Friday, 25 April 2025

   

Time for this month's 'One For The Road' track.
This is a band I heard back in January, just after I'd missed seeing them play in Hastings Old Town. Originating from Eastbourne the group are named after a collection of telescopes at the nearby Herstmonceux Observatory. 
The Equatorial Group features Helen Weeks, Dave Davies, Twe [Teresa] Fox, Andy Tourle and Neil Grimes and it's been written listeners hear the shadows of Neil Young or the colours of Fleetwood Mac in their music. You decide, but I'm hearing pedal steel guitar excursions like Neil Young solos and clear four-part harmonies. 
Here's their song ‘Feet’ from the most recent album 'Sea' - don’t know what the song’s about but the video is a definite front seat view of the road ahead.

Check out more music and videos: 'Fire'; 'Lights Shine'; & 'Electric Light': (click on). 

Friday, 18 April 2025

  

Record Store Day (last weekend) may well have past but I read a number of articles all about the subject. These made interesting reading especially after asking a favourite record shop in Hastings town about this 'Day', only to be told they didn't believe in it !
A long article I found entitled 'The Great Vinyl Buying Swindle' went some way to explaining what was conceived in 2007 as a good idea to boost interest in Vinyl records and to support stores again, has now turned into just another commercial merry-go-round !
This article* did deal with every aspect of the business from a lack of pressing plants to quality and costs of 'new' vinyl records. But the author had a a nice turn of phrase which I did enjoy. Like: 
- Record Store Day - RSD: festival/circus/ritual (delete as appropriate)
- New marketing terms for ‘Audiophiles’:
‘Half Speed Mastered From 1/4 Inch Master Tapes’! ‘Pressed On Virgin Heavyweight 180gsm Vinyl For Optimum Sound Fidelity’! Ob-Bla-Di-Ob-Blah-Blah-Bloody-Da!!!
- Crazy amounts of variations of special releases for RSD - re issues of classic LPs - ker-ching
- Greed-flation - Rip-Off Store Day ! more like...
I wont go on but the current cost of NEW vinyl is crazy and you won't find me paying such prices, that have more than doubled since 2008. Far better to hunt for 'old' discs at Record Fairs and shops that are selling second hand, at prices you can afford. 
Rant over - to this week's music. Which really has to be a new release I suppose. And I have another one of those amazing outrageously colourful videos from Escape Music. 
Soon to be released is an LP by Sign of the Wolf. A new supergroup featuring members from iconic bands such as Black Sabbath (Vinnie Appice), Whitesnake (Doug Aldrich) and Rainbow (Tony Carey). They aim to bring back melodic Hard Rock. "Evil has to fail so the spirit can prevail" - epic !
This is 'Rage of Angels' > 

*For those of you with time to spare here's the link to the article referred to. Link 

Friday, 11 April 2025

   

Back at the end of February I promised to feature The Animals version of Eric von Schmidt's 'Baby Let Me Follow You Down' covered by Bob Dylan on his first album.
Given a new arrangement by Americans Wes Farrell and Bert RussellThe Animals version of this song re-titled ‘Baby Let Me Take You Home’ is strikingly different and it was apparently a key influence on Dylan's change to electric music.
This recording from Tyne Tees TV in July 1964 is quite bizarre to say the least, not surprisingly grainy, while taking 'miming' to a whole new level of pretense. Great song which reached No.21 on the UK chart before the band's follow up smash hit 'The House of the Rising Sun'.
I recently found out that all these years I had been singing the wrong lyrics - I certainly hadn't been singing: "I'll do anything in this God-Almighty world, If you'll just let me take you home" ?


NB: Tomorrow is 'Record Store Day'. I may well revisit this next week.

Friday, 4 April 2025

  

Today is World Drummer's Day - hands up if you knew that ?
April 4th (4/4) is a universal celebration of percussion because the most popular time signature used in music is 4/4. So how about 216 drummers all together !
Our old friends Rockin' 1000 from Paris in 2019 with The Ramones 'Blitzkrieg Bop' >


NB: There's a minute of credits at the end - FYI.
The FMS has featured the song 'Blitzkrieg Bop' previously, would you believe nearly 9 years ago.
As a bonus on 4/4 Day here's the same song but from a purely drummers perspective:  

Wednesday, 2 April 2025

      

Hastings 'Fat Tuesday' music.
On top of the Unplugged Saturday 'Pub to Pub' afternoon of non stop 'live' music, Sunday saw the Umbrella parade along the Prom lead by Mr Wilson's Second Liners. From the bicycle wheel drum kit to the uniformed brass section they were quite a sight and sound !
Described as New Orleans meets 90s club classics - a totally bonkers rave that even saw rock 'n' roll power chords from the banjo player !
The White Rock theatre hosted an afternoon of drum bands and dancing (see photo). And dance tunes with a difference is what we got. Check out Mr Wilson's: Short promo here 


Expect Robert Miles, Fat Boy Slim, Prodigy and more... YouTube has plenty - this is a good example of their 'all join in' interactive performances > click here