Cat Burrito

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.

I do the majority of the onstage banter in my duo. I have always had a quick wit and as our music is definitely darker in tone, it lifts the mood. I worked with a singer a few years ago who was naturally effortless at this onstage (not so good without a mic, ironically) and I learned a lot from working with him. The best line from our last show was as we finished the set, our backing track started up again. I stopped it and said down the mic, “So sorry, you’d not asked for an encore!” I think it is a difficult balance between not being too full of yourself, not putting your act down, not going on too much but keeping people entertained. I think I usually get it about right but don’t sweat it too much if I don’t.

We normally practice on a Friday after work in our self christened “Bela Lugosi’s Shed”, but due to a child related commitment, pushed back until Saturday. This meant promotion to Nick’s house as the whole family were out. We demoed two tracks for the new album and worked up a song idea of mine. Nice to bust out my big board in what was generally a very productive day.

I had one and used it for years. It was during my time playing on the Americana circuit, as well as doing a bit of old school rock 'n' roll. In fact, I seem to remember I used it in a CCR tribute band too. It held up against the loudest drummer & guitarist that I have ever worked with. In the Americana band I tended to be on volume 2 1/2 and coming through nicely and with the louder guys I was nearer volume 5 or 6. I tended to put Fender basses through it and run it through the matching PF cab (the 4x10, 2x10 or 1x15 at different times). Plenty of old school thumb. It's heavy for what it is but because it is small, it is light - if that makes any sense!?! I sold mine on here a few years back and mine would have been when they first came out. Looking at my Basschat pics, I must have had it for years as this was around 2018 so I must have run it for a good 4yrs.

A double whammy of a weekend in the first half of October. We’re coming to Frome before returning to our new adopted home town the next day.

We opened the Swindon Shuffle’s Friday Night at The Castle in Old Town last night. Arriving in good time to see the headliner’s soundcheck, I was immediately taken by the bassists sound. Very dubby. He had his back to me and when he turned around, he was playing with a pick, right up by the bridge! It was a Genz Benz amp and every time I hear one of those, they sound fantastic. We were the first of five bands and I think were given this slot as we’re just a duo. I would be too polite to argue but a few people suggested we should have been higher up the bill. In many respects though, it was one of the better slots. I had my 2008 USA Fender Jazz that was going through my board. Doing as the soundman wanted, he had me go through the Genz Benz amp and it sounded great. We did an all original set with the keys / drums on the iPad. Some soundmen struggle, with this set up but the guy last night clearly knew his way around the desk and the sound both on and off stage was glorious. We let the music do the talking but still had a bit of banter with the audience. We held the audience throughout our 30 minute set, something some of the other acts didn’t manage. Introducing two new songs and a few favourites, the time flew. At the end, I thanked everyone, only for the track to loop and start up again. I quickly stopped it and said “So sorry, you didn’t ask for an encore!” which I think endeared us further. I thought we played well. My lead vocals (I am not the main singer) are definitely gaining confidence and I am falling in love with my Jazz bass all over. A great night.

We're kicking things off at The Castle in Old Town, Swindon this Friday, as part of the Swindon Shuffle.