Cat Burrito

The paradox of goth was always you had to deny being a goth to be a goth etc. So I never know how to answer this! We did a radio interview this week and discussed humour and goth music. I think there is loads in the early stuff (Eldritch singing "Gimme, Gimme, Gimme a man after midnight" etc) but ultimately the scene started to take itself a little bit too seriously. I like a bit of humour in everything I do, often intentionally so!

I have social media predominately to promote music. I wouldn't say it's misleading but a lot of friends have asked if I quit the day job so it must be unintentionally misleading. I'd say my content is 90% music, usually upbeat and with a bit of (often self-mocking) humour. I offset this with the occasional family post. Facebook is the only one with that slither of personal stuff. I use FB to keep up with friends as well, Twitter to view humorous takes on current affairs too and Instagram purely for music. If people want to know about any negativity, ask me face to face. I don't do "U OK Hun?". I am painfully aware that my upbeat muso stuff makes me look like I live my best life when the reality is that my life is just as mundane as everyone else's.

We've had Sisters or Bauhaus meets Depeche Mode before and Nephilim all suggested before. Funny thing was neither of us knew DM *that* well but we've been really getting into them since the comparison. Cool. I'm pleased you posted as I thought Bandcamp updated automatically and it turned out they don't! I manually put it to live. We're doing the All That Is Devine IV next March (30th) in Camden at The Fiddlers Elbow. We're opening a great bill. Today. I have shipped around 25 a bit early so it's out now. I had to manually change the settings to reflect this, but hadn't done so at the time of posting. I only knew Paradise Lost as a metal band but checked that out (both wikipedia and Spotify. Looks like they had a phase of playing in a similar style - the points of reference are the same as us! Genuinely humbled that so many of you have taken time to check us out and in a lot of cases, comment too!

Having made music with my friend Nick since 1989 (first proper band / gig together), we've finally made an album. No hard sell but if anyone wants to check it out for free on Spotify / Amazon / whatever your preferred streaming platform is, "...Beyond Reverence" by Deadlight Dance is out today. Probably filed best under 80s Goth but it has enough layers to hold the interests of anyone who isn't expecting "Mega Party Mix Anthems 37". Of course I played bass on it but I also co-wrote all the originals, co-produced, co-arranged... as well as doing some mandolin, electric drums, acoustic drums, singing and Bass VI. If anyone is REALLY keen, search us out on Bandcamp and support the band but I'm certainly happy with a few of you checking us out. This was only supposed to be one jam once lockdown restrictions eased! We're performing the album acoustically on mandocellos (as you do!) Sat 16 Sept - SWINDON Shuffle onstage at The Beehive in Old Town at 7.15pm Thurs 21 Sept - MILDENHALL, WILTS The Horseshoe Sat 23 Sept BATH Chapter 22 (supporting Ghost Dance). And any follows across any of the social media platforms is always appreciated.

I have three coming up as our album comes out of Friday; Sat 16th September SWINDON (Shuffle) Beehive (onstage 7.15pm) Thurs 21st September MILDENHALL Horseshoe Sat 23rd September BATH Chapter 22 (supporting Ghost Dance) I'm chuffed about Ghost Dance as I liked them at school.

I'll add my name to the "sometimes gets recognised" list that a few of you are on. When I met my missus again (we were at school together in the 80s), we went on a mini break down to the coast and I was stopped for being the bassist of the band I was in at that time. We'd not been together long and she was really impressed. I was recently having coffee with my Dad and I was approached again. I like it because it's not a regular inconvenience and when it does happen, it gives the day a bit of a lift. Admittedly it is rare that they know my name but it's fun.

As an up and coming musician for 35 years now, I fail to understand the question!?! Seriously though, I hit 25 in the late 90s, realised I'd done three bands that hadn't quite gotten as far as I hoped and then at 26 got married. I decided shortly after that, that I needed to grow up (I'd ran the three bands so wasn't far down the career ladder / mortgage route, compared to friends). I had a forced halt on music for 4 years to try and catch up, but missed playing. I now feel that the pressure is off, I have enjoyed the last 20 years more than ever. My father was pro in the 60s, playing music he hated which ultimately made him quit music permanently. I've never been full time but have always played music that I am passionate about. So, in many respects, I feel I have had the most success.

I just think gear manufacturers need to stop looking at sales when giving endorsements and adopt a 2023 approach of "the band isn't particularly big but I see that the bass player posts a lot of Basschat"!

Not very of the time but in 1985 I was 12 and often found myself stuck upstairs in the houses of my parents' friends and their slightly older children, who would play with stuff by The Sex Pistols, The Clash and The Damned. The parents were teachers and would be partying downstairs. I'm afraid my "walkman" would have been a Matsui. And my 7" Gatefold single of The Cult's "Rain" would have been blasting out of a mono dansette, but I've gone slightly off tangent there.

I believe £20 - £40 but it all goes wrong with the more specialist instruments. My Bass VI was about £60 and the upright £140. Most I have seen upright bass strings for sale for is an eye watering £600.

Bass is my main instrument but I've played mandolin since 2005. Although tuned down from that, it's similar. It took me 30 years to fully appreciate the old cliche that the trick to everything is to practice. I get the occasional brain fog but if I have practiced the part, it's not an issue. I believe it's 24 - 7/8ths. Although that's noticeably shorter than a bass, it's also noticeably longer than my mandolin so it's not really an issue.

For those of you that follow / contribute to the "How was your gig?" thread, you may be familiar with my old school mate and I mucking about with an 80s Goth duo, usually on unusual folk instruments. I think we're probably taking it a lot more seriously now, but it just feels like a laugh all the time. The band took off when Nick bought a mandocello and as of now, I have officially joined him! 8 strings of low end goodness (tuned C G D A, if anyone is curious). We play differently as I'm really a bassist and he's really a guitarist so I am looking forward to a twin mandocello attack! It's not too heavy, well balanced and a beautiful instrument. I've always been impressed with Gold Tone's stuff. And of course just screamingly good fun to play too (pic below is me playing Nick's one which is exactly the same, pinched from the "How was your gig" thread.

We (Deadlight Dance) played one of our local pubs last night. Nick (my professional other half) has been committed with family stuff for the last couple of weeks or so, so it was brilliant to regroup. We worked up Revolution (The Cult), Science Fiction Double Feature (Rocky Horror) and New Dawn Fades (Joy Division) as mandocello / mandolin arrangements. We also reworked our album acoustically. My absolute highlight was my 16yr old stepson (he has Down Syndrome and Nick is also his teacher at school) dancing away to our acoustic originals that he's seen on YouTube. Sadly, I fear I'm his second favourite member of the duo (!) but I think I still make the grade.

What was the verdict?

I think there is so much great stuff from so many places but ultimately it depends on your tastes. Personally I'm into some great bands from everywhere from Italy to Belarus. I think the record companies fixate far too much on L.A., New York and London.

I don't think I saw it until the early 90s. I remember the equally good Bad News from the Comic Strip Presents back in the day but Spinal Tap was something people initially said in bands that I didn't always get as a reference. I quickly caught up. I echo the views about repeated viewings. You are so busy laughing there are brilliant lines that get missed. I watched it again the other week and I was still laughing out loud at moments. Brilliantly observed - we've all been in bands with these characters and more worryingly, actually been these characters at different stages of our lives. I'll rise above it - I'm a professional!

My philosophy in life is who cares, wear what you want. Your coolest reference point is always going to be someone's pet hate and vice versa. Life's too short. Every time I go onstage I always take the view that one member of the audience might think I'm the best thing in the band and someone else will think I am lucky to be there. Do you own thing. I didn't worry too much about what people thought when I was 14 and it concerns me even less at 50. I'm sure my world view is both a blessing and a curse to me.

For context, I'm 50! 🤯 At least you did the right thing by getting such silliness out of your system whilst you were young. I have no excuse!

I think your best options are the aforementioned illuminous dots and Amazon do a cheap stage light for about £12. Nothing permanent or obvious. That said, I recently did a dingy basement gig just recently wearing sunglasses with black strings.... but then like Austen Powers, danger is my middle name! Seriously though, you won't relax and enjoy the show if you feel up against it.

Rosie bought an Orange practice amp off of me. Prompt and friendly comms, easy meet up and a nice chat about mandocellos! Trade with confidence.

Apparently, we were up against a local festival last night but we played one of our strongest ever sets last night to a small but enthusiastic audience. My mini Boss pedal board is blowing my mind with how good it sounds. Sunglasses onstage with black strings in a dingy stage area - yes, I went there!

I used to be bass into amp and no more (I'd borrow the guitarists' tuner before rehearsing / playing) but these days I am really enjoying a small pedal board and using effects. Never say never. Ultimately it's about what suits the band / song.

I always find Bristol to be one of the friendliest cities in the south of England, and last night we played the Hen & Chicken. We supported The Radio Makers at their album launch and had a great show. I got to road test my new Boss mini pedal board (it passed with flying colours!). My missus managed to offload the kids and come down to support us and I got to hang out with a bunch of old mates from my student days in the early 90s. The winner of the night though surely must be singer Nick's Mum, who at 86yrs old, travelled an hour to come and support us!