What? Two in such a short time?
Saturday 27th May
The Bath Hotel
Northumberland Street
Morecambe
9:30pm.
This used to be one of our favourite venues but it closed down some time ago. Reopened under new owners we return to check it out on Saturday. Will it have the same people in the audience, hope so as we had a lot of friends in Morecambe but obviously we are hoping to make more.
Looking at the gig list – usual bands are there so we are looking forward to a good night.
Speaking of good nights, rather a good one in Shotton last week. We were a bit shattered due to having a few weeks off and we had a few gremlins, my guitar cutting out in first track? Then my voice was looking to say goodbye during the first set plus cramp in the fingers near the end but hey it all went ok. A great reception. Our Spoon/bone playing friend Malcolm was giving it loads by the end. All good fun but he does play out of time which is a bit distracting
I have also been thinking this week where the Clan fit in within the many genres of rock. In our heads we are quite simply a Good time Feel good rock band and we play gigs where people seem to enjoy us and our music. We are actually quite happy playing before or after any other band. However promoters and a lot of people seem to want to put us in a box, Classic Rock/New Wave of British Heavy Metal (NWOBHM) /pop rock. Blues rock etc. etc. To be honest we don’t really care but is it impacting our bookings? I don’t know – we do ok.
I’m not going to dwell on the events of this week- all very sad but I think the reporting has been a bit excessive. In fact I am really somewhat down on the media at the moment. I was never naïve enough to believe that we aren’t fed what the media want us to know but it really has become very obvious how biased they are recently.
Rants
At the risk of repeating myself – Motorway Matrix signs. One day I will see one that actually tells me accurate information, but I won’t hold my breath. They are generally always incorrect. This week I passed one that told me the M5 was closed at Junction 4a-5. The Matrix was at Junction 4a and guess what the motorway was fully open!!!!!
Cyclists are getting on my nerves – Their stupid outfits, hi viz clothing (ok I understand that) and their complete lack of common road sense. Constantly darting in front of you in traffic jams, whizzing up both sides in busy traffic and generally ignoring traffic lights, road markings etc. Any wonder that they get knocked off.
The football season? I don’t think there is one anymore. When I was a kid it finished with the FA cup final at the start of May and started again In September, I really don’t think it ever finishes anymore. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t mind football as such but it does seem to occupy the media/press etc far more than it should.
Increased prices at Motorway service stations? Necessary to pay high overheads or a rip off.
Remember if you are in the AA you get a discount at Moto services. Kind of makes the prices realistic.
Staff in restaurants typing your order into a Tablet. Great unless you want to alter it. Never seems to allow for that. Use a pen and paper!
Staff in restaurants who seem to think remembering the order makes them seem clever – it doesn’t you usually get it wrong – Use a pen and paper!
Hmm, pattern forming here.
I am all for technology but only when it improves things. Simplicity works for me – does this make me old yes probably but older is wiser.
Nothing wrong with a pen and a piece of paper.
Music
Pete Way – UFO bass player has written a biography. Now I have always been a fan of UFO and Pete Way, his book is a good read and I was impressed that unlike many rock stars biographies he started with music because he liked it and wanted to play it. Sadly of course he started to hit the drugs and booze and I am not sure he is really off them now. Being alive is a bonus and it sounds like he even has a new album in the works. A good read actually and obviously full of anecdotes about other rock stars. Recommended – Pete Way – Fast ride out of here.
New rock magazine from Planet rock radio. Seems ok, part way through first issue. Not unlike Classic rock Magazine – doubt there is room for both. Alongside the well-known stories about the classic rock bands (let’s face it after 40 years how much more is there to tell?) it pushes the latest Planet rock darlings – the ones on all their festivals (Rambin man, Rockstock etc). It’s an ok read though but a regular purchase – hmm, I doubt it. Classic Rock is slightly less focussed on the latest “new thing” and has a more varied coverage.in my opinion.
Festivals – are there too many – discuss? Ramblin Man looks the best of the bunch to me this year. Download (Donnington) – Not heard of most of the bands – yep I am old.
There are a lot of festivals for all genres – as I say too many? Have a think about it.
Digital music made it far too easy to copy albums, songs. Before that you copied an album to tape but that was really as far as you could go. Further copying became inaudible. So you had to buy your music.
Digital killed that.
Now of course you can digitise your albums via USB turntables so whether the resurgence in Vinyl sales will stop copying, I doubt it. In fact not really sure what that is all about. Yes I loved vinyl but was it more to do with the covers rather than the albums, personally I just want to listen to the music and don’t care whether it is digital/vinyl/cassette/8 track whatever?
So – let’s talk music. Still enjoying Phil Rudd’s Head Job album.
The Pete Way book caused me to listen to even more UFO than usual. Oddly some of the albums he doesn’t think are very good I think are. Covenant, Sharks and You are here all sound great to me.
The Sweet- they always struggled between wanting the limelight as Chinn/Chapman pop stars (Wig Wham bam, Hell raiser, Ballroom Blitz etc) and wanting to be serious rock musicians (Sweet FA, Set me free, Burnin’, Need a lot of lovin’). The Action collection has them all and a very good listen it is too. Their harmonies were brilliant and at times they could give Queen a run for their money. They (The Andy Scott version) are playing with Ritchie Blackmore at a couple of gigs but I suspect the set list will be the singles not the album/B side rockers. Money talks.
I have tickets to see Blackmore (Note I refuse to call this Rainbow) at the MEN at end of June. Hopefully it will still go ahead. I believe he has recorded a new version of I surrender and a version of Land of hope and glory with current singer Ronnie Romero. This begs the question why? I will probably buy them of course but really only through interest.
So keep rockin’ keep happy and stay optimistic
Craig
Remember we support Phil Rudd (Ex AC/DC) and his band at The Tivoli on Friday June 23rd. As a special one off deal as we will be selling tickets at our gig in the Clwyd this Friday. So if you are thinking of going to the Phil Rudd gig then then might be worth popping along. Normal price is £25 but I can guarantee that they will be a lot cheaper than that.
Keep rockin’
Craig