Monday 24 August 2009

Dog Days

It's August and predictably, much has happened to the band.

Generally, it feels like a band as we have now actually performed together, three times in fact.

There's so much more to a band than just a bunch of musicians rehearsing and playing together especially as we are creating something with limited resources.

A band is a very organic thing.

Even though so far I’ve 99 per cent created the music myself, the band’s contribution grows.

Ideas for arrangements, different chord sequences, input on instrumentation and of course what each member is actually going to play, how and when, have flowed and I am hoping this will increase, not because I could not orchestrate it all myself but because creative input is the secret of ownership of the band by its members.

Ownership brings increased enthusiasm, increased commitment, increased loyalty and increased enjoyment.

On another level we have all made friends. In a women’s band this brings with it the added bonus of emotional support, sometimes not just on band matters.

We all know each other better now. We know each other’s faults and foibles but are becoming friends.

The energy field that this creates is always greater than the sum of the parts.
But bands cannot live by bread alone.

We’ve now acquired a percussionist and maybe a second backing singer, but we still haven’t recruited a bassist.

My solution, to make backing tracks with the help of our mentor, Aldo, (yes, he’s an honorary woman!) is working well. Aldo is clearly a genius and is even beginning to like our music. We collaborate on creating the drums and bass lines using Cubase, I feel I have ultimate creative control but our 'silent' mentor member has input a great deal and we are very grateful.

We went off to a jam/open mic night at the Bull in Newick which is a few miles north of Lewes.

Last time I went it was pretty quiet, so I thought the girls would survive their first outing without too much drama.

When we arrived, it was heaving with the crush of summer evening drinkers and musicians.

But Andy who runs it was very patient with our complex setup and we managed three numbers which were reasonably well received.

Our new percussionist - no alias chosen yet - was definitely thrown in the deep end (think middle of the Atlantic in her case as she has never drummed before let alone in public.

But the risk paid off and she even drummed at our next gig, far more scary, in front of Brighton Station where we were supporting a charity event by laying on a day of music.

Sadly, technology, in the form of a terminally overheated generator, let us and down but undaunted, we took ourselves off to the Portland Rock Pub in Hove and did two numbers at their Sunday acoustic jam.

This was extremely well received considering the usual resistance to original material but we were among friends.

We’ve yet to play with our backing tracks but on August Bank Holiday weekend we’re off to another charity day at Hassocks where the backing will hopefully be playable.

Plans for Autumn gigs include a couple of self promoted gigs in Brighton’s Sanctuary, more open mic at Audio, on Brighton Seafront, and a Girls' Rock Night which we aim to do with some other women musicians at the Portland.

Fiddleycat leaves for a six week trip to the USA next month so it’s eyes down for some serious recording, which should result in a demo and then it’s time to do some better gigs and get some of the music on to MySpace and ITunes.

The band is far from tight yet but we can leave the stage satisfied we’ve given a performance even at this stage. Ideas for costumes, staging and filming are beginning to firm up.

Perfection comes with workrate so it should be an interesting Autumn.

We continue to build positive and fruitful links with many other musicians and I am determined to involve others in live music whenever I get the chance, as that’s been a lifelong commitment which I intend to maintain.

I have written 59 songs in the last year or so, every one of which is a meaningful statement about something I care about, some are comedic or ironic, some are serious, many are just stories.

Can’t wait to get them recorded as a finished product because my aim isn’t to become some sort of local celebrity, my aim is to entertain and try to be thought provoking.

Wynd continues to take the Road Less Travelled, and right now I don’t see too many brambles and gates!