Cat Burrito

For the first time in over two years, and the third time since 1990, I reunited with 60% of my original band from Sixth Form. Everyone has massively mellowed with age and it was worth the trek from North Wiltshire to Southampton. I confidently took lead vocals on a couple and it stands out as a highlight of my year.

I’m one half of Deadlight Dance, Wiltshire’s darkest boy band! I guess we’d be filed under 80s goth. Nick and I met in a Sixth Form goth band in 1989. We did our first gig together and have been friends for over 35yrs now. Here’s a one minute showreel of our greatest hits. Deadlight formed over lockdown as we thought we’d have a jam when restrictions eased, to see if we could play the old songs properly. It just grew. We decided to write together and wound up signed to Ray Records with an album out. Last count, we’d been streamed in 75 countries. I appreciate it’s not rivalling the big bands but it’s not bad for two old mates just having a jam when the restrictions ease! As to the question of originals or covers, we do both. We booked an old Saxon Church (is there such a thing as a new Saxon Church?) in 2023 and recorded a covers album of the songs that first inspired us. We made a short film about it. We can go out as the “full” band with our backing tracks we wrote or chuck some quirky folk instruments into the back of the car and go out acoustic style. I did the numbers on gigs and it really varies. It’s usually at least 20 a year but it has been much higher. We get gigs whenever the Batphone rings.

We use a lot of (gentle) humour and pride ourselves on our between song chat. Our music is quite dark so it offsets that. We also don't play the same songs in the same way in the same order, which is my pet hate as a player - so I am sure some of the audience get bored too! At the last gig, the PA died ahead of the encore so we jumped into the middle of the crowd with acoustic instruments and played up close and personal. That definitely went down well.

We had nothing to do with the poster but delighted to be fundraising for Wiltshire Air Ambulance and knowing the bands on the bill, honoured to be headlining such a great collection of local talent.

Yep, it seems pretty much the only model in mainstream production. Bizarrely D'Addario seen to be the main Monticello string maker and the strings don't fit.

I have done it, edited and unlocked

It's a Mandocello but I do tend to play it like an 8 string bass.

We played the fabulous Richard Jefferies Museum in Swindon. A beautiful setting with what I thought was a respectable crowd. I flew back from Spain yesterday so we hadn’t really rehearsed. I think we have it in the bank though. A varied crowd from 3-87yrs old and the under 10s all helped us pack up. Luckily, the other half of my duo is a teacher so he was able to coordinate them so we had no breakages! Everyone was super friendly and it was certainly one of the more memorable gigs.

Ah, I thought that it might be the Hohner as it doesn’t have the Spirit logo. I remember those well. I wanted the style rather than the exact one. I believe the Spirit basses are wood too and I must confess I always prefer passive, simply because a flat battery is one more thing to go wrong. It makes sense that the Hohner would be superior as you aren’t paying for the name.

Growing up in the 80s, I always hated the whole idea of what we called cricket bat basses. I remember seeing Bill Wyman and Tina Weymouth with them but it was never enough to swing it for me. As I have gone through my playing career, I have met loads of owners who swear by them. Then over lockdown, I became obsessed with this video… https://youtu.be/wjv_KI4BTaM?si=mYxweEJPccEeAoaL I thought it might pass but I found myself wanting one. I thought it might pass but it’s the “never say never” one I thought I would never own. The guitarist from my duo bought the Steinberger Spirit guitar so I ordered the bass a couple of months back. It came today. I haven’t bought a bass in a long time and my first impression is that it is heavy for what it is (but light, given that there isn’t much of it). It could use a bit of a set up, although the bottom strings are good. There’s a lot of tone variation and I am looking forward to the whole matching vibe with my duo. I don’t think it will ever be my favourite but for something to muck around with, I anticipate it’ll be a lot of fun.

Absolutely each to their own, yes. Just to be clear though I was not setting any conditions on bass ownership. If someone has an expensive / rare / irreplaceable bass that they don't want to take out, it is a decision entirely for them. I'm just thinking if I don't play something (home or live), I personally can't justify keeping it - I don't have the spare cash. And sadly, my holidays aren't even fancy! 😸

I tend to rotate my basses so whether playing at home, recording or gigging, each one gets treated the same. I can't justify having nice kit if it isn't getting used. An unused bass is a holiday that I can't go on because the money is tied up in an unused instrument.

I was at Forever Now yesterday in Milton Keynes and can't have been the only Basschat member? I saw Kraftwerk, Death Cult, Billy Idol, Jesus and Mary Chain, the Damned, PIL, Johnny Marr, Psychedelic Furs, Chameleons, She Wants Revenge and Berlin. A promising rebrand of the US Cruel World festival that had a few teething problems but on balance, showed promise.

I fly back from Spain the day before so back with a bang!

When I was young, you had your band and that was it. Getting into my 30s, I realised a lot of people had a few different projects on the go. I wound up doing the same and would regularly be in 3 bands at once. It peaked around 2019 where I was in six bands. However, being in a band means you put the work in. You show up on time, learn your parts and commit. I operated first come first served with bookings and actually having clashes was rarely an issue. Equally, you have to be gracious about people depping for you, if you are playing in a few groups. I've just gone the other way and currently have my duo that is pretty regular and just one band that is more of a recording project that do a few gigs a year at most. I was definitely becoming guilty of not saying no to things but I actually think if you aren't learning the songs, it's quite rude. Rehearsal is to learn to play as a band, not for the ones who are thinly stretched to be taught the songs, especially if they then forget them for next time. People have different levels of enthusiasm and offer different levels of commitment. However, there has to be a common minimum standard and if players are not meeting this, something needs to give.