Faraday Club and the Stalkers, Thursday 10th Feb 2011

After an early start at work today, Davey and I hit the road straight from work at 5pm. Frankie Raydell [Dad] picked us up and we set off to play at the Faraday Club in Slough.

Spent two and a half hours trying to get there, so we used the time together to have a laugh! At the expense of each other of course! :-)

We finally got there and Pod was already set up! Dragged the gear in, set up, nearly freaked out when we thought that one of the speakers was damaged. Just sounded really muffled. - GREAT! - But it was ok when we realised that good ole Davey had plugged the xlr for that speaker into the Sub Woofer slot on the mixer. 'Doh!'

After we swallowed our hearts again we finished setting up and sound checked! Great little response from the right of the venue - 'Yes. Finally, a decent F**king band!'

No Pressure. We better not screw up now!

This was not the start of the high expectations for this gig! For a week now, hype about this gig had started to pop up on Facebook between people of the club. This is new. This is exciting. This is Scary!

The show went great! We had a great audience, we had a lot of fun and we were constantly smiling! The Faraday club were a very pleasant crowd with many of them dancing all through the night!

A great guy came up to me and said, the people here are not used to people not telling them what line dance to do...so we took this opportunity to have some fun. We do not know any line-dances, so we announced a different style before songs. Salsa, moshing and street dance was among some of the suggestions before breaking into a Waltz or Cash style song! Luckily for us, the guys and gals at the club all had great sense's of humour and laughed with us. - Phew.

Steve Lovett, a great guy and one of the gang that stirred up a bit of a reputation for us to live up to, got up and played 2 songs with us! What a voice! What a guitarist! What a guy!

After leaving the venue, we grabbed some food....and finally got home and into bed at 2.45am.

6am...time to get up for work

JUMP-JIVE-SWING A different workflow, 9th Feb 2011

Hi!
So, Dad and I have been working on a new song since Sunday.

We specifically sat down and approached this in a way we had never done so before.

 Firstly, we set out to write our first whole song together. In the past, we have written our own songs and then brought them to the table and helped each other to make it work within a 'band' set-up for The Doggone Honkabilly Band. A lot of these songs have still not made it to a live show yet....but they will! :)

Secondly, we were aiming to write a song that was good to dance too. 

This is different to the way we have written in the past. We have sat down and written  lyrics and then added music accordingly, we have had a line of a song, or an idea of a story we wanted to tell, written some music and then it all falls into place. Hell, I have even got naked before, thought up a cool bass line, recorded it, fiddled with my ....guitar, recorded it, and so on until i had a complete song with lyrics included! This song is called Swing All Over Town. However this time, we tried writing a song specifically for dancing to. We spent a lot of time thinking of what kinda beat we wanted, what type of bass lines and chords, tempo...then the structure. 

So now we have this great piece of music, but no lyrics. We have melodies that hit us hard as we were recording the demo, so we have a nice strong view of where the vocals will sit! But.Still.No.Lyrics.

Now usually, this would worry me. I don't wanna try and sell you an excuse just incase the lyrics turn out bad....but each song is written a different way and for a different reason. Some songs are written to tell a story, explain an emotion, tell someone you love them, rant about your country's leader....this song has been from the very start, a song to dance to [not transfer a life-changing message], and would possibly work best in a 'Live' setting. So for me, the purpose of the song has been met...the rest is just a bonus. It has been a fun approach, I am glad we have tried it but i don't see us using this method of writing too often, but then again, who knows!?

It's fun to try different things. I am glad we do. 

......So far we have these lyrics.

"Jump, Jive Swing"

-It may take a while. haha.

Next up? - The Doggone Honkabilly Band have a gig tomorrow night and Davey and I will be working on recording the Bass for the final versions of two songs on Friday night....maybe. I will let you know! :)

Once it is finished, i hope you have a listen and find a beat in the song to get you moving! :)

Good Night! x

JUMPJIVESWING

Writing and Demo Recording Session, Sunday 6th Feb 2011

Hi :)

Hope you have had a great weekend! I have been a busy dude since Friday's gig. Headed into Romford  last night with Davey [Doggone Honkabilly Bass player] and caught up with some old friends, met some new ones and had an all-round good time. 

Got home at around 9.30 this morning and had a day of writing and recording a demo of a new song with Frankie Raydell [Dad]. 

It's sounding great! really excited about it! I have finished the demo now and gonna send it to the other guys to learn their parts and then begin the final recording of it. 

No title yet, but its a good upbeat swing in the key of 'A'. I look forward to playing it live sometime soon!

The whole process took place in the dining room, we made a real mess with guitars, recording equipment, upright bass and monitors all over the table, chairs and floor. haha.

Here is a quick clip of the demo :-)

Now, we better get deciding on that title....

x  

The Welcome Club, Stanford-Le-Hope, 4th Feb 2011

Hi!

We had a great gig last night. We met some real nice people and they were all especially kind and giving in supporting the Cancer Research UK collection! Thanks everybody!

The first time we played this place was for a Christening! - Odd i know! Why would you want a Honkabilly Band for such an event? Even more, why would you want a Honkabilly band that you found busking on the streets of Romford? But they did! They put a roof over our heads and let us play in the warm and it went down so well, the club invited us back! :) 

So we have played a Christening, and we have even played weddings which is even odder when you consider the occasion. You know, a wedding is a time of Celebration. Of Love. Of Loyalty. Of Life. - But Country, Honky-Tonk and Rockabilly songs are mostly about cheating, loving someone you can't have, drugs, alcohol, killing, time in prison  and trains. -So, you can imagine the worry that runs through our little minds when a couple ask us to play a song for them at their big day!

Married Couple: 'Hey guys, play a song for us!'

The Doggone Honkabilly Band: 'Um....' [Look at each other]. 'Sure!' [Look at each other again in horror and rapidly search through a list of 80 songs.......] 'Well, what have we got.... 'Cheating Heart?' - No, 'Cocaine Blues?' - No -  'Cry Cry Cry?' - NO! . . . . . . '

      'We play miserable songs, but we can smile throughout them so it seems a little happier for you!???'

You get the point lol! 

The only event we have not played is a funeral. But we are open to offers!

See ya soon! :) x

Blue Moon, Black Nights, Red Lights - The Doggone Honkabilly Recording Sessions 2011 Begin

Here is the start of a new recording for The Doggone Honkabilly Band. the song is called 'Blue Moon, Black Nights, Red Lights'. Lyrics: Frankie Raydell [My Dad] Music written by and arranged by Frankie Bengel [Me] and Frankie Raydell December 2010. 

I will keep you posted on the recording procedure.

Thanks,

Frankie. :-)