Blog: Harmonies Guys!

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Off to DERBY the other night, for yet another Band Practice. My WORD what a TIGHTLY RUN ORGANISATION we have become - who could have dared to dream that, months ago, when we HILARIOUSLY suggested LEARNING the songs BEFORE we recorded them, that we would actually carry out such a MADCAP SCHEME? Yet, here we were again, assembled in our little room in Derby, doing exactly that.

This particular night was SPECIAL, however, because it was the first time all FIVE of us had gathered together, and it continued to be SPECIAL throughout - especially when we did "The Fight For History", when Tom UNLEASHED firstly a SCARIFYING line of violin on the first verse, before EXPLODING into MULTI-PEDULAR MADNESS on the next, or when Emma sang HARMONY VOCAL throughout "Breaks In The Journey". I got especially excited about that - Simon and Garfunkel must have had to spend HOURS rehearsing each song, if every three lines Paul Simon had to keep stopping and going "Wow! You're singing harmonies, BRILLIANT!", or forgetting to sing his bit because he was too THRILLED by what was going on/

So yes, it was REALLY GOOD. We sorted out "Never Going Back To Aldi's" ("Less stopping", said Mr Pattison, and he was CORRECT, also Rob did a THRILLING FILL), ran through "The Gay Train" a few times and SHAPED IT UP, did "Zipcodes" for the first time (WHOO!) and generally ROMPED through "The Lesson Of The Smiths". It all sounded ACE. The only song we didn't have time for was "Girlfriend Alarmed", we were so busy PRACTICING, we didn't even do a NEW SONG.

I'd intended us to have a quick go at "Teenage Kicks" too, but perhaps happily for all concerned we didn't get round to it. We DID do a minute of RANDOM NOISE and ODDNESS, which sounded rather good actually, to make sure the tape player was working, and I think that was probably a bit more appropriate... it was all GOOD anyway, there was even a CRISIS when Rob's BASS completely broke and he and Tim had to drive off to get another, but such ADVERSITY only spurred us on.

Afterwards we dashed round the corner to the PUB for a CHAT and a bit of a BAND MEETING. We've agreed to schedule in another couple of practices and then, in January, go and DEMO all these new songs - ZANG! In February we've got a Radio Session for "Raw Talent", a gig in Leeds and then, maybe, a couple MORE gigs. In March we're hopefully off to America, then there may be a SMALL TOUR in the Spring before, in June-ish, we're going to RECORD! THE! NEW! ALBUM!

That's the PLAN at any rate, whether it happens like that is FOR THE FATES TO DECIDE. It does feel rather STRANGE, planning out ROCK several months in advance like this, but it seems to work... and just think, this time next year we could have our THIRD album finished! YAY!

posted 28/10/2004 by MJ Hibbett

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