The Sound of the Suburbs
14
The NEW glamour MAGNIFICENT MINKI tells all about the NEW 50ft woman! A Quiet Word Australian artists unite for a worthy cause and the Perfect Pop Co-Op brought to you by issue 002 feb 2012 A Perfect Pop Co-Op debut at the tap @simonj68
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The magazine of Recharged radio in association with The Perfect Pop Co-op
Transcript of The Sound of the Suburbs
The NEW glamourMAGNIFICENT MINKI tells all about the NEW 50ft woman
A Quiet WordAustralian artists unite for a worthy cause
and the Perfect Pop Co-Op
brought to you by
issue 002 feb 2012
A Perfect Pop Co-Op debut at the tapsimonj68
Following on from our successful debut at The White Hart Tap in StAlbans we are delighted to announce the next date (see below) We are also rather excited by the response to our lsquoloyalty stamps schemersquo which saw all those attending collect a handstamp on a specially de-signed Perfect Pop Postcard which will ultimately enable all lsquopop fansrsquo to earn a copy of a live best of compilation featuring the best lsquobootlegrsquo tracks from our shows The Great thing is attendance is FREE so lsquoearnrsquo is maybe not the best term however anyone purchasing any of the merchandise from our beautiful new table stand will get an extra stamp per item so I guess in a weird way you can earn but you donrsquot have to does that make any sense For more info on the last and next TAP session tune into Sound of the Suburbsrsquo show Tuesday evenings at 10pm
T O T H I S T H E S E C O N D I S S U E O F O U R N E W I N T E R A C T I V E M A G lsquo T H E P E R F E C T P O P Z I N E rsquo - B R O U G H T T O Y O U I N C O N J U N C T I O N W I T H R E C H A R G E D R A D I O C O M A N D T H E P E R F E C T P O P C O - O P
ldquoBIG thanks to everyone who came the TAP on 21st Jan
with great sets from Model Staggs and the Tuesday Club
(read and indeed listen all about it in SimonJ68rsquos fab
new reviews columnrdquo
Welcome
The Perfect Pop Co-op
Saturday 10th MarchAdam Barker and The Pins - White Hart Tap StAlbans FREE ENTRY from 8pm
FEBULOUSIf you have any suggestions for bands to feature at Perfect Pop Co-Op nights please drop us a mail atstudiorechargedradiocom
ContentsCover star Minki from 50ft Woman
Welcome 2-3From Recharged Radio
Round the Tap 4-5All the news and reviews from our first night
The DODO 6Debut album of Victoriana andvocal trumpets
A Quiet Word 7Pete Renzullo tells us about anew Australian charity album
New Glamour 8-950ft Woman double page special
The Pins Adam Barker and My Favourite Toy 10-11Next on at the Tap
Bring on the AGONY 12Rechargedrsquos weekend Breakfast stalwart turns agony Aunt
Thanks to Design 8ecreative Photography courtesy of imagessencecouk wwwandybengecom Words Pete Renzullo simonj68 Jim Distortion Andrea Perry
facebookcomrechargedradiorechargedradio
rechargedradiocomstudiorechargedradiocom
SimonJ68MID JANUARY THE NEW YEAR BLUES KICKED RIGHT IN NO SIGN OF ANY SNOW AND PAYDAY LOOKING FURTHER AWAY THAN THE CHANCE OF THE EURO-MILLIONS LOTTERY WIN SO WHAT TO DO TO LIVEN UPSt Albans one of those funny towns that no one is really sure where it is but is home to a bubbling music scene where many pubs seem to realise that most of us want a bit more from a night out than just a bottle of Becks and a kebab on the way home after listening to noise through bad speakers The evening of the 21st looked good a couple of bands at the White Hart Tap one I had heard of a fair bit and one that looked strangely familiar but I wasnrsquot sure why Luckily it was the wifersquos turn to drive again so after we were parked up we got in just before Model Staggs took to the stage A band (do you call two people a band) I have been aware of for a while via the good people at Recharged Radio and also through some reviews on some of the other music sites I frequent Choos-eMyMusicorg has an interview with them here httpwwwchoosemymusicorgaudiophilesaudiophiles-model-staggs Two guys on stage one guitar and one drummer and yet if you close your eyes there is the sound of a full band there Amazingly tight and tune filled at the same time almost a hint of Radiohead but then the up tempo kicks in again Starting with Magnetic People the lead track off their current EP the crowd stopped talking which is always the best sign for an unknown quantity A solid set of half a dozen or so tracks ending with the quite frankly amazing Turning which you really should find on line and listen to and look out for their next gigs (or would they play giggs) Time for a beer and the pub was getting busier but not as busy as the stage seemed to be as an apparently endless stream of musicians and instruments were appear-ing The Tuesday Club for it was them taking the opposite approach to the Model Staggs and going for the more traditional eight piece stage presence As I said some of the people looked familiar but with no heads it was impossible to come to a conclusion I spoke briefly to one of the singers Andreas Vanderbrain-drain and the key message from him and the rest of the group was this was fun This is what a night out is supposed to be like No pretentions no hang ups no cow bells Actually I take that back there was a cow bell Opening with Oh Daddy Please the female lead also oddly familiar kicks the night off and the energy and enjoyment was instant to see these are people playing for the right reasons A few songs in and we are given a choice of the jazz or the punk version of New Regime Not something you usually get offered The jazz version was the winner New Glamour and then Vinyl as a Manifesto carry the set on which is turning into a mix of lyrics that Half Man Half Biscuit or Carter USM would be proud of Ainrsquot Got No Class kicked in with my favourite opening line of the last year ldquoI went to the shops and bought a bucket full of sexrdquo and the sense of familiarity again raised its head The Punk version of No Regime was played as promised and a reprise of Old Be-fore Your Time closed the night off As I tweeted on the way home ldquoAnyone who says there is no independent music scene in the UK is a pretentious twatrdquo and The Tuesday Club are proof of this Waking up in the morning and remembering a line that linked Jack Bauer and Charles Hawtrey That is the sign of a good night out See you next Tuesday indeed
BOOTLEG B A C K TRACKAs part of our never ending quest to
promote and publicise the acts who have
joined the goodship PPCO and with the
consent of the acts appearing we are
most proud to bring you a gorgeously
retro style Bootleg of last months TAP
session We hope that you not only en-
joy the music but it inspires those of
you who couldnrsquot make the last one to
re-double your efforts for the next one
on Saturday March 10th
We are excited and delighted in this monthrsquos issue to welcome an esteemed new contributor Hersquos been a huge supporter of recharged radio and all our associated projects over the last couple of years Ladies and Gentlemen we give you
THE LIVEREVIEW
ldquoAnyone who says there is no independent music scene in the UK is a pretentious twatrdquo and The Tuesday Club are proof of thisJason Gissing
Simonj68
Pictures courtesy of debbieimagingessencecouk bull wwwimagingessencecouk bull imagingessence
THE TAP ROUNDUP
THE DIY OR DIE ORGANISATIONUnlike anything we can easily pigeon hole The DODOrsquos debut album sounds more like the soundtrack to Saint-Saeumlns Carnival of the Animals transported to a lost autumn somewhere in a darker richer swinging 60rsquos the 1860rsquos that is Harpsichord strings bells and tormented otherwordly backing vocals provide the backdrop to this feast of psychedelic melancholia laid bare to inspire and unhinge in equal measure From the soaring yet forbidding puritanical drama of the lsquoBeck
meets Judge Dreddrsquo - lsquoI am the Puristrsquo the bleak wailing death mask procession of lsquoInto the Blackrsquo the 60rsquos apple blossom infused cold war time bomb - lsquoWaiting for the walls to come downrsquo to the deliciously sorrowful ode to wasted youth - lsquoTin Foil Crownrsquo The DIY or DIE organisation sound like a ghostly ice-cream van stalking the neighbourhoods of the as yet unwritten Tim Burton animation lsquoGothic Pop Victorianarsquo
NEW
ALB
UM
The DIY or DIE Organisationrsquos hand-made debut album is limited edition and available through The Perfect Pop Co-Op
httpthedodobandcampcom
THE DIY OR DIE ORGANISATION
Article by Peter Renzullo
PERHAPS the most rewarding thing about being a Presenter at Recharged Radio is that I have the ability to bring listeners music they simply wouldnrsquot
hear on other radio shows Now Ilsquom not suggesting that Irsquove kidnapped a bunch of artists and have them locked up in my basement (most are there of
their own free will) or that I have special abilities others do not (although I do have the uncanny ability to grow a single hair out of my forehead) What
I DO have is access to emerging artists in my part of the world
Many of the bands and soloists yoursquoll hear on my show have only just started hitting the stage armed with demo recordings or live audio that other radio stations simply wouldnrsquot give a second glance Alas being all the way down
in the most isolated city in the world ndash Perth (Western Australia) these artists find it near impossible to get their music heard outside the dodgy
pubs they slog it out in each and every night (Please note Not all Perthrsquos pubs are dodgy I can name two you wonrsquot get stabbed in)
Anyway in my dealings with these artists Irsquove come across some very impressive acts so I started thinking of some ideas on how to get this
incredible music spread I decided that an album featuring them would be the way to go So I started out by approaching 8 artists then that grew to
12 then 16 then 19 then finally I stopped at 24
The result is an album showcasing the grass-roots scene of Perth I also had the artists filmed as part of a music video about it So six months later
ndash with a lot of blood sweat and beers ndash the result is a two-volume album and DVD Irsquove called A QUIET WORD
Each of the artists featured on the album has been broadcast on my show Close to Nowhere and this album is like a ldquoBest ofhelliprdquo compilation for
the music I am surrounded with here in Perth
My hope is that through this album I am able to help bring the music scene here in Perth some much deserved exposure especially since
a lot of them will probably never be heard outside of Australia As a way to generate some buzz about this music and encourage people to get their hands on it Irsquove decided to release lsquoA Quiet Wordrsquo with profits going to
The Starlight Foundation ndash which is an organization in Australia that helps provide better lives for seriously ill kidsYou can find all the info hear
the songs see the video and buy the album right herewwwfacebookcomaquietword
A QUIET WORD Australian artists unite for a worthy cause
The result is an album showcasing the grass-roots scene of Perth
So 50ft Woman does the name come from the sci-fi film Are you and the band fans of B-movies Irsquove always found sci-fi films like that amusing but the name actually came from a friend of mine who said it lsquowas an awesome band namersquo I liked all of the imagery that came with it as well as the fact it did really reflect my stature It just seemed perfect plus itrsquos a very easy brand to play with Yoursquove been compared to the likes of Blondie The Ramones and The New York Dolls Are these the sort of bands you grew up listening to Blondie yes but I was a latecomer to The Ra-mones and The lsquoDolls I was more of a confused musical child flicking from listening to classical to ACDC to Adam and the Ants to Madness Then when I first moved down to London my housemates were into all sorts from MC5 999 to The Quireboys and Hanoi Rocks I think my eyes were truly opened (and from then on my hair truly backcombed) Who has been your biggest influence then would you say Well I think without Adam and the Ants there may not have ever been lsquoMinkirsquo the character Just the sheer showmanship with a touch of fantasy that step removed from reality I love all that Dressing up is a big part of it any excuse So I suppose mostly Adam Ant with a bit of Steve Tyler from Aerosmith the way he uses his voice almost as a percussive instrument Ah yes the dressing up Apparently you are famous for shoes Are you threatening to knock Imelda Marcos from the record holder You know I havenrsquot actually got THAT many shoes Irsquom very fussy and Irsquom actually quite good at NOT buying say yes another pair of black pat-ent shoes I think Irsquom autistic when it comes to shoes they have to be exactly the right propor-tion and angle Sadly my dream of owning a pair of YSL Tribtoos or a pair of Christian Louboutins appears to have been quashed as they just donrsquot suit my feet No point having shoes that cripple my feet Particularly ones as expensive as that You donrsquot have ANY shoes that you canrsquot walk in Er yes I have quite a few but I get away with it by calling them lsquophoto shoot shoesrsquo Talking of photo shoots we notice you have done quite a few pin-up shoots Is that something you like doing Yes I love it I suppose it ties in with the whole
SUPERHERO FOR OUR FUTUREA PERSONIFICATION OF lsquo INTO THE VALLEY OF THE ULTRA VIXENSrsquo
fantasy thing The really good thing about pin-up is that it celebrates who you are as a women whatev-er height weight shape you are I love that Therersquos too much conformity portrayed in normal maga-zines too much pressure to lsquobe thinrsquo 50ft Woman ties in with all the pin-up stuff ndash itrsquos all about being who you are Stand up be tall be proud Who are your heroines women wise then I think my idol has to be Sophia Loren What a woman She looks amazing in The Millionaress I also love Raquel Welch Ursula Andress Marilyn of course I also adore Audrey Hepburn Appar-ently she was quite a character And even though she isnrsquot real Jessica Rabbit is a big inspiration Therersquos a bit of theme going on there then Holly-wood glamour the old way
Exactly They were all really powerful women Even Marilyn who everyone thinks of as this vul-nerable little girl She was actually very aware of how she came across to people OK she had her problems and insecurities but who doesnrsquot So back to 50ft Woman the band What have been your highlights so far I think one of our best experiences was being asked to play the Marussia Virgin Race Weekend at Sil-verstone as part of the British Grand Prix Not only was it a great opportunity as a gig but as Irsquom such a Formula One fan being there and being part of it was brilliant I think after that would be The Union support dates And what of this year Well I am still hoping we get asked to play at the GP again We have some gigs lined up which Irsquom really excited about We are only a 4 piece at the moment and I think we thought we couldnrsquot book any gigs with a man down But then we went into the studio and you know what it sounded really great as it was So we decided to go ahead and play like we are while we look for the right person So what gigs have you got coming up We have a private party for The Serpentine Club followed by the Cat Scratch Fever Charity gig on 31st March at the White Lion in Streatham with Tyla a great line up Then in April we have Hits of the Near Future and then hopefully the Great Escape in May And any releases planned Well we actually recorded some stuff to release but the line-up change put it on hold We have a new
ldquoI was more of a confused musical child flicking from listening to classical to ACDC to Adam and the Ants to Madnessrdquo
50ftWOMAN
NEW glamour
The new line up Axel drums Jon bass Minki Ben guitar
track Google Tan which we want to release as a free download single and we are in the middle of recording a video for that Oh tell us about the video It started off as a simple idea and then suddenly we have a 20 page story board with about 7 different characters Irsquom going to be playing most of them and we have cameos for each of the boys Itrsquos very silly Itrsquoll be the first proper promo video that wersquove done so we want it to be right So we look forward to the gigs and the forthcoming video then Good luck with the rest of 2012 Minki was talking to Andrea Perry
wwwfacebookcom50ftWomanBand
NEXT on AT THE TAP
MARCH 10thSAT-UR-DAY
Getting that first gigBefore reading this article itrsquos important to stress that Irsquom not in the habit of giving advice to people about to how to run their own bands nor do I think my band is the best thing since sliced bread Irsquove merely been asked to write a piece on how easy I think it is to get gigs outside of London The below experience is simply a personal experience about the journey we - The Pins - went through to get that important first gig
Three years ago we decided to take the big step of venturing out of our dark ldquobunkerrdquo where we rehearsed and get off our arses to actu-ally play a gig I remember the day well Wersquod just finished playing a new song where there was a short period of silence from everyone as we all digested what wersquod played ldquopeople need to hear thisrdquo Ben our guitarist said
So wersquod made that decision we had some real belting banging songs that we wanted to share with the world getting a gig shouldnrsquot be a problem right Wrong
For those of you reading this who are in a band yoursquoll know that getting a gig when yoursquore first starting out isnrsquot as easy as yoursquod think particularly if you live outside London So first stop was the music bible that is The Gig Guide In hindsight this is where we went wrong Emailing hundreds and hundreds of venues asking for gigs simply doesnrsquot work Whilst you may get a standardised reply from a handful of venues most receive so many they canrsquot physically reply to them Looking back we shouldrsquove visited every single venue personally given them our demo and spoken to them Itrsquos a lot harder to say no face to face whether yoursquore a good band or not
After months of trying our days of playing in front of a large poster of Jimi Hendrix was over A local promoter from Bishops Stortford offered us a support slot at one of their nights - Club Blub As yoursquod expect we were all absolutely shitting ourselves and despite playing at 100mph we played a cracking 20 minute set (wouldrsquove played longer but only had 20 minutes worth of songs) so much so that that straight after the gig the promoters spoke to us about getting on board The Pins bus
Three years down the line wersquove been lucky enough and are lucky enough to play some fantastic venues from all around the country Wersquore off on a European tour in May but will be returning to the Half Moon in Bishops Stortford for another Club Blub night real soon
So whatrsquos my point I suppose itrsquos not to look too far afield for that first gig We looked for ages and ages and all along the perfect venue for our first gig was right on our doorstep Even if therersquos no live music venues in your area talk to a local pub or bar to see if you can play there They donrsquot care if yoursquore good or not as long as you bring all your mates and pack the place out theyrsquoll have you back again
The Pinse thepinshotmailcouk w wwwthepinscouk Management Press and Bookings stevemthompsonhotmailcouk
Adam Barker
MY FAVOU-RITE TOYThe Roland SPD-20 is without a doubt one of the lynchpins of how we work as a band I pulled this out of my loft about 2 years ago as it had seen barely any light for a couple of years It was a real spur of the moment ebay purchase but ended up being a diamond in the rough I think I paid around pound300 for it at the time (including a stand) but I never realised its potential until I decided to take it to rehearsal one day We fixed it to the side of the drum kit thinking that maybe we could just use it to add some extra percus-sion or something but the real ldquoahardquo moment came when we started using the bass sounds
Using bass notes as a rhythmic element alongside synthy percussion nois-es really opened up new worlds for us and since then it has become a full time member in the band Itrsquos a really useful bit of kit The pads are all velocity sensitive and really easy and nice to hit The sound palette ranges from ridiculous vocal samples and hip hop loops to big synth sounds The beauty of it is that you can alter the parameters of each sound to make it your own People have often said to us ldquowhy donrsquot you get the newer one with the sampling capabilityrdquo But I think therersquos a certain charm to select-ing sounds from a limited bucket of noise and bending those sounds to suit your own means
Self-styled ldquobedroom performerrdquo Adam Barker when not selling insurance to canines or catching his testicles in his zipper (whilst on holiday with his par-ents in the South of France) is a singersongwriter based in Bedfordshire
But this only tells part of the story his real talents exude when he picks up a guitar Having proactively found Recharged Ra-dio Adamrsquos home-recordings reflect an honesty and effortless charm which could possibly be obscured by over production The warmth (and range) to his voice is reminiscent of Jeff Buckley and with such a keen desire to progress as a musician this is really just the beginning of the journey for this talented young man
Hopefully by replacing the zippers with velcro and getting out of the bedroom (for everything but the necessary - the things either dull or x-rated) Adam will go far
wwwadambarkercouk
httpwwwfacebookcomadambarker2
This month is brought to you by Ash Allerton - Modelstaggs
The Roland SPD-20
Jim Distortion
Bring on theiagonyt
p
d
r
t
p
httpwwwjimdistortioncoukhttpwwwmadhousetattoocouk
httpjimdistortionwordpresscom
rldquoDear Jim - My drummer smells We thought this wouldnrsquot be a problem but now itrsquos gotten to the stage (no pun) that wersquore being refused gigs - even at the 12 Bar I am 25 he is 27 I know that someone tried to tell him that he has a body odour problem before but he ran off crying and threatened to quit the band The problem is that hersquos a great drummer like Animal from The Muppets - but just like Animal from The Muppets smells like a sweaty sock What should we dordquo Confused Hackney
JD says Hi Confused Irsquom glad you brought this subject up as I to have had trouble with drummers in the past Once word has got out about a stinky skin wacker life can be pretty down heartening Fear not Irsquom sure there is an answer First thing be brave and make him confront his stink no man should be left to smell up the joint It would have to be an intervention get all his friends and family around and do it in a room with a lockable door Forcibly wash him and then give him the holy grail that stops all stinking tub thumpers from humming deodorant He may well kick and scream but believe me when he notices his aroma has changed and the girls start flocking to him he will see that you have not only stopped the stink but also got him a home as we all know a drummer without a girlfriend is homeless ps make sure to burn his clothes as the stink will be ingrained Itrsquos also a chance to get him out of his shorts and redesign him from the feet up
ldquoDear Jim - I hate promoters last time I went out in London I saw a gang of them hanging around on the corner by Camden Lock doing something shifty When they saw me staring at them they all started snarling and started walking towards me muttering things like lsquogive us cash up front or yoursquore not on the billrsquo and things They were all aged between 20 and 40 and Irsquom 26 and not even in a band Whatrsquos the best way to fend them off and what happens when they corner someonerdquo Dazed Harlow
JD says Hi Dazed Best thing to do with promoter is simply turn and growl back No promoter should be allowed to intimidate you as they simply are no higher on the food chain than pond scum Stamp your feet and make loud noises as they are all as chicken sht as each other If you really want to turn the tables on them take their pay to play deal sell all their tickets play the gig and simply say that what you sold was your fee for being the talent and not the money grabbing cockroach They may cry moan and bitch at you but always remember you are the ones that bring the crowds they just open a door Screw em
ldquoDear Jim - Recently I purchased a van to move our bandrsquos gear around Now I keep on getting approached to plaster peoplersquos walls - just because I bought the van I am 29 the van is 10 Which forms do I need to fill in to send back to the revenue so I donrsquot get done for income tax fraudrdquo Dave The Plasterer Stevenage
JD says Hi Dave Sometimes you just have to man up son there are no pen pushing ways to deal with this issue This issue is dealt with in one way and one way only Buy a band sign for the van you numpty and quit crying to me You have control of the reaction people have to who you are Stand up and be counted but as a musician not as a plasterer Talented as plasterers are itrsquos a different talent to musicians and quite frankly musicians are much more useful to life
e
With Rehcarged Radio Breakfast show host and part-time problem soother Jim Distortion
Whilst you can purchase all of these digitally from Amazon Play iTunes et al our online shop will offer you a whole load more including limited edition Vinyl amp CDs httpshopthescratchcouk
THE FIRST 3 ALBUMS FROM THE SCRATCH
wwwthescratchcouk
NIGHT BUS OR MILK TRAIN ldquoTightly crafted guitar pop music interwoven with the odd synth or sample The guitar work is excellent there are some damn fine riffs on this record and they seem genuinely keen to do something just a little bit differentrdquo[Is This Music]
WHATEVER HAPPENED TO FRIDAY NIGHT ldquoThe songs have an effervescent radiance thatrsquos immediate and spontaneous all too often ridiculously catchy and insanely infectious for those whose teeth cutting exposure to pop was the late 60s mods such as the Small Faces and the Move the glam rock of the early 70s via T-Rex Sweet and Cockney Rebel or maybe late 70s new wave a la the Buzzcocks Soft Boys and the Motors - lsquoWhatever happened to Friday nightsrsquo will seem and feel like the years peeling awayrdquo [Losing Today]
DIYldquoDIY is the sound of what it is to be a rock star Basically therersquos something here for everyone who has a pulse to get excited about Turn it up and turn your inner rock god onrdquo [Itrsquos All Happening magazine]
shindigindd 1 04102010 1113
whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on
whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on
wha
trsquos g
oinrsquo
on
wha
trsquos g
oinrsquo
on
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trsquos g
oinrsquo
on
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trsquos g
oinrsquo
on
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trsquos g
oinrsquo
on
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trsquos g
oinrsquo
on
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trsquos g
oinrsquo
on
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whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on
whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on
whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on
Tuesday 14 February0000 - 2000 Music and Shows throughout the night
2000 - 2200 The California Diner
2200 - 0000 Sound of the Suburbs rpt
0000 - 2000 Music and Shows throughout the night
Wednesday 15 February1830 - 1900 That Time of the Month
2000 - 2200 Metal Mumin
2200 - 0000 Night of the Artisans RPT 0000 - 2000 Music and Shows throughout the night
Thursday 16 February1900 Close to Nowhere
2000 - 2200 Minkirsquos Magic Moments
2300 - 0000 2020 Hip Hop
0000 - 2000 Music and Shows throughout the night
Friday 17 February2000 - 2200 The Forum
2200 - 2300 I Land Music
0000 - 2000 Music and Shows throughout the night Saturday 18 February 1000 - 1200 Jim Distortion In The Morning
1200 - 2100 Best of Music and show repeats
2100 - 2400 Music and Shows throughout the night
Sunday 19 February 0000 - 1800 Music and Shows throughout the night
1900 - 2000 Music Unleashed Top 40
2100 - 2400 Best of Music and show repeats
Monday 20 February2000 0 2200 Crawling Home
2200 - 2400 Music and Shows throughout the night
Bring on the
agony
Following on from our successful debut at The White Hart Tap in StAlbans we are delighted to announce the next date (see below) We are also rather excited by the response to our lsquoloyalty stamps schemersquo which saw all those attending collect a handstamp on a specially de-signed Perfect Pop Postcard which will ultimately enable all lsquopop fansrsquo to earn a copy of a live best of compilation featuring the best lsquobootlegrsquo tracks from our shows The Great thing is attendance is FREE so lsquoearnrsquo is maybe not the best term however anyone purchasing any of the merchandise from our beautiful new table stand will get an extra stamp per item so I guess in a weird way you can earn but you donrsquot have to does that make any sense For more info on the last and next TAP session tune into Sound of the Suburbsrsquo show Tuesday evenings at 10pm
T O T H I S T H E S E C O N D I S S U E O F O U R N E W I N T E R A C T I V E M A G lsquo T H E P E R F E C T P O P Z I N E rsquo - B R O U G H T T O Y O U I N C O N J U N C T I O N W I T H R E C H A R G E D R A D I O C O M A N D T H E P E R F E C T P O P C O - O P
ldquoBIG thanks to everyone who came the TAP on 21st Jan
with great sets from Model Staggs and the Tuesday Club
(read and indeed listen all about it in SimonJ68rsquos fab
new reviews columnrdquo
Welcome
The Perfect Pop Co-op
Saturday 10th MarchAdam Barker and The Pins - White Hart Tap StAlbans FREE ENTRY from 8pm
FEBULOUSIf you have any suggestions for bands to feature at Perfect Pop Co-Op nights please drop us a mail atstudiorechargedradiocom
ContentsCover star Minki from 50ft Woman
Welcome 2-3From Recharged Radio
Round the Tap 4-5All the news and reviews from our first night
The DODO 6Debut album of Victoriana andvocal trumpets
A Quiet Word 7Pete Renzullo tells us about anew Australian charity album
New Glamour 8-950ft Woman double page special
The Pins Adam Barker and My Favourite Toy 10-11Next on at the Tap
Bring on the AGONY 12Rechargedrsquos weekend Breakfast stalwart turns agony Aunt
Thanks to Design 8ecreative Photography courtesy of imagessencecouk wwwandybengecom Words Pete Renzullo simonj68 Jim Distortion Andrea Perry
facebookcomrechargedradiorechargedradio
rechargedradiocomstudiorechargedradiocom
SimonJ68MID JANUARY THE NEW YEAR BLUES KICKED RIGHT IN NO SIGN OF ANY SNOW AND PAYDAY LOOKING FURTHER AWAY THAN THE CHANCE OF THE EURO-MILLIONS LOTTERY WIN SO WHAT TO DO TO LIVEN UPSt Albans one of those funny towns that no one is really sure where it is but is home to a bubbling music scene where many pubs seem to realise that most of us want a bit more from a night out than just a bottle of Becks and a kebab on the way home after listening to noise through bad speakers The evening of the 21st looked good a couple of bands at the White Hart Tap one I had heard of a fair bit and one that looked strangely familiar but I wasnrsquot sure why Luckily it was the wifersquos turn to drive again so after we were parked up we got in just before Model Staggs took to the stage A band (do you call two people a band) I have been aware of for a while via the good people at Recharged Radio and also through some reviews on some of the other music sites I frequent Choos-eMyMusicorg has an interview with them here httpwwwchoosemymusicorgaudiophilesaudiophiles-model-staggs Two guys on stage one guitar and one drummer and yet if you close your eyes there is the sound of a full band there Amazingly tight and tune filled at the same time almost a hint of Radiohead but then the up tempo kicks in again Starting with Magnetic People the lead track off their current EP the crowd stopped talking which is always the best sign for an unknown quantity A solid set of half a dozen or so tracks ending with the quite frankly amazing Turning which you really should find on line and listen to and look out for their next gigs (or would they play giggs) Time for a beer and the pub was getting busier but not as busy as the stage seemed to be as an apparently endless stream of musicians and instruments were appear-ing The Tuesday Club for it was them taking the opposite approach to the Model Staggs and going for the more traditional eight piece stage presence As I said some of the people looked familiar but with no heads it was impossible to come to a conclusion I spoke briefly to one of the singers Andreas Vanderbrain-drain and the key message from him and the rest of the group was this was fun This is what a night out is supposed to be like No pretentions no hang ups no cow bells Actually I take that back there was a cow bell Opening with Oh Daddy Please the female lead also oddly familiar kicks the night off and the energy and enjoyment was instant to see these are people playing for the right reasons A few songs in and we are given a choice of the jazz or the punk version of New Regime Not something you usually get offered The jazz version was the winner New Glamour and then Vinyl as a Manifesto carry the set on which is turning into a mix of lyrics that Half Man Half Biscuit or Carter USM would be proud of Ainrsquot Got No Class kicked in with my favourite opening line of the last year ldquoI went to the shops and bought a bucket full of sexrdquo and the sense of familiarity again raised its head The Punk version of No Regime was played as promised and a reprise of Old Be-fore Your Time closed the night off As I tweeted on the way home ldquoAnyone who says there is no independent music scene in the UK is a pretentious twatrdquo and The Tuesday Club are proof of this Waking up in the morning and remembering a line that linked Jack Bauer and Charles Hawtrey That is the sign of a good night out See you next Tuesday indeed
BOOTLEG B A C K TRACKAs part of our never ending quest to
promote and publicise the acts who have
joined the goodship PPCO and with the
consent of the acts appearing we are
most proud to bring you a gorgeously
retro style Bootleg of last months TAP
session We hope that you not only en-
joy the music but it inspires those of
you who couldnrsquot make the last one to
re-double your efforts for the next one
on Saturday March 10th
We are excited and delighted in this monthrsquos issue to welcome an esteemed new contributor Hersquos been a huge supporter of recharged radio and all our associated projects over the last couple of years Ladies and Gentlemen we give you
THE LIVEREVIEW
ldquoAnyone who says there is no independent music scene in the UK is a pretentious twatrdquo and The Tuesday Club are proof of thisJason Gissing
Simonj68
Pictures courtesy of debbieimagingessencecouk bull wwwimagingessencecouk bull imagingessence
THE TAP ROUNDUP
THE DIY OR DIE ORGANISATIONUnlike anything we can easily pigeon hole The DODOrsquos debut album sounds more like the soundtrack to Saint-Saeumlns Carnival of the Animals transported to a lost autumn somewhere in a darker richer swinging 60rsquos the 1860rsquos that is Harpsichord strings bells and tormented otherwordly backing vocals provide the backdrop to this feast of psychedelic melancholia laid bare to inspire and unhinge in equal measure From the soaring yet forbidding puritanical drama of the lsquoBeck
meets Judge Dreddrsquo - lsquoI am the Puristrsquo the bleak wailing death mask procession of lsquoInto the Blackrsquo the 60rsquos apple blossom infused cold war time bomb - lsquoWaiting for the walls to come downrsquo to the deliciously sorrowful ode to wasted youth - lsquoTin Foil Crownrsquo The DIY or DIE organisation sound like a ghostly ice-cream van stalking the neighbourhoods of the as yet unwritten Tim Burton animation lsquoGothic Pop Victorianarsquo
NEW
ALB
UM
The DIY or DIE Organisationrsquos hand-made debut album is limited edition and available through The Perfect Pop Co-Op
httpthedodobandcampcom
THE DIY OR DIE ORGANISATION
Article by Peter Renzullo
PERHAPS the most rewarding thing about being a Presenter at Recharged Radio is that I have the ability to bring listeners music they simply wouldnrsquot
hear on other radio shows Now Ilsquom not suggesting that Irsquove kidnapped a bunch of artists and have them locked up in my basement (most are there of
their own free will) or that I have special abilities others do not (although I do have the uncanny ability to grow a single hair out of my forehead) What
I DO have is access to emerging artists in my part of the world
Many of the bands and soloists yoursquoll hear on my show have only just started hitting the stage armed with demo recordings or live audio that other radio stations simply wouldnrsquot give a second glance Alas being all the way down
in the most isolated city in the world ndash Perth (Western Australia) these artists find it near impossible to get their music heard outside the dodgy
pubs they slog it out in each and every night (Please note Not all Perthrsquos pubs are dodgy I can name two you wonrsquot get stabbed in)
Anyway in my dealings with these artists Irsquove come across some very impressive acts so I started thinking of some ideas on how to get this
incredible music spread I decided that an album featuring them would be the way to go So I started out by approaching 8 artists then that grew to
12 then 16 then 19 then finally I stopped at 24
The result is an album showcasing the grass-roots scene of Perth I also had the artists filmed as part of a music video about it So six months later
ndash with a lot of blood sweat and beers ndash the result is a two-volume album and DVD Irsquove called A QUIET WORD
Each of the artists featured on the album has been broadcast on my show Close to Nowhere and this album is like a ldquoBest ofhelliprdquo compilation for
the music I am surrounded with here in Perth
My hope is that through this album I am able to help bring the music scene here in Perth some much deserved exposure especially since
a lot of them will probably never be heard outside of Australia As a way to generate some buzz about this music and encourage people to get their hands on it Irsquove decided to release lsquoA Quiet Wordrsquo with profits going to
The Starlight Foundation ndash which is an organization in Australia that helps provide better lives for seriously ill kidsYou can find all the info hear
the songs see the video and buy the album right herewwwfacebookcomaquietword
A QUIET WORD Australian artists unite for a worthy cause
The result is an album showcasing the grass-roots scene of Perth
So 50ft Woman does the name come from the sci-fi film Are you and the band fans of B-movies Irsquove always found sci-fi films like that amusing but the name actually came from a friend of mine who said it lsquowas an awesome band namersquo I liked all of the imagery that came with it as well as the fact it did really reflect my stature It just seemed perfect plus itrsquos a very easy brand to play with Yoursquove been compared to the likes of Blondie The Ramones and The New York Dolls Are these the sort of bands you grew up listening to Blondie yes but I was a latecomer to The Ra-mones and The lsquoDolls I was more of a confused musical child flicking from listening to classical to ACDC to Adam and the Ants to Madness Then when I first moved down to London my housemates were into all sorts from MC5 999 to The Quireboys and Hanoi Rocks I think my eyes were truly opened (and from then on my hair truly backcombed) Who has been your biggest influence then would you say Well I think without Adam and the Ants there may not have ever been lsquoMinkirsquo the character Just the sheer showmanship with a touch of fantasy that step removed from reality I love all that Dressing up is a big part of it any excuse So I suppose mostly Adam Ant with a bit of Steve Tyler from Aerosmith the way he uses his voice almost as a percussive instrument Ah yes the dressing up Apparently you are famous for shoes Are you threatening to knock Imelda Marcos from the record holder You know I havenrsquot actually got THAT many shoes Irsquom very fussy and Irsquom actually quite good at NOT buying say yes another pair of black pat-ent shoes I think Irsquom autistic when it comes to shoes they have to be exactly the right propor-tion and angle Sadly my dream of owning a pair of YSL Tribtoos or a pair of Christian Louboutins appears to have been quashed as they just donrsquot suit my feet No point having shoes that cripple my feet Particularly ones as expensive as that You donrsquot have ANY shoes that you canrsquot walk in Er yes I have quite a few but I get away with it by calling them lsquophoto shoot shoesrsquo Talking of photo shoots we notice you have done quite a few pin-up shoots Is that something you like doing Yes I love it I suppose it ties in with the whole
SUPERHERO FOR OUR FUTUREA PERSONIFICATION OF lsquo INTO THE VALLEY OF THE ULTRA VIXENSrsquo
fantasy thing The really good thing about pin-up is that it celebrates who you are as a women whatev-er height weight shape you are I love that Therersquos too much conformity portrayed in normal maga-zines too much pressure to lsquobe thinrsquo 50ft Woman ties in with all the pin-up stuff ndash itrsquos all about being who you are Stand up be tall be proud Who are your heroines women wise then I think my idol has to be Sophia Loren What a woman She looks amazing in The Millionaress I also love Raquel Welch Ursula Andress Marilyn of course I also adore Audrey Hepburn Appar-ently she was quite a character And even though she isnrsquot real Jessica Rabbit is a big inspiration Therersquos a bit of theme going on there then Holly-wood glamour the old way
Exactly They were all really powerful women Even Marilyn who everyone thinks of as this vul-nerable little girl She was actually very aware of how she came across to people OK she had her problems and insecurities but who doesnrsquot So back to 50ft Woman the band What have been your highlights so far I think one of our best experiences was being asked to play the Marussia Virgin Race Weekend at Sil-verstone as part of the British Grand Prix Not only was it a great opportunity as a gig but as Irsquom such a Formula One fan being there and being part of it was brilliant I think after that would be The Union support dates And what of this year Well I am still hoping we get asked to play at the GP again We have some gigs lined up which Irsquom really excited about We are only a 4 piece at the moment and I think we thought we couldnrsquot book any gigs with a man down But then we went into the studio and you know what it sounded really great as it was So we decided to go ahead and play like we are while we look for the right person So what gigs have you got coming up We have a private party for The Serpentine Club followed by the Cat Scratch Fever Charity gig on 31st March at the White Lion in Streatham with Tyla a great line up Then in April we have Hits of the Near Future and then hopefully the Great Escape in May And any releases planned Well we actually recorded some stuff to release but the line-up change put it on hold We have a new
ldquoI was more of a confused musical child flicking from listening to classical to ACDC to Adam and the Ants to Madnessrdquo
50ftWOMAN
NEW glamour
The new line up Axel drums Jon bass Minki Ben guitar
track Google Tan which we want to release as a free download single and we are in the middle of recording a video for that Oh tell us about the video It started off as a simple idea and then suddenly we have a 20 page story board with about 7 different characters Irsquom going to be playing most of them and we have cameos for each of the boys Itrsquos very silly Itrsquoll be the first proper promo video that wersquove done so we want it to be right So we look forward to the gigs and the forthcoming video then Good luck with the rest of 2012 Minki was talking to Andrea Perry
wwwfacebookcom50ftWomanBand
NEXT on AT THE TAP
MARCH 10thSAT-UR-DAY
Getting that first gigBefore reading this article itrsquos important to stress that Irsquom not in the habit of giving advice to people about to how to run their own bands nor do I think my band is the best thing since sliced bread Irsquove merely been asked to write a piece on how easy I think it is to get gigs outside of London The below experience is simply a personal experience about the journey we - The Pins - went through to get that important first gig
Three years ago we decided to take the big step of venturing out of our dark ldquobunkerrdquo where we rehearsed and get off our arses to actu-ally play a gig I remember the day well Wersquod just finished playing a new song where there was a short period of silence from everyone as we all digested what wersquod played ldquopeople need to hear thisrdquo Ben our guitarist said
So wersquod made that decision we had some real belting banging songs that we wanted to share with the world getting a gig shouldnrsquot be a problem right Wrong
For those of you reading this who are in a band yoursquoll know that getting a gig when yoursquore first starting out isnrsquot as easy as yoursquod think particularly if you live outside London So first stop was the music bible that is The Gig Guide In hindsight this is where we went wrong Emailing hundreds and hundreds of venues asking for gigs simply doesnrsquot work Whilst you may get a standardised reply from a handful of venues most receive so many they canrsquot physically reply to them Looking back we shouldrsquove visited every single venue personally given them our demo and spoken to them Itrsquos a lot harder to say no face to face whether yoursquore a good band or not
After months of trying our days of playing in front of a large poster of Jimi Hendrix was over A local promoter from Bishops Stortford offered us a support slot at one of their nights - Club Blub As yoursquod expect we were all absolutely shitting ourselves and despite playing at 100mph we played a cracking 20 minute set (wouldrsquove played longer but only had 20 minutes worth of songs) so much so that that straight after the gig the promoters spoke to us about getting on board The Pins bus
Three years down the line wersquove been lucky enough and are lucky enough to play some fantastic venues from all around the country Wersquore off on a European tour in May but will be returning to the Half Moon in Bishops Stortford for another Club Blub night real soon
So whatrsquos my point I suppose itrsquos not to look too far afield for that first gig We looked for ages and ages and all along the perfect venue for our first gig was right on our doorstep Even if therersquos no live music venues in your area talk to a local pub or bar to see if you can play there They donrsquot care if yoursquore good or not as long as you bring all your mates and pack the place out theyrsquoll have you back again
The Pinse thepinshotmailcouk w wwwthepinscouk Management Press and Bookings stevemthompsonhotmailcouk
Adam Barker
MY FAVOU-RITE TOYThe Roland SPD-20 is without a doubt one of the lynchpins of how we work as a band I pulled this out of my loft about 2 years ago as it had seen barely any light for a couple of years It was a real spur of the moment ebay purchase but ended up being a diamond in the rough I think I paid around pound300 for it at the time (including a stand) but I never realised its potential until I decided to take it to rehearsal one day We fixed it to the side of the drum kit thinking that maybe we could just use it to add some extra percus-sion or something but the real ldquoahardquo moment came when we started using the bass sounds
Using bass notes as a rhythmic element alongside synthy percussion nois-es really opened up new worlds for us and since then it has become a full time member in the band Itrsquos a really useful bit of kit The pads are all velocity sensitive and really easy and nice to hit The sound palette ranges from ridiculous vocal samples and hip hop loops to big synth sounds The beauty of it is that you can alter the parameters of each sound to make it your own People have often said to us ldquowhy donrsquot you get the newer one with the sampling capabilityrdquo But I think therersquos a certain charm to select-ing sounds from a limited bucket of noise and bending those sounds to suit your own means
Self-styled ldquobedroom performerrdquo Adam Barker when not selling insurance to canines or catching his testicles in his zipper (whilst on holiday with his par-ents in the South of France) is a singersongwriter based in Bedfordshire
But this only tells part of the story his real talents exude when he picks up a guitar Having proactively found Recharged Ra-dio Adamrsquos home-recordings reflect an honesty and effortless charm which could possibly be obscured by over production The warmth (and range) to his voice is reminiscent of Jeff Buckley and with such a keen desire to progress as a musician this is really just the beginning of the journey for this talented young man
Hopefully by replacing the zippers with velcro and getting out of the bedroom (for everything but the necessary - the things either dull or x-rated) Adam will go far
wwwadambarkercouk
httpwwwfacebookcomadambarker2
This month is brought to you by Ash Allerton - Modelstaggs
The Roland SPD-20
Jim Distortion
Bring on theiagonyt
p
d
r
t
p
httpwwwjimdistortioncoukhttpwwwmadhousetattoocouk
httpjimdistortionwordpresscom
rldquoDear Jim - My drummer smells We thought this wouldnrsquot be a problem but now itrsquos gotten to the stage (no pun) that wersquore being refused gigs - even at the 12 Bar I am 25 he is 27 I know that someone tried to tell him that he has a body odour problem before but he ran off crying and threatened to quit the band The problem is that hersquos a great drummer like Animal from The Muppets - but just like Animal from The Muppets smells like a sweaty sock What should we dordquo Confused Hackney
JD says Hi Confused Irsquom glad you brought this subject up as I to have had trouble with drummers in the past Once word has got out about a stinky skin wacker life can be pretty down heartening Fear not Irsquom sure there is an answer First thing be brave and make him confront his stink no man should be left to smell up the joint It would have to be an intervention get all his friends and family around and do it in a room with a lockable door Forcibly wash him and then give him the holy grail that stops all stinking tub thumpers from humming deodorant He may well kick and scream but believe me when he notices his aroma has changed and the girls start flocking to him he will see that you have not only stopped the stink but also got him a home as we all know a drummer without a girlfriend is homeless ps make sure to burn his clothes as the stink will be ingrained Itrsquos also a chance to get him out of his shorts and redesign him from the feet up
ldquoDear Jim - I hate promoters last time I went out in London I saw a gang of them hanging around on the corner by Camden Lock doing something shifty When they saw me staring at them they all started snarling and started walking towards me muttering things like lsquogive us cash up front or yoursquore not on the billrsquo and things They were all aged between 20 and 40 and Irsquom 26 and not even in a band Whatrsquos the best way to fend them off and what happens when they corner someonerdquo Dazed Harlow
JD says Hi Dazed Best thing to do with promoter is simply turn and growl back No promoter should be allowed to intimidate you as they simply are no higher on the food chain than pond scum Stamp your feet and make loud noises as they are all as chicken sht as each other If you really want to turn the tables on them take their pay to play deal sell all their tickets play the gig and simply say that what you sold was your fee for being the talent and not the money grabbing cockroach They may cry moan and bitch at you but always remember you are the ones that bring the crowds they just open a door Screw em
ldquoDear Jim - Recently I purchased a van to move our bandrsquos gear around Now I keep on getting approached to plaster peoplersquos walls - just because I bought the van I am 29 the van is 10 Which forms do I need to fill in to send back to the revenue so I donrsquot get done for income tax fraudrdquo Dave The Plasterer Stevenage
JD says Hi Dave Sometimes you just have to man up son there are no pen pushing ways to deal with this issue This issue is dealt with in one way and one way only Buy a band sign for the van you numpty and quit crying to me You have control of the reaction people have to who you are Stand up and be counted but as a musician not as a plasterer Talented as plasterers are itrsquos a different talent to musicians and quite frankly musicians are much more useful to life
e
With Rehcarged Radio Breakfast show host and part-time problem soother Jim Distortion
Whilst you can purchase all of these digitally from Amazon Play iTunes et al our online shop will offer you a whole load more including limited edition Vinyl amp CDs httpshopthescratchcouk
THE FIRST 3 ALBUMS FROM THE SCRATCH
wwwthescratchcouk
NIGHT BUS OR MILK TRAIN ldquoTightly crafted guitar pop music interwoven with the odd synth or sample The guitar work is excellent there are some damn fine riffs on this record and they seem genuinely keen to do something just a little bit differentrdquo[Is This Music]
WHATEVER HAPPENED TO FRIDAY NIGHT ldquoThe songs have an effervescent radiance thatrsquos immediate and spontaneous all too often ridiculously catchy and insanely infectious for those whose teeth cutting exposure to pop was the late 60s mods such as the Small Faces and the Move the glam rock of the early 70s via T-Rex Sweet and Cockney Rebel or maybe late 70s new wave a la the Buzzcocks Soft Boys and the Motors - lsquoWhatever happened to Friday nightsrsquo will seem and feel like the years peeling awayrdquo [Losing Today]
DIYldquoDIY is the sound of what it is to be a rock star Basically therersquos something here for everyone who has a pulse to get excited about Turn it up and turn your inner rock god onrdquo [Itrsquos All Happening magazine]
shindigindd 1 04102010 1113
whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on
whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on
wha
trsquos g
oinrsquo
on
wha
trsquos g
oinrsquo
on
wha
trsquos g
oinrsquo
on
wha
trsquos g
oinrsquo
on
wha
trsquos g
oinrsquo
on
wha
trsquos g
oinrsquo
on
wha
trsquos g
oinrsquo
on
whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on
whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on
whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on
whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on
Tuesday 14 February0000 - 2000 Music and Shows throughout the night
2000 - 2200 The California Diner
2200 - 0000 Sound of the Suburbs rpt
0000 - 2000 Music and Shows throughout the night
Wednesday 15 February1830 - 1900 That Time of the Month
2000 - 2200 Metal Mumin
2200 - 0000 Night of the Artisans RPT 0000 - 2000 Music and Shows throughout the night
Thursday 16 February1900 Close to Nowhere
2000 - 2200 Minkirsquos Magic Moments
2300 - 0000 2020 Hip Hop
0000 - 2000 Music and Shows throughout the night
Friday 17 February2000 - 2200 The Forum
2200 - 2300 I Land Music
0000 - 2000 Music and Shows throughout the night Saturday 18 February 1000 - 1200 Jim Distortion In The Morning
1200 - 2100 Best of Music and show repeats
2100 - 2400 Music and Shows throughout the night
Sunday 19 February 0000 - 1800 Music and Shows throughout the night
1900 - 2000 Music Unleashed Top 40
2100 - 2400 Best of Music and show repeats
Monday 20 February2000 0 2200 Crawling Home
2200 - 2400 Music and Shows throughout the night
Bring on the
agony
ContentsCover star Minki from 50ft Woman
Welcome 2-3From Recharged Radio
Round the Tap 4-5All the news and reviews from our first night
The DODO 6Debut album of Victoriana andvocal trumpets
A Quiet Word 7Pete Renzullo tells us about anew Australian charity album
New Glamour 8-950ft Woman double page special
The Pins Adam Barker and My Favourite Toy 10-11Next on at the Tap
Bring on the AGONY 12Rechargedrsquos weekend Breakfast stalwart turns agony Aunt
Thanks to Design 8ecreative Photography courtesy of imagessencecouk wwwandybengecom Words Pete Renzullo simonj68 Jim Distortion Andrea Perry
facebookcomrechargedradiorechargedradio
rechargedradiocomstudiorechargedradiocom
SimonJ68MID JANUARY THE NEW YEAR BLUES KICKED RIGHT IN NO SIGN OF ANY SNOW AND PAYDAY LOOKING FURTHER AWAY THAN THE CHANCE OF THE EURO-MILLIONS LOTTERY WIN SO WHAT TO DO TO LIVEN UPSt Albans one of those funny towns that no one is really sure where it is but is home to a bubbling music scene where many pubs seem to realise that most of us want a bit more from a night out than just a bottle of Becks and a kebab on the way home after listening to noise through bad speakers The evening of the 21st looked good a couple of bands at the White Hart Tap one I had heard of a fair bit and one that looked strangely familiar but I wasnrsquot sure why Luckily it was the wifersquos turn to drive again so after we were parked up we got in just before Model Staggs took to the stage A band (do you call two people a band) I have been aware of for a while via the good people at Recharged Radio and also through some reviews on some of the other music sites I frequent Choos-eMyMusicorg has an interview with them here httpwwwchoosemymusicorgaudiophilesaudiophiles-model-staggs Two guys on stage one guitar and one drummer and yet if you close your eyes there is the sound of a full band there Amazingly tight and tune filled at the same time almost a hint of Radiohead but then the up tempo kicks in again Starting with Magnetic People the lead track off their current EP the crowd stopped talking which is always the best sign for an unknown quantity A solid set of half a dozen or so tracks ending with the quite frankly amazing Turning which you really should find on line and listen to and look out for their next gigs (or would they play giggs) Time for a beer and the pub was getting busier but not as busy as the stage seemed to be as an apparently endless stream of musicians and instruments were appear-ing The Tuesday Club for it was them taking the opposite approach to the Model Staggs and going for the more traditional eight piece stage presence As I said some of the people looked familiar but with no heads it was impossible to come to a conclusion I spoke briefly to one of the singers Andreas Vanderbrain-drain and the key message from him and the rest of the group was this was fun This is what a night out is supposed to be like No pretentions no hang ups no cow bells Actually I take that back there was a cow bell Opening with Oh Daddy Please the female lead also oddly familiar kicks the night off and the energy and enjoyment was instant to see these are people playing for the right reasons A few songs in and we are given a choice of the jazz or the punk version of New Regime Not something you usually get offered The jazz version was the winner New Glamour and then Vinyl as a Manifesto carry the set on which is turning into a mix of lyrics that Half Man Half Biscuit or Carter USM would be proud of Ainrsquot Got No Class kicked in with my favourite opening line of the last year ldquoI went to the shops and bought a bucket full of sexrdquo and the sense of familiarity again raised its head The Punk version of No Regime was played as promised and a reprise of Old Be-fore Your Time closed the night off As I tweeted on the way home ldquoAnyone who says there is no independent music scene in the UK is a pretentious twatrdquo and The Tuesday Club are proof of this Waking up in the morning and remembering a line that linked Jack Bauer and Charles Hawtrey That is the sign of a good night out See you next Tuesday indeed
BOOTLEG B A C K TRACKAs part of our never ending quest to
promote and publicise the acts who have
joined the goodship PPCO and with the
consent of the acts appearing we are
most proud to bring you a gorgeously
retro style Bootleg of last months TAP
session We hope that you not only en-
joy the music but it inspires those of
you who couldnrsquot make the last one to
re-double your efforts for the next one
on Saturday March 10th
We are excited and delighted in this monthrsquos issue to welcome an esteemed new contributor Hersquos been a huge supporter of recharged radio and all our associated projects over the last couple of years Ladies and Gentlemen we give you
THE LIVEREVIEW
ldquoAnyone who says there is no independent music scene in the UK is a pretentious twatrdquo and The Tuesday Club are proof of thisJason Gissing
Simonj68
Pictures courtesy of debbieimagingessencecouk bull wwwimagingessencecouk bull imagingessence
THE TAP ROUNDUP
THE DIY OR DIE ORGANISATIONUnlike anything we can easily pigeon hole The DODOrsquos debut album sounds more like the soundtrack to Saint-Saeumlns Carnival of the Animals transported to a lost autumn somewhere in a darker richer swinging 60rsquos the 1860rsquos that is Harpsichord strings bells and tormented otherwordly backing vocals provide the backdrop to this feast of psychedelic melancholia laid bare to inspire and unhinge in equal measure From the soaring yet forbidding puritanical drama of the lsquoBeck
meets Judge Dreddrsquo - lsquoI am the Puristrsquo the bleak wailing death mask procession of lsquoInto the Blackrsquo the 60rsquos apple blossom infused cold war time bomb - lsquoWaiting for the walls to come downrsquo to the deliciously sorrowful ode to wasted youth - lsquoTin Foil Crownrsquo The DIY or DIE organisation sound like a ghostly ice-cream van stalking the neighbourhoods of the as yet unwritten Tim Burton animation lsquoGothic Pop Victorianarsquo
NEW
ALB
UM
The DIY or DIE Organisationrsquos hand-made debut album is limited edition and available through The Perfect Pop Co-Op
httpthedodobandcampcom
THE DIY OR DIE ORGANISATION
Article by Peter Renzullo
PERHAPS the most rewarding thing about being a Presenter at Recharged Radio is that I have the ability to bring listeners music they simply wouldnrsquot
hear on other radio shows Now Ilsquom not suggesting that Irsquove kidnapped a bunch of artists and have them locked up in my basement (most are there of
their own free will) or that I have special abilities others do not (although I do have the uncanny ability to grow a single hair out of my forehead) What
I DO have is access to emerging artists in my part of the world
Many of the bands and soloists yoursquoll hear on my show have only just started hitting the stage armed with demo recordings or live audio that other radio stations simply wouldnrsquot give a second glance Alas being all the way down
in the most isolated city in the world ndash Perth (Western Australia) these artists find it near impossible to get their music heard outside the dodgy
pubs they slog it out in each and every night (Please note Not all Perthrsquos pubs are dodgy I can name two you wonrsquot get stabbed in)
Anyway in my dealings with these artists Irsquove come across some very impressive acts so I started thinking of some ideas on how to get this
incredible music spread I decided that an album featuring them would be the way to go So I started out by approaching 8 artists then that grew to
12 then 16 then 19 then finally I stopped at 24
The result is an album showcasing the grass-roots scene of Perth I also had the artists filmed as part of a music video about it So six months later
ndash with a lot of blood sweat and beers ndash the result is a two-volume album and DVD Irsquove called A QUIET WORD
Each of the artists featured on the album has been broadcast on my show Close to Nowhere and this album is like a ldquoBest ofhelliprdquo compilation for
the music I am surrounded with here in Perth
My hope is that through this album I am able to help bring the music scene here in Perth some much deserved exposure especially since
a lot of them will probably never be heard outside of Australia As a way to generate some buzz about this music and encourage people to get their hands on it Irsquove decided to release lsquoA Quiet Wordrsquo with profits going to
The Starlight Foundation ndash which is an organization in Australia that helps provide better lives for seriously ill kidsYou can find all the info hear
the songs see the video and buy the album right herewwwfacebookcomaquietword
A QUIET WORD Australian artists unite for a worthy cause
The result is an album showcasing the grass-roots scene of Perth
So 50ft Woman does the name come from the sci-fi film Are you and the band fans of B-movies Irsquove always found sci-fi films like that amusing but the name actually came from a friend of mine who said it lsquowas an awesome band namersquo I liked all of the imagery that came with it as well as the fact it did really reflect my stature It just seemed perfect plus itrsquos a very easy brand to play with Yoursquove been compared to the likes of Blondie The Ramones and The New York Dolls Are these the sort of bands you grew up listening to Blondie yes but I was a latecomer to The Ra-mones and The lsquoDolls I was more of a confused musical child flicking from listening to classical to ACDC to Adam and the Ants to Madness Then when I first moved down to London my housemates were into all sorts from MC5 999 to The Quireboys and Hanoi Rocks I think my eyes were truly opened (and from then on my hair truly backcombed) Who has been your biggest influence then would you say Well I think without Adam and the Ants there may not have ever been lsquoMinkirsquo the character Just the sheer showmanship with a touch of fantasy that step removed from reality I love all that Dressing up is a big part of it any excuse So I suppose mostly Adam Ant with a bit of Steve Tyler from Aerosmith the way he uses his voice almost as a percussive instrument Ah yes the dressing up Apparently you are famous for shoes Are you threatening to knock Imelda Marcos from the record holder You know I havenrsquot actually got THAT many shoes Irsquom very fussy and Irsquom actually quite good at NOT buying say yes another pair of black pat-ent shoes I think Irsquom autistic when it comes to shoes they have to be exactly the right propor-tion and angle Sadly my dream of owning a pair of YSL Tribtoos or a pair of Christian Louboutins appears to have been quashed as they just donrsquot suit my feet No point having shoes that cripple my feet Particularly ones as expensive as that You donrsquot have ANY shoes that you canrsquot walk in Er yes I have quite a few but I get away with it by calling them lsquophoto shoot shoesrsquo Talking of photo shoots we notice you have done quite a few pin-up shoots Is that something you like doing Yes I love it I suppose it ties in with the whole
SUPERHERO FOR OUR FUTUREA PERSONIFICATION OF lsquo INTO THE VALLEY OF THE ULTRA VIXENSrsquo
fantasy thing The really good thing about pin-up is that it celebrates who you are as a women whatev-er height weight shape you are I love that Therersquos too much conformity portrayed in normal maga-zines too much pressure to lsquobe thinrsquo 50ft Woman ties in with all the pin-up stuff ndash itrsquos all about being who you are Stand up be tall be proud Who are your heroines women wise then I think my idol has to be Sophia Loren What a woman She looks amazing in The Millionaress I also love Raquel Welch Ursula Andress Marilyn of course I also adore Audrey Hepburn Appar-ently she was quite a character And even though she isnrsquot real Jessica Rabbit is a big inspiration Therersquos a bit of theme going on there then Holly-wood glamour the old way
Exactly They were all really powerful women Even Marilyn who everyone thinks of as this vul-nerable little girl She was actually very aware of how she came across to people OK she had her problems and insecurities but who doesnrsquot So back to 50ft Woman the band What have been your highlights so far I think one of our best experiences was being asked to play the Marussia Virgin Race Weekend at Sil-verstone as part of the British Grand Prix Not only was it a great opportunity as a gig but as Irsquom such a Formula One fan being there and being part of it was brilliant I think after that would be The Union support dates And what of this year Well I am still hoping we get asked to play at the GP again We have some gigs lined up which Irsquom really excited about We are only a 4 piece at the moment and I think we thought we couldnrsquot book any gigs with a man down But then we went into the studio and you know what it sounded really great as it was So we decided to go ahead and play like we are while we look for the right person So what gigs have you got coming up We have a private party for The Serpentine Club followed by the Cat Scratch Fever Charity gig on 31st March at the White Lion in Streatham with Tyla a great line up Then in April we have Hits of the Near Future and then hopefully the Great Escape in May And any releases planned Well we actually recorded some stuff to release but the line-up change put it on hold We have a new
ldquoI was more of a confused musical child flicking from listening to classical to ACDC to Adam and the Ants to Madnessrdquo
50ftWOMAN
NEW glamour
The new line up Axel drums Jon bass Minki Ben guitar
track Google Tan which we want to release as a free download single and we are in the middle of recording a video for that Oh tell us about the video It started off as a simple idea and then suddenly we have a 20 page story board with about 7 different characters Irsquom going to be playing most of them and we have cameos for each of the boys Itrsquos very silly Itrsquoll be the first proper promo video that wersquove done so we want it to be right So we look forward to the gigs and the forthcoming video then Good luck with the rest of 2012 Minki was talking to Andrea Perry
wwwfacebookcom50ftWomanBand
NEXT on AT THE TAP
MARCH 10thSAT-UR-DAY
Getting that first gigBefore reading this article itrsquos important to stress that Irsquom not in the habit of giving advice to people about to how to run their own bands nor do I think my band is the best thing since sliced bread Irsquove merely been asked to write a piece on how easy I think it is to get gigs outside of London The below experience is simply a personal experience about the journey we - The Pins - went through to get that important first gig
Three years ago we decided to take the big step of venturing out of our dark ldquobunkerrdquo where we rehearsed and get off our arses to actu-ally play a gig I remember the day well Wersquod just finished playing a new song where there was a short period of silence from everyone as we all digested what wersquod played ldquopeople need to hear thisrdquo Ben our guitarist said
So wersquod made that decision we had some real belting banging songs that we wanted to share with the world getting a gig shouldnrsquot be a problem right Wrong
For those of you reading this who are in a band yoursquoll know that getting a gig when yoursquore first starting out isnrsquot as easy as yoursquod think particularly if you live outside London So first stop was the music bible that is The Gig Guide In hindsight this is where we went wrong Emailing hundreds and hundreds of venues asking for gigs simply doesnrsquot work Whilst you may get a standardised reply from a handful of venues most receive so many they canrsquot physically reply to them Looking back we shouldrsquove visited every single venue personally given them our demo and spoken to them Itrsquos a lot harder to say no face to face whether yoursquore a good band or not
After months of trying our days of playing in front of a large poster of Jimi Hendrix was over A local promoter from Bishops Stortford offered us a support slot at one of their nights - Club Blub As yoursquod expect we were all absolutely shitting ourselves and despite playing at 100mph we played a cracking 20 minute set (wouldrsquove played longer but only had 20 minutes worth of songs) so much so that that straight after the gig the promoters spoke to us about getting on board The Pins bus
Three years down the line wersquove been lucky enough and are lucky enough to play some fantastic venues from all around the country Wersquore off on a European tour in May but will be returning to the Half Moon in Bishops Stortford for another Club Blub night real soon
So whatrsquos my point I suppose itrsquos not to look too far afield for that first gig We looked for ages and ages and all along the perfect venue for our first gig was right on our doorstep Even if therersquos no live music venues in your area talk to a local pub or bar to see if you can play there They donrsquot care if yoursquore good or not as long as you bring all your mates and pack the place out theyrsquoll have you back again
The Pinse thepinshotmailcouk w wwwthepinscouk Management Press and Bookings stevemthompsonhotmailcouk
Adam Barker
MY FAVOU-RITE TOYThe Roland SPD-20 is without a doubt one of the lynchpins of how we work as a band I pulled this out of my loft about 2 years ago as it had seen barely any light for a couple of years It was a real spur of the moment ebay purchase but ended up being a diamond in the rough I think I paid around pound300 for it at the time (including a stand) but I never realised its potential until I decided to take it to rehearsal one day We fixed it to the side of the drum kit thinking that maybe we could just use it to add some extra percus-sion or something but the real ldquoahardquo moment came when we started using the bass sounds
Using bass notes as a rhythmic element alongside synthy percussion nois-es really opened up new worlds for us and since then it has become a full time member in the band Itrsquos a really useful bit of kit The pads are all velocity sensitive and really easy and nice to hit The sound palette ranges from ridiculous vocal samples and hip hop loops to big synth sounds The beauty of it is that you can alter the parameters of each sound to make it your own People have often said to us ldquowhy donrsquot you get the newer one with the sampling capabilityrdquo But I think therersquos a certain charm to select-ing sounds from a limited bucket of noise and bending those sounds to suit your own means
Self-styled ldquobedroom performerrdquo Adam Barker when not selling insurance to canines or catching his testicles in his zipper (whilst on holiday with his par-ents in the South of France) is a singersongwriter based in Bedfordshire
But this only tells part of the story his real talents exude when he picks up a guitar Having proactively found Recharged Ra-dio Adamrsquos home-recordings reflect an honesty and effortless charm which could possibly be obscured by over production The warmth (and range) to his voice is reminiscent of Jeff Buckley and with such a keen desire to progress as a musician this is really just the beginning of the journey for this talented young man
Hopefully by replacing the zippers with velcro and getting out of the bedroom (for everything but the necessary - the things either dull or x-rated) Adam will go far
wwwadambarkercouk
httpwwwfacebookcomadambarker2
This month is brought to you by Ash Allerton - Modelstaggs
The Roland SPD-20
Jim Distortion
Bring on theiagonyt
p
d
r
t
p
httpwwwjimdistortioncoukhttpwwwmadhousetattoocouk
httpjimdistortionwordpresscom
rldquoDear Jim - My drummer smells We thought this wouldnrsquot be a problem but now itrsquos gotten to the stage (no pun) that wersquore being refused gigs - even at the 12 Bar I am 25 he is 27 I know that someone tried to tell him that he has a body odour problem before but he ran off crying and threatened to quit the band The problem is that hersquos a great drummer like Animal from The Muppets - but just like Animal from The Muppets smells like a sweaty sock What should we dordquo Confused Hackney
JD says Hi Confused Irsquom glad you brought this subject up as I to have had trouble with drummers in the past Once word has got out about a stinky skin wacker life can be pretty down heartening Fear not Irsquom sure there is an answer First thing be brave and make him confront his stink no man should be left to smell up the joint It would have to be an intervention get all his friends and family around and do it in a room with a lockable door Forcibly wash him and then give him the holy grail that stops all stinking tub thumpers from humming deodorant He may well kick and scream but believe me when he notices his aroma has changed and the girls start flocking to him he will see that you have not only stopped the stink but also got him a home as we all know a drummer without a girlfriend is homeless ps make sure to burn his clothes as the stink will be ingrained Itrsquos also a chance to get him out of his shorts and redesign him from the feet up
ldquoDear Jim - I hate promoters last time I went out in London I saw a gang of them hanging around on the corner by Camden Lock doing something shifty When they saw me staring at them they all started snarling and started walking towards me muttering things like lsquogive us cash up front or yoursquore not on the billrsquo and things They were all aged between 20 and 40 and Irsquom 26 and not even in a band Whatrsquos the best way to fend them off and what happens when they corner someonerdquo Dazed Harlow
JD says Hi Dazed Best thing to do with promoter is simply turn and growl back No promoter should be allowed to intimidate you as they simply are no higher on the food chain than pond scum Stamp your feet and make loud noises as they are all as chicken sht as each other If you really want to turn the tables on them take their pay to play deal sell all their tickets play the gig and simply say that what you sold was your fee for being the talent and not the money grabbing cockroach They may cry moan and bitch at you but always remember you are the ones that bring the crowds they just open a door Screw em
ldquoDear Jim - Recently I purchased a van to move our bandrsquos gear around Now I keep on getting approached to plaster peoplersquos walls - just because I bought the van I am 29 the van is 10 Which forms do I need to fill in to send back to the revenue so I donrsquot get done for income tax fraudrdquo Dave The Plasterer Stevenage
JD says Hi Dave Sometimes you just have to man up son there are no pen pushing ways to deal with this issue This issue is dealt with in one way and one way only Buy a band sign for the van you numpty and quit crying to me You have control of the reaction people have to who you are Stand up and be counted but as a musician not as a plasterer Talented as plasterers are itrsquos a different talent to musicians and quite frankly musicians are much more useful to life
e
With Rehcarged Radio Breakfast show host and part-time problem soother Jim Distortion
Whilst you can purchase all of these digitally from Amazon Play iTunes et al our online shop will offer you a whole load more including limited edition Vinyl amp CDs httpshopthescratchcouk
THE FIRST 3 ALBUMS FROM THE SCRATCH
wwwthescratchcouk
NIGHT BUS OR MILK TRAIN ldquoTightly crafted guitar pop music interwoven with the odd synth or sample The guitar work is excellent there are some damn fine riffs on this record and they seem genuinely keen to do something just a little bit differentrdquo[Is This Music]
WHATEVER HAPPENED TO FRIDAY NIGHT ldquoThe songs have an effervescent radiance thatrsquos immediate and spontaneous all too often ridiculously catchy and insanely infectious for those whose teeth cutting exposure to pop was the late 60s mods such as the Small Faces and the Move the glam rock of the early 70s via T-Rex Sweet and Cockney Rebel or maybe late 70s new wave a la the Buzzcocks Soft Boys and the Motors - lsquoWhatever happened to Friday nightsrsquo will seem and feel like the years peeling awayrdquo [Losing Today]
DIYldquoDIY is the sound of what it is to be a rock star Basically therersquos something here for everyone who has a pulse to get excited about Turn it up and turn your inner rock god onrdquo [Itrsquos All Happening magazine]
shindigindd 1 04102010 1113
whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on
whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on
wha
trsquos g
oinrsquo
on
wha
trsquos g
oinrsquo
on
wha
trsquos g
oinrsquo
on
wha
trsquos g
oinrsquo
on
wha
trsquos g
oinrsquo
on
wha
trsquos g
oinrsquo
on
wha
trsquos g
oinrsquo
on
whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on
whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on
whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on
whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on
Tuesday 14 February0000 - 2000 Music and Shows throughout the night
2000 - 2200 The California Diner
2200 - 0000 Sound of the Suburbs rpt
0000 - 2000 Music and Shows throughout the night
Wednesday 15 February1830 - 1900 That Time of the Month
2000 - 2200 Metal Mumin
2200 - 0000 Night of the Artisans RPT 0000 - 2000 Music and Shows throughout the night
Thursday 16 February1900 Close to Nowhere
2000 - 2200 Minkirsquos Magic Moments
2300 - 0000 2020 Hip Hop
0000 - 2000 Music and Shows throughout the night
Friday 17 February2000 - 2200 The Forum
2200 - 2300 I Land Music
0000 - 2000 Music and Shows throughout the night Saturday 18 February 1000 - 1200 Jim Distortion In The Morning
1200 - 2100 Best of Music and show repeats
2100 - 2400 Music and Shows throughout the night
Sunday 19 February 0000 - 1800 Music and Shows throughout the night
1900 - 2000 Music Unleashed Top 40
2100 - 2400 Best of Music and show repeats
Monday 20 February2000 0 2200 Crawling Home
2200 - 2400 Music and Shows throughout the night
Bring on the
agony
SimonJ68MID JANUARY THE NEW YEAR BLUES KICKED RIGHT IN NO SIGN OF ANY SNOW AND PAYDAY LOOKING FURTHER AWAY THAN THE CHANCE OF THE EURO-MILLIONS LOTTERY WIN SO WHAT TO DO TO LIVEN UPSt Albans one of those funny towns that no one is really sure where it is but is home to a bubbling music scene where many pubs seem to realise that most of us want a bit more from a night out than just a bottle of Becks and a kebab on the way home after listening to noise through bad speakers The evening of the 21st looked good a couple of bands at the White Hart Tap one I had heard of a fair bit and one that looked strangely familiar but I wasnrsquot sure why Luckily it was the wifersquos turn to drive again so after we were parked up we got in just before Model Staggs took to the stage A band (do you call two people a band) I have been aware of for a while via the good people at Recharged Radio and also through some reviews on some of the other music sites I frequent Choos-eMyMusicorg has an interview with them here httpwwwchoosemymusicorgaudiophilesaudiophiles-model-staggs Two guys on stage one guitar and one drummer and yet if you close your eyes there is the sound of a full band there Amazingly tight and tune filled at the same time almost a hint of Radiohead but then the up tempo kicks in again Starting with Magnetic People the lead track off their current EP the crowd stopped talking which is always the best sign for an unknown quantity A solid set of half a dozen or so tracks ending with the quite frankly amazing Turning which you really should find on line and listen to and look out for their next gigs (or would they play giggs) Time for a beer and the pub was getting busier but not as busy as the stage seemed to be as an apparently endless stream of musicians and instruments were appear-ing The Tuesday Club for it was them taking the opposite approach to the Model Staggs and going for the more traditional eight piece stage presence As I said some of the people looked familiar but with no heads it was impossible to come to a conclusion I spoke briefly to one of the singers Andreas Vanderbrain-drain and the key message from him and the rest of the group was this was fun This is what a night out is supposed to be like No pretentions no hang ups no cow bells Actually I take that back there was a cow bell Opening with Oh Daddy Please the female lead also oddly familiar kicks the night off and the energy and enjoyment was instant to see these are people playing for the right reasons A few songs in and we are given a choice of the jazz or the punk version of New Regime Not something you usually get offered The jazz version was the winner New Glamour and then Vinyl as a Manifesto carry the set on which is turning into a mix of lyrics that Half Man Half Biscuit or Carter USM would be proud of Ainrsquot Got No Class kicked in with my favourite opening line of the last year ldquoI went to the shops and bought a bucket full of sexrdquo and the sense of familiarity again raised its head The Punk version of No Regime was played as promised and a reprise of Old Be-fore Your Time closed the night off As I tweeted on the way home ldquoAnyone who says there is no independent music scene in the UK is a pretentious twatrdquo and The Tuesday Club are proof of this Waking up in the morning and remembering a line that linked Jack Bauer and Charles Hawtrey That is the sign of a good night out See you next Tuesday indeed
BOOTLEG B A C K TRACKAs part of our never ending quest to
promote and publicise the acts who have
joined the goodship PPCO and with the
consent of the acts appearing we are
most proud to bring you a gorgeously
retro style Bootleg of last months TAP
session We hope that you not only en-
joy the music but it inspires those of
you who couldnrsquot make the last one to
re-double your efforts for the next one
on Saturday March 10th
We are excited and delighted in this monthrsquos issue to welcome an esteemed new contributor Hersquos been a huge supporter of recharged radio and all our associated projects over the last couple of years Ladies and Gentlemen we give you
THE LIVEREVIEW
ldquoAnyone who says there is no independent music scene in the UK is a pretentious twatrdquo and The Tuesday Club are proof of thisJason Gissing
Simonj68
Pictures courtesy of debbieimagingessencecouk bull wwwimagingessencecouk bull imagingessence
THE TAP ROUNDUP
THE DIY OR DIE ORGANISATIONUnlike anything we can easily pigeon hole The DODOrsquos debut album sounds more like the soundtrack to Saint-Saeumlns Carnival of the Animals transported to a lost autumn somewhere in a darker richer swinging 60rsquos the 1860rsquos that is Harpsichord strings bells and tormented otherwordly backing vocals provide the backdrop to this feast of psychedelic melancholia laid bare to inspire and unhinge in equal measure From the soaring yet forbidding puritanical drama of the lsquoBeck
meets Judge Dreddrsquo - lsquoI am the Puristrsquo the bleak wailing death mask procession of lsquoInto the Blackrsquo the 60rsquos apple blossom infused cold war time bomb - lsquoWaiting for the walls to come downrsquo to the deliciously sorrowful ode to wasted youth - lsquoTin Foil Crownrsquo The DIY or DIE organisation sound like a ghostly ice-cream van stalking the neighbourhoods of the as yet unwritten Tim Burton animation lsquoGothic Pop Victorianarsquo
NEW
ALB
UM
The DIY or DIE Organisationrsquos hand-made debut album is limited edition and available through The Perfect Pop Co-Op
httpthedodobandcampcom
THE DIY OR DIE ORGANISATION
Article by Peter Renzullo
PERHAPS the most rewarding thing about being a Presenter at Recharged Radio is that I have the ability to bring listeners music they simply wouldnrsquot
hear on other radio shows Now Ilsquom not suggesting that Irsquove kidnapped a bunch of artists and have them locked up in my basement (most are there of
their own free will) or that I have special abilities others do not (although I do have the uncanny ability to grow a single hair out of my forehead) What
I DO have is access to emerging artists in my part of the world
Many of the bands and soloists yoursquoll hear on my show have only just started hitting the stage armed with demo recordings or live audio that other radio stations simply wouldnrsquot give a second glance Alas being all the way down
in the most isolated city in the world ndash Perth (Western Australia) these artists find it near impossible to get their music heard outside the dodgy
pubs they slog it out in each and every night (Please note Not all Perthrsquos pubs are dodgy I can name two you wonrsquot get stabbed in)
Anyway in my dealings with these artists Irsquove come across some very impressive acts so I started thinking of some ideas on how to get this
incredible music spread I decided that an album featuring them would be the way to go So I started out by approaching 8 artists then that grew to
12 then 16 then 19 then finally I stopped at 24
The result is an album showcasing the grass-roots scene of Perth I also had the artists filmed as part of a music video about it So six months later
ndash with a lot of blood sweat and beers ndash the result is a two-volume album and DVD Irsquove called A QUIET WORD
Each of the artists featured on the album has been broadcast on my show Close to Nowhere and this album is like a ldquoBest ofhelliprdquo compilation for
the music I am surrounded with here in Perth
My hope is that through this album I am able to help bring the music scene here in Perth some much deserved exposure especially since
a lot of them will probably never be heard outside of Australia As a way to generate some buzz about this music and encourage people to get their hands on it Irsquove decided to release lsquoA Quiet Wordrsquo with profits going to
The Starlight Foundation ndash which is an organization in Australia that helps provide better lives for seriously ill kidsYou can find all the info hear
the songs see the video and buy the album right herewwwfacebookcomaquietword
A QUIET WORD Australian artists unite for a worthy cause
The result is an album showcasing the grass-roots scene of Perth
So 50ft Woman does the name come from the sci-fi film Are you and the band fans of B-movies Irsquove always found sci-fi films like that amusing but the name actually came from a friend of mine who said it lsquowas an awesome band namersquo I liked all of the imagery that came with it as well as the fact it did really reflect my stature It just seemed perfect plus itrsquos a very easy brand to play with Yoursquove been compared to the likes of Blondie The Ramones and The New York Dolls Are these the sort of bands you grew up listening to Blondie yes but I was a latecomer to The Ra-mones and The lsquoDolls I was more of a confused musical child flicking from listening to classical to ACDC to Adam and the Ants to Madness Then when I first moved down to London my housemates were into all sorts from MC5 999 to The Quireboys and Hanoi Rocks I think my eyes were truly opened (and from then on my hair truly backcombed) Who has been your biggest influence then would you say Well I think without Adam and the Ants there may not have ever been lsquoMinkirsquo the character Just the sheer showmanship with a touch of fantasy that step removed from reality I love all that Dressing up is a big part of it any excuse So I suppose mostly Adam Ant with a bit of Steve Tyler from Aerosmith the way he uses his voice almost as a percussive instrument Ah yes the dressing up Apparently you are famous for shoes Are you threatening to knock Imelda Marcos from the record holder You know I havenrsquot actually got THAT many shoes Irsquom very fussy and Irsquom actually quite good at NOT buying say yes another pair of black pat-ent shoes I think Irsquom autistic when it comes to shoes they have to be exactly the right propor-tion and angle Sadly my dream of owning a pair of YSL Tribtoos or a pair of Christian Louboutins appears to have been quashed as they just donrsquot suit my feet No point having shoes that cripple my feet Particularly ones as expensive as that You donrsquot have ANY shoes that you canrsquot walk in Er yes I have quite a few but I get away with it by calling them lsquophoto shoot shoesrsquo Talking of photo shoots we notice you have done quite a few pin-up shoots Is that something you like doing Yes I love it I suppose it ties in with the whole
SUPERHERO FOR OUR FUTUREA PERSONIFICATION OF lsquo INTO THE VALLEY OF THE ULTRA VIXENSrsquo
fantasy thing The really good thing about pin-up is that it celebrates who you are as a women whatev-er height weight shape you are I love that Therersquos too much conformity portrayed in normal maga-zines too much pressure to lsquobe thinrsquo 50ft Woman ties in with all the pin-up stuff ndash itrsquos all about being who you are Stand up be tall be proud Who are your heroines women wise then I think my idol has to be Sophia Loren What a woman She looks amazing in The Millionaress I also love Raquel Welch Ursula Andress Marilyn of course I also adore Audrey Hepburn Appar-ently she was quite a character And even though she isnrsquot real Jessica Rabbit is a big inspiration Therersquos a bit of theme going on there then Holly-wood glamour the old way
Exactly They were all really powerful women Even Marilyn who everyone thinks of as this vul-nerable little girl She was actually very aware of how she came across to people OK she had her problems and insecurities but who doesnrsquot So back to 50ft Woman the band What have been your highlights so far I think one of our best experiences was being asked to play the Marussia Virgin Race Weekend at Sil-verstone as part of the British Grand Prix Not only was it a great opportunity as a gig but as Irsquom such a Formula One fan being there and being part of it was brilliant I think after that would be The Union support dates And what of this year Well I am still hoping we get asked to play at the GP again We have some gigs lined up which Irsquom really excited about We are only a 4 piece at the moment and I think we thought we couldnrsquot book any gigs with a man down But then we went into the studio and you know what it sounded really great as it was So we decided to go ahead and play like we are while we look for the right person So what gigs have you got coming up We have a private party for The Serpentine Club followed by the Cat Scratch Fever Charity gig on 31st March at the White Lion in Streatham with Tyla a great line up Then in April we have Hits of the Near Future and then hopefully the Great Escape in May And any releases planned Well we actually recorded some stuff to release but the line-up change put it on hold We have a new
ldquoI was more of a confused musical child flicking from listening to classical to ACDC to Adam and the Ants to Madnessrdquo
50ftWOMAN
NEW glamour
The new line up Axel drums Jon bass Minki Ben guitar
track Google Tan which we want to release as a free download single and we are in the middle of recording a video for that Oh tell us about the video It started off as a simple idea and then suddenly we have a 20 page story board with about 7 different characters Irsquom going to be playing most of them and we have cameos for each of the boys Itrsquos very silly Itrsquoll be the first proper promo video that wersquove done so we want it to be right So we look forward to the gigs and the forthcoming video then Good luck with the rest of 2012 Minki was talking to Andrea Perry
wwwfacebookcom50ftWomanBand
NEXT on AT THE TAP
MARCH 10thSAT-UR-DAY
Getting that first gigBefore reading this article itrsquos important to stress that Irsquom not in the habit of giving advice to people about to how to run their own bands nor do I think my band is the best thing since sliced bread Irsquove merely been asked to write a piece on how easy I think it is to get gigs outside of London The below experience is simply a personal experience about the journey we - The Pins - went through to get that important first gig
Three years ago we decided to take the big step of venturing out of our dark ldquobunkerrdquo where we rehearsed and get off our arses to actu-ally play a gig I remember the day well Wersquod just finished playing a new song where there was a short period of silence from everyone as we all digested what wersquod played ldquopeople need to hear thisrdquo Ben our guitarist said
So wersquod made that decision we had some real belting banging songs that we wanted to share with the world getting a gig shouldnrsquot be a problem right Wrong
For those of you reading this who are in a band yoursquoll know that getting a gig when yoursquore first starting out isnrsquot as easy as yoursquod think particularly if you live outside London So first stop was the music bible that is The Gig Guide In hindsight this is where we went wrong Emailing hundreds and hundreds of venues asking for gigs simply doesnrsquot work Whilst you may get a standardised reply from a handful of venues most receive so many they canrsquot physically reply to them Looking back we shouldrsquove visited every single venue personally given them our demo and spoken to them Itrsquos a lot harder to say no face to face whether yoursquore a good band or not
After months of trying our days of playing in front of a large poster of Jimi Hendrix was over A local promoter from Bishops Stortford offered us a support slot at one of their nights - Club Blub As yoursquod expect we were all absolutely shitting ourselves and despite playing at 100mph we played a cracking 20 minute set (wouldrsquove played longer but only had 20 minutes worth of songs) so much so that that straight after the gig the promoters spoke to us about getting on board The Pins bus
Three years down the line wersquove been lucky enough and are lucky enough to play some fantastic venues from all around the country Wersquore off on a European tour in May but will be returning to the Half Moon in Bishops Stortford for another Club Blub night real soon
So whatrsquos my point I suppose itrsquos not to look too far afield for that first gig We looked for ages and ages and all along the perfect venue for our first gig was right on our doorstep Even if therersquos no live music venues in your area talk to a local pub or bar to see if you can play there They donrsquot care if yoursquore good or not as long as you bring all your mates and pack the place out theyrsquoll have you back again
The Pinse thepinshotmailcouk w wwwthepinscouk Management Press and Bookings stevemthompsonhotmailcouk
Adam Barker
MY FAVOU-RITE TOYThe Roland SPD-20 is without a doubt one of the lynchpins of how we work as a band I pulled this out of my loft about 2 years ago as it had seen barely any light for a couple of years It was a real spur of the moment ebay purchase but ended up being a diamond in the rough I think I paid around pound300 for it at the time (including a stand) but I never realised its potential until I decided to take it to rehearsal one day We fixed it to the side of the drum kit thinking that maybe we could just use it to add some extra percus-sion or something but the real ldquoahardquo moment came when we started using the bass sounds
Using bass notes as a rhythmic element alongside synthy percussion nois-es really opened up new worlds for us and since then it has become a full time member in the band Itrsquos a really useful bit of kit The pads are all velocity sensitive and really easy and nice to hit The sound palette ranges from ridiculous vocal samples and hip hop loops to big synth sounds The beauty of it is that you can alter the parameters of each sound to make it your own People have often said to us ldquowhy donrsquot you get the newer one with the sampling capabilityrdquo But I think therersquos a certain charm to select-ing sounds from a limited bucket of noise and bending those sounds to suit your own means
Self-styled ldquobedroom performerrdquo Adam Barker when not selling insurance to canines or catching his testicles in his zipper (whilst on holiday with his par-ents in the South of France) is a singersongwriter based in Bedfordshire
But this only tells part of the story his real talents exude when he picks up a guitar Having proactively found Recharged Ra-dio Adamrsquos home-recordings reflect an honesty and effortless charm which could possibly be obscured by over production The warmth (and range) to his voice is reminiscent of Jeff Buckley and with such a keen desire to progress as a musician this is really just the beginning of the journey for this talented young man
Hopefully by replacing the zippers with velcro and getting out of the bedroom (for everything but the necessary - the things either dull or x-rated) Adam will go far
wwwadambarkercouk
httpwwwfacebookcomadambarker2
This month is brought to you by Ash Allerton - Modelstaggs
The Roland SPD-20
Jim Distortion
Bring on theiagonyt
p
d
r
t
p
httpwwwjimdistortioncoukhttpwwwmadhousetattoocouk
httpjimdistortionwordpresscom
rldquoDear Jim - My drummer smells We thought this wouldnrsquot be a problem but now itrsquos gotten to the stage (no pun) that wersquore being refused gigs - even at the 12 Bar I am 25 he is 27 I know that someone tried to tell him that he has a body odour problem before but he ran off crying and threatened to quit the band The problem is that hersquos a great drummer like Animal from The Muppets - but just like Animal from The Muppets smells like a sweaty sock What should we dordquo Confused Hackney
JD says Hi Confused Irsquom glad you brought this subject up as I to have had trouble with drummers in the past Once word has got out about a stinky skin wacker life can be pretty down heartening Fear not Irsquom sure there is an answer First thing be brave and make him confront his stink no man should be left to smell up the joint It would have to be an intervention get all his friends and family around and do it in a room with a lockable door Forcibly wash him and then give him the holy grail that stops all stinking tub thumpers from humming deodorant He may well kick and scream but believe me when he notices his aroma has changed and the girls start flocking to him he will see that you have not only stopped the stink but also got him a home as we all know a drummer without a girlfriend is homeless ps make sure to burn his clothes as the stink will be ingrained Itrsquos also a chance to get him out of his shorts and redesign him from the feet up
ldquoDear Jim - I hate promoters last time I went out in London I saw a gang of them hanging around on the corner by Camden Lock doing something shifty When they saw me staring at them they all started snarling and started walking towards me muttering things like lsquogive us cash up front or yoursquore not on the billrsquo and things They were all aged between 20 and 40 and Irsquom 26 and not even in a band Whatrsquos the best way to fend them off and what happens when they corner someonerdquo Dazed Harlow
JD says Hi Dazed Best thing to do with promoter is simply turn and growl back No promoter should be allowed to intimidate you as they simply are no higher on the food chain than pond scum Stamp your feet and make loud noises as they are all as chicken sht as each other If you really want to turn the tables on them take their pay to play deal sell all their tickets play the gig and simply say that what you sold was your fee for being the talent and not the money grabbing cockroach They may cry moan and bitch at you but always remember you are the ones that bring the crowds they just open a door Screw em
ldquoDear Jim - Recently I purchased a van to move our bandrsquos gear around Now I keep on getting approached to plaster peoplersquos walls - just because I bought the van I am 29 the van is 10 Which forms do I need to fill in to send back to the revenue so I donrsquot get done for income tax fraudrdquo Dave The Plasterer Stevenage
JD says Hi Dave Sometimes you just have to man up son there are no pen pushing ways to deal with this issue This issue is dealt with in one way and one way only Buy a band sign for the van you numpty and quit crying to me You have control of the reaction people have to who you are Stand up and be counted but as a musician not as a plasterer Talented as plasterers are itrsquos a different talent to musicians and quite frankly musicians are much more useful to life
e
With Rehcarged Radio Breakfast show host and part-time problem soother Jim Distortion
Whilst you can purchase all of these digitally from Amazon Play iTunes et al our online shop will offer you a whole load more including limited edition Vinyl amp CDs httpshopthescratchcouk
THE FIRST 3 ALBUMS FROM THE SCRATCH
wwwthescratchcouk
NIGHT BUS OR MILK TRAIN ldquoTightly crafted guitar pop music interwoven with the odd synth or sample The guitar work is excellent there are some damn fine riffs on this record and they seem genuinely keen to do something just a little bit differentrdquo[Is This Music]
WHATEVER HAPPENED TO FRIDAY NIGHT ldquoThe songs have an effervescent radiance thatrsquos immediate and spontaneous all too often ridiculously catchy and insanely infectious for those whose teeth cutting exposure to pop was the late 60s mods such as the Small Faces and the Move the glam rock of the early 70s via T-Rex Sweet and Cockney Rebel or maybe late 70s new wave a la the Buzzcocks Soft Boys and the Motors - lsquoWhatever happened to Friday nightsrsquo will seem and feel like the years peeling awayrdquo [Losing Today]
DIYldquoDIY is the sound of what it is to be a rock star Basically therersquos something here for everyone who has a pulse to get excited about Turn it up and turn your inner rock god onrdquo [Itrsquos All Happening magazine]
shindigindd 1 04102010 1113
whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on
whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on
wha
trsquos g
oinrsquo
on
wha
trsquos g
oinrsquo
on
wha
trsquos g
oinrsquo
on
wha
trsquos g
oinrsquo
on
wha
trsquos g
oinrsquo
on
wha
trsquos g
oinrsquo
on
wha
trsquos g
oinrsquo
on
whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on
whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on
whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on
whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on
Tuesday 14 February0000 - 2000 Music and Shows throughout the night
2000 - 2200 The California Diner
2200 - 0000 Sound of the Suburbs rpt
0000 - 2000 Music and Shows throughout the night
Wednesday 15 February1830 - 1900 That Time of the Month
2000 - 2200 Metal Mumin
2200 - 0000 Night of the Artisans RPT 0000 - 2000 Music and Shows throughout the night
Thursday 16 February1900 Close to Nowhere
2000 - 2200 Minkirsquos Magic Moments
2300 - 0000 2020 Hip Hop
0000 - 2000 Music and Shows throughout the night
Friday 17 February2000 - 2200 The Forum
2200 - 2300 I Land Music
0000 - 2000 Music and Shows throughout the night Saturday 18 February 1000 - 1200 Jim Distortion In The Morning
1200 - 2100 Best of Music and show repeats
2100 - 2400 Music and Shows throughout the night
Sunday 19 February 0000 - 1800 Music and Shows throughout the night
1900 - 2000 Music Unleashed Top 40
2100 - 2400 Best of Music and show repeats
Monday 20 February2000 0 2200 Crawling Home
2200 - 2400 Music and Shows throughout the night
Bring on the
agony
ldquoAnyone who says there is no independent music scene in the UK is a pretentious twatrdquo and The Tuesday Club are proof of thisJason Gissing
Simonj68
Pictures courtesy of debbieimagingessencecouk bull wwwimagingessencecouk bull imagingessence
THE TAP ROUNDUP
THE DIY OR DIE ORGANISATIONUnlike anything we can easily pigeon hole The DODOrsquos debut album sounds more like the soundtrack to Saint-Saeumlns Carnival of the Animals transported to a lost autumn somewhere in a darker richer swinging 60rsquos the 1860rsquos that is Harpsichord strings bells and tormented otherwordly backing vocals provide the backdrop to this feast of psychedelic melancholia laid bare to inspire and unhinge in equal measure From the soaring yet forbidding puritanical drama of the lsquoBeck
meets Judge Dreddrsquo - lsquoI am the Puristrsquo the bleak wailing death mask procession of lsquoInto the Blackrsquo the 60rsquos apple blossom infused cold war time bomb - lsquoWaiting for the walls to come downrsquo to the deliciously sorrowful ode to wasted youth - lsquoTin Foil Crownrsquo The DIY or DIE organisation sound like a ghostly ice-cream van stalking the neighbourhoods of the as yet unwritten Tim Burton animation lsquoGothic Pop Victorianarsquo
NEW
ALB
UM
The DIY or DIE Organisationrsquos hand-made debut album is limited edition and available through The Perfect Pop Co-Op
httpthedodobandcampcom
THE DIY OR DIE ORGANISATION
Article by Peter Renzullo
PERHAPS the most rewarding thing about being a Presenter at Recharged Radio is that I have the ability to bring listeners music they simply wouldnrsquot
hear on other radio shows Now Ilsquom not suggesting that Irsquove kidnapped a bunch of artists and have them locked up in my basement (most are there of
their own free will) or that I have special abilities others do not (although I do have the uncanny ability to grow a single hair out of my forehead) What
I DO have is access to emerging artists in my part of the world
Many of the bands and soloists yoursquoll hear on my show have only just started hitting the stage armed with demo recordings or live audio that other radio stations simply wouldnrsquot give a second glance Alas being all the way down
in the most isolated city in the world ndash Perth (Western Australia) these artists find it near impossible to get their music heard outside the dodgy
pubs they slog it out in each and every night (Please note Not all Perthrsquos pubs are dodgy I can name two you wonrsquot get stabbed in)
Anyway in my dealings with these artists Irsquove come across some very impressive acts so I started thinking of some ideas on how to get this
incredible music spread I decided that an album featuring them would be the way to go So I started out by approaching 8 artists then that grew to
12 then 16 then 19 then finally I stopped at 24
The result is an album showcasing the grass-roots scene of Perth I also had the artists filmed as part of a music video about it So six months later
ndash with a lot of blood sweat and beers ndash the result is a two-volume album and DVD Irsquove called A QUIET WORD
Each of the artists featured on the album has been broadcast on my show Close to Nowhere and this album is like a ldquoBest ofhelliprdquo compilation for
the music I am surrounded with here in Perth
My hope is that through this album I am able to help bring the music scene here in Perth some much deserved exposure especially since
a lot of them will probably never be heard outside of Australia As a way to generate some buzz about this music and encourage people to get their hands on it Irsquove decided to release lsquoA Quiet Wordrsquo with profits going to
The Starlight Foundation ndash which is an organization in Australia that helps provide better lives for seriously ill kidsYou can find all the info hear
the songs see the video and buy the album right herewwwfacebookcomaquietword
A QUIET WORD Australian artists unite for a worthy cause
The result is an album showcasing the grass-roots scene of Perth
So 50ft Woman does the name come from the sci-fi film Are you and the band fans of B-movies Irsquove always found sci-fi films like that amusing but the name actually came from a friend of mine who said it lsquowas an awesome band namersquo I liked all of the imagery that came with it as well as the fact it did really reflect my stature It just seemed perfect plus itrsquos a very easy brand to play with Yoursquove been compared to the likes of Blondie The Ramones and The New York Dolls Are these the sort of bands you grew up listening to Blondie yes but I was a latecomer to The Ra-mones and The lsquoDolls I was more of a confused musical child flicking from listening to classical to ACDC to Adam and the Ants to Madness Then when I first moved down to London my housemates were into all sorts from MC5 999 to The Quireboys and Hanoi Rocks I think my eyes were truly opened (and from then on my hair truly backcombed) Who has been your biggest influence then would you say Well I think without Adam and the Ants there may not have ever been lsquoMinkirsquo the character Just the sheer showmanship with a touch of fantasy that step removed from reality I love all that Dressing up is a big part of it any excuse So I suppose mostly Adam Ant with a bit of Steve Tyler from Aerosmith the way he uses his voice almost as a percussive instrument Ah yes the dressing up Apparently you are famous for shoes Are you threatening to knock Imelda Marcos from the record holder You know I havenrsquot actually got THAT many shoes Irsquom very fussy and Irsquom actually quite good at NOT buying say yes another pair of black pat-ent shoes I think Irsquom autistic when it comes to shoes they have to be exactly the right propor-tion and angle Sadly my dream of owning a pair of YSL Tribtoos or a pair of Christian Louboutins appears to have been quashed as they just donrsquot suit my feet No point having shoes that cripple my feet Particularly ones as expensive as that You donrsquot have ANY shoes that you canrsquot walk in Er yes I have quite a few but I get away with it by calling them lsquophoto shoot shoesrsquo Talking of photo shoots we notice you have done quite a few pin-up shoots Is that something you like doing Yes I love it I suppose it ties in with the whole
SUPERHERO FOR OUR FUTUREA PERSONIFICATION OF lsquo INTO THE VALLEY OF THE ULTRA VIXENSrsquo
fantasy thing The really good thing about pin-up is that it celebrates who you are as a women whatev-er height weight shape you are I love that Therersquos too much conformity portrayed in normal maga-zines too much pressure to lsquobe thinrsquo 50ft Woman ties in with all the pin-up stuff ndash itrsquos all about being who you are Stand up be tall be proud Who are your heroines women wise then I think my idol has to be Sophia Loren What a woman She looks amazing in The Millionaress I also love Raquel Welch Ursula Andress Marilyn of course I also adore Audrey Hepburn Appar-ently she was quite a character And even though she isnrsquot real Jessica Rabbit is a big inspiration Therersquos a bit of theme going on there then Holly-wood glamour the old way
Exactly They were all really powerful women Even Marilyn who everyone thinks of as this vul-nerable little girl She was actually very aware of how she came across to people OK she had her problems and insecurities but who doesnrsquot So back to 50ft Woman the band What have been your highlights so far I think one of our best experiences was being asked to play the Marussia Virgin Race Weekend at Sil-verstone as part of the British Grand Prix Not only was it a great opportunity as a gig but as Irsquom such a Formula One fan being there and being part of it was brilliant I think after that would be The Union support dates And what of this year Well I am still hoping we get asked to play at the GP again We have some gigs lined up which Irsquom really excited about We are only a 4 piece at the moment and I think we thought we couldnrsquot book any gigs with a man down But then we went into the studio and you know what it sounded really great as it was So we decided to go ahead and play like we are while we look for the right person So what gigs have you got coming up We have a private party for The Serpentine Club followed by the Cat Scratch Fever Charity gig on 31st March at the White Lion in Streatham with Tyla a great line up Then in April we have Hits of the Near Future and then hopefully the Great Escape in May And any releases planned Well we actually recorded some stuff to release but the line-up change put it on hold We have a new
ldquoI was more of a confused musical child flicking from listening to classical to ACDC to Adam and the Ants to Madnessrdquo
50ftWOMAN
NEW glamour
The new line up Axel drums Jon bass Minki Ben guitar
track Google Tan which we want to release as a free download single and we are in the middle of recording a video for that Oh tell us about the video It started off as a simple idea and then suddenly we have a 20 page story board with about 7 different characters Irsquom going to be playing most of them and we have cameos for each of the boys Itrsquos very silly Itrsquoll be the first proper promo video that wersquove done so we want it to be right So we look forward to the gigs and the forthcoming video then Good luck with the rest of 2012 Minki was talking to Andrea Perry
wwwfacebookcom50ftWomanBand
NEXT on AT THE TAP
MARCH 10thSAT-UR-DAY
Getting that first gigBefore reading this article itrsquos important to stress that Irsquom not in the habit of giving advice to people about to how to run their own bands nor do I think my band is the best thing since sliced bread Irsquove merely been asked to write a piece on how easy I think it is to get gigs outside of London The below experience is simply a personal experience about the journey we - The Pins - went through to get that important first gig
Three years ago we decided to take the big step of venturing out of our dark ldquobunkerrdquo where we rehearsed and get off our arses to actu-ally play a gig I remember the day well Wersquod just finished playing a new song where there was a short period of silence from everyone as we all digested what wersquod played ldquopeople need to hear thisrdquo Ben our guitarist said
So wersquod made that decision we had some real belting banging songs that we wanted to share with the world getting a gig shouldnrsquot be a problem right Wrong
For those of you reading this who are in a band yoursquoll know that getting a gig when yoursquore first starting out isnrsquot as easy as yoursquod think particularly if you live outside London So first stop was the music bible that is The Gig Guide In hindsight this is where we went wrong Emailing hundreds and hundreds of venues asking for gigs simply doesnrsquot work Whilst you may get a standardised reply from a handful of venues most receive so many they canrsquot physically reply to them Looking back we shouldrsquove visited every single venue personally given them our demo and spoken to them Itrsquos a lot harder to say no face to face whether yoursquore a good band or not
After months of trying our days of playing in front of a large poster of Jimi Hendrix was over A local promoter from Bishops Stortford offered us a support slot at one of their nights - Club Blub As yoursquod expect we were all absolutely shitting ourselves and despite playing at 100mph we played a cracking 20 minute set (wouldrsquove played longer but only had 20 minutes worth of songs) so much so that that straight after the gig the promoters spoke to us about getting on board The Pins bus
Three years down the line wersquove been lucky enough and are lucky enough to play some fantastic venues from all around the country Wersquore off on a European tour in May but will be returning to the Half Moon in Bishops Stortford for another Club Blub night real soon
So whatrsquos my point I suppose itrsquos not to look too far afield for that first gig We looked for ages and ages and all along the perfect venue for our first gig was right on our doorstep Even if therersquos no live music venues in your area talk to a local pub or bar to see if you can play there They donrsquot care if yoursquore good or not as long as you bring all your mates and pack the place out theyrsquoll have you back again
The Pinse thepinshotmailcouk w wwwthepinscouk Management Press and Bookings stevemthompsonhotmailcouk
Adam Barker
MY FAVOU-RITE TOYThe Roland SPD-20 is without a doubt one of the lynchpins of how we work as a band I pulled this out of my loft about 2 years ago as it had seen barely any light for a couple of years It was a real spur of the moment ebay purchase but ended up being a diamond in the rough I think I paid around pound300 for it at the time (including a stand) but I never realised its potential until I decided to take it to rehearsal one day We fixed it to the side of the drum kit thinking that maybe we could just use it to add some extra percus-sion or something but the real ldquoahardquo moment came when we started using the bass sounds
Using bass notes as a rhythmic element alongside synthy percussion nois-es really opened up new worlds for us and since then it has become a full time member in the band Itrsquos a really useful bit of kit The pads are all velocity sensitive and really easy and nice to hit The sound palette ranges from ridiculous vocal samples and hip hop loops to big synth sounds The beauty of it is that you can alter the parameters of each sound to make it your own People have often said to us ldquowhy donrsquot you get the newer one with the sampling capabilityrdquo But I think therersquos a certain charm to select-ing sounds from a limited bucket of noise and bending those sounds to suit your own means
Self-styled ldquobedroom performerrdquo Adam Barker when not selling insurance to canines or catching his testicles in his zipper (whilst on holiday with his par-ents in the South of France) is a singersongwriter based in Bedfordshire
But this only tells part of the story his real talents exude when he picks up a guitar Having proactively found Recharged Ra-dio Adamrsquos home-recordings reflect an honesty and effortless charm which could possibly be obscured by over production The warmth (and range) to his voice is reminiscent of Jeff Buckley and with such a keen desire to progress as a musician this is really just the beginning of the journey for this talented young man
Hopefully by replacing the zippers with velcro and getting out of the bedroom (for everything but the necessary - the things either dull or x-rated) Adam will go far
wwwadambarkercouk
httpwwwfacebookcomadambarker2
This month is brought to you by Ash Allerton - Modelstaggs
The Roland SPD-20
Jim Distortion
Bring on theiagonyt
p
d
r
t
p
httpwwwjimdistortioncoukhttpwwwmadhousetattoocouk
httpjimdistortionwordpresscom
rldquoDear Jim - My drummer smells We thought this wouldnrsquot be a problem but now itrsquos gotten to the stage (no pun) that wersquore being refused gigs - even at the 12 Bar I am 25 he is 27 I know that someone tried to tell him that he has a body odour problem before but he ran off crying and threatened to quit the band The problem is that hersquos a great drummer like Animal from The Muppets - but just like Animal from The Muppets smells like a sweaty sock What should we dordquo Confused Hackney
JD says Hi Confused Irsquom glad you brought this subject up as I to have had trouble with drummers in the past Once word has got out about a stinky skin wacker life can be pretty down heartening Fear not Irsquom sure there is an answer First thing be brave and make him confront his stink no man should be left to smell up the joint It would have to be an intervention get all his friends and family around and do it in a room with a lockable door Forcibly wash him and then give him the holy grail that stops all stinking tub thumpers from humming deodorant He may well kick and scream but believe me when he notices his aroma has changed and the girls start flocking to him he will see that you have not only stopped the stink but also got him a home as we all know a drummer without a girlfriend is homeless ps make sure to burn his clothes as the stink will be ingrained Itrsquos also a chance to get him out of his shorts and redesign him from the feet up
ldquoDear Jim - I hate promoters last time I went out in London I saw a gang of them hanging around on the corner by Camden Lock doing something shifty When they saw me staring at them they all started snarling and started walking towards me muttering things like lsquogive us cash up front or yoursquore not on the billrsquo and things They were all aged between 20 and 40 and Irsquom 26 and not even in a band Whatrsquos the best way to fend them off and what happens when they corner someonerdquo Dazed Harlow
JD says Hi Dazed Best thing to do with promoter is simply turn and growl back No promoter should be allowed to intimidate you as they simply are no higher on the food chain than pond scum Stamp your feet and make loud noises as they are all as chicken sht as each other If you really want to turn the tables on them take their pay to play deal sell all their tickets play the gig and simply say that what you sold was your fee for being the talent and not the money grabbing cockroach They may cry moan and bitch at you but always remember you are the ones that bring the crowds they just open a door Screw em
ldquoDear Jim - Recently I purchased a van to move our bandrsquos gear around Now I keep on getting approached to plaster peoplersquos walls - just because I bought the van I am 29 the van is 10 Which forms do I need to fill in to send back to the revenue so I donrsquot get done for income tax fraudrdquo Dave The Plasterer Stevenage
JD says Hi Dave Sometimes you just have to man up son there are no pen pushing ways to deal with this issue This issue is dealt with in one way and one way only Buy a band sign for the van you numpty and quit crying to me You have control of the reaction people have to who you are Stand up and be counted but as a musician not as a plasterer Talented as plasterers are itrsquos a different talent to musicians and quite frankly musicians are much more useful to life
e
With Rehcarged Radio Breakfast show host and part-time problem soother Jim Distortion
Whilst you can purchase all of these digitally from Amazon Play iTunes et al our online shop will offer you a whole load more including limited edition Vinyl amp CDs httpshopthescratchcouk
THE FIRST 3 ALBUMS FROM THE SCRATCH
wwwthescratchcouk
NIGHT BUS OR MILK TRAIN ldquoTightly crafted guitar pop music interwoven with the odd synth or sample The guitar work is excellent there are some damn fine riffs on this record and they seem genuinely keen to do something just a little bit differentrdquo[Is This Music]
WHATEVER HAPPENED TO FRIDAY NIGHT ldquoThe songs have an effervescent radiance thatrsquos immediate and spontaneous all too often ridiculously catchy and insanely infectious for those whose teeth cutting exposure to pop was the late 60s mods such as the Small Faces and the Move the glam rock of the early 70s via T-Rex Sweet and Cockney Rebel or maybe late 70s new wave a la the Buzzcocks Soft Boys and the Motors - lsquoWhatever happened to Friday nightsrsquo will seem and feel like the years peeling awayrdquo [Losing Today]
DIYldquoDIY is the sound of what it is to be a rock star Basically therersquos something here for everyone who has a pulse to get excited about Turn it up and turn your inner rock god onrdquo [Itrsquos All Happening magazine]
shindigindd 1 04102010 1113
whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on
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wha
trsquos g
oinrsquo
on
wha
trsquos g
oinrsquo
on
wha
trsquos g
oinrsquo
on
wha
trsquos g
oinrsquo
on
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trsquos g
oinrsquo
on
wha
trsquos g
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on
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trsquos g
oinrsquo
on
whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on
whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on
whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on
whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on
Tuesday 14 February0000 - 2000 Music and Shows throughout the night
2000 - 2200 The California Diner
2200 - 0000 Sound of the Suburbs rpt
0000 - 2000 Music and Shows throughout the night
Wednesday 15 February1830 - 1900 That Time of the Month
2000 - 2200 Metal Mumin
2200 - 0000 Night of the Artisans RPT 0000 - 2000 Music and Shows throughout the night
Thursday 16 February1900 Close to Nowhere
2000 - 2200 Minkirsquos Magic Moments
2300 - 0000 2020 Hip Hop
0000 - 2000 Music and Shows throughout the night
Friday 17 February2000 - 2200 The Forum
2200 - 2300 I Land Music
0000 - 2000 Music and Shows throughout the night Saturday 18 February 1000 - 1200 Jim Distortion In The Morning
1200 - 2100 Best of Music and show repeats
2100 - 2400 Music and Shows throughout the night
Sunday 19 February 0000 - 1800 Music and Shows throughout the night
1900 - 2000 Music Unleashed Top 40
2100 - 2400 Best of Music and show repeats
Monday 20 February2000 0 2200 Crawling Home
2200 - 2400 Music and Shows throughout the night
Bring on the
agony
THE DIY OR DIE ORGANISATIONUnlike anything we can easily pigeon hole The DODOrsquos debut album sounds more like the soundtrack to Saint-Saeumlns Carnival of the Animals transported to a lost autumn somewhere in a darker richer swinging 60rsquos the 1860rsquos that is Harpsichord strings bells and tormented otherwordly backing vocals provide the backdrop to this feast of psychedelic melancholia laid bare to inspire and unhinge in equal measure From the soaring yet forbidding puritanical drama of the lsquoBeck
meets Judge Dreddrsquo - lsquoI am the Puristrsquo the bleak wailing death mask procession of lsquoInto the Blackrsquo the 60rsquos apple blossom infused cold war time bomb - lsquoWaiting for the walls to come downrsquo to the deliciously sorrowful ode to wasted youth - lsquoTin Foil Crownrsquo The DIY or DIE organisation sound like a ghostly ice-cream van stalking the neighbourhoods of the as yet unwritten Tim Burton animation lsquoGothic Pop Victorianarsquo
NEW
ALB
UM
The DIY or DIE Organisationrsquos hand-made debut album is limited edition and available through The Perfect Pop Co-Op
httpthedodobandcampcom
THE DIY OR DIE ORGANISATION
Article by Peter Renzullo
PERHAPS the most rewarding thing about being a Presenter at Recharged Radio is that I have the ability to bring listeners music they simply wouldnrsquot
hear on other radio shows Now Ilsquom not suggesting that Irsquove kidnapped a bunch of artists and have them locked up in my basement (most are there of
their own free will) or that I have special abilities others do not (although I do have the uncanny ability to grow a single hair out of my forehead) What
I DO have is access to emerging artists in my part of the world
Many of the bands and soloists yoursquoll hear on my show have only just started hitting the stage armed with demo recordings or live audio that other radio stations simply wouldnrsquot give a second glance Alas being all the way down
in the most isolated city in the world ndash Perth (Western Australia) these artists find it near impossible to get their music heard outside the dodgy
pubs they slog it out in each and every night (Please note Not all Perthrsquos pubs are dodgy I can name two you wonrsquot get stabbed in)
Anyway in my dealings with these artists Irsquove come across some very impressive acts so I started thinking of some ideas on how to get this
incredible music spread I decided that an album featuring them would be the way to go So I started out by approaching 8 artists then that grew to
12 then 16 then 19 then finally I stopped at 24
The result is an album showcasing the grass-roots scene of Perth I also had the artists filmed as part of a music video about it So six months later
ndash with a lot of blood sweat and beers ndash the result is a two-volume album and DVD Irsquove called A QUIET WORD
Each of the artists featured on the album has been broadcast on my show Close to Nowhere and this album is like a ldquoBest ofhelliprdquo compilation for
the music I am surrounded with here in Perth
My hope is that through this album I am able to help bring the music scene here in Perth some much deserved exposure especially since
a lot of them will probably never be heard outside of Australia As a way to generate some buzz about this music and encourage people to get their hands on it Irsquove decided to release lsquoA Quiet Wordrsquo with profits going to
The Starlight Foundation ndash which is an organization in Australia that helps provide better lives for seriously ill kidsYou can find all the info hear
the songs see the video and buy the album right herewwwfacebookcomaquietword
A QUIET WORD Australian artists unite for a worthy cause
The result is an album showcasing the grass-roots scene of Perth
So 50ft Woman does the name come from the sci-fi film Are you and the band fans of B-movies Irsquove always found sci-fi films like that amusing but the name actually came from a friend of mine who said it lsquowas an awesome band namersquo I liked all of the imagery that came with it as well as the fact it did really reflect my stature It just seemed perfect plus itrsquos a very easy brand to play with Yoursquove been compared to the likes of Blondie The Ramones and The New York Dolls Are these the sort of bands you grew up listening to Blondie yes but I was a latecomer to The Ra-mones and The lsquoDolls I was more of a confused musical child flicking from listening to classical to ACDC to Adam and the Ants to Madness Then when I first moved down to London my housemates were into all sorts from MC5 999 to The Quireboys and Hanoi Rocks I think my eyes were truly opened (and from then on my hair truly backcombed) Who has been your biggest influence then would you say Well I think without Adam and the Ants there may not have ever been lsquoMinkirsquo the character Just the sheer showmanship with a touch of fantasy that step removed from reality I love all that Dressing up is a big part of it any excuse So I suppose mostly Adam Ant with a bit of Steve Tyler from Aerosmith the way he uses his voice almost as a percussive instrument Ah yes the dressing up Apparently you are famous for shoes Are you threatening to knock Imelda Marcos from the record holder You know I havenrsquot actually got THAT many shoes Irsquom very fussy and Irsquom actually quite good at NOT buying say yes another pair of black pat-ent shoes I think Irsquom autistic when it comes to shoes they have to be exactly the right propor-tion and angle Sadly my dream of owning a pair of YSL Tribtoos or a pair of Christian Louboutins appears to have been quashed as they just donrsquot suit my feet No point having shoes that cripple my feet Particularly ones as expensive as that You donrsquot have ANY shoes that you canrsquot walk in Er yes I have quite a few but I get away with it by calling them lsquophoto shoot shoesrsquo Talking of photo shoots we notice you have done quite a few pin-up shoots Is that something you like doing Yes I love it I suppose it ties in with the whole
SUPERHERO FOR OUR FUTUREA PERSONIFICATION OF lsquo INTO THE VALLEY OF THE ULTRA VIXENSrsquo
fantasy thing The really good thing about pin-up is that it celebrates who you are as a women whatev-er height weight shape you are I love that Therersquos too much conformity portrayed in normal maga-zines too much pressure to lsquobe thinrsquo 50ft Woman ties in with all the pin-up stuff ndash itrsquos all about being who you are Stand up be tall be proud Who are your heroines women wise then I think my idol has to be Sophia Loren What a woman She looks amazing in The Millionaress I also love Raquel Welch Ursula Andress Marilyn of course I also adore Audrey Hepburn Appar-ently she was quite a character And even though she isnrsquot real Jessica Rabbit is a big inspiration Therersquos a bit of theme going on there then Holly-wood glamour the old way
Exactly They were all really powerful women Even Marilyn who everyone thinks of as this vul-nerable little girl She was actually very aware of how she came across to people OK she had her problems and insecurities but who doesnrsquot So back to 50ft Woman the band What have been your highlights so far I think one of our best experiences was being asked to play the Marussia Virgin Race Weekend at Sil-verstone as part of the British Grand Prix Not only was it a great opportunity as a gig but as Irsquom such a Formula One fan being there and being part of it was brilliant I think after that would be The Union support dates And what of this year Well I am still hoping we get asked to play at the GP again We have some gigs lined up which Irsquom really excited about We are only a 4 piece at the moment and I think we thought we couldnrsquot book any gigs with a man down But then we went into the studio and you know what it sounded really great as it was So we decided to go ahead and play like we are while we look for the right person So what gigs have you got coming up We have a private party for The Serpentine Club followed by the Cat Scratch Fever Charity gig on 31st March at the White Lion in Streatham with Tyla a great line up Then in April we have Hits of the Near Future and then hopefully the Great Escape in May And any releases planned Well we actually recorded some stuff to release but the line-up change put it on hold We have a new
ldquoI was more of a confused musical child flicking from listening to classical to ACDC to Adam and the Ants to Madnessrdquo
50ftWOMAN
NEW glamour
The new line up Axel drums Jon bass Minki Ben guitar
track Google Tan which we want to release as a free download single and we are in the middle of recording a video for that Oh tell us about the video It started off as a simple idea and then suddenly we have a 20 page story board with about 7 different characters Irsquom going to be playing most of them and we have cameos for each of the boys Itrsquos very silly Itrsquoll be the first proper promo video that wersquove done so we want it to be right So we look forward to the gigs and the forthcoming video then Good luck with the rest of 2012 Minki was talking to Andrea Perry
wwwfacebookcom50ftWomanBand
NEXT on AT THE TAP
MARCH 10thSAT-UR-DAY
Getting that first gigBefore reading this article itrsquos important to stress that Irsquom not in the habit of giving advice to people about to how to run their own bands nor do I think my band is the best thing since sliced bread Irsquove merely been asked to write a piece on how easy I think it is to get gigs outside of London The below experience is simply a personal experience about the journey we - The Pins - went through to get that important first gig
Three years ago we decided to take the big step of venturing out of our dark ldquobunkerrdquo where we rehearsed and get off our arses to actu-ally play a gig I remember the day well Wersquod just finished playing a new song where there was a short period of silence from everyone as we all digested what wersquod played ldquopeople need to hear thisrdquo Ben our guitarist said
So wersquod made that decision we had some real belting banging songs that we wanted to share with the world getting a gig shouldnrsquot be a problem right Wrong
For those of you reading this who are in a band yoursquoll know that getting a gig when yoursquore first starting out isnrsquot as easy as yoursquod think particularly if you live outside London So first stop was the music bible that is The Gig Guide In hindsight this is where we went wrong Emailing hundreds and hundreds of venues asking for gigs simply doesnrsquot work Whilst you may get a standardised reply from a handful of venues most receive so many they canrsquot physically reply to them Looking back we shouldrsquove visited every single venue personally given them our demo and spoken to them Itrsquos a lot harder to say no face to face whether yoursquore a good band or not
After months of trying our days of playing in front of a large poster of Jimi Hendrix was over A local promoter from Bishops Stortford offered us a support slot at one of their nights - Club Blub As yoursquod expect we were all absolutely shitting ourselves and despite playing at 100mph we played a cracking 20 minute set (wouldrsquove played longer but only had 20 minutes worth of songs) so much so that that straight after the gig the promoters spoke to us about getting on board The Pins bus
Three years down the line wersquove been lucky enough and are lucky enough to play some fantastic venues from all around the country Wersquore off on a European tour in May but will be returning to the Half Moon in Bishops Stortford for another Club Blub night real soon
So whatrsquos my point I suppose itrsquos not to look too far afield for that first gig We looked for ages and ages and all along the perfect venue for our first gig was right on our doorstep Even if therersquos no live music venues in your area talk to a local pub or bar to see if you can play there They donrsquot care if yoursquore good or not as long as you bring all your mates and pack the place out theyrsquoll have you back again
The Pinse thepinshotmailcouk w wwwthepinscouk Management Press and Bookings stevemthompsonhotmailcouk
Adam Barker
MY FAVOU-RITE TOYThe Roland SPD-20 is without a doubt one of the lynchpins of how we work as a band I pulled this out of my loft about 2 years ago as it had seen barely any light for a couple of years It was a real spur of the moment ebay purchase but ended up being a diamond in the rough I think I paid around pound300 for it at the time (including a stand) but I never realised its potential until I decided to take it to rehearsal one day We fixed it to the side of the drum kit thinking that maybe we could just use it to add some extra percus-sion or something but the real ldquoahardquo moment came when we started using the bass sounds
Using bass notes as a rhythmic element alongside synthy percussion nois-es really opened up new worlds for us and since then it has become a full time member in the band Itrsquos a really useful bit of kit The pads are all velocity sensitive and really easy and nice to hit The sound palette ranges from ridiculous vocal samples and hip hop loops to big synth sounds The beauty of it is that you can alter the parameters of each sound to make it your own People have often said to us ldquowhy donrsquot you get the newer one with the sampling capabilityrdquo But I think therersquos a certain charm to select-ing sounds from a limited bucket of noise and bending those sounds to suit your own means
Self-styled ldquobedroom performerrdquo Adam Barker when not selling insurance to canines or catching his testicles in his zipper (whilst on holiday with his par-ents in the South of France) is a singersongwriter based in Bedfordshire
But this only tells part of the story his real talents exude when he picks up a guitar Having proactively found Recharged Ra-dio Adamrsquos home-recordings reflect an honesty and effortless charm which could possibly be obscured by over production The warmth (and range) to his voice is reminiscent of Jeff Buckley and with such a keen desire to progress as a musician this is really just the beginning of the journey for this talented young man
Hopefully by replacing the zippers with velcro and getting out of the bedroom (for everything but the necessary - the things either dull or x-rated) Adam will go far
wwwadambarkercouk
httpwwwfacebookcomadambarker2
This month is brought to you by Ash Allerton - Modelstaggs
The Roland SPD-20
Jim Distortion
Bring on theiagonyt
p
d
r
t
p
httpwwwjimdistortioncoukhttpwwwmadhousetattoocouk
httpjimdistortionwordpresscom
rldquoDear Jim - My drummer smells We thought this wouldnrsquot be a problem but now itrsquos gotten to the stage (no pun) that wersquore being refused gigs - even at the 12 Bar I am 25 he is 27 I know that someone tried to tell him that he has a body odour problem before but he ran off crying and threatened to quit the band The problem is that hersquos a great drummer like Animal from The Muppets - but just like Animal from The Muppets smells like a sweaty sock What should we dordquo Confused Hackney
JD says Hi Confused Irsquom glad you brought this subject up as I to have had trouble with drummers in the past Once word has got out about a stinky skin wacker life can be pretty down heartening Fear not Irsquom sure there is an answer First thing be brave and make him confront his stink no man should be left to smell up the joint It would have to be an intervention get all his friends and family around and do it in a room with a lockable door Forcibly wash him and then give him the holy grail that stops all stinking tub thumpers from humming deodorant He may well kick and scream but believe me when he notices his aroma has changed and the girls start flocking to him he will see that you have not only stopped the stink but also got him a home as we all know a drummer without a girlfriend is homeless ps make sure to burn his clothes as the stink will be ingrained Itrsquos also a chance to get him out of his shorts and redesign him from the feet up
ldquoDear Jim - I hate promoters last time I went out in London I saw a gang of them hanging around on the corner by Camden Lock doing something shifty When they saw me staring at them they all started snarling and started walking towards me muttering things like lsquogive us cash up front or yoursquore not on the billrsquo and things They were all aged between 20 and 40 and Irsquom 26 and not even in a band Whatrsquos the best way to fend them off and what happens when they corner someonerdquo Dazed Harlow
JD says Hi Dazed Best thing to do with promoter is simply turn and growl back No promoter should be allowed to intimidate you as they simply are no higher on the food chain than pond scum Stamp your feet and make loud noises as they are all as chicken sht as each other If you really want to turn the tables on them take their pay to play deal sell all their tickets play the gig and simply say that what you sold was your fee for being the talent and not the money grabbing cockroach They may cry moan and bitch at you but always remember you are the ones that bring the crowds they just open a door Screw em
ldquoDear Jim - Recently I purchased a van to move our bandrsquos gear around Now I keep on getting approached to plaster peoplersquos walls - just because I bought the van I am 29 the van is 10 Which forms do I need to fill in to send back to the revenue so I donrsquot get done for income tax fraudrdquo Dave The Plasterer Stevenage
JD says Hi Dave Sometimes you just have to man up son there are no pen pushing ways to deal with this issue This issue is dealt with in one way and one way only Buy a band sign for the van you numpty and quit crying to me You have control of the reaction people have to who you are Stand up and be counted but as a musician not as a plasterer Talented as plasterers are itrsquos a different talent to musicians and quite frankly musicians are much more useful to life
e
With Rehcarged Radio Breakfast show host and part-time problem soother Jim Distortion
Whilst you can purchase all of these digitally from Amazon Play iTunes et al our online shop will offer you a whole load more including limited edition Vinyl amp CDs httpshopthescratchcouk
THE FIRST 3 ALBUMS FROM THE SCRATCH
wwwthescratchcouk
NIGHT BUS OR MILK TRAIN ldquoTightly crafted guitar pop music interwoven with the odd synth or sample The guitar work is excellent there are some damn fine riffs on this record and they seem genuinely keen to do something just a little bit differentrdquo[Is This Music]
WHATEVER HAPPENED TO FRIDAY NIGHT ldquoThe songs have an effervescent radiance thatrsquos immediate and spontaneous all too often ridiculously catchy and insanely infectious for those whose teeth cutting exposure to pop was the late 60s mods such as the Small Faces and the Move the glam rock of the early 70s via T-Rex Sweet and Cockney Rebel or maybe late 70s new wave a la the Buzzcocks Soft Boys and the Motors - lsquoWhatever happened to Friday nightsrsquo will seem and feel like the years peeling awayrdquo [Losing Today]
DIYldquoDIY is the sound of what it is to be a rock star Basically therersquos something here for everyone who has a pulse to get excited about Turn it up and turn your inner rock god onrdquo [Itrsquos All Happening magazine]
shindigindd 1 04102010 1113
whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on
whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on
wha
trsquos g
oinrsquo
on
wha
trsquos g
oinrsquo
on
wha
trsquos g
oinrsquo
on
wha
trsquos g
oinrsquo
on
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oinrsquo
on
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on
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oinrsquo
on
whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on
whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on
whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on
whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on
Tuesday 14 February0000 - 2000 Music and Shows throughout the night
2000 - 2200 The California Diner
2200 - 0000 Sound of the Suburbs rpt
0000 - 2000 Music and Shows throughout the night
Wednesday 15 February1830 - 1900 That Time of the Month
2000 - 2200 Metal Mumin
2200 - 0000 Night of the Artisans RPT 0000 - 2000 Music and Shows throughout the night
Thursday 16 February1900 Close to Nowhere
2000 - 2200 Minkirsquos Magic Moments
2300 - 0000 2020 Hip Hop
0000 - 2000 Music and Shows throughout the night
Friday 17 February2000 - 2200 The Forum
2200 - 2300 I Land Music
0000 - 2000 Music and Shows throughout the night Saturday 18 February 1000 - 1200 Jim Distortion In The Morning
1200 - 2100 Best of Music and show repeats
2100 - 2400 Music and Shows throughout the night
Sunday 19 February 0000 - 1800 Music and Shows throughout the night
1900 - 2000 Music Unleashed Top 40
2100 - 2400 Best of Music and show repeats
Monday 20 February2000 0 2200 Crawling Home
2200 - 2400 Music and Shows throughout the night
Bring on the
agony
THE DIY OR DIE ORGANISATION
Article by Peter Renzullo
PERHAPS the most rewarding thing about being a Presenter at Recharged Radio is that I have the ability to bring listeners music they simply wouldnrsquot
hear on other radio shows Now Ilsquom not suggesting that Irsquove kidnapped a bunch of artists and have them locked up in my basement (most are there of
their own free will) or that I have special abilities others do not (although I do have the uncanny ability to grow a single hair out of my forehead) What
I DO have is access to emerging artists in my part of the world
Many of the bands and soloists yoursquoll hear on my show have only just started hitting the stage armed with demo recordings or live audio that other radio stations simply wouldnrsquot give a second glance Alas being all the way down
in the most isolated city in the world ndash Perth (Western Australia) these artists find it near impossible to get their music heard outside the dodgy
pubs they slog it out in each and every night (Please note Not all Perthrsquos pubs are dodgy I can name two you wonrsquot get stabbed in)
Anyway in my dealings with these artists Irsquove come across some very impressive acts so I started thinking of some ideas on how to get this
incredible music spread I decided that an album featuring them would be the way to go So I started out by approaching 8 artists then that grew to
12 then 16 then 19 then finally I stopped at 24
The result is an album showcasing the grass-roots scene of Perth I also had the artists filmed as part of a music video about it So six months later
ndash with a lot of blood sweat and beers ndash the result is a two-volume album and DVD Irsquove called A QUIET WORD
Each of the artists featured on the album has been broadcast on my show Close to Nowhere and this album is like a ldquoBest ofhelliprdquo compilation for
the music I am surrounded with here in Perth
My hope is that through this album I am able to help bring the music scene here in Perth some much deserved exposure especially since
a lot of them will probably never be heard outside of Australia As a way to generate some buzz about this music and encourage people to get their hands on it Irsquove decided to release lsquoA Quiet Wordrsquo with profits going to
The Starlight Foundation ndash which is an organization in Australia that helps provide better lives for seriously ill kidsYou can find all the info hear
the songs see the video and buy the album right herewwwfacebookcomaquietword
A QUIET WORD Australian artists unite for a worthy cause
The result is an album showcasing the grass-roots scene of Perth
So 50ft Woman does the name come from the sci-fi film Are you and the band fans of B-movies Irsquove always found sci-fi films like that amusing but the name actually came from a friend of mine who said it lsquowas an awesome band namersquo I liked all of the imagery that came with it as well as the fact it did really reflect my stature It just seemed perfect plus itrsquos a very easy brand to play with Yoursquove been compared to the likes of Blondie The Ramones and The New York Dolls Are these the sort of bands you grew up listening to Blondie yes but I was a latecomer to The Ra-mones and The lsquoDolls I was more of a confused musical child flicking from listening to classical to ACDC to Adam and the Ants to Madness Then when I first moved down to London my housemates were into all sorts from MC5 999 to The Quireboys and Hanoi Rocks I think my eyes were truly opened (and from then on my hair truly backcombed) Who has been your biggest influence then would you say Well I think without Adam and the Ants there may not have ever been lsquoMinkirsquo the character Just the sheer showmanship with a touch of fantasy that step removed from reality I love all that Dressing up is a big part of it any excuse So I suppose mostly Adam Ant with a bit of Steve Tyler from Aerosmith the way he uses his voice almost as a percussive instrument Ah yes the dressing up Apparently you are famous for shoes Are you threatening to knock Imelda Marcos from the record holder You know I havenrsquot actually got THAT many shoes Irsquom very fussy and Irsquom actually quite good at NOT buying say yes another pair of black pat-ent shoes I think Irsquom autistic when it comes to shoes they have to be exactly the right propor-tion and angle Sadly my dream of owning a pair of YSL Tribtoos or a pair of Christian Louboutins appears to have been quashed as they just donrsquot suit my feet No point having shoes that cripple my feet Particularly ones as expensive as that You donrsquot have ANY shoes that you canrsquot walk in Er yes I have quite a few but I get away with it by calling them lsquophoto shoot shoesrsquo Talking of photo shoots we notice you have done quite a few pin-up shoots Is that something you like doing Yes I love it I suppose it ties in with the whole
SUPERHERO FOR OUR FUTUREA PERSONIFICATION OF lsquo INTO THE VALLEY OF THE ULTRA VIXENSrsquo
fantasy thing The really good thing about pin-up is that it celebrates who you are as a women whatev-er height weight shape you are I love that Therersquos too much conformity portrayed in normal maga-zines too much pressure to lsquobe thinrsquo 50ft Woman ties in with all the pin-up stuff ndash itrsquos all about being who you are Stand up be tall be proud Who are your heroines women wise then I think my idol has to be Sophia Loren What a woman She looks amazing in The Millionaress I also love Raquel Welch Ursula Andress Marilyn of course I also adore Audrey Hepburn Appar-ently she was quite a character And even though she isnrsquot real Jessica Rabbit is a big inspiration Therersquos a bit of theme going on there then Holly-wood glamour the old way
Exactly They were all really powerful women Even Marilyn who everyone thinks of as this vul-nerable little girl She was actually very aware of how she came across to people OK she had her problems and insecurities but who doesnrsquot So back to 50ft Woman the band What have been your highlights so far I think one of our best experiences was being asked to play the Marussia Virgin Race Weekend at Sil-verstone as part of the British Grand Prix Not only was it a great opportunity as a gig but as Irsquom such a Formula One fan being there and being part of it was brilliant I think after that would be The Union support dates And what of this year Well I am still hoping we get asked to play at the GP again We have some gigs lined up which Irsquom really excited about We are only a 4 piece at the moment and I think we thought we couldnrsquot book any gigs with a man down But then we went into the studio and you know what it sounded really great as it was So we decided to go ahead and play like we are while we look for the right person So what gigs have you got coming up We have a private party for The Serpentine Club followed by the Cat Scratch Fever Charity gig on 31st March at the White Lion in Streatham with Tyla a great line up Then in April we have Hits of the Near Future and then hopefully the Great Escape in May And any releases planned Well we actually recorded some stuff to release but the line-up change put it on hold We have a new
ldquoI was more of a confused musical child flicking from listening to classical to ACDC to Adam and the Ants to Madnessrdquo
50ftWOMAN
NEW glamour
The new line up Axel drums Jon bass Minki Ben guitar
track Google Tan which we want to release as a free download single and we are in the middle of recording a video for that Oh tell us about the video It started off as a simple idea and then suddenly we have a 20 page story board with about 7 different characters Irsquom going to be playing most of them and we have cameos for each of the boys Itrsquos very silly Itrsquoll be the first proper promo video that wersquove done so we want it to be right So we look forward to the gigs and the forthcoming video then Good luck with the rest of 2012 Minki was talking to Andrea Perry
wwwfacebookcom50ftWomanBand
NEXT on AT THE TAP
MARCH 10thSAT-UR-DAY
Getting that first gigBefore reading this article itrsquos important to stress that Irsquom not in the habit of giving advice to people about to how to run their own bands nor do I think my band is the best thing since sliced bread Irsquove merely been asked to write a piece on how easy I think it is to get gigs outside of London The below experience is simply a personal experience about the journey we - The Pins - went through to get that important first gig
Three years ago we decided to take the big step of venturing out of our dark ldquobunkerrdquo where we rehearsed and get off our arses to actu-ally play a gig I remember the day well Wersquod just finished playing a new song where there was a short period of silence from everyone as we all digested what wersquod played ldquopeople need to hear thisrdquo Ben our guitarist said
So wersquod made that decision we had some real belting banging songs that we wanted to share with the world getting a gig shouldnrsquot be a problem right Wrong
For those of you reading this who are in a band yoursquoll know that getting a gig when yoursquore first starting out isnrsquot as easy as yoursquod think particularly if you live outside London So first stop was the music bible that is The Gig Guide In hindsight this is where we went wrong Emailing hundreds and hundreds of venues asking for gigs simply doesnrsquot work Whilst you may get a standardised reply from a handful of venues most receive so many they canrsquot physically reply to them Looking back we shouldrsquove visited every single venue personally given them our demo and spoken to them Itrsquos a lot harder to say no face to face whether yoursquore a good band or not
After months of trying our days of playing in front of a large poster of Jimi Hendrix was over A local promoter from Bishops Stortford offered us a support slot at one of their nights - Club Blub As yoursquod expect we were all absolutely shitting ourselves and despite playing at 100mph we played a cracking 20 minute set (wouldrsquove played longer but only had 20 minutes worth of songs) so much so that that straight after the gig the promoters spoke to us about getting on board The Pins bus
Three years down the line wersquove been lucky enough and are lucky enough to play some fantastic venues from all around the country Wersquore off on a European tour in May but will be returning to the Half Moon in Bishops Stortford for another Club Blub night real soon
So whatrsquos my point I suppose itrsquos not to look too far afield for that first gig We looked for ages and ages and all along the perfect venue for our first gig was right on our doorstep Even if therersquos no live music venues in your area talk to a local pub or bar to see if you can play there They donrsquot care if yoursquore good or not as long as you bring all your mates and pack the place out theyrsquoll have you back again
The Pinse thepinshotmailcouk w wwwthepinscouk Management Press and Bookings stevemthompsonhotmailcouk
Adam Barker
MY FAVOU-RITE TOYThe Roland SPD-20 is without a doubt one of the lynchpins of how we work as a band I pulled this out of my loft about 2 years ago as it had seen barely any light for a couple of years It was a real spur of the moment ebay purchase but ended up being a diamond in the rough I think I paid around pound300 for it at the time (including a stand) but I never realised its potential until I decided to take it to rehearsal one day We fixed it to the side of the drum kit thinking that maybe we could just use it to add some extra percus-sion or something but the real ldquoahardquo moment came when we started using the bass sounds
Using bass notes as a rhythmic element alongside synthy percussion nois-es really opened up new worlds for us and since then it has become a full time member in the band Itrsquos a really useful bit of kit The pads are all velocity sensitive and really easy and nice to hit The sound palette ranges from ridiculous vocal samples and hip hop loops to big synth sounds The beauty of it is that you can alter the parameters of each sound to make it your own People have often said to us ldquowhy donrsquot you get the newer one with the sampling capabilityrdquo But I think therersquos a certain charm to select-ing sounds from a limited bucket of noise and bending those sounds to suit your own means
Self-styled ldquobedroom performerrdquo Adam Barker when not selling insurance to canines or catching his testicles in his zipper (whilst on holiday with his par-ents in the South of France) is a singersongwriter based in Bedfordshire
But this only tells part of the story his real talents exude when he picks up a guitar Having proactively found Recharged Ra-dio Adamrsquos home-recordings reflect an honesty and effortless charm which could possibly be obscured by over production The warmth (and range) to his voice is reminiscent of Jeff Buckley and with such a keen desire to progress as a musician this is really just the beginning of the journey for this talented young man
Hopefully by replacing the zippers with velcro and getting out of the bedroom (for everything but the necessary - the things either dull or x-rated) Adam will go far
wwwadambarkercouk
httpwwwfacebookcomadambarker2
This month is brought to you by Ash Allerton - Modelstaggs
The Roland SPD-20
Jim Distortion
Bring on theiagonyt
p
d
r
t
p
httpwwwjimdistortioncoukhttpwwwmadhousetattoocouk
httpjimdistortionwordpresscom
rldquoDear Jim - My drummer smells We thought this wouldnrsquot be a problem but now itrsquos gotten to the stage (no pun) that wersquore being refused gigs - even at the 12 Bar I am 25 he is 27 I know that someone tried to tell him that he has a body odour problem before but he ran off crying and threatened to quit the band The problem is that hersquos a great drummer like Animal from The Muppets - but just like Animal from The Muppets smells like a sweaty sock What should we dordquo Confused Hackney
JD says Hi Confused Irsquom glad you brought this subject up as I to have had trouble with drummers in the past Once word has got out about a stinky skin wacker life can be pretty down heartening Fear not Irsquom sure there is an answer First thing be brave and make him confront his stink no man should be left to smell up the joint It would have to be an intervention get all his friends and family around and do it in a room with a lockable door Forcibly wash him and then give him the holy grail that stops all stinking tub thumpers from humming deodorant He may well kick and scream but believe me when he notices his aroma has changed and the girls start flocking to him he will see that you have not only stopped the stink but also got him a home as we all know a drummer without a girlfriend is homeless ps make sure to burn his clothes as the stink will be ingrained Itrsquos also a chance to get him out of his shorts and redesign him from the feet up
ldquoDear Jim - I hate promoters last time I went out in London I saw a gang of them hanging around on the corner by Camden Lock doing something shifty When they saw me staring at them they all started snarling and started walking towards me muttering things like lsquogive us cash up front or yoursquore not on the billrsquo and things They were all aged between 20 and 40 and Irsquom 26 and not even in a band Whatrsquos the best way to fend them off and what happens when they corner someonerdquo Dazed Harlow
JD says Hi Dazed Best thing to do with promoter is simply turn and growl back No promoter should be allowed to intimidate you as they simply are no higher on the food chain than pond scum Stamp your feet and make loud noises as they are all as chicken sht as each other If you really want to turn the tables on them take their pay to play deal sell all their tickets play the gig and simply say that what you sold was your fee for being the talent and not the money grabbing cockroach They may cry moan and bitch at you but always remember you are the ones that bring the crowds they just open a door Screw em
ldquoDear Jim - Recently I purchased a van to move our bandrsquos gear around Now I keep on getting approached to plaster peoplersquos walls - just because I bought the van I am 29 the van is 10 Which forms do I need to fill in to send back to the revenue so I donrsquot get done for income tax fraudrdquo Dave The Plasterer Stevenage
JD says Hi Dave Sometimes you just have to man up son there are no pen pushing ways to deal with this issue This issue is dealt with in one way and one way only Buy a band sign for the van you numpty and quit crying to me You have control of the reaction people have to who you are Stand up and be counted but as a musician not as a plasterer Talented as plasterers are itrsquos a different talent to musicians and quite frankly musicians are much more useful to life
e
With Rehcarged Radio Breakfast show host and part-time problem soother Jim Distortion
Whilst you can purchase all of these digitally from Amazon Play iTunes et al our online shop will offer you a whole load more including limited edition Vinyl amp CDs httpshopthescratchcouk
THE FIRST 3 ALBUMS FROM THE SCRATCH
wwwthescratchcouk
NIGHT BUS OR MILK TRAIN ldquoTightly crafted guitar pop music interwoven with the odd synth or sample The guitar work is excellent there are some damn fine riffs on this record and they seem genuinely keen to do something just a little bit differentrdquo[Is This Music]
WHATEVER HAPPENED TO FRIDAY NIGHT ldquoThe songs have an effervescent radiance thatrsquos immediate and spontaneous all too often ridiculously catchy and insanely infectious for those whose teeth cutting exposure to pop was the late 60s mods such as the Small Faces and the Move the glam rock of the early 70s via T-Rex Sweet and Cockney Rebel or maybe late 70s new wave a la the Buzzcocks Soft Boys and the Motors - lsquoWhatever happened to Friday nightsrsquo will seem and feel like the years peeling awayrdquo [Losing Today]
DIYldquoDIY is the sound of what it is to be a rock star Basically therersquos something here for everyone who has a pulse to get excited about Turn it up and turn your inner rock god onrdquo [Itrsquos All Happening magazine]
shindigindd 1 04102010 1113
whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on
whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on
wha
trsquos g
oinrsquo
on
wha
trsquos g
oinrsquo
on
wha
trsquos g
oinrsquo
on
wha
trsquos g
oinrsquo
on
wha
trsquos g
oinrsquo
on
wha
trsquos g
oinrsquo
on
wha
trsquos g
oinrsquo
on
whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on
whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on
whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on
whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on
Tuesday 14 February0000 - 2000 Music and Shows throughout the night
2000 - 2200 The California Diner
2200 - 0000 Sound of the Suburbs rpt
0000 - 2000 Music and Shows throughout the night
Wednesday 15 February1830 - 1900 That Time of the Month
2000 - 2200 Metal Mumin
2200 - 0000 Night of the Artisans RPT 0000 - 2000 Music and Shows throughout the night
Thursday 16 February1900 Close to Nowhere
2000 - 2200 Minkirsquos Magic Moments
2300 - 0000 2020 Hip Hop
0000 - 2000 Music and Shows throughout the night
Friday 17 February2000 - 2200 The Forum
2200 - 2300 I Land Music
0000 - 2000 Music and Shows throughout the night Saturday 18 February 1000 - 1200 Jim Distortion In The Morning
1200 - 2100 Best of Music and show repeats
2100 - 2400 Music and Shows throughout the night
Sunday 19 February 0000 - 1800 Music and Shows throughout the night
1900 - 2000 Music Unleashed Top 40
2100 - 2400 Best of Music and show repeats
Monday 20 February2000 0 2200 Crawling Home
2200 - 2400 Music and Shows throughout the night
Bring on the
agony
So 50ft Woman does the name come from the sci-fi film Are you and the band fans of B-movies Irsquove always found sci-fi films like that amusing but the name actually came from a friend of mine who said it lsquowas an awesome band namersquo I liked all of the imagery that came with it as well as the fact it did really reflect my stature It just seemed perfect plus itrsquos a very easy brand to play with Yoursquove been compared to the likes of Blondie The Ramones and The New York Dolls Are these the sort of bands you grew up listening to Blondie yes but I was a latecomer to The Ra-mones and The lsquoDolls I was more of a confused musical child flicking from listening to classical to ACDC to Adam and the Ants to Madness Then when I first moved down to London my housemates were into all sorts from MC5 999 to The Quireboys and Hanoi Rocks I think my eyes were truly opened (and from then on my hair truly backcombed) Who has been your biggest influence then would you say Well I think without Adam and the Ants there may not have ever been lsquoMinkirsquo the character Just the sheer showmanship with a touch of fantasy that step removed from reality I love all that Dressing up is a big part of it any excuse So I suppose mostly Adam Ant with a bit of Steve Tyler from Aerosmith the way he uses his voice almost as a percussive instrument Ah yes the dressing up Apparently you are famous for shoes Are you threatening to knock Imelda Marcos from the record holder You know I havenrsquot actually got THAT many shoes Irsquom very fussy and Irsquom actually quite good at NOT buying say yes another pair of black pat-ent shoes I think Irsquom autistic when it comes to shoes they have to be exactly the right propor-tion and angle Sadly my dream of owning a pair of YSL Tribtoos or a pair of Christian Louboutins appears to have been quashed as they just donrsquot suit my feet No point having shoes that cripple my feet Particularly ones as expensive as that You donrsquot have ANY shoes that you canrsquot walk in Er yes I have quite a few but I get away with it by calling them lsquophoto shoot shoesrsquo Talking of photo shoots we notice you have done quite a few pin-up shoots Is that something you like doing Yes I love it I suppose it ties in with the whole
SUPERHERO FOR OUR FUTUREA PERSONIFICATION OF lsquo INTO THE VALLEY OF THE ULTRA VIXENSrsquo
fantasy thing The really good thing about pin-up is that it celebrates who you are as a women whatev-er height weight shape you are I love that Therersquos too much conformity portrayed in normal maga-zines too much pressure to lsquobe thinrsquo 50ft Woman ties in with all the pin-up stuff ndash itrsquos all about being who you are Stand up be tall be proud Who are your heroines women wise then I think my idol has to be Sophia Loren What a woman She looks amazing in The Millionaress I also love Raquel Welch Ursula Andress Marilyn of course I also adore Audrey Hepburn Appar-ently she was quite a character And even though she isnrsquot real Jessica Rabbit is a big inspiration Therersquos a bit of theme going on there then Holly-wood glamour the old way
Exactly They were all really powerful women Even Marilyn who everyone thinks of as this vul-nerable little girl She was actually very aware of how she came across to people OK she had her problems and insecurities but who doesnrsquot So back to 50ft Woman the band What have been your highlights so far I think one of our best experiences was being asked to play the Marussia Virgin Race Weekend at Sil-verstone as part of the British Grand Prix Not only was it a great opportunity as a gig but as Irsquom such a Formula One fan being there and being part of it was brilliant I think after that would be The Union support dates And what of this year Well I am still hoping we get asked to play at the GP again We have some gigs lined up which Irsquom really excited about We are only a 4 piece at the moment and I think we thought we couldnrsquot book any gigs with a man down But then we went into the studio and you know what it sounded really great as it was So we decided to go ahead and play like we are while we look for the right person So what gigs have you got coming up We have a private party for The Serpentine Club followed by the Cat Scratch Fever Charity gig on 31st March at the White Lion in Streatham with Tyla a great line up Then in April we have Hits of the Near Future and then hopefully the Great Escape in May And any releases planned Well we actually recorded some stuff to release but the line-up change put it on hold We have a new
ldquoI was more of a confused musical child flicking from listening to classical to ACDC to Adam and the Ants to Madnessrdquo
50ftWOMAN
NEW glamour
The new line up Axel drums Jon bass Minki Ben guitar
track Google Tan which we want to release as a free download single and we are in the middle of recording a video for that Oh tell us about the video It started off as a simple idea and then suddenly we have a 20 page story board with about 7 different characters Irsquom going to be playing most of them and we have cameos for each of the boys Itrsquos very silly Itrsquoll be the first proper promo video that wersquove done so we want it to be right So we look forward to the gigs and the forthcoming video then Good luck with the rest of 2012 Minki was talking to Andrea Perry
wwwfacebookcom50ftWomanBand
NEXT on AT THE TAP
MARCH 10thSAT-UR-DAY
Getting that first gigBefore reading this article itrsquos important to stress that Irsquom not in the habit of giving advice to people about to how to run their own bands nor do I think my band is the best thing since sliced bread Irsquove merely been asked to write a piece on how easy I think it is to get gigs outside of London The below experience is simply a personal experience about the journey we - The Pins - went through to get that important first gig
Three years ago we decided to take the big step of venturing out of our dark ldquobunkerrdquo where we rehearsed and get off our arses to actu-ally play a gig I remember the day well Wersquod just finished playing a new song where there was a short period of silence from everyone as we all digested what wersquod played ldquopeople need to hear thisrdquo Ben our guitarist said
So wersquod made that decision we had some real belting banging songs that we wanted to share with the world getting a gig shouldnrsquot be a problem right Wrong
For those of you reading this who are in a band yoursquoll know that getting a gig when yoursquore first starting out isnrsquot as easy as yoursquod think particularly if you live outside London So first stop was the music bible that is The Gig Guide In hindsight this is where we went wrong Emailing hundreds and hundreds of venues asking for gigs simply doesnrsquot work Whilst you may get a standardised reply from a handful of venues most receive so many they canrsquot physically reply to them Looking back we shouldrsquove visited every single venue personally given them our demo and spoken to them Itrsquos a lot harder to say no face to face whether yoursquore a good band or not
After months of trying our days of playing in front of a large poster of Jimi Hendrix was over A local promoter from Bishops Stortford offered us a support slot at one of their nights - Club Blub As yoursquod expect we were all absolutely shitting ourselves and despite playing at 100mph we played a cracking 20 minute set (wouldrsquove played longer but only had 20 minutes worth of songs) so much so that that straight after the gig the promoters spoke to us about getting on board The Pins bus
Three years down the line wersquove been lucky enough and are lucky enough to play some fantastic venues from all around the country Wersquore off on a European tour in May but will be returning to the Half Moon in Bishops Stortford for another Club Blub night real soon
So whatrsquos my point I suppose itrsquos not to look too far afield for that first gig We looked for ages and ages and all along the perfect venue for our first gig was right on our doorstep Even if therersquos no live music venues in your area talk to a local pub or bar to see if you can play there They donrsquot care if yoursquore good or not as long as you bring all your mates and pack the place out theyrsquoll have you back again
The Pinse thepinshotmailcouk w wwwthepinscouk Management Press and Bookings stevemthompsonhotmailcouk
Adam Barker
MY FAVOU-RITE TOYThe Roland SPD-20 is without a doubt one of the lynchpins of how we work as a band I pulled this out of my loft about 2 years ago as it had seen barely any light for a couple of years It was a real spur of the moment ebay purchase but ended up being a diamond in the rough I think I paid around pound300 for it at the time (including a stand) but I never realised its potential until I decided to take it to rehearsal one day We fixed it to the side of the drum kit thinking that maybe we could just use it to add some extra percus-sion or something but the real ldquoahardquo moment came when we started using the bass sounds
Using bass notes as a rhythmic element alongside synthy percussion nois-es really opened up new worlds for us and since then it has become a full time member in the band Itrsquos a really useful bit of kit The pads are all velocity sensitive and really easy and nice to hit The sound palette ranges from ridiculous vocal samples and hip hop loops to big synth sounds The beauty of it is that you can alter the parameters of each sound to make it your own People have often said to us ldquowhy donrsquot you get the newer one with the sampling capabilityrdquo But I think therersquos a certain charm to select-ing sounds from a limited bucket of noise and bending those sounds to suit your own means
Self-styled ldquobedroom performerrdquo Adam Barker when not selling insurance to canines or catching his testicles in his zipper (whilst on holiday with his par-ents in the South of France) is a singersongwriter based in Bedfordshire
But this only tells part of the story his real talents exude when he picks up a guitar Having proactively found Recharged Ra-dio Adamrsquos home-recordings reflect an honesty and effortless charm which could possibly be obscured by over production The warmth (and range) to his voice is reminiscent of Jeff Buckley and with such a keen desire to progress as a musician this is really just the beginning of the journey for this talented young man
Hopefully by replacing the zippers with velcro and getting out of the bedroom (for everything but the necessary - the things either dull or x-rated) Adam will go far
wwwadambarkercouk
httpwwwfacebookcomadambarker2
This month is brought to you by Ash Allerton - Modelstaggs
The Roland SPD-20
Jim Distortion
Bring on theiagonyt
p
d
r
t
p
httpwwwjimdistortioncoukhttpwwwmadhousetattoocouk
httpjimdistortionwordpresscom
rldquoDear Jim - My drummer smells We thought this wouldnrsquot be a problem but now itrsquos gotten to the stage (no pun) that wersquore being refused gigs - even at the 12 Bar I am 25 he is 27 I know that someone tried to tell him that he has a body odour problem before but he ran off crying and threatened to quit the band The problem is that hersquos a great drummer like Animal from The Muppets - but just like Animal from The Muppets smells like a sweaty sock What should we dordquo Confused Hackney
JD says Hi Confused Irsquom glad you brought this subject up as I to have had trouble with drummers in the past Once word has got out about a stinky skin wacker life can be pretty down heartening Fear not Irsquom sure there is an answer First thing be brave and make him confront his stink no man should be left to smell up the joint It would have to be an intervention get all his friends and family around and do it in a room with a lockable door Forcibly wash him and then give him the holy grail that stops all stinking tub thumpers from humming deodorant He may well kick and scream but believe me when he notices his aroma has changed and the girls start flocking to him he will see that you have not only stopped the stink but also got him a home as we all know a drummer without a girlfriend is homeless ps make sure to burn his clothes as the stink will be ingrained Itrsquos also a chance to get him out of his shorts and redesign him from the feet up
ldquoDear Jim - I hate promoters last time I went out in London I saw a gang of them hanging around on the corner by Camden Lock doing something shifty When they saw me staring at them they all started snarling and started walking towards me muttering things like lsquogive us cash up front or yoursquore not on the billrsquo and things They were all aged between 20 and 40 and Irsquom 26 and not even in a band Whatrsquos the best way to fend them off and what happens when they corner someonerdquo Dazed Harlow
JD says Hi Dazed Best thing to do with promoter is simply turn and growl back No promoter should be allowed to intimidate you as they simply are no higher on the food chain than pond scum Stamp your feet and make loud noises as they are all as chicken sht as each other If you really want to turn the tables on them take their pay to play deal sell all their tickets play the gig and simply say that what you sold was your fee for being the talent and not the money grabbing cockroach They may cry moan and bitch at you but always remember you are the ones that bring the crowds they just open a door Screw em
ldquoDear Jim - Recently I purchased a van to move our bandrsquos gear around Now I keep on getting approached to plaster peoplersquos walls - just because I bought the van I am 29 the van is 10 Which forms do I need to fill in to send back to the revenue so I donrsquot get done for income tax fraudrdquo Dave The Plasterer Stevenage
JD says Hi Dave Sometimes you just have to man up son there are no pen pushing ways to deal with this issue This issue is dealt with in one way and one way only Buy a band sign for the van you numpty and quit crying to me You have control of the reaction people have to who you are Stand up and be counted but as a musician not as a plasterer Talented as plasterers are itrsquos a different talent to musicians and quite frankly musicians are much more useful to life
e
With Rehcarged Radio Breakfast show host and part-time problem soother Jim Distortion
Whilst you can purchase all of these digitally from Amazon Play iTunes et al our online shop will offer you a whole load more including limited edition Vinyl amp CDs httpshopthescratchcouk
THE FIRST 3 ALBUMS FROM THE SCRATCH
wwwthescratchcouk
NIGHT BUS OR MILK TRAIN ldquoTightly crafted guitar pop music interwoven with the odd synth or sample The guitar work is excellent there are some damn fine riffs on this record and they seem genuinely keen to do something just a little bit differentrdquo[Is This Music]
WHATEVER HAPPENED TO FRIDAY NIGHT ldquoThe songs have an effervescent radiance thatrsquos immediate and spontaneous all too often ridiculously catchy and insanely infectious for those whose teeth cutting exposure to pop was the late 60s mods such as the Small Faces and the Move the glam rock of the early 70s via T-Rex Sweet and Cockney Rebel or maybe late 70s new wave a la the Buzzcocks Soft Boys and the Motors - lsquoWhatever happened to Friday nightsrsquo will seem and feel like the years peeling awayrdquo [Losing Today]
DIYldquoDIY is the sound of what it is to be a rock star Basically therersquos something here for everyone who has a pulse to get excited about Turn it up and turn your inner rock god onrdquo [Itrsquos All Happening magazine]
shindigindd 1 04102010 1113
whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on
whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on
wha
trsquos g
oinrsquo
on
wha
trsquos g
oinrsquo
on
wha
trsquos g
oinrsquo
on
wha
trsquos g
oinrsquo
on
wha
trsquos g
oinrsquo
on
wha
trsquos g
oinrsquo
on
wha
trsquos g
oinrsquo
on
whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on
whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on
whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on
whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on
Tuesday 14 February0000 - 2000 Music and Shows throughout the night
2000 - 2200 The California Diner
2200 - 0000 Sound of the Suburbs rpt
0000 - 2000 Music and Shows throughout the night
Wednesday 15 February1830 - 1900 That Time of the Month
2000 - 2200 Metal Mumin
2200 - 0000 Night of the Artisans RPT 0000 - 2000 Music and Shows throughout the night
Thursday 16 February1900 Close to Nowhere
2000 - 2200 Minkirsquos Magic Moments
2300 - 0000 2020 Hip Hop
0000 - 2000 Music and Shows throughout the night
Friday 17 February2000 - 2200 The Forum
2200 - 2300 I Land Music
0000 - 2000 Music and Shows throughout the night Saturday 18 February 1000 - 1200 Jim Distortion In The Morning
1200 - 2100 Best of Music and show repeats
2100 - 2400 Music and Shows throughout the night
Sunday 19 February 0000 - 1800 Music and Shows throughout the night
1900 - 2000 Music Unleashed Top 40
2100 - 2400 Best of Music and show repeats
Monday 20 February2000 0 2200 Crawling Home
2200 - 2400 Music and Shows throughout the night
Bring on the
agony
50ftWOMAN
NEW glamour
The new line up Axel drums Jon bass Minki Ben guitar
track Google Tan which we want to release as a free download single and we are in the middle of recording a video for that Oh tell us about the video It started off as a simple idea and then suddenly we have a 20 page story board with about 7 different characters Irsquom going to be playing most of them and we have cameos for each of the boys Itrsquos very silly Itrsquoll be the first proper promo video that wersquove done so we want it to be right So we look forward to the gigs and the forthcoming video then Good luck with the rest of 2012 Minki was talking to Andrea Perry
wwwfacebookcom50ftWomanBand
NEXT on AT THE TAP
MARCH 10thSAT-UR-DAY
Getting that first gigBefore reading this article itrsquos important to stress that Irsquom not in the habit of giving advice to people about to how to run their own bands nor do I think my band is the best thing since sliced bread Irsquove merely been asked to write a piece on how easy I think it is to get gigs outside of London The below experience is simply a personal experience about the journey we - The Pins - went through to get that important first gig
Three years ago we decided to take the big step of venturing out of our dark ldquobunkerrdquo where we rehearsed and get off our arses to actu-ally play a gig I remember the day well Wersquod just finished playing a new song where there was a short period of silence from everyone as we all digested what wersquod played ldquopeople need to hear thisrdquo Ben our guitarist said
So wersquod made that decision we had some real belting banging songs that we wanted to share with the world getting a gig shouldnrsquot be a problem right Wrong
For those of you reading this who are in a band yoursquoll know that getting a gig when yoursquore first starting out isnrsquot as easy as yoursquod think particularly if you live outside London So first stop was the music bible that is The Gig Guide In hindsight this is where we went wrong Emailing hundreds and hundreds of venues asking for gigs simply doesnrsquot work Whilst you may get a standardised reply from a handful of venues most receive so many they canrsquot physically reply to them Looking back we shouldrsquove visited every single venue personally given them our demo and spoken to them Itrsquos a lot harder to say no face to face whether yoursquore a good band or not
After months of trying our days of playing in front of a large poster of Jimi Hendrix was over A local promoter from Bishops Stortford offered us a support slot at one of their nights - Club Blub As yoursquod expect we were all absolutely shitting ourselves and despite playing at 100mph we played a cracking 20 minute set (wouldrsquove played longer but only had 20 minutes worth of songs) so much so that that straight after the gig the promoters spoke to us about getting on board The Pins bus
Three years down the line wersquove been lucky enough and are lucky enough to play some fantastic venues from all around the country Wersquore off on a European tour in May but will be returning to the Half Moon in Bishops Stortford for another Club Blub night real soon
So whatrsquos my point I suppose itrsquos not to look too far afield for that first gig We looked for ages and ages and all along the perfect venue for our first gig was right on our doorstep Even if therersquos no live music venues in your area talk to a local pub or bar to see if you can play there They donrsquot care if yoursquore good or not as long as you bring all your mates and pack the place out theyrsquoll have you back again
The Pinse thepinshotmailcouk w wwwthepinscouk Management Press and Bookings stevemthompsonhotmailcouk
Adam Barker
MY FAVOU-RITE TOYThe Roland SPD-20 is without a doubt one of the lynchpins of how we work as a band I pulled this out of my loft about 2 years ago as it had seen barely any light for a couple of years It was a real spur of the moment ebay purchase but ended up being a diamond in the rough I think I paid around pound300 for it at the time (including a stand) but I never realised its potential until I decided to take it to rehearsal one day We fixed it to the side of the drum kit thinking that maybe we could just use it to add some extra percus-sion or something but the real ldquoahardquo moment came when we started using the bass sounds
Using bass notes as a rhythmic element alongside synthy percussion nois-es really opened up new worlds for us and since then it has become a full time member in the band Itrsquos a really useful bit of kit The pads are all velocity sensitive and really easy and nice to hit The sound palette ranges from ridiculous vocal samples and hip hop loops to big synth sounds The beauty of it is that you can alter the parameters of each sound to make it your own People have often said to us ldquowhy donrsquot you get the newer one with the sampling capabilityrdquo But I think therersquos a certain charm to select-ing sounds from a limited bucket of noise and bending those sounds to suit your own means
Self-styled ldquobedroom performerrdquo Adam Barker when not selling insurance to canines or catching his testicles in his zipper (whilst on holiday with his par-ents in the South of France) is a singersongwriter based in Bedfordshire
But this only tells part of the story his real talents exude when he picks up a guitar Having proactively found Recharged Ra-dio Adamrsquos home-recordings reflect an honesty and effortless charm which could possibly be obscured by over production The warmth (and range) to his voice is reminiscent of Jeff Buckley and with such a keen desire to progress as a musician this is really just the beginning of the journey for this talented young man
Hopefully by replacing the zippers with velcro and getting out of the bedroom (for everything but the necessary - the things either dull or x-rated) Adam will go far
wwwadambarkercouk
httpwwwfacebookcomadambarker2
This month is brought to you by Ash Allerton - Modelstaggs
The Roland SPD-20
Jim Distortion
Bring on theiagonyt
p
d
r
t
p
httpwwwjimdistortioncoukhttpwwwmadhousetattoocouk
httpjimdistortionwordpresscom
rldquoDear Jim - My drummer smells We thought this wouldnrsquot be a problem but now itrsquos gotten to the stage (no pun) that wersquore being refused gigs - even at the 12 Bar I am 25 he is 27 I know that someone tried to tell him that he has a body odour problem before but he ran off crying and threatened to quit the band The problem is that hersquos a great drummer like Animal from The Muppets - but just like Animal from The Muppets smells like a sweaty sock What should we dordquo Confused Hackney
JD says Hi Confused Irsquom glad you brought this subject up as I to have had trouble with drummers in the past Once word has got out about a stinky skin wacker life can be pretty down heartening Fear not Irsquom sure there is an answer First thing be brave and make him confront his stink no man should be left to smell up the joint It would have to be an intervention get all his friends and family around and do it in a room with a lockable door Forcibly wash him and then give him the holy grail that stops all stinking tub thumpers from humming deodorant He may well kick and scream but believe me when he notices his aroma has changed and the girls start flocking to him he will see that you have not only stopped the stink but also got him a home as we all know a drummer without a girlfriend is homeless ps make sure to burn his clothes as the stink will be ingrained Itrsquos also a chance to get him out of his shorts and redesign him from the feet up
ldquoDear Jim - I hate promoters last time I went out in London I saw a gang of them hanging around on the corner by Camden Lock doing something shifty When they saw me staring at them they all started snarling and started walking towards me muttering things like lsquogive us cash up front or yoursquore not on the billrsquo and things They were all aged between 20 and 40 and Irsquom 26 and not even in a band Whatrsquos the best way to fend them off and what happens when they corner someonerdquo Dazed Harlow
JD says Hi Dazed Best thing to do with promoter is simply turn and growl back No promoter should be allowed to intimidate you as they simply are no higher on the food chain than pond scum Stamp your feet and make loud noises as they are all as chicken sht as each other If you really want to turn the tables on them take their pay to play deal sell all their tickets play the gig and simply say that what you sold was your fee for being the talent and not the money grabbing cockroach They may cry moan and bitch at you but always remember you are the ones that bring the crowds they just open a door Screw em
ldquoDear Jim - Recently I purchased a van to move our bandrsquos gear around Now I keep on getting approached to plaster peoplersquos walls - just because I bought the van I am 29 the van is 10 Which forms do I need to fill in to send back to the revenue so I donrsquot get done for income tax fraudrdquo Dave The Plasterer Stevenage
JD says Hi Dave Sometimes you just have to man up son there are no pen pushing ways to deal with this issue This issue is dealt with in one way and one way only Buy a band sign for the van you numpty and quit crying to me You have control of the reaction people have to who you are Stand up and be counted but as a musician not as a plasterer Talented as plasterers are itrsquos a different talent to musicians and quite frankly musicians are much more useful to life
e
With Rehcarged Radio Breakfast show host and part-time problem soother Jim Distortion
Whilst you can purchase all of these digitally from Amazon Play iTunes et al our online shop will offer you a whole load more including limited edition Vinyl amp CDs httpshopthescratchcouk
THE FIRST 3 ALBUMS FROM THE SCRATCH
wwwthescratchcouk
NIGHT BUS OR MILK TRAIN ldquoTightly crafted guitar pop music interwoven with the odd synth or sample The guitar work is excellent there are some damn fine riffs on this record and they seem genuinely keen to do something just a little bit differentrdquo[Is This Music]
WHATEVER HAPPENED TO FRIDAY NIGHT ldquoThe songs have an effervescent radiance thatrsquos immediate and spontaneous all too often ridiculously catchy and insanely infectious for those whose teeth cutting exposure to pop was the late 60s mods such as the Small Faces and the Move the glam rock of the early 70s via T-Rex Sweet and Cockney Rebel or maybe late 70s new wave a la the Buzzcocks Soft Boys and the Motors - lsquoWhatever happened to Friday nightsrsquo will seem and feel like the years peeling awayrdquo [Losing Today]
DIYldquoDIY is the sound of what it is to be a rock star Basically therersquos something here for everyone who has a pulse to get excited about Turn it up and turn your inner rock god onrdquo [Itrsquos All Happening magazine]
shindigindd 1 04102010 1113
whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on
whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on
wha
trsquos g
oinrsquo
on
wha
trsquos g
oinrsquo
on
wha
trsquos g
oinrsquo
on
wha
trsquos g
oinrsquo
on
wha
trsquos g
oinrsquo
on
wha
trsquos g
oinrsquo
on
wha
trsquos g
oinrsquo
on
whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on
whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on
whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on
whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on
Tuesday 14 February0000 - 2000 Music and Shows throughout the night
2000 - 2200 The California Diner
2200 - 0000 Sound of the Suburbs rpt
0000 - 2000 Music and Shows throughout the night
Wednesday 15 February1830 - 1900 That Time of the Month
2000 - 2200 Metal Mumin
2200 - 0000 Night of the Artisans RPT 0000 - 2000 Music and Shows throughout the night
Thursday 16 February1900 Close to Nowhere
2000 - 2200 Minkirsquos Magic Moments
2300 - 0000 2020 Hip Hop
0000 - 2000 Music and Shows throughout the night
Friday 17 February2000 - 2200 The Forum
2200 - 2300 I Land Music
0000 - 2000 Music and Shows throughout the night Saturday 18 February 1000 - 1200 Jim Distortion In The Morning
1200 - 2100 Best of Music and show repeats
2100 - 2400 Music and Shows throughout the night
Sunday 19 February 0000 - 1800 Music and Shows throughout the night
1900 - 2000 Music Unleashed Top 40
2100 - 2400 Best of Music and show repeats
Monday 20 February2000 0 2200 Crawling Home
2200 - 2400 Music and Shows throughout the night
Bring on the
agony
NEXT on AT THE TAP
MARCH 10thSAT-UR-DAY
Getting that first gigBefore reading this article itrsquos important to stress that Irsquom not in the habit of giving advice to people about to how to run their own bands nor do I think my band is the best thing since sliced bread Irsquove merely been asked to write a piece on how easy I think it is to get gigs outside of London The below experience is simply a personal experience about the journey we - The Pins - went through to get that important first gig
Three years ago we decided to take the big step of venturing out of our dark ldquobunkerrdquo where we rehearsed and get off our arses to actu-ally play a gig I remember the day well Wersquod just finished playing a new song where there was a short period of silence from everyone as we all digested what wersquod played ldquopeople need to hear thisrdquo Ben our guitarist said
So wersquod made that decision we had some real belting banging songs that we wanted to share with the world getting a gig shouldnrsquot be a problem right Wrong
For those of you reading this who are in a band yoursquoll know that getting a gig when yoursquore first starting out isnrsquot as easy as yoursquod think particularly if you live outside London So first stop was the music bible that is The Gig Guide In hindsight this is where we went wrong Emailing hundreds and hundreds of venues asking for gigs simply doesnrsquot work Whilst you may get a standardised reply from a handful of venues most receive so many they canrsquot physically reply to them Looking back we shouldrsquove visited every single venue personally given them our demo and spoken to them Itrsquos a lot harder to say no face to face whether yoursquore a good band or not
After months of trying our days of playing in front of a large poster of Jimi Hendrix was over A local promoter from Bishops Stortford offered us a support slot at one of their nights - Club Blub As yoursquod expect we were all absolutely shitting ourselves and despite playing at 100mph we played a cracking 20 minute set (wouldrsquove played longer but only had 20 minutes worth of songs) so much so that that straight after the gig the promoters spoke to us about getting on board The Pins bus
Three years down the line wersquove been lucky enough and are lucky enough to play some fantastic venues from all around the country Wersquore off on a European tour in May but will be returning to the Half Moon in Bishops Stortford for another Club Blub night real soon
So whatrsquos my point I suppose itrsquos not to look too far afield for that first gig We looked for ages and ages and all along the perfect venue for our first gig was right on our doorstep Even if therersquos no live music venues in your area talk to a local pub or bar to see if you can play there They donrsquot care if yoursquore good or not as long as you bring all your mates and pack the place out theyrsquoll have you back again
The Pinse thepinshotmailcouk w wwwthepinscouk Management Press and Bookings stevemthompsonhotmailcouk
Adam Barker
MY FAVOU-RITE TOYThe Roland SPD-20 is without a doubt one of the lynchpins of how we work as a band I pulled this out of my loft about 2 years ago as it had seen barely any light for a couple of years It was a real spur of the moment ebay purchase but ended up being a diamond in the rough I think I paid around pound300 for it at the time (including a stand) but I never realised its potential until I decided to take it to rehearsal one day We fixed it to the side of the drum kit thinking that maybe we could just use it to add some extra percus-sion or something but the real ldquoahardquo moment came when we started using the bass sounds
Using bass notes as a rhythmic element alongside synthy percussion nois-es really opened up new worlds for us and since then it has become a full time member in the band Itrsquos a really useful bit of kit The pads are all velocity sensitive and really easy and nice to hit The sound palette ranges from ridiculous vocal samples and hip hop loops to big synth sounds The beauty of it is that you can alter the parameters of each sound to make it your own People have often said to us ldquowhy donrsquot you get the newer one with the sampling capabilityrdquo But I think therersquos a certain charm to select-ing sounds from a limited bucket of noise and bending those sounds to suit your own means
Self-styled ldquobedroom performerrdquo Adam Barker when not selling insurance to canines or catching his testicles in his zipper (whilst on holiday with his par-ents in the South of France) is a singersongwriter based in Bedfordshire
But this only tells part of the story his real talents exude when he picks up a guitar Having proactively found Recharged Ra-dio Adamrsquos home-recordings reflect an honesty and effortless charm which could possibly be obscured by over production The warmth (and range) to his voice is reminiscent of Jeff Buckley and with such a keen desire to progress as a musician this is really just the beginning of the journey for this talented young man
Hopefully by replacing the zippers with velcro and getting out of the bedroom (for everything but the necessary - the things either dull or x-rated) Adam will go far
wwwadambarkercouk
httpwwwfacebookcomadambarker2
This month is brought to you by Ash Allerton - Modelstaggs
The Roland SPD-20
Jim Distortion
Bring on theiagonyt
p
d
r
t
p
httpwwwjimdistortioncoukhttpwwwmadhousetattoocouk
httpjimdistortionwordpresscom
rldquoDear Jim - My drummer smells We thought this wouldnrsquot be a problem but now itrsquos gotten to the stage (no pun) that wersquore being refused gigs - even at the 12 Bar I am 25 he is 27 I know that someone tried to tell him that he has a body odour problem before but he ran off crying and threatened to quit the band The problem is that hersquos a great drummer like Animal from The Muppets - but just like Animal from The Muppets smells like a sweaty sock What should we dordquo Confused Hackney
JD says Hi Confused Irsquom glad you brought this subject up as I to have had trouble with drummers in the past Once word has got out about a stinky skin wacker life can be pretty down heartening Fear not Irsquom sure there is an answer First thing be brave and make him confront his stink no man should be left to smell up the joint It would have to be an intervention get all his friends and family around and do it in a room with a lockable door Forcibly wash him and then give him the holy grail that stops all stinking tub thumpers from humming deodorant He may well kick and scream but believe me when he notices his aroma has changed and the girls start flocking to him he will see that you have not only stopped the stink but also got him a home as we all know a drummer without a girlfriend is homeless ps make sure to burn his clothes as the stink will be ingrained Itrsquos also a chance to get him out of his shorts and redesign him from the feet up
ldquoDear Jim - I hate promoters last time I went out in London I saw a gang of them hanging around on the corner by Camden Lock doing something shifty When they saw me staring at them they all started snarling and started walking towards me muttering things like lsquogive us cash up front or yoursquore not on the billrsquo and things They were all aged between 20 and 40 and Irsquom 26 and not even in a band Whatrsquos the best way to fend them off and what happens when they corner someonerdquo Dazed Harlow
JD says Hi Dazed Best thing to do with promoter is simply turn and growl back No promoter should be allowed to intimidate you as they simply are no higher on the food chain than pond scum Stamp your feet and make loud noises as they are all as chicken sht as each other If you really want to turn the tables on them take their pay to play deal sell all their tickets play the gig and simply say that what you sold was your fee for being the talent and not the money grabbing cockroach They may cry moan and bitch at you but always remember you are the ones that bring the crowds they just open a door Screw em
ldquoDear Jim - Recently I purchased a van to move our bandrsquos gear around Now I keep on getting approached to plaster peoplersquos walls - just because I bought the van I am 29 the van is 10 Which forms do I need to fill in to send back to the revenue so I donrsquot get done for income tax fraudrdquo Dave The Plasterer Stevenage
JD says Hi Dave Sometimes you just have to man up son there are no pen pushing ways to deal with this issue This issue is dealt with in one way and one way only Buy a band sign for the van you numpty and quit crying to me You have control of the reaction people have to who you are Stand up and be counted but as a musician not as a plasterer Talented as plasterers are itrsquos a different talent to musicians and quite frankly musicians are much more useful to life
e
With Rehcarged Radio Breakfast show host and part-time problem soother Jim Distortion
Whilst you can purchase all of these digitally from Amazon Play iTunes et al our online shop will offer you a whole load more including limited edition Vinyl amp CDs httpshopthescratchcouk
THE FIRST 3 ALBUMS FROM THE SCRATCH
wwwthescratchcouk
NIGHT BUS OR MILK TRAIN ldquoTightly crafted guitar pop music interwoven with the odd synth or sample The guitar work is excellent there are some damn fine riffs on this record and they seem genuinely keen to do something just a little bit differentrdquo[Is This Music]
WHATEVER HAPPENED TO FRIDAY NIGHT ldquoThe songs have an effervescent radiance thatrsquos immediate and spontaneous all too often ridiculously catchy and insanely infectious for those whose teeth cutting exposure to pop was the late 60s mods such as the Small Faces and the Move the glam rock of the early 70s via T-Rex Sweet and Cockney Rebel or maybe late 70s new wave a la the Buzzcocks Soft Boys and the Motors - lsquoWhatever happened to Friday nightsrsquo will seem and feel like the years peeling awayrdquo [Losing Today]
DIYldquoDIY is the sound of what it is to be a rock star Basically therersquos something here for everyone who has a pulse to get excited about Turn it up and turn your inner rock god onrdquo [Itrsquos All Happening magazine]
shindigindd 1 04102010 1113
whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on
whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on
wha
trsquos g
oinrsquo
on
wha
trsquos g
oinrsquo
on
wha
trsquos g
oinrsquo
on
wha
trsquos g
oinrsquo
on
wha
trsquos g
oinrsquo
on
wha
trsquos g
oinrsquo
on
wha
trsquos g
oinrsquo
on
whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on
whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on
whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on
whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on
Tuesday 14 February0000 - 2000 Music and Shows throughout the night
2000 - 2200 The California Diner
2200 - 0000 Sound of the Suburbs rpt
0000 - 2000 Music and Shows throughout the night
Wednesday 15 February1830 - 1900 That Time of the Month
2000 - 2200 Metal Mumin
2200 - 0000 Night of the Artisans RPT 0000 - 2000 Music and Shows throughout the night
Thursday 16 February1900 Close to Nowhere
2000 - 2200 Minkirsquos Magic Moments
2300 - 0000 2020 Hip Hop
0000 - 2000 Music and Shows throughout the night
Friday 17 February2000 - 2200 The Forum
2200 - 2300 I Land Music
0000 - 2000 Music and Shows throughout the night Saturday 18 February 1000 - 1200 Jim Distortion In The Morning
1200 - 2100 Best of Music and show repeats
2100 - 2400 Music and Shows throughout the night
Sunday 19 February 0000 - 1800 Music and Shows throughout the night
1900 - 2000 Music Unleashed Top 40
2100 - 2400 Best of Music and show repeats
Monday 20 February2000 0 2200 Crawling Home
2200 - 2400 Music and Shows throughout the night
Bring on the
agony
Adam Barker
MY FAVOU-RITE TOYThe Roland SPD-20 is without a doubt one of the lynchpins of how we work as a band I pulled this out of my loft about 2 years ago as it had seen barely any light for a couple of years It was a real spur of the moment ebay purchase but ended up being a diamond in the rough I think I paid around pound300 for it at the time (including a stand) but I never realised its potential until I decided to take it to rehearsal one day We fixed it to the side of the drum kit thinking that maybe we could just use it to add some extra percus-sion or something but the real ldquoahardquo moment came when we started using the bass sounds
Using bass notes as a rhythmic element alongside synthy percussion nois-es really opened up new worlds for us and since then it has become a full time member in the band Itrsquos a really useful bit of kit The pads are all velocity sensitive and really easy and nice to hit The sound palette ranges from ridiculous vocal samples and hip hop loops to big synth sounds The beauty of it is that you can alter the parameters of each sound to make it your own People have often said to us ldquowhy donrsquot you get the newer one with the sampling capabilityrdquo But I think therersquos a certain charm to select-ing sounds from a limited bucket of noise and bending those sounds to suit your own means
Self-styled ldquobedroom performerrdquo Adam Barker when not selling insurance to canines or catching his testicles in his zipper (whilst on holiday with his par-ents in the South of France) is a singersongwriter based in Bedfordshire
But this only tells part of the story his real talents exude when he picks up a guitar Having proactively found Recharged Ra-dio Adamrsquos home-recordings reflect an honesty and effortless charm which could possibly be obscured by over production The warmth (and range) to his voice is reminiscent of Jeff Buckley and with such a keen desire to progress as a musician this is really just the beginning of the journey for this talented young man
Hopefully by replacing the zippers with velcro and getting out of the bedroom (for everything but the necessary - the things either dull or x-rated) Adam will go far
wwwadambarkercouk
httpwwwfacebookcomadambarker2
This month is brought to you by Ash Allerton - Modelstaggs
The Roland SPD-20
Jim Distortion
Bring on theiagonyt
p
d
r
t
p
httpwwwjimdistortioncoukhttpwwwmadhousetattoocouk
httpjimdistortionwordpresscom
rldquoDear Jim - My drummer smells We thought this wouldnrsquot be a problem but now itrsquos gotten to the stage (no pun) that wersquore being refused gigs - even at the 12 Bar I am 25 he is 27 I know that someone tried to tell him that he has a body odour problem before but he ran off crying and threatened to quit the band The problem is that hersquos a great drummer like Animal from The Muppets - but just like Animal from The Muppets smells like a sweaty sock What should we dordquo Confused Hackney
JD says Hi Confused Irsquom glad you brought this subject up as I to have had trouble with drummers in the past Once word has got out about a stinky skin wacker life can be pretty down heartening Fear not Irsquom sure there is an answer First thing be brave and make him confront his stink no man should be left to smell up the joint It would have to be an intervention get all his friends and family around and do it in a room with a lockable door Forcibly wash him and then give him the holy grail that stops all stinking tub thumpers from humming deodorant He may well kick and scream but believe me when he notices his aroma has changed and the girls start flocking to him he will see that you have not only stopped the stink but also got him a home as we all know a drummer without a girlfriend is homeless ps make sure to burn his clothes as the stink will be ingrained Itrsquos also a chance to get him out of his shorts and redesign him from the feet up
ldquoDear Jim - I hate promoters last time I went out in London I saw a gang of them hanging around on the corner by Camden Lock doing something shifty When they saw me staring at them they all started snarling and started walking towards me muttering things like lsquogive us cash up front or yoursquore not on the billrsquo and things They were all aged between 20 and 40 and Irsquom 26 and not even in a band Whatrsquos the best way to fend them off and what happens when they corner someonerdquo Dazed Harlow
JD says Hi Dazed Best thing to do with promoter is simply turn and growl back No promoter should be allowed to intimidate you as they simply are no higher on the food chain than pond scum Stamp your feet and make loud noises as they are all as chicken sht as each other If you really want to turn the tables on them take their pay to play deal sell all their tickets play the gig and simply say that what you sold was your fee for being the talent and not the money grabbing cockroach They may cry moan and bitch at you but always remember you are the ones that bring the crowds they just open a door Screw em
ldquoDear Jim - Recently I purchased a van to move our bandrsquos gear around Now I keep on getting approached to plaster peoplersquos walls - just because I bought the van I am 29 the van is 10 Which forms do I need to fill in to send back to the revenue so I donrsquot get done for income tax fraudrdquo Dave The Plasterer Stevenage
JD says Hi Dave Sometimes you just have to man up son there are no pen pushing ways to deal with this issue This issue is dealt with in one way and one way only Buy a band sign for the van you numpty and quit crying to me You have control of the reaction people have to who you are Stand up and be counted but as a musician not as a plasterer Talented as plasterers are itrsquos a different talent to musicians and quite frankly musicians are much more useful to life
e
With Rehcarged Radio Breakfast show host and part-time problem soother Jim Distortion
Whilst you can purchase all of these digitally from Amazon Play iTunes et al our online shop will offer you a whole load more including limited edition Vinyl amp CDs httpshopthescratchcouk
THE FIRST 3 ALBUMS FROM THE SCRATCH
wwwthescratchcouk
NIGHT BUS OR MILK TRAIN ldquoTightly crafted guitar pop music interwoven with the odd synth or sample The guitar work is excellent there are some damn fine riffs on this record and they seem genuinely keen to do something just a little bit differentrdquo[Is This Music]
WHATEVER HAPPENED TO FRIDAY NIGHT ldquoThe songs have an effervescent radiance thatrsquos immediate and spontaneous all too often ridiculously catchy and insanely infectious for those whose teeth cutting exposure to pop was the late 60s mods such as the Small Faces and the Move the glam rock of the early 70s via T-Rex Sweet and Cockney Rebel or maybe late 70s new wave a la the Buzzcocks Soft Boys and the Motors - lsquoWhatever happened to Friday nightsrsquo will seem and feel like the years peeling awayrdquo [Losing Today]
DIYldquoDIY is the sound of what it is to be a rock star Basically therersquos something here for everyone who has a pulse to get excited about Turn it up and turn your inner rock god onrdquo [Itrsquos All Happening magazine]
shindigindd 1 04102010 1113
whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on
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on
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on
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on
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on
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whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on
whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on
whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on
whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on
Tuesday 14 February0000 - 2000 Music and Shows throughout the night
2000 - 2200 The California Diner
2200 - 0000 Sound of the Suburbs rpt
0000 - 2000 Music and Shows throughout the night
Wednesday 15 February1830 - 1900 That Time of the Month
2000 - 2200 Metal Mumin
2200 - 0000 Night of the Artisans RPT 0000 - 2000 Music and Shows throughout the night
Thursday 16 February1900 Close to Nowhere
2000 - 2200 Minkirsquos Magic Moments
2300 - 0000 2020 Hip Hop
0000 - 2000 Music and Shows throughout the night
Friday 17 February2000 - 2200 The Forum
2200 - 2300 I Land Music
0000 - 2000 Music and Shows throughout the night Saturday 18 February 1000 - 1200 Jim Distortion In The Morning
1200 - 2100 Best of Music and show repeats
2100 - 2400 Music and Shows throughout the night
Sunday 19 February 0000 - 1800 Music and Shows throughout the night
1900 - 2000 Music Unleashed Top 40
2100 - 2400 Best of Music and show repeats
Monday 20 February2000 0 2200 Crawling Home
2200 - 2400 Music and Shows throughout the night
Bring on the
agony
Jim Distortion
Bring on theiagonyt
p
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p
httpwwwjimdistortioncoukhttpwwwmadhousetattoocouk
httpjimdistortionwordpresscom
rldquoDear Jim - My drummer smells We thought this wouldnrsquot be a problem but now itrsquos gotten to the stage (no pun) that wersquore being refused gigs - even at the 12 Bar I am 25 he is 27 I know that someone tried to tell him that he has a body odour problem before but he ran off crying and threatened to quit the band The problem is that hersquos a great drummer like Animal from The Muppets - but just like Animal from The Muppets smells like a sweaty sock What should we dordquo Confused Hackney
JD says Hi Confused Irsquom glad you brought this subject up as I to have had trouble with drummers in the past Once word has got out about a stinky skin wacker life can be pretty down heartening Fear not Irsquom sure there is an answer First thing be brave and make him confront his stink no man should be left to smell up the joint It would have to be an intervention get all his friends and family around and do it in a room with a lockable door Forcibly wash him and then give him the holy grail that stops all stinking tub thumpers from humming deodorant He may well kick and scream but believe me when he notices his aroma has changed and the girls start flocking to him he will see that you have not only stopped the stink but also got him a home as we all know a drummer without a girlfriend is homeless ps make sure to burn his clothes as the stink will be ingrained Itrsquos also a chance to get him out of his shorts and redesign him from the feet up
ldquoDear Jim - I hate promoters last time I went out in London I saw a gang of them hanging around on the corner by Camden Lock doing something shifty When they saw me staring at them they all started snarling and started walking towards me muttering things like lsquogive us cash up front or yoursquore not on the billrsquo and things They were all aged between 20 and 40 and Irsquom 26 and not even in a band Whatrsquos the best way to fend them off and what happens when they corner someonerdquo Dazed Harlow
JD says Hi Dazed Best thing to do with promoter is simply turn and growl back No promoter should be allowed to intimidate you as they simply are no higher on the food chain than pond scum Stamp your feet and make loud noises as they are all as chicken sht as each other If you really want to turn the tables on them take their pay to play deal sell all their tickets play the gig and simply say that what you sold was your fee for being the talent and not the money grabbing cockroach They may cry moan and bitch at you but always remember you are the ones that bring the crowds they just open a door Screw em
ldquoDear Jim - Recently I purchased a van to move our bandrsquos gear around Now I keep on getting approached to plaster peoplersquos walls - just because I bought the van I am 29 the van is 10 Which forms do I need to fill in to send back to the revenue so I donrsquot get done for income tax fraudrdquo Dave The Plasterer Stevenage
JD says Hi Dave Sometimes you just have to man up son there are no pen pushing ways to deal with this issue This issue is dealt with in one way and one way only Buy a band sign for the van you numpty and quit crying to me You have control of the reaction people have to who you are Stand up and be counted but as a musician not as a plasterer Talented as plasterers are itrsquos a different talent to musicians and quite frankly musicians are much more useful to life
e
With Rehcarged Radio Breakfast show host and part-time problem soother Jim Distortion
Whilst you can purchase all of these digitally from Amazon Play iTunes et al our online shop will offer you a whole load more including limited edition Vinyl amp CDs httpshopthescratchcouk
THE FIRST 3 ALBUMS FROM THE SCRATCH
wwwthescratchcouk
NIGHT BUS OR MILK TRAIN ldquoTightly crafted guitar pop music interwoven with the odd synth or sample The guitar work is excellent there are some damn fine riffs on this record and they seem genuinely keen to do something just a little bit differentrdquo[Is This Music]
WHATEVER HAPPENED TO FRIDAY NIGHT ldquoThe songs have an effervescent radiance thatrsquos immediate and spontaneous all too often ridiculously catchy and insanely infectious for those whose teeth cutting exposure to pop was the late 60s mods such as the Small Faces and the Move the glam rock of the early 70s via T-Rex Sweet and Cockney Rebel or maybe late 70s new wave a la the Buzzcocks Soft Boys and the Motors - lsquoWhatever happened to Friday nightsrsquo will seem and feel like the years peeling awayrdquo [Losing Today]
DIYldquoDIY is the sound of what it is to be a rock star Basically therersquos something here for everyone who has a pulse to get excited about Turn it up and turn your inner rock god onrdquo [Itrsquos All Happening magazine]
shindigindd 1 04102010 1113
whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on
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on
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whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on
whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on
whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on
whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on
Tuesday 14 February0000 - 2000 Music and Shows throughout the night
2000 - 2200 The California Diner
2200 - 0000 Sound of the Suburbs rpt
0000 - 2000 Music and Shows throughout the night
Wednesday 15 February1830 - 1900 That Time of the Month
2000 - 2200 Metal Mumin
2200 - 0000 Night of the Artisans RPT 0000 - 2000 Music and Shows throughout the night
Thursday 16 February1900 Close to Nowhere
2000 - 2200 Minkirsquos Magic Moments
2300 - 0000 2020 Hip Hop
0000 - 2000 Music and Shows throughout the night
Friday 17 February2000 - 2200 The Forum
2200 - 2300 I Land Music
0000 - 2000 Music and Shows throughout the night Saturday 18 February 1000 - 1200 Jim Distortion In The Morning
1200 - 2100 Best of Music and show repeats
2100 - 2400 Music and Shows throughout the night
Sunday 19 February 0000 - 1800 Music and Shows throughout the night
1900 - 2000 Music Unleashed Top 40
2100 - 2400 Best of Music and show repeats
Monday 20 February2000 0 2200 Crawling Home
2200 - 2400 Music and Shows throughout the night
Bring on the
agony
Whilst you can purchase all of these digitally from Amazon Play iTunes et al our online shop will offer you a whole load more including limited edition Vinyl amp CDs httpshopthescratchcouk
THE FIRST 3 ALBUMS FROM THE SCRATCH
wwwthescratchcouk
NIGHT BUS OR MILK TRAIN ldquoTightly crafted guitar pop music interwoven with the odd synth or sample The guitar work is excellent there are some damn fine riffs on this record and they seem genuinely keen to do something just a little bit differentrdquo[Is This Music]
WHATEVER HAPPENED TO FRIDAY NIGHT ldquoThe songs have an effervescent radiance thatrsquos immediate and spontaneous all too often ridiculously catchy and insanely infectious for those whose teeth cutting exposure to pop was the late 60s mods such as the Small Faces and the Move the glam rock of the early 70s via T-Rex Sweet and Cockney Rebel or maybe late 70s new wave a la the Buzzcocks Soft Boys and the Motors - lsquoWhatever happened to Friday nightsrsquo will seem and feel like the years peeling awayrdquo [Losing Today]
DIYldquoDIY is the sound of what it is to be a rock star Basically therersquos something here for everyone who has a pulse to get excited about Turn it up and turn your inner rock god onrdquo [Itrsquos All Happening magazine]
shindigindd 1 04102010 1113
whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on
whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on
wha
trsquos g
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on
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on
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on
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oinrsquo
on
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oinrsquo
on
wha
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on
wha
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oinrsquo
on
whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on
whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on
whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on
whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on whatrsquos goinrsquo on
Tuesday 14 February0000 - 2000 Music and Shows throughout the night
2000 - 2200 The California Diner
2200 - 0000 Sound of the Suburbs rpt
0000 - 2000 Music and Shows throughout the night
Wednesday 15 February1830 - 1900 That Time of the Month
2000 - 2200 Metal Mumin
2200 - 0000 Night of the Artisans RPT 0000 - 2000 Music and Shows throughout the night
Thursday 16 February1900 Close to Nowhere
2000 - 2200 Minkirsquos Magic Moments
2300 - 0000 2020 Hip Hop
0000 - 2000 Music and Shows throughout the night
Friday 17 February2000 - 2200 The Forum
2200 - 2300 I Land Music
0000 - 2000 Music and Shows throughout the night Saturday 18 February 1000 - 1200 Jim Distortion In The Morning
1200 - 2100 Best of Music and show repeats
2100 - 2400 Music and Shows throughout the night
Sunday 19 February 0000 - 1800 Music and Shows throughout the night
1900 - 2000 Music Unleashed Top 40
2100 - 2400 Best of Music and show repeats
Monday 20 February2000 0 2200 Crawling Home
2200 - 2400 Music and Shows throughout the night
Bring on the
agony
