We’ve moved – so this is the last post on the Skamonics blog on the WordPress.com site.
We’re still blogging – but on our own site at www.skamonics.co.uk/wordpress/.
All the previous posts from this blog have also been moved across.
So Goodbye wordpress – hello skamonics/wordpress
The Skamonics blog has moved to http://www.skamonics.co.uk/wordpress/
We need some new demo tracks.
Our cd is still an excellent advert for our instrumental tracks. But as at least half of any live set is normally made up of vocal numbers we need more than the one vocal track that is already on our cd if people are going to get an accurate picture of how we sound.
It may shatter some illusions, but not all bands live communally in big houses with recording studios attached. Nor are we all so time and cash rich that we can hire out Abbey Road for a week. But between Mark and Nigel we do own enough equipment to record ourselves, and Mark has lots of experience.
So yesterday we began the slow process of recording three new demo songs – and doing a video of one.
The trickiest part of any recording is doing the drums. To get a decent drum sound you need to use at least four microphones – one on the kick drum, one on the snare and two overhead that can capture the whole kit. In fact we used a mic on each tom as well, and one under the snare to get its real crack – seven in all. It’s impractical to do this at home too, drums are too noisy and you cannot get away with recording them in a small boxy room.
So we begged and borrowed a bigger room and Mark arrived with all his kit – both drum and recording at 10:30. Setting all this up takes two to three hours. Some people have been known to spend days getting a good drum before they record anything.
But after a morning setting up the equipment, Mark and Nigel were joined by Frank and Veronica to lay down some tracks. The real objective was to record the drums and guitar as we will add the bass, keys and vocals later, but it gets a much better feel if there’s the whole rhythm section playing.
The recording went pretty well. After recording Enola Gay we realised that our live version is seven minutes long, which is a bit much for a a demo. So we quickly chopped bits out of each song before recording it – losing a verse here and a solo there so that they all come in at about four minutes.
Once we had worked out the new arrangements we got everything down in one or two takes (not counting a few false starts particularly in My Boy Lollipop – but what’s that between friends?).
In addition we wanted to video Can’t get you out of my head – but as we didn’t have anyone else to operate the camera this meant doing it quite a few times to get enough video footage (not that digital video comes in feet).
We then finished the day – after pausing for some of Nigel’s homemade Christmas cake – by redoing the guitar parts and adding a guitar solo to Enola Gay.
Next it’s Nigel’s turn to add the final bass parts and record Veronica’s vocals and keys. They can all be done at home. Then we’ll finish with the horns.
The Skamonics blog has moved to http://www.skamonics.co.uk/wordpress/
We are shortly to record some new demos as we only have one tune with vocals on our CD. Of course we still play instrumentals, and love doing so -as so much of the original 60s ska was instrumental. But we do need a better showcase for the vocal numbers that now dominate our live sets.
We will be making a video of the recording of one of these tunes – as we only have some dodgy mobile phone vids of pour performances.
As I’ve been trying to learn the video editing software, I’ve thrown together a selection of our photos and that dodgy mobile footage, to go with the one vocal track on our cd.
I’m proudest of the animated title sequence at the beginning. I did this in a program called Synfig. It may be over before you’ve noticed it, but that took a lot of time.
The Skamonics blog has moved to http://www.skamonics.co.uk/wordpress/
What instrument(s) do you play? Bass guitar
Do you have any other role in the band? I enjoy writing arrangements, running the website and writing the blog. I’m less keen on fixing rehearsals and running the PA – but they have to be done.
Do you have a favourite tune in the Skamonics repertoire? My favourites are the original 1960s ska instrumental tunes such as Alley Cat Ska, but I also enjoy the extreme covers such as The Model and Can’t Get You Out of My Head.
What’s the best gig you’ve ever played with the Skamonics? with other bands? I enjoy any gig when everyone dances all the way through. That was true of our most recent gig at Last Days of Decadence, gigs we have done at Hootananny and many of the wedding gigs we have done. I once did a gig with a soul/pub-rock band in the South of France which was huge fun.
How did you learn to play? I had piano lessons when I was young and did A-level and lots of music theory exams. I taught myself to play the guitar at the same time, mainly playing folk but then stopped in my twenties. I then took up the bass in my thirties. I’m basically self-taught on that too, though I did go to three evening classes before it was cancelled for lack of students. I’m also a self-taught arranger – though I have lots of books.
What else do you do musically? I play in a couple of jazz big-bands, who also sometimes play my arrangements and compositions.
Who are your musical influences on your instrument – and more generally? I suppose I’m meant to come up with a list of flashy bass players, but in most styles of music – including ska – the job of the bass is to keep the rhythm going and not show off. So I admire players like Duck Dunn (who played with Booker T and the MGs on countless Memphis soul records) and of course Lloyd Brevett of the Skatalites. Gary Crosby of Jazz Jamaica is an obvious role model. Reggae bass playing has made a huge impression on me – Aston “Family man” Barrett with Bob Marley was the first I heard. When I started to play jazz someone suggested I listen to Ray Brown playing with Oscar Peterson to understand how to swing – and that was brilliant advice.
My favourite arranger of all time is Gil Evans.
As well as ska, what other types of music do you like, and who are some of your favourite bands or musicians? Loads of different things, though I listen to more jazz than anything else. My one Desert Island disk would be Illinoise by Sufjan Stevens.
What’s the best gig you’ve ever been to (where you weren’t playing?) There are too many to single one out, but here’s a random highlights selection. Kando Bongo Man with Diblo Dibala on guitar at the Town and Country Club, Flaco Jimenez at the Half Moon Putney, John Martyn at a venue I can’t remember when I was a student, Betty Carter at Ronnies, EST at the RFH – and Richard Thompson many times.
What do you do when you are not playing music? Unlike some in the band I have a full time day job, so music is mainly what I do when I’m not at work. But I also have a half share in a canal boat.
What about you would surprise other members of the band? I can be quite pleasant when I’m not setting up the PA, I make all my own bread, I once played the tympani in Westminster Abbey, I failed my Grade 6 piano exam the first time (OK that won’t surprise anyone …)
Our CD is not on Spotify, but we have put together a playlist of the original versions of some of the songs we play.
Much of it, naturally, consists of the first recordings of the ska and two-tone classics we play. You won’t be surprised to find the Skatalites, the Specials and Madness. For one or two of the tunes we’ve put in other cover versions of the originals so you will find an Amy Winehouse obscurity.
But as we specialise in devising ska versions of songs from a very diverse range of different musical genres you will also find the ska punctuated by Kraftwerk, Kylie and The Shadows.
Here’s a message from our last wedding gig
Dear Skamonics
We wanted to say a big thanks for your efforts at our wedding – you were fantastic and everyone mentioned what a good choice of band we had made – so thank you all.
We’re glad you enjoyed it. We know what a responsibility it is to play on that special day, and it’s always great when it goes down well.
The Skamonics blog has moved to http://www.skamonics.co.uk/wordpress/
What instrument(s) do you play? “My voice is my instrument” (sponsored by VocalZone throat lozenges). I can also have a bash at three chords on the guitar and a few more on the keyboards when required.
Do you have any other role in the band? Providing snacks and coffee for rehearsals.
Do you have a favourite tune in the Skamonics repertoire? Vocal – Tainted Love. Instrumental – Eastern Standard Time
What’s the best gig you’ve ever played with the Skamonics? with other bands? Hootananny’s always fun. And the Last Days of Decadence in July 2010 – we seemed to go down well! With City Lit A Cappella, St George’s Bloomsbury – joined for a spine tingling Stevie Wonder song by the wonderful Ian Shaw.
How did you learn to play? I was a very late and shy starter, but the City Lit rock and pop singing classes sorted me out.
What else do you do musically? I sing with the City Lit A Cappella under the direction of the very wonderful Della Rhodes.
Who are your musical influences on your instrument – and more generally? Singers who are brilliant at putting over a lyric: Ella Fitzgerald, Frank Sinatra, Scott Walker, Lizz Wright and Ian Shaw and for ska/two-tone: Terry Hall. The lyric writers themselves: Elvis Costello, Tom Waits, Paul Simon, Cole Porter and Ira Gershwin. Keyboards: Linda McCartney.
As well as ska, what other types of music do you like, and who are some of your favourite bands or musicians? I love a wide range of stuff: jazz, country, rock, but I am unswervingly devoted to Bruce Springsteen.
What’s the best gig you’ve ever been to (where you weren’t playing?) Any of the many Bruce Springsteen gigs I’ve been to; New Orleans jazz and heritage festival a few years back – an amazing weekend with some stunning sets, everyone from Lizz Wright and Cassandra Wilson to Ornette Coleman, Fats Domino, Dr John, Ellis Marsalis, Lucinda Williams, Buckwheat Zydeco, oh and Bob Dylan (with the usual unrecognizable tunes and indistinct lyrics)
What do you do when you are not playing music? Most of my waking hours are spent as a dedicated civil servant. Walking the streets of London looking at old stuff.
What about you would surprise other members of the band? I used to play the cornet in the Ramsgate town band. That it was the third cornet would be less of a surprise.
We’ve got a new Zoom H2 recorder (well, actually a refurbished one off Ebay).
It had its first try-out at last Saturday’s gig.
We thought we would share a couple of tunes via the blog.
But first a health warning.
We simply stuck the recorder on a mic stand in the middle of the stage area.
The sound the band hears on stage has very little relation to what the audience hears out front.
This is because the horns and vocals are being projected by the PA. On stage we have monitors for these, but the sound can’t be too loud or we would get feedback. That’s a particular problem with the vocals. Not only was Veronica the furthest from the recorder, but the horns, who are naturally louder anyway, were much closer.
No bass, drums or guitar go through the PA so they have to be loud on stage so that they project with the PA into the audience. The recorder was also close to the drums and bass.
And of course any commercial recording is carefully mixed before issuing. You can’t do that when you just stick a microphone up in the middle of a band.
So if you’re prepared to use lots of imagination to imagine what the sound was like on the dance floor, here’s Man in the Street. This is one of the 60s ska original instrumentals we play, so the very quiet vocals are not a problem here.
Next up is our version of Kylie’s Can’t get you out of my Head – this is one of our bonkers covers.
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