A year and running

The new EP has just landed, but I don't want to talk about that, and we had a pretty stonking gig recently in Harrow but

I'm not much of a gig reviewer and I'm sure no one cares that everything went as well as the last show. The shows themselves are going pretty well these days and as much as I'd like to gush about how great I'm doing it's not very fitting with the point of this blog, which is looking at what isn't working so well and trying to improve upon that.

It has occurred to me though that it has been a year now since the ASBO Retards played their "last" show. Two things of note

other than the ASBOs farewell happened at that show. The first was that it was the sparking point which created the irredeemable Demon Smiles. The second is that it was the first time I had ever stepped up on stage by myself and played guitar to a bunch of people in earnest. I had previously played at Tazz's funeral  but that was just a couple of covers and a reworking of an old CJD song so it didn't count. The show a year ago was the real first for me. There is even a blog about how it went, and reading it back, it really didn't go anything like how well these recent ones have. I've managed to reach a level of confidence that I haven't had since being in "proprer" bands. I think in part it's because Drew in on board now and I'm not so totally exposed but also it's just that I kinda got my mojo back after a difficult first few months.

Things have come a long way since that show. Of the 15 minute set i played nothing is left in the set today, I hadn't even started to write the more "classic" RRF tunes like punk police and 99%, let alone anything we play now.

Adding Drew to the mix seems like a no brainer these days but that was the biggest decision I think I've had to make so far as Red Rag Front. I listen to a lot of acoustic punk, and everytime I hear of an acoustic act I  check out whether there is something I can listen to online. The thing I've noticed about Red Rag Front now compared to other acoustic acts is that we are so much more than other acts that could be lumped into this odd little genre. That's not to say that we're better, because that isn't really the point, but we have progressed beyond the billy bragg esque thing and become our own sound, which is something I never imagined doing. I find it hard to say who we sound like because I genuinely don't know of another band right now, pro or unsigned that sounds the way we do. That is probably what I'm most proud about for the band, the

band is just a perfect reflection of both mine and Drews personalities and I wouldn't want it any other way.

So a year on I've managed to control my nerves and hold together a professional sounding set and write songs I really enjoy listening to, I've also found my place in the punk scene right where I always wanted and I'm perfectly happy there, so now I need to think about what's next? Well I still need to learn more of the management side of things, my booking skills are still fairly dismal and I'm heavily reliant on friends to put us on, Drew and I have also taken our first step into the world of promotions and I'm pretty sure that the nothing we know about it all so far will need to be vastly improved to keep it alive. Now we've got the playing songs bit down ok I'd like to try and start up a collection of merch too which means learning how to be a

salesman too. Maybe act a little in a video. These are the higher level skills I'll be looking to build now that I've gotten back with the basics of it all.

There's some pretty exciting plans on boil for next year already but that'll have to be a blog for another time.

I should also say that this blog is now a year old too and with thousands of page views I'd like to say a massive thank you to everyone who takes time out their busy days to read about the evolution of one scared guy with a crappy acoustic guitar to the acoustic punk-pop troubadour I think I am today. So cheers, and here's to a much more exciting and more
readable second year.