Cat Burrito

We use drum and keys that we played ourselves in my goth duo. It's a different type of challenge and tracks are unforgiving as they can't cover mistakes (or creative interpretations, for those who don't make errors!). Getting a drum machine is one thing, having someone who can programme it is another. We use GarageBand and we're both pretty good at writing drum tracks.... Now! It's like learning another instrument. My bandmate uses GarageBand for work, whereas I have really had to up my game. And I can't really argue with the "there's no substitute for a real drummer" argument. We're playing with our original drummer from 35yrs ago tomorrow and it's a nice occasional treat that we enjoy. I do think I have become a better musician for playing to drum tracks.

I quit for 4yrs at the tender age of 27yrs old, because I felt that I was getting too old. I cringe thinking about it now but I needed to get my career and life in general kickstarted a lot more. I had always promoted my bands so had less time than band mates who were getting on with their lives away from music. I felt invigorated coming back. The pressure to “make it” was off and I have since worked in groups where someone else does the behind the scenes stuff. Ironically, I feel that I have had far more success in my later years. It is never wrong to stop or have a timeout when the mood suits. I have scaled back in the last year or so as the multiple band life was causing me a mild amount of stress. So, a soft reboot, of sorts.

Thanks to everyone who supported this. Just shy of 1000 views in under 2 weeks 🎉 It would be great to get it into 4 digit numbers 🙏

It's a thankless task but bands need a leader who has final say. I thought Chris B's post was spot on - I hate spending my evenings learning parts, only to get to rehearsal when somebody hasn't even listened to the song. A bad rehearsal is where you go through the set and learn nothing. I've had a couple of rehearsals where we have spent the whole session on one song - and it makes for a better band. We couldn't have done that with amateurs who don't learn material. The only excuse for not learning a song is when you are so good that you pick it up straight away and don't make an issue of it.

Personally I like the tones of Simon Gallup (The Cure) and Craig Adams (Sisters of Mercy era), and both helped shaped my early playing days.

I find Gear4Music absolutely superb. I had a bass arrive with damage (couriers fault), they gave me several options regarding replacement / returns and allowed me a month to think on it (which I used) before returning it with no quibbles.

The way it sticks to your lips In shades of toffee apple red It covers up the cracks and hides the chaps Puts a glamour on the things you've said. That staying power, last for hours when you're kissing me And you ignore the cancker paint that sculpts my masculinity To spare our blushes every brush stroke shimmer shines Removes the laughter creases Powdered confidence fills out the lines U Got the look On brand On trend once upon a time We’re water proof kiss proof bomb proof Sunken eyes are underlined The way it sticks to your lips In shades of toffee apple red It neatly glosses over all the past And the knowledge that you’re nearly dead.

Thank you 🙏 The bass guitar has added distortion and chorus. It’s from the producer’s sound bank rather than my board - he thought it sounded better and I am happy to be guided here. I added the drone note on the synth but that’s in a slightly higher register. It does all add to the mix.

As the Basschat community has always been fantastically supportive in checking out new music, we released our first brand new music in over a year. “Gloss” is out today via Ray Records and streaming on all the usual platforms. As always, we collaborated with Haunting the Atom to make this fun video. For anyone wanting a bit more background, it’s influenced by the post punk bands of our youth. I wanted a Stooges / Velvet Underground simplicity to the music (one note solo and bass line) but with an intelligent lyric. It isn’t typical of next year’s forthcoming third album and is probably the rockiest track we’ve written. Filmed in my house (which stunk of incense for several days afterwards), we had a blast doing this.

I probably didn't but playing several instruments, co-writing and co-producing, I think I do more now. I know what people mean about it being a bit pretentious sounding, but it's less pretentious than a lot of the terminology in most day jobs these days!

We got a couple of pro shots from the night before, courtesy of Pacific Curd, so I thought I’d share one. Moving swiftly on to last night, we did a home town “Early Halloween Special” at the Cellar Bar in Devizes. Ahead of our next single, “Gloss”, coming out this Friday, we went all out on the makeup. At the risk of looking like a Temu Pennywise, I liked this pic… We were supporting the fantastic JP Oldfield who does a Johnny Cash type thing. I had my 57Ri P-bass through my board with a Boss IR2. Again, we played well and I enjoyed it. We did £70 in merch sales, which is a record for us. An hour of mostly original music, it rounded off what has been a really great weekend.

Yeah, he’s a real character. Been going there since 1988.

Deadlight Dance returned to the stage last night, supporting the excellent Sun Machine at The Tree House in Frome. Prior to the show, I took my 57RI P-bass into Kempsters in Swindon, to replace some dodgy pots. Amazing service as always with 80s style pricing, although he did “have to tell me” that he didn’t like my neon green strings! 😹 I also picked up a Pennywise stage mascot at HMV. Despite the AD200 Orange bass rig, I am actually running through just a board with the Boss IR2 as my “rig”. The Orange sounded incredible when Sun Machine were on and having owned the exact same setup, I didn’t miss it during the first floor load in. In fact I had 4 separate people ask me about my bass sound! I was also compared to Peter Hook and Simon Gallup, which for an originals based set is either a massive compliment or I need to get better at stealing! The sound guy Chris was amazing, Sun Machine were fantastic and there was not one diva style ego in the house. A respectably full room and everyone showed up to watch both bands. Coupled with the age friendly 10.30pm curfew and the competitively priced Guinness 0%, a superb evening. Nice to be back “home” on the bass too 😎

When I was 20, I joined a band where everyone had stage names. I was told I had to have one so I just kept my first name and used my middle name as my surname. After that band, I vowed to use my real name and have done for the last 30yrs+. My middle name is James and I thought with Brian James, Tony James, Steve James, Wendy James etc, it was suitably rock n roll sounding. Changing my first name always seemed silly as I have never had a nickname or really been called by my surname so always wanted just to be known by my first name.