Cat Burrito

Q - What separates your band from the other bands in the areas you work in? A - a mix of playing originals (we do covers too), playing darker / gothic songs and our instrumentation. Q - What do you have that others don't? A - There’s some real talent around here but I think it’s our overall package. Q - If you were pitching your band to a prospect, what would be your bast selling point. A- We’re good at what we do, we’re easy to work with and we manage to take our music seriously without taking ourselves too seriously as people. Q - You can also add in areas where you think your band struggles. A - Just being too left field for what is a rural county. We’re flexible but fairly uncompromising.

Sounds like a nightmare @BigRedX. I meant contact you afterwards. Luckily we’re used to playing in a more acoustic style too so we had a serviceable plan B. That’s a really top tip on the EQ though. I did think the soundman looked a bit young and new to it all.

That makes sense. I nearly messaged you as I know you have more experience with backing tracks. It was frustrating but we worked around it. We aimed to research it and come back better informed. That makes sense. My theory (as someone who isn't into tech) was that Nick's iPad is ancient and the desk wasn't reading it. We used my more modern one at the next gig and there was no problem. I'll pass your answer on to Nick from the group as I really don't want that happening again.

I have the solid black one, a black / grey leopard print one and the white version of your one on the left. All 3" style. I should do a photo sometime too.

Folk'd About were great fun. I really enjoyed watching the other bands and pretty much everyone made a point of supporting each other. It was an odd venue to show up to. When we first walked through the bar, I thought we might need chicken wire but the people in the back room was really friendly. To be fair, although we definitely got checked out walking through the main bar, everyone was cool. Hope you have a great show.

See below... & I don't own any heavy basses. Unfortunately, my shoulder is just knackered! I am impressed - indeed it is. 269 is on all my basses. It was the number given to a cow that was destined to be killed but was liberated. 269 went on to live a long and healthy life.

I was delighted to play a charity fundraiser for the Alzheimer’s Society in Salisbury at the weekend. Having lost my Mum to Alzheimer’s, it wasn’t one I had to think twice over! A great lineup of bands - 7 acts who for the most part all supported each other. It was a really friendly atmosphere and we played really well. Our mid placed billing was definitely the golden hour and it is absolutely a contender for my gig of the year, so far. We played electric, mostly original gothic tunes. Here’s a pic, courtesy of John Armstrong, of me heading up the dusty end to channel my inner Peter Hook.

I never got my name in lights but more than happy with chalk! We had our headline at The Vic in Swindon. We’d been weeks in rehearsal and our soundcheck had us struck by the curse of backing tracks. For some reason we had a virtually non-existent kick drum and barely audible count ins, coupled with ear bleedingly loud keyboard washes! Rather than try and dissect the problem, we hastily rewrote the set to come up with a stripped back set. The Rickenbacker sounded immense through my Blackstar U700 head and 4x10. That head continues to excel in all situations. The crowd walked a line between modest but respectable (original goth music in Swindon on a school night perhaps isn’t the easiest of sells). Despite the initial woes of soundcheck, a fantastic night. I was even complimented on my singing voice - something I have been working hard on for the last couple of years 🎉

Looking forward to our electric headline show in Swindon this Thursday, along with our fantastic handpicked special guest. Free entry.

As part of Record Store Day, I played a church in my hometown. Not only did it mark 12 months of me being alcohol free but it marked the first time I played a venue that my Dad had played. No, we're not religious but it amazes me that in 37yrs of playing, it hasn't happened already. I had friends come over from Wales and down from Yorkshire and we were on it throughout. The playback confirmed it. It was promoting my friend Rich Davies and his band The Dissidents. Got to use my Blackstar head and cab with my trusty Ric 4003s. It sounded immense.

I think the tragedy of the modern world is that the average member of the public wants music for free but won't bat an eyelid overpaying for a coffee. When it comes to charity shows and the overused word of "exposure", it is interesting that the band is the first thing to be eliminated from being paid. People are not showing up to watch the person on the door or the person serving them. Throughout the 90s, I don't think I did any paid gigs. It was either a free gig or the minimal payment went into the band. Fast forward to now and my duo has done a few paid shows - all our money goes back into the band. We've also done freebies and open mic. I need to see us getting something, be it genuine exposure or just the opportunity to play a decent stage. I think for bands who write their own music, the standards shift. I wouldn't do a covers or tribute show for free because I would expect it to be of a standard where we got paid. Playing in my originals duo, it is more niche so I am alive to venues struggling. That said, I think many promoters could sometimes try harder. A couple of drinks and a meal isn't costing pub prices and things like collections for the band, covering fuel etc should all be used more widely. Musicians and their friends often spend the evening in the venue paying full price for drinks etc. I'm nearly 12 months alcohol free and the costs still build. Ultimately though, I would never criticise any band member for their choice to either purely play for fun or only demand paid shows. Your band, your rules.

I play in a goth duo where we play everything between us. Acoustic gigs are 100% live but the electric shows are very much backing we have recorded on an IPad with us playing along. I have been playing since 1988 and never dreamt I would do this. Ever. We formed this duo over lockdown and I was inspired by several new bands that I like doing the same. Let me tell those who are cynical, it's a discipline in its own right. Good musicians cover one another. If the track is going into a chorus at bar 60, the singer best not have come in late! Good monitors are key too because you HAVE to hear it and it isn't like playing with a live drummer. I don't doubt in more traditional genres, it would seem odd or out of place but it seems appropriate for this genre. I think it has improved my playing and I like that nearly 37yrs later, I still find ways to challenge myself.

The second of two gigs for the Dissidents and it was something of a mixed bag. On paper it was a rip roaring success but I must confess that I let the little things get to me, which I don’t normally do. A great start, in that my neighbour’s cat once again tried to come along. She’s a lovely little cat but I can’t see her making old bones - far too risk adverse. I managed to depart on my own and pick up the keyboard player. The venue was Tufnel Park’s Aces & Eights. The sound guy was great, the promoter was super friendly and we had sold out. Despite my fully charged wireless packing up during the first song, it was a great show. Relaxed, friendly vibe and we played well. I had a fair few old friends who I hadn’t seen for years come down and it rounded off what should have been a great night. The problem came around doing the merch store. We shifted 10 CDs, which is good going. However, I had one wannabe haggler, one drunk lady who inexplicably thought I was keeping money from the singer (it’s called being the sober sensible one!) and then one idiot who was actually really rude a couple of times to me. Being pragmatic, this doesn’t normally happen and the problem is clearly them, not me but it did kind of take the shine off of things. I am usually okay with idiots but I must confess that it definitely touched a nerve. I think going forward, we need to split working the merch more and I need to work out why my usually much thicker skin wasn’t so good on this occasion. Bizarre as I am letting a total of 2 minutes cloud what was an otherwise fantastic evening.

Yeah, been playing there for years. Once I played there and came away with a wife… not bad when most people leave a concert with a CD or t-shirt, at best!

The return of Richard Davies & the Dissidents last night at The Beehive in Swindon. Wonderfully cramped and it felt like a proper rock ‘n’ roll gig. Good to blow off a few cobwebs ahead of tonight’s sold out London show.

A small handful may be interested but my musical duo are subject to a one hour radio special this evening on Swindon 105.5. You can listen on your smart speaker, computer, radio or phone. Music, chat, gentle humour. Feel free to dip in.

@bassbiscuits, same as @MichaelDean said. 😎

I quite like the fact that production models usually require a bit of personalisation to suit as it makes them unique to me. I absolutely love my Hofner Verythin long scale bass but they missed a trick not putting white binding around the F-holes so I had that added to mine. It makes them pop out a little more. The original volume / tone buttons were a hideous orange so I changed them and I added the racing stripe. On balance the modifications were inexpensive and I have a truly one of a kind bass.

Yesterday saw a return to the Blue Boar in Aldbourne, Wiltshire. It's been 6 months since we last played there and the deal is normally a 2hr acoustic set. Load in started with the "help" of our new furry roadcrew, Puma. She is lovely but I can't see her making old bones - too inquisitive! We get to the pub and some people had come down from London to see us which was humbling and nice. To be fair they were here anyway but had seen our poster and heard the name. We'd sold a CD before we started and set up our massive amount of kit. I was on mandocello, upright bass, mandolin, acoustic guitar and backing vocals. The London couple were quickly upstaged by a couple that saw us 2yrs ago and were from Spain! Again, I think they happened to be in the area but saw we were playing and remembered us from before. The landlady came up afterwards to say that the locals had been worn down by our consistency in playing gothic music and had to admit we were really good players. That made my night! And we were rebooked for June. I appreciate we're all bombarding each other with our bands, but if anyone is curious, we are live tomorrow on Swindon 105.5FM from 8pm for an hour of music and chat. The show is aptly called "Don't Stop the Music"... and why would we?

My duo is playing my old local for the first time in six months. It's also serving as a post-birthday bash of sorts for me, so you're all invited! Nothing quite says celebration like 2 hours of acoustic goth music.

I lean towards not worrying about it too much. My first band in my adult life was SkinTrade and we had a marginally more successful Skin Trade around at the same time. We had the name first but nobody bandied around cease and desist letters. I then formed The Ex-Boyfriends, only to learn a band in the 70s put out a couple of records using the same name. For a while in the 2000s I was in the Driver Brothers, which was also the name of some DJs and then went on to Case Hardin, who had a country singer in the US who was actually called Case Hardin - nice chap, he bought one of our albums! At the moment, my band has a similarish name to another older act from the same genre. There's nothing original in rock n roll! Until the lawyers get involved, I wouldn't stress it too much.

I come from an Ampeg / Orange background and own / use Blackstar now. I have the practice amp, the 800w head and one of the professional series cabs. I did have the 500w combo which was great too but didn't pair with the cab so I sold it to buy the head (the theory being the head can be taken to gigs when there is a cab, rather than drag the whole combo out). It's all been really good quality. Great tone and I like the built in effects. Going forward, I'm not in a hurry to change anything. I've been lucky enough to use the 8x10 at a couple of big shows which sounds stunning with the matching head.

The vast majority of trades on here go off effortlessly with both parties being happy. We have had a tiny handful of problems over the years, as one would expect with any site. Our quick guide is here Advice for Buyers and seller but I would always just say, even the slightest doubt and wait for a better deal. Personally, I have only ever done bank transfers face to face when collecting or selling the gear.