Community, Unity and probably some other nitys...

I'm just gonna go ahead and say it, since I already have to anyone within earshot of me for the last two days. Best.Gig.Ever.

There, it's out there, and I stand by it at least until the next show. These are the reasons this Saturday was the greatest thing to happen in my musical life so without too much of a pre-subject ramble lets dive in there:

Well I can't begin a gig round-up without first mentioning the flying success that is Red Rag Front: Acoustic Duo. A lot of people have been very positive about the expansion, including a random dog walker in the park we practice in!! Also since we needed a quick pre-gig warm-up we decided to have a practice run though on the central line and ended up with a crowd of spectators who cheered and i think took photos and videos. So all in all things were going well before we even got there. I generally don't believe in omens but that would definitely have been a good one if I did.

Turning up led us to meet a few members of Not Pennys Boat, MuG and Cat from Demons Smiles. Traffic woes and crazy last night shenanigans not dampening anyones spirits and as the rest of the band members arrived all helped get things set up and ready for the night.

So we went on first and since Drew and I have only had a couple of weeks to practice I decided to split the set into a first half with just me and a second much better half with the both of us. First thing that happened was about three seconds into the first song I decided I didn't like the sound my brand new stompbox was giving off so that got almost immediately left by the wayside, one of the disadvantages to practising unplugged is that some things are impossible to gauge when up on stage and mic'd up.
Still the first half was passable even though I began to melt onto the stage with the heat in the place feeling more like the gates of hell than Deptford on a cloudy day!! Drew then joined me for the second half and not only did we manage to crush it on new songs, old songs and two covers (small missteps notwithstanding) but the reaction we got from the people watching was truly an honour. There is just nothing greater than hearing great praise for something we have worked so hard for and we are both so so grateful to hear that it went down well. If you ever get the urge to go back to the beginning of this blog and see how I felt playing my first few shows you'd see I was a goddamned nervous wreck but now I feel like everything has fallen into place. The songs, the style, the extra band member, it's all working just how it should be and I've never been more excited about what the future holds.

Of course we were only the first act on (and with a shortened set to boot) and if we were the only great thing about the evening then I doubt I could go around saying best show ever!! Not Pennys Boat were on next and the guys from Norwich were outstanding. I love it when I'm listening to a band at a show and I think this is just the sort of thing I would have on my stereo if I weren't here. To me they are like early Ataris, awesome melodic good time punk rock and having a band full of sound as fuck guys helps put them in my top ten favourites from now on.

The Vulgarities were next and I think it would be safe to say they were the most properly punk rock band of the night, thumping tunes with a shit tonne of attitude but not a single whiff of pretentiousness made it a really brilliant act to see. When Cat the lead singer stomped her boot of the stage the entire pub trembled!!! Awesome!

The penultimate act was Demons Smiles who managed to all be there despite a serious amount of shenanigans and arsehole landlords trying to prevent it. I'm pretty bummed I missed them in Slovenia at punk rock holiday but good god damn they made up for it by being super awesome. I haven't ever seen them tighter and more on the ball than last Saturday and they are really becoming a top class band. Listening to them now it's extremely hard to remember that they have only been an idea since November and that Cat hadn't even picked up a bass before then.

MuG were headlining and I entirely blame them for the stiff neck I have now!! They really were incredible and I went a bit ballistic dancing around to their stuff, but then again so did everyone!! Again they played the kind of stuff that I love to listen to and they absolutely crushed it!! Everyone in the house was going mental and a wicked time was had by all the whole time they were on stage. Playing a show with such talented guys and them being totally sound to boot makes every empty room and shitty line up I've played worth while.

More than just rocking bands though was an air of friendship and community that was there from the second Drew and I walked through the doors. You just can't buy that atmosphere, it's a one of a kind feeling, like every person you turn around and talk to is going to be an excellent person and just by being the same space that you're now a better person too. I honestly cannot wait to do this again and hopefully with at least some of the same faces around, you never know what the future holds but I can't help but think whatever it is it's going to be bright if things keep going this way.


 

The mother of all good ideas...

field of rock!

You know when sometimes you do something and you wonder why the hell things haven't always been that way? Like the time when you spilled caramel ice-cream on a peanut butter and nutella sandwich, well that's how I'm feeling right now with the acquisition of Red Rag newcomer Drew MacLaughlin. I had my doubts about getting another band member in general, but of course  that seems like it was more to do with my own complacency than it being a bad idea. I think the band may now make that special leap from being something I like to listen to to being something other people wan to listen to as well!!

In true Red Rag fashion we have taken to practising in Ruislip Gardens playing fields, it's a definite step up from my shed (although the spiders all look lonely down there now) and I like to think we delight the ears of all those random Ruislipians that wander past finding a place for their dogs to crap.

As for the songs, Drew just kind of goes, "you know how that average arsed song you wrote goes well why don't I go like this <insert musical magic here>" and BAM! the song is super awesome. Things have been progressing along those lines now for a couple of sessions and I think we're onto a winner. I can't believe I toiled on for six whole months now by myself when I met the perfect compliment to my stuff on the fourth show I ever played as RRF. Hindsight, as with most things is a wonderful thing but better late than never is also a great place to start.

So what now? Well due in part to my complete lethargy when it comes to teaching songs to people we are gonna half and half my next show, with Drew coming in later, I think as well as easing into life as a duo it'll also be kind of a nice farewell to my life as a soloist, especially since it will be obvious how much better the second half of the set will sound. Apart from that I guess we'll need to discuss recordings and whatnot since I still have this idea that I'll (we'll) get a full length demo out before the end of the year. Maybe a video too. I guess I'll just roll with the punches and see where things end up.

Next show is with Demon Smiles and others in London on the 27th @ The Birds Nest in Deptford. Be there or be somewhere better!!!!

Expansion and the awful thought of social interaction.

For those of you that read the Red Rag Front small print you will be well aware that the band actually formed in 2004/5 (I don't remember which exactly because I was drunk for those years) when my best friend Tazz and I decided that playing punk songs on acoustic guitars could work since we both liked Against Me! and it seemed to be awesome for them. Now Tazz died a year ago and I originally started this all back up as a tribute to him, it's also been my main reason for not wanting to be any more than a solo act. Somehow in my head I have convinced myself that it's not a fitting tribute if I replace him.

A year on and, well, I'm beginning to think that my sense of loyalty is a little misdirected. Maybe instead of limiting myself and not being able to progress and better the band because I think that the ghost of Tazz may be offended for some reason (which of course he would not), I can make the leap to the next level and expand the empire, therefore making everything better. I have given some thought before to having more members in team Red Rag. I would quite like a drummer and I think an excellent starting place would be another guitarist/backing vocalist. From there the sky is really the limit but I can't see myself wanting to stretch to any more than four members max. With a bigger contingent on the rosta the songs I already have could be fleshed out to be more intricate and having more people to write new songs with would mean better variety and more substance than I can manage on my own. On paper having extra people in the group is all win, however to be honest I'm not really sure that adding permanent members is totally the right thing to do. Being a solo act does allow me a hell of a lot of freedom to take things in my own direction and to keep decisions, travel and practice to the minimum effort needed. I don't need to arrange practice slots, or organise times to get to a venue or teach anyone the new songs. It might just be that my real reason for not wanting other members in the band is that I've got this music thing on easy mode and I'm just too lazy to step things up a notch.

Well far from me to back down from someone calling me lazy, even when I just called myself lazy!! I'm gonna make a few preparations and trial having extra people join the Red Rag Front. Will it go well? Will I become a horrendous dictator? Only time will tell. Now if only I knew someone who was awesome and played acoustic punk rock.....