Time marches on, hard to believe that over the half of the year has been and gone already.
So what is in store for the Clan in the next few weeks – Well nothing this week actually (through choice) but next up is a return to the Talbot in Burnley. A long established and rather excellent live music venue. The following week we return to Rock at the also rather excellent Cambridge Rock Festival in the company of Carl Palmer and Focus amongst others.
Friday 29th July
The Talbot
Church Street
Burnley
Thursday 4th August
Cambridge Rock Festival
Haggis Farm Polo field
Cambridge
Clan on Stage 2 – 6:30pm
Last week we returned to the Griffin in Earlestown and it was a good one. I think I mentioned previously it can be a bit hit and miss in there but last week was a hit. Band on top form, a hot night, good crowd and a crackin’ set. We return in November with the promise of more next year.
Getting slightly paranoid now as stopped again by the police on the way home, second week running, this time it was because the car was full of “stuff”. Anyway, they were satisfied that nothing was untoward and I made my way home to a well-deserved chilled bottle of dog from the fridge and a Ginster’s Pasty. Rock & Roll at its best.
Finally some progress has been made on T-shirts this week, thanks to our producer Russ Cottier, hopefully have them ready for Cambridge along with a large stack of the “Second Helpings” CD.
Speaking of progress, I recently had cause to check out my information videos on YouTube and was amazed to see that the top viewings are 314,000 (effects boards & loopers), 290,000 (Amps – Valve versus Solid state) and 136,000 (Amps – Marshall 100W SLP versus JCM800 100W). I never expected figures like that. Perhaps I am helping a few people and providing a useful service? I think I should consider doing a few more. I only really heard about the Vlogger phenomena and can’t believe that some of these people are now doing live tours based on the fact that they just talk about stuff to a webcam and have millions of subscribers?
The weather has finally improved but for how long. Long enough for me to attack the lawns with a mower which they seriously needed. Not great even now but certainly better.
Needless to say as soon as the sun did come out so did the flying ants and I am also sure I was bitten several times whilst mowing the lawn by various small insects. Isn’t nature wonderful haha. Well I guess every creature has a purpose.
Certainly has according to Professor Brian Cox who seems to be a constant fixture on BBC at the moment.
MOT time again for the car at the end of this month, I will need a couple of new tyres but hopefully nothing else major. 188,000 miles so it hasn’t done too badly really. I am not the best person when it comes to looking after material things, I believe in using them. Never understood why some people try to avoid long journeys or using their cars because it puts miles on them. Just use it that is what it is for. And yes it will get banged by other people’s car doors in car parks and stone chips will hit the paintwork and windscreen thrown up from the road. Just happens, get over it.
Oops straying into rant land there.
Rants
Pokemon Go – what a load of rubbish. Ok, if you are a kid I can see it has some interest but adults, really? I have no doubt that in future people pointing cameras at us on stage will not all be taking photos, some will be looking for digitally produced monsters!
Speaking of mobile phones I have mentioned this before but I still get annoyed at the people who have no visible sign of a phone and just seem to be walking around talking to themselves due to hidden mics, Bluetooth etc. They generally seem to be the kind of people who think they are more important than others, well I’m sorry but generally they are not and they just look stupid. Also they are pretty ignorant in my opinion as well wandering round thinking everyone should be listening to them without any consideration for what others might be doing.
What is it with people who get to cash tills then decide to look in their bags and coats for money? Do these people have no forethought or anticipation at all? If you are going to buy something you need to pay for it. Unbelievable. Equally as annoying, people who get to food counters and then start looking at what they want only to discover that the restaurant they are in does not serve it.
Take the train and use public transport we are told. Well a one hour car journey for me the other day, I checked and it would have taken two hours on a train with two changes. Plus I would have to get to and from the railway station at each end probably involving a taxi. Not great is it? Not going to happen either.
I wonder if the new Government are still going to continue the North/South High speed rail link. Big waste of money in my book, all to save 30 minutes? Is it really going to encourage people to leave London, I seriously doubt it. Not when they have their Oyster cards, Uber cars and a whole bunch of other stuff that no-one outside London knows (or cares) about.
Music
This week I sat and wondered if I really do like Rock music? It feels to me that I actually dislike more of what I hear on rock radio than I like. Is this just an age thing, am I stuck in my particular time period believing it to be the best for Rock (quite possibly) or actually was it the best?
Depends on the individual I guess and probably their age.
Whatever the reason I do consider myself very fortunate to have seen many bands in their prime, most of whom are now classed as legendary: Sabbath, Lizzy, Rush, Rainbow, UFO, AC/DC, Scorpions, Judas Priest, Blue Oyster Cult, Rory Gallager, Kiss, Motorhead and many more. Most them still playing now of course albeit with line-up changes.
Because of this it is difficult for me to place “newer” bands such as Foo Fighters, Muse, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Sterephonics, Green Day and the like in the same league although they probably are in reality.
As for the next big things – well over the years certain bands have been pushed by the rock media and I am sure this trend will continue but certainly The Answer, Airborne, White Wizard, Toseland, Tracer, Current media favourites – Inglorious, Rival sons and Black Stone Cherry don’t seem to be offering anything different to that which many other rock bands are doing.
Personally I find my friend Paul Stead’s band “The Darker My Horizon” much more original and palatable and quite rightly they are picking up a good following. Rock bands like Jupiter Falls, Savage Outlaw and Stormzone sound just as good to me as any of the “favoured” ones.
So yes musical taste is up to the individual and long may it remain so. Don’t just go by what the media tells you, use your own ears.
Until next time check out The new Darker My Horizon Album “No Superhero” Released today -July 22nd.
Keep Rockin’
Craig