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LIVE RECORDING…
Posted by Aynsley on Thursday 3rd September, 2009.
So here I am just taking five following the weekends fun and just before I head out to the continent for the start of the upcoming European jaunt.
Well, one question I often get asked is whether I look at the forum or not and the answer to that is yes although not every day and not at every single thing that is posted. Following the weekend of course it was quite clearly buzzing about the live recording and so I thought I would give my own overview as to how it went… Read more
Gear!
Posted by Aynsley on Saturday 1st August, 2009.
What is it about gear that gets musicians so excited? I suppose it’s just that endless list of stuff you’ve always wanted or there’s always something you haven’t tried… and as my mate Matt Schofield said to me this week “once you disappear down the rabbit hole man, you’ll never get out!” Hmmm….
Okay, for the non-musicians out there, maybe I should explain a little:
I’m a guitarist (of course you already know that!) and I have a handful of guitars, amps and bits and pieces. They are all good bits of kit, they do the job I need them to and they have served me well in my time on the road… but here lies the issue that most musicians face… the chance there is something out there that is better: a Strat just like mine but one that sounds a bit better than the one I have… an amp that sounds just that bit sweeter (a technical term amongst guitarists) or more organic (another word from the gear obsessed guitarists vocabulary).
So what do you do? Well, pretty much all of my gear I’ve had for most of my gigging time and the bottom line is that it works. Do I go into every guitar shop I see? No… to be honest I get quite bored with a lot of the shops these days because they are all quite generic and sell the same stuff. However, there is almost two markets out there…. What I would call the ‘every day shop’ and then what is probably best described as the ‘specialist shops’… ones that sell the really high end exotic stuff that costs an arm and a leg! These ones are few and far between: the shops that sell vintage gear, handmade guitars and the ‘boutique’ amps and stuff (yes, ‘boutique’ is actually a commonly used term these days for high end gear!!)
So. Is this high-end gear better? Why is it more desirable than the bog standard stuff you buy in most shops? Does spending three or four grand on a guitar guarantee it’s that much better than one that costs 500 quid? Well, yes and no. Sure it will be made from the best materials available but like anything, it is all down to personal taste and what you are looking and listening for. Maybe the one that costs a few hundred quid might just happen to do what you want it to! Fortunately for me this has been the case with most of my guitars. Sure there are guitars out there that are more desirable, vintage ones that are worth a fortune…. But are they better?
I suppose the reason for this blog is that I have just spent a week surrounded by loads of this high-end gear and whilst I have always been quite happy with my own gear, it doesn’t stop you seeing a bit of ‘gear’, wondering about it and giving it a go (as I did this week)…. And was it better? Haha… well the answer to that question is that yes, some of it is better.. better made, better sounding, better looking….. BUT some of it isn’t. …because it doesn’t do what I want it to do OR it doesn’t do it any better than the gear I’ve got. However if it is better, how much better is it? Is it gonna make me sound better, or play better? No. I will sound exactly the same as me but in my own mind I would think it’s better. Am I rambling yet?
I guess the moral of this rant is that yes, there have always been guitars I would love to have, amps I would like to own but invariably whenever I have tried this stuff it has either disappointed or I would have to rob a bank to buy it. But, as I was warned… once you start delving into that area, it really is never ending.
The quest for the ultimate guitar tone: it’s infinite. Hmmm….but am I happy with my sound? Yes. Does my gear do what I want it to? Yes. Is there a chance I could get the same sound but 10% better? Yes. Have I considered or thought about changing stuff? Yes. Can I be arsed? NO! Read more
The Irish Experience!
Posted by Aynsley on Thursday 2nd July, 2009.
“Are you sure you won’t be havin another drink there?..are ya sure there?....did you ever try a Jamesons?..give the man a Jamesons!” Read more
16,000 PEOPLE IN 4 DAYS!
Posted by Aynsley on Thursday 4th June, 2009.
WOW! Well that was one hell of a week to put it lightly…. I mean I knew it was gonna be fun but I didn’t realise it was gonna be THAT good!
When I heard that we had been offered the UK leg of Lynyrd Skynyrd’s tour, we hardly had chance to breath…. each night we were to play for half an hour so this meant working out the best set we could. It’s always’s tough deciding which five songs to play…. I suppose it’s all down to what kind of audience you’re gonna be playing to so with Skynyrd’s crowd, it was definitely gonna be quite rocking!
So, to the first date…. In Glasgow! On arrival we located the backstage and pulled up alongside a couple of very large articulated trucks and were then greeted very warmly by a lovely bunch of guys who turned out to be the Skynyrd’s crew…. All 50 of them!!!
The venue staff were amazing, not allowing us to lift a finger and insisting on carrying everything into the building…. Nice! We were then shown to our dressing room and given a quick tour of everything and everyone…. the sound guys we were going to be working with, the crew helping on and off stage and of course the all important catering area hehe!
After a quick coffee and a biscuit we loaded our gear onto the stage and started to check. Our two sound guys Rod and Johhno were fantastic and quite prepared to take as long as we needed to get comfortable and sounding good.
Next it was to the catering area for a good nosh up…. before it was time to rock! With everything set and ready to go, we hovered in the wings waiting for a signal to go on. Suddenly, the house lights went down and on we walked to a fantastic reception from the sell out audience. From the first number, the crowd were really into it and it was pretty clear that the audience we were playing to were well up for a right good night of good loud rockin stuff. It seemed like we were only on for five minutes but what a crowd! After the set I wondered out to sign loads of CD’s before grabbing a beer in time to watch the main attraction. These guys really do know how to entertain and they obviously love every minute of what they do. They kind of have this infectious energy that has the audience right with them from the moment go.
Next night was one I’d really been looking forward to, the National Indoor Arena in Birmingham. Everything about this place screams BIG at you! We actually drove into the back of the main venue as tonight the room was halved, but that still meant 4,500 people though! With a seated audience, someone suggested we should do Purple rain to finish…..now although I wasn’t sure if it would work in such a short set, we finished off with it and I’m glad we did! The next two shows in Manchester and London were both standing and so for the last number we decided it best to end in the only way possible… so we played Balls Of Steel!
Everything about these gigs was brilliant, from the amazing audiences, the extremely down to earth crew and band, to the experience of playing the venues themselves to sell out crowds. I’ve done supports for loads of people over the years but never have I felt so welcomed as we did last week. The band even dined with everyone else and were quite happy to hang out with us (not always the case!!!)
What a week! So, what will I remember the most? Well, probably the vastness of it all, how when we walked on stage at Brixton and went into the first number it sounded so immense, so big! To walk onto 5,500 people and get the reception we got, or maybe at Birmingham when for the main set I wondered up to the top of the venue to watch and all the people on stage were so tiny!!!
Mmmm… I think I could get used to doing these sorta gigs!! Haha, … but there is still nothing better than playing to a packed intimate room of 200 people, where the crowd are right in your face!!
So there you have it, the end (for the time being anyway) of the first bunch of touring, one that has been filled with so many great nights. Most notable being The Cluny in Newcastle, the London Dingwalls gig and the Black Horse Festival down in Sussex. Dingwalls turned out to be a buzzing night with a fantastic turnout and lots of new fans while Newcastle and the BH Festival were just two of those buzzing nights where there must be something in the air….. or the beer!!
With the album selling by the truckload, radio giving it loads of airplay and some awesome write-ups, I have to say I’m buzzing like a buzzy thing! So, keep checking for updates here on the site… for me it’s a couple of weeks off before a little trip to Ireland for a week of solo shows, then a couple of bits in August before we start up again properly in September. Read more
Glastonbury / ZZ Top
What a blast! With two amazing weekends… well actually, make that three because Silverstone was great too… if you like bikes haha! OK, first off,… Read more
Latest Forum Topics
Latest Blog Glastonbury & ZZ Top
Nice tio get a good positive update from Aynsley. Do read the latest Blog, sounds like the recent gigs have been a great success.Here’s the linkhttp://www.aynsleylister.co.uk/blog/glastonbury-zz-top/BB
Glastonbury
How many of us on hear have said at one time or another ” wouldn’t it be great if ALB were to play Glastonbury,” well this weekend it is finally happening. A brand new stage called Bourbon Street. I am…
Guitars For sale - Latest Blog
The latest Blog shows Aynsley selling a couple of guitars.http://www.flickr.com/photos/51144566@N08/page2/It’d be interesting to know why it’s being sold, so long as he’s not retiring!!!BB