Leonard Smalls

So there's youth playing music that could have been produced 50 years ago, and there's youth producing completely new sounds.. Either way, young uns are still making music that pushes the boundaries, or sounds like numerous other bands. Just like always since rock'n'roll started! Here's some at the pushing the boundaries end:

My early 90s punkfunk band used to come on stage to this 😁😎

That doesn't really mean Rock Music Is Dead, just that either: a) you haven't seen any decent new bands recently (there are quite a few!) b) you're not interested in new music, just the music you liked when you still liked new music c) the call of the pipe and slippers is strong 😀

In that case, just finished remixing another live version we recorded last week for 5th September online gig... Meatier mix!

These crazy guys... They don't half make a racket!

At 52 many start to bemoan the fact that "it's not like it was in my day", that "the kids nowadays don't know how to make proper music", that "rock music is dead"... What this shows is that: a) they're old and looking back on their past glories with both rose-tinted specs and a longing for their youth b) that rock music is usually reinvented by subsequent generations, usually to the horror of the previous lot - which is the whole point! c) Their version of rock music will be carried on by their generation, getting more and more staid and forgetting gradually, as they approach the age of the bath chair and early-evening cocoa, that rock'n'roll is meant to be edgy! 😁 However, I would hold out more hope for rock'n'roll if the performers didn't just appear on stage with the same tshirt and jeans they wear everywhere else. Or worse, a nice clean shirt and slacks. As far as I'm concerned you're putting on a show, not just a record - your audience need to be entertained visually in some way as well as aurally. Stop with the squareness already!

Our next gig is on 5th September, it's an online benefit for Hope Orphanage in Sierra Leone organised by Punk 4 The Homeless. Funnily enough, we'll be playing for free... But this isn't really a problem as firstly, it's about helping kids orphaned by ebola, and secondly, we'll be playing in my conservatory!

and by way of contrast:

What about the DLLs? I tend to allow a custom install to put it's library type files in an eponymous new file in Documents. If it's not this I'd suggest your computer is broken as it couldn't possible be anything else 😁

But did you do an auto-install of Amplitude or direct it your Cubase Folder? I did the custom install and Ableton has no probs.

Did you install the VST in whatever place Ableton looks for them? Or do you have a 32 Bit Ableton and the VST is 64?

I've got a number of mates who profess to be constantly searching for new music. But it turns out that all their "new" music is a new band playing music that's just a re-hash of what my m8s already like; frinstance my punk mates listen to loads of new bands who just sound like either Sham 69, the Subs or Misfits. Rockier friends discover the likes of Greta Van Fleet, (i.e Led Zep), funky m8s find Big Sam's Funky Nation (Fatback etc). Personally, while I like new bands that produce stuff "influenced by" (i.e. copied from) genres I enjoy, I'm most excited by new bands that don't really sound like anyone else - like CLT DRP, or Girl Band or Idles...

I've got that ep! Contains the excellent Ich und die Wirklichkeit by DAF... Anyway, slightly older:

I see your Jazz Club and raise you an Anvil, Bad News and Spinal Tap! 😃

Point is, it's rather funny! Now I know that Jazz is A Serious Business, at least for some at the more po-faced let's-do-what-has-already-been-done-1000-times-before types. But in common with everything else That Takes Itself Too Seriously it is a prime target for die Pinkel nehmen 😁 And I say this as a great fan of the more out-there jazz, having played in a free improv group with members of Lol Coxhill's ensemble!

I don't like any of the Amplitude free sims for bass - too muddy with no snap or clarity. Prefer my Bias FX freebie!

Me too!

Talking about great drummers we've played with - this guy was the best (Tony Bianco).

Here's the song wot I wrote for my band, this is recorded live in our living room... It's about ploughing your own furrow and not being a sheep! Or a cat, for that matter... EDIT! Remixed, see below...

This chap isn't a drummer, he's a musician who drums 😁 Sadly, most drummers I seem to have the (dis)pleasure of playing with don't appear to understand that as well as keeping time, a good drummer should supply a groove that adds to and supplements the music, rather than just bashing a cymbal as hard as they can on every beat with a fill on every single drum at least every 4 bars... So if anyone knows a rockin' jazzydrummer looking for a progressive-punk-funk band please give them my details! At present I'm quite enjoying Mr EZ who resides in my phone...

Here's us live in our living room for a Punk 4 The Homeless online benefit yesterday. It features my phone on drums!

Depends on whether it's a 7 or 10" spool, or even a Nagra Sn... And it could have been recorded at 1.875, 3.75, 7.5 or 15ips. So a 7" spool at 15ips gives around 16mins, a 10" about 32.