Blown Amps, New Speakers and Proud Moments

Hi All,

Been another eventful week in the Short Tempus camp.

So, last weekend we played Friday and Saturday night, our 'tour' in Nic's words. Friday was a departure from pubs and venues, The Blackmore Social Club.

It's always a bit strange turning up at a venue that you've never played before. You have no idea what you're walking in to and it adds an edge. Well, we seemed to go down quite well despite being asked to turn it down a bit! Can't have been that bad as they'd apparently have us back! Great crowd too although I suspect they may have imbibed a little too much of the old falling down juice!

Essex Arms again on Saturday night and this came with a blessing and a curse! Martins amp stopped working during the soundcheck and steadfastly refused to come back to life for the duration so he ended up playing through the PA all night. That's ok as far as it goes but having been there and done that I can tell you it's not easy as, believe it or not, it's hard to hear yourself when you're level with or behind the speakers. Hopefully the trend of blowing up the backline will stop now or it may be Gilles amp next or maybe Steve will blow up one of his drums................and knowing Steve that's more of a possibility than you know! The amp is now fixed but will probably need a new speaker very soon..........

It wasn't Martin's night really. Couple of songs from the end he broke a string and decided to tune up the Fender with the heavier strings for the low B tuning. They're not really designed to go that tight and there were some worried faces and a distinct two steps backwards! Breaking a string when you're tuning can have some nasty consequences if body parts are in the way when they snap! Then, just as he thought it couldn't get any worse; cramp. Trust me it hurts like hell! The fingers just curl up, the forearm goes solid and there's nothing you can do about it. We all suffer from it from time to time (Steve especially) but mid song is about as bad as it gets.

My new cab got a test drive on Friday night for the first time and after some minor tweaks on Saturday morning (basically pulled a load of insulation out of it) it was in rude health on Saturday. It sounds awesome. The sound guy down at the Essex was taking the mick a bit when we arrived but after hearing it he sidled up and admitted that it sounded clean, crisp and punchy which is exactly what I was going for. And here she is:

Ryan and a Bass Cab

Miss Alie with Ryan Booth and Ellis Turffrey

On a personal level Saturday was especially memorable for me; Short Tempus were supported by Miss Alie (my daughter pictured above) and Two Faced Serenade (my sons band). Very much a family affair then especially when you consider that Alie was accompanied by Ryan (pictured on the drums above) on the Cajon and Ellis (One of Two Faced Serenades guitarists). Despite nerves Alie performed brilliantly and it's nice to finally see her find a style that works for her and to see her up there doing her thing. Two Faced Serenade pretty much shook the building down with their mix of covers and originals. Ok they need to learn to pull it back a bit so the vocals can come through but with so much talent available it'll come. So, proud Dad all round.

Once again, fantastic crowd. There was a bit of dancing and singing along going on and that's always a boost for us.

Given that we as a band were the best we've been so far it was a great night. So, if you missed it, you can see us again at The Essex Arms, Brentwood on Friday 5th September. Doors at 7:30 PM, £4 on the door. Tell me where you can get a cheaper nights entertainment?

TTFN

Dunc