Weekend Summation

The entire weekend can be pinned down to one late night conversation:

Our bus driver, 'Big Bird', who said to me in all seriousness, when I enquired about the rumble strips in the night.

"Yeah, I keep answering my phone and ending up on the shoulder. And funny, I keep reminding myself not to do that, but I do it anyway. Don't worry: I may not be the smoothest driver you'll ever have, but I am definitely the safest."

GET ME OFF THIS FUCKING BUS NOW!

Rocket Boyz photos RBar + New Babies

I thought this place was going to have a pirate theme. I heard it was the Arrrgh-Bar, as in R-Bar. Oh well. Was a short lived giggle.

( Monopod seems to be helping )

PS - Almost forgot to add pics of my new babies. The LP Studio (the Standard got traded out - long story) and my 335. Gorgeous things.







Also embarrassing, a band I've been working for does a cover of 'Smokin' in the Boys Room'. I always thought they had good taste, 'cos no one but me seems to have ever heard of Brownsville Station. Finally got up the nerve to congrat them on picking a good song for a change and they had no clue who Brownsville was, they knew it as a Motley Crew song. Fucking figures. Mop Hoople, eh?

Watch on YouTube

Good Music

Hell, since I'm talking to myself and trying to calm down I might as well discuss some music. 'Cos that's what I do you know.

Previously, I was in the Darkness fandom. They were the only new group that really grabbed me. Ever. Everything else I've liked has all been before my time. There's been a few exceptions - Travis, Coheed & Cambria, Damien Rice... But for the majority it's been pre-1980.

So have been kicking around the Leptards for a while now, and aside from the few things were Joe and Justin met up I've figured out the connection. Without going through Brian May, although that works too.

It's Sweet! Brian Connolly. It's obvious that both bands loved Sweet and copied a lot of their stuff. Someone had 'Yeah' going on the bus and it has 'Hellraiser' on it - the track that Justin sang on. I have to admit Justin does a spot on Steve Priest. Still think I like Brian's version better than Joe's, but I've been hearing Sweet sing it for 20 years and Lep only a few.

My mind likes working paths like that. No idea if that's normal or not. Everything builds. Sweet influenced Lep, and both of them influenced TD. I think more kids need to listen to the old stuff instead of the shite they play on radio these days. Music now would be so much more interesting if people sought out quality stuff, not only what was marketed to them and put on their plate. But alas, American's are ugly and lazy as a mass. Hence the Motley Crue vs. Brownsville Station confusion.

Watch on YouTube

Listen to the original - you can see so much of Leppard and TD in not only the audio, but also the look. I'm such a softie. Still love Justin and will probably always be a fan, even if I still an angry for the fight back in October. Is it ok to say I miss him a bit? His brother's stuff just doesn't have the same spark for me; given my musical tastes and likes of course it doesn't. I'm listening a bit to the handful of tracks he posted a year ago. They're still good solid writing, despite whatever other baggage I have hanging off them. Was hard being a closeted Justin fan in a Dan forum. Oh well, of the past that is.

And as for the Leptards, well, I'm working on the Savitis. Fear it shall be terminal, but there has never been a band where everyone is so pretty, from Pete on to Viv. They rock and they cry and blow your eardrums out then do a bit romantic stuff... I like it. I like their raw, youthful energy and I like their mellower, more adult current sound. People can say what they want about Slang and X - I like 'em. I do get the feeling I'm not supposed to like all four guitarists playing styles. Different, yes all of them, but each good. Like Vin replacing Schenker. You've still got to be yourself, even if you are playing the same songs.