Gigography for 2015

Slow year on the live front, but we did release an EP and wrote quite a few new songs.

30/01/15 - @The Moorings with The Inevitable Teaspoons.  Personnel: Me, Al, Chris, Daryl, Kenny.  Bass: Gibson Non-reverse Thunderbird
01/05/15 - @Cafe Drummond with The Inevitable Teaspoons.  Personnel: Me, Al, Chris, Daryl, Kenny.  Bass: Gibson EB
30/05/15 - @The Green Room, Perth with The Inevitable Teaspoons.  Personnel: Me, Al, Chris, Daryl, Kenny.  Bass: Gibson Ripper
05/06/15 - @The Moorings with The Inevitable Teaspoons.  Personnel: Me, Al, Chris, Daryl, Kenny.  Bass: Epiphone Les Paul Standard
31/10/15 - @The Green Room with The Inevitable Teaspoons.  Personnel: Me, Al, Chris, Daryl, Kenny.  Bass: Ibanez Talman TMB-100
14/11/15 - @Krakatoa with The Inevitable Teaspoons.  Personnel: Me, Al, Chris, Daryl, Kenny.  Bass: Gibson Ripper
19/12/15 - @Downstairs with The Inevitable Teaspoons.  Personnel: Me, Al, Chris, Daryl, Kenny.  Bass: Yamaha SBV500

Kenny, Matt and Al @ Moorings 05/06/15.  Photo courtesy Matt Jolly

Aims for the year ahead: more gigs, more songs, record at least an EP and hopefully an album.

Gigography for 2014

Oops, a bit late with this, but it's still January so I guess the year's still new enough.  Here is a list of where I've been terrorising the earholes of the general public in 2014...

21/02/14 - @The Moorings with FaR.  Personnel: Me, Fifi, Luke, Rodaidh.  Bass: G&L Tribute M-2000
12/04/14 - @Cafe Drummond with The Inevitable Teaspoons.  Personnel: Me, Al, Chris, Daryl, Kenny.  Bass: Gibson EB
26/04/14 - @The Green Room, Perth with FaR.  Personnel: Me, Fifi, Luke, Rodaidh.  Bass: Gibson Les Paul Double Cut
03/05/14 - @Downstairs with The Inevitable Teaspoons.  Personnel: Me, Al, Chris, Daryl, Kenny.  Bass: Fender Starcaster
09/05/14 - @The Moorings with FaR.  Personnel: Me, Fifi, Luke, Rodaidh.  Bass: Gibson Non-reverse Thunderbird

Matt@Moorings 09/05,
picture by Biz

24/05/14 - @Henry's Cellar Bar, Edinburgh with FaR.  Personnel: Me, Fifi, Luke, Rodaidh.  Bass: G&L Tribute M-2000
31/05/14 - @Cafe Drummond with FaR.  Personnel: Me, Fifi, Luke, Rodaidh.  Bass: Epiphone Jack Casady
26/06/14 - @Pivo Pivo, Glasgow with FaR.  Personnel: Me, Fifi, Luke, Rodaidh.  Bass: Gibson EB
29/06/14 - @Opium, Edinburgh with FaR.  Personnel: Me, Fifi, Luke, Rodaidh.  Bass: Gibson RD Artist
12/07/14 - @Cafe Drummond with FaR.  Personnel: Me, Fifi, Luke, Rodaidh.  Bass: Gibson Les Paul Double Cut
12/07/14 - @Cafe Drummond with The Inevitable Teaspoons.  Personnel: Me, Al, Chris, Daryl, Kenny.  Bass: Gibson Non-reverse Thunderbird
20/07/14 - @Elphin Music Festival with FaR.  Personnel: Me, Fifi, Luke, Rodaidh.  Bass: Gibson Victory Artist
09/08/14 - @Johnshaven Fish Festival with FaR.  Personnel: Me, Fifi, Luke, Rodaidh.  Bass: Yamaha BB450
17/08/14 - @Downstairs with FaR.  Personnel: Me, Fifi, Luke, Michael, Rodaidh.  Bass: Gibson Non-reverse Thunderbird
23/08/14 - @Dellston, Auchnagatt with The Inevitable Teaspoons.  Personnel: Me, Al, Chris, Daryl, Kenny.  Bass: Fender Power Jazz Special
23/08/14 - @Dellston, Auchnagatt with FaR.  Personnel: Me, Fifi, Luke, Rodaidh.  Bass: Fender Power Jazz Special
27/08/14 - @Pivo Pivo, Glasgow with FaR.  Personnel: Me, Fifi, Luke, Rodaidh.  Bass: Yamaha BB450
29/08/14 - @Market Bar, Inverness with FaR.  Personnel: Me, Fifi, Luke, Rodaidh.  Bass: Gibson EB
30/08/14 - @Cellar 35 with FaR.  Personnel: Me, Fifi, Luke, Michael, Rodaidh.  Bass: Gibson Les Paul Double Cut

Matt@Drummonds 28/11,
picture by Cat

13/09/14 - @Live at Captain Toms with FaR.  Personnel: Me, Fifi, Luke, Rodaidh.  Bass: Gibson EB
13/09/14 - @LACT:LATE (Captain Toms) with FaR.  Personnel: Me, Fifi, Luke, Michael, Rodaidh.  Bass: Gibson Les Paul Double Cut
17/10/14 - @Cafe Drummond with The Inevitable Teaspoons.  Personnel: Me, Al, Chris, Daryl, Kenny.  Bass: Epiphone Jack Casady
17/10/14 - @The Tunnels with FaR.  Personnel: Me, Fifi, Luke, Michael, Rodaidh.  Bass: Epiphone Jack Casady
07/11/14 - @The Moorings with The Inevitable Teaspoons.  Personnel: Me, Al, Chris, Daryl, Kenny.  Bass: Gibson Midtown Standard
28/11/14 - @Cafe Drummond with The Inevitable Teaspoons.  Personnel: Me, Al, Chris, Daryl, Kenny.  Bass: Gibson RD Artist

Gigography for 2013

I'm pretty sure I'm done for this year, no bookings left and people away so it's unlikely that either of my bands will be playing again in 2013.  Without further ado, here is my year in live music in probably too much detail:

17/01/13 - @Ivory Blacks, Glasgow with FaR.  Personnel: Me, Fifi, Rodaidh, Luke.  Bass: Yamaha BB450
02/03/13 - @The Tunnels with FaR.  Personnel: Me, Fifi, Rodaidh, Luke.  Bass: G&L Tribute M-2000
06/03/13 - @Cafe Drummond with FaR.  Personnel: Me, Fifi, Rodaidh, Luke.  Bass: G&L El Toro

Matt @ Lemon Tree 06/04

06/04/13 - @The Lemon Tree with FaR.  Personnel: Me, Fifi, Rodaidh, Luke.  Bass: G&L Tribute L-2000
28/04/13 - @Copthorne Hotel with FaR.  Personnel: Me, Fifi, Rodaidh, Luke.  Bass: Gibson IV
17/05/13 - @Cafe Drummond with FaR.  Personnel: Me, Fifi, Rodaidh, Luke.  Bass: Epiphone Jack Casady
01/06/13 - @Dellston, Auchnagatt with The Inevitable Teaspoons.  Personnel: Me, Chris, Daryl, Kenny.  Bass: G&L El Toro
08/06/13 - @BOX, Glasgow with FaR.  Personnel: Me, Fifi, Rodaidh, Luke.  Bass: G&L Tribute M-2000
15/06/13 - @Douglas Hotel with FaR.  Personnel: Me, Fifi, Rodaidh, Luke.  Bass: Epiphone Jack Casady
29/06/13 - @Torry Lighthouse Festival with FaR.  Personnel: Me, Fifi, Rodaidh, Luke.  Bass: G&L Tribute L-2000
05/07/13 - @Downstairs with FaR.  Personnel: Me, Fifi, Rodaidh, Luke, Robin.  Bass: Yamaha BB450
03/08/13 - @Belladrum Festival with FaR.  Personnel: Me, Fifi, Rodaidh, Luke.  Bass: Yamaha BB450
09/08/13 - @Cafe Drummond with FaR.  Personnel: Me, Fifi, Rodaidh, Luke.  Bass: Fender Cabronita Precision
31/08/13 - @Allathan, New Deer with The Inevitable Teaspoons.  Personnel: Me, Al, Chris, Daryl, John, Kenny.  Bass: G&L Tribute M-2000
21/09/13 - @Eagle Bar, Inverness with FaR.  Personnel: Me, Fifi, Rodaidh, Luke.  Bass: G&L El Toro

Brings us nicely round to 47 gigs in my "career".  Looking forward to 2014!

Batman conundrum

This has been bugging me for a while now.  The first Batman computer game was a "3D" isometric game in the same mould as Head Over Heels, Alien-8, Nightshade etc.  Looked like this:

Anyway, I was sure that there was an occasional occurrence that the game would take pity on you after you lost your last life and gave you a "doggie's life" or something like that (probably a reference to the slang phrase "a dog's chance" i.e. a slim chance).  However, I googled as hard as I could and found loads of screenshots, reviews, cheats and maps but could find no reference to this phenomenon.  So the only thing to do was to go back in time and play it again, Sam.

I was right!

Back to the room you "died" in, zero lives left.  I KNEW IT!  Score one for Matt's memory, and now this fact is documented on the web.

Why is this even important?  Well, I am in the middle of restoring a 1975 Gibson Ripper bass and I thought that this particular video game moment was similar to the second chance that this bass is getting to be a viable instrument again.  So much so that I'm considering putting that bloody ugly, pixellated dog on the headstock, in homage to both the sentiment and the actual video game.

Gigography for 2012

Oops, I completely forgot to do this at the start of the year.  I give to you my gigography for 2012.  You lucky, lucky people.

14/01/12 - @The Moorings with The Oxbow Lake Band.  Personnel: Me, Chris, Andy, Daryl, Al.  Bass: Yamaha BB614
30/03/12 - @Slains Castle with The Oxbow Lake Band.  Personnel: Me, Chris, Andy. Daryl, Al.  Bass: Gibson RD Artist
21/04/12 - @The Greenhouse, Dingwall with The Oxbow Lake Band.  Personnel: Me, Chris, Andy, Daryl, Al, Kenny.  Bass: Gibson Victory Artist
21/04/12 - @Mad Hatters, Inverness with The Oxbow Lake Band.   Personnel: Me, Chris, Andy, Daryl, Al, Kenny.  Bass: Gibson Victory Artist
06/05/12 - @Banff Castle, Banff with The Oxbow Lake Band.  Personnel: Me, Chris, Andy, Daryl, Al, Kenny.  Bass: Gibson IV

Chris and I@Macduff Arts Centre

26/05/12 - @Macduff Arts Centre, Macduff with The Oxbow Lake Band.  Personnel: Me, Chris, Andy, Daryl, Al, Kenny.  Bass: Yamaha BB614
24/06/12 - @Breemie Stone Circle Solstice Gathering with half The Oxbow Lake Band.  Personnel: Me, Andy, Daryl + others.  Bass: G&L Tribute L-2000
29/06/12 - @Slains Castle with The Oxbow Lake Band.  Personnel: Me, Chris, Andy. Daryl, Al, Kenny.  Bass: Gibson SG-Z
30/06/12 - @our back garden with 2/3 of The Oxbow Lake Band.  Personnel: Me, Chris, Daryl, Kenny.  Bass: Gibson RD Artist
16/07/12 - @SHMU FM with half The Oxbow Lake Band.  Personnel: Me, Andy, Kenny.  Bass: Gibson SG-Z
26/07/12 - @Cafe Drummond with The Oxbow Lake Band.  Personnel: Me, Chris, Andy, Daryl, Al, Kenny.  Bass: Gibson RD Artist
28/07/12 - @Last Bus Depot, New Pitsligo with The Oxbow Lake Band.  Personnel: Me, Chris, Andy, Daryl, Al, Kenny.  Bass: Yamaha BB300
03/08/12 - @Belladrum Festival with The Oxbow Lake Band.  Personnel: Me, Chris, Andy, Daryl, Al, Kenny.  Bass: Yamaha BB300

32 not out.

Neglect

It appears to me that I have become more and more insular as time has gone on.  I don't know what I do any more and I don't know who I do it with.  Have I forsaken my friends, or have they forsaken me?  For what it's worth, I accept part of the blame, for not being proactive, for not nourishing and sustaining friendships that have withered and I hope not died.  Blame is a strong word though, for I do not seek explanation, only a return to simpler times when involvement in activities was assured rather than cautiously asked for.

I am sorry for all the friendships I have let lapse.  I started to think that I was an inconvenience to others, and that it wasn't cool to invite myself round to your houses, that you all had busy lives that I didn't want to unbalance.  I hope this was a silly, groundless thought.

Next year, things are going to change.  I am going to make a pest of myself, and if you do mind then I'm sure you'll let me know, as you are my friends and I would like to think you would tell me straight.

Have a good Hogmanay, and I will be annoying you in the near future.

Help Jayne continue her operatic journey!

My wife Jayne has been accepted onto an opera production down in London and while it's an amazing opportunity, travelling back and forth to London isn't going to be much fun.  She is looking for sponsors to help her along her way.  She can explain it way better than me, but if you'd like to see what she's up to then go here:

http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/JayneJayneCarmichaelNorrie

Aren't you getting a bit old for this, Aberdeen?

Where have all the bees gone?  Don't blame the miserable summer, they're all buzzing around in various people's bonnets in the aftermath of a serious uppercut landed in the continuing bout between supporters of retaining UTG and proponents of the CGP (and I don't believe for one minute that this bruising, attritional, weary war of words and dubious deeds is over yet).

I always said that I was against CGP.  I always said that the sums didn't add up for me.  However, once the referendum went through and my side lost, I shut the hell up about it.  So now things have swung back to my way of thinking, am I happy?  Not really.  I always had a suspicion that everyone in Aberdeen basically despises anyone they don't know. The only result we're left with post referendum is an already divided populous which has been carved almost right down the middle thanks to a merely mathematical (and as it turns out, pointless) majority.  You might as well start making up sandbags.  This isn't over.  This is just beginning.  Civil war in Aberdeen, except conducted by a bunch of Internet hard nuts and keyboard warriors.  Battle has already resumed and they didn't even have the courtesy to wait until I get some popcorn!  Now that's just rude.

Do I think that democracy has been damaged?  Hardly - it's broken by design.

Do I think that all the Internet based "debate" is damaging to Aberdeen?  Most definitely.  When I read some of the "debate" that is ongoing on Facebook or Twitter, all it boils down to for me is this:

crowd arguing

This is a pretty good approximation of what I imagine you would all sound like if we put you all in the Beach Ballroom and asked you to have a "debate".  Come on, some of you can't even spell your insults correctly.  Quantity of Facebook "likes" being used as an analogy for testicle size and the moral right to... tell people how it should be?  Reports of dissenting views being deleted because they don't tally up with the prevailing way of thinking on a particular page?  Pathetic.

To all those who engage in this tiresome charade - you all disgust me with your petty, childish, bitter behaviour.  We're going nowhere, fast, and you aren't helping one iota.

Sound engineers - will you please listen?

I've just had the dubious pleasure of listening back to our performance at Belladrum.  It's... fast.  I don't know if we were keyed up because of the event itself, or the technical difficulties that delayed our start by 10 mins (which is a lot when you've only got a 45min slot), but we're playing like we're on speed or something, and this is unusual because we're not Motörhead.

But the one thing that is annoying me is the fact that the singer has asked for more vocals in the monitors on at least 4 occasions (gave up counting after that, no wait, I think I heard a fifth).  It is clear that nothing's been done - Andy's more shouting than singing and that's because he can't hear himself.  Daryl's harmonica is a bit wayward at times because he can't hear what he's doing.  That's a big problem when you're responsible for the tuning/intonation of your instrument (that includes voice).  It's not so much of a problem for me, playing fretted electric bass.  I have a tuner on the floor and I keep my basses set up properly (intonation compensation at the bridge etc.) so as long as my open strings are in tune then when I stop the string at the correct place, I get the correct note.  I can play the fretted bass visually/by feel and it'll sound OK, but it won't be as tight as it could be as instead of "being one with the rest of the band" (which comprises a combination of muscle memory through practice and being able to hear everyone else) you're either anticipating (which can make you early if you get it wrong) or reacting (which by definition makes you late).  And I don't have to bloody well like it - in fact I hate the feeling of playing in a bubble, where you're playing the bass and have no idea if you're even contributing to the proceedings (hoping to hell that the front of house sound is better than this).

Sound engineers, can you please explain to me (like I'm a four year old - as I have no comprehension of what you do and no right to tell you what to do) why it is that some of you are seemingly unwilling (or unable) to give us decent sound on stage?  We are not moaning for the sake of it, not giving us decent sound on stage is like asking us to gut fish with a butter knife.  You'll have your fish, but it won't be pretty.  All we're asking for is to have a decent monitoring on stage so that we can do our jobs properly.  We are not professionals, but we take our hobby seriously and want to perform at our best for the good people who come out to see us, dance and generate money for the venues that employ you in order that they continue to do this.  If you hamper our performance because we can't hear what we're doing, punters will stay away, and it's as much in your interests as ours to keep bums on seats and feet on dancefloors.

Yay, it's 1997 again!

And that would make me ... 22.  Man, time flies.

Tonight is the night I decided to switch the criminally underused stereo on and put a CD on.  I'm not sure what the motivation was, I was watching the documentary "An Ox's Tale" about John Entwistle (bass player in The Who, in case you didn't know) and ended up feeling a bit sad (y'know, 'cos he's dead and all that).  Then I remembered a while back I was feeling all guilty about having hundreds of CDs that I never listen to so I decided to finally do something about it.

I didn't put much thought into choosing a CD, the first letter I looked at was S and I had an urge to put on Supergrass, "In It for the Money".  I fired up the amp, the CD player and the graphic equaliser and stuck it on.  I'd like to tell you that I was whisked away to a magical fantasy land, but the Android phone, the Intel i5 sticker on the laptop, the electricity monitor and the fact that I just tweeted the picture to the left kept me in the 21st century.

All the same, it felt like I had reclaimed or rediscovered something about me, something I had forgotten, something I used to like about myself and it felt good.

CD's nearly coming to an end ("Sometimes I Make You Sad") - one more for tonight, I wonder if I'll keep with the 1997 theme or put something classic on...

Video from the Depot

I've put up a few videos from Saturday's gig at the Last Bus Depot near New Pitsligo.  It's a little "band in a tin box" sounding, but hopefully it's good enough to tap your toes to and remember a good night - or wish you had been there and spur you on to join us at the next one!

Report from gig at Last Bus Depot

What a fantastic place, what a fantastic gig!  The Last Bus Depot is an amazing venue - a bit like a big boy's playroom.  Can't explain it in enough words, so have some panoramic photography courtesy of Jayne (thanks darling!)

The crowd were really up for it and I would say that it was one of the best gigs we've ever done.  I can't wait until we come back and do it again!

Gig tipoff: The Oxbow Lake Band, Omar Bin Mohamed Afif

When: Saturday 28th July 2012
Where: The Last Bus Depot, New Pitsligo
Doors: 7.30pm
Tax: £5

An unusual new venue for us - the Last Bus Depot just outside New Pitsligo.  I can't explain it any better than their own site, so have a link - http://www.lastbus.org

I'm really looking forward to this one, hope to see you there!

Gig tipoff: The Oxbow Lake Band, The Carousels

When: Thursday 26th July 2012
Where: Cafe Drummond, Belmont Street, Aberdeen
Doors: 8pm
Tax: none, free entry!

Oops, left it a little late to put this up but if you're at a loose end this Thursday (tomorrow as I type) then why not head down to Cafe Drummond and treat your ears to the psychedelic country tones of The Carousels followed by a heap of different tunes from us, our songs, other people's songs, all good time tunes.  Free entry, no excuses, hope to see you there!

The Oxbow Lake Band: At the Festival

I'm very excited to announce the first recorded output of The Oxbow Lake Band since my joining.  It's a song called "At the Festival" and it's been recorded to celebrate our upcoming appearance at Belladrum Festival in August.

You can have a listen here:



You can also download it for free from Bandcamp and Reverbnation.

Gig tipoff: The Oxbow Lake Band, Q-nim, Jamie Rodden

When: Friday 29th June 2012
Where: Slains Castle, Belmont Street, Aberdeen
Doors: 8pm
Tax: none, free entry!

Once again we grace the "orchestra pit" of Slains Castle for another night of totally groovin' tunes.  Six musicians to squeeze into the pit this time (and seven if we have MC along with us for a couple of tunes), so I'll have to make sure I don't lop anyone's head off with me bass.

If you missed us last time (or can't remember, it was 3 months ago), here's a little reminder of how we roll:

Support from Jamie Rodden and Q-nim.  Things get going (hopefully) at 8pm, it's free entry so head on down, let your hair down and dance!

Health kick

Recently, we've made a couple changes to see if we can be a bit more healthy.

1) I'm joining Jayne at Zumba once a week.  At present I am the only bloke attending this particular session.  I had a brief flashback to school when the male membership of the recorder group dwindled away to just me (I left as soon as that happened - oh, if I knew then what I know now), but I just had an attack of  "what the hell" and got stuck in.  I lack co-ordination and tend to throw myself about like an idiot, but it gets the heart going and sweat running so I must be doing something.

2) We're doing Meat Free Mondays (http://www.meatfreemondays.com/) - it's been three weeks now and it's no bother - while I enjoy eating meat, I'm not completely closed minded to meals without meat.  Quorn, as you can imagine has figured quite heavily in things so far but I will branch out and try some recipes as the weeks go on.  Not my turn next week though, so I've got a bit of time to prepare :)

Hopefully these small changes will make a difference to health and energy levels.  Not that I have been feeling unhealthy or lethargic, but I have thought over the past few years that I could do better.  Time will tell.

Sitting on a bankrupt throne made of ... CDs

Gig tipoff: The Oxbow Lake Band and Martin Stephenson

When: Saturday 26th May 2012
Where: Macduff Arts Centre, Duff Street, Macduff
Doors: 8pm
Tax: £8 (£6 concession)

This should be a great gig, I'm really looking forward to it.  To quote the COAST Festival programme:

"Two of the most articulate musical and good time music acts in the UK on the same bill!  Martin is an 80s legend, who toured with Prefab Sprout, Aztec Camera and Janis Ian - "builds bridges between love and hate, between cradle and grave, between folk and pop, between the past and the present" - NME.  Witty, eclectic, insightful, Martin is an intuitive and highly entertaining artist.  The Oxbow Lake Band is a lively 5-piece rock/folk/jazz/funk/poetry crossover band.  A must for every celebration of creativity, the Oxbows are likely to turn up with plug-in guest musicians and poets.  Impossible not to dance to!"

Aye, so we're nae bad then.  If you're up this way then why not drop by?  Bring your dancing shoes!

This event is part of the COAST Festival which runs from 25th - 27th May in Banff and Macduff.  Full programme of events here: http://www.coastfestival.org.uk/programme.html

The Oxbow Lake Band: Banff Castle 06/05/2012

We played recently at Banff Castle as part of their Beltane Bash.  Have some video from it: