Monday 29th March 2010

Back on track with three storming gigs in a row!

We went back to the Cheese and Grain in Frome, for the fourth time, to support Colin Blunstone, and as ever it was a treat to play on a big stage, with a great PA, sound engineer and lights, to a large and appreciative audience. Then, also for the fourth time, to the George in Bradford on Avon, which feels like home these days, friendly and relaxed. And, finally, to the Three Horseshoes, also in Bradford, which has a great space for bands to play, and which has already invited us back for two more gigs this year. The recording I made that night proves that we were on fire, and that the new material – ‘Where Are My People’, ‘Hold On’, ‘My Mind’s Eye’, ‘Newton 1-2-3’ and ‘At the Sign of the Angel’ – is working really well. We have lots more new stuff in development, and plan to do some recording in the summer. And these three gigs consisted solely of original material. When we’ve played the Cheese and Grain we’ve always showcased our own stuff, but for longer pub gigs we’ve always thrown in quite a few covers, but not any more.

On a personal note, for this last gig I eschewed my usual Fender basses in favour of my Gibson Thunderbird IV, marking the tenth anniversary of a trip that Tim and I took to Crane’s music shop in Cardiff, when I bought the Thunderbird and he got his Les Paul. Though of course it should have come as no surprise, I was knocked out by the tone and loved the feel of the T-bird, which is also of course in terms of its looks the rock‘n’rollest bass ever designed.

Colin’s also had a pretty spectacular sun face painted onto his bass drum head – check out the picture here!

Russ