http://www.negativland.com/news/?page_id=17

Written by Steve Albini.  

(he would know)

I have finally found a way that works! Usually my sheet music slips, or is blown off my music stand.. but I experimented with blu tak and other things and the best thing I have found is hair clips!!

I don't have any clips my self but my sister does, so I have stolen them and they work!

They are the long metal springy ones that hairdressers use to section your hair at the salon.

They are easy to clip and hold real tight!

I just thought I would share with you, because now it is warm you may have yr music blowing off if you have a fan going in yr drum room!

SBD

I just got back from a 2 week european tour teching for Gavin Harrison's clinics, a long drive back back Frankfurt on Friday (Thank God for the Channel Tunnell!), now back into working on the new Derecho album and my 'special project' over summer!

Should be back out with a 'TBA' international drummer in autumn, plus a couple more tours, plenty of Derecho livedates coming up, also a couple of TBA tours to take me up to Christmas. Not mad-busy, but busy enough and the sun is shining!

This is Derecho, the band I'm with now, check it out and let us know what you think. Is the bar open yet?

student pods
 

One big mistake about half way through the song, but this was the best take so its what I'm using. 

S'OK now though - it's been 4 or 5 weeks and I'm pretty much over that.   (Plus the smell in this room is almost gone now which is nice)

Other news - my new band played its maiden "gig" at a party last Saturday.   First time ever I've played in public without being eaten up by nerves.  It was OK, meh.  Just an hour or so, and 50 or so people sitting/standing around, some possibly tapping their feet but no other animation that I could detect!

This band is really not very good!!  The lead guitarist is still very much a beginner.  He doesn't hit the right notes, he speeds up, and doesn't appear to have any groove or musicality - although perhaps it will come through when he learns the notes better.  He doesn't listen to me - in fact none of them listen to me, they all just do their own thing and occasionally they all come together !    Oh OK, not quite that bad perhaps.  I did mention to hubby that the guitarist got a round of applause after his solo in one of the numbers and hubby said "It was relief.  They could breathe again".   The bass player is OK, could be good, but again no groove really, just the right notes in the right order and tending to be slightly ahead of me all the time.  That all said, I really like playing with them, they are nice people, so enthusiastic, no dramas.   And I like not being eaten up by nerves, it gives me some head space to try to improve what I'm doing.

And final news - we're off tomorrow for 4 or 5 weeks, travelling "oop north"  in our campervan.  It's been a 3 year rebuild, but we've finally done it -  it's taxed, insured, mot'd, fully packed and campsite in North Wales is booked for our first stop.  (Ditto the motorbike on the back - we haven't used that for a couple of years either).   It's been hard work the last few weeks.  Stopping in N Wales for a few days to see an old friend then off to Liverpool (always wanted to go there) then up the west coast a bit, across to Newcastle taking in Hadrian's Wall on the way, then Scarborough (spent 6 weeks there in 1967 - wonder if it's changed ? ha ha) down to the the Norfolk coast, then ... dunno.

So, thank you if you've stayed with me to the end of this massive post.   We'll have the lap top with us,  and with more time on our hands I hope I'll actually be able to be around a bit more than I have recently.