Last night I ordered a new DMX light controller. This will give me more control over my LED par cans, enabling me to produce better quality light shows for my own band and performances, not to mention other performers I work with.
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On Sunday, I set up a Facebook Page for my PA and Light Show Hire. I should have done it years ago, within 24 hours I received 1 booking, at Lynton Town Hall, for a Pink Floyde tribute band, and one very good enquiry for a festival in Bude. Looking good I think. Please drop by and give my page a like https://m.facebook.com/PA-and-Stage-Lighting-Hire-133247160415564/
Following the devastating fire at June Booth's home last week, Ilfracombe Ukulele Club are organising a benefit gig at Larkstone Cafe on Saturday 10th May. This will feature many local bands and solo performers (yet to be confirmed), plus a stint by the club. June lived right in the heart of our community, a stones throw from the cafe, where the club meet, and even closer to one of our members Lucy. We will be organising a raffle, and are looking for donations of prizes. If you'd like to donate, please contact me in any way you like. Cash donations can be made directly to June at Lloyds bank Ilfracombe. Sort code 30.94.52 account no. 00318046 stating fire appeal. Please let's all pull together to help June with this most difficult situation she has unfortunately found herself in. It's great so see so many already have. We can be very proud of the wonderful people that reside on our town. It has also shown social media in positive light. Interview on Capstone Radio http://audioboo.fm/boos/2012878-special-report-ilfracombe-trio-help-fire-victim The story in the North Devon Journal http://www.northdevonjournal.co.uk/Firefighters-tackle-large-blaze-Ilfracombe-house/story-20829659-detail/story.html Ilfracombe Ukulele Club http://paulclews888.weebly.com/ilfracombe-ukulele-club.html Larkstone Cafe http://www.larkstonecafe.co.uk/ From the North Devon Gazette http://www.northdevongazette.co.uk/news/june_s_thanks_to_ilfracombe_following_bungalow_blaze_1_3488161 From the North Devon Journal http://www.northdevonjournal.co.uk/June-83-positive-despite-losing-gutted-Ilfracombe/story-20858928-detail/story.html You can get involved too http://paulclews888.weebly.com/1/post/2014/05/roadie-required.html The gig raised £126.15 Another par can has arrived. It will be used has a new addition to The Backtrackers stage lighting. It is also available to hire on it's own, or with other lighting effects. The Backtrackers PA and Stage lighting hire. Also great for parties. I now have this lighting rig to add to my present set up. If you would like to hire a lighting rig for you stage event or rock Or pop band, I have small light shows and smoke machine from only £25. For more Information on PA and Stage Lighting hire http://paulclews888.weebly.com/pa-and-light-show-hire.html The Vaults Bar used to be underneath the Collingwood Hotel in Ilfracombe, North Devon. It was an L shaped room with awful acoustics. As a young band in North Devon, it was a great venue. It could be hired, with the bar for £20. Bands would charge £1 on the door, and always get 100 or 120 people through the door. The ceiling was very low, the walls were a very rough texture, but despite the acoustics, the atmosphere was always electric. Sweat would be dripping down the walls. The first band I saw there were Cut & Run. This was the tail end of 1985. I had not long moved to Ilfracombe, from Great Wyrley, Staffordshire. I thought they were great. I remember them playing Silly Thing on that occasion, still one of my favorite Sex Pistols songs. I later became friends with members of Cut and Run. My own band, The Pyromaniacs From Outerspace played many gigs there, both as headline and support act. I have many videos of the gigs. Sadly, they are all on VHS, so consequently, have not been seen for years. Some of the other bands I saw there were, Cult Maniax, Fatal Attraction, Beat the Retreat, Burning Fantasy, Blyth Power, The Gotham City Gangsters and The Stan and Eddie Chain. The first time ever saw Jive Turkey was at the Vaults Bar. They were a Torrington band, doing Stranglers covers. They went on to to become a great band with Radio 1 air play.The last gig I played at the Vaults Bar was with The Backtrackers. It was a party for the Sure Start. Someone stole my capo at that gig. Of course, the Collingwood Hotel is now knocked down after a fire, and the Vaults Bar was closed years before that. Whenever I walked past the derelict bar, before the fire, I would have a tear in my eye, and a lump in my throat. I could hear the muffled sound of ghost bands still bashing away. But they've all gone now, not even the ghosts can be heard. There is nothing like it in Ilfracombe now. I do miss the venue and the great times I had there as both a performer and as a member of the audiences. What memories of the Vaults Bar do you have? What bands did you see gig there? The Backtrackers http://paulclews888.weebly.com/backtrackers.html This video contains some of the bands that played at the Vauls Bar. It was recorded about 1986, on Ilfracombe sea front, next to the Carousel Bar in the Victorian Pavilion. Also knocked down, and replaced by the Landmark Theatre. It was uploaded by Guy Roberts. See me with the Pyromaniacs From Outerspace at 1:55 with my Tokai Strat. I am still using it today. You can also see Eldon Evans on drums. Beat the Retreat, Fatal Attraction, and Burning Fantasy are also featured. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UbUqv_qNxXw Jive Turkey 50 Dollar Bill http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2GycTj6EFzg Never Say Goodbye Johnny Ray http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AxKyZwASTCU Giro Day http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JL9-7lit5Gg Cult Maniax (do not watch if offened by strong languge) The Fix http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1I-ymOrp1Ck Lucy Looe http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OmZ7mEBqB8k No More Beach Boys http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i_nsLNjCJaE Road To Nowhere http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1lCXnUW2MHY American Dream http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FubjTrPNwU0 Blitz http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4uGSwR8y1Ys Cities http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PPySWMR7imQ The Amazing Adventures Of Johny The Duck And The Bathtime Blues http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O6FvdY1bpQU Black Horse http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ji24Qm17S_g Harry http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xJ28vVXsnDk Poison Pen Letter http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D6U4WTTqPBI Blue Baby http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sLsmokxdPP4 Cool Cats Dancing http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g71U3DL50-U Blyth Power
Inside the Horse http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ObRXb5xTP9k Chevy Chase http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eTeiiR5qaFc Bricklayer's Arms http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NS7jKnNdbcI Stitching Time http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Np-qwwLS1w The Bishop At The Gate http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pPiPyFR80l0 I've heard it said that learning to play the guitar is fun. Well, I completely disagree. I remember when I was learning to play some 35 years ago, the little fun that was to be had, was soon replaced with frustration. Many times, I could have happily just chucked the guitar out of the window. I believe, that anybody can learn to play the guitar, in this respect learning to play is easy. But not everybody will. What stops them? Why do people give up having started to learn?. Motivation. I'll say that again, motivation. What motivated me all those years ago was 'to play in a band'. It was the age of punk. All you needed apparently, was three chords (not true) and a safety pin. The band was put together and named before any of us could even play a single note. The band had two 'guitarists'. Neither of us could play a thing, so I use the term 'guitarist' loosely. We came to it from opposite points of view. He took all the strings off his guitar except the bottom two, cranked up his expensive amp, and sounded what I thought at the time, fantastic in about a week. He had tuned the two strings (what I now know to be a fifth apart), and played with one finger. Me on the other hand, started the long process of learning to play properly. It took me ages. The motivation was to play in a band. I kept the motivation bigger than the problems. It seems simple doesn't it? Practice for 15 minutes every day. What's stops these well meaning people from doing this? The answer has many versions as wanna be guitarist quitters. What's your excuse? Too tired? Not enough time? We don't have any chocolate ice cream in the fridge? After all, one excuse is as good as another. I somehow kept my focus. Once I had mastered the bar F, a momentous moment in any guitarists career, (ask any of them), It was a very short time after this, the band recognised me as the best guitarist. Not long after this, the other guitarist in the band quit. He'd given up on his rock star dreams, and I don't think he ever played the guitar again. Well, let's be honest, he never really learned to play anything. Me on the other hand kept going. Wouldn't it be great to play that classic Chuck Berry intro to Johnny B Goode? 'It's the only lick I'd ever want to learn' I said at the time. Having mastered that, I thought Layla by Eric Clapton had a great riff. I didn't like the song much, but loved that riff. Mastered that, and so it went on. You never stop learning the guitar. In fact, that's true for any instrument, except the kazoo and maybe the triangle. You learn to live with the frustration. So what are the benefits of learning to play a musical instrument? For me, that first punk band was great fun. So have the 20 or so bands since. All have been tremendous fun. It has enabled me to meet and converse with some amazing people. When I moved from Great Wyrley, the village I was brought up and schooled in, to Ilfracombe, playing guitar enabled me to meet people, and make new friends. This list could go on for ever, but ultimately it has given me a career and business. This started, not with guitar playing, but recording other bands on my 4 track recording studio. I still record demo's, jingles and other similar things today, but the technology is far more sophisticated now. I ran Flipside for 7 years. This was a shop in Ilfracombe selling records, CDs, videos and of course, musical instruments. I play in a band called The Backtrackers. A function band playing weddings and parties all over the Uk. My main income is from teaching. All day long, 6 days a week, privately and in schools teaching guitar and ukulele. Well, what a life playing music has done for me. From punk band to teacher, a fantastic, and in many ways unplanned journey. I didn't know back in the early 80's where I'd be today, but I'm glad to be here. I never made it to rock star status, but then again, I don't think I ever really want that. So what is your motivation to carry on? What is your excuse to quit? I look forward to your questions and replies. If you would like to book guitar or ukulele lessons in your home, school or by Skype.
http://paulclews888.weebly.com/guitar--ukulele-lessons.html If you would like to book The Backtrackers for your party, wedding, corporate event, or function. http://paulclews888.weebly.com/backtrackers.html If you would like to book time in my recording studio. http://paulclews888.weebly.com/16-track-multi-track-recording-studio.html I am so excited to be nominated for a couple of gongs, for my Punk Rock blog http://paulclews.tumblr.com/post/31116079541/punk-rock from a few weeks ago, and my podcasts. http://audioboo.fm/paulkclews
http://www.ndba.org.uk/all-blogs/and-the-nominees-are |
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