Blog: A Day Of ROCK

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It was a busy day of ROCK for me yesterday, starting at lunchtime when I went over to Studio Sonic on Denmark Street to record some more demo tracks. I REALLY like going there - I could very easily (well, quite easily) put some effort into it and work out how to do it at home, but it's so NICE going there, and afterwards I always feel like I am part of THE HISTORY OF ROCK, purely because I've been recording on Tin Pan Alley.

When i arrived everything was set up for me, and it was Andy who was engineering again this time - he'd obviously spoken to Tom who did it last time though, as he seemed a bit disappointed to hear there'd be no handclaps this time! We WHIPPED through four songs - My Boss Was In An Indie Band Once, The Mystery Train
, Sod It, Let's Get Pissed and We Can Start Having Fun - and also had a DISCUSSION about Aspects Of ROCK and also the history of the studio - apparently it used to be EMI's studio, hence all the Rock Star Graffiti that gets unconvered when the wall coverings drop off, also a CRACK HOUSE! Cor!

I left after my hour very happy indeed with the four tracks on my CD, and also a little GIDDY with the APPRECIATION that I get to do such fun and exciting things. It was GRATE!

The ACTION was not over yet, however, as later on I was off to Brixton, to JAMM, to play at the "Vic Lambrusco's Cabaret Hour" section of their Urban75 night. I'd got this gig when I played at the Windmill a little while ago and bumped into Mr Lambrusco in the loo, and it was only when I arrived that I realised I wasn't entirely sure what he looked like. Hey, i was in the loo, you don't LOOK at people while you're peeing!

As I was going into the pub I noticed that the posters (featuring "Mark Hibbett", OOH it's a long time since I've been billed that way, it made me FAIR NOSTALGIC) had a Simon Donald playing in the same bit as me. "Oh, like the editor of Viz!" I thought to myself, and then got in to find it WAS the editor of Viz. I say ye again, COR!

Things took a while to get going and I wandered around for a bit before spotting Vic (my toilet memory is better than I thought) and having a bit of a chat with him and Mike The Other Organiser about their DJ equipment, which was confusing them a bit. After a bit things got going with Vic and Becky Fury doing some POETRY. Instantly I was filled with DREAD as I REMEMBERED that I was playing at a CABARET night - FEAR! The last time I did such a thing really was in NEW YORK, when I had to play ACAPELLA, and so you can appreciate that i was suddenly somewhat AFEARED. The next chap on was doing SONGS, but they were also rather Comedy Numbers. He broke his string in the first song so while he did a shouting acapella song I tuned up and leant him mine.

He later said, mid-song, "This is the strangest sounding guitar I've ever played!" and got a laugh. I was not impressed - this, to me, is BREAKING THE RULES. I had OBEYED them by lending him my guitar (which one OUGHT to do - goodness knows I was APPALLED the time i broke my string in New Cross and the other Acoustic Artist did NOTHING. I've not forgotten, it was SHOCKING!), but then he had BROKEN them by RIDICULING the instrument i had leant him. FOR SHAME! OK, he was an AMERICAN and maybe they do things differently over there. But still.

Anyway, then it was me and I went on, nervously, and did THIS:

The Lesson Of The Smiths

My Boss Was In An Indie Band Once

Sod It, Let's Get Pissed

It Only Works Because You're Here

The Peterborough All-Saints' Wide Game Team (Group B)

I REALLY enjoyed it! We sorted out the "problem" with the guitar quite quickly: i played it A BIT MORE LOUDLY. I'd meant to start with The Gay Train but just before going on decided to change it - I'd thought maybe a song that started with Spoken Word (as it does when i do it solo) would be in KEEPING, but when it came to it i wanted to do some SHOUTING, which is just as well. I DID do a bit of talking before i started the song, about the LAST time I did a cabaret gig, but it was RUBBISH so i stopped. Good decision, ME!

So yes, it all seemed to go pretty well, and I was especially pleased that My Boss Was In An Indie Band Once went down good. I got INTO it and decided to do drop The Perfect Love Song and do It Only Works Because You're Here instead - it's a bit longer, but I got it into my head that I might get away with it, so had a go. I think it brought things down a LITTLE bit, hence me doing The Peterborough All-Saints' Wide Game Team (Group B) to finish off, but all in all it went pretty OK, and i was CHUFFED!

Simon Donald was on after me, and it was a little uncomfortable because he did a set that seemed designed for a Comedy Club i.e. talking about MECHANICS of comedy, and a lot based on personal REMINISCENCE. He also put down a heckler a bit much (i guess in comedy clubs there is less tolerance) and seemed to say that the club manager would get the bouncers to chuck him out, when there were no such things, but in the end he got by by actually being RATHER PERSONABLE and, though he probably wouldn't like it to be applied to his Comedy Persona, quite CHARMING and NICE.

After all the RIGOURS of the ROCKING DAY i was, by this time, ready to go home, and so after saying some cheerios that is exactly what I did.

And now we're into ADVENT and IT'S CHRISTMAS! This weekend i shall be a) seeing my MUM and b) LARNING UP some Christmas Songs, ready for the slew of Christmas Gigs yet to come. HOORAH! I really really MISSED this bit of Christmas last year when The Needle On My Compass and I were off circumnavigating the globe, so i am WELL looking forward to it this time. MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYBODY!

posted 1/12/2006 by MJ Hibbett

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