jester1470

several times, but the worst was either: The Rolling Stones atWembley Stadium on the Voodoo lounge or Page and Plant with the Black Crowes in support at the SECC Both down to a lack of cash :-( Cheers Stuart

OK whilst i concede there are bands who are playing otutside of aberdeen I'm talking about people who have gone out there and made a real impression, who have played to more than 20 people in a German rock club. Please don't get it wrong I'm not taking a swipe at the people who have done it, well done to them for getting out there and doing it, I know how difficult it is, I'm talking about the bands that go out and sell hundreds of CDs on the back of of these shows, bands that capture the imagination. I don't know any of these bands so for all I know they could have done this and I apologise if they have, but how many Aberdeen bands have sold over 1000 copies of an album, and i mean to people at gigs in other places not just friends and family in Aberdeen. Please don't get me wrong I'm not saying these bands aren't good or anything like that I'm just trying to find out if anyone has set the specific scene on fire, any of the punk bands who have really profitted from the shows, sold loads of their CD's, more press etc. I hear posts from people complaining about the lack of press coverage for their band etc, and yet I've always found if you have something interesting to sell and to do then people will feature you, it's the same with this, if you are that good, you will sell the cd's and you will get the bigger gigs... Cheers Stuart

It's been an interesting 19 pages... Well let's seee... I agree with a lot of what's said, disagree with a lot and find some of it strangely ironic. I do think the Aberdeen scene is pretty stale, I work with the artists I work with because I see something original and good within them, but not meaning to be offensive to everyone else, offhand I can't really think of anyone else I've seen in Aberdeen who has impressed me or seemed that original to me. There are a lot of people in the 'scene' who think they're elder statesmen because they've been around for so long making their own unique brand of original music, my opinion on that is very much: "If your music is so great and everyone loves it, why are you here and not playing Wembley Arena ??" Having been in a band for a long time and playing around Aberdeen doesn't make you more knowledgeable and doesn't mean you're good, if you were good, you wouldn't still be playing around just Aberdeen. I even find myself agreeing with Stripey in that I'm waiting to hear about a band from Aberdeen who have been out there and stretched the boundaries, and due to their original sound have got somewhere. Who was the last band to do something from here, Driveblind ? Gene ? Pallas? to a lesser degree the Needles ? No-one else has managed to break free, play the bigger gigs and let themselves be heard. How many Aberdeen bands have played to over 1000 people at a gig, not a festival audience but 1000 people who have each paid to get into a gig ? I'm not even talking about headlining but in support. I hear a lot about these great original Aberdeen bands and yet when they're forced with a less parochial atmosphere, such as trying to get bigger tours and gigs they don't hold up as they're heard for what they are. I'm not saying these people aren't good but I am saying that at the end of the day being good isn't always good enough to make you be heard, you have to be different. Ok, now onto the technology thing... Quite frankly it's great !! We use a full computer system to record the Baby Karma stuff with Emma and the only instruments that are played are guitar, key and vox. I would challenge anyone to listen to some of the reocrdings we've made and realise that there aren't people physically playing these instruments. The Baby Karma sound has a kind of epicness about it that couldn't be achieved by a 4 piece band. We can create a full orchestra or just some precise drumming that can enhance a piece of music hugely. To say it doesn't seem right in that context is silly because half the time you probably wouldn't even know. As for the tuning of vocals etc I agree that's not on, ironically it is exactly the kind of thing that is allowing the Pop Idol artists Stripey hates so much to be able to create their market. I think the arguement has to be that if technology is used in conjunction with genuine talent then it's a great thing, but as a tool it can be a bad thing too as it can allow people with lesser talent to seem like they are more talented. Vocals are the one thing that I think should be genuine and untouched as to me thats often where the soul of the song comes from, all personal opinion but is the reason I primarlily work with vocalists like Emma and Jo. Before anyone jumps on my previous point I'm aware the BK stuff we do isn't terribly original but to be fair we never claimed it was it's commercial pop music with an epicness attached. We do it because we like it and it's a chance to record some interesting tracks with a great vocalist, and quite frankly it's commercial and the first record company who comes along and offers us money for it can have it, sell-out, too right that's what it's designed to be, a way for all of us to get a foothold in the music business. Interestingly despite that we may have 2 gigs booked for next year, one to 2500 people and the other to a small festival crowd of 5000 or so, so somewhere something must be working. Anyway rant over, and the conclusion I draw is that imho the aberdeen scene isn't great and there are a lot of self congratulationary posts on here, which is not always a bad thing, but you can do it too much, I'm never too sure why we need 5 page long psosts saying such and such is playing at drakes with 4 pages of, that'll be great i'll be there... followed by another page afterwards of how billiant they were, in most cases they could have gone and played craply and most people wouldn't have noticed, they'd still get posts saying how brilliant they were. Which leads me to the fact i've yet to see a band I'd say were deserving of 5 pages of how great they are in Aberdeen and most of the popular bands are derivitave and as about as original as the Darkness, doesn't mean they're band, but saying they're original is pushing it. And technology in general is a great thing and used well most people can't tell the difference between sounds generated by a good quality system and real instruments, what can be wrong is how that technology is used to creat Gareth Gates Anyway, Thanks for that, I feel better now, breathe in... Cheers Stuart

Jo McCafferty - Zoe or Chiar Daca Ma Duareh or Cave Emma Forman - Because, Long Road Baby Karma - Times of Trouble... All good songs, but especially Jo's Romanian one and Zoe !! Cheers Stuart

Caledonia is a good choice, but the best version I've heard to date was on the Frankie Miller Tribute Album which has lead vocals by Fish, Brian Robertson on lead guitar, and the rest of the music played by The Sensational Alex Harvey Band, as well as piper and drums... a great version, done by some of Scotland's best artists. On the Fish vibe I'd have to go wqith the great Internal Exile which has long been my favourite cynical, yet deeply Scottish song: Internal Exile... I saw a blue umbrella in Princes Street Gardens Heading out west for the Lothian Road An Evening News stuffed deep in his pocket Wrapped up in his problems to keep away the cold Grierson's spirit haunts the dockyards Where the only men working are on Documentary crews Shooting film as the lines get longer As the seams run out, as the oil runs dry Hey there laddie, Internal Exile When will you realise we've got to let go? Hey there lassie, Internal Exile When will you realise we've got to let go? Starlings wheeling round Georgian spires And the fires of Grangemouth burn the skies A lion sleeps in a tenement close In a country that's tired and deaf to his roar Hey there laddie, Internal Exile When will you realise we've got to let go? Hey there lassie, Internal Exile When will you realise we've got to let go? They bury a wasteland deep in the wilderness Poison the soil and reap the harvest Of blind indifference, greed and apathy Sowed way back in our history The fish are few the harbours empty The keels now rot on our oil-slicked shores The sheep are gone, the farms deserted We're out of sight and we're out of mind Hey there laddie, Internal Exile When will you realise we've got to let go? Hey there lassie, Internal Exile When will you realise we've got to let go? Like our fathers before us We've eyes for America Dream of a new life on foreign shores But wherever we go, we'll always know That the land we stand on is never our own Hey there laddie, Internal Exile When will you realise we've got to let go? Hey there lassie, Internal Exile When will you realise we've got to let go? Brilliant rock song complete with pipes etc...love it... Cheers Stuart

Localish gig was an Edinburgh band called Guaranteed Pure at Smart Alex's in 92/93ish, the lead singer went on to front Stiltskin and Genesis, and is still one of the best vocalists i've ever heard. First proper gig, Brian May at the Edinburgh Playhouse June 05 1993... Phenomenal to see such a legend, with the amazing Cozy Powell on drums !! Cheers Stuart

I am a big fan of Ginger and having seen the WH loads of times going back to 93/94 yet I have to agree if he's only now coming to these conclusions then he's bloody slow. There hasn't been a strong proper indie scene since the mid 90's. I always find it really amusing here that there are so many local bands who go on about the power of the indies and how they'd rather sign to a tiny indie than a major, well they're the same entity they're out to make money and fairplay to them. The difference is, signing to major will give you a stronger likelihood of getting the big gigs and the money, which at the end of the day is what a lot of it's about - at least to a degree, no point in doing it and losing money, you'll very rarely make money on an indie, and how strong does an indie have to be before it becomes a major ? Is independiente a major or an indie ? Ginger is lucky enough to have used a major to get him a following that allows him to survive like this now, a lot of other artists aren't so lucky and it's doubtfull as to whether without the backing of a major if he's be in a position to spout his words to so many, talk about biting the hand that got you there. Cheers Stuart

It does happen some of the locals do camp over, but not mosty people, Cheers Stuart

I actually remember a conversation on here before last year about Runrig where people were getting slagged for liking them... Only seent hem once myself, quite enjoyed it, though I have to say Donnie Munro's a lovely bloke but his solo gigs are so dull... Cheers Stuart

Jo McCafferty has one of the most powerfull and occasionally gentle voices I've ever heard, brilliant range. Emma Forman has a very mellow and gorgeous gentle voice... Just a sucker for female vocals me... Cheers Stuart

It depends on the gig as to whether you play for free etc, I've seen people playing to gigs of over 1000 people and getting only 100 as they were in support, what they did get was a lot of merch sales, or I've seen someone doing a free impromptu hour set in a pub and making over 400 in merch sales. To me the merch is where a band makes their money, on the sales of their CD. Not every venue can afford to pay, but it's good to get out there sometimes and play what you've got to play, if you're good people will buy what you have to sell and ytou'll make some money, not all payment comes from a venue !! Cheers Stuart

They've not consistantly played any Fish stuff since 95, only really on spoecial occassions and I truly believe they are worse for it, it seems silly not to showcase a few songs from your most successfull by far era, still they seem to pretend the Fish era diidn't happen, Cheers Stuart

It just seemed a lot duller than usual Marillion shows, too much of the new stuff which I can't get properly into and too much 'look how great musicians we are' moments... The only part it came alive was the encore where they played stuff off the first Hogarth era album Season's End, that was it real shame... Cheers Stuart

I don't actually like most prog rck except fro Marillion and Fish, can't think of another band I like that comes under prog except maybe for the first Transatlantic album :-p In general I prefer acoustic rock music so nyer :-p And I was very disappointed by the Marillion show in Glasgow last night... Cheers Stuart

For all the complaints the EE had 2 articles about Aberdeen musicians on Thursday, so it really is about how you market yourself to them... Cheers Stuart

This is something I've thought about, I saw Marillion at a festival a few years ago and was amazed that they just played their standard setlist, whereas I think it's up to the band but don't think the band are being very bright if they don't a few things the crowd know. I don't think Marillion did themselves any favours by playing a load of unfamiliar things and not playing any Fish era stuff. When Fish plays a festival he usually plays things like Kayleigh and Lavender, and I think people seem to enjoy it more, people like what they know and are more inclined to remember and enjoy a gig if there is something they can sing too. I would personally say that I believe a greatest hits set should be played for the benefit tot the band reaching the masses, not walways neceassary and whereas I'm sure Morrissey played a great gig, I wonder if people would have been more inclined as a casual observer to remember it if they sang along to something like How Soon Is Now or This Charming Man... Cheers Stuart

I'm trying to get her to get pissed for the launch gig on Sunday Hope to see you there... Cheers Stuart

All the drummer's I know really rate Phil Collins stuff... I think some of his drumming is superb, he's know I thought throughout the industry as one of the best drummers in the World, certainly the drummers I know that play professionally really rate him. I mean Robert Plant doesn't use shit drummers and he's worked with him and Cozy Powell in his first solo album. Cheers Stuart