Apart from the cow disasters, we did manage a little joy over the festive season. Friend and long time musical colleague of G-Man's, Phil (Beck) Beckett came to stay over. We recorded this over a couple of intense days. Beck is an amazing drummer, but also plays guitar and writes a mean pop song. His is the first track - Last Day which, as it turns out, we did on New Years Eve.
G-Man is main vocals and guitar and I'm doing harmonies and playing Dulcimer. It's rough and ready, but it's all recorded on the fly with no electronic footling or overdubbing later on - what you hear is what we played, live in the Green Room (our studio).
A total hoot, and about the best fun to be had in the breezy cool of under-the-house with an instrument in your lap and a couple of slabs of beer at hand. What can I say - it's damn thirsty work.
Track 4 is for you HVK - a theme song.
Cool
ReplyDeleteI shall never read Hvk's comments without hearing your version of Hole in the middle.
ReplyDeleteGood fun.
ReplyDeleteNow if you could only arrange some form of complimentary sponsorship deal...
Dulcimer eh? Too many strings for this little black duck, I find four and a half more than enough.
There was a great busker in Syn City when I worked there, an elderly new Australian gent. He had one of those Vietnamese (?) Dulcimers that he played with a pair of fine carved sticks. That dude could get about 160 bpm out of it. Way hella awsome. Interestingly he played the traditional arythmic cat-strangling music with a backing tape (No cats on the railway platform I guess) but then played Barnsey & Farnsey covers solo. Really really well. I'd rather sit & listen to him play working class man than listen to J Barnes scream it anyday. I guess that makes me unAustralian.
NBob:
ReplyDeleteThis is an Apalacian Dulcmer - only three strings, tuned to DAD, and ludicrously easy to play. Being modal, it is practically impossible to play a wrong note - which, you will note, I do manage to do, but my theory of music is that if you take that wrong note and run with it, it soom becomes the note you 'intended' to play.
Love the Appalachian dulcimer... next to the Kazoo, the ultimate easy-cheat instrument, but it sounds oh-so-much better.
ReplyDeleteYou folks got a nice groove going on, by the way. When you come past Tasmania, you bring your instruments. I'll get out the flute and the whistle; Natalie can handle the fiddle. There's a bodhran in the closet, and I can carry a tune okay, as needed.
Also, the local beer is fine.
It was Geoff's first instrument as a kid. He makes them, and is currently in the midst of making a bass version with wound strings on it, and has almost finished making an electric job.
ReplyDeleteThe one I'm playing in the Session was miked with a bug pickup on the body. Technically, it has four strings, but the melody strings - the two top ones - are turned to the same note.
He has it in mind to have a go at a lyre at some stage. Really looking forward to figurng out how to play that.
oh oh oh!! more amazing sounds!! thanks!!
ReplyDeleteha! an old friend of mine has exhibited at Evan's gallery...how wierd! small world!
ReplyDeleteOH thats just FKN GOLD...it should go platinum..Wicked
ReplyDeleteHeh heh .. Havock Track 4. At least you weren't drinking beer sullied with fake fruit flavours.
ReplyDeleteNice work.