Pedals

So the other week I finally got my hands on one of these bad boys:

Line 6 FBV Express controller for Line 6 amps

To be honest I wasn't even aware of its existence or if it'd make the slightest difference to how I switch between the amp settings. Ok 4 buttons rather than 2 would make it easier but apart from that what difference would it make to me really? Then I found out about the FBV Express's built in wah/volume pedal (the effect isn't part of my old Line 6 Spider 112 amp), not bad for a simple amp switch! After discovering that little nugget of information I had to get one.

A week or two later I stumbled across a guitar show happening just down the road (it was literally a case of finding out about it the night before!). After wondering around the same old stalls selling either really expensive guitars or cheap low end crap (apart from the guy selling vintage Fender acoustics which were really tempting) I found myself a little bored until I stumbled across these 2 second hand beauties for a combined price of just £45!

Boss SD-1 overdrive and Ibanez DE7 delay/echo

I also picked up this cheap Ukelele for £15

With the addition of the above 3 pedals (as well as recent acquisitions of a Dod Supra Distortion FX55-B, a Line 6 Tone Core Tap Tremolo and a power bank to run them all on) I thought it was about time I built a pedal board to hold/manage/store them all. With this in mind I purchased this big block of wood for B&Q.

 I also bought some velcro too but as I was waiting for that to come in the post I had a play around with possible formations.

This piece of wood is way too big!

 Velcro has now arrived but in the meantime I also got one of these cool vintage Boss pedals from Ebay.

 This will most likely replace the crappy old Dinosaur overdrive pedal and I'm also probably going to look into building a few pedals from the BYOC (Build Your Own Clone)website so maybe I'll have to re-think the layout of the board (just as well I bought such a large piece) and poss invest in another power bank too!!

As for now though it looks like I have my next guitar project sorted. Yay!

What's the story?...

I hate that phrase they use repeatedly throughout X-Factor (in fact I pretty much just hate X-Factor in general!), 'telling the story', 'you told the story well' etc. It just seems like lazy criticism for airheads like Cheryl Cole to use because she hasn't got an opinion of her own. Of course they told the story, the lyrics tell you what the song's about, how the author was feeling at the time etc and by reciting those words back to us (along to a melody for good measure) they are in fact 'telling the story'. 

It's a term I really despise and it seems to have become synonymous with these so called 'talent' shows. As I said it's something I think any musician can achieve just by singing a song. This was until the other week when I stumbled across a cover of Katy Perry's 'Teenage Dreams' on Youtube (I was actually listening to a Goo Goo Dolls cover by the same band and for some reason decided to explore the links on the sidebar) by Boyce Avenue. I've heard this song a million times on the radio (mostly due to the station in the office played at work churning out the same 4 songs every hour!) and have never really paid much attention to the lyrics until I heard this version.

Actually quite liked the 1st verse, seems quite meaningful for a pop song/Katy Perry. I never got around to the bit at the end where the lyrics go on about skin-tight jeans, to be honest I much prefer to think of Mrs Brand (Katy Perry that is not Jo Brand or any other Mrs Brand for that matter) when I hear that line but as far as cover versions go it's not too bad. Must be the way they told the story.

And now back to something decent!

A Muggle Life

I have the strangest thoughts when I'm exercising, one of which came to me the other day whilst shadow boxing on my Wii. Maybe it was the rush of adrenalin or the early morning start (6.15am) but I started thinking, what if Harry Potter was set in the real world? What if Harry had been born a muggle and his sworn enemy Voldemort was just a regular old crime lord?

So from the beginning:

Lily, James and young Harry Potter go into hiding after Tom Riddle aka Voldemort hears through his sources of corrupt coppers and snitches that the Potters have some damning evidence that could see his crime empire (the Deatheaters) crumble.

Voldemort hunts them down to Godric's Hollow where he silences the Potters for good however when he tries to shoot the child his shot rebounds injuring himself forcing him to flee before finishing the job.

With Harry Potter the only witness to the Potter's murders (a testimony that could see Voldemort finally go down for a long stretch) a crack squad from Scotland Yard nicknamed The Order of the Phoenix swoop in to protect Harry, taking him into protected custody where he would grow up not knowing who he was or the unfortunate circumstances that surrounded his parent's deaths.

Life goes by quietly for Harry Potter who grows up unassuming, that is until he starts life at his boarding school (incidentally the same school that Voldemort attended). Upon his arrival at Hogwarts strange things start to happen to Harry and there are even whispers that Voldemort is planning to return to the country in order to finish the job he started over a decade ago.

Harry escapes a few narrow misses including surviving an attack from the notorious assassin 'Snake' aka 'The Basilisk' however when Harry is kidnapped and taken to a graveyard in Little Hangleton he comes face to face with his nemesis once again.

After being reunited with the man who changed his life forever in Godric's Hollow, Harry starts to suffer from flashbacks, memories that he had suppressed for years. Confessing these nightmarish memories, his mentor DCI Dumbledore begins to take an interest believing that he finally has the damning evidence he needs to hand Voldemort a one way ticket to the infamous prison Azkaban.

With this in mind Dumbledore seeks out the final pieces of evidence under operation horcrux that would see Voldemort finally pay for his crimes. Unfortunately Dumbledore is unable to finish the job he started. Sensing his job would go unfinished Dumbledore sought the help of the double agent Severus Snape alias 'The Half Blood Prince'.

With DCI Dumbledore out of the way Voldemort could now move in the open reigniting his evil crime empire even extending his influence into the government. This forces Harry and his friends Ron and Hermione underground in their search for the final pieces of evidence that could finally incriminate the crime lord Voldemort.

After several months of collecting 'horcruxes' (including the robbery of a bank and escape via Police helicopter!), Harry finally confronts his mortal enemy. After an epic shootout between Voldemort's followers and the resistance of downtrodden students and teachers of Hogwarts, Harry and Voldemort meet face to face in the great hall. Harry pleads with Voldemort to confess to his crimes. Voldemort however reaches for his gun and aims to kill Harry. Once again the shot rebounds this time fatally wounding Voldemort.

19 years later Harry now a successful Policeman (or Auror as they are known in the trade), sees his children off to school. Noticing his old school mate and former renowned Death Eater Draco Malfoy at the station Harry nods over to him to let him know he's keeping his eye on him and his suspicious activities.

Harry's young son confides his fear of being sorted into the Slytherin house. and possibly leading to a life of crime Harry reassures him before returning to a life of normalcy.

The End

Metube

Can't believe I've not blogged about this before but in the past few months I've uploaded a few vids to Youtube.

It all started last July, my birthday in fact. I'd thought it would be much quicker and easier to film myself playing live then upload it to Youtube rather than messing about with an 8 track and never getting it to sound any good (hence my decision to go into the studio).

Started off with just two new songs but since then I've recorded a few more including 2 covers and it's something I think I'm going to keep doing in the near future. Any suggestions on songs to cover?

For now here's the vids:

More Studioness

So this week I did something pretty cool, I went into the studio for my 2nd solo demo and once again it sounds fucking awesome!

The guys at Sugarhouse did such an amazing job. I knew the song had potential but it now sounds much better than anything I ever had in my mind.

Check out 'Somewhere We Can Watch The Stars' at myspace.com/myjanuaryfriend

Only Resolutions

Ok so at the end of last year I blogged about a few goals I wanted to achieve over the next few years (Read it Here). This is how I'm progressing:

• Get off the anti-depressants. 
• Become debt free and/or find work.
• Start playing regular gigs again. 
• Get down to my ideal weight (lose over 2 stone!)
• Enter a recording studio to record my own work.
• Get a place of my own.

1. I think my biggest aim this year is to lose weight. I lost loads last year but a combination of taking the happy pills, giving up the Wii workouts (no reason to get up in the morning to do it as unemployed) and just generally falling off the wagon have seen me balloon big time! My initial aim is a 6 pack for my birthday (just under 8 months away).
2. Next is the regular gigs aim. I've been plugging away at this for months now with no real success. I was in a Manics tribute band that looked very promising until the singer pulled the plug. I've also been wasting away hours with another band that seems to be going nowhere fast (seriously it took about 3 or 4 months to get us into a practice studio!) which to me feels like a giant waste of time and I'm ready to jump ship anytime soon. Guess the only realistic option is to form my own band which of course was the main reason why I went into the studio and fulfilled goal #5 on my list.

Will (try to) keep you updated throughout the year on how I do and of course if anymore New Year's resolutions/life goals spring to mind.


And for all those that got the Biffy Clyro reference .

Mon the Biff!!!

Quick Update

Ok I know it's been a while. Here's the main reason why, someone actually employed me!!

Way back in October I got offered an interview for a temp job. I aced the interview. A Few days later I was asked to do a couple of days temp work for a company I'd temped at at the begin of the year (they liked me and knew I was familiar with their setup so requested me).

The 3 days of work soon turned into at least a week and during the second day there I received a call saying I'd got the above job.

That same day I have an agency chasing me to offer me an interview for a job that was initially 6 months temp (3 times longer than the job I had in the bag) but was more likely permanent, closer to home and paid more. Went for that interview and aced it.

Tell you what, jobs are like buses. Wait ages then 3 come at once!

The next day was offered that job and started at the begin of November. Have been there ever since and it's going well. This of course all means that I'm no unemployed and can't really whinge about it all. :( Oh well.

Now to catch up with the rest of my ramblings.