Knackered!

Jeez, I'm tired... I haven't picked up a bass in 2 days(!) - the Tempa Tempa gig last week (thursday) was fun, if a little scrappy. The problems of getting rehearsals together are really starting to tell. I'm pretty sure Jamie T is busy during the evenings most nights - he's got to make a living out of his drums, after all - so he seems to be keen on daytimes, which of course is totally out for me.

Unless these diverging time pressures are resolved there's no way this can continue... Jake wants me to come in to record ASAP but I'm feeling shaky about Tempa material as we haven't rehearsed it, and the gigs we're doing in Witney nearly all consist of covers (some rehearsed on the spot during the soundcheck!)...

It's a little wierd... the Breeze gigs feel more organised at the moment. More profitable too. But not that funky, in the style that I like!

Oh - and I could have some real fun this Xmas if I took up something I've been offered musically.... ooooo yes. Once in a lifetime stuff! Not going to make me famous though.

Cheerio reader (yes I know that's singular)

From IZIs! Tempa gig blog returns...

Just banging this one out between sets at IZIs tonight. So far, so good but we really need some rehearsals. Bit scrappy but the feeling is nice and funky.

Soundman Andi Fatsounds is experimenting with middly bass tonight for more funk: I think he's got something. Pokey as hell! Bit nervewracking though, outside comfort zone alpha but fun.

In the next set, I'm singing Word Up no less arf arf! I use a sort of baritone Axl Rose voice and suddenly it sounds just like the cameo original!

Just got the 6 string with me tonight, forgot earplugs so I'm on toilet tissue specials which are pretty much working.

Witney's a wierd place: lots of bright young things and people watching them... like me!

Slap solo on the 6 felt pretty good. As ever though, wish I had something locked down!

L8rs!

Breeze - a breath of fresh air? :)

That breeze gig 2 weeks ago (wow, was it that long ago?) was such a blast I'm off to do another one tomorrow night! This time, I'll take the monolith with me so Jamie and Richie's PA doesn't have to work so hard to get the bass out there. I reckon 900 watts of Warwick Pro Tube IX should be enough to underpin O'Neills in Oxford, eh? :)

I haven't laid down those bass tracks for Tempa Tempa yet - and a load of potential gigs fell through because it's hard to get us all in one place at the same time. In my defence, I should say there was only one date out of about 6 I couldn't do! The bass tracks should get done next week I hope. Jake's been busy this week... studio stuff, he has a client or somesuch! I've scanned the materials he gave me for his studio website... pity I don't have any graphics though. I was hoping he would give me all the bits I needed electronically, so I could just put something together... I'll have to come up with something fairly basic I guess. I think that's all he wants though.

Meanwhile... tomorrow night it's fun fun fun with the full-on "jump around" O'Neills venue.

Seriously, if you're reading this, and you live anywhere near Oxford, get down to O'Neills tomorrow night. You won't have seen anything quite like this before. When Jamie does his solo on the bar thing, it's the funniest thing I've ever seen!

I get to be so chilled out as well: there's no pressure, the songs are all dead simple (although to my credit, I have learned "californication" properly now ;) - so I can have a beer or two and kick back.

It feels like this will be how my retirement feels: I always saw myself down the local pub playing blues once or twice a week, barely moving and yet still cranking out stevie ray vaghan style bass licks, with only an unfeasibly large glass of whisky next to me. Nice.

Ah, why isn't life more full of fun for everybody?

Cheerio punters, see you in O'Neills

Andy the Bassist

.... YAWN!

Ooer, I'm suffering from gig withdrawal again. Had a blast with Breeze last friday night - Rich and Jamie and Steve... O'whatsits in Oxford, 3 sets, playing until 12:30am... holy cow, I haven't had that much fun in ages! Took the fretless (only!) and did the whole cover-fuelled nonsense on that! Top shit! I actually took a slap solo (octaves, mainly) on a fretless... and got whoopin applause!

Happy happy happy.

This sunday it's stripped-back Tempa at Hoxton... ironically without Jamie and Richie (funny....).. .and then on friday it's another Breeze gig at the O'summats again in Oxford opposite the Odeon cinema.

Ever seen a guitar player playing while dancing on a bar? about 40 feet away from the stage, having made his way through the crowd while playing a solo? Jamie does that... seriously, there's people taking flash photos of him.

insane.

Good fun though!

Arf

A