I think we're turning into the Band

Having recently scored a series of gigs at Irish Murphys, we found ourselves rather light on in the inventory department. Matiss has gone to Latvia with his family for a few months and Geoff can't play in smoky venues 'cos he gets asthma for days afterwards.

Into the breach comes Jason, a single (and available) young'un who's an all singing and dancing accordion player. Chips found him in a session at Irish Murphys, playing like a man with a fresh set of batteries. So Friday night we try him out at the High & Lonesome Log Cabin in the backwoods of West Geelong. And we record what happened (well most of it until Narada's I-River recorder crashed or I'd had too much beer to be able to comprehend the impossibly small buttons and obtuse menus). And what a happening! You can hear us transmogrifying into The Band!

When I diced and sliced the recording and sprinkled it with some digital fairy pixels, I found it amusing and engaging. I figured if people can watch a bunch of shallow, inarticulate wannabe instant celebrities sit around their loungeroom, there might be people out there just crazy enough to wanna listen to a band rehearsing a new addition. We're consenting adults after all. There's a modicum of humour and erudition, spasms of good playing and a record of a bunch of good looking middle-aged men (did I mention some of them single and available) embarking on a musical expedition along the south side of life's lost highway.

So H&L present their first ever 'podcast' - The Back Shed Tapes. Maybe one day we'll rehearse live on the web on our up-coming web site makeover. Dream on... So..

Feeling lonely? In need of some company? Just plain bored? Or maybe want to annoy your neighbours? Then scoot on over to the High Lonesome Shack, download some mp3s, get stuck into a six-pack, listen to the mp3s and it's just like being there, only without the inconvenience of having to be close to a live banjo, (or a slightly less live banjo player for that matter.)

Ah! They just don' t make 'em like that any more.

Shaddup You Banjo

In a band that plays a lot of Bluegrass, you can never have too many banjo jokes. The following have been adapted from Joe Dolce's news letter - worth subscribing to for a weekly laugh.

You may remember Joe Dolce as the man with the 70s hit song Shaddup You Face. Joe is also part of the new Countdown Spectacular revival stage show touring Australia in July /August.

For the Canonical Collection of Banjo Jokes (about 270 jokes) see the High & Lonesome web site.

Q: What's the difference between a banjo and an onion?
A: Nobody cries when you chop up a banjo.

Q: Why do some people have an instant aversion to banjo players?
A: It saves time in the long run.

Q: What will you never say about a banjo player?
A: "That's the banjo player's Porsche."

Q: How are a banjo player and a blind javelin thrower alike?
A: Both command immediate attention and alarm, and force everyone to move out of range.

Q: What do you call a bajno player in a three-piece suit?
A: The defendant.

Q: What did the banjo player get on his IQ Test?
A: Saliva.

Q: What do call a bano player without a girlfriend?
A: Homeless.

Q: What's the similarity between a banjo player and a philosopher?
A: They both perceive time as an abstract concept.

Q: What's the difference between a banjo player and a large pizza?
A: A large pizza can feed a family of four.

Q: What's the difference between a jet airplane and a trumpet?
A: About three decibels.

Q: What's the definition of a minor second interval?
A: Two banjo players reading off the same part.

Q: What is another term for trombone?
A: A wind-driven manually operated pitch approximator.

Q: What is the dynamic range of a bass trombone?
A: On or off.

Q: Why do people play trombone?
A: Because they can't move their fingers and read music at the same time.

Q: What's the latest crime wave in New York City?
A: Drive-by banjo solos.

Q: What's the difference between a dead chicken in the road, and a dead banjo player in the road?
A: There's a remote chance the chicken was on its way to a gig.

Q: How do you reduce wind-drag on a banjo player's car?
A: Take the Domino's Pizza sign off the roof.

Q: How do you get a banjo player off of your porch?
A: Pay him for the pizza.

Q: What's the definition of optimism?
A: A banjo player with a beeper.

Q: Why do drummers leave a pair of drumsticks on the dashboard?
A: So they can park in the handicapped zones.

Q: What's the difference between an opera singer and a pit bull?
A: Lipstick.

Q: What do you call a guitar player that only knows two chords?
A: A music critic.

Q: How do you keep your violin from being stolen?
A: Put it in a viola case.

Q: What's the difference between a banjo and a chain saw?
A: You can tune a chain saw.

Q: What do a banjo and a lawsuit have in common?
A: Everyone is relieved when the case is closed.

Q: Why are harps like elderly parents?
A: Both are unforgiving and hard to get into and out of cars.

Q: What's the difference between an oboe and a bassoon?
A: You can hit a baseball farther with a bassoon.

Q: Why are a banjo player's fingers like lightning?
A: They rarely strike the same spot twice.

Q. What is a glissando?
A: A technique adopted by string players for difficult runs.

Q: How do you get a guitarist to play softer?
A: Place a sheet of music in front of him.

Q: What's the perfect weight of a banjo player?
A: Three and one-half pounds, including the urn.

Q: What do you do if you run over a banjo player?
A: Back up.

Q: How do you get a three-piece horn section to play in tune?
A: Shoot two of them.

Q: How can you tell if the stage is level?
A: The drool comes out of both sides of the drummer's mouth.

Q: Why are violas larger than violins?
A: They aren't. Violists' heads are smaller.

Q: Why are bagpipe players always moving?
A. They're trying to get away from the noise.

Q: What's the definition of a relative minor?
A: The banjo player's girlfriend.

Boom Boom!

One Mic - No Shit

We've been chewing the fat about how to record our long-awaited second album. I've become a fan of the 'one mic' approach to live performance, at least for concert sets. We played two such sets at Port Fairy Folk Festival this year and the sound was the best I've heard us play. The musicians create the mix by moving toward and away from the centre mic necessitating some deft footwork and choreography, all of which adds to the quality of the performance.

So we're going to try recording using one/two mics to try to capture the live quality of old style bluegrass. I've been Googling for articles about one mic recording, and found this excerpt from George Gruhn, one of the most respected purveyor of fine acoustic instruments in the US. I beleive he is the agent for Steve Gilchrist's famed mandolins, as well as instruments by other noted Australian luthiers.

It has long been my opinion that while mixing boards and stage monitors are a great technological advance, they can serve to stifle creativity on stage. Putting musicians in a straight line facing the audience rather than in eye contact with each other results in what I call the "sushi bar approach to musical conversation." If one goes to a sushi bar with one friend it is possible to sit and talk. If three people go, the one in the middle can talk to either of the others but the two on the end have difficulty communicating. If five or six people go it is virtually impossible to have a conversation with everyone arranged in a straight line. Conversation occurs best in a circle or semi-circle if there are multiple parties involved. Playing music is not unlike a verbal conversation in this regard. I have similar feelings regarding recording music in studio settings where each player is visually isolated or in which session musicians come in to lay down tracks without ever even meeting the other participants, but the studio setting is more forgiving than a live show in which miscues can't be redone. While it is obvious that some great albums have been made in this manner, they frequently lack the spontaneity of the old system in which players actually got together in one room and frequently were able to record an entire album in one day.

Bluegrass and old-timey acoustic musicians tend to be purists and have resisted the movement to place pickups or microphones in or on their instruments. Many of them, however, struggle to get good sound through PA systems. If they are lined up in the "sushi bar approach," not only are they out of eye contact with each other, but they must rely on a soundman to adjust their sound levels. All too often when a player takes a solo instrumental break, the soundman is out of sync and has the wrong mic turned up or has enough delay that a significant portion of the solo may be inaudible to the audience. In discussing this problem with my friend John Hartford over 20 years ago, we came to the conclusion that a good solution for him would be to carry one high-quality studio grade microphone with him and use it on all of his stage gigs rather than relying on a soundman or gear provided by the venues. John used one mic for himself and the entire band in an attempt to recapture the spontaneity and visual appeal of the old days. It worked beautifully. Today, many bluegrass bands have gone back to this system and find that it suits them far better than having 10 microphones for five players. Not only are the musicians able to be more spontaneous when they are in eye and ear contact with each other, but they are far more in control of their own sound. They control their balance within the group by their physical position with respect to the microphone, and they can be well assured that the soundman won't forget to turn on their mic when it comes time for their solo.

I'll keep you informed about our progress.

To be sure, to be sure

We must have left some kind of impression at Irish Murphys on Sunday.

The lovely Kylie has booked High & Lonesome for 2 gigs a month from June through to August, so we'll see you there. Sadly we will have do without our fiddler fantabulous Mr Spiller while he spends the next few months in Europe. But we may have other special guests.

I've also added a gig listing on the sidebar of this blog for your convenience.

Big Sunday

It never rains but it pours. And it rained too!

H&L played at the Deans Marsh Pioneer Festival on Sunday April 30. It's a great community festival with a large turnout of locals and visitors alike. The rain started just before we mounted the truck for our first set at about 1.45 pm. We returned for short set at 4.00 pm, headed up by Mr JC Burke taking a break from bashing the skins to lead us through some Johnny Cash numbers. As one old timer said, "You just don't hear music played like that anymore!" Some would say just as well. But that's what you get when you hang around with us.

And then we hit the trail for old Geelong and our first Sunday night at Irish Murphys in almost a year. We certainly rocked out. Thanks to Mr Burke for bringing and setting up the best little PA in town - he always makes us sound good - as well as providing the drumming, some Johnny Cash and a little gospel.

We played as the full six piece Sinnbeck Experience - as well as Mr Burke, we were blessed with Mr Spiller (who will be in Latvia for the next few months) on the fiddle, JD Sinnbeck on electric guitar and smooth vocals, Chips on the banja, guitar and mando and a kick-ass version of The Band's Cripple Creek, Reinhart on the gut-bucket bass and yours truly. We were back-filling for a cancellation but hoping for some regular spots on Thursday or Sunday nights over the winter months. The punters were generously enthusiastic and appreciative.

As Mr Burke put it, "Well Done Chaps, Last night a smash hit! Loved it! The Sinnbeck R&R Show proved a true favourite again amongst the good-time old stuff! You're on a winner. Get back in touch with Murphs soon I'd reckon, see if another few shows can't move into the pipeline!?!"

Keep those cards and letters rollin' in folks!

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Howdy pardners!

This is a blog I created as a test before taking my Year 10 students through the same process.

Thought I may as well name it after my almost famous hillbilly string picking band High & Lonesome

Comments welcome - abuse deleted.

Slim Pickens