Evening Strumpets,
apologies but the vids posted on the previous post were saved as private, DOH!!!
You should be able to watch them now.
Till the next one, I`ll learn how to download HD vids from now on,
Mark.
Monday 28 March 2011
Sunday 27 March 2011
Paper Scissors Stone, and a meaty guitar performance from Carl.
Evening Strumpets.
The Charmers met up yesterday morning at chez Davies to practice for the upcoming Doc Browns Gig. I hope I`m not tempting fate, but we`re sounding pretty tight. Carl regaled us with a lovely little story about a type of entertainment which has been given the name "Paper Scissors Stone" in the recent profannisaurus (chaps from overseas, just google that word, be warned though, it`s not for the easily offended!)
Carl had also bitten the nail on his right index finger down to the flesh, and was in agony for most of the morning. Immediately following the Foggy Mountain Breakdown vid posted, he showed me the end of his finger, which had almost been sheared away by his playing, but then to my horror I realised he had been playing on my NEW FENDER!!!!!! I am not exaggerating when I tell you, there was bits of meat on the strings. Carl was immediately sent off to clean the instrument, which he did chuntering something about "Oh well as long as the guitars alright, never mind me finger" Don`t worry about Carl, he`s a big boy, who should know better.
If anyones interested I have both the paper scissors stone story, and my reaction to Carls digit splicing incident on tape. If I get enough requests, I may post them on the Great North Strums sister blog "The Nephrons"!
Here`s the nicer clips.
Hope you like them, till the next one, learn something new.
Mark.
The Charmers met up yesterday morning at chez Davies to practice for the upcoming Doc Browns Gig. I hope I`m not tempting fate, but we`re sounding pretty tight. Carl regaled us with a lovely little story about a type of entertainment which has been given the name "Paper Scissors Stone" in the recent profannisaurus (chaps from overseas, just google that word, be warned though, it`s not for the easily offended!)
Carl had also bitten the nail on his right index finger down to the flesh, and was in agony for most of the morning. Immediately following the Foggy Mountain Breakdown vid posted, he showed me the end of his finger, which had almost been sheared away by his playing, but then to my horror I realised he had been playing on my NEW FENDER!!!!!! I am not exaggerating when I tell you, there was bits of meat on the strings. Carl was immediately sent off to clean the instrument, which he did chuntering something about "Oh well as long as the guitars alright, never mind me finger" Don`t worry about Carl, he`s a big boy, who should know better.
If anyones interested I have both the paper scissors stone story, and my reaction to Carls digit splicing incident on tape. If I get enough requests, I may post them on the Great North Strums sister blog "The Nephrons"!
Here`s the nicer clips.
Hope you like them, till the next one, learn something new.
Mark.
Friday 25 March 2011
Introducing.....
Evening Strumpets,
So I`ve been out and bought a new guitar and banjo. You all know I was laid off from work, and I felt like I deserved a treat. I didn`t go mad, I bought a reasonably priced Fender something or other semi accoustic, and a Kay late sixties/early seventies KB54.
If that`s a sudden intake of breath, then yes I know, i`ve read and heard about the dreaded KB54 as well. More than likely made in Eastern Germany, not a lot of people have nice things to say about them. However, as soon as I saw it in the shop, I was smitten. It looks ugly as hell, but it plays as sweet as a mars bar dipped in treacle. I like it, I actually really like it. here`s a couple of vids with the new merchandise on show. I`ll get some lovely pictures up next week.
The first one hopefully makes Shady Grove a little more understandable to any budding new musicians out there. I now realise that I am singing the chorus entirely wrong, but I`ll post it done properly next week.
I love that song.
Next up, here`s a song written last year, which still makes me laugh. man alive that`s a good pause of the Davies lad on the YT Clip.
if only eh?
Till the next one, learn something new.
Mark.
So I`ve been out and bought a new guitar and banjo. You all know I was laid off from work, and I felt like I deserved a treat. I didn`t go mad, I bought a reasonably priced Fender something or other semi accoustic, and a Kay late sixties/early seventies KB54.
If that`s a sudden intake of breath, then yes I know, i`ve read and heard about the dreaded KB54 as well. More than likely made in Eastern Germany, not a lot of people have nice things to say about them. However, as soon as I saw it in the shop, I was smitten. It looks ugly as hell, but it plays as sweet as a mars bar dipped in treacle. I like it, I actually really like it. here`s a couple of vids with the new merchandise on show. I`ll get some lovely pictures up next week.
The first one hopefully makes Shady Grove a little more understandable to any budding new musicians out there. I now realise that I am singing the chorus entirely wrong, but I`ll post it done properly next week.
I love that song.
Next up, here`s a song written last year, which still makes me laugh. man alive that`s a good pause of the Davies lad on the YT Clip.
if only eh?
Till the next one, learn something new.
Mark.
Saturday 19 March 2011
Shady Grove.
Evening Strumpets,
Here`s a good reason for picking up a new instrument. You find music and artists you feel you`ve known all your life, but you`ve never heard before. If I had never picked up this drum on a stick I would never have heard of Sufjan Stevens, or Patrick Costello, or the amazing Doc Watson, whom I am ashamed to admit I had never heard of before. What a performer, and who, I`m reliably informed, turned 88 last week.
Here`s a version of one of his most well known songs (I`m informed again). It`s rough as I`d only just worked it out, and apart from the, I think anyway,(ahem) Kubrickian editing style of the clip, I know it`s being played far too fast, but what can I tell you, learning new songs gets me excited, and it takes a while to get the tempo right, especially when playing solo. (Is it me or is this all sounding a bit double entendre-ish, for all the British readers FNARR FNARR)!
Anyway here it is.
Hope you like,
Mark.
Here`s a good reason for picking up a new instrument. You find music and artists you feel you`ve known all your life, but you`ve never heard before. If I had never picked up this drum on a stick I would never have heard of Sufjan Stevens, or Patrick Costello, or the amazing Doc Watson, whom I am ashamed to admit I had never heard of before. What a performer, and who, I`m reliably informed, turned 88 last week.
Here`s a version of one of his most well known songs (I`m informed again). It`s rough as I`d only just worked it out, and apart from the, I think anyway,(ahem) Kubrickian editing style of the clip, I know it`s being played far too fast, but what can I tell you, learning new songs gets me excited, and it takes a while to get the tempo right, especially when playing solo. (Is it me or is this all sounding a bit double entendre-ish, for all the British readers FNARR FNARR)!
Anyway here it is.
Hope you like,
Mark.
Friday 18 March 2011
jammin` jamboree
Evening Strumpets,
The Alice Charmers are playing their second gig on the 31st of this month at Doc Browns in sunny Middlesbrough, so we met up for the first of a couple of "run through of setlist" sessions last night. We finished that in (worryingly) about fifteen minutes, with a repeat lasting (a much more appropriate) 27 minutes (with a couple of other songs included). Which meant we had a couple of hours to mess about in the room.
Carl spent about half an hour trying to get reverb from an amp which was cattle trucked and a further forty minutes (I may be exaggerating) getting a sound from another amp using my guitar which is equally cattle trucked. But it was worth it, because the sound he got was, in my opinion, tremendous.
Here`s an example which shows what I mean (it would have shown more if I hadn`t brought the wrong lead for the Camcorder and the battery hadn`t run out.)
Hopefully see you at Doc Browns,
Till the next one learn something new.
Mark.
The Alice Charmers are playing their second gig on the 31st of this month at Doc Browns in sunny Middlesbrough, so we met up for the first of a couple of "run through of setlist" sessions last night. We finished that in (worryingly) about fifteen minutes, with a repeat lasting (a much more appropriate) 27 minutes (with a couple of other songs included). Which meant we had a couple of hours to mess about in the room.
Carl spent about half an hour trying to get reverb from an amp which was cattle trucked and a further forty minutes (I may be exaggerating) getting a sound from another amp using my guitar which is equally cattle trucked. But it was worth it, because the sound he got was, in my opinion, tremendous.
Here`s an example which shows what I mean (it would have shown more if I hadn`t brought the wrong lead for the Camcorder and the battery hadn`t run out.)
Hopefully see you at Doc Browns,
Till the next one learn something new.
Mark.
Tuesday 8 March 2011
A Smarter Future
Evening Strumpets,
I never got around to posting the stuff that`s been happening over the past couple of weeks last night, so thanks for your patience, and away we go.
After working in the NHS for 13 years, I was made redundant on the 1st of March due to Public Health Cuts. The Condition Management Programme (of which I was a Practitioner)could only prove qualitatively that it was incredibly effective in improving peoples lives, but the Conservatives want quantitative figures. Try doing that with (predominantly)mental health initiatives.
It has been my pleasure over the past couple of years to work within a team which didn`t adopt an attitude of helping people, more so an attitude of helping people to help themselves. It also encouraged me to develop myself in a professional manner I never dreamt I was capable of.
Here`s the irony. Having spent the last couple of years working in Job Centres helping people to find work, I had to sign on last week. I must be honest, by the time I got to meet face to face with a fellow human, they were quite brilliant, and could not have gone more out of their way to help me, but Christ the amount of gumpf and telephone nonsense I had to go through just to get there was soul destroying. Still, I`ve always said you can`t fake empathy, so as far as I`m concerned it gives me another string to my therapeutic bow; although it`s beginning to resemble a harp these days more than a bow, I think I`ve got enough strings now whoever is guiding my life!
So what next? Well, as much as it pains me to write this, I`m setting up a LTD Company to continue the brilliant work CMP was providing. Yes I know it`s exactly what the Conservatives want (ie private companies sourced out to provide services previously provided by Public Health), but I`ve worked too hard and seen what the principles behind CMP can achieve. To paraphrase Rutger Hauer, if I don`t do this I`m afraid that all CMP achieved will be lost like tears in the rain.
The Company is called "A Smarter Future", and I`m not ashamed to admit provides all the things I provided within CMP, ie Chronic Pain Management, Understanding and Coping with Anxiety, Understanding and Tackling Depression, Sleep Management, Anger Management, Raising Self Esteem and Confidence, and General Activity and Pacing Techniques. Not bad eh? All I need now is a foot in the door.
I`m so busy networking and trying to find ways of funding this project, alongside providing Daddy daycare for my Kids that Posts may be few and far between, but I`ll try and let you all know how I`m getting on, as well as how the Alice Charmers are getting on also.
In the meantime.......
Here`s a couple of presents for the Strumpets.
By far and away the song which gets the most positive reaction from the old live stuff. It`s been posted before, but recorded on a rubbish Mobile.
Hope you like it.
And how good is Grace getting? Look at the different fingers being used!!!
All comments really gratefully received regarding everything, as usual, and why not follow the GNS, you can do it by clicking on the follow icon below followers on the right hand side of the screen underneath "search this blog". I have nearly ten thousand page views, and fourteen followers!
Till the next one, learn something new,
Mark.
I never got around to posting the stuff that`s been happening over the past couple of weeks last night, so thanks for your patience, and away we go.
After working in the NHS for 13 years, I was made redundant on the 1st of March due to Public Health Cuts. The Condition Management Programme (of which I was a Practitioner)could only prove qualitatively that it was incredibly effective in improving peoples lives, but the Conservatives want quantitative figures. Try doing that with (predominantly)mental health initiatives.
It has been my pleasure over the past couple of years to work within a team which didn`t adopt an attitude of helping people, more so an attitude of helping people to help themselves. It also encouraged me to develop myself in a professional manner I never dreamt I was capable of.
Here`s the irony. Having spent the last couple of years working in Job Centres helping people to find work, I had to sign on last week. I must be honest, by the time I got to meet face to face with a fellow human, they were quite brilliant, and could not have gone more out of their way to help me, but Christ the amount of gumpf and telephone nonsense I had to go through just to get there was soul destroying. Still, I`ve always said you can`t fake empathy, so as far as I`m concerned it gives me another string to my therapeutic bow; although it`s beginning to resemble a harp these days more than a bow, I think I`ve got enough strings now whoever is guiding my life!
So what next? Well, as much as it pains me to write this, I`m setting up a LTD Company to continue the brilliant work CMP was providing. Yes I know it`s exactly what the Conservatives want (ie private companies sourced out to provide services previously provided by Public Health), but I`ve worked too hard and seen what the principles behind CMP can achieve. To paraphrase Rutger Hauer, if I don`t do this I`m afraid that all CMP achieved will be lost like tears in the rain.
The Company is called "A Smarter Future", and I`m not ashamed to admit provides all the things I provided within CMP, ie Chronic Pain Management, Understanding and Coping with Anxiety, Understanding and Tackling Depression, Sleep Management, Anger Management, Raising Self Esteem and Confidence, and General Activity and Pacing Techniques. Not bad eh? All I need now is a foot in the door.
I`m so busy networking and trying to find ways of funding this project, alongside providing Daddy daycare for my Kids that Posts may be few and far between, but I`ll try and let you all know how I`m getting on, as well as how the Alice Charmers are getting on also.
In the meantime.......
Here`s a couple of presents for the Strumpets.
By far and away the song which gets the most positive reaction from the old live stuff. It`s been posted before, but recorded on a rubbish Mobile.
Hope you like it.
And how good is Grace getting? Look at the different fingers being used!!!
All comments really gratefully received regarding everything, as usual, and why not follow the GNS, you can do it by clicking on the follow icon below followers on the right hand side of the screen underneath "search this blog". I have nearly ten thousand page views, and fourteen followers!
Till the next one, learn something new,
Mark.
Monday 7 March 2011
A lonely number.
Afternoon Strumpets,
Firstly apologies for lack of posts recently but in what will be made clear later it`s been a mad couple of weeks in Strumland.
Here`s a version of a Nillson classic as requested by Melissa, and a couple of Alice Charmers recordings.
And finally a Nephrons song given the Charmers treatment.
Hope you like them, and I`ll post later this evening about what`s been going on, It miht be a long one though.
Till the next one learn something new.
Mark.
Firstly apologies for lack of posts recently but in what will be made clear later it`s been a mad couple of weeks in Strumland.
Here`s a version of a Nillson classic as requested by Melissa, and a couple of Alice Charmers recordings.
And finally a Nephrons song given the Charmers treatment.
Hope you like them, and I`ll post later this evening about what`s been going on, It miht be a long one though.
Till the next one learn something new.
Mark.
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