Hi all, Craig from the Clan (www.clan-rock.com) here again.
So it’s been two weeks since the last one – time flies when you are busy.
I guess the first thing is to report that the rehearsals for the new single went well and Steve and I recorded all the vocals, guitars and bass parts last week. Jim couldn’t make it so the drums are being added on Tuesday. A bit back to front but I’m sure with our producer Russ Cotter’s (www.russellcottier.com) help it will all be fine.
We played two gigs in Wales a week or so ago, The Clwyd in Shotton which once again went really well. Always a good night there.
The following night we were in the beautiful Trearddur Bay on Anglesey. A great venue called the Waterfront overlooking the bay.A very friendly welcome by Diane and her staff. A disastrous start when Steve broke a string in the first number and then the same string on the spare bass in the second number. No spare strings(?) so one was cannibalised in order to provide a working instrument (whilst I filled in with some solo numbers) but it did throw us for a while. All turned out really well in the end and we will definitely be going back.
This weekend was the Bluebell in Warrington.One to forget if we can. Major interference on the guitar which we couldn’t track down, must have been the electrics in the venue? A very low ceiling meant the lights were in our faces and I had a pillar in front of me which meant I couldn’t really see the the audience; then again I was blinded by the lights so that didn’t help.
The onstage sound was weird and then in the second set the haze machine triggered the fire alarm and the power tripped. So although we didn’t play badly but it was just one of those gigs, couldn’t really tell if the audience enjoyed it or not. I was glad to get home to bed.
Last night normal service was resumed with a cracker of a gig at The Park Hotel in Colwyn Bay. Played there a few times but we could tell in the first number it was all going to be ok. Look forward to returning to that one.
This week I received two new albums – 13 by Black Sabbath and Dancer & the Moon by Blackmore’s Night.
Sabbath’s offering has now grown on me after five listens, I admit it didn’t grab me straight away but I am now familiar with the tracks and it’s turning out to be a great album. Well done boys.
Blackmore shows his class on the latest Blackmore’s Night. As usual his instrumentals stand out for me, especially his tribute to Jon Lord – Carry on .. Jon.
The Stratocaster makes far more appearances than it has of late and the Rainbow Classic “Temple of the King” is nicely reworked.
Candice is still using the same lyric book, I think at least four songs have the word Moon in the title. So not a lot of chang since the first two albums “Shadow of the moon” or “Under a violet Moon”. She sings ok but I guess I am like a lot of people, we kind of tolerate it just for the chance to hear some magic from the man in black. It’s nothing personal against her it’s just how it is.
It is the best album he has made for a while though and the guitars are quite prominent in the mix which is good.
So – looking forward, we should complete the tracking for the single this week and Russ will hopefully mix and master it as well. Release date – end of June?
Next gigs are the Springfield Springy in St Helens on Friday and then a return to the excellent Hogs ‘n’ Heifers in Bentham on Saturday. So it’s all good.
Let’s hope the sun returns this week?
With a bit of luck the next blog will announce the release date for the single,
Until then ,
Keep Rockin’
Craig