We played our second gig proper last night at Doc Browns in Boro, and it was fantastic. The crowd were brilliant, but then they always are there. Dancing, singalongs, and just sheer joy was had by all. Well the first two definitely happened. Mark said to me at the end "People keep coming over and saying how much they loved our songs, and I`m waiting for them to laugh, but they`re deadly serious" One chap even enquired whether we had a CD out! Just a great night, and made even better by knowing that you`re playing next to and with your mates! here`s our view of the night.
I`m so chuffed to say that not only did the Bloggie camera I bought last year, and which I have to say has let me down on so many occasions, worked a treat. unfortunately, I managed to place it directly behind the "Sound" fella. Don`t worry, he realises and it gets better later. But to get the songs we`ve written out there and get people dancing, and for a couple of minutes enjoying themselves, well, to quote Eric Morecambe, "That`s smashing". here`s the first two songs, Apple Scrumpy and By the Fire. More to come over the next couple of days.
I`ve done a rare recording of me playing the piano in our house. i thought the song "walk with me" would sound nice on it. Not sure about the "Bohemian Rhapsody" rip off in the middle eight, don`t know where that came from, it just happens sometimes.
So here it is, The Great North Strum`s 200th Post. Well let me personalise it a bit more for you, it`s Mark Davies`s 200th post. Me. Mine.
I`ve been looking for a grand gesture for the 200th, and many suggestions have been made, most of which are inspired and will without a doubt make up the next fifty to a hundred posts, including an absolute bona fide interview with a personal legend of mine. For those intrigued, he`s probably the finest Radio 1 DJ that John Peel and John Walters shared an office with.
However, This Blog would not have ever appeared if I hadn`t run the daft idea of completing the Great North Run whilst playing a banjo, past Louise. And when I asked my beautiful wife what she thought I should do, she just said "well thank the Strumpets who have supported you over the past few years."
So in no particular order,
Andy Dalton; By a massive fluke you decided to learn to play the banjo about a year before I did. You then set up the amazing Northern Banjo Boy Site http://www.northernbanjoboy.com/and have been a source of inspiration, amazement, and let it be said, non provider of drum brushes ever since. You came up with the name of my blog and for that I will be eternally grateful. Cheers Andy.
Mark Dent; A brilliant guitarist, but a human metronome on the old drums, who has helped me to "pace it a little" for Christs sake. I am and will be forever, one of Dave`s Pups. If ever I`m getting idea`s above my station, one look from you, and I`m back down on Earth. Thanks Denty.
Mountain Spring California; I have no idea who you are, but you keep on checking the blog! if you could let me know who you are that would be wonderful.
Mr Benjamin Harrison; An amazingly talented fella who has had to put up with a lot of tragic events over the last couple of years. He designed the GNS logo that sits atop the blog. Massive thanks Banjoman.
PeeBee Guttenburg; For confidential reasons, I can`t tell you this fella`s real name, but his support, contribution, talent, and downright PUNK spirit has kept mine an so many else`s blog`s voraciousness tickling the uvula of the Muse from which we profit. (spoiler alert!!!!) Cheers Brian
Carl; My Glitter Twin. The person who made me want to play the guitar, and who has continued to do so for the last thirty years. Blood Brother (literally) and main role model (my family included) for my adult life, I can`t think of a single time we`ve been together, and not been smiling by the end of the reminiscence. You are, and always will be, Dalton. My Dalton.
Stephen; My Brother from another Mother. Mr Didlick, you and your amazing family have never ceased to surprise me in your generosity of spirit along with the support and, ahem, constructive criticism which has been a constant in guiding what I have hoped to achieve with the blog. Plus your knowledge of Springsteen and Andy Kaufmann has always helped. Cheers Dids.
Louise; She`s the absolute love of my life. She make`s it great to be me. What more can I say. I love her more than a football in the Park loves kids.
And finally Mary Lydia.
Mam bought me my first guitar. She encouraged me to go to the perceived mental places (Tom Waits, Lowry, etc), she told me "know the game before you learn the rules"
Most importantly she told me the most important thing about art, and being an artist. It`s the one rule I impart upon Harry and Grace and I implore you to teach your kids, and that rule is.......
It`s been a bit hectic round here lately, and along with various other projects I`ve not had much time to post`s things Strumtastic. I hope you had the Holidays that you deserved, and that all your strummings were ultimately fulfilling.
My really rather wonderful friend Stephen Didlick in Bedfordshire sent me an email regarding the previous post.
" Hello mark, me and Zoey have just been listening to the songs posted on the blog and really impressed with apple scrumptious, pal 'o mine and especially cowboy waltz. could you post the lyrics along with the audio? it might be my hearing, you could be a bit michael stipe-ish or it could simply be the producer."
So for Mr and Mrs Didlick here you go.
Pal O` Mine.
Music and words by myself.
Pal O` Mine, tell me why you`re so lonely?
Pal O` Mine, tell me why you`re so lonely?
wel there`s a feeling hidden deep
it`s there for me to keep
Pal O` Mine, tell me why you`re so lonely?
Pal O` Mine, tell me why there`s a danger?
Pal O` Mine, tell me why there`s a danger?
Well there`s something I can`t say
thats why I feel this way
Pal O` Mine, tell me why there`s a danger?
Pal O` Mine, tell me why you`re frustrated?
Pal O` Mine, tell me why you`re frustrated?
Well it`s all within my hands,
you wouldn`t understand.
Pal O` Mine, tell me why you`re frustrated?
Apple scrumpy.
Music and words by Andrew Dalton.
Sit beneath this apple tree with me sweet Ida Red,
Sit beneath this apple tree with me sweet Lilabet,
Sit beneath this apple tree and drink some apple crush,
Irish Peach, my sweet Maiden's Blush.
Lets make apple scrumpy, Lets make love tonight,
Lets make apple scrumpy, till the morning light,
Lets make apple scrumpy, right here on the ground,
Take a swig, feels alright, take your time it'll last all night.
Sit beneath this apple tree, Annie Elizabeth,
Sit beneath this apple tree ans let me taste your flesh,
Sit beneath this apple tree and curl up on the ground,
Norfolk Beauty, your Sweet Billy Bound.
Sit beneath this apple tree with russet in your hair,
Sit beneath this apple tree until the trees are bare,
Sit beneath this apple tree and hear the autumn call,
making scrumpy while the apples fall.
Cowboy Waltz
Music by Carl Dalton, words by Mark Davies
I`ve had children to various women,
none of them know my name, it`s true.
They`ve other laddies
that they call their Daddies,
You may feel this a shame I`m sure.
Not for me the childhood dream,
that`s for other folks.
Not for me the goodnight kiss,
that to me`s a joke.
I have travelled, the States have unravelled,
Too many things I have seen and done.
They are my ladies
and they are my babies.
They`ve allowed me to have fun.
Have I regretted, when all is considered,
My many splendid faults.
I can say clearly,
I`ve enjoyed it dearly,
This dance was my Cowboy Waltz.
So there you have it. Lyrics to the songs.
i`ve recently been messing about with the banjo in a ragtime/bluesy downstroke (Or as Eric Morecambe might say a "RUMCHUCKKA RUMCHUCKKK") manner. This turned up. i really am rather taken with it.
I met up with the Charmers for an end of year session the other night and we decided to have a go at playing some new/lesser played songs. Unfortunately I forgot to bring any recording stuff. Luckily as we officially live in the future, Andy`s "portable" (as my dad calls them) phone was able to capture a couple of things. Don`t be surprised if you don`t see them in a future charmin` sets.
Pal `O Mine.
A song i`ve been tinkering about with for a couple of months. Really difficult to work out which chords to play over it. What do I know, I only wrote it.
Apple scrumptious.
Now with new 3rd verse. In my opinion the wittiest cleverest and downright bestest of the Charmers Lyrics.
and finally,
Cowboy waltz.
i think the first complete Alice Charmers original song. Still one of my favourites.
I`ve been lucky enough to be involved with a rather splendid band called "The Broken Broadcast" over the last couple of weeks. Don`t worry this won`t interfer with Alice Charmers and Solo stuff, but these chaps are really rather brilliant. and I`m extremely chuffed to say I played my inaugral gig with them the other night at KuBar in Stockton. We went down really well and had lots of lovely comment`s afterwards which is always nice.
James, who`s band it is, contacted me on Wednesday and asked me if I was available to play at a local BBC Radio Station show hosted by the wonderful Bob Fischer. Have a guess what my reply was? So here`s a link for all of you wonderful Strumpets to have a listen to us. We`re on from about 1hr and 4 mins, and be warned we`re on for about 45 minutes, most of which is bizarre chat. There are three "stripped bare" versions of The Broadcast`s songs on there as well though.
Here`s a vid directed and filmed by Carl, of our new favourite way of playing Cripple Creek.
Next time we reckon instead of drinking beer whilst drumming, Mr Denty could try ironing! Also please take time out to look at the different styles of banjo me and Andy love playing. Personally I think Andy is the Northern Banjo Boy Wonder! Also the more eagle eyed Strumpets may have noticed the Tron like abberation under my nose. Movember spawned a Monster again, and if you would like to donate to my furry lipped nonsense in aid of Prostate Cancer awareness and research in Britain then please visit here and pledge. Even a quid would be massively appreciated. http://uk.movember.com/mospace/
This is Post Number 196. What would you Strumpets like to be Post 200?
Let me know, and till the next one, learn something new,
I`ll be honest with you, a rainy Tuesday afternoon at the back end of November, nursing a five year old with an ear infection does not lend itself to reviewing new music. Similarly I made a decision about five years ago to just stop listening to new music (with a few exceptions, Mr Waits and Ms Bush to name a grotesquely talented few) . I`d already heard more than enough stuff in my lifetime and found myself comparing everything to The Pixies anyway. So perhaps not the best time to take a listen to the new songs by a local band called Village Green.
Except….
Except it couldn`t have possibly have been a better time. The three tracks I listened to, “Sunshine” “Carnaby Street” and “Love Will Save the world” have enough life, energy, and more importantly good tunes in them to make my child`s continuous coughs and splutters sound like they might be getting better. Through what has to be described as fantastic production, I can hear echoes of Siouxsie, The Wonder Stuff, and early Oasis in the songs, particularly stand out tune “Carnaby Street”.
“Sunshine” with its immediate hook, and wondrous “dee diddley” guitar riff has a remarkable effortless quality, which if personal experience is anything to go by, means it was probably anything but to put together. And thank the Lords of whomsoever you may look to at times of sadness, it does what it sets out to, and then leaves. Realistic ego, and possibly a lack of (ahem) happy powder, means that what could have been a twelve minute 93 bar Guitar solo “anthem”, is tight without seeming slight.
“Carnaby Street” evokes memories of Morrissey between his cartoon Bowie/Stardust imitation phase and later Caricature Karaoke years, sadly all of which I love. The verse could easily have come from any song on “Vauxhall and I”. That`s not written lightly either, by the way. Both literally and metaphorically, as my sausage fingers hammer at these keys like a gang of Woodpeckers on Speed.
“Love Will Save the World” is I suppose the most “anthemic” and “Rawk” of the three, with a post five minute running time, which if I`m honest, I could have maybe trimmed a minute or so off, but that`s more a reflection of myself and my reasoning of things since hitting Forty. Unlike most bully`s Forty got straight back up, hit me back and has been doing so ever since. If you`re young and enjoy your solid, tight, loud, guitar based music, solid, tight, loud, and guitar based it`ll be right up your cul de sac.
Now I`m off to do the ironing, but at least I`ll have something different to be listening to.
Here`s a couple of vids from a recent rehearsal evening with the Charmers.
First a vid of a song which was one of the first things we wrote as a group. We`d never really figured out an arrangement of it though. As usual we ended up going for basics.
