Website

The new website, that this blog ties in with, is now online here. We should thank Kwok, Tristan and Jane in my office at Public Impact for their time putting the new site together for us.

John

Gigs

We, or more to the point Chris, encountered a range of complications with diaries, dates and venues we now have two gigs coming up before Christmas. The first at the Maiden Over in Earley and the second, also in Early, at the Radstock Centre. At the Maiden Over we’ll be performing with Carol on lead vocals backed by Simon.

I’m certainly looking forward to both gigs where we’ll have between two and four new songs in the set and a couple of new covers too.

Thanks to Chris for his persistance and patience.

John

Walls

Simon’s latest new song, “Walls”, is IMHO one of his best lyrics. Both that and the musical structure remind me of many of Richard Thompson’s songs. Without letting his head get too big, he should realise what massive praise this is coming from me.

We’ve only just started arranging “Walls” for the band – hindered considerably by my failing eyesight. But Simon’s other new one, “Then You’re Gone”, which is demoed on the site, is also fast becoming a favourite to play (even though playing it in G#m is a bit of a pain). Sparse and stripped down to the essentials – very representative of the new sound of the band.

John

Festival

I didn’t get to Reading this year, settling for finding a ticket for my son. Neither did Chris – in his case for the first time in a very long time, similarly enabling his daughter to go.

By any standards a family visit to the festival is a hefty slice of funds – even for a day pass. Simon, who has a greater tolerance to mayhem and physical discomfort than I can any longer manage went to an awful lot of it and seemed to enjoy himself. Mind you, Radiohead and Kings of Leon would have probably been enough to keep him happy.

I’ve little doubt that I would have found something new – which is the point of visiting for me. I find it difficult to raise much enthusiasm for the main stage. This is largely because they are mostly bands I have seen in smaller venues at various times, but also because the wind that sweeps in along the river makes decent sound an impossibility regardless of the wattage that’s put behind it. Chase and Status, on of the few high profile dance acts at Reading, were the highlight for my son and would probably have been for me too.

Simon told us that the usual problems of fires and groups of 20ish men/boys piling through the site looking for something to kick were present as ever. I don’t know how or if the organisers can ever get to grips with this, I hope they do.

John 

Blog

About time we had a new blog for Shed Music.