Ash's new band

[ashstralia]

so here's the thing... i haven't played live music regularly for 3 years. i have been constantly teaching though, so my chops never get rusty.

a couple of weeks ago, singer from old band (7 years ago) calls, he's keen to play again. the plan is to get a duo up & running first, then build the rest of the band around that. barney's in of course, we have a great bassie, and the drummer from a seminal 80's oz band who lives locally appears to be on board.

so i rock up to his place with 2 guitars fx pedal and laptop. 'tattoo' had just been released, so i had the song ready to play for him. lo and behold, the rug in his music room is red, with black and white stripes!!!! it's a sign!!!

so i'm real excited about it!, it's gonna be a big year musically for us and i wanted to share my joy with my RA friends. i'll keep this updated over the coming months with news and stuff. or not. hehe..

[VAiN]

Cool man! I've been wanting to get back into a band for years now. Good for you! Keep us posted.

[ashstralia]

thanks VAiN, we're 2 rehearsals in and the magic is back. we've got our first gig in march; i'm f$^&ckin pumped!!!!

[Panamark]

Me too, I was going to retire, sell my house and join a band. Still have my amps, guitars, pa etc etc from
when I made that decision. Then BAM ! The most gorgeous woman I have ever met comes
out of nowhere (actually from these forums... lol) My life suddenly took a totally, but cant complain
different path. I still have the gear.

All the Best Ash, my fingers need WD40 to play Smoke on the water at the moment,
hope it all goes well.... I was forced to play at a party a few weeks back, drunk with
an ibanez acoustic (nice acoustic) managed to bang out enough songs to keep em
happy (only 40-50 people) but geezuz I had to use Jedi magic to force my fingers to
keep going on that high action, chunky guage string guitar...

I freakin battled to get some classics out, and at the end of the night the
best received song was "A horse with no name" I was playing that Em D
shit after 3 bottles of fine Australian red wine, and these country folk
were getting off on it ? Geez I played crap, but I did entertain... lol

[Panamark]

thanks VAiN, we're 2 rehearsals in and the magic is back. we've got our first gig in march; i'm f$^&ckin pumped!!!!

So its inevitable that I will see you play the north coast of NSW ?

[ashstralia]

good onya marky. the folks up here love the classic 70s & 80s stuff too. we'll have the duo doing the small parties and such; and the band can rock out at the bigger shows. you totally should get back into it, if you've got the time. i know i just function better when i'm actively involved in making music. i'm sure we all can relate!

not sure we'll get that far south, but we could get as far down as coffs maybe?

[Panamark]

Yeah but you are teaching all the time. I got suckered in to that party after not playing for
14 months ? (And that was one little session after another 10 months)
I was rusty as fuck. My drunk brain was telling my fingers what to do but the
strength wasnt there. I felt pissed off as most of the shouted out requests I knew but
the hands didnt quite have the strength. Would have been better if I had my strat and
a small praccy amp... Seeing as I have mountains and forests around me I totally
intend on building a studio here, when babies/work/money permits and
getting back into it. Mary Frances can sing better than any of the vocalists I have
ever worked with and is no slouch on keyboards and guitar herself. So theres
motivation just for us to get it happening here, then maybe venturing out for fun.

[ashstralia]

these days a small home studio is really affordable, as you well know. do it man!!

bloke/chick duo's are really popular here. making $ for having fun.

[Panamark]

I have an entire studio packed in boxes.
Just need to build the shed and somewhat sound proof it....

[ashstralia]

cool.

[Panamark]

You know whats fucked up ? When you move to the country you think, awesome, I can
shoot guns, play drums, rip around on a 2 stroke dirt bike and nobody will give a fuck.
Well, its bizzarre, we are in a spectacular valley, but if someone a mile away on
a neighbouring property has a conversation, we can hear it !
I have dairy farms on each side, Im dying to setup a drum kit, even though Im not
a drummer, and just belt them coz Im on some land now... That shit would
probably echo up your way, Any good sound proofing tips ?

[Panamark]

Im good mates with a dude 3 farms away, Im going to plug in the half stack
(100w) and play "Hells Bells" through the valley and see if he can hear it...
Im thinkin my JCM 800 on 4 will spook the horses and make the cows freak out ! lol

[Dave's Bitch]

Any chance of posting some of your stuff here ash?.Always like checking out the music some of you guys make

[ashstralia]

probs should talk to kwame or another drummer about that one... we have the luxury of using the local rural fire brigade shed to rehearse the band (handy police connections!) it's got acres of cane fields around it.

[Panamark]

I wanna hear Dave's stuff too ! I can tell he is a top bloke, and if teaching non stop the mofo will
have his action flowing nicely....

[ashstralia]

Any chance of posting some of your stuff here ash?.Always like checking out the music some of you guys make

no probs DB; we'll likely go all =VH= and start a fb page and a youtube channel...

i do have a couple of short pieces in the 'show your work' thread, too. just solo though.

[Panamark]

Any past stuff online Mr Ash ?

[ashstralia]

sure!
http://www.supload.com/listen?s=hOIUyq

here's a tv ad i did for a dragway meet...

[Panamark]

Ok, I officially have to get my fingers back up to strength before jammin with you !
Nice !

[kwame k]

2012 must be the year of the bands, Ash!

Been practicing everyday and the muscle memory is back. Started hitting the scene again and have been reconnecting with old contacts/band mates.

I'm hoping to have a little thang together in the next few months and get out there, too!

Outstanding news and here's to a jamming 2012, bro

[kwame k]

Ok, I officially have to get my fingers back up to strength before jammin with you !
Nice !

Takes time when you get to be our age, Mark!

It's a bitch but just take baby steps to get there......your fingers and hands will thank-you later

[LoungeMachine]

Our new CD drops Feb 24th...



Can't wait to have everyone in here tear it apart

[SNIPER]

Here is my new band "KARIN COMES KILLING" We just put out our first cd
www.reverbnation.com/karincomeskillingkck

[SNIPER]

Here is me a few month ago filling in for a bands bass player at The Toyota Arena in Wa. opening up for Chevelle. I had two days notice to learn the tunes. Good thing it was easy shit. haha.

[ashstralia]

pretty cool gig sniper!

perhaps we should change the thread title to 'your new band 2012 edition' so we can all post our stuff in the one thread? i'm cool with that. as an addition to the 'show your work' thread, which of course has studio/solo stuff in it; this one could focus on band/live work.

i hope all the muso's here have a productive and successful '12; it's fitting that we get fired up and out there the same year as our favourite band... more music in the world can only be a good thing.

[Dan]

Nice One Sport.

[Seshmeister]

Me too, I was going to retire, sell my house and join a band. Still have my amps, guitars, pa etc etc from
when I made that decision. Then BAM !

It occurred to me recently that if I was single I could actually do that and still actually do my day job because of mobile internet and phones.

That's now my mid life crisis meltdown backup plan, I'm sure it won't happen but it's good to know it's there rather than having to climb the bell tower of the local church with a high powered rifle.

[Seshmeister]

Here is my new band "KARIN COMES KILLING" We just put out our first cd
www.reverbnation.com/karincomeskillingkck

Not exactly my genre but I can appreciate it's well done.

Good luck!

[Panamark]

It occurred to me recently that if I was single I could actually do that and still actually do my day job because of mobile internet and phones.

That's now my mid life crisis meltdown backup plan, I'm sure it won't happen but it's good to know it's there rather than having to climb the bell tower of the local church with a high powered rifle.

That little candle still burns away in a corner of my brain too.... I refused to sell one piece of gear when we moved, I like knowing its all sitting there, just in case

[Panamark]

Nice work SNIPER !

[ELVIS]

My new neighbor is a good all around musician who wants to start jamming...

He's impressed with my newly built mancave studio and my equipment...

I've heard a pretty good demo he made. He hasn't heard me yet...

I'm getting interested. Just been major busy lately...

[Seshmeister]

Mark I got the old band back together a few months ago after 18 years and we're having a blast. I'm really hoping to get an album done at the summer.

A lot less ego these days but the logistics of getting 4 people in their early 40s with various kids, families and careers in a room even once a fortnight are not easy.

[Panamark]

Takes time when you get to be our age, Mark!

It's a bitch but just take baby steps to get there......your fingers and hands will thank-you later

You also have to have the passion, Im feeling that again, first time, long time since all this new
Van Halen stuff is emerging.

Hey what do you know about sound proofing,
In Australia if you own acreage you are restricted
to usually one house on the property. We are lucky
as the last owners built two houses and joined
them with decking (a council loophole).
But you are not restricted to the amount of sheds
you put on the property. Ive seen sheds put up
with proper wooden frames and dry wall, looks like
an old shed on the outside, beutiful new room inside.
In fact one of our neighbours is an architect and built
a modern contempary 5 bedroom home that is awesome,
but looks like this big old farm shed outside.

Im thinking of doing this and putting my studio in there,
Im just wondering if there is a good sound proofing
product I can put in the walls so the farmers in the
valley dont all shoot me when Im playing too loud
or having some fun on a kit. Do you know of something
that might work in that type of setup ?

[Seshmeister]

I would guess that it's easy to cut the noise by the first 50% with carpets and insulation but it will be a law of diminishing returns after that.

I have a pretty big garage outbuilding and although I'm in the suburbs have got away with a lot just by using an electronic kit and by not playing too late. Drums are the problem and the drive everything up but with one of the Roland kits going through the PA you can set it at a loudish level but one you can shout loudly over.

[kwame k]

Yeah, that'll work too, Sesh.

The last studio I built had isolation rooms from the drums and guitars......an open main room for jamming and the recording console. Only the drum room and amp pits had double walls.

Depending on the size of the shed you want to build will determine if that's feasible, Mark!

If you want one big room I'd suggest building a room inside a room, so to speak. The outer wall will have dead air space between the inner wall, an inch or so . Stagger all drywall seams so there's no two walls with a seam running the same way! Insulate both walls with a heavy R insulation.

Use a sound absorption cork boards where you put the drums and buy the egg shell panels to absorb the highs.....baffles for the corners for the lows and you should be able to rock out till the cows come home.

[ELVIS]

Ive seen sheds put up
with proper wooden frames and dry wall, looks like
an old shed on the outside, beutiful new room inside.

You just described the two story workshop and jam room I have...

[ashstralia]

there's a guy up here that did as kwame said; but put straw bales in between the 2 rooms.

[Seshmeister]

Yeah, that'll work too, Sesh.

That said after a few years of jamming with my best pal drummer in there a couple of weeks ago we hired a proper rehearsal room for a few hours with an acoustic kit and a Marshall stack and it was awesome.

The plan now is to rehearse there every second time but I guess that's not an option out in the Outback.

[Panamark]

Hey thanks guys, some food for thought there the room within the room concept
makes a lot of sense and would I imagine give the best results. The other issue
being where I am is its sub tropical and gets bloody hot ! Im guessing any
air conditioning is going to undo all the good soundproofing work ?

Congrats Sesh on your reunion, I loved that snippet you gave to me over a year
ago, "Operation Seshcrime !"
Cant wait to hear your whole album.
Same deal with anything Elvis might come up with in a band.
You too Kwame, bunch of talented guys you all are, thats not
kissing arse, thats the fucking truth !

[kwame k]

Thanks, bro

Remember this Mark....the more you insulate the easier it is to heat and cool.

If you put a window type AC unit in, the leakage wouldn't be that bad, I'd imagine.....

The win win would be doing it in a basement, though!