More Cowbell... at the Sun Inn on the 8th June

Thanks to Brian Harris for the cartoon.

If you fancy a night out the Alice Charmers will be bringing more cowbell to the Sun Inn, Stockton on Friday the 8th June.
£2 admission first band on stage at 8.30pm
We've kind of gatecrashed it, so not sure when we'll be on!

Tuners bridge and pickup

Lovely day today. Got the bridge, pickup and tuners fitted.

Humbuckers are go!

Spent this morning routing out the cavity for the pickups. The plans for the lap steel specify single coil but Carl is adamant that we need 'buckers'. At least I think that's what he said!

Next is to drill out the tuner peg holes and the jack lead and volume switcher cavity.

Streams of Whiskey

Been trying to get the lads to have a go at Streams of Whiskey by the Pogues.
This is my clawhammer version. Transposed into G of course.

listen to ‘Streams of whiskey’ on Audioboo

BCT 'Branded' Night Billingham Synthonia

Here's a couple of photos of the gig on 18th May.

Thanks to Bob 

copyright BCTAspire

Alice Charmers at the Billingham Synthonia

 I was bit wary of playing a club which is named after 'SYNTHetic amONIA' but we northerners are a hardy breed, and desperate too. But what a venue it's the old ICI club which is now part run by BCT Events which is a charity offering kids music lessons to keep em out of trouble and believe me there is a fair amount of trouble available on the post-industrial streets of Billingham.

So we put on our coats and hardest band faces (except for Mark, or maybe that is his hardest face) and prepared for the worst, but we had a brilliant night. We were humbled by both the kids enthusiasm and the organisers, who give their time and energy to do something positive for the community. We were fed and watered allowed to play on a proper stage with great sound. I don't know what the audience could hear but I could hear everyone else playing which was a revelation and meant that instead of fighting the sound to get heard we played together. Its the most relaxed i've felt while on stage and despite forgetting words and fluffing chords etc went seemed to go over really well - they enjoyed it as much as we did.

THEY WANTED AN ENCORE!
we didn't have an encore, so we just played Cripple Creek again!
Thank you BCT Events.

Make your own Lap Steel part one

 or Did You Take Woodwork At School?
Yes it does look like a plank. That's because it is a plank - at the moment. Carl and I have been assembling the parts from the shopping list on http://buildyourguitar.com/resources/lapsteel/ today we got together to get the ball rolling. Its already been a long story, just getting a suitable piece of 'wud' could win Carl the Perrier for stand up comedy, but we're off!

Well almost, I've managed to get the tuners and bridge marooned at the post office sorting depot after losing the 'sorry we missed you' note. It's a tale which is Kafkaesque in itself. I missed the delivery so went to collect.
'have you got a parcel for NBB?'
'yes we've got the parcel here'
'can I have it?'
'where is your card'
'I lost it, but ive got id and proof of address'
'you need a card'
'How can I get one'
'you should have been left one, if you've lost it we'll have to re-deliver'
'I'm not around next week, so I can't sign for it'
'then we'll leave a card'......

Despite all this we staggered into my garage to 'cut wood'. Now, both Carl and I didn't do woodwork at school and it shows. Most scary, was the moment we both realised we had out fingers in Harry's enormous power-saw as we tried to get it to work. We managed it but neither of us may be able to play the finished instrument! After a fit of the giggles we managed to taper the head and cut out the peg head profile, which sounds tricky but is just 'sawing in a straight line'.
Next we need to carve a curved transition from the head into the body and route out the spaces for pick ups and electronics.

Rutherford No3 Lap Steel

Carl and I have been kicking around ideas for a Rutherford No3 - and we have a winner!

Carl found the plans for this simple lap steel on t'internet so we are pulling together a shopping list and pricing up a nice piece of hard wood.
The plans are over at http://buildyourguitar.com/resources/lapsteel/

Keep you posted.

Valley of the Pig

I thought I'd have go a writing something a bit more gritty than the usual diddley-diddley. So I dug out the old cigar box guitar (de rigueur for gritty) and started playing in D. This is the outcome its about living/working/putting up with 'pigs'. It could be literal, if you are a pig farmer, or you could just fill in the 'pig' in question.

listen to ‘Valley of the Pig’ on Audioboo

Archie Bester - Whether its the Weather or Whether it was me

listen to ‘whether its the weather (or whether it was me)’ on Audioboo

Whether It's The Weather. by Archie Bester

B. Harris Hon Chair of the Archie Bester Society (Eastcote) recently posted this newly discovered piece of Bester magic on http://archiebester.posterous.com/

The Bester Appreciation Society (Eastcote) have again come up Trumps!!
Mr Chudley Budleigh-Wuddlington has wrested another E.M.I.Tape (1/4 inch) from the ice cold and treacherous grip of 'Gypsy' Davey Flatman.
What a treasure- a half formed song by our hero from 1959 showing the creative juices flowing.This is coupled with a brief glimpse into the domestic turmoil that was the Alladyce household with Archie's German Shepherd Adolf disturbing our hard working songsmith.
The subject is Archie's oft preoccupation with sex and Florrie and how it has shaped his life (got him into trouble!)
As the young lady in the MacDonalds said to me the other day-'Enjoy'-I hate that-don't you?

"Adolf"-Archie's pet German Shepherd.

Apolgies to B Harris for transferring to audio boo as I couldn't get his audio player to work on blogger.

Longlands String Snapping Disaster..

Or Shall We Go and Have Our Dinner Instead

Yesterday, we tried out a few tunes for a forthcoming acoustic gig in Ripon in June. This is a further attempt to try and realise 'Longlands' as Carl intends it - but its allusive. We nearly got it and then string snapping disaster broke the moment, so we went to the pub! I just wish we'd recorded the version of Soldier's Joy that we did earlier as it sounded great. Why is it you always perform worse when you are recording?

listen to ‘Longlands acoustic’ on Audioboo

April Snow version 2

I had another go at April Snow but with a more plectrum feel to the strumming. This was after playing with Carl this afternoon and strumming along with him playing mandolin.
It feels kinda medieval.

listen to ‘April snow’ on Audioboo