A fun day in the studio ... now with excerpts

[WalMan]

...with my first band of 40+ years ago.

Started out as a WMC band playing an odd set of country, 50’s & 60’s songs as 16/17 year olds with an ‘older’ bandleader - I joined on bass having replied to an ad for a guitarist as he was retiring as he was too old (he was 30!!) but by the time I got to the audition he’d realised that was BS, but they didn’t have a bass player so did I fancy the job? We did that for while and then as a three piece after he left and we carried on playing clubs, though we had to have a driver for gigs as none of us was old enough to drive.
 

Started writing our own stuff in a punky vein and built up a good following and full gig list on the south coast - I used to have a gig flyer that covered three months and had around sixty dates, which would probably kill me now.

Then ‘stuff’ happened and I carried on with the drummer and later vocalist addition but lost touch with the guitarist for some time.

Cut to a couple of months back when our old ‘manager’ (ok mate who drove the van and desk) got in touch and we had a meet up in a pub to chew over old times - usual “...and do you remember when...” conversation that band mates have 🙂

Old/ancient copies of songs were shared by Dropbox, keys agreed, and all agreed that maybe we wouldn’t play them quite that fast now, and today we met up in a studio to bash through what we could remember and record what happened. Also a chance to get the cone on my new BF OneTen, picked up yesterday and lovely & easily able to keep up with a Blackstar 20 rig.

Despite not having played together as a three piece for 40 years it was still bloody tight. The recordings will be interesting to hear. Despite being ‘punks’ the eclectic range of influences was interesting, Bill Nelson/Bebop Deluxe, Wishbone Ash, XTC, Wilko Johnson, Hendrix/Trower, shades of Motörhead, and many more.

 

 

 

[markoire]

Looks like you guys had a great time- how did the recordings come out?

[dmccombe7]

Is that a Zon bass as well. What is it like. Always fancied one of them.

Looks like a great session for you guys. Well done and look forward to hearing a clip from the recordings.

Dave

[WalMan]

5 hours ago, markoire said:

Looks like you guys had a great time- how did the recordings come out?

Yet to hear them. Hopefully I’ll get hold of the stems. Felt good in the room, I know I’ll hear loads of fluffs listening back. Not really the point and we’ll do it again I’m sure.

[WalMan]

Yes it’s a Zon Legacy Elite. I’d always lusted after one, missed a Status through dilly dallying, wanted another graphite neck and this came up. The tone shaping is not as pronounced as on my beaten up S1 but there’s still tweaks to be had and it plays easily, is not too heavy (I can use a normal wide strap for a gig instead of the Duo I use with the Wal), and sounds good.

Going back to my fill in the gaps three piece style of old it was sitting beautifully 🥰

[WalMan]

Maybe I'm Dreaming - Probably mixed a bit hot, you can hear the autotune working hard at times, and fluffs galore, but for the first time together playing the songs in 40 years  - and relearning on the fly at times - good fun and still pretty tight  but I've just realised I played the end riff differently back in the day.

And a bit faster live 40 years ago Maybe I'm Dreaming - Live 78 with a solitary clap  

Had another session yesterday trying some other songs, also fun. There will be an outing to an open mic / jam night sometime

EDIT: I am clearly going senile as I left my basses in the studio after the session yesterday. Good news is I'm rehearsing there tomorrow night and a couple of messages confirmed them secured, but FFS!!!

Edited November 24, 2019 by WalMan