Leonard Smalls

My blue/green tartan isn't yer common or garden Black Watch!

While most Official Punx™ are Royal Stewart, there is a dispensation from Punk Central® for western branches to use a more scenery-blending greeneyblue with black tartan... And punk guitarists are allowed scruffy flat caps and beards if they're from Mansfield.

Can't imagine our local church doing this!

Bass Direct have 'em...

We're a sort of punk band, and there's definitely some slap in this!

Sticking with the groove!

When I was a youth the way to get into a band was to turn up with beers and start rolling fat ones. As soon as everybody was suitably refreshed you'd get going with a make-it-up-as-you-go-along jam session, each groove lasting a minimum of 25 minutes.

I suspect I will to... Perhaps I should start apologising early! For I have Made Music (*), and Doug will be pleased to hear it's not constrained by the bourgeois concepts of melody, time and key... Watch this space (preferably with industrial ear defenders on). *or at least something related to music, perhaps a closer relation than a shovel of dog do, though not as close as steel nails on a blackboard

When I audition someone for our band I'm looking for musical input and creativity... But if the original bassline was amazing, keep it. Add to it if you can. Or best of all, make it better!

I used to live in a house with Dave! Nice bloke... Though I remember him coming down to my room to play his 1st single, which I hated, not being a fan of yer IndieJangle, but told him it was great 😃

Beginnings of High NRG!

Always hated it! Felt that it nicked from much better stuff like this -this always filled the floor at Oliver's Nite Spot in Chester:

You'd want to go behind the door, cos that's where the gents is!

They do very fine pints of Butty Bach and Three Tuns XXX!

I always feel that if you've got a bass player who plays nowt but un-syncopated straightforward root/fifth type stuff it's best to use them for feel in the background somewhere. But if you've got a seriously good bass player you might as well let 'em shine as they'll invariably add something good to the band. I feel that far too many bass players have a serious downer on bassists who are a bit virtuoso; those good players are the ones who advance the instrument, those playing naught but derderderder single eighth notes not so much!

I'm still with Live 9!

They'll still be givin' it "obladee obladah" though, no doubt!

I've made the mistake before of playing originals in an ordinary boozer... On one memorable gig our metal guitarist was just starting his extended solo as a hen and a stag party walked in. He was widdling away happily, eyes closed,fingers tapping merrily when a drunken girl staggered over to him wearing a skirt I'd barely class as a belt - she shouted "can you play "'Summer of 69'?". To his credit he stopped his solo there and then, shouted the key (I'd never played the song) and we did a quick chorus, then straight back into widdly metal. Punters barely noticed as they were so busy sniffing round one another! So now we only play dedicated music venues and festivals, cos folks there come specifically for the music...

Me too! I bought a Nag Nag Nag tshirt in about 1980, which lasted till nearly 2005, though by then it didn't have any arms and it was slit so much it was like a tabard...

I suspect she's somewhere between Eric Morecombe's "all the right notes, but not necessarily in the right order" and every single note being Rong - like Les Dawson. Either way, it's proper comedy genius.

We used to dance to this at Edwardians Nite Spot in Chester many years ago!

Here's my 1 degree of separation from Melvin Himself (as well as Henry) - my old Weeds bandmate Chris at Reading with this proper cheery ditty:

Remember the 1st time I heard this as a callow youth...