Clap Yourself Silly.

Hello.

The good ship called 'Recording The Album' has well and truly slipped its moors and is slowly making its way out to sea. Early this week I put a couple of guitar tracks on 'Christmas Song'. Then I beat the hell out of a rubbish bin and tinkled with a wine glass. Marisa, Brett and I also clapped our hands raw for around twenty minutes. I thought this folk/pop business was supposed to be relatively pain free? I also started work on my slide guitar for 'London's Okay'. We're using a guitar and vocal recording Marisa did in London and the dubious timing/recording quality/being in a different key than the one we play it in now are making it difficult. However, it's a really great performance so I shall persevere.

Marisa keeps telling me about some piano songs she's written for the album. I haven't heard them yet, but my spies are telling me they're very good. I'm looking forward to working up some new and interesting arrangements for them... perhaps this is my chance to get some Theremin in?

I guess now is about the right time to start thinking about names for the album too. My suggestions don't seem to be getting a particularly warm reception. Well, giggles... but not acceptance. What do you think...?

- Bombay Breezes Tonight!
- Indie Scenester Fucks
- Happy Lovey Smoochy Kiss
- Of Aeroplanes and Leave Behinds

Of course, most of those have corresponding artwork. For instance, 'Bombay Breezes Tonight!' would have an orange background with a black silhouette of a desert island with a single palm tree on it and a man jumping into the air. Presumably for joy. Somehow I doubt I'll get that one pushed through. Then again, if I twist Marisa's arm (literally) and use some sort of blackmail I might be in with a chance. My folks are always telling me I should create my own oppurtunities...


Greg

Fun Times at The Empress.

If you missed out on last nights show at The Empress you should probably twist around and start kicking your own behind immediately. I haven't had that much fun at a gig in a long long while. Light Music Club were, as always, sublime. Jane vs World proved once and for all that piano/vocal duos can rock the shit just as well as anyone. I think when the phrase 'full of spunk' was coined they had Jane vs World in mind. And then there were The Triangles. Five people playing 3 million instruments including; drums, bass, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, ukelele, mandolin, harmonica, melodica, keyboard, accordion, a weird trumpet, a gong, xylophone, glockenspiel and party poppers. They gave out Tic Toc biscuits to the crowd, they stuck their arms in the air while they played, they covered the theme from The Neverending Story and they're from Boronia (and here I was thinking that Boronia only exported stoners and petty criminals).

As exciting as The Triangles were, the highlight of the evening was when a man informed us that he had travelled back in time from the year 2012. He said he was going to buy a CD and take it back to the future with him. That sounded reasonable until I heard he had also said that you can tell the real crop circles from the hoax ones because the real ones aren't broken at the bottom. He was also heard to complain that there weren't any Thai people at the show. Seeing as he was talking to Marisa at the time I suspect he may have strange ideas on what exactly constitutes a Thai person. However, the lighting was quite dim so it's possible he thought he was talking to a petite Hungarian boy. Or something.

Anyway, that's going to be the last show for a wee little while. We need some time to rest up, get healthy and get stuck into recording THE ALBUM. But there's talk of a Geelong show with Man Bites God and we'll be having a benefit gig for ourselves sometime in early November. It's not arrogant, just good business sense.

Stay lovely.



Greg