Leonard Smalls

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...

Do they do any nice ballads, preferably a slowie for the end of the evening?

Buttholes! Remember seeing them at an absolutely crazed gig also in 91ish at the Mean Fiddler; there was a riot outside as it was completely sold out, Gabby managed to smash his face open on a beer glass then set his arms on fire (!) while the band made a totally barking racket. Next time I saw 'em (Forum, 99ish?) they were like neutered puppies!

Just had an afternoon of wall to wall Far-I at work, finishing with this... Proper chilled garden centre music!

From the Axis album... Hellborg in groove with out too much widdling shock!

Another one I bought (for no more than 55p! It's worth anywhere between £8 and £50 now!)

I remember this off the otherwise mostly excellent Earcom 3 compilation - it's Adamski aged 11!

My vocal has been done by someone with a decent idea of these things. Cheers D! We have "Flowers", a song about decay of relationship, plus a general musing on how folks live closely together. https://m.soundcloud.com/leonard-smalls/flowers Fretless Bass is a Lighwave, feedback is Wal bass, guitar a Strat through Bias fx. Drums programmed through ez and Ableton. Vox by DV. Keys, Ableton instruments.

Remember buying the single version of this in 1981, but can't find on youtube (seems it's worth £50+! I'm rich!). So here it is, in all its glory, from the album:

Y'all are conspiring to make sure there's no room for my magnum opus! 😁 But now I have vocals recorded, so be afraid... But not as afraid as you'd be if it was actually me singing!

More Korean traditional spacerock - new tiny desk concert out today!

I'm listening to Chris Haskett's Four Person Trio live in Utrecht - he was one of the original guitarists in my (very) long term band, the Badass Weeds, before going on to much bigger and better things! https://chrishaskett.bandcamp.com/album/live-at-acu-april-6-2018?fbclid=IwAR1li2-N1K2VtdXydHHUl8kgn0Yq4ThDWnBI0QTX3yitq1j_6lv5EwT-LPI

Joint Best Live Band In The World! (with The Blockheads)! Here they are, miming...