Leonard Smalls

We've had 2 rehearsauditions for guitar players recently... 1st one said he knew nothing about theory but had put quite a lot of practice into working out our songs. He was, however, a bit plodding and standard-metal with very little invention, spark or syncopation though timing was generally good. 2nd guy was far more interesting musically, understood what modes were and could play around with our songs. He started off playing a little too blues-ily (as our original guitar player did on the album) but varied from that when told he had free reign. His only negative was that he's very slow to respond to messages on't phone... So I was keen on 2, the rest of the band wanted 1 as "he was heavier". I said "heavy is easy, interesting isn't, what sort of band do we want to be - same old same old or an interesting mix of all-sorts?"). As a result it looks like we may now have a 2 bass 2 guitar band! I'm very tempted to show 'em Chick Corea's advice to musos, though as they all hate anything to do with jazz, often including musicianship, it may well fall on deaf ears!

Can You Dig It? - The Mock Turtles

I'd vote for that!

Bass In Ya Face - Jamaaladeen Tacuma

Oh Bondage Up Yours! - X-ray Spex

Careful with That Mic... - Clutch

Dear Diary - Moody Blues 😁

Miniature Disaster - KT Tunstall

No Forkin' Problem - Suicidal Tendencies

Backdoor Santa - Clarence Carter

Bath Chain Puller - Captain Beefheart

Long-Haired lover From Liverpool Street - Little Jimmy Osmond

Euston Rifles - The Jam

Trans Siberian Express - Bardi Blaise

As he only played with the one magic amp (can't remember what it was either, was probably a touch squiffy by then), it was difficult to tell. Though he was pretty darn good, and I don't think it was off backing tracks either! Next time I saw him he was also awesome, as was Bernie Worrell on keys. Though Ginger Baker was constantly tuning his snare, and compared to serious jazzy drummists I've seen, distinctly average.

I remember going to see Bootsy's Rubber Band at the Clapham Grand and he didn't come on till about 2330, despite being billed as 2100. Everyone missed their tubes... And I went to see Jonas Hellborg at the Blue Note - due to an alleged difficulty getting hold of some fancy amp (you'd think someone would organise these things!) he came on about half midnight!

(I bit my) Mother Tongue - Weeds

Lost in France - Bonnie Tyler

Bonin' in the Boneyard - Fishbone

Not a miss-press, but I remember getting a copy of Joy Division's "Licht und Blindheim" limited edition single on Sordide Sentimental records. My French penfriend bought it for me in exchange for a UK Subs single... So stupidly I sold it for £40 back in 1981. They're now going for about £1500!

We're going to Ibiza - Vengaboys

Backdoor Love Affair - ZZ Top

I suspect that middle-men are in some way to blame as well... I've got a mate who works for a major artist agency - he has a number of bands he books tours for and stuff. One of them - a well known UK band - gets around £25k/gig. From that, he gets £5k! He's now in the process of retiring to a lovely villa by the sea just north of Biarritz.

Better Than You - Cardi B

Our drummer in the EDM dance-rock band is bowing out due to painful tinnitus (from another band, I hasten to add) so we'd like to find another electronic drummer. It could be pads, triggers, e-drums but not acoustic... We have a sequence on laptop plus bass, 2 guitars and vox. As we're currently spread between the west of Ireland, Manchester, Shropshire and the South of France the new recruit could be from almost anywhere, but must be willing to get together roughly annually for a couple of gigs and rehearsals before - next year we're aiming for very close together gigs in Chester and London. We're also putting together new material for another album - this is collaborative and invariably remotely done...