I mentioned that I wanted a Heritage 355 and that I was tired of the Gibson Corporate attitude. It was that which brought us together as Peter at that point, and still does own two very nice Heritage guitars, along with other superb guitars which you will be lucky to see in any retailer.
     
    Anyway, the constant in the band has been our drummer, bass player and myself and we want to keep control of our sound system so we are not left without one again. Although our PA amp is older, it works and is powerful enough to do what ever we need. in case you are wondering, it's a Peavey 600 watt mixer amp. Our new guitarist has a mixer, so we will see how that can enhance the situation.
     
    We really hope that this is now the end of auditions and the start of the new constant line up. our new colleague seems more than willing to learn the songs and parts he needs to. When he comes back from his holidays we are going to have three good rehearsals before we start gigging again.
     
    Thanks for reading,
    Mark.
     
     
     
     
  5. mark555

    Taking bookings

    By mark555,

    I feel like we have crossed a really important bridge now, and that things are not going to be so difficult. We are now a band that is taking bookings and the fees are pretty good for a band of our ilk. More of that later. We are now a steady line up with committed musicians in the line up. It's been an up and down journey, losing two band members along the way. However, Shaun and I were determined it was not going to finish after all that hard work.
     
    We now have 33 numbers that we can go out and gig with, all we are doing now is polishing them up and getting them right, we are 85% there and the next four rehearsals will get us to where we want to be. I have plenty of practicing at home to do, but I can do that.
     
    I spent all Thursday night on the phone trying to contact the people who book bands for their venue, I got a good booking for a venue in Sheffield for August 22nd. One booking as a result of an evenings work on the phone, but out of all the places I called I actually only managed to speak to one guy and he booked us. A big working mans club in the city of Sheffield, £300 for the night and hopefully some return gigs. We have another booking for 27th of this month, at £225 at a pub in Huddersfield. The rest of the band were very happy about my work, but I reminded them that if they want to help by doing the same themselves it would be very much appreiciated, but I am not confident the others will do it.
     
    I love having a Telecaster. OK, it's not a Fender, but it is as good as most of the fender Tele's I have played. It's great for Stones songs, Honky Tonk Woman and it's all over now sound terrific, the clarity is spot on. I can understand why Telecasters are the favourite guitar of many players, I must admit that right now, although I use it on only a few of our numbers, my Tele is my favourite guitar and not just because it is new.
     
    Anyway, The rehearsals are great now, we just go through the songs and go from one to another, where as it was taking some time to get some of them down. We have four rehearsals until our first paid gig as our current line up.
     
    One thing that has struck me, Shaun and I started out last year with just he and I, auditioning players to join us. We had previously had a band that just would not work. We got a new guitar player and lost him, a great drummer and lost him. The end result was two new band members who have brought a better level of commitment and are easier to play with. Allen, our new drummer, was in the line up we had when it wouldn't work, and now there are three of us from that line up and it's working great. The difference being the lack of a weak link. And the difference that makes is huge.
     
    Thanks for reading.
  6. mark555
    Hello Every one, it's time I took some time to write another entry and update the story of the band's journey. I really appreciate that some of you take time to read my blog as I really do enjoy writing it.
     
    We're well and truly in gigging mode now, and are getting more bookings than I thought we would, and going down really well wherever we are asked to play. Crowds have been of various sizes, from good to almost empty, but we have always tried to be as professional as we can be regardless of how many people have been at the venue. We are getting paid well for a club/pub band, we are reaching £350 for some gigs, which is good for where we want to be.
     
    One of the jobs I seem to have landed is that of finding gigs for us to play at, but I do get help from Sue, our other guitar players wife who is very good at making an effort and can be quite successful. To get the gigs though, I often have to spend a couple of evenings on the phone, searching out where the venues are on the internet, and trying several times to speak to the right person.
     
    I think I prefer to play at the Working Men's Clubs, some of which are quite impressive. Some of the pubs are ok, but very few have a stage, you just move a few tables out of the way and set up. A couple of weeks back we played a pub in my home town of Huddersfield and we got two return bookings right away for next year. the pubs usually give us a return booking, but the clubs are different and although we have had promises of further gigs, some have yet to materialise and the usual excuse is that the concert secretary's haven't got their 2016 diaries yet. I suppose that they haven't thought about downloading and printing one off for free.
     
    We've taken over £5000 in bookings so far, and out of the money I've already earned I have bought myself a Classic Player Strat in Fiesta Red, I did post pictures of it a few weeks back. But I intend on saving my share of the band earnings and just letting it accumulate until I decide what to do with it.
     
    Playing gigs is one thing, but it can take a lot of work to get them. Some of the venues only book through agents, and those guys can be a pain to deal with. So far we have handled our own affairs and hopefully it will stay that way.
     
    Thanks for reading,
    Mark.
  7. mark555

    Telecasting

    By mark555,

    Another gig under our belt, we played a venue called Netherton Conservative Club. With a small audience of about eighty, we played two sets of forty five minutes and one hour. The venue has the smallest stage I have ever played on - we had our mics fully extended and set on the dance floor. The club was well out of town and located in a nice setting, but humping the gear in and out was a pain in the neck because the door was a long way from the car park. We did not get a return booking there and then, which I would have liked to have secured, but I will be phoning back in a day or two as it's two weeks since we played. I must admit that I will not be too bothered if we don't get back there, but I see getting a return booking as part of a successful gig. We went down well, but I made a couple of howling mistakes in that I totally forgot some of the words of one song, and while playing a popular instrumental, I completely forgot where I was supposed to put my fingers. What was nice though, was a friend I haven't seen for a long time came about fifty miles to watch us play, he had seen my ad for the gig on facebook and decided to come over. We were a little rusty because our bass player had been in Australia for his son's wedding and had stayed a month, so we had only had one practice before the gig.
     
    Anyway, we're still finding venues to play, social clubs around Yorkshire in the main. I don't know what the US equivalent of these clubs are, but at one time the club circuit was huge in Britain.
     
    Well, today the main high spot of my rehearsal session with the band was using my Tokai Telecaster. That guitar is just a joy to play. As I am getting used to playing a telecaster, I understand why so many players love them. I am finding that I can use it on more and more numbers that we play, and it just cuts right through the mix and rings like a bell. I love it for playing early rock and roll and it just does the job so well, My friend Dave who plays in another local band, calls them a "Grown ups guitar". i waited a long time to get this instrument and it has been well worth the wait. Sometimes, somethings just work really well, and this guitar is one of those things, On top of that, it is so comfortable to play.
     
    One thing I have decided upon is that for the time being I have enough guitars, and what I really need is another amp I would be comfortable gigging with. For two reasons, the first is that I need a back up if my amp breaks down, and second, I can use humbuckers through it without having to take one guitar out and change all the settings. I am saving my gig money up to pay for it, with the gigs we have booked, I will soon have another amp.
     
    our next gig is in July, hopefully soon I will have some pictures to post of our gigs.
     
    On a different note, I have started to try and lose weight. I am way heavier than I should be and I am sick of it. I do not want to be the fat one in the band and so far I have lost four pounds - it's one small step for mark and one giant leap of hope! I have given myself a year to get to where I want to be. Here's hoping I can stay the course.
     
    To all those kind enough to read my blog, thank you so much, it is much appreciated.
     
  8. mark555

    The first gig

    By mark555,

    After only being together for about four weeks, we were playing our first gig. We all looked forward to it, having rehearsed as much as we could. We had arranged to meet at the venue at 5pm because that would be the only time we could set up and get a sound check (more of the sound check later).
     
    On the way to the venue, I decided to stop into a guitar dealer in Leeds and pick up a couple of guitar stands for the gig as I don't have any, and I bought a new mic clip to take my mic as the one on the stand I use is too narrow. While I was there I had a look at some PRS guitars as I may have to sell my 555 because the neck is too narrow and thin for my left fore finger to cope with when the tendonitis (well, I think that is what it is) flares up and it becomes painful to play). So, I am looking at a double cut PRS with a trem as a possible replacement. I really like PRS.
     
    So, on to the gig where we all met up and proceeded to set up. The stage wasn't particularly big, but not too small, we all managed to get enough space to play. However, we could not get a sound check because of the way the event was organised and that caused problems from the word go.
     
    The venue was very nice and we were made very welcome. The event was not as supported as well as the organisers would have liked and instead of about 150 minimum attending they got about 45, and about half of those people were 60 plus, some in their late seventies. Our target audience is people anywhere between 35 and sixty, and there were not many of that age group there. But, we were approached by the organisers who knew exactly what music we play.
     
    We played two sets, a mix of Rock and Roll, R&B (Proper R&B, not this awful stuff the kids call r&b toay) and some good plain classic rock. I am pleased to be able to say that the feedback we got was that we went down really well and that on the whole, the audience really enjoyed our playing. And, we can honestly say that there were people on the dance floor all the time when we played.
     
    However, there was another side to the gig that made it one of the hardest gigs I have ever played. From the word go we had sound problems, none of us know why, but we were getting signals that our vocals were not getting through. We were not playing any louder than we do at rehearsals where we have no trouble hearing ourselves, the drummers powered monitor was feeding back, it was as if every gremlin there is was coming out of the box. However, undaunted we carried on using a secondary sound system in the building. It worked fine for the audience, but we could not hear our vocals at all which made it very difficult. We know we have enough sound equipment even if it is not the latest technology.
     
    So we used the gig as a learning curve, and when we practice next we are going to spend our time set up as if we were in a gigging situation and get the sound right, taking note of all the amp and PA settings. The next time we gig we want everything correct right from the word go, even if we can't get a decent sound check. It was hard work all night, but on the whole well worth it.
     
    Thanks for reading,
    Mark.
  9. mark555

    the set list is complete

    By mark555,

    What with all the stuff going on about the HOC site being down, I haven't been able to post for a while, but I'm glad we're all finding our way back home and I am glad I can write my blog again.
     
    Well, lots has been going on since I last wrote a chapter in the progress of Rout 62, my band. The band's name is a bit of a play on Rout 66, and is toungue in cheek because two of us live in Huddersfield, Yorkshire, and the two big motorways that pass our town are the M1 which runs North from London and the M62 which runs East to West from Hull to Liverpool and is the busiest motorway in the country.
     
    Our rehearsals over the last six weeks have been hit and miss because of Christmas and sickness, particularly with myself and Terry, our drummer. So we got back to it yesterday and although it was time well spent, we were out of it with one or two. However, we have now completed our initial set list by adding three more songs to it which we quick and simple to learn, they are Please Please me, Big Boss Man and Got My Mojo Workin'. So now we are just going to polish them all up. We have our first gig lined up at a pub called The Wagon and Horses about fourteen miles from where I live, it's a nice pub, no sawdust on the floor and no spitoons in the corners!
     
    We're getting a data base together of venues who are booking bands, all I am doing is looking at the websites of other bands in our situation and seeing where they are playing, and phoning the venue up. Gigs are getting fewer these days as venues are closing rather than opening up, or even some cases just staying open. We will be hopefully playing at venues round the Yorkshire area, which is quite a big place. If there are some gigs to be had in east Lancashire we will take those also, but you would have to know the geography of England to know why we would or would not play a town. One thing is for sure, I am not going to spend all my earnings for the night on petrol just to get there and back.
     
    Earlier this week, I finally found the right Telecaster for me. I had found a couple of really nice American ones, but at £1300 they were more than I could really justify spending. I have been trying all sorts of variations of the Telecaster theme, Mexican Tele's, Japanese Tele's, all of them. While looking on the net to see what was for sale I looked on a particular website of a shop I have never been to which is about 30 miles from where I live so I decided to visit them. Any one who reads my posts will know I am a big fan of Japanese Tokai guitars, and the store I went to had three. These guitars are getting harder to find in the UK because Fender and Gibson are telling UK stockists that if they sell Tokai, they will take the Fender and Gibson franchises from them. Anyway, to cut a long story short, I now own a Japanese built Tokai Breezysound, which is their name for a telecaster. This guitar is the equal of the American Telecasters I have played at a much reduced cost to me. It came in a tweed case and I used it at rehearsal on Saturday. It was superb for most of the songs we played and was just so versatile. I really have got a great guitar and I can see why every serious player wants a Telecaster. As one of my mates says, it's a grown ups guitar. You can see it in my post entitled NGD on the boards.
     
    The band has gelled so well as four individuals, Dave, our other guitar player has brought a superb PA with him and we have all the gear we need now to put on a good gig, the rest is up to us to manage that gear well to produce the sound we need that will be good for the audiences we play to.
     
    Thanks for reading.
  10. mark555
    As I said in my last blog entry, our band, now officially known as Route 62, is getting close to our first gig, which although is being done for free as a thank you for some very excellent rehearsal facilities which we enjoy without cost, we are expecting some sort of spin off one way or another via a couple of paid gigs. However, on a personal basis, I have not played live for a few years, so it will be good to dip my toe in the water again. Also, it will give us a chance to see which songs work and which ones we are not going to use at other gigs.
     
    Talking of gigs, they local live venues, usually pubs, are closing at rather an alarming rate and there are less and less places to play at and actually get paid, but there is no way I will be playing at any venue where the operator gets money off my guitar playing yet will expect us to play for nothing. There are too many of those venues and too many musicians playing for nothing - which of course means that other bands are less likely to either get a paid gig or have to pay for free, on the promise that if they go down well they will get a paid gig next time. But the question I ask, is will next time ever come? If my gut feeling is right, those who run these none paying gigs will just wait for the next band willing to play for nothing and book them. Sadly there are too many bands willing to believe these people, and also younger kids who are just desperate to get out and play to an audience.
     
    Which, leads me on to something else. Because of the rise of shows like X Factor and American Idol etc, in many cases young people just see bands as four or five kids who dance about with their trousers round their backsides supposedly singing, with not a guitar or any musical instrument in sight. So, when they do get to hear a proper band, they don't know what is good and what is poor, so they accept a lower standard. Now that is not to say that there are not some really good young players out there, far from it. It's just that young people are being denied the opportunity to see and hear them because the likes of the afore mentioned shows have got such a grip on the music industry right now that in England anyway, real talent is being strangled and choked out as it can not get through the system and that was said by no less a luminary than Brian May.
     
    Anyway, I digress. As a band we are meticulous about trying to get the sings we do as good as we possibly can, and we will work on a number until we feel it is good enough to gig. We were not happy that we were progressing the set fast enough, so we planned a rehearsal that would start at 1.30 in the afternoon and go on until the evening, which in this case was 10pm yesterday. The plan was to learn four new songs and and rehearse at least half the set.
     
    The practice was a real success and four numbers duly added, including Before you Accuse Me and I hear you knocking. Easy ones, it is true, but none the less good live numbers. What we found with the other songs though, particularly some we had not rehearsed for a few weeks was that we had forgotten arrangements and had to re learn them, but they were done very quickly as we soon remembered them. I was really pleased that my slide playing, which although I am at the very beginning of, is coming along nicely. Having recently had a really bad cold which has left me with a nasty cough, at 5.30 I was ready for a break and something to eat. So, leaving Pete of the yellow telecaster fame to watch over the guitars and equipment, the rest of us set off for the local fish and chip shop. Very few American's have had really good English fish and chips, and you really are missing a treat here.
     
    On arriving at the fish and chip shop, we placed our order as they deep fried the fish fresh, and the lady asked us if we wanted fish and if so how many. Allen, our drummer asked if he had to catch the fish himself, and the lady asked if he wanted to borrow a rod. To which I could not resist replying that "Allen has his own rod, but please don't ask him to get it out." The two fifty something women behind the counter just burst into laughter and one said to the other that she had walked into that one! We all had a good laugh, went back to the practice hall and enjoyed our food.
     
    The rest of the evening was very productive, and for me there was a nice surprise in store. We actually rehearse in a church which is a nice modern building and away from the chapel part is the recreational hall where we rehearse. Around the building there are other rooms of varying sizes for teaching areas etc, and while we were rehearsing our set, the children of the congregation had come down to an activity of some sort. Among those attending the activity were my twin nephews who are eight years old and their little five year old sister, my niece. These are the children of one of my younger brother who died three years ago this coming April. So, as you can imagine, I take my responsiblities as their uncle very seriously and I love them very much. As they were looking through the door I asked them to come in and they give me huge hugs and kisses, and thought it was great to see uncle marks band! they had never seen a live band before and were enthralled - maybe they might want a guitar one day.
     
    By the time it was ten we were all tired but were very pleased with our long session, it had been all work and had paid off. We will do another one in a couple of weeks time with a normal three hour rehearsal next week. We know that when we start gigging, which will hopefully be soon now, that we will be ready.
     
    Thanks for taking the trouble to read.
  11. mark555

    The year ends....

    By mark555,

    As 2018 comes to a close, the band I play in, Route 62 has had two changes of personal and we are re establishing our selves on our playing circuit and we're happier than we've ever been. Our old guitar player's wife cost us all just short of £2000 but we are now 18 months rid of them both and we no longer hear anything from them. Robin has been playing guitar with us just over a year and has fittted in well, he uses three guitars on stage, a Les Paul RI, a Strat and a Tele. Our Drummer, Graham, is well and truly in the driving seat and fits right in with us personality wise. He's brought a great sense of humour to the band and we like having him around.
    This year we have added a few new venues to our customer base and have gone down well at each of them, getting return bookings. Over here in the UK you get to play the same place three times a year if you are very lucky,  and we have two venues that give us three gigs each. We are aiming to play 26 dates next year, not a lot, but we are al family people, with the exception of our bass player who is divorced, his kids have grown up and he more or less lives alone. He would play three nights a week every week if we would, the band helps him with the loneliness he often feels. However, we now have a very happy line up and for the first time ever we feel that all of us are friends and there are no strains in any of the band relationships. 
    For myself, the year has brought two big challenges. At the end of April I was made redundant from work when the company I worked at started making cutbacks, and I was one of them. The second challenge has been losing my driving licence. This has been because of an accumulation of penalty points on my driving licence. Over here in the UK road side cameras have proliferated alarmingly and if you are one mile an hour over the speed limit they get you. This leads to an automatic 3 points on your licence. Get twelve and you are banned from driving. I was driving 50,000 miles a year with work and just before a lot of points came off my licence I was caught by a camera over the limit. I thought I was in an area with a higher limit than it has and was making an effort to stay within that limit unaware that I was completely wrong. Well, you could say it's my own fault and the courts banned me from driving but I have tried to be very careful and I really do believe (along with any one I speak to) that these cameras are not about safety but are about raising revenue. Even the police refer to them as revenue cameras.
    Not having a driving licence has impacted on me in two ways. First of all it has severely affected my job search and I firmly believe I'd have been back in work by now. The second way it has affected me is the inconvenience. I really do not mind being a passenger, but I now depend on others in the band to help me. A couple of years ago our car broke down and had to go to the repair shop to be put in working order again. not one of the band offered me any help and I had to hire a car ( I was out of work then also) and fuel it. It took more than my share of the gig money to go and play the gig. Not one of the band offered to share a bit more with me and had I just cancelled the gig (due to unforseen circumstances) every one would have lost their share. However, this time, Robin sent every one an e mail telling them that as a band they needed to be willing to help me. So, my wife drops me at all local gigs, and if it's not local she take's me to Robin's house and we go in his VW van and he brings me home from the gig. Also our drummer has brought me home, so it's a different experience for me and no one has said it's my own fault. I've had lots of support from the guys.
    We finished the year with our last gig on Saturday night at a Club in Wakefield, the next town to us. It was only a twenty minute drive there, and it's the third time we have played this venue. They have a new Concert Secretary at this venue and he told me that they are looking for a band to play for the last Saturday of the year next year. Our normal fee for this club is £400, but as it is the New Year event they will pay £1000. So, that will be our biggest fee to date if we get it. Years ago in the UK when the pub and club scene was really in full swing, a semi pro band, if good enough, could ear some really nice money pro rata to what they can earn today. But things change and the industry that led to the organisation of many of these clubs has died. Over here there was lots of coal mining and engineering plants, which have all gone. the Clubs we play are what we call in the UK "Working Men's Clubs" where working people can come out as couples and enjoy entertainment and a social life at greatly reduced costs. Often the clubs had their own Snooker, Pool, Soccer, Crown Green Bowling and other sports teams which would be involved in the local community. They still provide a great night out for people but they are getting thinner on the ground. However, the bigger ones are surviving for the time being. In their hay day, some of the clubs would book top singers such as Tom Jones and other big names and they would be packed. Something else you may find interesting is that the Clubs formed a "Federation" where by if you were a member of one club you could visit another club without paying an entry fee. The Federation of Clubs owned it's own brewery in the North of England called "The Federation Brewery" and distributed beer to the clubs of the federation at greatly reduced prices compared to the big commercial brewery's and the saving was passed on to the club members. Today the aim of the clubs is to plow the profit's back into the club so the members can enjoy a less expensive night out and it is certainly noticable that when we buy drinks we pay 30% at least than when we play in bars and pubs.
    During 2018 I have taken more notice of pedals and how they are used to a better effect. I'm not talking about having a lot of them for the sake of it, but for enhancing the sound. My friend now plays in Wishbone Ash and I've noticed how he and Andy Powell use pedals to great effect. So next year I'm going to try and enhance my own sound just a little bit where it is applicable, and that it the key word - Applicable. I don't use a lot of pedals but for some songs I'd like to combine two or three - for example, the end solo of Throw Down The Sword uses reverb, overdrive and boost. I'd like to be able to switch these on all at once and off together. I am also hoping to get a new amp and guitar. The Amp I would like is a Fender 30 watt Vibroverb which has a beautiful clean tone. I play on a clean setting and use the OD pedal when I need to, I don't channel switch. I will sell my Fender Hot Rod then the Vibroverb will be the number one amp with my Peavey Classic 30 as my back up amp. 
    Now for guitars. I have over the years had a hankering for a PRS but never really had the money. I've always admired them as a quality product and I've decided to try and get one by the end of next year if things go well enough for us. I will never buy a guitar over the needs of our family or home, and over the last few years I could have had several very nice guitars with the money we have elected to make our home a nice place to live in. But if I can, I will save my gig money next year, sell off one of my guitars and buy the PRS I've wanted. There are other guitars I would like just as much, such as a Gretsche Country Gentleman but what has made me settle on the PRS is that every time I have picked one up and played, my playing has been more fluid. On a personal level I find them very comfortable to hang on a strap and stand up for 90 minutes with one round my neck. I know there are other great brands out there, and I would enjoy any one of them. But I am talking about a working tool here that earns me money and the PRS has come to the fore for that reason. when I win the lottery I'll buy a couple of nice H150's, a Music Man Sihouette the Gretsche, and have a few more hand built ones to my speck by top luthiers. Until then I will just make do with the PRS. I've got to find the right one, but the fun is in the search, the work is in the practice and the playing.
    The band always takes January off from gigging for a couple of reasons. First of all, every one has spent up over Christmas, the bills are coming in and it's cold so the venues are all about empty. Secondly, we use January to rehearse new numbers for our set list and now we need two different set lists. One for pubs and bars and a seperate one for the clubs which demand a different type of set. The song I am looking forward to playing most is Blowin' Free by Wishbone Ash, it's a song we all love in the band and to me it fills me full of joy. 
    We finished the year off with a great gig and had to play a twenty minute encore at a club that is known for letting you know if they don't like you and they would have let us play for linger had we done so. But finishing on such a high note has made me look forward to next year and the gigs we will play. I hope you all have a great Christmas and that the new year brings everything you need.
    Thanks for reading, and best wishes to all,
    Mark.
  12. mark555
    Where on earth do I start with today's entry? I seriously don't know where to start on this one.
     
    The news of the band is that after six weeks out, our superb drummer Allen has returned to playing with us. It's great to have him back, I know exactly when he will hit the beat and when to come in. I've missed his playing. Although, through having a dep drummer, I have made a really good friend in Tony and we are going to meet up socially and build on our friendship. He's made friends with Shaun and I and also our drummer Allen, who phoned him to thank him for standing in for him and helping us out.
     
    I was hoping that all the troubles I have written about so far with Mrs Satan had calmed down, but sadly this has not been the case. While setting up on stage at our best venue two weeks ago, totally unprovoked, she said at the top of her voice so I heard it that I sounded ****. I did not rise to this and ignored it. We played two good sets that night, with the crowd up on the dance floor all night. This was out last night with Tony drumming for us and we had a good time. Lots of pictures were taken, which I have yet to get onto my lap top.
     
    Fast forward one week to last Saturday and we have a gig at a social club and Allen is back with us at last. However, our other guitarist and his wife came and as soon as she sees me she is making comments to the others. After the fist set her husband announces he is leaving the band, and at that point his wife joins in and is abusive and nasty, all of it aimed at myself. This is in a public room at the venue and we don't need it, I said this is not the time to have this discussion, wait until later. However, she and drink don't mix and she is off at full throttle. At this point Allen is telling her to shut up and also saying that this is not the time or the place.
     
    We played our second set and then things got nasty, and there was no going back. What was a real shame for me was that my son was up from where he lives 250 miles away and came to watch us for the first time, and he had to see it. Mrs. Satan was just so nasty but Allen, was not having it and said that the problem isn't Mark, it's you. She then started on him. It was a no win situation for anyone. We got them packed up and on their way home first and the three of us had a chat. We all agreed that this could not go on any longer. She had been making her nasty comments and digs for six months and the three of us have had enough. We were not going to ask him to reconsider and stay with us. I had got to the point where I just didn't want to go out and gig with the band and I considered leaving myself at Christmas.
     
    Shaun, Allen and myself gave it a few days before we phoned each other to see how we felt, and we all felt the same. Move on and get some one else. And that is what we are doing. I went on a website to advertise for a new guitarist and look to see who wanted to join a band. I found an ad placed by a guy who lives in the same town as Shaun who is looking for a band and got in touch. He is the same age as us and after a chat we found we are on the same wave length. I've sent him our set list and we are going to have an audition for him in about two weeks after next weeks gig. I explained everything to him and he said he had experienced the same thing in a band he had played in. he seems a good guy on the phone, if he fits in with us, then he's in and we're up and running again.
     
    This has been quite upsetting for me, I have put up with so much nastiness and let it go, but last week was it for me, and there's no going back. We are all relieved that we will not be having this awful woman come and poison the good spirit we try to have in the band. It has worn us all down and we've all had enough. I'll let you know how we get on with the audition, it needs to work as we have gigs to play.
     
    Thanks, for reading,
    Mark.
     
     
     
     
     
     
  13. mark555

    Things are looking up!

    By mark555,

    After the abismal session we had last week without a drummer, things are looking up.
     
    During the week I decided to call a friend, Allen, who Shaun and I have played with before in a band we just could not get up and running. By good fortune for us, it turned out that Allen has not been playing any gigs since last summer and was fed up with his current band's lack of enthusiasm for going out and playing.As we had always got along together and had made a point of trying to stay in touch, and we arranged for him to come and play with us today.
     
    All four of us were very pleased how the rehearsal went and we had one of the best practices we've had in along time. I really like Terry, out old drummer, he's a terrific guy who I hope to stay in touch with, but the difference in having a drummer who us really up for it from one who had lost interest makes a huge difference and we just played song after song, with playing a few once or twice again just to get right. Even though we are all at a decent level, we still had to get used to playing with a new drummer and he with us. that was soon sorted out though.
     
    We had a great rehearsal and next week we are practicing on Friday night because my little Granddaughter is coming for the afternoon and I'm not missing that for any one!
     
    Thanks for reading.
  14. mark555
    So here we are, with a band up and running that can play some half decent songs, we have a superb practice facility which is free to use and the two guitarists and bass player duly spend our spare time practicing at home so we can at least get things done at rehearsals. We are fortunate, our drummer is a guy we get on really well with and has constructive input and good timing, knows his job and does it well.
     
    But why do drummers seem to think that they can just turn up at a few practices and expect the other musicians to practice? I really like our drummer, he is a sound guy, just the man for the job. It is difficult to get together on a weekly basis because he works shifts, so we have to look at it every fortnight. But just now it seems like it is getting harder and harder to get the drummer to practice, we have all said we will work round him. He works evenings, no problem, we will practice in the morning for a few hours.
     
    I do not believe that the band is the be all and end all, our other guitar player had to take a lot of time out as his daughter recently had an operation to remove a brain tumour, so we were behind him 110%, and thankfully all went well. But where is the commitment these days? If you are going to join a band, you know that it involves practice. Why do drummers think that every one else can practice and they can just turn up and put the beat down??
     
    A band needs to be a tight, unified unit that plays spot on together. It's not a jam night or an open mike night, paid gigs expect a lot, and that takes effort.
  15. mark555
    After the fantastic success of last week when Shaun and I found Terry the drummer, we were eager to start looking for the next band member, so we started scouring the usual web sites where hopefully we could find a few likely candidates for joining us. We were looking for a vocalist and guitar player, or if needs be, one guy who could do both.
     
    During the week I had contacted one or two more people who seemed to fit the bill and we invited a guy to come for audition. I asked many questions of him, but missed the really obvious one, which was "what experience do you have?". I don't know why I didn't ask this question, from the way he was talking, I just took it for granted - I won't make that mistake again. He told me he had really good gear, which is important because good gear makes for good tone. So, a time was arranged and we all turned up.
     
    Our guest was an extremely nice guy, he came complete with Telecaster and what he said was a Vox Valve amp. Now I have owned a Vox AC30 and I know what the sound like and what they look like, and this certainly was not an AC30 valve amp. I can tell a valve (tube) amp as soon as I hear it and this was not what he said it was. Perhaps he was inexperienced in the amp market, so I will give him the benefit of the doubt and say that perhaps he wasn't as knowledgeable as he needed to be when he bought it.
     
    We had e mailed him some very easy songs to get to grips with that he could sing and play at the audition, twelve bar stomps etc, the most complex song he had to learn was whiskey in the jar, chords only.
     
    Well, we started playing and it just was not working at all. Last week, when Terry joined us, it was Bang! Off we went and it came together instantly. This week, we knew from the word go that it was not going to work. However, the guy had turned up, and he deserved the courtesy of being given a chance, But half an hour later I had lost the will to live and our drummer was just desperate to go home. Shaun of course, as relaxed and laid back as ever, was just kicking the bass lines out, but we both shook our heads when we looked at each other.
     
    So here's today's lesson. There are loads of bedroom players who really think they can play and sing because that's all they do, but put them in with a full band, and the noise of it hits them and they are out of their depth. Our guest couldn't hold a tune and his timing was truly terrible, he had no strength in his voice and generally was terrible. After an hour (we were very generous) we cut it short and having already told him that we wouldn't make a decision there and then, we thanked him for coming and helped him pack his gear away. We then all agreed that I wold give him a call to thank him for coming but tell him that we needed some one with band experience and playing live.
     
    I really felt that it would only be good manners to actually speak to him, so I phoned him only to get his answer phone, so I left a nice message and e mailed him. he replied, saying that he had enjoyed himself but did find that he was not comfortable with the genre we play. So, there we are, all nice and polite and done properly.
     
    Next week we are auditioning a guitar player who says he has a lot of live experience and claims to be a good player. If he is good, that's great. But we will give him one hour and then hopefully audition another player i am trying to contact. Lets see what happens. Thanks for reading.
  16. mark555
    After the fantastic success of last week when Shaun and I found Terry the drummer, we were eager to start looking for the next band member, so we started scouring the usual web sites where hopefully we could find a few likely candidates for joining us. We were looking for a vocalist and guitar player, or if needs be, one guy who could do both.
     
    During the week I had contacted one or two more people who seemed to fit the bill and we invited a guy to come for audition. I asked many questions of him, but missed the really obvious one, which was "what experience do you have?". I don't know why I didn't ask this question, from the way he was talking, I just took it for granted - I won't make that mistake again. He told me he had really good gear, which is important because good gear makes for good tone. So, a time was arranged and we all turned up.
     
    Our guest was an extremely nice guy, he came complete with Telecaster and what he said was a Vox Valve amp. Now I have owned a Vox AC30 and I know what the sound like and what they look like, and this certainly was not an AC30 valve amp. I can tell a valve (tube) amp as soon as I hear it and this was not what he said it was. Perhaps he was inexperienced in the amp market, so I will give him the benefit of the doubt and say that perhaps he wasn't as knowledgeable as he needed to be when he bought it.
     
    We had e mailed him some very easy songs to get to grips with that he could sing and play at the audition, twelve bar stomps etc, the most complex song he had to learn was whiskey in the jar, chords only.
     
    Well, we started playing and it just was not working at all. Last week, when Terry joined us, it was Bang! Off we went and it came together instantly. This week, we knew from the word go that it was not going to work. However, the guy had turned up, and he deserved the courtesy of being given a chance, But half an hour later I had lost the will to live and our drummer was just desperate to go home. Shaun of course, as relaxed and laid back as ever, was just kicking the bass lines out, but we both shook our heads when we looked at each other.
     
    So here's today's lesson. There are loads of bedroom players who really think they can play and sing because that's all they do, but put them in with a full band, and the noise of it hits them and they are out of their depth. Our guest couldn't hold a tune and his timing was truly terrible, he had no strength in his voice and generally was terrible. After an hour (we were very generous) we cut it short and having already told him that we wouldn't make a decision there and then, we thanked him for coming and helped him pack his gear away. We then all agreed that I wold give him a call to thank him for coming but tell him that we needed some one with band experience and playing live.
     
    I really felt that it would only be good manners to actually speak to him, so I phoned him only to get his answer phone, so I left a nice message and e mailed him. he replied, saying that he had enjoyed himself but did find that he was not comfortable with the genre we play. So, there we are, all nice and polite and done properly.
     
    Next week we are auditioning a guitar player who says he has a lot of live experience and claims to be a good player. If he is good, that's great. But we will give him one hour and then hopefully audition another player i am trying to contact. Lets see what happens. Thanks for reading.
  17. mark555
    This entry tells of the week leading up to our first live gig and the gig itself.
     
    Did you ever have one of those weeks where after you have practised, practised and practised till you got your parts right, had some great rehearsals, then for some reason, you seem to just not be able to get things right. Well, that is what exactly happened the final week before our first gig. The catalyst was that we started to practise as a band line up would be on stage, with some borrowed monitors which weren't too much more above useless. It had been one of those weeks I could just have done without. I just could not get it together musically at rehearsal, and I put that down to too many external factors. Friday morning I had a 220 mile round trip down to Birmingham for a second interview with a guy who along with the company HR manager just picked holes in everything I said. In fact, after the weekend, on monday this week I just called the recruiter who got me the interview, and having met this guy at interview twice, I told her that I just felt the whole thing was not good for me. It turned out they felt the same - ha ha, I just wish I had made the decision on the friday and not stressed about it all weekend.
     
    We met for an afternoon set up at the venue and a run through of the songs we just weren't tight on, in fairness, it was me who needed it. But the other guys were very supportive and could see I was having a rough time of it. Shaun, our bass player, is like a brother. We have known each other since we were thirteen or so and Pete, our other guitarist says it's plain that Shaun and I are "an item" - but thankfully only in a musical sense - get one of us in a band, you get the other. But he is my true brother and is always the calm one, he spent some time with me and helped me get my head right for the gig.
     
    Showtime came and I just went for it, we opened with one of our best numbers "down at the doctors" by Britsh band Doctor Feelgood, followed by Bad Company's "I can't get enough". We just went for it. The audience loved it and we even got a standing ovation when we played Thin Lizzy's hit Whiskey in the Jar. What made that nice was that it was led by some guys in their early twenties who are guitar players. Other songs we played included This flight tonight, I hear you knocking, Alright now, and stuff of that Genre, and it went down well. Yes, I his a fair few bum notes, but I played some really good guitar as well. In the end, every one who came had a really great time and we will be getting another booking as a result. One of our strong points was our ability to build a rapport with our audience, and they enjoyed that very much.
     
    For myself, one of the best things of the night was the pleasure the gig gave to one particular individual, Sheldon. Sheldon is 35, the son of two dear friends of mine, he was born with a mental handicap. Despite being 35, he is always going to be a kid. But he loves the guitar, and when I let him hold the strat he was just in his element, he thought it was the greatest thing he has ever seen in his life, and he had a great time. He loves music but because of his handicap, unlike the rest of us he can't go out and find a band to watch. I am not one to push my beliefs on any one, but I believe whole heartedly that one day, in the next life, I shall meet Sheldon without his handicap and he will be a great guy.
     
    So all in all, I needn't have stressed so much. But it's somewhere in my nature to get wound up at times, I try really hard to fight it and most of the time I win. The gig was my first full gig on stage in several years and it was a great learning curve. It showed what went down well and where we should go with some of the songs and to go down certain paths and back off from others. I'm glad we did it. So, for now, it's a case of choosing ten more songs to learn and really getting sharp, we have another gig coming up in mid April, I'd like that to be really sharp.
     
    Thanks for reading, Mark.
  18. mark555
    It's 5pm here in very sunny Yorkshire, which as you may or may not know is the centre of the universe as we know it. And as I have been tidying the house for when she who must be obeyed arrives home from the surgery, I have been thinking about various guitar related stuff.
     
    Since the arrival of my brand spanking new Tokai Les Paul, which I thoroughly believe to be better than the current Les Paul Standards I see in the shop, I haven't been able to put it down, and as a result, my playing is sharpening up, something which I am very pleased about. For Years I have had a book in my chest of drawers called Jam with Thin Lizzy, Eight songs tabbed for total accuracy plus a CD to play along to. Well, I didn't need the tabs to play Rosalie, but sometimes I use them like a road map, you know, look at which road I need to be on to get to where ever I am going, then just pick on reference points. So, this last week I have been learning 'Don't Believe a Word' which was about 1975 or 76, and one of my all time favourites.
     
    I was playing what my ears were telling me what's right, but the tab was saying I should be playing the second half of the lead solo two frets up, and that just wasn't working. So, just how are accurate are these books and stuff we can download?
     
    I am all for anything that helps us play better, but I think the more we can do for ourselves, the more accurate our own judgement becomes. I now have this solo and the rest of the song down spot on, and it ain't what the book tells me to play.
     
    Happy playing to all......
  19. mark555

    Wading through mud...

    By mark555,

    So, the band is gigging and audiences are going away having had a great night. Of course there are better guitar players in bands out there, but this band plays a selection of songs that works for the audience. More of Saturday's gig later in this entry.
     
    I don't talk about the family much in my blog, but this last week has been great, my son, George, turned thirty on Friday, he and his wife came up from Kent, it's a four and a half hour drive for them, and Kimberley is five months pregnant so it's quite a trip for her. My daughter, who is also expecting her second child and her husband came over from Southport, which is a town on the north west coast of England, and of course, my youngest daughter who is almost 26 is living with us so she was already here. We all went out to a Persian restaurant, which I have not experienced before, the food wasn't stunning, but it was very enjoyable and the staff were very good. I had a fabulous night out with the family, it was great to see our adult kids all enjoying each others company.
     
    George treated himself to a very nice Yamaha acoustic guitar for his birthday, he paid £300 for it and I have to say it's excellent for the money. He brought it up with him to show me, and I showed him how to oil the fretboard and generally maintain it. We're very close and I am very proud of him, he's carving himself a career in Law as a solicitor at an excellent law firm and he is well thought of. I'm lucky, I have three great kids.
     
    I've been out and about trying some nice guitars this week and was really impressed with a used metallic musicman silhouette with a trem. I really think those are excellent guitars, although it's only the Silhouette I have a liking for. It sounded really clear and played very nicely, but at £1100 used I don't have the cash for it yet. I also played a Duesenberg because I have had a serious bout of gas for the sparkle red or blue single they make. When I tried it though, I didn't think it gave me the sound I was after. A few weeks ago I played a Gretsche Country Gentleman with a Bigsby on it and it played itself and sounded wonderful - instant George Harrison and the tones were fantastic, so I decided that there was no contest between the two for now. So I have narrowed my choice down to the Musicman and the Gretsche for a choice the next time my gig money mounts up enough to let me pull the trigger if the right one comes along.
     
    Saturday night's gig was at a venue we have now played three times and we go down very well at, so we like going there. I have developed a good relationship with the people who run it and call in to spend half an hour with them when I am in the area, it's about an hour north of where I live. I have to say that after all the nastiness that went off the week before, I was not looking forward to the gig at all, worrying about what might occur if our other guitarists wife was in the mood for trouble. However, that morning I'd had a telephone conversation with our drummer, Allen, who is very level headed and easy going. But he told me how disgusted he had been at the conduct of "Carole" and how she had shown the band up in a bad light with her foul language and her drunken antics and that he wanted to sit elsewhere when we were not on stage. Our bass player is not related to me, but we are "brothers", we share the same beliefs, we have known each other since we were young and our parents are friendly with each other. I don't think I have ever had a more loyal friend. But when I found out how our drummer felt and that he was on side with our bass player and myself, it made me feel a lot better. we all agreed that we don't want to lose our other guitar player as he brings much to the band, plays well and we like him. However, the nastiness towards me from his wife has been going on since before Christmas now and it is wearing us all down and we agreed that if it doesn't stop we will cut him loose and replace him. Ad's have already gone out on a website to see who responds.
     
    Anyway, my brother came to the gig on Saturday and we are very close, he also knows our bass player very well so the three of us kept each other company between sets and stayed out of the way of Mrs Satan, I was pleasant to her when I was in her company but did not make too much effort to bother with her much at all. She did not like the fact that she was not the centre of attention, and we all feel that is part of her problem, she's a spoiled brat who needs to grow up and act like an adult. No trouble started and we all breathed a sigh of relief.
     
    Now for the good stuff....! The stage at Saturday's venue enabled us to have plenty space each, so for the first time ever in this band I took my 555 out and played it live! Oh boy, did it perform for me! It was great to play it and it was the classiest guitar on the stage!! With the £ dropping against the $ here in the UK, a new 555 must be the best part of £3,500 now. So buying it used for £800 a few years back was an excellent decision. I played a variety of numbers on it, from Chuck Berry's The Promised Land, Santana's version of Black Magic Woman to songs by the Stones, The searchers, Dave Edmunds and others and I loved it. I will definitely take it out again when we play on bigger stages. I used the Tokai for the second set. After playing strats and a Tele for all the other gigs we've done, I felt the humbuckers gave me that bit more depth. The Heritage is an excellent guitar, built by great guys at a factory that has, pardon the pun, "Heritage". But the Tokai can really do the job and I have to say that I really do think the Japanese know how to produce great guitars. Over here in the UK USA built guitars cost a lot of money compared to what you pay for them in the States, so a good Japanese guitar will equal a gibson at half the money. So the Tokai Love Rock (Les Paul Standard) really did the job and when called for I could let it rip with a bit of lead playing and it gave me the tones I wanted for the songs. I also loved the neck which is modeled on the 59 Les Paul Standard, nice and meaty.
     
    But what amazes me was how the sunburst went through a spectrum of colours as the lighting changed, the most spectacular one looking like a Tobacco sunburst, which I have posted here, you can see some of the other colours it went on my thread on the family tree. All the colours it went were spectacular and must have looked great from an audience view. Seeing the Tobacco sunburst really made me think I ought to get one!
     
    So, the night passed without incident and I got home at 1.30. As I drive home I try not to listen to music so that I can unwind, so I listen to BBC Radio 4. at 00.45 each morning they give the "shipping forecast", which is a detailed weather forecast for each area of sea around the British Ilse. It is preceeded by a piece of music called "Sailing by" which I have grown to really like, and although I am not on a boat or ship somewhere at sea, I just find listening to the forecast - how odd is that?
     
    Well there you go, life in a band, let's see what happens next. Our drummer go's into hospital for an operation next week, so we have a drummer depping for him for six weeks, that will be interesting.
     
    best to all and thanks for reading,
     
    Mark.
     
     
     
     
     
  20. mark555
    I thought I would put a picture of our drummer Allen on the blog picture today, Allen has been in hospital for surgery on his back and his leg and is taking six weeks out to get back to full health and recover from the surgery. Allen is an excellent drummer and an extremely nice person. And, this is where our tale starts today.
     
    we have had two drummers dep for us so far, the fist one did a couple of gigs for us, another extremely nice chap called Mick. Tony is depping for us for about four or five bookings and is more my style of drummer, also we hit it off as friends instantly and have enjoyed being in each others company and getting to know each other as friends and band mates - it is true to say that I hope to play in a band with him at some point, and I think it will happen. We click musically and have the same groove.
     
    Now, here's where it gets interesting. Tony comes from the same town as our other guitarist, and indeed it was he who brought Tony in to help out Saturday night in the city of Sheffield, about thirty miles south of where I live. It's one of our favourite venues with a nice big stage that lets you move about a bit. We used our new lighting for the second time and it was great, I think the audience liked them and they certainly added the effect we wanted. However, for the first set, only the two Derby lights at the end of each side of the light bar were working and we couldn't understand why. It turns out we had not switched the foot control on! Needless to say, the second set was a lot brighter! We went down really well and are at the same venue again later this year.
     
    After the night was over, we got packed up ready for home, and our other guitar player and his wife, Mrs Satan, were away first. I am usually ready to go last as I sort the money out and make sure every one was happy that we played to. So, that left Shaun our bass player, Tony the drummer and myself. Now what you need to know is that Madam Satan is all over every one else in the band hugging and kissing them at the beginning and end of the evening, with of course, the exception of myself - and that is how I like it. We are on civil terms and it's left that way. When we were about to go home, I explained to Tony about how things are with Madam Satan, just incase he noticed anything funny. I was worried that he might think he was being negative, but his reply stunned me.........
     
    Tony had played in a band before with our other guitar player for a little while, and he told me that he knew exactly where I was coming from, and that her behavior had caused her husband to be kicked out of the band he was with previous to this band! Not only that, but it was a band he himself had started. He then told me what a nice guy the other guy in the old band was, but Madam Satan had caused so much trouble that they just could not tolerate it any longer.
     
    So, it seems at some point the truth comes out everytime. But I feel totally vindicated in taking the stance that I did and being prepared to get a replacement player if needed, and at this point, Shaun, Allen and myself are ready to implement the change if we ever need to. On a positive side, it's been great getting to know Tony, a top bloke (as we say over here) and making a new friend. The band is playing well and we plan on adding some new material in July.
     
    Thanks for reading,
     
    Mark.
     
     
  21. mark555

    when I was a lad

    By mark555,

    I have been having a sort out lately of some stuff in the house and came across some old pictures which I had lost track of a long time ago. Among them was this picture of my first band. We were a trio, and it is a funny story how we got this band going. I met Shaun and Louis, two brothers, when they moved to Wakefield from Belfast because of the 'troubles' as they are known over there. Originally from Rochdale, Lancashire, just over the pennines from me. I hit it off well with these two friendly lads, and I said to Shaun one day, Do you fancy being in a band? His reply was that he could not play any instruments. Well, I was pretty much a lousy guitar player who only knew a few chords and I didn't even have an electric guitar, just a classical one my parents had decided I was going to have if I was to have a guitar - I never did learn the classical guitar, but wish I had. Anyway, I digress.
     
    So I said to Shaun that I couldn't play much either, but if we got some gear we could practice and form a band.
     
    I eventually got a really cheap and nasty Japanese copy of a Les Paul custom with the 'Sumbro' Brand on the top of the headstock. The pick ups were horrendous, but in the days of fuzz boxes etc you could get this horrendous distortion which at least gave you some sort of rock sound. The bands we were listening to at this time were British rock bands, Status Quo being our favourite along with Thin Lizzy and UFO. Anyway, One day I was in Huddersfield ;looking at a music shop when I saw a bass guitar for £20. It was a real cheap and nasty Egmond, a Dutch brand which was along the lines of the Gibson semi acoustic basses. So Shaun got that as a starter to practice on.
     
    I had by now been playing through a Vox AC30 top boost with a Gibson Slope sided 2X12 cab with jensen speakers, and before long had traded up to a used Marshall Plexiglass 100 watt head - if only I had that am now. Back then in the 70's, the rage was for guitarists to have the new solid state transistorised amps and you could get these fantastic valve heads really cheap, especially if they looked a bit tatty. But the general opinion was that you could spill a pint of guiness down the inside of a Marshall and it wouldn't hurt it.
     
    Louis, Shaun's brother, decided he wanted a go at playing drums, so we thought why not? He found a Premier Kit used for £125 and an older friend of ours who was the best drummer in town, took us to see if it was any good. It turned out to be ideal for a sixteen year old and it was duly bought, Louis started lessons and became quite proficient as his teacher was the above mentioned guy. So, there we were with the basis of a band but other than Louis with his premier kit, the other two of us had poor guitars. Shaun had been saving hard and eventually we went off to London for the day with his mum and dad and came back with a sunburst Fender Precision, so he was now up and running on a serious guitar. Not too long afterwards I got my first Gibson, a used SG DeLuxe for £175 from JSG in Bingley, the best guitar shop around at that time - sadly it no longer exists. So now we were away, all of us up and ready. We rehearsed as and when we could get lifts to the local church hall we used and got a few gigs. The most adventurous song we played was the Wishbone Ash number 'Blowin' Free' - quite adventurous for a bunch of young kids, but we made a passable version of it. Other numbers included 'Back in the Night' by Doctor Feelgood and 'In My Chair' by Status Quo. Our early gigs were three quarter of an hour slots at dances etc.
     
    Today I still play in a band with Shaun, who is now bald... But then again, I am overweight... we still practice in that very same church hall we played our first gigs. Sadly, Louis gave up on the drums, he would have been excellent, he had great timing and was very solid, I wish he had carried on as he is a great friend to this day and I would love to be in a band with him. The SG Deluxe went a long time ago and was eventually replaced for a short period by a Tokai Telecaster, which I traded for an SG Standard.
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