Billy Bragg On Steroids

"Billy Bragg on steroids!!" - Yes, that is what I was called at this weekends gig in Folkestone. I have no idea where the bloke got that from but that is how he chose to describe me to the guitarist of Surgery Without Research. I must admit I am quite amused by it (Thank You Terry).
The gig itself was a bit of a nervous one even tho I know all the people in the bands and half the audience, I was on second, after the wonderful Deanos Hose and their psychadelic experience. I had, up til now, gone on first and was just getting used to that and as I had done gigs before I shouldn't be nervous. Even so, this kind of gig was still new to me and I am still learning but I had done this before so it was easy, wasn't it?
I went on a bit over confident and the nerves showed straight after the intro to the first song when I completetly forgot the words and had to start again - first bloody song, I was a bit annoyed with myself. I re-started and things went a lot better, I even managed to do a very rough version of a new song called "When The Tea Runs Out" which although I struggled a bit with it, went down very well. It will go in the set but needs working on so maybe not for a couple of gigs, a quick check on the time and I did one more, bloody hell my half hour went quickly. I got called back for an encore so maybe it wasn't as bad as I first thought.

Set List:
1. You're A Terrorist
2. Still Called Scum
3. R.I.P (Riot In Progress)
4. Go Back To Sleep
5. Race To The Bottom
6. When The Tea Runs Out
7. Generation iDiot
8. Pissing In The Wind (encore)

I wanted to do Question Authority as well but I still hadn't learnt the words and didn't really have time so ditched it. I actually enjoyed the gig even tho it was probably the hardest one to do yet. I must have enjoyed it as I was buzzing about it in the morning so much that I even managed to write a new song and wanted to try out a new (to me) way of mixing the guitars. I recorded it on the Tuesday night, mixed it and uploaded it on Wednesday. I was way pleased with how the guitar had come out and will have to try mixing like that again. Its still a bit rough but here ya go, have a listen. Personally I think the mixing is better on this track than previously. I'm still very much a learner on both the guitar and a DAW but am enjoying the journey and the different ways of doing things, so no doubt there will be fuck ups along the way as well as moments of almost genius - I am looking forward to both.
After I had uploaded this someone else  tried to describe it as "Hardcore Acoustic - If there is such a thang" - we shall see.



Please feel free to download this or any other track from the soundcloud page. If you use this in a radio show or podcast - please credit me and and let me know - Thanks Russ Crimewave.

The Second Gig

Well as you may have seen by the video, the second gig went down really well. I managed to stay in tune for most of it and even managed a new song and one I had avoided doing coz I wasn't comfortable with it at the first gig. I am really enjoying doing this acoustic guitar lark and finding it quite liberating from being in a band. Since the last gig I had aquired a Chorus pedal with the intent of trying it out - After hearing what it sounded like I think I will be having it on premanently at every gig from now on - it altered my sound  entirely - it was awesome, well haopy with it

I went up to the Birds Nest with Kaya from Decadent Few who had agreed to drive up despite not playing due to an illness in the band. Not wanting to cancel the gig or let anyone down who turned up expecting Decadent Few, Myself, Kaya, Bruce from Mindframe and their drummer did an impromptu three songs at the end with me borrowing Mindframes guitar. Myself and Kaya had had one rehearsal acoustically of all three songs earlier in the week but to do it with an unrehearsed rhythm section was going to be weird - especially as I had met neither of them before. We ploughed thru Power & The Glory (an old Youth In Asia song) something called "In Chains" which was a bit of acoustic blues we had thrown together and "They Shoot Children" (Decadent Few song) in rapid succesion and I was amazed at the response. It was recorded and although I haven't heard it, I have been told by Kaya (who has) that it is rather good - soon as I hear it I will let you know.

Set List:
1. You're A Terrorist
2. Still Called Scum
3. R.I.P (Riot In Progress)
4. Go Back To Sleep
5. Race To The Bottom
6. Pissing In The Wind
7. Generation iDiot
8. Question Authority

2nd Set list - With Kaya Decadent & Mindframe
1. Power & The Glory
2. In Chains
3. They Shoot Children Don't They

I actually stopped playing during the last song of my own set as I was laughing so much at one bloke who threw himself on the floor and was shaking like mad, so much so that he knocked a burger off of a plate and onto the floor where he stopped, picked it up and ate it. I was in hysterics, stareted the song where I left off finished and went for a beer. No encore this time but I didnt care as I had had such a great night and the two other bands Bucha Effect & Mindframe were excellent - both well worth seeing.

The Welsh Tart took a few pictures as welll as the video of Generation iDiot from the previous post and a good night was had by all, unfortunately no photos of the 2nd set as I forgot to give The Welsh one her camera - bugger. Too much waffle for this post - I will post the song I was going to in the next post.

Generation Idiot - Live

This is a video of Generation Idiot at the Birds Nest in Deptford last friday - 14 March 2014. My second gig and so far the better one of the two. I will talk more about this gig new songs and other things that happened inbetween the two gigs and after in the next post.
Apologies for the shortness but I'm rather busy at the moment - Enjoy

First Gig - Review

So the first gig is out of the way - always a nightmare but even more so when you are not used to doing everything on your own. Everything was going smoothly, too smoothly, I was going up on the train to Sheerness with a few mates then I get that call, you know the one, train cancelled, wrong type of wind or some such crap. Turned out there was a landslide and all the trains were cancelled and there was a bus service that was going to make the jorney nearly three hours - really? its three o clock and I have to be there between six and seven and there is no way I am going to make it. Luckily I get a call from Kay from Decadent Few, do I want a lift to Sheerness, yeah I do, that would be lovely, so thats what I did - got a lift.
Packed everything in one bag and off we went to Sheerness.

So how did the gig go??
Well, I got there with a bit of time to spare so had a chat with a few people while Swampstomper & The Commited were sound checking and then as time was getting on, it was a quick line check for me and on I go. Nervous as hell, quick bit of banter then into the first tune. Fifteen minutes and five tunes later its all over and I'm buzzing from the fantastic response I got despite being out of tune for three of the five and messing up a fair few lyrics, then amazingly got asked back for an encore, so after a quick tune up I did one more.

Set List:
1. You're A Terrorist
2. Still Called Scum
3. R.I.P (Riot In Progress)
4. Race To The Bottom
5. Generation iDiot
6. Question Authority (encore)

Gutterpunk  took some fantastic photos for GIGglepics which can be found along with a review of the rest of the gig  here.

First Gig

Bloody hell I have got a gig in Sheerness and what a cracker it is too. I'm supporting Kent legends The Commited at their album release party for their new CD "Older & Faster" and reasonably new boys Swampstomper Here is the flyer, come along if ya can - I will only be doing about 15 minutes but thats enough for an old bloke with an acoustic guitar shouting things down a mic. If everyone pisses off outside for a cigarette I shall go and annoy them out there.