markmcclelland

[color=#1D2129][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif] Can't believe how much happened in these two nights. Second time in the famous Camden Blues Kitchen and first outing playing in Soho's just as famous blues bar Aint Nothin But...[/font][/color][color=#1D2129][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif] The saga continues. From the resorts of Benidorm, Alicante and Javea on the Costa Blanca, back to Madrid, and now taking on London.[/font][/color][color=#1D2129][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif] https://marksdiaries.wordpress.com/2016/02/19/day-109-part-2/[/font][/color]

[color=#1D2129][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]A professional audition, a rehearsal and a jam night. In that order. https://marksdiaries.wordpress.com/2015/12/19/day-108/comment-page-1/#comment-10[/font][/color]

[color=#141414][font=verdana, geneva, lucida,] The timetable begins to bite as the pace intensifies. A rehearsal, a reaudition, two jam sessions and a whole ton of barwork.[/font][/color] [color=#141414][font=verdana, geneva, lucida,] https://marksdiaries.wordpress.com/2015/12/19/day-103/[/font][/color]

Ivan, nice one. Shame. Otherwise we'd nail it. You've both given me something to think about though.

[quote name='dand666' timestamp='1462097929' post='3040194'] Need to get off the ferries and get on with anyone under the Carnival umbrella. They treat musicians really well. Over the past 2 years I've had no problem. [/quote] [quote name='ivansc' timestamp='1462273626' post='3041578'] Absolutely - I am a little out of touch but a year or so ago there was only P&O left using bands on the ferry runs & then not much. [/quote] Again, all sounds very interesting. I am very much taking notes. Question. Would the ferries be a good place to start while building things up to hit the real cruise ships when you're ready or are they to be completely avoided?

[color=#141823][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]A big one here. First pro band rumblings and a sensational first jam at The Blues Kitchen with a little extra added. Hello London.[/font][/color] https://marksdiaries.wordpress.com/2015/12/19/day-99/

I'd really like to hear more about this and I'm sure I'm not alone. Maybe one of you could start a thread. Cruise/ferry ship stories. I'm sure it could turn into an invaluable resource and steer people into the right directions and away from the wrong ones. Or you could just post them all here and I'll be selfish and keep them for myself.

Thanks a lot Phil. I hear ya loud and clear. Oh balls. I have to edit that the negative experience was not at The Blues Kitchen. To be fair, my jam session experiences, here in London and in various places in Spain have been massively on the positive side. I'd say around 95%. But when one does go bad, or you don't get to play, especially through forgetfulness or just plain rudeness on the part of the organiser, a whole night and effort has been very annoyingly wasted. But if you can get yourself established at a particular session, know what's going on, and get put with good musicians they can be the highlight of the week, both on and off the stage. But a little story about one of the 5 per cents. There were a few jams in a particular venue in Madrid that started at 2am. I got a little established at the Monday one or whatever day it was and one day decided to go to the other night's one, also 2am. Given the fact that these things went on till 4 or 5 and you might not get on till around then, I used to go to sleep at about 10, then get up at 1 and get the bus down. So quite a major production for just going out to a jam session, considering I had to get the bus back too. The first night I went out to the other jam, I introduced myself and waited and waited. Only two bass players played in the first hour so I introduced myself again. And again, to the house bass player as well. When the night finished, the organiser saw me and did a little pantomime of shock. 'Oh, you didn't get on. I'm so sorry. Please come again next week. I promise you'll get on.' Bullshit. Only three bassists had been called up all night and the house bass player had taken all the rest of the time. I never went to that night again. But that is an extreme. On the whole I love jam sessions and try to go to new ones when I can, although I do have my favourite that I go to all the time and have had recommendations for actual gigs from. I have two recommendations pending right now. But I'm not thinking in anyway that any of that will make you reconsider. Just sharing a few thoughts.

I'd really say just keep the style. But I'm not sure it's a clanger. It sounds like a really cool going for it part if anything. I'd say just learn that bit and improvise away at the rest while trying to keep the spirit of the line. Maybe transcribe a few phrases to see where he's coming from and you're away but I get the impression you have the understanding already.

Hey That's really cool. Thanks so much. Well, I have the duo for now and I'm really committed to that. We're around the 50 mark but adding constantly - four today and we're starting to dip our toes into jazz territory. Maybe if we start to approach 200, it might be something to start thinking about. Although I know it still sounds a lot, it does considerably shorten the time frame. And afterall, we've got ourselves to fifty. All we have to do is repeat that three more times - we only did our first show on New Years Eve. Camden Holiday Inn. Started on the bang of midnight. The other stuff's ticking along and yes. I will definitely be sounding you out if I think my duo, or whatever it becomes, reaches something that could be considered. And yes, I might well get my reading/ jazz to thesomething approaching the right level and start to want explore those possibilities. But right now I really want to give the duo a solid chance. I'm really surprised about the pay being the other way round. It's not what I'd heard but I'll take it from you. Hope it's going well out there.

[color=#141823][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]First time at the legendary Blues Kitchen in Camden. And a jam experience I'd rather forget. Oh, I had. Until now. [/font][/color] [color=#141823][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]https://marksdiaries.wordpress.com/2015/12/19/day-94/[/font][/color]

Love it. What have you done?

Hey mate Yes I have. Thanks a lot for the thought. I did apply a few years ago and was sent an online audition to do. They asked me to do the video record thing of playing along to three covers of my choice out of about 20 they gave me. I also had to record a minute of anything I wanted - impress us, they said. This was all on a two day deadline. My three songs were absolutely fine and I recorded the best piece of playing I've ever laid down for their freestyle bit but never heard back from them. Oh well. I guess you just don't know what they're looking for. Maybe I'm on their file. Here's the freestyle bit. A mad intro then just settling back and freeflow jamming for the rest of it. Maybe if I'd done the whole video in the same style as the first ten seconds they might have been a bit more impressed but I wanted to show them I could just lay it down. Like I said, you just don't know what they're looking for. [url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l6yrhkl9-LM"]https://www.youtube....h?v=l6yrhkl9-LM[/url] Of course I'm well able to do the cover band stuff and there is some work on ships for that, which is what my audition was all about. Most jobs, and the higher paid jobs, require reading. I started learning from pretty much scratch a year ago and am now on Stuart Clayton's advanced book. I'd say that makes me a lower intermediate to intermediate reader. So that's something I might go for, but again, a long way off. Diary spoiler. I have a project now - acoustic duo with acoustic guitar, bass and two vocals - and we've talked about the possibility of offering it to ships. But I had a look into it and we have a long long way to go before we could do that. Most ships ask that you have a repertoire of around 300 songs. We're currently hovering around the 50 mark and add every week but you could see it will still take a while.

[color=#141823][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif] An insane start to the new year followed by an immediate plunge into jam world as Mark's Diaries enters 2015. I can say now, and with some qualification, that that was my busiest, craziest day ever in the restaurant.[/font][/color][color=#141823][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif] https://marksdiaries.wordpress.com/2015/11/19/day-88/[/font][/color]

Wow. Amazing. Thanks so much for dropping by. Sorry. You've not got to the part yet where I leave. That's a way off in the Wordpress version. Really cool you came down. A few readers popped in to say hello while I was still working there. And yes, I still do pop in from time to time. Last night for example. It would be cool to get together sometime. I'll PM you my number.

Epic entry and epic jam session. In my head, this one is still going on. Brief recap. Started on the Costa Blanca, went to Madrid and then London in an extremely bumpy landing. Now trying to get known and make contacts through the jam scene. [url="https://marksdiaries.wordpress.com/2015/12/19/day-87/"]https://marksdiaries...5/12/19/day-87/[/url]

Nice one Blue. It is a tough call though and it's difficult to know when to jump. But like you infer, if it's what you feel you have to do, it's not a tough call at all. I, and I'm sure, many other people, would be interested to know how you left the 9-5 world and what you were doing before that. But if you'd prefer to keep that to yourself, all cool.

[size=4][color=#292F33][font=Arial, sans-serif]It's Christmas, Mark's Diaries style. 1st one since arriving in London. Happy Christmas everyone. Too soon?[/font][/color][/size] [size=4]https://marksdiaries.wordpress.com/2015/12/19/day-82/[/size]

[color=#373E4D][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif][color=#141823]Do not. Repeat. Do not try this at home. I didn't even mean to try it at work. You may need something to hide behind. Also, some old and great friends pop up, and my london saviour Monica's back too.[/color][/font][/color] [color=#373E4D][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif][url="https://marksdiaries.wordpress.com/2015/12/19/day-73/"]https://marksdiaries...5/12/19/day-73/[/url][/font][/color]

Class. There you go. That's where you want to be. Stay smug.

[quote name='Luulox' timestamp='1460623916' post='3027286'] I really look forward to reading these Mark and can't wait for the next lot! Cheers Pete Pete, it means so much to see that. Thanks a lot for letting me know. [/quote] [quote name='ivansc' timestamp='1460629593' post='3027353'] Fascinating stuff, but what a struggle! Is it really that hard to get a "proper" paying gig these days? If so, my heart bleeds for ya mate. [/quote] Thankyou very much Ivan. The truth is I wouldn't change a thing about the whole journey and progress is being made. But anecdotally, I do understand it has got harder, yes.

[color=#141823][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]No two ways about it. This is a huge entry. In more ways than one. The diary of trying to go professional. Things are heating up in London. And it's not all about the bass. https://marksdiaries.wordpress.com/2015/12/19/day-65-again/[/font][/color]

Thanks a lot for letting me know that and it's really cool you wanted to check the Omater stuff out. As for the Soundcloud, I think that may have been temporarily disabled as someone else asked me about it recently. As far as I'm aware, the project is still active. I spoke to her a couple of weeks ago but I really don't know exactly what's happening there.

Brilliant. Thanks for that. Made me smile.

[color=#141823][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif] An absolutely epic jam session in this one[/font][/color][color=#141823][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif] https://marksdiaries.wordpress.com/2015/12/19/day-65/[/font][/color]