The return of the great white hope for the Red Rag Front

So before I get right into things I'll just quickly mention the fact that I haven't written anything in a while, also my last post was a bit of a downer. That's mostly because as an artist, I can't help but want to feel some recognition for what I'm doing and previously was descending into a spiral of silence and unappreciated shows. Watching the fact that no one is listening to your music is a tad disheartening and it seemed to me like it was already time to call things a day in the Red Rag camp, that camp being me sat on my own in yet another venue!!

The tale of my redemption and subsequent reignited love for what I do started last Saturday and a small slightly smelly practice room on the polar opposite end of London. It was there that I had a super awesome jam with the musical loves of my life Demon Smiles. I've been threatening to do so for a while now but what with things getting in the way hadn't gotten around to it. Almost immediately after the practice phone calls were made and I was added to a bill for a show down in Worthing and as fate would conspire I could make it so it was on like Donkey Kong!!

Even a cancelled acoustic night the evening before and some truly british summertime rain couldn't put a dampner on my mood as I made my way down, full of beans and ready to rock. Not only was I about to play my own set, but I had also ingratiated my way into a couple of DS tunes too.When I turned up things were a hell of a lot different to my usual story (in a good way) and because of these key differences I am back in love with gigging (and i guess blogging).

Firstly a serious shout-out needs to go to Recluse Club, who as well as being the third act on also engineered the night and were responsible for me being there in the first place. Now usually when I turn up for a gig I spend around thirty seconds sound checking (no change there) and then sit on my own for the remainder of the time waiting for the show to start/someone I know to arrive (big change here). Instead of that though the RC guys and I had an awesome time getting to know each other, being that one of them had a Blink hat that I own (always the consummate conversation starter) and from there out it transpired that we also had everything else in common. I forget sometimes playing alongside such wildly different people from myself usually that there are people out there that do the same as me that also share the same interests I do.

Second on my love letter to the Worthing punk scene are the punks who populate it. This was the first show that I have actually played to my target demographic and let me tell you it has made me realise that I would rather only play a show a year at a punk gig than carry on playing to people who don't really want to listen to me. The crowd, although mostly made up of other bands and the few people drinking in the bar anyway, really got behind the set and it made a huge impact on my peformance, then went knocking out my covers (a 5 songs in four minutes rancid medley and my ever favourite Dammit cover) i couldn't actually hear myself playing over the rowdy singing of the crowd. That is an experience I've dreamt of ever since I first watched the Dashboard Confessional unplugged dvd and saw it happen to him. It was everything I dreamt of an more.

Last and by every means best were my DS collaboration songs. I played on two of their songs and I was pretty much the nuts!! I have missed playing with a full band and to play with a bunch of people I like and admire so much was a dream come true for an old punk like me. Playing with them is like the most obvious thing in the world. When I walked into the practice studio it was like I'd always been a part of the band, and because we are so close outside of the musical world I guess I have. We click musically extremely well and it was a pleasure and a joy to share a stage with them. This having worked so well opens up a world of opportunity for us both and the possibilities are huge for us.


So there you have it. Welcome back to a positive and enthusiastic me. Let's see where this leads me now.....