Leonard Smalls

Madras World - Tears For Fears

Curry Up Harry - Sham 69

For our next gig we're back in Hereford - big one this time! Our singist and other basschap do occasional promotions under the name Heart Of Anarchy - this one is for Daz Russell's 40th anniversary of promoting (he's the Rebellion organiser/owner). I think we're on at about 1930, after Ambition Demolition. Following night there's another in Bilston, with Cocksparrer and Steve Ignorant's Crass set though we're not playing at that...

Jerry Was A Race Car Driver - Primus 😁

Beat the Clock - Sparks

Pic from Saturday!

We were in our new home town, Worcester, again (not that we live anywhere near, just that our last gig was there) playing upstairs in coffee shop cum bar cum record shop. Arrived to find a room which would possibly fit 30 people in plus the four bands playing... Sound guy had had it sprung on him that he was doing it that afternoon - he had no idea where the kit was and the promoter hadn't turned up yet (already 1/2 hour late!). So as we were headlining I stuck my baby rig on a pair of redundant (and broken) PA speakers and sneaked off for a burger (a Five Guys one, expensive but streets ahead of Maccy D's!). Came back an hour later to hear band 1 doing a soundcheck - they were due on at 8, but it was already 8.25. Then I spotted my old mate of 40 years who'd schlepped up from London to see us - so I basically missed the first band though they sounded pretty decent from downstairs. Next band started at 2130ish - tight as, uptempo punky stuff with a slightly poppy edge, all wore orange jumpsuits, were called Guinea Pigs and are well worth seeing. Penultimate band were called Paper Sailor from Glasgow - not at all punky, more metal but with melodic vox, bassman had an extremely battered Warwick which was good, they were a bit different from the norm which the Power Ranger suits added to - also well worth seeing! We finally got to set up around 1120 ( we were due on at 11 or before), did a 4 bar line check then started our set with an extended bass solo (!we often do - it's a whole 24 bars with gentle feedback and cymbal accompaniment - nobody left the room!) and into "Buried Alive". Despite that late hour the room was about as full as it could be of peeps who'd actually paid to get in, some of whom commenced to jig about wildly which encouraged us to do an almost flawless and rather rockin' set. I allowed myself the conceit of believing this was solely and entirely down to a new Helix patch I'd made which was a very slightly overdriven and heavily gated meaty thwacky slap sound, which I made the most of by slappin'n'poppin' like a superannuated Flea Tribute. Our other bass player was so impressed that he grinned at me and gave me a lovely wave like Gareth Hunt in that old Nescafe ad. The only mistake was at the end of Knockout which was meant to end abruptly on "3" but the drummer wasn't looking at me for his cue to stop. Still, nobody noticed I think! And a particularly punky looking chap came up to our Raph at the end and pointed at me and said "is that a Parker? I didn't believe they actually existed but there it is!". Managed to pack down and trolley to the car (£11,70 parking in NCP!!!!!) in 10 minutes so left Worcester at 1230, arriving home 1 hour 1 minute later (Google said 1 hr 19) in time for a wee dram of Talisker and a spot of Rupaul's Drag Race (!) before bed (and loud dog barking at 0630...) My other gear was BBE pre, DBX rack compressor, Bridged Crown power amp and Markbass 2x10.

You Can't Always Get What You Want - Rolling Stones

A Real Mother For Ya - Johnny Guitar Watson

Eggstasy - Killing Yolk

This is my favourite version... Love the half speed riff!

Operator - Midnight Star

How I Wrote Elastic Man - The Fall

We've got one of those as well! I have to hoover round the kit after every rehearsal... But the drummer in my new jazzbluesfunky band leaves no mess at all and listens, as if he were an actual musician rather than a glorified metronome! And with the Old Band, it's electronic drums anyway and due to his tinnitus can't play at stupid on-stage volume anyway...

nakasaki (i need a lover tonight) - ken doh

Cool to be you - Descendents

Have you tried west Midlands bands and Musicians on facebook? I often see folks on there looking for bass players for everything from hardcore through funk to Oasis covers!

The Harder They Come - Jimmy Cliff

Anyone in Worcester next Saturday? My mate Wimpy is coming all the way from That London to see us again! And we're headlining, which means we're on at 11pm (!Eeek!). It's 19-21 Pump Street, Worcester, WR1 2QX, England

Willkommen! Wenn du echt Bollox willst, musst du nur mein sehr beschissenes Deutsch sehen!

Word Up - Cameo

Weeds tripping the light fantastic...

Dynomite - Bazuka