WalMan

...turns out that if we had finished and posted Blame It On The Boom Boom we would have probably got our first YouTube strike. One of our guitarists has been doing some research and at least three we had at early stages are on the no-no list without additional licensing, even though they’re not being done with any view to monetising them. Hey ho there’s plenty of others we can have a stab at 🙂

Reaper is good, and I have it, but it has quite a big learning curve. I often find myself knowing it's possible to do what I want ('cos I've done it before) but unable to remember how, or find it again in the menus I started off years ago with a copy of Tracktion that came with some bit of gear I'd acquired. Then they got bought up by Mackie and left to die on the vine until bought out again a few years back. I find it easy to use and pretty intuitive, but with a lot under the hood (and you can also get a free copy). Currently on Tracktion Waveform 11.

One of the guitarists has been handling mixes. We were going to share, but he did a great job on the first, so I’ve left him to it though we bounce ideas off the main band WhatsApp group. Also helps that his son’s an upcoming producer who does the final mastering for us. Always seems to play well in all playback formats, even mobiles.

The Alibi - Ride Like The Wind (cover) Our next lockdown video. Full social distancing observed by the guitarists 😂

Unfortunately the BSC one may not see the light of day - vocalist not happy with his performance at certain points, so it’s mastered but for band delectation only. Ride Like The Wind is up today. Separate post follows

Got two more to film tomorrow and at final mix agreement / going for mastering on Tuesday. To come: Ride Like The Wind - Chris Cross; hopefully quickly followed by Blame It On The Boom Boom - Black Stone Cherry Then there’s some Electric Boys, Journey, and maybe GUN (got to build the guide for GUN tomorrow if the weather’s pish) 🙂

Cheers. Really pleased with the way this turned out, and more in progress so something comes out of this all even if we can't be out gigging. It's also got one guitarist who didn't do the home recording buying a few bits to continue the process the other sorting out problems with Zoom calls; and the suggestion that we look to record all new songs we do, because the recording of this brought out a couple of differences between what the two guitarists were playing that got sorted not tighten things up and it looks like a good way of ironing out little bits like that for new songs that otherwise be missed in rehearsals.

The Alibi - Bound For Glory (BSR cover) it’s only taken a global pandemic for us to get our derrière into gear and do some recording, but ain’t t’interweb a marvellous thing sometimes 😁

Had a pair of KRK headphones from them a few years back with no issues

Maybe I'm Dreaming - Probably mixed a bit hot, you can hear the autotune working hard at times, and fluffs galore, but for the first time together playing the songs in 40 years - and relearning on the fly at times - good fun and still pretty tight but I've just realised I played the end riff differently back in the day. And a bit faster live 40 years ago Maybe I'm Dreaming - Live 78 with a solitary clap Had another session yesterday trying some other songs, also fun. There will be an outing to an open mic / jam night sometime EDIT: I am clearly going senile as I left my basses in the studio after the session yesterday. Good news is I'm rehearsing there tomorrow night and a couple of messages confirmed them secured, but FFS!!!

Yes it’s a Zon Legacy Elite. I’d always lusted after one, missed a Status through dilly dallying, wanted another graphite neck and this came up. The tone shaping is not as pronounced as on my beaten up S1 but there’s still tweaks to be had and it plays easily, is not too heavy (I can use a normal wide strap for a gig instead of the Duo I use with the Wal), and sounds good. Going back to my fill in the gaps three piece style of old it was sitting beautifully 🥰

Yet to hear them. Hopefully I’ll get hold of the stems. Felt good in the room, I know I’ll hear loads of fluffs listening back. Not really the point and we’ll do it again I’m sure.

...with my first band of 40+ years ago. Started out as a WMC band playing an odd set of country, 50’s & 60’s songs as 16/17 year olds with an ‘older’ bandleader - I joined on bass having replied to an ad for a guitarist as he was retiring as he was too old (he was 30!!) but by the time I got to the audition he’d realised that was BS, but they didn’t have a bass player so did I fancy the job? We did that for while and then as a three piece after he left and we carried on playing clubs, though we had to have a driver for gigs as none of us was old enough to drive. Started writing our own stuff in a punky vein and built up a good following and full gig list on the south coast - I used to have a gig flyer that covered three months and had around sixty dates, which would probably kill me now. Then ‘stuff’ happened and I carried on with the drummer and later vocalist addition but lost touch with the guitarist for some time. Cut to a couple of months back when our old ‘manager’ (ok mate who drove the van and desk) got in touch and we had a meet up in a pub to chew over old times - usual “...and do you remember when...” conversation that band mates have 🙂 Old/ancient copies of songs were shared by Dropbox, keys agreed, and all agreed that maybe we wouldn’t play them quite that fast now, and today we met up in a studio to bash through what we could remember and record what happened. Also a chance to get the cone on my new BF OneTen, picked up yesterday and lovely & easily able to keep up with a Blackstar 20 rig. Despite not having played together as a three piece for 40 years it was still bloody tight. The recordings will be interesting to hear. Despite being ‘punks’ the eclectic range of influences was interesting, Bill Nelson/Bebop Deluxe, Wishbone Ash, XTC, Wilko Johnson, Hendrix/Trower, shades of Motörhead, and many more.

Sadly I’ll not be able to make it this year. Operation on my left foot a week ago means it’s probably best I don’t drive. The Zon will have to wait until next year 😢 Have a great day chaps & chapesses 🤘

Blimey they came up big 😵 might need to edit that, or maybe it’s just my huge monitor

Second single preview - Horse This was rerecorded with the Zon Legacy and I was happier with the flow of it than the original version Preview tracks: Can't Go Back Recorded a while back now with the G&L L2500 fretless (even if the pic is of the Wal ) She Knows Her Station Pretty sure this was the last thing recorded on the fretted L2500 before I sold it. Not sure why I did now (GAS almost certainly) because I rather like the sound of it here, but it's gone so there you go

After a brief hiatus and delay in planned release dates the Blue Temple Lions are back - just in time for my birthday as well

Cheers Clarky. The learning curve (cliff face) starts here 😄 Pleasure doing business with you.

Gig last Sunday afternoon 4-7 at The Swan, Woolston. Great gig and crowd who are always up for a bit of rock. Second gig with our stand in drummer whilst the usual one is in New Zealand, and he’s doing a great job of it. Plenty of eye contact for ends and odd bits during, but he’s got 99% down. First outing for the Zon and got some nice compliments on it and the gig as a whole - much dancing on tables, and looking forward to getting back there in June

Good gig with the third stand in drummer whilst our regular drummer is in New Zealand for 6 months. Considering he’d had one full rehearsal and one minus vocals he’s done a great job and a lot of work to learn two sets + i think I probably made more mistakes than he did 🤭

He plays some ‘interesting’ patterns for me to work bass lines against sometimes 😉

Video for the first single from the album. No band in the video as we're rather a dispersed bunch: Vocalist / songwriter - Wellington, New Zealand Guitarist - Florida, USA Bass - Littlehampton (LA), UK Blue Temple Lions - Facebook

Indeed. Don't think there was a Hartke LH in the test, but reading the manual for the LH500 I had (until the Bash) 12 o'clock on the BM&T is in fact a smiley scoop sound

I bet you were, as was I 🤣